Rebeccas books are always so enjoyable. I love the length, the magical realism and the thoughtful decisions each character has to face in her stories. This was no different! I was rooting for a specific character and I really liked how it all played out in a creative way.

2.5 stars rounded up.


The idea of a single woman knowing exactly how long a relationship was going to last sounded like an interesting plot line. However, it actually didn't do all that much for the story. The story was more about her relationships with two particular men—not a lot of discussion was had with anyone about this bit of eerieness! Just one person knew about it and believed in it.

The first half of this was pretty unexceptional. You would think that with a twist such as Daphne has, of knowing just how long she is going to date a particular person, her life would be an exciting adventure. To me, it was the half of the book that was filled with unneeded descriptions of clothing, places, drink etc. Just fluff and filler. This was a short novel so perhaps some of this was added in to lengthen the book.

The second half of the book (or so) was much better—after Daphne's big reveal. Some reviewers thought what was revealed was cheating or cheap; I personally thought it made some sense, as it showed why Daphne never really seemed to care about when her relationships broke up.



As for who she ends up with...I saw that coming a mile away!

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Atria Publishing Group/ Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley.

I adored this book! What would you do if you knew the exact timeframe of each relationship you entered? Would it change your approach? Would it prevent heartbreak? Such a unique concept, I loved it and read it in a day.

I enjoyed this book written from the perspective of the main character, Daphne, over various timeframes and through various relationships. This allowed us to really get into her mind (and her heart) through her series of relationships. Through this we see Daphne grow and understand how her relationships and perceptions have developed throughout the years. So many thought-provoking moments and amazing quotes, many of them gave me pause to re-read or reflect on my own feelings, experiences, and past relationships. And that ending was ❤!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my eARC - all thoughts are my own. Definitely recommend checking this one out, it's on shelves now. Will be looking out for whatever Rebecca Serle has in store for us next!

This was interesting plot and story line that felt a little slow-burn-like. There are some magical realism elements in the story that aren't entirely sold but it leaves a lot up to the reader to make interpretations. I enjoyed it. A great read from a very talented writer of women's fiction. Recommend.

Rebecca Serle writes the most magical
romances that have you falling in love every time 😍 Expiration Dates was no different - with it’s unique premise, and amazing characters Rebecca sure has the recipe for a perfect romance read!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle was a pretty solid, quick read for me. I enjoyed the idea of the main character getting a slip of paper at the beginning of each relationship and the flashbacks to all of those relationships as the panned out. There were 2 surprises - one of which *cough* Hugo *cough* completely took me off guard but made so much sense! The other one didn't feel completely necessary for the storyline, but oh well. It didn't take anything away from the book, but it also didn't add or change anything for me (personally). The end of the book was sweet and exactly what I was hoping for! (although the time jump felt too long for me.) Overall I quite enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Rebecca Serle and Atria Books for the ARC!

Rebecca Serle does it again! Expiration Dates was a great, quick read that left me with so many thoughts. This would be a GREAT book club pick as it brings up a lot of questions that are personal and create discussion. Her stories always include a little magical realism and our main character here gets notes of when her relationships will "expire" which then leads to the question of how will she handle this? How would you go into a relationship knowing it will end in 6 weeks? I loved it and will continue to read anything Serle writes.

5 stars!

This may have been my favorite Serle novel to date!

I loved everything about this book: the concept, the characters, the way it was written (chapters of flashbacks containing the name and how much time she would have vs chapters in present time), the unexpected twists, and the overall story/ending.

Serle did an amazing job with this novel. I thought it was extremely creative, captivating, and charming. Highly recommend!

What would you do if your relationships are measured by the random pieces of paper you receive indicating the length of time you’re going to spend on each?

That’s how Daphne’s life has mostly been for most of her life. Until she received one with just a name, ‘Jake’, that didn’t specify any.

I fell in love with Serle’s writing in The Dinner List (one of my best reads for 2023) and was amazed with how she can pack an emotional punch in under 300 pages. Here, Serle explored one woman’s journey navigating through single life while always having to deal with the conundrum of fate v. choice and fear of love v. going all-in.

I enjoyed Serle’s insights on relationships, hers are just so relatable and feels authentic. I think this is where her strength lies and where her writing truly shines.

However, I was going through this whole book anticipating that this is a potential 5-star read, until I reached around the 90% mark. I guess I had this expectation where this was going and when it went the opposite direction, I got disappointed as the ending felt like a total cop-out.

Also, when I learned that this was going to be narrated by Julia Whelan, I didn’t think twice about spending a credit. Unsurprisingly, another stunning performance!

On a side note, while entirely different stories, this gave me the same vibe as One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Read.

Thank you so much to Atria Books, NetGalley and Rebecca Serle for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

Expiration Dates was a great spin on a love story! I enjoyed the concept of receiving slips of paper that told Daphne how much time each person would remain in her life. But, even more than that I enjoyed getting to read the results of the slips that Daphne receives for each of her relationships.

This book is so light hearted and warm. Daphne gets a letter for every new man she meets telling her how long she will be with them.. The magical realism was a nice touch to the story of how love really works in our day to day lives. For how light this book felt there is a lot of depth and things to take way from it, though they are subtle. There are a few twists that I didn’t expect which helped develop Daphne in a way that turned into my favorite part and her favorite lesson that she learned, love is a net. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

I love this book, read it in a day!
I received a ARC from Netgalley and was a perfect read. There was a bit of a twist midway through that I didn't see coming...then everything came into view a bit better.
Recommend!

