Not as touching as I thought this one would be!

The concept is unique and intrigued me. I don't read much magical realism but this sounded good. Ever since the Fifth Grade Daphne receives mysterious pieces of papers. On them is the name of her romantic interest and a "time limit" on the relationship. This keeps her from getting too close most times. One day Daphne finds a paper with the name, Jake and no time limit on it. She feels she has found her perfect mate for life. He does seem perfect. Is he perfect for her?

The first half of the novel has Daphne going back and forth in time. She remembers her past relationships and how they didn't work out. Then in present time she meets Jake who seems perfect for her. I didn't care much for Daphne's past relationships. I also didn't quite warm to her or Jake. At 60% there is a twist that I did like but it was too far into the story for me to really enjoy it. We also get another twist that I sort of saw coming.

I was expecting a really emotional story considering some of the issues. For me this one was good not great.

I would give this 3.5 stars! I’ve read a few of Rebecca’s books and this is my favorite so far. The ending is a lot less depressing as her others haha. And the supernatural element isn’t so far fetched to fit into a contemporary environment. Rebecca’s books always leave me with numerous highlighted sections of relatable, human moments and words of wisdom and Expiration Dates was no different! I enjoyed this story a lot. Loved the little twist that the narrator was hiding her health issues even from the reader.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Daphne has heart conditions and doesn’t know how much time she has and doesn’t want other to have to deal with all her issues, Each new man she dates she receives a slip of paper with the time they will be together - when will she get one with no expiration date? Hugo, her ex-boyfriend has always been there for her- a true friend- will he be the one with no expiration date?

I wasn't really sure what to expect with Expiration Dates - it sounded like an interesting premise, but wasn't sure where it was going to go, which was refreshing! There were a couple of unexpected twists which actually made sense and didn't feel like like cheap maneuvers to create drama. The one negative for me is that I wish the book was longer to add more depth to the characters and relationships. There were a lot of really great insights throughout, especially towards the end of the book, a lot of which I identified with. Other than the length of the book, I really loved it, and will be buying a hard copy for my library.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the eARC.

Expiration Dates does for Los Angeles what Sex and the City did for Manhattan: made it a central and lovable character that is essential to the story. I loved the atmosphere and nuanced descriptions of a place normally described with unoriginal cliches and mockery. And then we get to Daphne herself, who is a product of an equally nuanced and loving upbringing in Los Angeles, again, something we don’t often see. Also, I loved her wardrobe ❤️

The magical realism that Serle uses to complement her stories works really well in this case. It’s never the main plot point, but it works well along with the story and the main character’s growth. Really well done, in my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4 ⭐️

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my ARC.

I was excited to try another of her books. I enjoyed the first one a lot (in five years), the second one I loved the premise but really struggled with the marriage and her relationship with her mother (one Italian summer), however I love the magical realism feel of her books. So I was excited to get a new one to try out. Again, the premise of the notes is so interesting and certainly new. I enjoyed this book and it was a light and quick read. I recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Employing a very unique concept, 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 explores what happens when the main protagonist knows in advance how long each of her relationships will last.

Daphne’s story is set in the often enchanting city of Los Angeles. Each time she meets a new love interest, she magically receives a note with the name of her potential new boyfriend and length of time they will be together. Are the notes from a friend, family member or the universe? We don’t know. While they add a note of fantasy to this romance, the reader knows in advance that most of the characters in the story won’t be around by the end of the book.

I enjoyed the fanciful aspect of this story and the detailed descriptions of the Los Angeles setting. I wanted to know if any of Daphne’s relationships would actually prove the notes wrong or not! Overall, this was a rather lighthearted book despite the sudden interjection of a serious illness near the end. The very sweet, sentimental ending will surely please any romance fan.

This was such a unique romance! I loved the element of the slips of paper and following her through all her relationships. I enjoyed the dynamic between Daphne, Hugo, and Jake.

It is an interesting premise. Daphne receives a slip of paper with a name and duration for every time she meets a man. This story alternates between the present, when she receives a slip of paper with a name only, no duration, and flashbacks to every past relationship. The author's style isn't really for me, but by the end I started to care about the characters more than I did at the beginning of the book. We learn something about Daphne through her flashbacks, and it seems to come out of nowhere. Once I got past that it did make the story more compelling, but I wasn't really rooting for her either.

Good, but kinda felt like two different books (don’t want to spoil, but 3/4ths in we learn something that has been hidden and just felt out of place and not really needed for this story). Another interesting plot from the author - this one about knowing how long our protagonist, Daphne, will be with someone, timeframe on paper, ie Expiration Dates.

A little late on NetGalley.

This was my first read by Rebeca Sterle.

First of all I loved the premise. It’s sweet and it’s multilayered.

The pacing was fast, the dialogue quick and still somewhat descriptive.

I enjoyed the main character and her story. The bits of magical realism sprinkled in. There were a lot of profound sentiments, but most of all it was short and sweet with heart.

Expiration Dates is the story of Daphne and the men in her life.

Every time Daphne starts a new relationship with a man, she receives a paper with the length of time the relationship will last. I liked this premise and was intrigued to see how it would play out.

The chapters are alternating between the relationship she is in now and the different ones she had in the past.

It is thought provoking. Would you want to know how long a relationship will last before it has really gotten started?

I liked the flawed characters, how it made me wonder, how much the notes played into the relationships and the friendships Daphne has.

I would have liked a little more explanation as to how the notes came about.

