This was such a unique story and I completely fell in love with it. I thought In Five Years was just ok so I was a little hesitant to pick this up, but I’m so glad I did. Daphne was such an endearing, charming main character and I enjoyed her personal growth throughout the novel. It was compelling, emotional, heartbreaking, magical and hopeful and full of multiple surprising twists. I just couldn’t put it down, it really made me contemplate the choices you make in life and I was pleased with the ending. 4.5⭐️

Daphne receives a piece of paper every time she meets a man that says his name and a number on it - which is the exact amount of time they will be together. This time the piece of paper she gets says a name, no date.

I really enjoy Rebecca Serle’s stories - they are a mix of women’s fiction, romance, and always have a touch of magic realism which gives the stories a unique and special feeling. In Five Years remains to be my favorite of hers. I liked this story a lot more than One Italian Summer, but didn’t love it overall. I loved hearing the tales of past relationships that lasted a few days to months or years. I loved Hugo and their friendship and history. I was definitely intrigued that she had more information about the length of the relationship than the other person and how she would go into each relationship, knowing this piece. But it just took awhile to really get into and Jake just didn’t make that big of an impression for her forever person so it was tough to buy into that relationship.

I absolutely loved "Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle. It is such a unique concept for a book. Imagine knowing how long each relationship will last....would you treat it differently? And what if you're in a relationship that you know ends on a certain date but you desperately want it to last longer!? I loved the storytelling and fell in love with the characters. Highly recommend this one!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved most aspects of this story! Rebecca Serle has a style all her own that draws you in and makes you feel like you belong! The romance portion is sweet, not overly spicy, and the characters and settings are well built and never fail to engage me. I’m always trying to guess what the twist will be and this one had quite a few, and they weren’t overtly obvious. I would definitely recommend if you like adult romance with a little bit of mystery sprinkled on top!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle presents an intriguing premise that immediately caught my attention. The concept of getting a slip of paper letting you know the exact amount of time a relationship will last is undeniably fascinating. However, while the book had its moments, it ultimately fell into predictability, leaving me with mixed feelings.
Serle's ability to create relatable characters and capture their emotions was a highlight of the book. While Expiration Dates didn't blow me away, it provided a nice change of pace from the books I've been reading lately and it offered a thought-provoking concept.
the book was easy to follow, making it a decent read for those seeking a lighter, introspective story.
I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Expiration Dates provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Although it didn't leave a lasting impression, it was an enjoyable experience overall.

If you are a person who likes to take things on faith you may enjoy this book. If not, you may have a hard time with it. The whole premise of the story is a little hard to imagine that these papers with names and numbers would just show up so mysteriously. Also, it is hard to understand why the main character would constantly willingly want to go into relationships knowing how exactly long they were going to last. It's an awfully strange coincidence that every time a relationship ends, she is just okay with it and never feels like she wants more time with that person. It seems like she never really cared about any of these guys that much to begin with.

Daphne is a hard character to like anyway. The fact that she is so nonchalant about her relationships isn't really an endearing quality. It makes it seem like people (and relationships) are disposable.

The male characters in the story come and go so fast, it's hard to get attached to any of them. Even Hugo who clearly deeply cares about Daphne doesn't really seem all that developed. All in all, this book just feels like it is missing something.

I just love the authors writing, and flew through this book -- though I did have some mixed feelings about it. While it left me wishing I could have the ability to foresee the length of my future relationships, I wished the story was a bit longer to add more depth to it. There were also some questions I had left that went unanswered. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the author's future works!

Predictable and a bit stagnant at times. There were moments where I was wondering “when is this going to pick up”? I enjoyed the audiobook because let’s be honest, Julia Whelan can narrate anything and have it be incredible.

I really wanted more growth from Daphne, more oomph from the romance. More Hugo.

Kudos to the small quick chapters and Julia. That’s all I got.

This is the third book I have read by this author. This one is my favorite. All of her books have a realistic fantasy element to it that makes the story unique.

