“Life is a catch-22,” Irina says. “That’s why God invented female friendship.” 😭❤️

This. Book.

It was (mostly) sweet and warm and light. It felt like a simple love story, but I should’ve known it would be so much more. I’ve read her other books and they made me as equally confused by all the emotions they brought up. The amount of times I scream-whispered (think: omg, wtf, etc.) while reading this during nap traps/bedtime is insane! Kind of shocked to read a 3rd 5 star in a row, but not surprised at all that this was one 5 stars. Is Rebecca Serle becoming a must read author for me?!

Again - This. Book.

Could a single piece of paper truly decide your future?

Daphne Bell has been letting the universe take control of her love life. For the past 20 years, Daphne has understood that she is given a name & an amount of time - no more and no less. 3 days in Paris with Martin, five weeks with Noah in San Fan, until Jake arrives.

Daphne has not decided if this is a gift or a curse, she feels that all the emotions when in these relationships. Yet, one has to wonder if you only have 3 days in Paris is it worth it? But can Daphne shield herself from heartbreak or let people all the way in.

Daphne also holds secrets, buried under her bed in a box, that’s just waiting to exploded.

Over the past 20 years, she turn one boyfriend into a friend - Hugo. Her Saturday morning market buddy. Someone who understands what she is going through.

But will Daphne continue to let the papers dictate her love life, is Jake the final one!

Great love story Rebecca. It truly makes you wonder …. Is it worth it? What is you meet “the one” while only spending 3 days in Paris. What do you get out of a 3 year relationship? Do you have to let the paper decide or can you/ Daphne truly choose your own fate.

I ended up pairing this with the audiobook and it was such an excellent reading experience. I didn’t want it to end! I loved the non-linear timeline and felt it was all so well executed. It was charming, fun, emotion, and totally unique.

3.5

"Something else has always called the shots in my life — call it the universe, fat, the comedic force of timing..."

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The concept of this was honestly so cute — Daphne, our FMC, has always believed in love and whenever she meets someone she receives a piece of paper detailing how long she will date them. It's been this way her entire life, through everyone she's dated, until she meets Jake and there is no expiration date for their relationship. He's her soulmate — her last first date.

I love in romances when you get to see even the little day-to-day aspects of the characters' relationships. The easy, little things that sometimes slip through the cracks if you don't notice them. They fit so well with this story, and made it all the more heartwarming.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Expiration Dates was published on March 19th, 2024. Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️/5
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“Expiration Dates” by Rebecca Serle follows Daphne, a woman who meets a man & then gets delivered a paper with their name and an expiration date of their relationship. Until she meets Jake & the paper doesn’t have a date. Has she met the one?
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I was expecting so much more from this one after reading “In Five Years” but sadly, I was let down. It felt all very one note to me. Maybe that’s just how she tells a story and it missed the mark for me this time but I was definitely disappointed in this one.
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This novel released last week so give it a shot and let me know how you feel! Thanks to Atria Books for the ARC!
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#netgalley #expirationdates #rebeccaserle #arc
37s

“Expiration dates” hold so much meaning in this story. Knowing an expiration date could allow you to live in the present freely but could also hold you back from exploring more. Rebecca Searle explores free choice vs determination through the lens of magical realism. The outcome is a delightful and light-hearted romance/women's fiction story that would be perfect for a beach read.

I personally enjoyed listening to the audiobook version, narrated by Julia Whelan, who skillfully conveys a range of emotions, from heartbreak to pure joy. I'm always impressed by her narrations!

My final recommendation would be to avoid as much of the synopsis as possible, but if you love magical realism, self-discovery journeys, and second-chance romance, you should add this to your TBR.

I really enjoyed this book! The premise and plot were engaging and kept me wanting to get to the ending. The twist/reveal was well done and unexpected. I did find myself wanting a bit more from the ending. I also don't think this should be considered a romance novel.

