Daphne Bell's life is ruled by a series of notes. Whenever she meets a new potential partner, she gets a note with their "expiration date," exactly how long they'll be together.

From days to years, her whole life is ruled by these tiny notes until she meets Jake. His paper just has a name. Has Daphne met her match? Is Jake the one? Wresting with the "what ifs" Daphne sets off on a journey to be happy, no matter what the paper says.

A very interesting and cute storyline, Rebeca Serle never disappoints!

I have received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you were mysteriously informed of the length of every one of your romantic relationships? I'd probably first try to find where the messages were coming from; failing that I'd push the boundaries to see if I could shorten or lengthen the relationship. Our lovely heroine, in her entire magical life, has appeared to try neither. At least, not very hard.

I have three big peeves with this book: first, the messages that "love isn't enough" without ever defining love as anything more than an emotion; and that genuinely nice, loving, supportive, financially stable, emotionally stable guys are simply not good enough to marry. Soul mate or bust, I guess.

Second, the idea that the love of your life will wait for years for a second chance. I get this is a romance, but in real life dude would be married with a baby by the time our sweet FMC (who is old enough to know better) figured out her life and quit shopping around. Sure guys pine. For how many years? I just read a book about this. 😂

Finally, the magical element that this book hinges on ended up having a very negligible effect on the plot. She drifts through life, takes no agency, and absolutely nothing is explained. We are thrown not one single bone.

I am grateful the publishers let me read this. The author's writing style was very readable. Unfortunately the plot left me cold.

This was a great book! I loved the unique storyline - the main character Daphne gets mysterious notes every time she dates a guy telling her how long they will be together. While this sounds like it would be amazing, it actually makes Daphne believe she doesn’t have a choice in her love life. There are two twists in the book that I didn’t expect - one that gives more clarity into Daphne and the second that gives more clarity TO Daphne. All in all, this was a fantastic book, and I was hooked to see how everything played out for Daphne.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle will be released on March 19th, 2024.


If you knew exactly how long each of your relationships would last, what would you do? Since she was young, Daphne has received a piece of paper with a name and a length of time on it, letting her know exactly how long she will have with the person she is seeing. One day, one week, a month, a year. These pieces of paper always have a date until one day, they don’t.

Rebecca Serle is amazing at writing emotional books. The number of books that make me cry are slim, but I every single one of her books that I have read has had me shedding a tear. Expiration Dates was no different in this regard. Her writing flows beautifully, so much so that you can forget that you are even reading a book and not a personal account of her life experiences with the depth of emotion she imbues in her words.

While I love the way that Rebecca Serle writes, and while I did very much enjoy Expiration Dates, I don’t think anything she writes will ever top In Five Years for me. My biggest complaint with this book was the way that the emotional twists were revealed. They came out of nowhere took me off guard. I also felt like the ending of the book was a bit rushed.

All in all, if you want a good contemporary romance book that will have your eyes watering and your heart hurting for those in the book, definitely pick this one up on the release day!

What would if you do if you know how long every relationship was going to last at the start? That’s exactly how life is for Daphne in this quick, but endearing read. The story unfolds in a purposefully frustrating way as you’ll have more questions than answers through the whole book, but I loved it. Daphne spends her life with so much that’s finite so it’s fun to think of all of the infinite possibilities instead. Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for this honest review!

Another beautiful novel by Serle! I can always count on her to write about something other authors haven’t. Always look forward to her books.

Daphne’s relationships have always had expiration dates, that mysteriously appear to her in a note with a name and the number of weeks, months or years that they will last.

You’lI love Daphne's feisty banter; it's what makes this such fun yet serious read.
I had such heartfelt sadness with what her life has gone through in the last 13 years.
The story ends in the best possible way you could wish for.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my free copy to read and review.

Serle's In Five Years was so heartbreakingly beautiful and this one was right up there with it! Loved the story but I gotta say I called the ending. Still loved it though!

Such an amazing book. The plot twist towards the end was amazing. Hugo is just ugh I can’t even describe. Sure the way he went about the whole Jake situation was a bit iffy and I can understand why Daphne was upset, I would be too girl! It was never her intention to hurt him back then but the way in which he created this whole thing between her and Jake and then was jealous about it. I understand that that was his way of showing her that she doesn’t have to follow with what’s on the paper. He fell so hard for Daphne. I’m just glad they stayed friends after their breakup and were able to resolve this situation because I loved that last chapter. It was just too cute. Also, can I work for someone like Irina pls.

