“𝘐 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘜𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴? 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩, 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.”

Books with magical realism elements are hit or miss for me. Some make me wonder so much about the why of the magic that I can’t get past it to enjoy the story (*cough* 𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘻𝘦 *cough*) while others use it in a way that feels natural and suck me right in. 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 did just that.

Daphne Bell receives notes from the universe that tell her the name of the man she’ll next be involved with and the amount of time they’ll be together - 24 hours, 6 weeks, 2 years, etc. But when she receives a note with the name “Jake” and no date, Daphne isn’t sure if he’s the man she’ll be with forever or if there’s another meaning behind the message.

Alternating between the present where she’s trying to figure out whether Jake could be “the one” and the past where we see how Daphne’s other relationships played out, Rebecca Serle throws in some twists I wasn’t expecting. They surprised me in the best way, and how she tied everything up in the end was perfection. If you’re looking for a romance that reexamines what it means to love and be loved, this one’s for you.

Thanks Atria Books for the copy to review.

Since she was a young girl, Daphne Bell received notes with a name and a number, indicating how long the relationship would last. When she gets a piece of paper with Jake’s name on it, but no number, she wonders if she found her soul mate. The plot points were not surprising–it was obvious to me who Daphne was going to end up with. However, there were a few twists that I was not expecting, and I love to be surprised when I read.

EXPIRATION DATES was my first Rebecca Serle book, and I finished reading it in less than a day. I would pick up her earlier books when I’m looking for a quick, easy, and enjoyable book. Serle’s descriptions, especially every single outfit, painted a clear picture and I could imagine it as a successful rom com movie. It’s a romance, so I knew what to expect from the genre, and it delivered. The magical realism element - the note that tells her how long her relationship will last–added an interesting dimension to the book, but it’s just a small piece and isn’t explored in a deep or meaningful way.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

What if you were able to know if a relationship would work out on day one? If  some magical note dropped in your lap, telling you exactly how long you would be together. 
Expiration Dates is about Daphne, who when she begins a relationship with someone, a note appears. This note gives the amount of time she will be in a relationship with that man. On Daphne's first date with Jake, the note appears but there is no end date...is he the one?
Rebecca Serle has this way of writing magical realism that hits you right in the heart. In her previous novels, I have loved how she combines magic and love into incredible stories. 
I really enjoyed Expiration Dates. The story goes back and forth between present day Daphne and stories of previous boyfriends and how the mysterious note impacted her life. 
This story is much more than meets the eye. Prepare to shed some tears.

I enjoyed Rebecca Serle's prior books so was excited to give her another shot! Expiration Dates ended up being so much cuter and entertaining than I anticipated. It was a super quick read, but it packed a lot in. I was looking for a lighter read and this was it, but it had a few heavier topics sprinkled in to ground it a bit. Some of the parts were overly detailed, like describing Daphne's entire outfit and accessories, but that was really my only complaint! I appreciated the flashbacks from her previous relationships, and I really enjoyed her parents and Hugo. There were a couple twists I didn't see coming, and I truly loved the ending. I would absolutely recommend this one, and I can't wait to see what the author does next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Without spoiling anything, I'll simply say that this book was a delightful journey through the unlikely (but not unreasonably so!) love life of its main character, Daphne. Daphne has had a very unusual experience throughout her adult relationships that, for better or worse, has severely limited her ability to connect truthfully and authentically with any romantic partner. As usual in a Rebecca Serle novel, I found myself loving Daphne, in spite of her flaws, and cheering for her to the end! While there were a few predictable outcomes, I enjoyed this novel and certainly found it entertaining and engaging. I think this is a perfect read for drowning out the other not-as-fun distractions of life and will always look forward to and recommend anything the author publishes!

Title: Expiration Dates
Author: Rebecca Serle
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.0 out of 5

Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all.

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. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

This was a bit hit-or-miss for me. I loved the premise and thought it was awesome, but how Daphne used it as an excuse to just check out and not get emotionally invested was pretty…cowardly, frankly. Jake seemed nice, but the two of them together felt very bland, while her friendship with Hugo was fantastic and compelling. I was supposed to be rooting for jake and Daphne, but I really wasn’t. I just wanted Daphne to wake up and realize what had been waiting for her all along, while she was busy shutting everyone out.

Rebecca Serle is a bestselling author. Expiration Dates is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)
(Blog link live 4/5).

I’m a little surprised by how much I ended up loving this book. The concept and execution of the story was done really well and I felt an emotional connection to the character. And that midpoint twist? Shocked me.

4.5/5

I liked the last novel, In Five Years, so I was disappointed when I found this one uninteresting. I really didn't care about the main character and you can figure out what will happen. Skipped a chunk of the middle. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This was an exceptionally quick read for me and definitely falls into the chick lit genre for me. I was not expecting the "twist" in the middle which does improve some of the novel and where it is going. This is not my favorite book but it was good enough to while away the time. If you are looking for a quick read that is firmly deemed "women's literature", this is the book for you. For me, it is 2.75 stars.

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
[NetGalley URL]

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!