Omg this book! Loved it! I seriously devoured this in one sitting. Thanks for the ARC Netgalley, author and publisher.

I think I just need to accept that Rebecca Serle isn't for me. The premises of her books always sound SO good and original, but the characters feel so cliche and underdeveloped. Like always, the idea that someone receives a piece of paper saying how long she will be with a partner is fascinating! But it just didn't amount to much and I was skimming by the end.

I was so excited when I got approved for this one! I'm a Rebecca Serle fan so had really high hopes and it didn't disappoint! Daphne has always received notes from the universe telling her exactly how long each relationship she has will last. This novel is a super sweet story about a girl trying to figure out if the universe is really determining the course of her life or can she forge her own path and overcome her own secret challenges.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book, the characters, and the overall messages within it. The chapters and story moved quickly and I really enjoyed the ending.

Rebecca Serle creates magic within the bounds of our known reality. In this book, the main character always receives slips of paper telling her how long she is going to be with any given romantic interest. Until one day, she finds a slip of paper right before a first date, with her date's name on it, but no end date. Does this mean that he is her soulmate? That it isn't going to end? This book explores what it truly means to love someone and what it takes to make a relationship last. You will not regret picking up this beautiful title. I know I couldn't put it down!

This is an interesting story of knowing when things will end for the main character, Daphne's romantic relationships. It all occurs with just a little piece of paper!
How can this be?
But.. It is true in every case and romance she encounters.
Knowing in advance is a blessing and at times a curse because how do you invest in a relationship when you know it will be over after a short or long while.
This story is fun and yet there is some anxiety over Daphne's life as well as mystery with these papers.

It is a wonderful fantasy,romance read anytime.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Atria for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

I absolutely adored this creative, easy-to-devour romance read!

Nobody writes magical realism like Rebecca Serle I’ve loved every single one of her books, and this might be her best yet!

Serle has a way of jumping right into that story and captivating your attention from the very first page. As a reader, I always buy into the magical elements and get swept away by the unique situation her main character is facing. She draws me in and keeps my full attention to the last page. I read this book in just over 24 hours and if life hadn’t gotten in the way, probably could have devoured it in a single sitting.

If you’ve read her books before, I’d say this is most similar to In Five Years— but it’s truly its own unique story. It also reminded me a bit of The Measure— it’s got that ‘would you want to know?’ question hanging over every chapter. I also thought of The Immortalists while reading— kind of a chicken and egg question of self-fulfilling prophecies here.

While this book is super easy to read, it also serves up some deeper themes and gets your brain working too. While entertaining me, it also reminded me to be present. That no time here is guaranteed and we need to make the most of what we are given!

Oh, I just loved how this book ended! While I’ve loved this author’s previous books from start to finish, this one took me a bit longer to get into. I found the start a little confusing with a few too many characters storylines. After almost deciding not to finish, I gave it a bit more time and I’m so glad I did.

As before, this author wove together a beautiful story about life, time, choices, and love. It ended perfectly and left me both satisfied and inspired. While I wish the beginning had been a bit easier to get into, it was absolutely a worthwhile read and I’m excited to see what this author writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley Atria Books for my review copy.

This was a truly delightful read. It’s a story of trying to outpace fate, until you realize all you can do it take it day by day. The story kept me on my toes, with unexpected twists and a not-so-predictable ending. Perhaps most charming of all, woven throughout is an ode to the city of LA that has even skeptics like me racing to visit all of Daphne’s favorite spots. This story is out next March; thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

4 ⭐️

The main character in this book, Daphne, gets letters throughout her life that gives her an expiration date with the person she is dating or is about to date. This time, however, she receives a letter with a name but no expiration date for a man she is going on a first date with. So does this mean that this man will be her happily-ever-after?

This book was super cute and such a quick read. I loved how easy the writing was, and it felt very realistic with her relationships and I loved all the characters. It gave me such warm fuzzy feelings, but sadness at times too. Super thankful to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with another enjoyable ARC!

