Cover Image: The Five Year Plan

The Five Year Plan

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Member Reviews

I was in the mood for an easy and uplifting read and this book came at the right time! Demi has her life all mapped out but things don't go to plan and curve balls in love and business see her dropping the plan in favour of a spontaneous trip to the other side of the world.

I grew to care about the characters and absolutely loved the evocative descriptions of Italy - I could picture the scenes, smell the food and feel the atmosphere. The characters developed throughout the book and were more complex and rounded than at first sight. I worried that the plot might turn out to be a little predictable but this was completely unfounded and a few twists and turns kept me interested right to the end.

Jodi Gibson is a great storyteller and this is a perfect book to unwind with or take on holiday.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The Five Year Plan - Jodi Gibson

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Brio Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily

At 33, DEMI Moretti’s five-year plan is on track. She’s moved in with her boyfriend Wil, and is waiting patiently for her father to retire so she can take over the running of the family café.

But when her father blindsides her by handing the café to her older brother Nick, and she suspects Wil might be cheating on her, Demi’s five year plan crumbles like crostoli.

I feel like this book got off to a slow start - but it definitely picked up. In places it was very predictable but it is a sweet, enjoyable book. With a main focus on self-discovery this is a quick book to read.

This is a nice escape to Italy that would make a great substitute for a summer holiday - the imagery is just so strong.

Rating 4/5

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Demi is working at a cafe with her family, hoping to marry her boyfriend at the time and inherit the cafe when her father retires. But when that all falls apart, she takes a risk and travels to Italy to reconnect with her family and herself.

I loved the details about Italy! I really enjoyed learning about all of the food and about the places as they traveled around. For the story itself, while I enjoyed it, parts of the story felt rushed or underdeveloped. The romance was interesting, but I felt like it was more of a background plot. We really didn't get to know much about the other characters. It was really strong for the first 60%, but I found that it fell apart for me in the end. Overall, it was a cute and light read that made me really really want some pasta!

Thank you to Brio Books/Verb Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Nothing riles me up like good-old sexism against our passionate and lovely main character.
Hence, The main conflict itself was so intriguing that I was drawn to this book like an ant to a cube of sugar.

Demi loves her cafe. It is not just a place to eat. It is a place with family heritage, history, smiles, and stories. She’s planning to do a lot of stuff and make it even better when her dad retires and gives the cafe to her. Only, he doesn’t. He gives it to her older brother. And thus, her whole 5-year plan comes crumbling down.

The book is fast-paced and engaging right from the start. I loved Demi and the world around her. The exposure to Italian culture was a beautiful experience. With this book, my list of food to try, and places to visit and elongated.

And, well, Leo is *chef’s kiss* sweet. Would love to have a Leo in my life, even though I live in India and have little chance of ever visiting Italy.

Coming back to the topic, the book was lovely. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Brio Books/Verb Publishing for the e-ARC of this book.

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3.75 ⭐️
This was a nice, quick, easy read. I enjoyed reading about Demi and Leo, however, for a book listed as romance, it felt like such a small portion of the book was focused on their actual romance. I enjoyed the descriptions of Italy, and the food. I did find some of it to be predictable, but still enjoyable. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Good, but not a story that will stay with me. I thought Demi to be immature at times, and the romance wasn't all that developed. On the plus side, lovely scenic and food descriptions, and the story did hold my attention enough to see it through to the end. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The Five Year Plan is my first book by Jodi Gibson. I really enjoyed the way she writes and felt like the story flowed throughout the book. This is a great beach read and I would definitely recommend it!

Demi Moretti is in her early thirties, has a serious boyfriend, works at her families café and has amazing friends. Her five year plan is on track, what could go wrong?

Demi starts to question her boyfriends secretive actions, learns her father plans to give the café to her brother and not her. The plan was getting off track, her boyfriend ended up being arrested and Demi needed to start over. She decided to visit her family in Italy to learn their cooking style to bring back to her café in hopes her father would change his mind and give her the café.

Italy was just the thing that Demi needed, she loved the atmosphere, got to connect with family and learn more about her parents history. She learns to make homemade pasta with her nonna and the ways of the Italian café. But one thing arose that was not on the plan, Leo. Leo was a family enemy that Demi had connected with at the airport and then in town. Demi must keep her actins private to not upset her family.

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I really enjoyed this book! It was fun, funny, easy to read and follow and understand, wonderfully written. Would definitely recommend.

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Do NOT read 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙉 on an empty stomach! This book is filled with absolutely mouthwateringly delicious descriptions of food, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I adore pasta and Italian food in general so I may have looked up how to make orecchiette and look forward to recreating one of the dishes from the book.

