I’m a huge fan of In Five Years, a previous book by this author, so I was super excited to read this one!

Daphne believes the universe has a plan for her, and it proves itself each time she starts a new relationship. Each time she meets someone, she gets a piece of paper with their name on it and the exact amount of time they will be together. Until one day, she gets a piece paper with only a name, no expiration date. Now Daphne finds herself in a whole new world, one where broken hearts may not be inevitable and hope can bloom. Expect Daphne had a secret that can change everything.

I loved how this book was really an exploration on what are expiration dates really and if, knowing one, do we become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Reading Daphne’s story, I was fascinated by how it unfolded and we learned about how Daphne became the character we were introduced to. Was this a romance book? Yes, but it was so much more nuanced than that. I loved the touch of magical realism involved and couldn’t wait to see where Daphne’s story ended up!

Daphne Bell knows exactly how long each of her romantic relationships will last. She receives a slip of paper with the amount of time they will be together. But when she meets Jake for dinner on their first date, the slip of paper arrives without a time frame. What does that mean?

This was a fun, quick read. Even when I thought I had figured out how this would end, I was still enjoying and engrossed in the story. Fans of Rebecca Searle will not be disappointed in this one for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available March 19, 2024.

REVIEW📆

Expiration Dates ~ Rebecca Serle
Pages: 272
Genre: Romance

Gist: Every time Daphne meets a new love interest, she also receives a piece of paper with their name and a number on it - the number indicating how long they are slated to be together. This piece of paper has informed Daphne’s investment in her dating life for as long as she can remember until she gets one with just a name - Jake. Is Jake really her endgame?

Thoughts: Loved this! My favorite Rebecca Serle to date. This one sucked me and didn’t let me go until the very end. Serle adds a bit of magic to each of her novels and I really loved this concept of going into a relationship knowing when it will end and how that impacts investment.

This concept then goes on to further question if there really is some Universal plan and can we really ever know what the timeline of any relationship might be? Is there beauty in knowing that we really don’t know it all?

I found Daphne wrapped up in these notes endearing, hopeful, introspective, and true. I loved reflecting back on her past relationships and the notes that came with each. While the magical realism was of course present, it became clear that Daphne’s relationships end for reasons just like everyone else - incompatibility, timing, readiness, etc.

ED also feels very much like a love letter to Los Angeles. The buzzy location takes center stage and Serle brings the electricity of the city alive. I’ve never been but I sure felt like I was there as I was reading.

Definitely add to your list! I thought this was really special and was so thrilled to have the chance to read it!

I was excited to read the new Rebecca Serle book because I loved in five years and one Italian summer but unfortunately I couldn't get into this book. I read the first three chapters three times and decided it wasn't for me so thank you NetGalley for the ARC but this was DNF for me. I felt like the book started in the middle and didn't love the style of writing on this one.

Description: “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 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.“
——————————————————————
My thoughts: You probably know by now that I love magical realism and I also love romance. Mixing the two together? This is absolutely the sweet spot for me. This premise was so unique and led to a really sweet story about fate and whether or not knowing the future changes the present.

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot. I really appreciated the attention to both plot and character development, and I was surprised by the direction that this one took, which is pretty unusual for me.

Here’s the one thing that’s a bit tricky—there is a twist that I did not see coming *at all* based on the book description (which means it was a really good twist!). The twist also happens to be one of my biggest reading triggers. I know some of my followers here also have similar history, and I don’t want you to be surprised going into this book…but I also don’t want you to have the twist spoiled by looking up trigger warnings! So, consider carefully for yourselves whether to look up trigger warnings for this one.

That said, this book is going to be a great fit for so many readers—it would be a wonderful vacation or poolside read, and I thought it was very well done overall! Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC of this one! And happy publication day to #expirationdates

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle – 4 Stars, (Kindle, NetGalley)

Magical realism, true love, loveable best friend sidekick – what more could you ask for? I loved One Italian Summer and was so excited to read an early copy of Serle’s newest release, Expiration Dates. The whole premise is so unique and fun – it had me smiling the entire time. Anytime Daphne Bell meets a new man or starts dating someone, a piece of paper magically shows up somewhere in her life with his name and the length of time they’ll be together – it might be 3 years, it might be 3 weeks, it might be 24 hours. For twenty years, she received these papers and they’ve always been spot on. And then one night, on her way to a blind date, she discovers a piece of paper with his name on it and no end date. Does this mean she’s finally found true love?

I just love Rebecca Serle so much!!

With having read In Five Years and loving it I couldn’t wait to read Expiration Dates.

Expiration Dates was just another beautiful book!! It’s a breathe of fresh air!! This book is going to stay with me for quite some time. I get sucked into Serle’s writing and just want to cherish each and every word on these pages.

What a crazy adventure we go on trying to find this one true love. Ugh, Searle you made me bawl my eyes out just like In Five Years!

Such a precious read that deserves to be on your top shelf!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

Thank you so much to Atria and Rebecca Searle for my copy.

