This book was a bit slow and choppy for my taste, but I appreciated the change up. It was definitely enjoyable and I'll keep reading Rebecca Serle's books as they come out, but it wasn't my favorite of hers.

Rebecca Serle can do no wrong in my eyes! This was so so good and I highly recommend. I hope it is a book club pick!

I loved the plot premise for this book! Getting a paper note with your dates name and how long your relationship will be is so intriguing! This book moved very fast and read quickly. It did get a little confusing in the romance area as I wasn’t sure who was the real interest. I won’t expand on that due to spoilers but it got a little complicated.

I did love how Daphne had character growth and took back her life. I still found it weird that she wouldn’t tell her bfs about her condition and that felt borderline like lying.

Overall, an interesting quick read that will have you thinking and appreciating life a little more. 3.75/5

Thank you to Netgalley & atria books for this opportunity to review this arc! All opinions are my own.

In this sorry we’re following Daphne. A young Los Angeles native, dating in the city. What is different about Daphne is that since her early teens, every time she starts to date someone new, she receives a piece of paper with the name of the guy and a date. And “expiration date”, Daphne has always known when her relationships will end, until one day she gets a note with just a name, “Jake” no expiration date. Is Jake “the one”? Are her “endings” finally over?
I should start by saying I’m not a “romance” reader, but I did love this authors previous book “In five years” so I’m so happy I got to review this for Netgalley. I did enjoy Daphnes story, this story had good character development, was VERY heavy in L.A references (maybe a non L.A native would be more interested in that), but the end left me wanting more.

🎧Song Pairing: Blank Space - Taylor Swift (perfect song for this book and a personal fav)

💭What I thought would happen:

I will forever chase the high that was In 5 Years. Ruin me!!!! 😂

📖What actually happens:

Daphne has never truly committed to a relationship, never fallen head over heels because she has always known exactly how long her beaus will last. The universe sends her notes with a name and an amount of time. Until she gets a note with no end date…this must be her forever?!

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

I got too excited, there was too much pressure…poor little book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy but in no way did it make me weak in the knees.

It seemed as though the intention of this book was to made the reader weep. I did not shed a damn tear and I have been a sappy puddle of a human lately…

The concept 🤌🏽🤌🏽 original and well done right through to the end.

I felt as though a “twist” in this book felt like an after thought and didn’t quite work. Square peg, round hole situation. A page filler/tear inducer.

The chapters and book itself was a shortie so this is easily crushable if that is your mood.

This one will be popular so I think my powers of persuasion are not @ their mightiest right here and now.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne, a woman in her early 30's, has been receiving slips of paper at the beginning of each relationship she's in - detailing how long they usually last for. However, one day, she receives a slip that is simply blank and assumes he is the end all be all. Will she follow fate? Or will she stray away from what the paper says?

I absolutely am a sucker for a bit of magical realism in a romance novel and just simply reading the synopsis had be excited to be enthralled with the story. I really enjoyed the flashbacks of each relationship and the real-time of meeting Jacob. Her friendship with Hugo was great to follow and thought the concept was unique! I think where it fell a bit flat for me was the plot twist and the lack of character development from Daphne. Rather than growing from past to present, she felt a bit one dimensional at times and there needed to be a bit more personality.

Otherwise, I liked the direction the author went in - just wish there was a bit more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster for gifting me with and ARC of this book.

I have a very hit or miss relationship with Rebecca Serles books, however by the end of this book I realized this one is a hit.

I didn’t love the surprise terminal diagnosis trope, but the main characters adventures in dating felt very real.

Definitely think anyone who enjoys Rebecca’s books will love this one!

An unusual premise because Daphne has been receiving these notes since she was a teenager. Each note gives the name of the man she will date and how long the relationship will last. Until one day she receives a note with a name and but no expiration date. But in knowing the expiration date of all of her relationships, has she been sabotaging them all along?

I was surprised a couple of times in this book. I'm the worst at predicting and foreshadowing, I just happily read along and then BAM. LOL I really loved Jake, but then there is Hugo....

It's written in present time, but then alternates back to each relationship and how they started then ended throughout. The writing is so fluid and easy and beautiful. I rarely tear up or get emotional while reading a book, but this one got me. It's a beautiful story about finding love.

I have not read any of her other books, but I will now.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy of Rebecca's latest book! This book had me at the edge of my seat for most of the book. It was heartbreaking at times and made me think about what is important in life. I loved the concept of the book where the main character gets notes of all the men she is going to date in her life and how long that relationship will last until they break up. I won't give away the twist but dang was it emotional. I loved the main character's dog in this book. This book teaches you to appreciate life and every single second because no one is guaranteed time on this earth. My favorite Serle novel I have read so far!