When I got the email from Atria giving me access to an early copy of this book, I instantly hit download as this is my first eARC read! 😍 This book sucked me in right away. With this being a Rebecca Serle book, I knew some big emotional punch would come along, and when it did…. ooph, my heart! So good. She has quickly become a favorite of mine after “In Five Years” and “One Italian Summer” so I just knew I had to get my hands on this. Boy was I right!

This book was a warm hug. I laughed. I cried. I felt all the emotions. This was beautifully written, and I could not stop reading. I love how Rebecca weaves magical realism elements into her stories. Our main character, Daphne, receives notes that tell her how long each of her relationships will last. However, one day, she receives a note with a name but no expiration date. Add the twist in the middle, which brought out even more emotions, and you have a perfectly written story.

Thank you Atria Books for this ARC! I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book in March 2024!

Short and sweet, I enjoyed the main character of Daphne and her best friend, Hugo. I think there are some aspects of the story that could have been left out and not necessary for us to feel sympathetic for Daphne. She did love letting those notes have all the power. Not my favorite storyline, but I did enjoy the twisty, windy road to the end. If you liked her other novels, chances are you'll like this too!

In Rebecca Serle’s latest EXPIRATION DATES, main character Daphne has received mysterious notes with the name of her soon-to-be romance and the length of their relationship since she was in grade school. This novel asks the reader to think about whether those notes are self-fulfilling prophecies or perhaps they actually know more than Daphne does. I loved this being the crux of the novel.

Unlike other notes Daphne receives, the most recent note just has “Jake” written on it and no length of time. Does this mean Daphne has met her forever love? I enjoyed the character of Jake, would have liked to have seen his backstory delved into more (his young wife had passed away), and I liked watching Daphne’s relationship with Jake grow and see how her prior relationships unfolded interspersed among the Jake chapters.

The characters are engaging. While the timeline jumps around to the relationships in Daphne’s past, I felt like it was a very natural progression, and I was pleased to find most of the time what I wanted the next chapter to focus on actually turned out to be true. I was a bit miffed that something important to Daphne’s character wasn’t revealed until more than halfway through. I did find it an intriguing plot point in how it integrated into her relationships and sense of self/pride, so I would have liked more time devoted to that.

Daphne’s former romance-turned-friend Hugo was an interesting choice as the friend with the most time devoted to him within the book. While he wouldn’t be the guy I gravitated to, I thought he was a great friend for Daphne.

Overall, this novel was the one I needed when I picked it up. Light enough but with some substance. I’m not sure about the ending. Without getting into spoiler territory, I wasn’t convinced enough to buy the ending.

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

I absolutely loved the concept of Daphne receiving individual cards with a name and an expiration date, telling her how long her relationship with that person was going to last. She finds herself trusting these cards with her whole being until she receives a card without an expiration date. I felt myself going on this journey with Daphne. I loved reading about each relationship she had with each person and what led to the end.

This book is also beautifully written. I DEVOURED her book In Five Years because of the story and her writing style and I found myself immersed in the story.

I highly recommend this book. Rebecca is a phenomenal writer and this plot twist was perfect!

My biggest issue with Daphne’s heart condition stems from my background as an ICU nurse. I have worked in healthcare for almost 10 years now and have seen many medical emergencies. I also worked on a floor that did pacemakers and ICDs for 3 years. I can count on one hand how many patients that I have performed CPR on or who I took care of who have had CPR performed on them who have not needed intubation and other serious medical attention. It was unbelievable to be that Daphne arrested out in the field (outside a hospital) and didn’t need intubated or anything like that. I understand that everyone is different and I have seen cases that haven’t however those cases were few and far between.

This is my second book by this author, and it will be my last.

Decent premise involving magical realism, terrible execution -- it seems to be a theme of hers. This book represents several hours of my life I will never get back.

Where to begin with all the ways I hated this book?

1. Main characters I couldn't connect with. I could never remember Daphne's name, and Hugo was just an idiot. Why would you give this guy another chance? Jake was super boring and I kept picturing the guy who plays Howard on Only Murders in the Building. Why would anyone be attracted to either of them? And I have no idea why Kendra or the other person (whose name I have forgotten since I finished this book less than 12 hours ago) were even there.