It pains me to say that this wasn't my favorite of Rebecca Serle's books. I LOVE her creativity, and she still remains one of the few romance/romance-forward authors I can read because her cleverness with magical realism is unparalleled. I was so excited (as someone *very* close to Daphne in age, job, and single status) to read a book with this premise and guiding narrative, but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. I normally don't say this, but I wish it was longer and delved more into its unique qualities. SPOILER WARNING: The heart disease twist was surprising but not too surprising (especially as I am familiar with Serle's love of breaking your heart halfway through), but it felt a little overdone as the second half of the book went. If we spent so much time on it I wish there was more of a dramatic ending (not death but something closer to raise some stakes). I also wish we didn't jump straight to an epilogue-esque chapter with Hugo and that we learned more about the notes (if Hugo could manipulate one, why were they coming/when was she supposed to break up with Jake/etc). It left a little too much too be desired.

I still would recommend and I think Serle is so talented!

I was hoping "Expiration Dates" would be Rebecca Serle's redemption book for me after "One Italian Summer," but unfortunately, this one also fell flat.

Daphne Bell has never had to worry about the unpredictability of dating because when she meets a man, she knows exactly how long their relationship will last before it even begins. Daphne has received papers since she was a teen with a name and a time, whether it was one night or two years. In her 30s, she finally receives a paper with just a name and no expiration date.

What I enjoyed:
- This story was developed by alternating past and present timelines, allowing readers to see Daphne's past relationships and breakups.
- The stability of Daphne and Jake's relationship was pleasant, and I was rooting for them.
- The concept of the expiration date notes, in general, was unique and had the potential to make this book great.

What I didn't enjoy:
- Serle never explains why Daphne receives these notes. Because of this, the magical realism element didn't quite hit its mark for me.
- Hugo was not an enjoyable character. With that said, I don't think the main characters were well-developed.
- We find out about one of Daphne's secrets about 75% into the book, and I don't think it was a necessary addition to the plot. I believe it was used to explain why some of her relationships ended, but I thought it was poorly developed.
- The happy ending readers get is not the happy ending I wanted...AT ALL.

Expiration Dates" was probably a 4-star read for me until the last 25% of the book. I was so annoyed when I finished it that it almost received a flat 3-stars and only got 3.5 because I liked the concept and enjoyed Jake and Daphne. Would I recommend this? Sadly, no.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely beautiful! I had heard amazing things about it, and those things were SPOT ON. I loved it so much.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I love that Rebecca Serle writes her stories with a focus on magical realism, and this one had such an interesting premise, but there was a lot about this that seemed messy and wasn’t explained well by the end. The characters were underdeveloped and there wasn’t much depth to them at all. Halfway through the book, we are told about this big secret that the main character is keeping, but it was so irrelevant to the plot and caused such a big shift that it seemed like there were two different stories being written that didn’t come together very well. By the end of the book, we are left without an explanation for one of those plot lines while the other was wrapped up really quickly - and I really enjoyed one of them, but the other was just unnecessary and left much to be desired. I think there’s a lot of promise for this book, though, and I’m hoping that the author can make some adjustments before it’s released.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review.

What if right before you started a new relationship you received a paper that told you how long the relationship would last? For Daphne that’s exactly what happens. Since she was a teenager right before she meets someone she gets a piece of paper with the name of someone and a length of time. Sometimes it’s one night and sometimes it’s a few years. Daphne is waiting for the day she finds “the one”, the one that will have no time limit.
I love this author and was excited to have the opportunity to read an ARC of her newest novel. I loved the premise of the story and honestly the ending of the book made me love the book more than I thought I was going to. Somewhere in the middle it started dragging a little but looking back it was setting the stage for what comes next. I adored Daphne and Hugo’s characters as well as Irina and Kendra. I also loved the idea of fate bs taking life into your own hands. I think the author did a wonderful job with these concepts.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Daphne Bell receives a piece of paper with the EXACT time span for every relationship she is in. On a first encounter, she will have a ticket on her dash and it will instead say, Martin--five weeks. She will then know this is the amount of time the universe has given her for this man. Her ex-boyfriend,
Hugo, got a label with three months. Hugo is now her best friend.

