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A review by anovelglimpse
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.
I was really enjoying Expiration Dates when I first started reading it. I was fascinated by the names and dates Daphne was getting and what getting Jake's name with no date would mean for her. This was a fast paced read despite it being overly descriptive at times. I was enjoying the ride until some things came to light that made it tank for me. That made me sad and angry because this book could have been a 5-star read for me if it wasn't for the following things:
* The blurb states "From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation." This wasn't a romance novel. It was women's fiction with a side of magical realism and several love stories. There's no true HEA/HFN. In the end, it's all about Daphne's journey. I do not like it when books are marketed as romances and don't deliver.
* The secret Daphne was keeping from the reader and almost all of the people in her life until around 60% in changed the vibe of the book and what I thought was the subject matter. The focus went from her falling in love with Jake to something completely different.
* Hugo getting multiple chapters while the other guys didn't. It was like a love triangle that wasn't really a love triangle. Oh, and everything else with Hugo. I didn't like the dude and I didn't like his involvement in most everything. I never would have spoken to him again for a few things if I was Daphne.
* I didn't get any answers about those cards Daphne gets with the names and time frames. No explanation where they were coming from, who was sending them, why. Nada. This is unacceptable with how much focus was put on them shaping Daphne's life and romantic path.
* The ending made me angry.
If you're going to read this book, don't go in expecting a romance where the relationship that is forming gets an HEA. You won't get that here. You'll get Daphne's messy love stories and a little character growth.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
I was really enjoying Expiration Dates when I first started reading it. I was fascinated by the names and dates Daphne was getting and what getting Jake's name with no date would mean for her. This was a fast paced read despite it being overly descriptive at times. I was enjoying the ride until some things came to light that made it tank for me. That made me sad and angry because this book could have been a 5-star read for me if it wasn't for the following things:
* The blurb states "From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation." This wasn't a romance novel. It was women's fiction with a side of magical realism and several love stories. There's no true HEA/HFN. In the end, it's all about Daphne's journey. I do not like it when books are marketed as romances and don't deliver.
* The secret Daphne was keeping from the reader and almost all of the people in her life until around 60% in changed the vibe of the book and what I thought was the subject matter. The focus went from her falling in love with Jake to something completely different.
* Hugo getting multiple chapters while the other guys didn't. It was like a love triangle that wasn't really a love triangle. Oh, and everything else with Hugo. I didn't like the dude and I didn't like his involvement in most everything. I never would have spoken to him again for a few things if I was Daphne.
* I didn't get any answers about those cards Daphne gets with the names and time frames. No explanation where they were coming from, who was sending them, why. Nada. This is unacceptable with how much focus was put on them shaping Daphne's life and romantic path.
* The ending made me angry.
If you're going to read this book, don't go in expecting a romance where the relationship that is forming gets an HEA. You won't get that here. You'll get Daphne's messy love stories and a little character growth.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness