I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I was pleasantly surprised. The story goes between past and present, is very well written and has plenty of revelations throughout. If your intrigued by the summery, I think you'll really enjoy this book!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle adds a new twist to the typical girl meets boy romance story. Instead, when Daphne Bell is on the verge of a new boyfriend, she receives a mysterious note that tells her exactly how long the relationship will last. This plays out in many different ways throughout a variety of relationships, but is more complicated paired with the fact that Daphne doesn't know exactly how many days she has left.

This novel has many of the typical elements of a romantic comedy, but also poses some deeper questions about life like are things like pre-ordained versus self fulfilling prophecy. Does knowing how long a relationship will last make it better, or does it limit the relationship into lasting only that long? As a reader, I pondered the question of what areas of life I am placing limits that perhaps are self imposed.

Overall, this is a quick read that has the opportunity to challenge the reader to think on some of life's questions while enjoying some romance. I recommend it for readers enjoys a splash of fantasy with romance. I would not describe this romance as a light and easy read, as it does deal with some more challenging storylines, but it does so in a way that feels hopeful for the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne Bell receives a piece of paper every time she meets a new man with the exact amount of time they'll be together, ranging from days to years. Then one day she receives a piece of paper with only a name: Jake. For the first time she feels a relationship has the possibility of being her forever after. Daphne builds her relationship with Jake, but is keeping the notes and another big secret that only her former lover and best friend Hugo knows.

Does Daphne really have a choice in love? And if she does, who will she choose?

I thought Expiration Dates was a wonderful, heartfelt novel about love and friendship. This is my first Rebecca Serle book, but I look forward to diving into her backlist.

Thank you netgalley: this was pure brilliance.
Serle's other stories didn't quite hit for me nearly as well as this did, so if you're in my camp: PICK. THIS. UP.
What if you knew your love life expiration dates? Every relationship, every hook up, you knew exactly how long it would last? How would that color you as a person? When you finally meet the one who DOESN'T have an expiration date....what would drive you together, choice or fate?
This book did such a good job asking some really hard hitting questions about love, choice, expectancy, and endings that I wasn't totally prepared for! Daphne was so deep and yet so flawed, which made her the perfect person to receive these expiration notices. I particularly loved the snippet chapters that focused on exes' throughout her life, and how some of these known short term romances really shaped her. Jake is seemingly perfection, which makes him a perfect foil to her plans when his name shows up without the expiration date. And Hugo....too much about Hugo would make him a spoiler, but he is the quintessential "what could have been" best friend who plays the PERFECT side role in this story. Add in the friendship story lines and its even better.
I particularly LOVED the twist in this one. Serle is known for her twists and in the past, they've always muddied for me what would otherwise be a really good story. This one just double downed on the questions about choice and fate and really strengthened Daphne's ultimate ending: who decides on who you love?

Living the single life dictated by notes from the "Universe", Daphne is waiting to meet the "one". Really interesting premise and delightful story of love.

This was absolute perfection. It was a book I kept telling myself to slow down because I didn’t want it to end! Daphne was such a likable character to me. I don’t want to say too much in my review because there are some twists you don’t want revealed, but trust me, you don’t want to skip this one! Easy 5 stars for me.

This is only the second of Rebecca Serle’s books that I’ve read and once again, I loved it! Daphne is a 30 something single, and she receives notes with the name of her upcoming romance and the number of days of their relationship. This has been going on since grade school. Sounds strange, but it works! Does this affect the way Daphne looks at each relationship, does she just fulfill the notes, on purpose, or maybe not at all? When she gets the note for Jake, there isn’t an expiration date. Daphne wonders why- is it a mistake? Or is he the one?
This story is about so much more than these notes. I enjoyed this so much, and was so sad when it was over!

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

I loved this book! The premise was unique, the book was fun and I could not put it down. The twists and character development were to die for.

Unfortunately Rebecca Serle's recent books don't hold the same magic for me that "In Five Years" did. The premise of this book was really fun and cute, which is why I requested it, but the execution just did not work for me. Added to that, the halfway through health issue reveal seemed like a a cheap heartstring tug.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of EXPIRATION DATES, but sadly I think this might be my last shot with Rebecca Serle.

This book started off strong and kept my interest. Towards the middle I started to get board with the story line but it don’t end up getting better again at the end. It really never answered why she got the letters.

3.5/5 stars

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is interesting (the main character receives notes that tell her the exact expiration date of her relation? Sign me up!) and the first few chapters felt witty and quick.

