Rebecca Serle knows how to write a book that will send me on an emotional roller-coaster. I loved her previous novel, In Five Years, and Expiration Dates is right up there with it.

How would you feel if you knew from the start how long each relationship you entered into would last? Would it affect how you acted? Would you still put your heart into something you knew would only last 3 months? This is the life Daphne has been given.

This story made me laugh, cry, and wish for Daphne's happiness above all else. I was so happy with the ending (it was my hope for this twist). If you are looking for a romcom that is much more than just that, then I suggest picking up this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the arc in exchange for my thoughts!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advance digital copy of this for review. I really enjoyed this story of Daphne, who, from the time she was in Middle Grade with her first boyfriend, she received notes. The notes only said the boyfriend's name and an amount of time. The first one was 8 days. She goes through her life knowing how long, or short, her relationships are going to last..... until something happens that changes things. I think anyone who enjoys a feel good story will enjoy this.

Do I want to know how much I have with the person? Probably not. Because I won't even last that long knowing that I'm going to break with that person. I wouldn't wanna put the effort in. Why dedicate so much time and effort only to let go of that person in 3 months or 3 years. Let me walk into a relationship without any expectations, so I can enjoy that 3 months or 3 years.

Daphne was receiving these notes every time she met a new guy. It will tell her how much time she would have with them. She never had to experience the instance where there was no deadline until Jack. She knew he was the one. She did everything with the anticipation that one day he would propose her, which he did by the way. But when Daphne learnt that the paper she got was written by an ex, not by her mystery entity, everything turned upside down.

It was a good story of expectations vs spontaneity, letting go vs letting in, and living the life you have. I don't think anyone need to know the expiration date of their relationships or themselves. It would take away everything we are looking forward to. So read it in this story but never wish for it.

I enjoyed this novel and found the idea of it different and intriguing. Daphne receives a piece of paper when she meets a man, telling her how long the relationship will last. How it influences her each time she meets someone was interesting. There were a few twists I did not see coming that added to it. There were also a few things I had hoped to get an answer to but they were left open, Thank you Atria Books for providing this book via NetGalley for review consideration.

The best way to describe this book is magical realism mixed with romcom- which seems strange for a novel built around such a depressing subject matter (a woman with a severe heart condition).

The premise of this book is so unique, and while I didn’t absolutely love it, as the beginning felt slow, by the end I enjoyed the book and its premise. Daphne’s relationships were so unique with always getting letters of their “expiration date” until she gets one that’s blank. I liked how Rebecca added a twist at 50% with more details to Daphne’s story!

Overall, this author is hit or miss for me but this one I’m glad I stuck it out for cause it was a fun ride.

Final Rating: 3.75⭐️, 1🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. This is my honest and unpaid review!

This is a lovely book about the choices we make in life and the choices that are out of our control. With each new relationship, Daphne receives a piece of paper with the person's name and the about of time they will spend together. The book is thought-provoking, as it considers the ramifications of having such advance knowledge - how does knowing the "expiration date" affect Daphne's enjoyment of or ability to be fully present in the relationships? I thought the author used the magical realism elements to explore these questions in a fascinating way that will stick with me for a while. There were a couple well-done twists in the book (one I suspected, and one I did not) which also made the story that much more interesting. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I think I liked this. Maybe…? Like - I was invested, read it quickly, needed to know what was going to happen… but also, like, whatever. I wanted more than what it was, and what it was was perfectly fine. If that makes any sense at all. You’re welcome for this thoughtful review ;)

What life would be like if we knew the expiration on all of our romantic relationships.... The premise of this story is SO incredibly unique. There were so many parts of this story that I wasn't expecting at all. Reading this made me relive and look back on some of my own past relationships. If knowing the date or relationship had a deadline would I have lived it or done it different? It is such a testament to living without fear, living with hope, and loving with an open heart. In both the literal & figurative ways. This story will take you through the highs and lows of the main character (Daphne). Her past relationships, current ones, her journey to finding true love while battling other forks in the road. Its a journey of self discovery, self healing and so much more.

I am so mad at myself for sitting on reading this for so long! IT WAS FABULOUS! When I started this I had a hard time putting it down. I resonated with so much of this story in both past and present terms.

I absolutely love Rebeccas writing style. I love her ability to tell a story deeply. To connect you to each of her characters, whether they are in a few pages OR part of the main characters journey.

Shout out to Net Gallery and Arita Books for the ARC copy. It meant so much to me to get to read this story. It was an honor to be granted a copy. THANK YOU!!!!

I really wanted to like this one! I loved it until the end!!!! I felt very disappointed and unsatisfied with the ending!!! This book had me in a chokehold until I got to the ending!!!

Reading challenge category - 2022 52 Book Club: Title starting with the letter "E"

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC ebook.

Daphne has always been a little bit different. She receives pieces of paper with a man's name on it and how long she will spend with him. It could be before she meets him, while she's with him, or in one case, after a one-night stand has already occurred. When she receives a piece of paper with a man's name, but no expiration date, could this be her soulmate that she's been waiting for?

I enjoyed the premise of this book, but feel like the ending was a miss. Parts of the 'twist' about 3/4 in were predictable. <spoiler> Although I am glad that after her heart condition was revealed that Jake didn't become a heart donor for her, which is why there was no expiration date - a la "Last Christmas." </spoiler> The final 'surprise' was also predictable, yet I didn't mind that one as much.

Overall it was a quick, enjoyable read, but lacked real substance.

I received this novel as an advanced reader review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have enjoyed all books by this author, and this was the same. It is a heartwarming, light read that is perfect for the upcoming summer season highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed her books before..