A fun and easy read.

Thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for the arc.

Expiration Dates is one of those fun books about a single woman trying her best to find her person. Daphne grew up in L.A. and has always loved it there. Daphne has dated a good amount and for the last 20 years when she meets a new man, she gets a piece of paper that has the guy's name on it and the amount of time they'll be together. Some are one night, some are 3 months, and some are years. Daphne is waiting for the paper that just has a name, but no time listed. Kendra sets Daphne up on a blind date with her friend Jake and they're meeting at one of Daphne's favorite restaurants in L.A. When the paper arrives with Jake's name on it, there's nothing else!! This is it! The paper that Daphne's been waiting for. This must mean that Jake is her person, right?

Daphne and Jake have a good start and they continue dating. Will the paper be right? Has Daphne finally found the one? Will Jake understand Daphne's secret? Will Daphne understand Jake's past? What is Daphne keeping from Jake and why? As Daphne's friends and co-workers encourage her to be truthful and go towards happiness what will she choose? Will Daphne and Jake find love and happiness? This book helps you to see things more clearly, like what really matters in a relationship and how should happiness feel? I thoroughly enjoyed reading Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle and rate it 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of Expiration Dates in exchange for a fair review. #ExpirationDates #bookreview

Serle messes with timelines and unbelievable elements in the most believable ways and this one didn't disappoint. In many ways I like this one more than her last few.

Daphne always gets a message just before a new relationship starts with the length of time if will last ... Until this one. Only her best friend knows of this mysterious happening. Now she needs to decide what this open ended timeline means for her, for this new guy, and the friendships she's made along the way.

The characters are flawed and wonderfully human, the journey they take is so intriguing, and the way all of the pieces unfold creates mystery and intrigue in the best ways possible.

#arc
#netgalley
#expirationdates

"Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle has the whimsical magical realism you come to expect from her books. This story follows Daphne who has received notes with expiration dates for each relationship she has had since the 5th grade. We meet Daphne on what is to be her last first date as the latest note says "Jake", but not date is listed. This is the relationship she has been looking for her whole dating life, the one that will last. But as perfect as Jake may be, the relationship isn't what she always imagined. Daphne begins to question the power and accuracy of the notes. Is she giving too much weight to the notes? More importantly, why?

I enjoyed this story. It was a cute, emotional story about love, friendship and making your own path in life. As I read it, I really enjoyed myself, but after reading I was left wanting more. I loved Daphne as a character, but the lie she tells Jake throughout their relationship really frustrated me. I get her fear, but it also seemed very selfish and until that point I didn't think of her as selfish. I feel like I can't quite put my finger on what bothered me which is part of the reason this review is later than I planned to submit it. I

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

While I think the concept is great and could be a great story, there were a couple things that kept it from being that. I did not like how there was no explanation of how the notes came about. The twist in the middle was just kind of out there. The ending was rushed and fell flat for me, too much build up and not enough of the story for a good closure.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for this eARC in exchange for this review.

Publication Date for Expiration Dates is March 19, 2024

Really far-fetched. I didn't think that the narrator's voice matched the woman she was describing herself as. She seemed down to earth yet described a very girly, girl; lots of nice clothes yet works a grunt job. That was a big turnoff. The story itself was not interesting. I could tell she was going to end up with Hugo from the beginning and the revelation about her health condition being introduced in the middle of the book felt like an afterthought.

Raise your hand if you were a blubbering mess at the end of this book? *Raises hand* That scene between Daphne and her dad, whilst watching my kids play, really got me. I thought Expiration Dates was really beautiful. It felt reflective, nostalgic, hopeful. It reminded me of when you have your headphones in, listening to your favourite songs, and you're thinking of your life: what it is and what it could be.
With the present day timeline woven with flashbacks to previous relationships, the flow of Daphne's journey felt authentic and built the story in such an engaging way. There was something about Rebecca Serle's writing that felt calming to me. To be honest, I am not usually a magical realism fan, so the idea of Daphne receiving these notes had me hesitant about this premise, but by the end, I was not really concerned about the 'how' or 'why' and was just deeply engrossed in the symbolism. It was fascinating to me the idea of what is good "on paper" and what you know in your heart. I loved it!
Thank you Atria Books for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for the honest review.

I loved In Five Years, so I was very excited to read Expiration Dates. Rebecca Serle did not disappoint. Did you ever wonder if there was a plan for you - who you would fall in love with? How long that love would last? Well Daphne Bell believes that she knows. As she meets each new man, she receives a slip of paper or a postcard with their name and a date. It might be 3 days or 3 years, but the paper tells her exactly how long each relationship will last. Until Jake. There is no date on Jake's paper. Does this mean he is her forever person? Daphne sets out to find out if this is the one. But there are some secrets that she just isn't ready to share - even with Jake - not yet. Only her parents, her very close friends and her ex and now best friend Hugo know the whole story. This was a fun book to read - it kept my attention throughout, and I really was surprised and happy at the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. This book follows Daphne on her journey to find love. This book falls into the magical realism genre and I just loved it. Daphne begins receiving letters, notes, cards with a name of a man and a time which preordains the length of her relationship with that person. I love how you see her current relationship and her past relationships as well. This story has heart, romance, and twists. I did not guess the ending and I found it wonderful. I'd describe this whole book as simply lovely! Rebecca Serle's writing draws you in to the scene, the characters feel real, and even the magical elements feel like they could really exist. Rebecca Serle is now one of my must-read authors.