Daphne Bell is a 33 year old woman who works for a movie producer in Los Angeles. With the start of each new relationship, Daphne receives a postcard or a slip of paper with the man’s name on it and a number that indicates how long the relationship will last. Three months, two years, five weeks, etc. As she leaves to go on a blind date with Josh, she finds a paper that was slipped under her door that just says Josh’s name. There is no expiration date. Does that mean Josh is the one?

The story is told in alternating timelines as we learn about Daphne’s prior relationships. The author brings us to Los Angeles and Hollywood with her descriptive language. There were two unexpected twists in the second half of the book.

As the story unfolds, Daphne begins to re-examine her life. Is Josh the one for her because he’s the love of her life or because there was no expiration date? When do we stop doing what is expected and start doing what we want? Daphne’s dad is a great side character giving her much needed advice.

“No one’s time is promised.”

I would quite literally read anything Rebecca Serle writes! I love the way that she displays real and raw human emotions in her writing. This plot was so fun. Daphne receives a slip of paper whenever she meets a new guy essentially with an expiration date of its ending. Although this makes her live in the moment it also makes her fear that maybe she'll never have a true future. The pacing and flow of this book was beautifully down. However, I felt like I wanted something a little more from the ending. Definitely a good spring/summer contemporary romance read!

Rebecca Serle's new novel, Expiration Dates, is more than just a romance story. It is a story about finding yourself and finding strength and moving forward. This story, the main character Daphne, receives little notes prior to a start of a new relationship that says the name of the next guy and how long they will date. It was such a fun concept and got me thinking about timelines and if only we knew what the future holds, how that would change our choices. I also enjoyed the sense of place that was created while reading about the different places she was living. This was a fun read-it was perfect for my spring break vacation.

I did not see where this book was going but honestly should have expected it because Serle always rips my heart out (in a good way?)

I loved the FMC, her development, and her friends and parents. The ending was so good too 🥹

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into, but I really liked this book! I’d say the first half is like 3 stars while the second half is 4.5 stars. In the beginning, it’s a slow burn. You’re building background and learning the characters for a long time, but once you hit the big reveal… I’m not telling you…. The book starts to hit its stride. And, the premise is so cute! Basically, the FMC received a piece of paper with every guy she starts dating telling her how long the relationship will last, but when she meets a guy and receives a paper with no expiration, she can only assume one thing… she’s meeting the one. This story is very heartfelt and deals with a lot of trauma.

I received an advanced reading copy via Netgalley, though all thoughts are my own.

This book had quite the twists, particularly towards the middle of the book and closer to the end. It was heartbreaking, full of quotes that rang true to me, a dash magical and the story of a young woman who is learning how to be herself and the beauty of sharing that with others who also love her.

I adore her friends, the bond that she's formed with Hugo who she once wanted to be the love of her life, her super supportive parents, Murphy her dog and several of the people who she meets over the years briefly and have such an impact on her life.

This is my favorite book of Rebecca's so far, and I did not see a particular twist coming towards the end of the book (don't worry, a main character doesn't die).

I highly recommend this book and would love a potential sequel!

Trigger warnings: death of a partner, health condition revealed halfway through the book, hospital stays

Received as an ARC on NetGalley and had every intention of posting my review on pub day but I’m one day late! I honestly didn’t love it at first. The letters were just a little too far fetched for me and I struggle with love stories that are that unrealistic…but I ended up loving it in the end. I loved Hugo from the jump and desperately wanted them to be together. I wanted to Daphne to realize she had power over the letters and her own destiny so I was so happy with the ending 🩷 I think this is one of the first books where I loved all the characters. All her ex boyfriends, Irina, Kendra, Daphne’s dad 🥹 If only we all were so lucky to be loved that well.

⭐️rating: 4/5

This was my first book I’ve read by Rebecca Serle and I really enjoyed it! It was a fun, quick read and the writing was great. The magical realism of the notes draws you in and adds a really fun element to the story.

I enjoyed the time jumps all over to the different relationships. Revealing those little stories bit by bit made the whole novel very compelling and made me keep wondering how it’d all turn out.