2. That twist at the 60% mark was so out of nowhere and so dumb. Again, this seems to be this author's MO. Not sure where the story is going? Throw in a tragic health problem -- that will fix it.

3. When we get to the big payoff, I could not have possibly cared any less. I wasn't invested in the romance, or the characters, or what happened to any of them. The cover blurb promised "heartbreaking" -- um, no. I'd have to care about the characters for that. Not to mention that this payoff was obvious from the very beginning. Why did I have to suffer through the whole book for that when I already knew it was coming?

4. Atrocious writing. Please stop with the descriptions of what everyone is wearing. I DON'T CARE. You made eggs that were overcooked? I DON'T CARE. How is that relevant to anything that is happening here? What on earth would possess a writer to include stuff like that?

5. We never learn anything about where the expiration dates are coming from, or who is watching over Daphne's life. It's just this random thing that happens to her and no one else. Huh?

6. The thing with the Doc Martens -- what the h*ll was that about?!

7. The only character I cared about was the dog.

I know I'm an outlier on this one -- everyone else seems to have loved it. I just did not get it at all. There is nothing here to love. Save yourself and move on to something else on your TBR list.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I have never picked up a Rebecca Serle book before this one, but know of her work. The premise of this sounded intriguing so I thought why not request it via NetGalley. I was quickly approved and just as quickly picked it up. I immediately fell in love with so many elements of this book. Daphne's voice as the MC shines through so well and I loved going back in time to trace her many brushes with love and relationships. This book was a love letter to L.A. and a love letter to love and to the ways that each relationship we have shapes us no matter how brief. I adored the ways in which she characterized Daphne's feelings about living with an illness and restrictions and the "othering" that occurs when you have to live your life outside of the norm. That element struck very close to home for me and I so appreciate Serle's sensitive writing around it. I will be thinking about this book for a long time after. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and witty, but also deep and thought provoking romance. 10/10!

I am incredibly grateful to Netgalley and Rebecca Serle's publishers for gifting me this book without even having to request it. I want to express my sincere thanks once again.

"When I read 'In Five Years' during the 2020 lockdown, it had a profound impact on me. The book touched me deeply and I found it to be exquisitely beautiful. I wholeheartedly recommended it to everyone I knew. The book that she released last year, "One Italian Summer," unfortunately did not resonate with me.

Expiration Dates that showcases Mrs. Serle's unique brand of magical realism. Having read three of her books, I can confidently say that this storytelling technique is Rebecca's bread and butter.

In the novel "Expiration Dates," the protagonist Daphne grapples with commitment issues, which are further complicated by receiving notes that indicate the "expiration date" of her relationships. However, it would have been beneficial to have more background information on this aspect, as it seemed to be overshadowed by Daphne's health issues. While I appreciate the author's attempt to shed light on the experiences of individuals with health issues, there is a current trend of every heroine having a health problem, which can sometimes feel forced. In the case of "Expiration Dates," introducing Daphne's health issues late in the book felt like a copout, as it then became the sole focus of the story. It is important not to patronize individuals who struggle with chronic pain and illness by using their experiences as a shallow plot device. Instead, the focus should be on the unique and intriguing concept of the book, without relying on character illnesses to create a sense of depth. People who face major health challenges or terminal illnesses deserve more thoughtful and authentic representation in literature.

Oh wow this was such a unique romance! I've heard this author is one that every reader should read and those who said it were right! Gosh, this book is tenderhearted, emotional, and truly epic. I've never read anything like it! The only thing I wish is that I could read it for the first time all over again.

I wanted to like this book, but it just felt as though it dragged on and on. I know this author is capable of much better writing, as I have loved her other books.

I could not tell you how excited I was to receive an Advanced Copy of Expiration Dates!! Rebecca Serle is an auto-buy author for me, and this DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
What a beautiful story.
The relationships in this book felt so genuine and real. I was immediately drawn into the story, and couldn't stop reading.
I can't wait to purchase a physical copy!

4.5/5 - I wanted more Irina and Kendra!!