I adore all the novels I have read by Rebecca Serle and this one was even better than the last. I couldn't put it down. Honestly, the magic realism that she puts in the book makes this a perfect choice for someone who isn't a huge romance reader but enjoys fantasy. There is that little touch of magic that is unexplainable but gives the story that something extra and separates itself from other romance novels. The only thing I didn't care for was the focus on material things but I guess that's L.A.

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.

At first sight, I knew I wanted to read this. I mean, the cover itself is just so pretty, but it's what's inside those matters. This was such a great book; I truly love these characters. This is my favorite book and I highly recommend, five stars!

*Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca’s books are an auto read for me. I love the magical elements in all her stories and they always make me cry. This book was l delightful. Love all her books!

What a fun premise! A woman in her early 30's has, since high school, received little slips of paper at the beginning of every relationship she's ever had telling her how long the relationship will last. And then she gets a piece of paper with the name of her relationship prospect *but there is no date* and she assumes this to mean that he's the one. Throughout the course of her relationship with this man, she starts to learn what it means to make her own fate and not rely on those little slips of paper, that she is not bound by what they say. And it isn't until she lets go of those set parameters that she finally finds her happy ending.

This book! I thought I knew what this was about going into it. I. WAS. WRONG. I loved the journey it took me on. My only complaint was that there were a lot of specific references to places in LA. Those took me out of the story a bit. Overall, great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I also apologize for taking four months to put this on paper.

I thought the book had an interesting premise, but I found it a bit befuddling. So it was hard to fully “like” something I found a bit confusing. The book starts with our main character Daphne harboring a secret from her friends – as well as her potential love interests. It seems that every time Daphne meets a new potential love interest, she magically receives a note with the name of the new man on it and how long to expect the relationship to last; i.e., two weeks, two months, etc. And for some reason she just accepts this as her fate. Or is it self-fulfilling prophecy? I get the idea of “mystical fantasy” but this wasn’t that.

She goes through relationships following the predetermined expected fate. I’m a firm believer in fate – as long as you are open to opportunity -- when it comes to meeting the right person as in when you least expect it or are not looking, your soulmate will enter your life. While you may not realize it at first, there they are. In this case, Daphne wasn’t open to the possibilities. Perhaps in this case, because she already had met that person but didn’t think so at the time.

I thought the plot was a bit implausible and I had a difficult time warming up to the character. Sorry not for me.

Rebecca Serle always makes me feel something or think about something when I read her books. I thought this book had the same style and story line I have come to expect, and it did not disappoint. I liked the premise and idea of this story line, and fell in love with the main characters love story.

Cool concept, but very poor execution. You follow Daphne through her different relationships — all which are finite and based off of small slips of paper with a timeline. This ends up defining her whole life and ultimately restricts her from making her own decisions because she feels like one has been made for her already.

This story lacked so much depth and character development. It would have been nice to see Daphne grow from her personal struggles rather than letting them hold her down relationship after relationship. I felt like each relationship she had was a copy/paste.

In the end, Daphne came off as whiny and annoying. She often used the victim card and it got old quick. She feels as if her power was taken from her, but she was too weak to make her own decisions.

I loved this so much! I binge read this book in one sitting. Rebecca Serle knows how to write a story of love that draws you in and connects you to the characters. This is a book I will recommend to all of my friends… the ones in love, the ones looking for love, and the ones finding out how to love themselves. This is my favorite book of hers to date!

i just don't think rebecca's books are for me, personally. i have yet to read one with truly captivating characters, a setting to get lost in, a good enough pace to not get bored or feel rushed. i just didn't care about anything while reading this except finishing it.

I loved the premise of this book! Daphne having slips of paper mysteriously appear with her next relationship and the length of it? It adds an element of fate to things. So when she finds Jake’s name with no timing…what is fate telling her? You’re introduced to her best male friend Hugo from the get go and get to know about their past. My only problem? I never knew who I was supposed to be rooting for which I loved and loathed simultaneously. Loved because it added a twist to the typical romantic stories you typically read. Loathed because it prevented me from fully falling for one vs the other so when the ending came around I wasn't fully invested.

As odd as it sounds my favorite relationship through the entire book was the dog, Murphy. There is no love more pure than that of a mom and dog and it always puts into perspective everything you have conquered together.

The only thing I wanted to know coming out of this was where were the papers truly coming from?!