One of my favorites so far this year! I love the unique plot. It makes me want to reread The Dinner List although I definitely liked this one more. This was a quick read. I loved and rooted for the characters the entire book. It makes you think what if you knew how much time you’d have with someone. If it wasn’t forever, would you still enjoy the dance?

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher! This review copy was an absolute delight!

Expiration dates is a story about promises and people. It follows Daphne’s and the strange circumstances around her personal life that allow her to measure time in a peculiar way.

The book begins with meeting Jake on their first date, and follows the relationship from there. There are flashbacks to previous times in her life that add depth to her story, and her personal relationships with her friends and previous lovers. There is a curveball at the end that was unexpected and uncomfortable but overall was a great addition.

I enjoyed Expiration Dates, but tend to forget this author’s style and emotionality, which is not a negative thing in any way, it just calls for me to be prepared! The openness of the ending to possibilities is a balm and I love how it was captured. I’ll Definitely recommend to any fiction reader and will always read this authors material!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Much like Rebecca Serle’s book One Italian Summer felt somewhat like a travel guide for the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Expiration Dates could be used as a travel guide for LA. You can tell she loves the city. I really enjoyed this story and its characters.

“I thought if I had all the answers, if I was always one step ahead, if I knew my hand, then I’d never lose. But being surprised by life isn’t losing, it’s living. It’s messy and uncomfortable and complicated and beautiful. It’s life, all of it. The only way to get it wrong is to refuse to play.”
— Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates

overall rating: 3.5 stars

Daphne has always received mysterious slips of paper with a name and an amount of time on them right before she meets someone with that name. The paper details how long they will spend together. This is how all of her relationships go - until she receives one with no amount of time on it.... will this be forever love?

The premise intrigued me and I loved [book:One Italian Summer|58438583] so I picked this one up. It was a bit slow to start for me but I eventually became wrapped up in the plot. I loved how Serle takes us forward and backward in time to see how Daphne's current and previous relationships have played out.

Personally, for me Jake was a bit lackluster. He just seemed boring - he didn't have that magical quality that all other romance MMC's have that make them irresistible. He just seemed like your average nice golden retriever-style man. I was secretly rooting for Hugo the entire book because their prior relationship and friendship seemed to blossom into something so perfect.

I did love the character development on Daphne's side of the story. She truly begins to get a grasp on her current situation and how she has let these papers rule her life. I loved seeing her come to terms with her illness and how that effected her towards the end of the book.

The ending for me was too open ended. I wanted a definite ending and to know where things were going. Serle kind of left it open to interpretation - which some people might love - but I am not one of those people. I want cold, hard facts about where the ending went when I finish a book.

While this was not my favorite book of hers, I will still continue to pick up whatever she writes next. This book will be enjoyed by those who love a good women's fiction novel with touches of magical realism that comes with a side of romance. The writing is good and weaves you through the story and the audio version has a fantastic narrator.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoy magical realism, you might like this one. The pacing was just a little too slow and I couldn’t get into their chemistry.. it had some sweet moments but overall not for me.

I like Rebecca Sarrell’s books. I always find them a little bit magical realism and a little bit tragedy. This book definitely has the reader suspending reality as Daphne has lived her life receiving notes about how long each relationship will last. It’s so odd but it works. Until she receives a note with just the man’s name and it’s empty does this mean forever? We get to know her family, her best friend, her boss and many of her past dates and lives. I read half of this book and finished it by borrowing the audio from the library read by Julia Whalen what could be bad about that! Worth the read if you’d like her work or if the premise draws you in Recommend .

Loved the premise of the book but it was lacking something for me maybe I expected more. However I enjoyed the book. It pulled at the heart strings 🥺. Daphne was in a unique situation with the notes and it made me curious to see how it all played out. The ending was predictable but I loved it. Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a warm and cozy romance with a twist. The story had the clean cute easy to read ease that I love in a contemporary romance. The magical realism here was a wonderful touch that made this story memorable. This is an easy book to recommend to romance lovers looking for something a little different!

3.5/5 stars!

