Reviews: Like the Wind (J. Bengtsson) | Expiration Dates (Rebecca Serle)

Like the Wind

by J. Bengtsson

Pub: 4/16/2019

Source: Purchased

4.25 stars

GoodReads

When a letter from his supposedly deceased mother finds its way into his hands, life changes in an instant for international pop star Bodhi Beckett.

Reeling from the deception of those closest to him, Bodhi spirals out of control and is sent to a secluded mansion in the coastal mountains of Southern California for some rest and relaxation. But the retreat proves to be anything but relaxing when a raging wildfire sets the landscape around him ablaze.

While escaping the flames, Bodhi rescues Breeze, a quirky, pet-loving woman, and together the two fight their way to safety. In the aftermath of the fire, Bodhi and Breeze hit the road to uncover the truth about his family. What neither of them expected is to forge a powerful connection that will change their lives forever...but can it survive the real world, or will it disappear like the wind?

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Most of Bodhi’s life has been spent in the spotlight – first as a child TV star and then as part of a hugely successful boy band. His complicated relationship with his manager-father is further fractured when Bodhi receives a letter from his mother, a woman he’s long believed to be dead. Retreating to a rented home to regroup turns into a nightmare when a raging wildfire sends Bodhi fleeing for his life. It’s there he meets Breeze, who is trying desperately to escape the fire with a menagerie of pets in tow. With a connection forged in fire, the two embark on a journey to uncover Bodhi’s past. When the real world descends on them, they’re forced to decide if their fledgling relationship can survive with all the world watching.

One of my favorite aspects of Bengtsson’s books is that her characters are so imminently likable. That held true for both Bodhi and Breeze and I loved following their journey – from harrowing first encounter to taking steps toward a future together. Breeze was a bit quirky and had her own past to put to rest, but it was Bodhi that captured my heart. Feeling like a bystander in his own life, the fire had him reevaluating and making changes to build the life he wanted. Bengtsson knows how to tell a story, one that always has me fully invested and living every moment right alongside the characters. This was the last of Bengtsson’s backlist titles I’d yet to read and I’ll be not-so-patiently waiting for whatever she writes next.

Expiration Dates

by Rebecca Serle

Pub: March 19, 2024

Source: Atria/NetGalley

2 stars

GoodReads

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 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.

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For more than twenty years Daphne has randomly received pieces of paper with the name of the next man in her life and the amount of time they will spend together – be it one night or three months. Receiving a paper with only a name (Jake) and no date sends Daphne into a tailspin. What does it mean? Is Jake “the one”? What transpires next is not a romance, and not a love story, but Daphne’s examination of her past, and her journey toward a future of her own making.

With the intriguing premise, I had high hopes for Expiration Dates. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me at all. The frequent name-dropping of Hollywood locales and the recitation of what everyone was wearing grew tiresome quickly. Instead of giving a nod to setting and characters, it lent a feeling of superficiality to both. The flashbacks of Daphne’s prior relationships never seemed to give me any further insight into Daphne. There is a twist that comes more than halfway through the story and felt so completely out of left field. It shifted the focus with a jolt and had me wishing for a smoother transition. Lastly, there was a significant character that acted so atrociously and delivered a betrayal that was, for me, unforgivable. The blurb calls this “the romance that will define a generation.” I beg to differ.

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