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

I'm not sure what to think of this book. I liked it and I was drawn to the premise of the book. Would I want to take a chance at love if I knew there was a time line for that relationship? As soon Daphne starts a relationship she receives a slip of paper telling her just how long that relationship will last until she meets Jake and there is no end date to this relationship. She believes he is "the one". Of course, you don't just find the perfect guy without some twists and Hugo is just that.

Easy to read, something different, and keeps you entertained. I think my only problem was Daphne herself. She was ok, but just ok.

3.5/5 stars

Expiration Dates had one of the most original and fun concepts I've read for a rom com. I enjoyed the magical realism aspect of Daphne finding "expiration dates" for all of her romantic partners. However, this needed about two more rounds of editing for the plot. It wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be and got lost a few times. We spent so much time in the past reading about old expiration dates that the present one didn't have much chemistry at all. I didn't feel the need to root for them as a couple and wasn't invested in how the story all ended because I barely knew the guy.

I will always read what Rebecca Serle writes because when it hits, it HITS. She is fabulous and I always fly through her books fully engrossed. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Rebecca Serle does it again! Expiration dates is Serle's first foray into true romantic love. Daphne has always known how long her relationships will last, whether it's a few nights or a few years, thanks to anonymous notes she receives with the exact amount of time on them. So when she gets a slip of paper with only a name and no length of time...could this be the one? Despite any hesitancy she may have previously had, she learns to jump in to her new relationship headfirst. But...could her paper ever be wrong?

I love Serle's magical realism, because the notion of knowing how long a romantic relationship is going to last seems just fantasy enough to be true. I loved the vignettes into Daphne's past relationships, which give the reader an idea of how Daphne has come to feel about her relationship timelines. Serle has written about best friend love and family love, so I truly enjoyed reading about her version of romantic love. I can't wait to see what she puts out next!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle had such an interesting concept. Daphne has been receiving notes with a name and date of how long she will spend with any given man for a very long time. She has been waiting for the one that will not have an expiration date. When it finally happens, what does that mean? Will he finally be with the one? While we get to see her with Jake, we also get to see previous relationships and how they play out. We get to see her journey and learn from it. It was such a sweet and charming read.

Happy reading!

Ever since The Time Traveler’s Wife, I’ve loved the concept of predetermined endings as a theme. What if we don’t actually want what we’re destined for? What if we’ve been conditioned to think we do because we have no other choice? What if we simply ignore fate? Expiration Dates is poignant and thought provoking, with a twist I never saw coming; I was so sure I had the ending figured out and couldn’t have been more wrong! Very original and cleverly written, captivating from beginning to end.

Phew. Several highlighted passages and some of the convos between the main character and their parents...had me in my parenting feels. Recommend!

This was a good book! I really liked the premise and it kept me entertained! It was hard to tell who I was rooting for: Hugo or Jake. The protagonist, Daphne, feels like she lacks maturity, even though she’s in her late 20s. The author lost me in the last 1/4 with all the existentialism, I was just here for the chick flick. It’s worth reading, but I’m not telling everyone to run out and buy it immediately.

I just reviewed Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. #NetGalley
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Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle was everything I thought it would be heartbreak, love, & laughter. A very intriguing book makes you wonder if you got a note with the persons name you are to date with how long you will date them, days, weeks, months, years or empty (forever). Great read!

I love Rebecca Searle’s books. Period. That’s it. So it should come as no surprise that I love this one. The premise hooked me right from the beginning. The is another winner from one of my favorite authors.

Daphne receives notes. She has been receiving these notes since the 5th grade. The notes simply have a name and a length of time. This is how every relationship that Daphne has had her whole life progresses. Until now - she receives a note with just a name - no time frame. The name is Jake and there is no time written.

Daphne meets Jake and they begin their relationship. She is wondering if Jake could be the one. Over the course of this story, we learn about Daphne’s family, friends, past relationships, and a very big secret. This story was thought-provoking, emotional, and heartbreaking at times. In short, this book will break your heart and put it back together again. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read this incredible book! If you haven’t read this author before, this is the perfect place to start. Her books truly are magical. This one is out now, and I highly recommend it!