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙉 is the first book I have ready by author Jodi Gibson but I loved it and am already looking forward to her next romance. This book is exactly what I needed this summer. We had 2 much anticipated family vacations cancelled due to the pandemic so it felt so good to get lost in the Italian scenery in this book. Jodi’s writing is so beautiful and captivating, while it has been a long time since I last visited the Mediterranean I felt like I was right back there.

Demi and her best friend Anna had devised a five-year plan a few years prior, a guide of sorts to get their lives back on track. Demi realizes that while she still wants everything on that list she hasn’t made much progress in bringing it to fruition. She finds herself frustrated when she finds out the family café (#1 on her list) which she has poured her whole heart into for years hoping to take it over once her father retires will instead be left to her eldest brother. Coupled with relationship trouble and a recent break up she decides to take action to bring her five-year plan to life. She sets off to Italy to finally meet her extended family, learn more about their culture and most importantly fuel her passion for food so she can convince her father he made a mistake not leaving the café to her.

I really related to Demi as I am in fact married to the man I chased across the world some 20 years ago. It is exhilarating to leave home and make a life of your own but it also leaves you vulnerable to leave everyone and everything you know behind. Demi and Leo’s love story was beautiful and full of passion, in some ways it reminded me of Romeo and Juliet with a bit of Under the Tuscan Sun mixed in. Their instant connection was amazing and while the odds were stacked against them I couldn’t help rooting for them right from the beginning. I mean isn’t that what we all hope for? A love that is so true and undeniable it sweeps you off your feet. But do you date to trust in it and put your heart on the line? Does love conquer all or was it in fact just a summer fling?

I would absolutely recommend this book to fellow contemporary romance lovers and if you are a foodie and/or travel obsessed it is an absolute 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Thank you to Jodi Gibson, Brio Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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I really wanted to love this book, but many things just didn't work for me. I wanted the main character to have more of a backbone and really fight for her dreams. She had given so much of herself to the cafe, yet didn't even really fight back when the ownership was given to her brother. What was even more frustrating to see was the lack of character growth by the mid-way point, as she lets her cousin in Italy also dictate her choices. The family rivalry angle also felt a bit odd. I did like the overall concept behind the story and the fact that it was set in Australia (bonus points for mentioning a Perth stopover)!

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This was a book that the title literally gave nothing away. I wasn't super sure what I expected. I thought maybe the main character would be uptight and it would be like any other book about things not going to "plan."

It was a little like that, but Demi wasn't all that rigid in her plans. She really wanted to take over the cafe and when that didn't happen she looked at all her planning and had a minor crisis, but she soon realizes she isn't even sure she wants to keep her "five year plan."

Also, she ends up going to Italy and falling for a hot Italian guy so who really wins here? lol.

I grew frustrated with her family and dad. He gives the cafe to his brother and he had his reasons, but I would have been bitter if I was Demi.

But LEO omg. I love books where they go to a foreign country and meet this too good to be true man. He was amazing. Like my expectations can get any higher. There were issues with his family and hers, but it resolved and made for a sweet ending.

If you love Italian food and want a good escape, this book is a must. It comes out September 6th!

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2.5
I stumbled upon this book randomly on NetGalley and I felt immediately drawn to it because of the beautiful cover and reading the synopsis only made me more intrigued. Unfortunately I felt a little disappointed.

One of the main points I feel like I should mention is that despite being labeled as a romance book it seemed like the romance part was just background storyline, and Leo a secondary character. It totally felt like Demi’s story, instead of a romance one. I was disappointed by this specially since in the cover we have a drawing representing Leo, but we get to know so very little of him throughout the whole story.

Also, there was so many pages and pages of unnecessary description of scenery and cooking. I like to know what’s happening and feeling like I’m there as much as everyone else, but these long descriptions made me lose interest and skipping it. I believe that was one of the reasons I didn’t get to feel that attached to the story to the point I couldn’t put it down.

Despite what was said and just other slight things that I didn’t personally like, it was a good book to read for a while and the opportunity to get to know these characters. The highlight were totally Leo and Demi’s family dinamic.

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Demi thinks life is about planning everything out on a paper, but when her relationship with her boyfriend crashes down, a trip to Italy feels like the right thing to do. Between getting to know her family and falling in love, she discovers that life is way more than a five year plan.
Sort of like ‘Love & Gelato’, especially because of Italy and all those incredible places, plus the family topic, this is a very light story and a great summer read.
Demi is a very relatable character and her journey was inspiring. There's something about her love for her family and the bond they share that's just so beautiful. You can really see how passionate she is when it comes to people and things she loves.
The book leaves us with a very powerful message that felt both like a hug and a punch to the chest.
“Life happens when you don’t expect it. And when you don’t plan for it.”
But I do think that some descriptions were a bit too long and sometimes unnecessary, and I felt like the story was so focused on Demi that we didn't see much of Leo, which is sad, because he's on the cover as part of the story and I was excited to get to know him.

