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.

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!