I delighted in the details of this story. I project that the storyline will be somewhat divisive because of the lack of chemistry between the two main characters. But I found Daphne incredibly relatable, and I really enjoyed reading about her dating woes. I also found her coworkers to be great and fun supporting characters. I even liked the dog!!

Even though I found the story relatable it was a bit “basic” and predictable at times.

Wow! This is the 2nd book that I have read from Rebecca Serle and I was blown away! It was a slow burn in the beginning but I fell in love with Daphne and Hugo! 5 star reading for me! It was a bittersweet love story and I really enjoyed it! Very different from other authors books, love her writing style!

This is a book for people who love love and Los Angeles. I had so much fun picturing the characters in a city that is near and dear to my heart. I loved being on this journey of wondering what love is and when to know when you have really found it.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and Rebecca Serle for a DRC in exchange for an honest review!**

Would you take a chance on love...if you knew from your VERY FIRST meeting that it wasn't going to last?

Daphne Bell has his number, all right...each and every time. You see, Daphne has been receiving bits of paper for TWENTY YEARS each time she embarks on a new relationship. But these sort of 'unfortunate cookies' (minus the cookie, which seems unfair if you ask me!) each have two pieces of information on them: the name of her new beau, and exactly how long the relationship will last, from a quick fling with Martin in Paris (three days) to a 'just starting to get to know one another' rendezvous with Noah (five weeks) and even the short-but-powerful relationship with her boyfriend-turned-bestie Hugo (three months). Living with this sort of certainty has always helped her protect herself when relationships got too deep or serious, but has also given her the go-ahead to dive in at times she might have otherwise held back...so Daphne's notes have served as sort of a guiding force and light...even if she hasn't found her forever person JUST yet.

But all of that is about to change when Daphne goes on a blind date with a TV exec named Jake. They have a fantastic first date and the butterflies creep in, along with a rush of anticipation at the 'fortune' with Jake's name on it. Daphne is stunned to find, for the first time EVER, a name....but NO expiration date. What exactly does this mean for Daphne? Could fate FINALLY be showing her that Jake is...the one? As their connection deepens, doubt and fear begin to creep in...does Jake really KNOW her better than anyone she's ever met before? Can she trust him with a secret she's been keeping that will shape the rest of her life...AND his, if they stay together forever? Or will Daphne choose to forego the notes, the universe's advice, and simply figure out HOW she can follow her own heart, wherever it leads?

Rebecca Serle is one of those authors in the genre who has found her perfect fit: her stories always meld romance with magical realism neatly, effortlessly, and ALWAYS have a heavy dose of heartbreak. What's beautiful about her writing in particular is that you never quite know WHAT the heartbreak will be or how it's going to play out: is it the loss of a beloved friendship? A strained relationship between the lead and a family member? Melancholy about love had and lost? There are always SO many factors in play in Serle's books: they never read as a cut-and-dried romance, and sometimes even feel more in the vein of women's fiction FEATURING a romance, and I always know the vibe to expect from a Serle book: it's going to rip my heart out a time or two, get me thinking about the past, present, and future of my OWN life, and to explore expectations in general: all of these elements, along with beautiful and relatable characters, pull you into her web of magical realism in such a special way that you often forget the implausibility of some of her plots entirely. (See: having dinner with Audrey Hepburn in the Dinner Party...in that book? It just MAKES SENSE no questions asked!)

I'm not sure what it was, but something about this particular story kept me absolutely enthralled, and held my attention from beginning to end: in short, while my previous two Serle reads were good, Expiration Dates was great. I absolutely LOVED the idea of the concept, which was almost a play on the idea of finding a piece of paper with your death date on it...and the question of if this were possible, would you WANT to know? True, this concept is far less severe in a sense, but it is fueled by the same sort of speculation: is every relationship FATED to last only for so long? If the universe gave you an end date, would a fight you coincidentally had the same day with your partner be the final straw? We get glimpses of Daphne's past and her perspectives through the lens of her various relationships, and as she shares her tales, you can FEEL the nostalgia through her words: with such a finality to the end of her relationships, it almost makes them all the more special to her...but also leaves her so lost as to what her future should look like or where she's meant to end up.