This was a classic Rebecca Serle book. Great writing, a dreamy setting, and some twists. The characters were likable and the plot was intriguing. I did think the ending was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed it overall.

I had a difficult time getting into this book, unlike her previous novels. I would still recommend reading it, though.

Stars 3.5/5
Spice: low

The premise of Rebecca Serle’s books always captivate me, however the execution often falls flat for me. This was not the exception I was hoping for.

This book made me so insanely upset around two thirds the way through, and the novel kept going, but just declined. There was a glaring inconsistency that the papers were not absolute and that made me wildly

3.5 STAR RATING

Picture this, every time you enter into a new relationship or meet someone new, a note, a postcard, or a letter of some sort, with said person’s name and a timeline appears. This timeline simply states how long the relationship or ‘situationship’ will last.

Daphne Bell believes this is the universe’s plan for her. She has a romantic three-day romance with Martin in Paris, a five-week escapade with Noah in San Francisco, and three loving months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend, turned best friend. However, when the name Jake shows up without a date, Daphne quickly realizes that Jake is likely ‘the one’, her forever person. But what if something feels like it’s missing? Could the paper be wrong? Daphne, on a journey of truth and self-discovery, must find out just that.

Thoughts:

The premise of this book is so unique, captivating, brilliant, and overall, such a fun idea. The execution however, not so much. I really wanted to love this, but I felt there was so much ‘fluff’ writing, which added nothing significant to the plot whatsoever (the previous men, the details of her outfits, etc.). Because of the great premise of this novel, I still rated it what I did, but the ending, was super disappointing in my opinion, and I hoped for more information surrounding the relationship that left the biggest impact on Daphne, rather than the added ‘fluff’.

This is my fourth Rebecca Serle read and I love how she weaves her stories with just the right amount of magical realism. This was such an interesting and unique premise and I thought the story was very well paced. The characters were enjoyable and the journey through the relationship on the pages has a lot of really emotional ad endearing moments.

4.25 stars!

Expiration Dates is my fourth novel to read by Rebecca Serle and she’s basically become a must-read author for me. Her stories are an exploration of the human condition with a dash of magic. And Expiration Dates is a refreshing story about accepting what we can’t control.

I’m not surprised when I see mixed reviews for Serle’s books because readers expect her novels to be tried and true Romances with a capital “R”, but her books are really more in the vein of contemporary fiction that just happen to include some magical realism wrapped in a love story. BUT Expiration Dates is probably her first adult novel to fall the closest to that Romance genre definition. It’s even hinted at in the synopsis, just to reassure readers.

It’s always difficult to write a review of Serle’s books without giving much away. Her novels always have some twists and turns, surprises that should stay surprises for new readers. But I’ll do my best to tell you how much I enjoyed this one without spoiling anything.

Daphne has learned to accept that she receives a mysterious note every time she starts a new romantic relationship, one letting her know how long the relationship will last. For the most part, it allows her to not fall too deeply but enjoy what time she does have with the men who come and go in her life.

I liked Daphne right away. She’s spirited, seems to be self-assured and confident, someone comfortable in her own body. I enjoyed the sunny setting of Los Angeles, and the fact that Daphne was “in the business” but someone in the background of Hollywood.

I enjoyed learning about her past relationships, told in short chapters that tied in with the present storyline, as well, each side character unique and relatable. Daphne thinks she knows where her life is headed, but life decides to remind her that maybe good things are also in the unplanned parts of life.

If you’ve never read a book by Serle and would like to give her a try, I’d say this is a good one to start with! It’s hopeful despite also including some more serious topics. It’s also not a huge commitment coming in at under 300 pages. I read this one quickly, not wanting to set it down. Expiration Dates is a perfect choice for your spring or summer tbr with its sunny setting and uplifting story!