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted copy of this book.
-
Read if you like: magical realism, an exploration of life and love.
-
Every time Daphne goes on a date, she gets a postcard with a timeframe for that relationship. So when she receives a postcard for Jake that is blank, she thinks she has met her soulmate.
-
This book was so unique and I loved it! I loved Daphne and her exploration of life and love. The author is a pro at witty banter and character development, and I loved how she revealed certain plot points. I was fully engaged and am now obsessed with this story! Highly recommend!

While I normally enjoy Rebecca's book I have mixed feelings on this one. The premise of this sounded super promising. A girl get notes saying how long her relationships will last. It's different. It was a cute idea. Seeing her different relationships was great and I was honestly rooting for her and Hugo. While her and Jamie seemed like a good match...he wasn't Hugo. And even though they ended I felt like Hugo never got over her. I wish that there was maybe a better way to differentiate between past and present because sometimes it would end and I wouldn't realize we were back in the present.

Her sickness felt completely unnecessary to me. It seemed super random. Something that gets brought in at the last minute and there was no hint or anything to something else going on? I didn't understand the point of it.

Daphne knows exactly how long she'll be with someone. Since she was young, she would receive a magical note with her partner's name and the time they'd be together. When she finally receives one without an end date, this has to mean she's found her soulmate, right? A nice first date with Jake turns into multiple and their life beginning together. With the encouragement of her best friend, Hugo, Daphne sets off for forever.

But as their story unfolds, Daphne must decide how to tell Jake about who she really is without completely breaking him.

--

A thorough disappoint from Rebecca Serle. This book was full of descriptions and unfinished feelings. Finished with the book, I sat around pretty unfulfilled. I didn't know what happened. I was unimpressed and I didn't know if I even enjoyed it. With the synopsis and knowing Serle's writing, you would kind of hope for something really remarkable and profound. Instead what we get is a lot (I mean A LOT) of descriptions about what people are wearing, what they're eating, what they're drinking and a lot of stories about all her past romps. It felt like she was trying to reach a word count.

It felt like I was trying to be distracted with what was happening with Daphne and it just did not help that her and Jake really didn't have any chemistry. Her chemistry with Hugo was better but I didn't find him all that likable either. I was in a weird situation where I didn't want to root for anyone and by the end, I wasn't even really rooting for Daphne.

Throughout the book, I felt like it was climbing and climbing to the climax and when it got there, I was still unimpressed. There was one moment after the climax where I was hit with some unexpected plot twist (sorta) and then went back to feel very meh about everything.

In Serle's acknowledgment, she writes that this book was a love letter to all her fans and readers, and I can definitely read this book and understand what a labor of love writing a book can be. But this book read like she was trying too hard. I'm sure it'll turn into a Netflix or Hulu original film or series because it's written that way but this one was just not for me. A really big disappoint unfortunately.

Calling this the "love story that will define a generation" was a very confidence choice..

A solid 3. Despite all my feelings about the writing and plot and etc (which I know is hard to believe but humans are complex), I actually feel really indifferent to the book. It wasn't good but it wasn't the worst book I've ever read. It was definitely a book I read.

I received this as a NetGalley, thank you Atria books!

From the publisher description: "Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she 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."

I really enjoyed this book so much. While it was light in the beginning, it did grapple with challenging topics. What does it mean to be in love? What are you willing to compromise for someone you believe you are meant to spend forever with?

Told from Daphne's point of view, we jump between present time and past relationships to see how the universe intervenes (or doesn't). I found this to be more character driven than plot driven and loved it. It was just the right pace with the question of , "will they/won't they" still prickling in the back of my mind.

While reading, you learn so much about Daphne, and how Daphne learns about herself too, and about how she interacts with those around her, which was refreshing.

While keeping this review as spoiler free as possible -- I am sharing a mild/moderate trigger warning for those that may need it: <spoiler>death of a spouse/partner & chronic illness/medical content/medical trauma - mentions of medical incidents/hospital stays/tests</spoiler>

Rebecca Serle's writing style is so specific and beautiful, and always flows so easily. Expiration Dates was an interesting concept and really made you think about the kinds of decisions you would make in the main character's position. Daphne Bell receives slips of paper with expiration dates for each new relationship, but when she gets one without an expiration date, she begins to wonder just how accurate they are. This was an emotional story with depth that will make you think about life and love and the roles relationships play. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

This was a solid 3 star read for me. Very interesting concept. I’m not sure I liked the ending. I’ll have to sit with it and see how I feel. I really liked the main character and the dilemma she faced. The way Rebecca Serle writes always makes me stop and think of what I would do if I was faced with the same decisions. If you are remotely interested, give it a read. It’s short and enjoyable.

"Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle offers a unique twist on the concept of dating and relationships. Protagonist Daphne Bell believes in the universe's plan for her romantic life, receiving slips of paper with expiration dates for each new relationship. However, when she meets Jake, who lacks an expiration date, Daphne begins to question the validity of the papers and wrestles with the complexities of commitment and honesty. Serle's narrative is imbued with warmth and insight, exploring the intricacies of romantic love and self-discovery. "Expiration Dates" is a gripping and emotional novel that delves into the essence of being single, finding love, and defining one's own path to happiness.

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

This was such a great read, and i loved how original it was. To know exactly how long and with who you are going to date. How it can take so much of the risk out of it, but alsomakes everything so finite. Daphne kept up such walls around herself, but so loved her family and friends. I loved seeing how her walls came down, even to the reader as the story progressed. This was such a beautiful book about taking risks, living your life, and living with a chronic illenss. This had me tearing up multiple times.