At the start of every relationship Daphne receives a slip of paper that states exactly how long she will be in the relationship. Her longest relationship has been two years and two days; until she receives the most recent slip with no end date. Daphne takes this to mean he is her forever.

This book is similar to In Five Years in that you are lead to believe one thing and in the end you get something else. So this time I knew to expect the unexpected and was less surprised with the ending. I enjoyed the story, but also similar to In Five Years, it was more a story on self discovery than romance. It kept me coming back for more and was a quick read.

This was my first Rebecca Serle story and it won't be my last. When I read this blurb I knew I had to read it. I love a bit of magic in my stories every now and then. How fun would it be if you were Daphne? I don't know if I would get sick of knowing or not. I think this unique story line allows you to open your mind to the magic that sometimes floats through life. Grab this story so you can find out if the universe is actually in Daphne's favor or not.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Daphne is your typical woman looking for the love of her life. Except, there's one difference... Whenever she meets a man she will have a relationship with, the universe delivers a note letting her know how long the relationship will last. Three weeks, One night, Six Months... There's always a name, and a number. Until, she gets one without a number. Finally, this is who she is supposed to spend the rest of her life with... So why does she still have worries and doubts?
This is a fun romance with an interesting concept. I will say, it's not all fluffy romance. As the story progresses we learn some tough stuff that Daphne is dealing with that helps explain her feelings and struggles. But working through those tough circumstances makes her and all of her relationships (with friends, parents, and even her love interest) stronger! Pain doesn't have to be bad.
This was published today! 🥳 So if it sounds like your type of book, go get it!
#NetGalley #ExpirationDates

I liked this book but didn’t fully connect to the main character. I think if her sickness had been revealed earlier then I might have connected more to her. The storyline was very unique though. I appreciated the magical realism and I enjoyed the perspective on modern dating.

Rebecca’s books always have that little extra piece that make her novels quintessentially hers. Expiration Dates is no different.

It was not my favorite book she has ever written, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and I think it would appeal to her audience overall.

I really liked the idea of this book, but wished it was happening all in the present instead of some retrospect. There were times that it also felt like two different stories, when we were given an unexpected detail about the MC’s life that just really shifted the rest of the time of the book. Overall, I still liked it, but wanted a little more.

Eh this didn’t work out well for me. The whole book felt oddly dated. Who is still wearing sleeveless turtlenecks and with jeans and strappy heels? This look appears more than once in the book. Also there was a weird brag about Wolfgang Puck of all people. Nothing really worked with the characters either. The characters just didn’t feel right.

Rebecca Serle has done it again — crafted a beautiful story, dreamy characters, and heart-wrenching twists.

Expiration Dates has a compelling premise — Daphne receives anonymous notes with the name of her next boyfriend and a timeframe for how long the relationship will last. However, one note is different from them all and changes everything.

Serle’s easy yet exquisite writing style shines through. I know her books will be enjoyable while leaving me pondering real life and relationships. Of her books, I most enjoy the slight supernatural aspects that add a level of wistfulness and imagination.

I would recommend Expiration Dates for the reader looking for a thought-provoking and imaginative novel, as well as I would recommend any of Serle’s books.

I was honored to receive an advance copy from NetGalley and Atria.

It was a slow burn for me. While I liked the story, I didn't love it. I think I was more annoyed with Daphnes and Jake's story cause it seemed off from the beginning. Just felt like it was lacking. The ending really made up for it. I liked the moral that love can't be hurried or pushed

I went into this book blind (only knowing that I’ve loved Rebecca Serle’s previous work).