It started in high school, every time she started dating someone, she would find a piece of paper with their name and the length of time that she would date them. Then when she starts dating Jake, it is only his name. Does this mean he is the one, or does it mean something else? She has her good friend Hugo to bounce ideas off of, but as her and Jake's relationship moves to the next level, will she be able to tell him her secret?

This is fun story with an interesting plot and great characters. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Atria books, and the author for the advanced copy!
Synopsis: Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all. Every time Daphne meets a 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 numbers 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 name: Jake.
My thoughts: I loved how this book blended magical realism and romance to create such a unique and fun premise. Heartfelt, swoon worthy, whimsical, and then top it all off with a jaw dropping twist I wasn’t expecting - earned Expiration Dates 5/5⭐️’s from me!! I loved In Five Years, but I’ve definitely found my new favorite Rebecca Serle book👏🏻

Expiration Dates was a really poignant examination of time—what it means to know its limits and the fear of not knowing. Daphne Bell always knows how long her relationships will last thanks to a piece of paper and a time limit... until she gets a note that has just a name. As Daphne and pursues her possibly last romance with new man Jake, the book takes readers along her previous dates, including with now-BFF Hugo. There are a few twists that firmly flip Daphne's perspective on its head and forces her to confront time and what it means to know head-on.
A really fun, lovely book.

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle! I love her writing and this book was no exception. Daphne always receives a slip of paper with a name and a length of time just before she gets into a relationship. Anywhere from 1 day to three years. All this changes when Daphne receives a slip that is blank. She assumes it means that this relationship is finally "the one," but as the story unfolds we learn more and more and Daphne has some choices to make.

A poignant romance with a touch of magical realism.

Thanks NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Synopsis –

Daphne has a deal with the universe. With every potential boyfriend, a paper appears out of thin air with his name and the exact period of time they will be together. But the paper’s pattern is different with her blind date Jake. As she spends more time with him and falls for him, Daphne has to interpret what this finally means for her as well as make some difficult choices.

Review -

I’ve read #InFiveYears and #OneItalianSummer by Serle and I see the same familiar theme with this as well. It’s her trademark to have a heart-wrenching yet hopeful love story along with a little magical element, set mostly in exotic locations.

With #ExpirationDates, we have the vibrant scene of LA. I loved how Serle incorporates the energy and vibe of this glamorous city, with its great food culture and Hollywood glitz into this story. Daphne and her company hang out at so many cafes and popular restaurants, that made me crave visiting LA and all that food!

I admired Serle’s beautiful, richly emotive writing. Some of the turning points of Daphne’s present and past lives, were handled with great sensitivity, imbuing all the feels. I was really touched and broke into tears at times. And Jake! What a guy!

The premise of receiving notes from the universe is so unique. I loved this idea, but simply expected plausible explanations. Serle throws in a few hard-hitting twists along the way and this kept me glued to find out how it all unravels.

Although I empathized with Daphne’s impossible dilemmas, the unfairness meted out to her and the uneven battles she fought with life and love, I’d have liked her to make better choices in the end.

Anything more said, might spoil the book. So I’ll just say, if you are a fan of bittersweet romance with a hint of magical realism, go for it!

Ever since she was in fifth grade Daphne Bell has been receiving signs from the universe. What signs you ask? Well a piece of paper will almost magically appear with a name and a timeframe. Her first one: Seth, eight days; predicted she would date a boy Seth in her grade and it would only last for eight days. Well, the paper was right and ever since then Daphne has been living her life led from one relationship to the next based upon the fate of the universe. Even when she wants it to last longer - for example with her ex (now close friend) Hugo who only got three months - something has always happened to ensure the papers never lie.

But then one day Daphne's piece of paper only has a name listed. Jake. No date, no time. Daphne doesn't know what to think of this open possibility. Does this mean that she's finally found "the one"? As she navigates this new sense of freedom she's reminded of why she's held herself to the structure of the papers in the first place.

Rebecca Serle writes some of the most easily accessible thought-provoking stories I've ever read. Taking an idea such as free-will and fate and adding a magical element to it is her specialty at this point. The idea of how we would decide to do things if we had the knowledge beforehand. Would we feel less insecure if we knew a relationship - however briefly it may last - was a sure thing? Or would that pull us inward even more, the idea of not getting to settle in the way we want?

How does knowledge and foresight effect our present into our future.

Of course, as in all of Rebecca Serle's books there are other layers to take into account, but unfortunately those would be a bit too spoilery.

I think going into this one with just the base knowledge works perfectly for any other big reveals that may follow.

I started reading this book because I was in kind of a slump with another book I was reading and Expiration Dates pulled me right out. I so appreciate the pacing of the story. Once it started, I couldn't help but be compelled to read until I knew where things would end up for Daphne. As she is faced with the possibility of her future being set in stone, she cannot help but looking back at her past to see how she got to where she is and whether or not she could have done anything differently. I liked how the book was broken up between Daphne's past and present. Reliving previous notes and what made those moments special on their own put a lot about her life into perspective which helped me form how I personally wanted her story to go.

