Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.
Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.
But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.
Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for.
Review: Since her first relationship, Daphne Bell has been given a gift: she receives a slip of paper with her love interest's name and a number on it. The number is the exact amount of time they will be stay together. For twenty years, she has received slips that let her know that her relationship has an expiration date. Until one day, she finally receives one with just a name but no number. Jake is seemingly perfect for her, but Daphne struggles with committing and questioning the paper's prediction.
This was such an interesting premise with the magical realism detail of the slips of paper that show up without explanation. Throughout the novel, it jumps back in time to tell the story of each of Daphne's relationships, all bracketed by the foreknowledge of how long she will be with them.
BUT I had so many issues with this!! I know this is probably just a personality and personal preference of my own, but if I got a piece of paper that said I would be with someone for only five weeks, I probably would just opt out entirely. For me personally, it would feel like a waste of my time. Why and how does Daphne still wholly commit herself to any of the men, knowing that it won't last? And who is sending these? Why does she believe the notes as fact? How does she know it isn't someone just messing with her? None of this was ever explained or explored and it drove me crazy that she just blindly obeyed them as if they were law and she had no free will or choice in the matter.
Second, she has a male best friend that she used to date and still spends tons of time with. Red siren started going off immediately for me. It just seemed so obvious that it was a clear tip off they were still into each other.
Third, Daphne is hiding a significant detail about her life and history from her significant others. I questioned her ability to even hide this from intimate partners that she was spending a lot of time with. And I also questioned why she would hide it, especially as long as she does with Jake. It felt dishonest and disrespectful to Jake to not tell him sooner. In short, it gave me the ick.
An intriguing premise, but this just fell flat for me. Beautifully narrated by Julia Whelan for the audio version.
Stars: 3
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