The idea behind this book was so unique and magical!!! I really loved the way this flowed, and Rebeccas writing. It kept me sucked into the book the entire time! However, the reading itself was a bit slow, and i found myself struggling at some luls in the book. This was a great summer read!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.✨

Rebecca Serle is one of my auto-buy authors— her books make me so happy, and this one was no exception!

Serle's storytelling is so magical and comforting; Expiration Dates is a quick, completely charming read that is perfect for summer reading season.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
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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 period of time on it.
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What I liked:
-I liked the idea of the notes.
-I loved the besties and that her boss was kind of one of them. A good support system is always nice.
-I loved, loved, loved Daphne’s mom and dad. There was a quote from her dad that I listened to three times to make sure I wrote it down correctly that was so touching:
“We are all dying, every day and at some point it becomes a choice: are you living, or are you dying? All I wish for you, for any of us, is to do the living one, to do it for the fullest for as long as it lasts.” (Dad is my favorite character in this book)
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a sobering story and a quick read. I think if you go into the story knowing it is not really a romance then you will enjoy it more.

I love Rebecca’s writing style. Feels like it’ll be a fun little tale and then the story turns into something deeper. I can read her books to get both enjoyment and enrichment. Her stories are so unique I don’t feel like her plot lines are repeating anything I’ve ever read before.

I wanted to give this book a chance, but it was disappointing. The book was so slow and I felt like I wasting my time reading about her past relationships that didn’t work. I like the way she describes settings, but that was it. This story also had a character I didn’t love who still got a happy ending. Nope!

This was a fun read with a very satisfying ending. Definitely enjoyed it! I think it would be a great book for the summer or beach. I liked the main character in particular.

Loved it! good character development . The plot was interesting. It was a fun read at the beginning and then it got down to serious topics.

Rebecca Serle's "Expiration Dates" offers an intriguing take on magical realism with its unique premise of predetermined relationships. Daphne Bell, guided by slips of paper that predict the duration of her romantic entanglements, faces a pivotal moment when she receives a slip with just a name—Jake. The plot unfolds as Daphne wrestles with the conflict between the universe's plan and her own desires, exploring themes of commitment and truthfulness.

While Serle's magical realism trope is usually a highlight for me, this novel felt somewhat repetitive and slower-paced compared to her previous works. The emotional depth that I’ve come to expect from Serle was missing, making the narrative feel less impactful. Although the love story between Daphne and Jake is compelling, it often takes a backseat to the repetitive elements of the plot. The book is interesting and features an emotional love story, but it could have benefited from a greater focus on the emotional connections rather than the mechanics of how the relationship unfolds. Overall, "Expiration Dates" is a solid read but falls short of the emotional resonance found in Serle’s earlier novels.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Atria for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: A bit of magic, deep stories

I liked this. It was a bit hard to keep up with as it jumped around a lot for me. I love the concept and the magical realism. It's a very sweet story. It just felt like it was missing something for me. I do recommend it!

This was a rather unique approach to a book. That said, I didn't feel like I had real clarity on whether or not the notes that were arriving were an element of magical realism or something that people in her life were writing for her along the way. That question caught me up in a few moments. Also, the way in which the plot jumped around in timelines was confusing on occasion as well. Trying to figure out which man from her past or present she might be interacting with. That said, I really did appreciate that dialogue throughout and my heart ached for the main character's heart as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for early access to a copy of this read!

IRL book club pick and a great one it was! This was a great love story that begs the question whether you make the history happen that you expect or you let life happen with abandon. The ending was as I expected but this didn't diminish my enjoyment. The book club approved! Thank you to @netgalley for this e-galley.

“Here’s the truth: I do want love. In some ways, I’ve been looking for it forever. Real love, the kind that makes you want to grow old together, makes you not just unafraid of all the time with one person but electrified by it.”
Every time Daphne Bell meets a man, she receives a paper with the amount of time that they will be together. Hoping to finally find a paper with no expiration date on it, she finally meets Jake. Uncertain with how the relationship is unfolding, Daphne continues on the quest of finding herself and what it means to find true love. This book was one that I truly related to chapter after chapter; not only did we see her struggle, we also saw her own journey in finding what she really wants out of life. Thank you so much to Netgalley for this advanced copy!