Loved the premise of this novel…what if we thought we knew what to expect but in the end it actually wasn’t true? This book was a great reminder of expectations and perceptions we hold in life and how we truly don’t know what’s to come? 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and share my review.

A very unique premise. After every date Daphne receives a paper with a number, indicating how long she will be dating the man. After a blind date, with Jake, she receives a paper with number. Interesting, page turner, wanting to see which way the story will go. I enjoyed it.

This was my first Rebecca Serle book, and I really enjoyed it. It was fun and sad and heartwarming all at the same time, and I could not put it down. Wholeheartedly recommend!

My favourite book of hers so far! I loved the concept of the book and it didn’t disappoint. A quick and binge able read in my opinion!

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. Daphne has a secret. After each date she goes on, she receives a slip of paper with her date's name and the length of time they will be together. All goes well until she meets Jake and receives a slip of paper with only his name on it. No number. I think part of what worked for me in this book is that the characters were so likable. I liked Daphne, Jake, and her best friend (and former boyfriend), Hugo. I wanted great things for all of them. The conversations around commitment and the way that Daphne questions the paper's validity with Jake was a creative way to explore the ideas about how one decides who is "the one." The magical realism aspect worked for me. There is depth to the book, especially with Daphne's story. It will make you think about choices and what it means to live your life to the fullest. Rebecca Serle has honestly not always been a win for me but this book may have turned me around. I anticipate reading her next one in the future.

I didn’t care about the lead and while the magical realism device is very interesting, it was not explored like it could be. The whole thing felt very shallow.

Every time Daphne 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. Finally, the night of a blind date there’s only a name: Jake, but as their relationship unfolds Daphne begins to question the accuracy of notes. Expiration Dates raises some interesting questions about the choices we make and why we make them. It is also a love letter to Los Angeles. For readers who like creative premises, a strong sense of place, and thought-provoking stories.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author.

There's something in her books that have a magical quality in them which makes them unique but chick lit too since she's in her early 30s. Why does this author have to describe what she's wearing a lot? It doesn't take away from the book but it gets annoying after a while.
I know I really didn't care what she was wearing.

I knew this was an ARC when I saw the word “navel” spelled NAVAL. Really?

I usually love epilogues but this one I had to read between the lines on this one which was 16 months later. I think I'm certain in what happened. I'm not sure how I felt about this book. Did I want more or less? It was well written though.

This book was too similar in style, plot, and characters to the authors first book. I predicted most of the plot and the character development was shallow.

Magical realism doesn't always work for me, but in the case of Rebecca Serle's Expiration Dates it did! I found the premise to be intriguing and thought-provoking - would you want to know how long a relationship was going to last at the onset, what impact would knowing have on the relationship? Overall this was a fun, quick, mostly lighthearted (there were some emotional parts), read that I enjoyed more than I expected!

What would you do if you knew how long a relationship would last? What if you knew a relation would have no expiration date? Lots to ponder! Love the premise of this book! I have not read stories by this author before but I will be looking to read more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, but it wasn’t my favorite read overall. I love her writing style and will for sure read more of her books in the future.

If Rebecca Serle writes it, I’m gonna read it! I love this book so much. I love the way the author can mix a little bit of “magic” in with reality. It’s probably my favorite thing about her writing.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

Serle is my favorite author, so I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this book before its release! I loved how she mixed reality with whimsical. I will never get tired of the way Serle plays with time in her novels.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: 0/5🫑
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: I’ve been hit or miss on Rebecca Serle books in the past (LOVED In Five Years, didn’t care for One Italian Summer) so this one snuck up on me. It commanded my complete attention, and entranced me with a story that I couldn’t stop reading.

I think it spoke to me so much through the central theme of control, and wanting to know the outcome of things that we hold no power over; the self-fulfilling prophecies that we set up for ourselves, merely through our expectations

This is a love story, but definitely not a lighthearted romcom. It's about friendship, grief, chronic illness, fate, and pursuing what feels right even if it means going against what is “right” on (literal) paper.
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: I think the ending will be very love/hate for people—and while I do prefer an ambiguous ending, I didn’t mind that this one was so neatly tied in a bow because it complimented the characters.

I wanted to love this book, but I couldn't finish it. I had a hard time getting into the story. It unlike the usual books and genres that I read so that likely played a part in why I had a hard time enjoying and continuing it. I have read a previous book from Rebecca Serle and really liked it, so I will likely continue to read future releases from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

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This was a fun read while sitting on the beach during my vacation. This was my second book by Serle and it won't be my last. It did take a bit for me to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked.

“It’s hard to hold on to people the older we get. Life looks different for everyone, and you have to keep choosing one another. You have to make a conscious effort to say, over and over again, “You.” Not everyone makes that choice. Not everyone can.”

I love Rebecca Serle's ability to weave in magical realism in a way that never feels obtrusive or random to the main story - and EXPIRATION DATES is no exception. I really like the concept of this - and it brings the question of free choice or fate into mind.

However, unfortunately, I found myself not really rooting for the main couple; I found the man to cross boundaries and not respect his friend's choices. For such a short book, you would think the story would move quickly, but unfortunately, it felt a bit slow. So much of the writing was dedicated to describing places, people, etc, that I do feel the author could have used a few more pages to give us a bit more depth to our main couple and focused on their development, over environment. Because even their friendship didn't feel too strong or rooted in mutual respect and love.

Overall, this is likely my least favorite Serle book - but I will definitely still read her work, as I typically do enjoy it.