Rebecca Serle is quickly becoming Our Lady of Magical Realism. This book is just so darn clever—not to mention, I think my new favorite of hers?! How does she keep outdoing herself?! What a premise! It LOCKED me! I’d love to discuss with a book club or fun group of gals. There is so much to unpack and ponder and dish!

Daphne leads her life with a unique sort of lottery from the universe: when a new man enters her life, a slip of paper arrives from nowhere with his name and an “expiration date” noting how long the relationship will last. Five days? Three months? Forever? What does it mean when a note finally comes to her without a date?

Rebecca’s writing is so tight, clear, and evocative. I gulped down this addictive journey of a young woman dating, as she also searches to find herself. I loved the storytelling and honesty—and the new distinct location and characteristics of each man who entered (and exited) her life. Daphne’s handsome best friend and ex-boyfriend, Hugo, is also a treat in these pages. I couldn’t tap through my Kindle fast enough to see how the story might possibly end—the twists! the turns! the feelings!—and I have a hunch you’ll do the same! Five big stars!

A unique premise that did not go where I expected it to go but I still enjoyed the adventure!

What I love about a Rebecca Serle book is it always feels like *hers*. She has a voice and style uniquely her own that I find so refreshing. Her line level never fails to deliver.

This is my first Serle book, but it won't be my last. I have had In five years on my TBR pile for quite some time.
This book changes moods many times, with some important twists.
Daphne has been receiving mysterious notes for years, which give the expiration dates of her relationships. Has this been keeping her from finding true love. There is also another reason which I am not going to explain, as it would be a spoiler and quite important to the plot. As we flash back and forth in her life, we get to deeply understand Daphne and are perhaps waiting for her to understand herself.
She has 2 wonderful female friends who love and support her, as well as very loving parents.
Waiting to see who Daphne will choose and hoping she gets her happily ever after is one of the highlights of the book for me, as well as following her all over LA, bringing back fond memories of my life there.
I highly recommend this book and am so happy I received this EARC from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie…I had high hopes for this book because I LOVE her others but this one drug on for me? I liked the characters and the concept is interesting but it wasn’t my fave. I’m sorry!

What happens when you believe love is predictable, predestined, arriving with, or without, an expiration date? Do you settle in? Fail to see love that is there around you? Do you luxuriate in the predictability of a relationship’s length? Do you fight for love or accept breakups? The premise of this book is one character’s response to random declarations of whom, and how long, to love someone. And another character’s commitment to the randomness of love in its many guises, not simply the thrill of loving.

Meh, I'm disappointed because I really wanted to like this book and while the story was interested and there was a couple nice twists unfortunately 3/4 of the material felt like an advertisement for los Angeles tourism with some product sponsors thrown in. IT didn't add anything to the story and was really distracting and annoying.

This is my second book by Rebecca Serle, and she doesn't disappoint! I love the element of magical realism that she weaves into her novels. Daphne 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 the exact amount of time the relationship will last. She's been receiving the notes for years, and she always wonders when she will get one with no expiration. Finally, on a blind date at her favorite restaurant, the note only says Jake. As their relationship develops, we learn about her past relationships through flashbacks while in the present, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper's prediction and wrestling with what it means to be truthful and committed. Ultimately, this novel is about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and how we define each of them for ourselves.

I loved the premise of this story. With such an interesting set up, I was drawn in to Daphne's search for love while contemplating deeper questions and reminiscing on my own single days. I remembered the anticipation of who I would meet next, and wondering where the relationship would go. I wondered if Daphne's notes take some of the fun out of it, or would there be less pressure when you already know what the future holds? Also, knowing there is a time limit, would that hold you back, or is Daphne's reluctance to fully commit what is causing her relationships to be cut short? Then the shocking twist that shined some light on it that I did not see coming!

Overall, I loved this novel. I felt like her relationship with Jake fell flat while she had more chemistry with Hugo, her ex turned best friend. I didn't know which one to cheer for, but really I was cheering for Daphne to find her true love and to learn to let herself be happy. This is not your typical light and fun romance novel. I love how unique this author's stories are with deeper themes under the surface. I gave it 4.5 stars!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy.

Daphne Bell receives a postcard before every first date that tells her how long her relationship will last. There's a touch of magical realism in the book, and it moves pretty quickly--fans of Rebecca Serle won't be disappointed. It was engaging, but dragged a bit towards the end for me. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC.

