I’m a Rebecca Serle fan and this one delivered! I was in a little reading rut and needed a good romance with magic to get me back on the train. This one certainly had the romance. The magic part was a bit disappointing but it didn’t take away from the entire book. I always look forward to Serle’s magical realism, I think she usually does it SO well. This one it felt a little more adjacent to the plot rather than the point of it. I honestly could have done without the chapters about her random boyfriends over the years and would have preferred more focus on the present and future. Despite that, I adored Daphne, I loved the bad guy energy of Hugo, and I was rooting for sweet Jack. The ending was so wholesome and that’s all I really want in a magical realism rom com. I was getting Emily Henry’s Happy Place vibes (carpe diem, choose your happiness, good karma) by the end, and that’s my all time favorite read of the year. So happy I got an ARC (thanks netgalley) of this one because I don’t think I could have waited longer to read it!! And you should too when it comes out in March!!

💭When was the last time I cried reading a book? Before finishing this one, I honestly can’t tell you! This book was not at all what I was expecting but came at a point in my life when I needed it the most. It really hit home (and considering the content, I didn’t expect it to).

Not only was the premise super interesting, but the direction it took threw me for a loop. I was expecting a sappy or heart wrenching love story, & this wasn’t at all the main theme.

It encompasses so many different types of love: familial, friendships, relationships, even the love one shares with its pet (living for Murphy the dog).

There was a twist that caught me way off guard (& obviously this is spoiler free so I won’t go too deep into it) but it was my favorite part of the book. It was so raw and real, made me so uncomfortable because of the scary reality it brings. But going on this journey with the FMC, Daphne, really puts things into perspective and adds that extra something this story needed to push it to a 5 star for me. We watch her dig deep, get uncomfortable but honest with herself and others, and it unfolds both messily & beautifully all at once.

Short and to the point, full of life lessons and wisdom, so much emotion… Rebecca Serle, you’ve got the jackpot with this one.

I have read many Rebecca Serle novels and have enjoyed them. I like the magical realism as it truly provides an escape.

The main character receives notifications for each relationship she embarks on with an expiration date except the latest one. You go back and forth between previous relationships and the actual one. Going back to her relationships becomes a bit redundant as I didn’t get any explanation as to why this was happening. I did not feel the character grew from it either.

Then, there is a twist which provides some kind of reason why her relationships don’t work and from there, you feel the main protagonist trying to come out of her pattern.

It was a very light read but nothing more.

Intriguing and enjoyable! Rebecca Serle has turned in yet another modern tale featuring a fresh, intriguing premise and insightful details regarding both romantic relationships and single hood. This novel is delightful, entertaining and at times quite emotional, invoking all the feels. I especially appreciated the thoughtful manner in which Serle handled a character’s chronic illness. That said, with tighter editing, the book could have been more powerful. The extent to which the novel is filled with unnecessary details detracted from the story, in my humble opinion.

Recommended to fans of Serle’s prior books (especially In Five Years) as well as to those loving novels by Lia Louis and/or Jean Meltzer. Three and a half stars, rounded up due to the sensitive manner in which Serle chose to handle health issues.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Atria for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Every time Daphne Bell starts a new relationship she receives a piece of paper telling her how long the romance will last. She has recently started dating Jake and his expiration date was blank. Serle works with multiple timelines to describe Daphne’s present as well as her backstory.. At first I found the switching back and forth from present to past time annoying but about halfway through the book a series of twists made the whole novel worthwhile. If you stick with this one, you will be rewarded. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Seale is the first of her books I’ve read. I was very intrigued by the plot of this one.

Daphne Bell has been receiving a piece of paper prior to every new relationship. It tells her their name and exactly how long they’ll be together. Once day though, she receives a new slip with just a name, Jake, and no ending date. This has never happened before. Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction as she goes along in her relationship with Jake. She knows the secret would break his heart. What does it mean to be truthful in a relationship, as this is not the only secret Daphne is keeping.

