Expiration Dates

not my vibes

DNF 27%

• Magical Realism
  - Los Angeles Setting
  - Lovers to Friends
  - Second Chances
  - Magical Notes
  - Chronic Illness

This is the second time I read a book by this author, the other time being in 2022 and ending in a 2 star rating because I found the main character insufferable, obsessed with her mother and selfish in the choices she made. The mc of this book suffers from a lot of the same symptoms. Selfish actions are being explained away or left as if me as a reader is supposed to think “oh yeah that makes perfect sense that you did that, it’s totally okay.” It doesn’t sit well with me. Also, didn’t like the ‘plot twist’ introduced waay out in the book. It felt like a cheap way to explain the skittish, non committed behaviour of the mc. We never get an explanation on the notes, how do they work? Who or what is sending them? If it was a family curse, or some sort of ‘gift’ bestowed upon her at birth or literally anything other than “it just happens” it would’ve made for a much more compelling story.

This is the second time I try reading a book by this author, and it’s the second time I’m drawn in by the premise of the story and gets left unsatisfied by it.

I really struggled, I couldn't warm to Daphne at all. I finished it because I was hoping there might be a twist or gotcha moment and it would all come together and be worth it.

The book jumps between the present and Daphne's past dating history. There's no dates or timeframes so it is a bit bumpy going back and forth. Plus we know none of those relationships worked out so it didn't add a huge amount to the story line. I really struggled to understand how Daphne kept dating these really handsome, rich, successful men because it doesn't gel with my take on her. She seems very average (not in a negative way) and is finding herself in terms of her career and living in LA by herself but the flashbacks are just a string of handsome, successful, rich men. There's no quirky boyfriends or equally-struggling-to-get-established boyfriends, and no dates where he's just too odd and she slips out a back door.

There was a twist about half way through and that's probably the reason I read through to the end but unfortunately it's not a book I could recommend to others.

1/5 ⭐
This book was a filler book for me so I didn't expect it to be that good but it was horrid. The timeline was confusing, there were way too many typos, the relationships were just not it for me, I wasn't invested at all so the plot twists did nothing for me, and the ending was insipid, uninspiring, rage-inducing, and laughable. I hope the editor got fired after this.

This book is a prime example of an interesting premise that falls flat in its execution. Rebecca Serle presents this unique idea of “the universe” giving a woman premonitions of how long her relationships will last, but the story never explains this phenomenon and instead veers off into a side plot that ends up consuming the last third of the book. I felt like this book did not know what story it wanted to tell.

Daphne Bell receives notes at the start of her romantic relationships that indicate how long they will last. She does not know where they come from or why she receives them, but she allows them to control her love life without question. When she goes on her first date with Jake, all the note says is his name with no timeframe, so she wonders if that means he is “the one.” They enter a relationship, but she is hiding important information from him that could ruin the relationship.

I'll start with what I like about the book. As I said previously, the premise is very interesting. I enjoy a touch of magical realism in my books, but I need there to be some explanation in the end. I also think Serle does a good job of eliciting an emotional reaction from me with her depiction of Daphne's interactions with her family. Finally, I like Jake as a character. He is sincere and straightforward and generally just a good guy, possibly too good for Daphne.

My first issue with this book is with the writing. The author provides too many mundane details that are unnecessary to the plot and character development. For instance, she describes the clothing of every character in a scene and the decor of every setting the characters enter. I found myself very annoyed by this to the point that I almost stopped reading the book altogether.

I also find the structure of the book to be frustrating. The narration moves back and forth in time between Daphne's present day situation with Jake and her past relationships. I do not usually mind dual timelines, but the narration often switches from present to past without a warning or indicator of the shift so that I had to read a few sentences before figuring it out. The flashbacks also did not occur in chronological order, so it jumped around all of the over the place.

Unfortunately, this book will not be memorable to me. I liked it well enough to finish it, but I do not think I would recommend it to other readers.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

CW: FMC has congenital heart disease

2.5 stars. Oh this book. How quickly it reads and yet how deeply it annoys. I'll have to be vague about my concerns to avoid spoilers (see content warning if you want a hint), but I can safely say that Expiration Dates is NOT “the romance that will define a generation,” as promised by the publisher's description.

Single gal and LA producer's assistant Daphne Bell has a unique secret. Every time she dates a man, she receives a mysterious piece of paper containing his name and how long the relationship will last. She has never tried to determine the source of these papers, or why she seems to be the lone person on planet Earth to experience them, but okay, I can go with that. On her way to a blind date set up by her BFF, she gets the expected paper but there is no time limit included next to the name “Jake.” Does this mean Jake is The One that she will marry and grow old with, the relationship with no expiration date?

Fortunately, Jake is a wonderful guy - caring, handsome, successful, funny, just the right amount of quirky - and soon he and Daphne are a happy couple. But as their relationship moves towards the next milestone, Daphne agonizes over the need to tell Jake her Big Secret. No, not that one. The Other Big Secret.

I will not divulge the nature of the Other Big Secret except to say that it takes the story into unexpected and unwelcome territory. What starts out as a lighthearted romcom with a gimmick turns into melodrama and angst. Genuinely nice people are deeply hurt as Daphne makes martyr-like choices for them. Flashbacks to her previous time-limited affairs serve little purpose besides establishing the infallibility of the expiration date messages. The plot includes a Love Triangle (one of my least favorite tropes) but the other guy is a playboy douche-bro whose Grand Gesture is an unforgiveable (to me) act of control.

The author describes every outfit Daphne wears, the decor of the restaurants she patronizes, and other unnecessary details such as the fact that the shopping mall at which Daphne and BFF meet for lunch has a Santa train at Christmas, a giant bunny at Easter, and a Gilmore Girls gazebo the whole year through. No wonder this was a quick read; I skipped over all of the extraneous stuff.

The one thing that saved this book from one-heart territory was the loving, supportive relationship that Daphne has with her parents. So often Jewish parents, especially mothers, are stereotypically portrayed as overly involved, meddling noodges. Debra and Moshe Bell are lovely people who are willing to meet their daughter where she is, not where they want her to be.

There are many glowing 5-star reviews of Expiration Dates on Goodreads, so it's clear that mine is a minority opinion. YMMV if you like melodrama, Instagram-like fashion and decor descriptions, and ambiguous endings.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

I just finished Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle and here are my thoughts.

Daphne is used to there being no mystery in her dating life. When she meets someone new, a piece of paper with their name and the exact length of their time together appears out of nowhere. It's been happening for the last 2 decades so when she goes on a blind date, the piece of paper only has a name and no date.... She wonders if she can trust that this is the last piece of paper she will receive.

Jake, the man on her blind date, has no idea the truth about Daphne and she has to learn that sometimes, she has to trust that the universe might not always know what it is doing.

It was interesting, the concept for this book. It makes you wonder where the notes are coming from and if the time frame is because it was the natural ending of the relationships, or whether it was because Daphne walked away because of the notes. It was interesting. They never explain where the notes came from but that didn't bother me.

I enjoyed her friendship with Hugo. They dated for a few months but then he found out her secret and she ended it. They became friends though and I liked him. I couldn't imagine living with what she lived with and I do not mean the notes.

I loved the writing and it was a very entertaining read. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author. It's not my normal kind of romance book but it hit the spot for me!

4 stars

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy

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