A special thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this advance copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle in exchange for this honest review.

Rebecca Serle’s book was one of my most anticipated this year, and it did not disappoint. Our protagonist Daphne receives slips of paper with love interests and a time frame on it that tells her how long the relationship will last, until she receives one for a boy, Jake, with no date on it. We follow her in a few different times of her life, and this one does jump around in time based on the slip character noted, so that can be a bit challenging to follow, but in true Rebecca Serle fashion, we get a bit of magical realism and some twists that will destroy you. If it wasn’t for the back and forth, at less than 300 pages, this is a quick one you can finish quickly.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review. Expiration Dates came out on Tuesday and can be purchased at your favorite book store!

In the book Expiration Dates by Rachel Sorrell we meet Daphne who all her life has been receiving pieces of paper, postcards index cards ET see with her next or current boyfriend and how long they’ll be together but tonight she received one that just said Jake and she just knew this was going to be her forever love. Throughout the book we go back to her pass and to her current day learning about how she met her ex boyfriends her best friend Hugo who is also her ex and the different times in ways she got these papers with the time limit on it. Do you want to know why and how she got these papers I mean the real reason… Well I do too but sadly it wasn’t in the book. That’s not the only negative either when her and Jake were at dinner and he walks her to her car and says can I see you again?… My jaw dropped… I mean really there was absolutely no chemistry and although I know the author thought what she had written was funny banter most of it I didn’t even get the jest nor the joke. Not only that what kind of Ron COM gives you driving directions on how to get from one side of LA to another the long version and The scenic version. I think I had it wrong and the romance was between the author and the city of LA. The good thing is this book isn’t as long as other rum comes they had more chemistry and more romance I may have given it a higher number but there were too many things I didn’t like about the book 1st thing being the main character which is always a bad thing to start with she was obnoxious and to self interested. I want to thank the author the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Daphne is in a unique position. Since she was a teenager, at the start of each relationship she receives a note with a name and time period which is how long the relationship will last. Prior to her first date with Jake she also receives a slip of paper but on this one there's only a name but no date. Thinking this means this is a message from the universe that this one is "the one", the one with no expiration date. This is a book that made me feel - happy, sad, hopeful and happy again. I loved it.

I loved the highly original plot of this novel, and Serle executed it very well! There were two plot twists and I didn’t see either one coming, but both felt effective. The second twist and the ending of the book were my personal favorite parts of the novel, and I loved that Serle ultimately gave us an unconventional love story. I’ll recommend this book for lovers of When Harry Met Sally. An excellent read!

I really really really wanted to love this book and I did love many parts of it but I felt very disappointed and let down by the ending. I understand the ending but it was not what I was expecting.

The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention and I was so intrigued and flew through most of the book. I LOVE Rebecca Serle and her previous books but this one did not hit the mark for me which makes me so sad, but I still have high hopes for her next books and that I may just need to re-read this book at a later time.

Specific rating of a 3.75

Expiration Dates
By: Rebecca Serle
Publish Date: March 19, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author, Rebecca Serle, for the advanced copy of Expiration Dates.

My journey reading Rebecca Serle started when I traveled to Italy in One Italian Summer .... I read the description and just knew I'd love the book. Then over to New York City in, In Five Years ... a story that keeps you thinking long after. Now off to California in Expiration Dates- I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

I love how Rebecca Serle takes the relationships of those we love and mixes them in unique ways. The emotions and descriptions are easy to believe. I really enjoyed how I felt as if I was one of the character's friends, along for the journey.

Everytime Daphne meets a meets a new man, she receives a random slip of paper- under the door, on ger car, telling her his name and exactly how long the interaction will be. Could be a night, a few week, a year. Then, when receiving a blank sheet, Daphne wonders if she should follow her heart or follow destiny. It made me wonder, would I go along with it, or would I choose my own destiny?

I highly recommend this book or any Rebecca Serle book. They will keep you intrigued, while also keeping your emotions on a roller coaster including a few flips you may never see coming!

Daphne is thirty-something assistant to a big-time producer, born and bred in Los Angeles. She's been drifting through life since a life-changing medical diagnosis, unsure of what her future looks like. Anytime she enters into a relationship, the universe sends her a message with the duration of said relationship, so she adjusts her expectations accordingly. When Daphne receives a message without said "expiration date," she decides that the universe is telling her that Josh is the one, even though life may have other plans.

I thought this was an interesting concept, the idea of knowing exactly how long a relationship will last, with no other detail given. The anticipation of waiting for a note indicating a forever match, and the fear of wondering if that note will never come. Daphne, however, was not my favorite, seemingly influenced by the people around her, and never really making a decision for herself until the very end. I felt like I knew more about Josh, and was rooting for his happy ending more than hers, especially given the lack of detail about her feelings for Hugo. I could never really get a read on him, as we only saw him from Daphne's perspective. I found the ending a bit lackluster, as we finally saw Daphne tell her own truth and in a relationship of her choosing, but leaving off just as it got interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC! This was such a cute romance novel. A quick read, but a good story nonetheless. Daphne receives mysterious pieces of paper each time she meets a new man to date with the length of how long each relationship will last. When Daphne receives one with a name but no expiration date, she begins to wonder if her expiration dates for love have led her to the one. Daphne harbors another secret that has its own expiration date; one that could be devastating for her relationship with Jake.

I normally don’t pick romance novels but this was one that I enjoyed and would make a great beach read!