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

“Che sarà sarà. Whatever will be, will be.”

** What’s this about? **

Demi has everything she wants. Her father is about to retire and going to leave the family café to her. She is living with her boyfriend Wil.

But suddenly, everything goes to the trash. Her father is giving the Café to Demi’s brother Nick. And Wil might be cheating or lying to her. And Demi doesn’t know what to do now with her life. The five-year plan she had with her BFF is now an impossible dream to make true.

When she speaks with her friend Anna about her worries, she convinces her to travel to Italy and learn more about the culture, her heritage and the family business. And she does exactly that.
During the flight to Italy, she meets Leo. A man that is going to change her life. In Italy, she will know about the past, a feud, her parents’ history, and more.

** What do I think about it? **

I’m just going to say that this was a sweet romance novel. And a great novel about a great woman and how she chased all her dreams.

Let’s start with the characters. We have Demi. She is really focus in what she wants, but when her life gives a twist she has to rethink what she wants to do now. I really liked her character. She is a strong woman, always caring about her family and her future. I actually liked the message of the character: If everything doesn’t go the way you want, try with another perspective.

Leo… I loved him since the very first scene. He was always perfect with Demi. He never cared about the disputes between their families. And he acted so sweet during the competition. And I loved that he also followed his dreams at the end.

About their relationship… Love at first sight, a forbidden relationship between “enemies”, a well-developed insta-love. A beautiful and sweet relationship with great and lovely scenes. A loved their relationship so much. (I want to travel and see if it’s that easy to find a man like that).

The other characters… Anna, Brad, Francesca, Mateo and all of Demi’s relatives. Well, everyone was a good add to the story. I loved Anna and Demi’s friendship. Francesca and Mateo… well, I loved and hated them. And I have to say that Demi’s parents’ history was kind of irrelevant to me.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. At the beginning was a little bit slow to read, but then everything was so interesting and I couldn’t stop reading. And, as I said, I really liked the message of the story. You don’t need to plan every aspect of your life, just let it come and accept what life gives you.

“The best plans are the ones you didn’t make”.

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The Five Year Plan really picked up for me in the second half of the book. I felt that it took a while for all the characters to develop but then once they did it was a great story of star crossed lovers. All the food had my mouth watering most of the book and the travel has me reaching for my passport to jump on a plane.

This story felt like a hallmark movie in print which I love and as long as your know that walking into it I think you will enjoy it! Leo sounded quite dreamy and just like a solid guy.

I felt like there were points the story dragged and it could have been a little shorter but overall this was a sweet love story and learning to live your life everyday to the fullest and not sticking only to one plan.

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I really enjoyed reading this book- seeing Demi’s bravery develop chapter by chapter and how she decided to take action rather than just wait for things to happen. I genuinely felt like I was in Italy with the detailed descriptions and my mouth watered on occasion with the incredible scenes of food and vast community meals. I devoured the book in a day- would highly recommend.

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3.5 Stars

All poor Demi wants is to have the family cafe sold to her when her dad retires. She has worked the cafe since being a teen and has saved the money for it for years, she also has a business plan and will share the purchase money with her siblings. Despite all her help and perfect plans her sexist father hands it over to her ungrateful brother. Then she finds out her boyfriend isn't the man she thought he was.

So begins Demi's journey to Italy to meet her family. She immerses herself in the food and culture and embarks on a romance...a Hatfield and McCoy kind of a thing, with Leo. I loved the descriptions of Bari, it made me feel like I was there. And the food...oh my gosh. I loved how Demi really wanted to prove herself. She didn't expect to have the cafe handed over to her...and despite her father's deceit she found a way to make herself happy. This made for a perfect summer read and if it wasn't 109 degrees with the humidex today I would have been at the beach reading it.

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This book was cute. It was kind of predictable and the ending was a little too much for me. The author tried to shove in too many plot points. Overall, it was an easy read and I’d recommend it to someone looking for something that’s light and easy.

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I picked this book because I loved the cover and the storyline. Demi has her life all planned out; but when things don't go her way she hightails it to Italy. I love rom coms and travel so this book was right up my alley. It was sweet, funny and I was rooting for Demi to find her happy ending. A great read from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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This was a sweet and fun story. I loved Demi's Italian adventures & heritage. The food, the scenery of Italy were worth drooling over.
However the romance felt flat and rushed for me.
It was too insta-love for my liking.

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