So let me start by saying that One Italian Summer is one of my all time favorite books. It is the book that brought me back into reading 2 (or 3?) years ago. So I had high expectations for this one.

It started a little slow for me, but I kept going. In time, I became familiar with the characters and the style and in the end I did enjoy it. Was it a favorite? No. Would I read it again? Also no. Would I recommend it? Maybe. If you enjoy a fairly sweet romance with a varied timeline that does not have spice, you should like this one.

I wish the chapters had given a little more context as to which characters and which timeline we would be reading about. I think that would have helped me. I would have even appreciated a true timeline with all the players in the story for this one. That would have been a useful tool while reading to sort of bridge everything together.

I did finally get ‘hooked’ and wanted to keep reading to finish and find out what happened once I hit the twist around halfway. But I’m still not sure how I feel about the way things worked out, and it still never truly grabbed me the way some books do.

Overall it was a good story with likable, somewhat relatable characters. Did my high expectations set me up for disappointment? Maybe. But I would encourage you to read it and decide for yourself.

I really love this authors writing! it’s so descriptive and it’s the perfect mix of literary fiction with a mix of romance!! I love how deep her books are! i love her books and will highly recommend her books to customers!

This book was not my favorite of this author’s. I did not see the connection with the main character and either of the potential love interests.

I love Rebecca Serle's books. She is an auto-read author for me. This is my fourth of her books - Expiration Dates was fantastic, although it did not beat out my favorite of her books which was In Five Years. It has become my second favorite of hers though! Her books are always thought provoking, and this was no exception. I love how unique Rebecca's books are and I don't feel like they are ever too similar to other books. I loved this book's message on taking control of your life's choices. I did feel like the twist with her heart condition was a little unnecessary but, in the end, do understand why it was used as a plot point.

Rebecca Serle is the only author who makes me enjoy magical realism. I always enjoy her books, which often explore large questions in specific ways. When I read One Italian Summer, all I wanted to do was book a flight to Italy...

The concept of Expiration Dates caught my attention -- Daphne receives a postcard every time she meets a new love interest and the postcard tells her exactly how long the relationship will last. So, when she receives her postcard for Jack and it lists no end date she thinks, "This is him. The One." As the story unfolds, however, Daphne begins to question the trajectory of the relationship. Add a massive secret to the mix and what you get is a well-crafted story about time, commitment, honesty, and the concept of "The One."

This book is a bit challenging to review without giving spoilers so I will say this -- I guessed some of it early, but I still enjoyed the ride. Daphne was a great protagonist and I found some of her struggles with dating relatable. I also considered how I would react if I knew how much time I had with someone and what fears might crop up if I knew, even before we were dating, that the person was The One.

If you like Rebecca Serle, you'll enjoy this one. I also recommend it to anyone who struggles or has struggled with dating. I thought it asked some really good questions about ways we get ahead of ourselves in relationships.

This author is hit or miss for me, and thankfully this one was a big homerun! Thak you #net galley for the arc--I actulaly chose to do the audio because Julia Whelan is an excellent narrator. This story was cute, bitersweet and a great testament of defining what it is to 'live'. The witty banter between characters and desciptions of the Heroine's inner thoughts were a definite plus for me. I enjoyed both Jake and Hugo but always knew how the love story would ultimately turn out and yet I still enjoyed the 'ride' getting there.

My first Rebecca Serle novel and it did not disappoint. The initial concept immediately intrigued me—knowing who you’re going to be with and for how long. Seems ideal, right? Eliminating the element of surprise and expecting the inevitable. But it also takes away from living in the moment, which I feel like happens to a lot of us. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the little plot twists sprinkled in there.

Love can be elusive, but what if you knew exactly how long a relationship would last? Daphne meets a guy and finds out how long they will be together, from a random slip of paper. . Good fortune, or a bad omen? In some ways it can spark spontaneity, but can you truly feel love if you know it won’t last? This is Daphne’s struggle which becomes more real after she meets Jake and there is no “expiration date”. Will she dare to love, or could the paper be wrong? Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Every relationship Daphne has ever been in has come with an expiration date. An actual one. So when, right before a date, she receives a note with no timeline, and just a name, she wonders if this is finally it. As she navigates her newfound relationship with potential for a future, she revisits her past relationships and her story unfolds. A heartwarming, fun love story that reminds us that we all have expiration dates, and they should not define us.

This was a feel-good rom-com. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with the description. I felt like I might end up bored. But I loved the flashbacks of her previous relationships and it had a twist I did not see coming, which is always a pleasant surprise. This will be a great beach read for the summer!

The Problem with leaving a review to later and thinking that letting it percolate will enhance the review is proving troublesome. Acknowledging that this book is about love and missing what you can’t have or thinking something akin to this made this book more relatable. Serle cues us to her thoughts that love is “the belief in something that you cannot see or touch or even explain….but we just know it’s there.” I am not so sure about any of that but it was enough that it had me pondering and admitting that discussion is for another day.

There is some mystery, some not so convenient truths, a few cliches and a story that lingers but is difficult to define. Love, desire, happiness, protection, trust - exploring all the things you want out of love and reconciling what you can actually have. What it would be like to be chosen, cherished, loved - everything comes back to that. What you want and what you can have. Epic Love - never doubt that it is worth the fight.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy.

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!!!!