But man, the writing really struggled to deliver the premise. There was no character development, a weird ramble of details on random things, no tension and the main character ended up feeling flat and frankly terrible (despite clearly being meant to be liked.) Illness was introduced late in the game in a way that felt cheap and not connected and my least favorite cutesty FMC trope of “you eat soo much but you stay so skinny without exercise isn’t that so quirky if you.”


The premise carried all the weight of the book, and the fact that I envisioned Hugo as Will Arnett.

This was a sweet, poignant romance that made me think about my life and question if anything would have gone differently had I known the outcome ahead of time. But I think it needs some tweaking before it’s finalized. The ending, although satisfactory, felt rushed, and some big reveals throughout the story felt misplaced to me. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I felt like the major one was a huge bombshell that should have been mentioned way earlier.

Overall, though, I really liked this book. I love when characters are casually reform Jews like I am, and always enjoy detailed descriptions of what the characters are wearing, especially in a book with so many glamorous settings and glamorous-sounding people. Rebecca Serle does not disappoint!

So different than anything I’ve read before. What an intriguing concept, to have your life “mapped out” for you then to challenge that from an unexpected place. I really enjoyed this book, albeit the ending wasn’t the one I would have chosen but it was right for Daphne.

Thank you to Net Galley for the arc copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. I have enjoyed nearly all of her books, despite the fact that romance books are not in my wheelhouse, generally.

I adored this book. A quick read, and a lovely and poignant exploration of love and friendship.

There were several points throughout the text that I questioned (character development of Jake being one) but ultimately, the ending resolved my questions.

I have already recommended this book to several people. It was an easy read, but touchingly written!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I went into this book with one set of expectations about the description and left it with a lot of unexpected twists and turns that I maybe could have predicted if I wasn’t so engrossed in the read. I have read similar “fortune telling” books in the past, but nothing quite like this. In an effort to not give too much away, I’ll try to be vague about the things I loved about it.

The book nails the motivations and fears of the main character. She is relatable, complicated, and interesting. Her love interests are well-explained and all contribute to the overall plot of the book and the writing supports it and isn’t too repetitive (something that other romances I’ve read do have trouble with). I also enjoyed the length and felt that it was a full idea without too much fluff, which is hard to do in this genre. All in all, I have very few cons for reading this book and would recommend to most readers who want a quick romance read with some complexity and two likable male leads.

"Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle is a captivating exploration of destiny, love, and heartache. Daphne's unique ability to foresee the duration of her romantic relationships through mysterious slips of paper sets the stage for a thought-provoking journey. You think the mystery is the paper all along, but another secret is then revealed. One that gives pause to love and makes you question everything.

"Expiration Dates" is a must-read, delivering a poignant and unforgettable exploration of love's many facets.
5 stars!

What a wonderful, meaningful, and original story. Daphne Bell receives a note every time she starts dating a new guy with exactly how long the relationship is going to last - the expiration date! Her story explores her current and past relationships, and how these notes dictate so much of her life. I thought this was such a whimsical touch and I absolutely loved it. Can she learn to let go, or will she always be controlled by what the notes say?

This book is full of love, heartbreak, frustration, sadness, and more. The characters are wonderful, there are a few fun twists that keep you on your toes (I don’t think I saw any of them coming), and I felt fully invested in Daphne’s story. This book is such a great life lesson for so many different topics - I walked away with a new perspective on enjoying life.

This was a wonderful light read that still had lots of substance - I think it would be a fun pick for a book club! I wanted a little more from the ending (it felt a little rushed almost), but I still think this was a fabulous book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this!! Definitely check this one out when it comes out on March 5, 2024!

Rebecca Serle, you did it again! I devoured this lovely love story in less than one day. Serle has an incredible ability to draw you into her stories, creating worlds with such realistic, human experiences infused with a little dose of magical realism. If you are a fan of her novel In Five Years, you will love this one, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

pretty cute little romance with a relatively unique plot idea. i thought this one could’ve been executed better and i would’ve liked to explore more about the main character, but i still liked it overall. i didn’t necessarily feel like everything fit together well, though; the novel felt a little like it was taking pieces of different stories that include the same character and gluing them together. rather predictable ending, but it was mostly what i was rooting for, anyway. i do really like rebecca serle, so even though this wasn’t my fav by her, i still liked and would recommend it.

thank you netgalley and atria for this arc in exchange for an honest review! loved having the opportunity to read it early!

What to say except this was incredible. I’m a huge Serle fan, but this was my absolute favorite by the author. The characters , the love story, the unique premise of the notes to determine relationship lengths. All of it. I finished in a couple hours not being able to put it down.