I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by this author before but I definitely will read her previous books. I mostly read thrillers and this was just a really nice break from the dark and scary. It was light, funny and easy to read. A perfect beach or rainy day read.

I originally thought the premise was that everyone would receive notes saying how long their relationships would last but I like that it was only the protagonist who had these random notes appearing. I had forgotten how much I used to love magic realism. Well done!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Publishing date - 03/19/24
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this eARC. I loved this one! My favorite by this author. Couldn’t put this one down. Did not want it to end. If you’re a fan of Rebecca Serle , you will love this one too. ❤️

I liked this book, and rate it a 3.5-3.8 - just short of a solid 4 star. The good: I liked the premise - single Daphne as she meets her next beau, receives a paper that tells her how long the relationship will last. From a few days to a couple of years, these notes inform and impact her relationships. One day the note has the name of her blind date, but no timeframe listed. This little bit of “magic” was interesting - did Daphne hold back when she knew the relationship was brief? Did she influence her break ups because she knew it was “time”?

What I didn’t love: I wanted more. I liked this but there was something missing. Towards the end, I started getting what I was hoping for - more depth, more meaning. I wish that froth had been introduced earlier.

The structure was jarring at times - going from Hugo to a different boyfriend to Jake back to Hugo. I would just be humming along with the story and bam felt like I ran into a sliding glass door.

I am glad I picked this up but it just didn’t have the oomph and depth that I wanted.

Rebecca - you can do no wrong!! I loved the premise of this book - the touch of magical realism that Rebecca always adds, really is magic! It is intriguing and just adds a special touch to her already amazing ability to tell a story. Rebecca always writes characters who show great growth and interesting perspective. I loved every character in this story and how they revealed themselves. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This was such a fun and unique story to read!! After "One Italian Summer" I knew to expect the unexpected from "Expiration Dates" and that is exactly what I got!

Expiration Dates was such a fun, easy, but exciting read! I read it all in one sitting. I love how Rebecca Serle can pull you into a story right from the first page, but the plot is never predictable. The characters felt true to life and by the end, you truly feel like you know them. I’ve been a fan of Rebecca’s other books and this doesn’t disappoint!

I’ve read every single Rebecca Serle’s books, and this one is by far my favorite. Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her, and every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and exact amount of time they will be together. Finally, on the night of a blind date, she receives a paper with the name of the man and no expiration date. But as their story unfolds, she finds herself doubting the papers prediction. This book was deep and intriguing, much like Serle’s books usually are. I love her magical realism. There are a couple of twist I didn’t see coming, and I was so happy when Daphne decided to stop letting the papers dictate her love life. The writing and plot in this one was so engrossing that I read this book in three days. Definitely check this one out when it releases in March.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced eARC of Expiration Dates. Rebecca Serle is a must read, unfortunately this book really missed the mark for me.
I honestly did not like one thing about this book, the characters and story line did not feel believable at all!
However, it is getting lots of higher stars on Goodreads, so maybe there is a place for this book with other readers.

This novel was a charming exploration of commitment and honesty. Its nonlinear storytelling feels like the unfolding of a mystery. A nice light read overall.

Very typical Rebecca Serle - I like it but I won’t rave about it yo anyone - very unique and good for book club discussion

There’s nothing I love more than to be fooled and Rebecca Serle certainly did that in EXPIRATION DATES. You think that it’s just about the notes she receives that tell her when each of her relationships will end but a little more than halfway through the book there’s a twist and you wonder if it means something else entirely. I don’t want to say more and spoil it, but this was signature Rebecca Serle and you won’t be disappointed.

I loved this book as much as Revecca Serle’s other books. She always brings the magic to her stories and this was no different. Great from page 1!

This is by far Rebecca Serles BEST book yet!
I was intrigued by the synopsis and wondered how this was all going to play out.

We follow Daphne through a series of past relationships. Before each one she receives a note telling her how long each one will last. But then one day she gets a note with just a name, no expiration date. And we watch as her relationship unfolds with Jake.

I enjoyed Daphnes journey as she learned about love from her relationships, and also learned more about her self in the process; and how she needed to learn to be honest with the most important people in her life.

This book gave me all the feels and was a 4 star read for me. Will Daphne find true love? You have to read to find out!

I reallly realllly wanted to love this book but it fell short for me. I am a huge fan of magical realism but I felt like this story was drawn out with no real reason for finishing it . I liked the twist towards the end but felt like it was too close to the end to really enjoy the way the twist changed the story. I expected a little more but was sadly disappointed.

Wow. I've been a Rebecca Serle fan for a while, but this one really blew me away, in a very subtle way. This book has elements of what I would call quiet magical realism - Daphne receives pieces of paper with the name of her next relationship, and how long it will last. Which is a pretty intriguing premise for a story! If you know that a relationship will only last a certain period of time, you will make decisions accordingly, which Daphne does. The 3rd act reveal about her illness very much took me by surprise, and made what was, up to that point, a fairly low-stakes romance, much more intriguing and thought provoking. I really loved this book, especially for what it said about the expectations that we put on ourselves, and on others, and how letting go of that can lead to beautiful things. I will definitely be purchasing this for our Fiction collection, and recommending to readers who like thoughtful, cerebral Romance.

I have read Serle’s other books, and I liked them, but to be honest, this is her best yet. I didn’t know what to expect because I really don’t enjoy elements that are seeped in fantasy, and in this book, the main character mysteriously receives notes that tell her just how long she will spend on a relationship. Frankly, it sounded cheesy. Surprisingly, it wasn’t. I found that the characters had depth, and the plot moved at a nice pace with intermittent chapters in flashback to tell the whole story. Overall, 5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Every time Daphne is about to enter into a new relationship, she receives a slip of paper with the person's name and an amount of time. The amount of time directly corresponds with how long they'll be together... and then one day, she gets a note with a name (Jake) but no amount of time. She immediately thinks that this must mean that this is the man that she's going to marry. As Daphne and Jake's relationship begins to unfold, she starts to wonder how much truth there is in these notes or if they were a self-fulfilling prophecy.... Expiration Dates is another great book by Rebecca Serle, one of my favorite authors, and I'm so thankful to be able to read an advanced copy! You won't want to miss this one come March 2024.

I have really enjoyed Rebecca Serle’s previous book and was so excited to receive an ARC of her newest!

This one was just ok for me. I LOVED the concept of this book. Every time you start seeing someone, you know how long the relationship will last, because a piece of paper told you so. Sounds pretty great right?
But, when Daphne meets Jake, she wonders if those papers really tell the truth.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just left me wanting more. Ultimately, I would recommend it for a quick, enjoyable read, with a really cool premise,

A unique premise with a touch of magical realism - at the start of every romantic relationship, Daphne receives a slip of paper with the man’s name and a timeframe that is exactly how long the relationship will last. When she receives a paper with a name but no time, she’s not sure what it means - is he “the one”?

I loved this book so much. I read it basically in one sitting on a series of flights, and I was so glad to have it as my travel buddy.

This story was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. Entering every relationship with the knowledge that it would end is a difficult cycle for Daphne to be stuck in. When the blank paper appears, the reader (and Daphne) can finally breath a sigh of relief knowing she has found someone to spend her life with. However, things are never quite as they seem. While Jake may seem perfect for Daphne, Serle creates such a lovable character in Hugo, that it is hard not to root for Daphne to ditch her expiration date theory and truly follow her heart. Rebecca Serle's best book, by far.