Daphne meets Jake at a blind date in a Hollywood restaurant. Her note from the Universe is .....blank. A relationship with no end. What now?

This premise seemed pretty shallow to me until we get to a place where we realize Daphne has really been through it. I won't spoil, but there is a bit of a twist that helps us realize why she's so invested in these silly letters from the universe.

What I loved...
-Then/now time lines between former and current relationships. We see how she has reacted to the former universe predictions and what her relationships were like.
-I loved her relationships with her best friend, Kendra and boss Irina.
-Gosh, the loving connection with her mum and dad. Stunning.
-Hugo. All of Hugo. Unaware of his power and connection and yet executing it to it's full power.

CW: There is heavy medical/hospital chronic/congenital illness to contend with. It was dealt with very respectfully, but please be aware that there is a melancholy regarding health and wellness.

Thankyou, NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for a fair and balanced review.

Wow- this is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I absolutely loved it, so I owe a big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC that I received in exchange for my honest review.

In this novel, Daphne is a single, young woman living and working in Hollywood. She has a dog, a job that she’s good at, and a (gorgeous) best friend, who happens to be her ex. She’s content; her life has a rhythm, she has a routine, but she also has a secret. Every time she meets a male suitor, she receives a slip of paper, seemingly from the universe, with his name and a number on it—the exact length of their relationship.

For more than 20 years, these slips of paper have accurately predicted the length of her relationships. So when she receives a note with only a name prior to her blind date, she walks in knowing that it’s likely her last. She’s found a relationship that has no expiration date.

What unfolds is an amazing story about love and the events that define us in our lives. We follow Daphne as she makes difficult choices about love and the secrets people choose to keep.

There’s a pretty big surprise about halfway through that I did not see coming that adds another layer to an already complicated love story. Daphne has always viewed the pieces of paper as protection. Heartbreak can’t hurt as bad when it’s not a surprise, right? But when faced with the certainty of FOREVER, Daphne starts to consider the impact “the universe” might play in her relationships.

It’s amazing journey and story. I loved the characters, the twist of magical realism, and I loved the ending. Literally as soon as I finished, I sent it to two friends as a recommendation. The only rub is that it’s not available until March 19, 2024.

I wanted to love this one, but it felt a little less emotional to me than Rebecca's previous books. Still, I appreciated the set up and was especially moved by the dedication.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expiration Dates
Author: Rebecca Serle
Source: NetGalley & Publisher
Pub Date: March 19, 2024

“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 that time with one person but electrified by it.”

Rebecca Serle is a trusted author for me, and she delivers big time with her upcoming March release of Expiration Dates. Daphne is our girl looking for love, and it comes to her with magical notes denoting the length of the relationship. So far, every guy has an expiration date. When things look bleak, something good happens, and we follow Daphne on her journey. I don’t want to give away the plot, but this book has surprises and secrets and lots of sweet opportunities. I thought the story was fantastic and VERY well written. I took my time reading this book, not because it was too long, but because the writing was spectacular. Well done, Ms. Serle. I can’t wait for this book to be released. #ExpirationDates @rebecca_serle @atriabooks @netgalley #magicalrealism #life #future #love #dates #trust #growth #secrets #romance #womenfiction #fiction
❤️
I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Atria Books and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: March 19, 2024.
❤️

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Daphne’s love life isn’t like anyone else’s. She receives little slips of paper that tell her the name of a man and how long their relationship will last. Daphne lives her life by these rules, always ready to walk away when the end date comes. Until Jake. She gets set up by her friend, and Jake’s paper has no date. Daphne takes this to mean that the relationship will be THE relationship, the last one. The book chronicles her building relationship with Jake while interspersing her experiences with other relationships in times gone by.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The writing was smooth and interesting, the story developed well, the characters kept me reading, and I found the ending satisfactory without it tying everything up perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised by the reading experience and definitely recommend for readers of romance!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book as I’m a big fan of Rebecca Serle, and ‘Expiration Dates’ did not disappoint! I devoured this book in a day - it’s an easy read that was fun and witty, but also emotional and real. I love a book that can both make me smile and shed a tear. Definitely worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sending this ARC for my review consideration. All opinions are my own.