What I found was a romance with bits of magic realism and a heartfelt storyline…

Daphne Bell’s romantic life has always been dictated by what the universe had in store for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a note with a name and the time that they’ll be together. One day, Daphne receives a letter with no expiration date… As the relationship continues, she starts to doubt the letter’s prediction…

What I liked:
💌 magic realism elements from the envelopes
💌 the back story to each of her precious relationships
💌 LA setting — I’ve only visited but I could clearly visualize the setting
💌 Daphne’s friends, Irina & Kendra (+ Hugo)

Thanks to Net Galley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine if you knew how long your relationship would last from the first moment. While I don’t think I’d like that in real life, I loved this idea for the book. Daphne has always received a card telling her the length of the relationship. So technically she has never been dumped. She is always prepared for the end. Does that change her actions?

This is a book about relationships. Both romantic and non. I found Daphne relatable as she navigates her “gift”. Taking place in both the present and the past, we see how she develops into the person she is today. And how her past relationships have played out.

Daphne has a secret other than these cards, that she doesn’t trust with many in her life, and I was thrown for a loop when it was revealed. It made me reevaluate what I knew of both her and her relationships.

I knew where this one was heading from the start, but that didn’t alter my enjoyment. I was all in for Rebecca’s self discovery and journey. You really do control your own destiny and I waited for Daphne to figure this out.

Julia Whelan is one of my favorite authors, so I was delighted when I realized she was the narrator. She brought Daphne to life and was a perfect fit for the story. Some books are better read and others listened and I believe this one works either way.

3.5 stars
I struggled with this book and honestly almost DNF. The first half really bothered me. The book goes back and forth between chapters as her relationship with Jake slowly builds, and chapters about what happened with various exes. Daphne seemed to be dating people that felt obviously not good for her, simply because a note with a timeframe appeared out of nowhere. The one person who knew the truth was her ex boyfriend Hugo, and after their breakup five years earlier, they have become best friends who see each other frequently.
Even when Daphne meets Jake, it felt really off to me, like she was trying too hard to create a relationship because of the blank timeframe.
More surprises come in the second half of the book, and I enjoyed it more. I liked the way the story ended, and I am glad I kept reading.

Every time Daphne Bell meets a new man, she also receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it, signifying the amount of time their relationship will last. However, on a blind date with a man named Jake, the slip of paper has no number, just his name. Is Jake the one, or will Daphne begin to doubt the notes predictability?

I always love Rebecca Serle’s novels, and this one was no exception! I like how she incorporates a touch of magical realism into her stories, and the emotional punch she continually delivers with her heart-wrenching stories. I really liked Daphne as the protagonist, and the depth to her character. The book is a shorter novel that delivers a powerful, complex story in less than 300 pages. I absolutely loved this book and flew through it—I’d highly recommend it!

FAVORITE QUOTE: “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. But in what order?” {pg. 215}

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy + e-ARC!

Every time Daphne Bell meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper, a postcard, something with the person's name on it and number - the length of time that relationship is going to last. So far it has been completely spot-on, and after twenty years she has begun to rely on the slips of paper, living her life around those dates. 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. Then, one night, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: 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 fresh take on a romance novel. I am not one who enjoy icky romantic stuff, but this had a good storyline behind it, with an unusual premise, so that kept my attention. I really liked Daphne. It wasn't until over halfway in that she revealed the secrets that she was hiding from Jake, and why she was reluctant to stay with him even though it seemed like she was fated to be with him. The story goes back and forth between past boyfriends and the present day with Jake, so you can see all of the notes she got, the ways she got them, and just how accurate they were. This is perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, Kate Storey & Karen Hawkins. I highly recommend it!

How it the world do you approach relationships when you know the expiry date from the start? Daphne Bell believes in the universe’s plan for her love life. With each relationship she enters, whether it’s a one-night stand or two years, she gets a slip of paper with a heads up each time. Because of this prior knowledge, she approaches with caution, never fully giving her whole heart. When she is set up on a blind date by her friend Kendra, she waits for the slip of paper with the expiration date and finds that it only has the name Jake.

Is this forever? What is the universe trying to tell her? Is Jake the one? After their first few dates she isn’t sure he is. Daphne must decide how truthful she should be, and whether or not she will finally be all in—no secrets.

