The Expiration Date. Kimberly Brown. 2023. 230 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
Serial dater Audrey has a fool-proof system for breaking up with men. On her “expiration dates,” she takes them to her favorite coffee tavern where she can let them down easy and enjoy a spiked hot cocoa for her troubles. That “foolproof” plans works great … until it doesn’t.
Sullivan “Sully” Santiago is more than familiar with Audrey’s reputation, having seen it in action for months. And while he’s content to let it continue, he’s not going to let Audrey’s inability to commit mess with his money. He walked away from an executive level position at the coffee business that made his family billionaires, damaging his relationship with his father in the process. Failure isn’t an option, which Audrey learns the hard way when she gets kicked out after an “expiration date” goes wrong.
A chance meeting brings them back into each others’ orbit and the two explore what feels like instant chemistry. All seems to go well until misinterpretation and miscommunication land Audrey with another yet expiration date. Unfortunately, the cut isn’t so clean and the two eventually find their way back to each other with a surprise pregnancy.
Sully and Audrey obviously have great chemistry; but what I enjoyed most was Sully’s ability to hold a mirror to Audrey. I didn’t find her to be a wholly unllikeable character, but she was woefully lacking self-awareness, which led her to be selfish and inconsiderate. The question of whether they could be together shifted for me into should they.
A central part of The Expiration Date is the way Brown easily interjects secondary characters. They bring a lot to this story between humor and reflection, often serving as the voice of reason for both main characters. They’re introduced and maintain a strong presence, so I’m looking forward to seeing where Brown takes the remaining characters in forthcoming books.
The Expiration Date is among my first forays into Brown’s books, and she does not disappoint. There is plenty of passion between Audrey and Sully, as expected. More than that, it prompts some solid reflection about the challenges of relationships, whether romantic, platonic, and familial. This is great for a lazy afternoon when you just want to curl up and dive into a little bit of drama.
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