Surprisingly, it was more emotional than I expected (in the best way), and I was for sure in my feels. And then that twist at the end! I had some guesses, but I hadn’t guessed that! The more you read, the more you just can’t stop.

The FMC’s journey throughout was very satisfying. I’m just sad that it’s over now, but I’ll definitely be checking out other books by this author now.

All in all, I definitely enjoyed this! It was fun, emotional, quick, and an all around enjoyable read. I recommend it for sure!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

And again... another Rebecca Serle book that takes a "romance" and brings it to a higher level. Her usual twists and turns are to be expected but as always, you won't necessarily be able to say what exactly they'll be. The way this author is able to wrench feelings out of me... I'm not sure I like it haha I felt so many things while reading this! I do wish there had been a bit more about the letters but overall, it was enjoyable!

4 stars!
I know. I know... yet here I am saying it one more time, Rebecca Serle did it again. For some reason, I don't even question the fantasy part that literally drives the plot for this story. Simply because I do not want to know and what I don't know will not hurt me. Who was responsible for such act to dictate who to date and for when and how long the relationship last? If it could happen to everyone, it would have saved a lot of the world's hate problems and could have spare many broken hearts. And yet here I am, totally invested in Daphne Bell's romantic, emotional and unique journey to find the one true love defying everything, despite resistance, setbacks and even if her own personal odds were definitely not in her favor.
Daphne Bell believes that even though she is not meant to live long, the universe has a plan for her. Each time she meets a man, she receives a slip of paper with the name and for how long this connection will last. Until Jake. Jake's paper did not come with an end date. What does this mean to Daphne's future? And what about Hugo? Hugo was an ex, one whose name on the paper came with an end date and Hugo is the one Daphne wanted.
Oh my poor hopeless romantic beating heart. I am feeling so much emotions with Daphne's deep connection with these guys. I love her character, I love her friends most specially Irina. I love her parents because they are unconditional in many aspects of life. I even love her dog Murphy, even though he does not seem to act half a dog at most times. True to Rebecca Serle's signature touch, she has once again captivated the world of romance in a unique way, It was written beautifully and I do not expect anything less on that. It was flawlessly passionate, intense and warm. There was heartbreak and believe me when I say it was delicately desolating. I devour the book in 4 hours and if that did not tell you how I enjoyed the reading journey, I do not know what else could.
Special thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for the complimentary e-copy in exchange of my honest review.

This was my first Rebecca Serle book and I was pleasantly surprised with how fast of a read this was. The chapter lengths were perfect. I Immediately felt drawn in to the story of Daphne and how every time she starts a new relationship she gets some sort of piece of paper with the guys name and a time line on it. I couldn't imagine knowing how long a relationship was going to last, sometimes even before it started.

I was shocked about halfway thru the book, and wasn't expecting it to go the way it did. I absolutely loved the ending. I've seen mixed reviews for this one, but overall I loved it. The only thing I didn't like was the jumping around from current to past relationships at first, but it all made sense a little later on.

Highly recommend this one! I will definitely read more by Rebecca Serle now!

4/5 - I couldn’t put this one down! Written in Serle’s beautiful, descriptive and engaging voice, Expiration Dates is a different, thoughtful and layered take on love. Serle’s books always have a magical twist and in this case, the main character, Daphne, gets pieces of paper with the name of her next partner and how long they will be together. Sometimes she’s already met them and sometimes not!

What unfolds is a layered journey of discovery, because that isn’t the only secret Daphne holds close. Together, these two aspects of her life really shape who she is and how she experiences the world, for better or worse. Because how much can you authentically feel, learn, grow, give and let go when you already expect and anticipate a certain ending? Or none at all?

This was a very emotional read for me - I actually cried at the end, during Daphne’s conversation with her father. There are some tough themes explored here related to self love, loss and especially chronic illness, so if that’s a tough topic for you this will either be incredibly relatable or potentially triggering.

Thank you to @netgalley, Atria and Rebecca Serle for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book came out YESTERDAY so grab it now!