With a strong protagonist that you want to root for and a fantastic cast of secondary characters, Serle has created a community you can’t help loving. Though Daphne’s slips of paper may seem like a gift, we watch how they influence every aspect of her life good and bad. With a few unexpected twists thrown in, Expiration Dates is quick read that will break your heart a little, but also provides hope.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author Rebecca Serle for the advanced copy of the book. Expiration Dates is out today! All opinions are my own.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Thank you so much Atria Books and NetGalley for the free ARC.

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

✨ My thoughts:
I read this in one sitting. I absolutely inhaled this story without coming up for air and it was worth it! There’s something about magical realism that just does it for me and this was an easy five star read. This story was beautiful, meaningful, and touching… in ways that I will always remember. AND I only cried once! I cried when Daphne was having a heart to heart with her father and the things he was saying just about wrecked me. I don’t know why I keep reading books that make me cry but… here I am. I loved this book so much that I will absolutely be buying myself a finished copy to keep on my shelves forever. Expiration Dates is out TODAY! Happy publication day, Rebecca Serle!

“Pain and bad are not the same thing. I thought if I had all the answers, if I was always one step ahead, If I knew my hand, then I’d never lose. But being surprised by life isn’t losing, it’s living. It’s messy and uncomfortable and beautiful. It’s life, all of it. The only way to get it wrong is to refuse to play.”

Happy reading 📖

Another wonderful, touching story from Rebecca. What would you do if you knew how long each relationship with a person would last if you knew in advance? Would you avoid it or just go with it and enjoy the time you have, no matter how long or short? Our main character Daphne is presented with a simple sheet of paper just as she enters a romantic relationship with every partner she has. Some are longer than others, some could be months, days, or hours. It was a very interesting premise and honestly I don't know if I would have been as open as her knowing that it could really hurt not being able to stay with someone that you quickly fell for. We do still have the same odds when we start a relationship, we are just not told how long it will be.
An interesting thing for me in this story was that for the first 70% of the book I did not like Daphne. I liked all the other characters in the book but I felt like she was so stuck up. However, you get to a part where it all starts to make sense for her actions. I really enjoyed this and if you are ok with suspending disbelief and enjoy reading a touching story of love and life, you will enjoy this.

I can’t fully put my thoughts into words without spoilers… so I’ll share the best I can!

I was back and forth on my rating for this one.
There was a lot I really enjoyed about it, and a bit that I didn’t.
I was expecting a romance book and I don’t really feel like this is one.

It got pretty heavy in the middle, and that’s actually when I started to get more invested in Daphne and her story.

I found part of it predictable from the beginning, which impacted how I felt about certain characters. I wanted a little more from one of them.
Two parts did throw me for a loop though, and I cried a few times.

Grab this one if you enjoy reading about:
🤍 an FMC in her 30s, figuring out life and love
🤍 flashbacks to past love interests
🤍 heavy topics (check trigger warnings if you have any!)
🤍 magical realism (there is never any explanation for the notes Daphne receives)
🤍 fate, if we choose it or it chooses us

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I think I'm not a Rebecca Serle fan. Just didn't enjoy the prose though the premise was nice. Not my cup of tea
3 Stars

What would it mean for your romantic relationships, if you knew at the beginning how long they would last? Rebecca Serle uses this premise to tell the story of Daphne's loves and what happens when she finally meets 'the one'. Beginning with her first boyfriend in high school, Daphne gets a note with the boy's name and the length of the relationship, until finally she gets a note with just the name...this one has no exit date.

I enjoyed this book so much, and the ending was perfect! I liked the way the author interspersed all the shorter, term-limited relationships into the story of Daphne and Jake, and how her friends supported her along the way. I have to admit, I did not see the end coming, although I was not at all disappointed.

Rebecca Serle is becoming a favorite author of mine, with wonderful characters and romantic stories with just a touch of magical realism. I look forward to her next book.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. The opinions in this review are my own.