I thought this book started out great. It’s a well paced novel and it hooked me instantly. As the book went on though, my interest did wane. I felt there wasn’t much chemistry between Daphne and Jake, which made it hard to root for them. There were a few twists in this story, and I’ll admit I didn’t see them coming, but I’m not sure if they fully worked for me. Ultimately I’m happy with the ending, though I wish the main character would give herself a little more credit and let herself live a little.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. I was immediately not impressed with the main character and found her really unlikeable.

Additionally, the story line already felt rushed and I could tell I didn’t enjoy where it was heading. I only made it 5 pages in and had to put this down.

Rebecca Serle hooked me in right from the start of Expiration Dates! This book follows Daphne, who is given a piece of paper of how long each of her relationships will last, giving them an “expiration date.” This book will tug at all of your emotions as Daphne navigates this gift of knowing. I always enjoy Rebecca Serle’s hint of magic in her books, it’s not overtop but just enough to add some fantasy. Thanks to netgalley for this ARC!

I'm really mixed on this one. It was a totally fast, easy read and for anyone in a rut, I think you'd get sucked in to this page turner pretty quickly -- I ready it in less than a day. I really appreciate the part of the story focusing on Daphne's professional life, and the idea that at 30 someone can still be trying to figure it out. I thought the jumps in time/flashbacks (which I am not usually a big fan of) worked really well - as we follow the story of Daphne and Jake we also get to see Daphne's past relationships. It worked. Daphne is hiding two secrets from Jake -- one is a but of magical realism, that she gets notes telling her how long each relationship will last, and the note with his name was blank, meaning they're meant to be together forever. As readers we know that from the start. The other is a secret that we readers only learn about later in the book, and as someone with a similar issue, I really resented how it was portrayed. I think that plot B could and should have been dropped from the story and the book could have been pretty much the same. But, like I said, I tore through this book in a day. It is very readable and I think will be quite popular when it is published.

NOTE: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent and unique—imagine life laid out for you and know when each relationship will end just as it begins. That’s the premise of this novel by one of my favorite authors. Engaging and provides a lot to consider—is it better to know our future or let it play out?

So this is my first Rebecca Serle book and probably my last. the book itself had a steady solid plot and okay characters. However I just don't think this book is my cup of tea personally I was bored throughout a majority of the book

A light rom com read with some depth to it. I breezed through it and am adding all of her books to my “to read list”!

I am an instant fan of Rebecca Serle after reading "Expiration Dates". It reminded me a bit of the Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ" because of the expiration notes minus the dark undertones. I usually only read mysteries and thrillers but this book caught my eye and I am so glad I gave it a chance. It was amazing and restored my faith in love.

Expiration Date is a magical realism romance which I enjoyed but did not love. A few things could have really elevated this for me:
1. It was pretty repetitive about minor details that didn’t really matter or add to the story. Daphne had a lot of stuff and her parents live in the Palisades. I don’t know why I had to hear those things a dozen times each.

2. Daphne frequently described herself as different from other girls. I know she meant she had a dangerous and invisible chronic illness and commitment issues but that’s not that unique. There are many chronic illness girlies. The not like other girls attitude for any reason is really played out and exhausting.


I was really surprised but the two major twists which is a refreshing change. I did not see either coming but especially the illness. It was almost jarring but then once it was presented, it made the first half of the book make a little bit more sense.