I also have to admit, I PROBABLY should have seen it coming, but since I was SO swept away by the story and the nuance in general...there is a twist that COMPLETELY surprised me! A more astute or careful reader probably would have caught it, and even in writing the mini synopsis here I ALMOST gave something away myself! I won't spoil anything, but in all honesty, this book could have gotten REALLY cheesy, and I applaud Serle for the fact that it did not. Just like in life, nothing is cut and dried here, and every relationship exists in shades of grey...if you're looking for a wholly predictable, HEA sort of ending...this isn't QUITE like that. There are hints dropped and also a couple of different avenues Daphne can choose by the end of the novel, and Serle cleverly alludes to one possibility without DEMANDING buy-in...and in doing so, allows both Daphne as a character and YOU as a reader to contemplate what choice she made...and also, where it might lead.

And more importantly, just like poker, when it comes to love?

You have to be lucky...but you also can't win the jackpot unless you're TRULY all in.

4 stars

This story is a mix of magic realism, the romantic history of the main character, and a love story to LA.

This story is told through both flashbacks to previous relationships, and present day narration. In the beginning, the book took a bit to ramp up and become engaging, but once you’re accustomed to the story and the characters, it’s hard to stop reading.

I really appreciated that while I found the main ‘twist’ to be fairly predictable, there were a couple other aspects of the story that didn’t come in until later in the book, which kept it engaging without feeling repetitive.

Jake, one of the main male characters, is also very assured and a great partner - it’s rare to read a romance book with a MMC that truly is unproblematic and doesn’t even have any unhealthy mannerisms.

Expiration dates

Daphne has always wanted love but every relationship that starts always has an expiration date, one night, three weeks, six months. She gets these messages on little slips of paper that get delivered or left for her. Until she meets Josh. His paper has no expiration date and Daphne has to learn to live with the man she is supposed to be with.

I loved Daphne’s story. Having read stories written by Rebecca Serle before I knew what to expect so when the twist came partway through, I was shocked, but also ready for it. You really empathize with Daphne and her situation, moving from relationship to relationship trying to find the right guy. I really loved her relationship with Hugo too. It kept the story moving. The ending was absolutely brilliant too. All of the loose ends that could be tied were tied. I would hundred percent recommend this story to anybody who loves women’s fiction or romances. It appeals to everyone. Rebecca Serle is on my auto buy list. Thank you so much to Atria Books NetGalley for the free eARC for my honest opinions. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first time reading anything by Rebecca Serle, and this book did not disappoint. What made this whole situation even better was that I received an ARC for this one! I felt so blessed to have been chosen. I didn't necessarily know what to expect going into this, and I actually didn't read the summary before starting it. I went in completely blind.

Like I said before, I didn't know what to expect from her, but this book read a bit like an Emily Henry book. Or even like an adult version of a Sarah Dessen book. It was a romance book with depth. But it also had a bit of whimsical light magic that's never explained, similar to something Ashley Posten would right, so take that for what you will.

The story follows Daphne, who for as long as she could remember, would get these slips of paper telling her how long her relationship was going to last. Sometimes it was before she met the person and sometimes it was after she met them. And because of that she believes the universe has a plan for her. Finally she receives a piece of paper with no expiration date, Jake. As Jake and Daphne's story unfolds, she finds herself doubting the paper's prediction, and has to wrestle with what it means to be committed and truthful.

This story was so quick to read. I feel like every chapter unlocked a bit more of the truth, and when I got to the end I found myself shocked, but also so so happy. There were two major plot points, one went exactly as I wanted it to, and the other one caught me completely off guard. From reading this book, I already know that I'll be checking out all of her other books! Highly recommend.

Love love love love love this book! I can't even express words other then Rebecca Serle does it again

This was a really interesting premise and I felt all the feelings. Plus some truly shocking twists I did not expect!

Rebecca Serle’s books are always a must read for me! “Expiration Dates” did not disappoint and I loved this story! This would make a great book club read!

Darn it. I was SO into the premise and storyline, but the way the book unfolded just fell flat for me. I didn't feel much for the FMC and didn't really get to know her. I thought the storytelling flashbacks were a little disjointed and ultimately the writing style didn't quite work for me.

I wish I liked it more, but I thought the idea behind it was super creative and interesting.

Thank you for the arc!