Thank you to Simon Audio and Atria Books for the copies to review!

I am a huge fan of Rebecca Serle and her books, and I love the little bit of magical realism she weaves into each one. It worked for me again here with Expiration Dates, where Daphne believes the universe has a plan for her, specifically in how long she will date someone. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with a date on it telling her how long she will be with him. Sometimes it’s days, sometimes it is months or longer. Then one day she gets a piece of paper with only a name and no expiration date, Jake.

This was another one that gets you thinking, mostly that time is always moving, in that it is moving fast and should not be taken for granted. There are elements in here not contained in the synopsis, which only enhanced the story and I really loved this one. It was an interesting premise and well executed I thought. The audio was excellent, and while I knew how it would end, I still loved how this all wrapped up. All the stars for this book and I cannot recommend it enough.

This book was not for me. Expiration Dates tells the story of Daphne, a 30-something woman who receives a note at the start of each relationship telling her when it will end and true to each card, the relationship ends when the card says it will. I love a book with a little magical twist, so this book is right up my alley. As I was reading it, I found it to be predictable and many of the characters to be one-dimensional and flat. The conflict between Daphne and her soulmate came off as contrived and the ending was a bit unbelievable given some of the events in the middle. I appreciated the way that the book tried to discuss fate vs. free will, though I ultimately found that unsuccessful as the analysis didn’t come until about 90% through the book.

I absolutely loved this book. It was very well written. I loved the “twist” although it’s a bit of a heartbreaking book. It was so good!

3.5 Stars

Every time Daphne dates or is about to date someone, she receives a slip of paper with a name and an amount of time the relationship will last. Whether it is 3 days or 3 years, she knows how long she is going to date that person. When she gets a slip of paper with just a name and no amount of time, she is sent on a journey to find if this is her forever person or what this means for her.

For the most part, I enjoyed this new book by Rebecca Serle. The little bit of magical realism adds a little something fun and unique. (Spoiler alert - I don’t mind that it wasn’t explained ever). I found it to be a quick read with lots of different emotions and some interesting twists. The fate vs free will aspect comes into play as well. There were some things about the book I didn’t love - some of Daphne’s decisions were frustrating and Hugo’s lack of character development were two big issues I had. Overall though, it was an enjoyable, fast read.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Rebecca Serle for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was all right. Very predictable though, so that was a little disappointing. The premise was interesting and I wondered where it was going to go and how it's deal with the idea of "predestiny" and whatnot. But, again, predictable.

This had such promise, but when a pivotal component of not only the character's sense of self but also of the entire theme is presented as a "reveal" mid-way through the novel, you'll lose me. Also, the main character was just so obnoxious, so there's that.

Expiration Dates was another hit from Rebecca Serle. I loved the concept of knowing when a relationship will end.

I absolutely loved this book and thought the ending was so cute! I also loved reading it as someone who has lived in LA the last 8 years.

I loved Rebbeca Serle’s most recent book, Expiration Dates.

From a young age, Daphne starts finding notes with a name and time period. She soon learns these names are who she will date and the amount of time they will date. When Daphne finds a note with just a name and no time period she thinks this is finally the one she will get to spend the rest of her life with… but, is that what the universe has in store for her?

Rebecca knows how to weave a great story together, but also can keep you guessing throughout. I loved getting to know Daphne…

Daphne Bell has gotten notes with men's names and an expiration date from the moment she first started dating. So when she at long last gets a note with just a name, she's determined to see it through to the end. But being in her 'final' relationship makes her start to think about her past note relationships, how she got where she is, and what she truly wants in life.

I found it to be a very pleasant read as we follow along with Daphne both in her present life and in her past relationships while things about her and her life get revealed. She has some great people in her corner and lives an interesting life, so it's enjoyable to follow along as she finds her footing.

Ultimately, it's very much a story about taking possession of your life and living for what you want and not just what comes your way. Daphne believes so deeply in the notes she gets from the universe that she lets that and her fear dictate her life, but it's when she's forced to really think about what she wants that she can finally find her happiness. I loved that ending and it made the story even more magical.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the romantically thought-provoking read!

I’m having a hard time rating this one. I’m sticking with 4 stars, because I was engrossed while reading, I was chanting “please please please” in my head at certain plot points, and it had me teary eyed at moments. It’s clearly well-written, but it left me feeling dissatisfied and uneasy in some way, even though the conclusion was what I’d been chanting please for all along. I know that’s vague, but it’s impossible to flesh out my thoughts and feelings without spoilers. Overall, it’s easy to recommend! Its general magical realism premise is very “Hallmark Movie”, but a twist in the middle adds some depth. It’s also fairly short, which made it easy to binge. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review.

Rebecca Serle's books always have such amazing story ideas but never seem to be executed the way I hope they would be. The plot for Expiration Dates was an immediate hook for me, I love all of the little magical realism bits, but sadly the character development fell very flat and the ending just didn't seem to fit with where I thought the story was going. Lovely idea, terrible execution.

I was a little apprehensive going into this book because I loved her last book, and I didn’t enjoy this one for some reason. I think I was just in a really funky headspace when I was reading this, but it felt so long even though it’s a very short book.

I still think I will continue to read her books in the future because they have been on spectrums, but I loved her last book enough to continue to give her books a read.

Rebecca Serle is known for some heartbreaking books, so I was nervous to start, but gosh this was beautiful. It was a very fast read which I feel like it needed to be. I do wish the ending was longer but understand and appreciate it as it is. I very much enjoyed this.

I absolutely love Rebecca Serle’s books and this one is no exception! Daphne is a single girl dating in LA! It is a really interesting premise - Daphne gets a piece of paper with a man’s name and how long they will date except this time there is just a name no time! Read the book to see what happens! It is a super cute read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC!

I am a huge fan of Rebecca Serle's In 5 Years, and was beyong excited when I saw an arc for this title! One thing I love about her writing is the magical realism, bringing a dash of the impossible into our everyday lives. Another thing I enjoyed was the flashbacks, seeing her past paper slips play out as we watch her current one play out. I am always a fan of the will they/won't they trope, and always love one final twist at the end. You can feel to love of writing through Serle's storytelling here. A lovely read for any time!

I enjoyed the writing in this book, but the ending had me wanting more. I wish there had been one or two more chapters to give it a complete ending.

Absolutely loved this one! Such a great idea for a story. I also loved the twist. Will definitely read and recommend everything from Rebecca Serle!

Daphne has always known when and how long each relationship would last. She had health problems so she really wasn’t into serious relationships. Her ex now best friend Hugo is the only one who knows the whole expiration dates but he care more than Daphne knows. Will she let this rule her life or will she truly follow her heart.

This book was everything I needed and more. I’m just coming out of what felt like a month long (that’s dramatic but that’s how it felt) reading slump, and this book I literally read in one sitting. The book is only about 250 pages but the story really draws you in and I loved the magic of this story because it shows you the importance of finding yourself before you can love someone else wholeheartedly. This book is so well written and I have loved Rebecca Serle’s writing since I read The Edge of Falling 3 years ago - so this held such high hopes and it lived up to those expectations ten fold. I highly recommend this to everyone who loves woman’s fiction and just loves a good romance story in general because it really dives deep into the meaning of love and relationships. I will definitely be recommending this one a lot. Please go give it a read! 🩷💚