I kept thinking the story felt a little bit like The Notebook in that Jake was perfect in every single way but you could tell Daphne was never going to end up with him. It was almost as if she resigned herself to her fate rather than actually figuring out whether she loved him or not. She was just going to float along with her “destiny”

I was really enjoying Expiration Dates when I first started reading it. I was fascinated by the names and dates Daphne was getting and what getting Jake's name with no date would mean for her. This was a fast paced read despite it being overly descriptive at times. I was enjoying the ride until some things came to light that made it tank for me. That made me sad and angry because this book could have been a 5-star read for me if it wasn't for the following things:

* The blurb states "From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation." This wasn't a romance novel. It was women's fiction with a side of magical realism and several love stories. There's no true HEA/HFN. In the end, it's all about Daphne's journey. I do not like it when books are marketed as romances and don't deliver.
* The secret Daphne was keeping from the reader and almost all of the people in her life until around 60% in changed the vibe of the book and what I thought was the subject matter. The focus went from her falling in love with Jake to something completely different. 
* Hugo getting multiple chapters while the other guys didn't. It was like a love triangle that wasn't really a love triangle. Oh, and everything else with Hugo. I didn't like the dude and I didn't like his involvement in most everything. I never would have spoken to him again for a few things if I was Daphne.
* I didn't get any answers about those cards Daphne gets with the names and time frames. No explanation where they were coming from, who was sending them, why. Nada. This is unacceptable with how much focus was put on them shaping Daphne's life and romantic path.
* The ending made me angry. 

If you're going to read this book, don't go in expecting a romance where the relationship that is forming gets an HEA. You won't get that here. You'll get Daphne's messy love stories and a little character growth.

This author is just..... not for me. I really do keep trying!! But I think I have to stop here. My biggest problem is she has really creative ideas but then they just completely miss the mark and lose all sense of purpose or sense of reality. And this book really lost the point.

The story has a really cool premise: anytime Daphne meets a new love interest, a piece of paper will appear somewhere near that has their name and the amount of time they will spend together "Max, 3 weeks". All of a sudden she is set up on a blind date with Jake and finally gets the piece of paper with his name and then nothing after it. We follow Daphne on her love affair with Jake, does a blank card mean he's the one? Or is the magic gone?

Unfortunately the author decided to jump between past and present, so we were watching Jake and Daphne's love progress, but I also had to sit through chapter after chapter of love interests that didn't really work out, mostly because of the papers.

The ending really was the straw that broke the camels back for me because it made NO SENSE! I was so over it by then. Ugh, sadly this is a skip for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
This book truly surprised me and I enjoyed the slow unveiling of the plot. Our main character goes into all her relationships knowing how long they will last; 3 days, maybe, or perhaps 6 months. When that time comes she is mentally and emotionally prepared to move on. With this premise, I was prepared for a feminist overview of partnered life and the expectations for modern women to be successful at relationships or risk being left behind their peers. It seems like our culture wants us to see that serial daters, when female, do not thrive like their married counterparts. There is something "wrong with them". However, this book took a surprising twist that, when revealed, turned out to have been hinted at along. I felt so invested in the storyline. The ending suggested a neatly tied bow on the story that had previously shown potential to be progressive and unique; I didn't hate it, but also felt underwhelmed by it. Not enough to hold back on recommendations. This was a charming romance novel, and I could see many people loving it like I did!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is the story of Daphne, who gets slips of paper when every new relationship begins that says how long each relationship will last. It is an interesting premise but was a little slow to start. There is a plot twist in the middle that changes the story and makes it more interesting. I love the author and thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Okay, I was fully not expecting to love this book as much as I did. As with all of Rebecca Serle’s work, this one is much more than meets the eye. I rarely finish a book in one day anymore, but I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved the characters. It’s not often I fall for fictional men, but both Jake and Hugo are now on my book boyfriends list!

I seriously loved this one. Thanks again for the ARC!

6/5 stars I am definitely buying a print copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. Wonderful, inspiring life lesson.

Daphne at 33 still doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. At the beginning of a new relationship Daphne gets a piece of paper with a name and a time frame - an expiration date on the new relationship. Daphne has a deep secret only her best friend Hugo knows about outside of her parents. When she gets a blank piece of paper this time what does it mean? Old relationships explain the notes and her current situation.

A very emotional ride with Daphne had me cheering her on as I admired her strength.

Definitely a book I will read again, especially when life looks bleak yet I know I must push through.