For me, this was a quick read. I easily read it in a weekend. If things like life didn't get in the way I probably could have gotten it done in a few hours :)
I feel the same about all of Rebecca Serle's books that I've read. This one, however, felt a bit lighter than some of her previous books which took a too-heavy turn at times. It's exactly what I needed to read, when I needed to read it.

Definitely an author I know I can pickup and enjoy even if I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

🗒️Happy Pub Day 🗒️

Expiration Dates
Pub date: 3/19/24

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daphne’s love life depended on the note she receives with a name and date telling her how long the relationship would last. This was such a cute romance/magical realism story. I’m not a huge magical realism lover but I really did enjoy this! I loved the unexpected twist and the element it added into this story. I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to the characters. I was hoping for a bit more in the end and thought the ending was a bit abrupt. In Five Years is still my favorite by Serle.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria books and Rebecca Serle for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved all of Rebecca Serle books and Expiration Dates is no exception. I love that she always has a unique premise and delivers with heart, humor, and emotional devastation! Read this fast paced romance and I hope you love it as much as I did.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Expiration Dates!

Daphne Bell wants to fall in love just as much as anyone else. Unfortunately when she begins seeing someone new the universe sends her a slip of paper with the length of time the relationship will last. Until she gets a slip with just a name and no end date. Is Jake the one? The last slip of paper she will ever get?

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle was one of my favorite reads last year so I was ecstatic to get the ARC for this one. Unfortunately this one fell a little flat. Daphne was a mildly interesting character at best and the chemistry between her and Jake was nonexistent. I was shocked when I realized I was halfway through the book and not invested in a single character. Hugh is the most interesting character in the book and while I don't necessarily reach for love triangle stories, this book may have benefited from focusing more on Hugh's obvious feelings for Daphne instead of being as oblivious to them as Daphne is. The book does become about something else entirely part of the way through and that was fine but also told with the same sense of urgency as ice melting on a mild spring day. A lot of the novel feels like a love letter to Los Angeles. Serle is great at writing about places. After reading One Italian Summer I was looking up flights to Italy. Unfortunately for this story, LA was the most intriguing part.

Overall this was a short little story that entertained me but is fairly forgettable. I do look forward to reading what Serle writes next.

This was a fast paced romance with magical realism. I enjoyed the notes Daphne received they helped guide her and eventually helped her make some decisions on her life.
Serle always writes books that takes us on a journey and this one surely does. I was pleased with the ending as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

EXPIRATION DATES
Rebecca Serle


EXPIRATION DATES by Rebecca Serle is an exceptional way to spend an afternoon. I had the pleasure of doing so recently, and I highly recommend it.

EXPIRATION DATES stars Daphne. When Daphne meets a new love interest she receives a piece of paper with a date on it. That is their relationship expiration date. With Martin it was three glorious days in Paris, for Noah, it was five weeks in sunny California.

Now she’s met Jake and Jake has no expiration date. She receives a paper with just his name on it. Daphne wonders if he could be the one or if the papers could be wrong. We follow along as she explores her feelings and relationships to find the answer.


EXPIRATION DATES makes the West Coast sound romantic and makes Paris sound like a good place to visit, at least for a few days. I liked the idea behind the expiration dates and the questions it posed.

Would you like to know the expiration date if there were one?
Would your behavior change and how if you know the expiration date?
How would your life be different if you knew every expiration date?

I had an enjoyable time reading EXPIRATION DATES. You may think Serle is not going to get you because you’ve seen a few of her tricks. But she surprises in the best of ways, just like she did the last time.

And just like the last time I’m giving EXPIRATION DATES four stars. I loved it, and I think you will too.

It’s available now where books are sold and is linked down below.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy!

EXPIRATION DATES…⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

As far as rom coms go, I liked it. The ending was obvious, even from the beginning, but it didn’t deter me from the story. I loved Daphne, the main character, but have a lot of questions for her as far as the decisions she makes throughout the story. The plot is solid, just a touch of magical realism, which I loved. But it was also really frustrating. I just wanted more of some things and less of others. I’m glad my guess at the ending worked out. That hardly ever happens. I can’t say I’d read anything else from the author, but it was the perfect read for a plane ride, or a couple hours sitting at the beach.

4.5/5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the eARC!

I love Rebecca Serle because her romance books are never your typical romance! The characters & storylines are always so complex with so many layers. There’s always a hidden twist in her books that makes them anything but straightforward & this one was no different! There were a couple of twists in this book & they both caught me by surprise.

I was immediately captivated by this story & I flew through it in less than 24 hours! Serle’s writing is incredibly immersive. The details made me feel like I was actually drinking coffee with Daphne in LA. I became so attached to these characters. My heart was so torn when I got to the ending. It was unique, emotional, & inspiring🥹.

This ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.