This book combined a little bit of magical realism with a little bit of romance for the perfect combination. This book kept me guessing until the end and ended perfectly. I loved the authors note at the end. I love this author and can't wait to read more of her books. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Expiration Dates is the fourth book I have read by this author and it did not disappoint. I have to really enjoy the writing style of Rebecca Serle. Each one touches on the what if’s of life so beautifully. In Expiration Dates, Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. She is waiting patiently for something good to happen but she will wait, until things work out. A strange thing happens every time she meets a man.. she receives a piece of paper with his name & number in it. The paper has never lied. For Martin in Paris, it was 3 days, Noah in San Francisco, lasted 5 weeks, and 3 months with Hugo, her now best friend. For 20 plus years she has always received the sheet of paper with the name and number.. but this time, she just gets a name.. Jake. Daphne can’t help but hope this might be the one without an expiration date. After their blind date it seems as if, she has found the one but even though there was no date, she can’t help but wonder, is this the one? What if he isn’t and the whole number thing wasn’t right all along? What if they aren’t meant to be? I really liked this story. I love how Daphne, felt all the emotions and really attempted to make things right for her and Jake. I also liked how the author told the story of each of the first relationships. It gave the story so much depth. This was a 4 Star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. I enjoyed it so much and can’t wait to read the authors next book.

This book begs the question, would you want to know how long a relationship will last from the beginning? Knowing that the days are numbered, how would that affect the relationship and attitude going into the relationship. Expiration Date is a book about a woman who receives a message every time she starts a new relationship. Her message always has an expiration date. Whether it's 1 night or multiple months, it's never wrong. Until she receives one with just a name. I loved the storyline. It was a unique idea. I enjoy the characters. It was an easy read. As a bonus, I did listen to some of it on audio because I'm behind on my reading and was thrilled that the queen of audio, Julia Whelan, was the narrator. She's my favorite. So, it made the book that much better. Thank you, netgalley, for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review. 3¾ stars round up to 4.

Rebecca has done it again! How she weaves in fantasy and romance everytime and I still come out loving it is always a mystery to me because I’m not a fantasy fan but she does it. Read it, you will love it and walk away remembering and being keenly aware that we only get this one life and it’s ours for the taking

In true Rebecca Serle fashion this book makes you feel all the feelings! Not to mention her addition of magical realism that she puts into her books and I love!

In this book Daphne receives a slip of paper, envelope, postcard, etc. with an expiration date of her next romantic partner. The thought of knowing how long a relationship is going to last before it's even begun is wild! After completing this book, I found myself asking myself "would I want to know?". I think my answer is no. This story is beautiful. Her relationships, whether short or long, all bring her a purpose, and her friendship with Hugo is heartwarming and realistic.

If you are looking for a quick read that makes you feel all the feeling and think all the thoughts, this is it!

Thank you for the ARC of this book. It did not disappoint!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle came out on March 19th, 2024
4/5 Stars

I've read and enjoyed both of Rebecca Serle's prior books and love how her stories are romances with magical realism elements. Expiration Dates is no exception and I enjoyed this one as well. Our main character, Daphne, experiences something very unique any time she meets a new romantic interest - she receives a slip of paper with the man's name and the exact length of the relationship. So what happens when she receives a slip of paper with no time limit?

I thought the premise of this book was so simple and yet very unique and well-executed. I appreciated the flashback chapters that revealed Daphne's past relationships and that allowed us to get to know more of her character and backstory. The dynamic between Daphne and Hugo - her best friend - was also very fun. Like her other books, this one had a few twists, one of which I somewhat anticipated but the other of which was a total surprise. Though I wasn't a huge fan of one of the twists, I can't deny that it made me want to keep reading to figure out what the resolution was.

As a side note, I feel like this book was a real love letter to Los Angeles and though I've been there before, it made me want to return and visit all the spots that Daphne frequented.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot and think it would make for a great book club selection as it lends itself to a lot of discussion.

I don't read much romance, but I trust Rebecca Serle whole heartedly and she did not let me down. This was sweet and warm and sad and beautiful and I will continue to read anything she writes. Romance readers will love this, but more importantly, so will non romance readers.