I really loved this book! This will not be everyone's 5 star read though. It's one of those books that you either connect with the character or you don't, and I did! It was such a fun and easy read, and somehow really got me in my feels so going to give it the 5 for that reason.

If you could know exactly how long a relationship would last, would you want to know? Daphne is so used to being told what to expect, Expiration Dates focuses on what happens when you find out you really know nothing. This was my first, but not my last book by Rebecca Serle. Her honest and interesting writing style is real in a relatable way, letting you get swept up in the story without being annoyed at a character making the wrong choice. It's a quick and easy read that will leave you satisfied. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for this ARC!

I was SUPER excited to get my hands on this after reading In Five Years and loving it! But I have to be honest.. it took me a while to really get into.

Without giving too much away.. I wasn’t sure where this story was going and the bouncing between past dates sometimes made it confusing. BUT! Once you understand what happened.. it all makes sense (which I kind of feel like the author wanted it that way for a reason)!

Overall, I LOVED the message and the ending. But the beginning made it a 3 star read for me!

I love this author and have ready every book she has published. This is no exception. Dating is not easy under the best of circumstances. For Daphne it’s a whole other thing for she knows exactly how long each romantic relationship she gets into will last. Exactly. It’s hard to to become cynical while she dates, dates and dates some more. The author has written a really interesting storyline that took me on a rollercoaster of emotions all the while only wanting the best for her. The ending is not necessarily a surprise, but is absolutely wonderful. I started out with a really long and involved review, but didn’t want to give anything away so do yourself a favor, pull up a seat, get comfy and enjoy this fun, different and engaging book. I am so glad I did.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 268 / Genre: Fiction with a dash of magical realism
Release Date: March 19, 2024

Ever since her very first boyfriend in the fifth grade, the universe has been sending Daphne Bell notes with a name and the amount of time she’ll be with that guy. Martin, three days. Hugo, three months. Tae, two years and two months. Now that she’s thirty-five, it’s almost comforting to her to know what’s coming. Until Jake. Jake’s note didn’t have an expiration date. What does that mean? Has she finally found The One?

I haven’t binged a book in a while and I couldn’t stop reading this one. Her dates were often fun and exciting as it is when you’re young and on the go. It was also heartbreaking and made me cry, which I hate but also kind of loved since it shows how invested I was in this character. My new favorite book of the year.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @AtriaBooks, and @Rebecca_Serle for my gifted copy of this book. I loved it.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Serle did it again!! Rebecca knows how to write a magical elements into her stories. Her stories ALWAYS leave me wondering and reflecting on what I just read. I just love her books and can't say anything bad about them. Just like her other stories, this one had me hooked from the beginning. It was all about what it means to find love and it was beautiful. 10/10 recommend this book!

I enjoyed reading The Expiration Date! I read it in two days. I liked how there was romance and a bit of magic. When the FMC meets someone she receives a piece of paper with an end date. Some of her relationships are short and some are longer. I was wondering who she would end up with in the end. The author threw a little twist in the story at the end. Over all I think it was a great book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This book had such an interesting premise and truly lovely storyline filled with magical realism. Our main character, Daphne, receives notes with a name and amount of time that corresponds to the length of her relationship with said person. This sounds like the plot for a rom-com, but it is not. There is so much emotion and deeper issues that run beneath the surface. All of the predictions have come true, including Hugo (3-months) who has never left her side as he went from boyfriend status to best friend. The story has flashbacks of her past relationships and then a current timeline in which she has received a paper simply with the name Jake...nothing else. Does this mean he is "the one" with no expiration date?

This book is filled with such emotional depth, and I loved how the story progressed with what could be to what it turned out to be. Perfect ending even if I wish there was an epilogue. Still, I smiled as I read the final page!
4.5 stars

I normally share a review right after I mark a book as finished, but in the case of EXPIRATION DATES, I needed to spend some time reflecting and dissecting it before I could pin down my exact thoughts.

It's the themes that I appreciated most, and since I prefer to not go into spoilers, suffice to say that certain things happen that reframe how I considered the story by the time I hit the end. There are some lines that gave voice to concepts in a relatable way, though admittedly it may come across on the nose as it even rubbed me that way a little.

But overall, this book didn't reel me in as well as other titles (adult and young adult) from this author that I've read previously. I didn't care for the characters, nor was I wasn't invested in the variety of ties between them and what occurred in their lives. And though I appreciated the themes (especially how they shifted my view of the story in hindsight), the execution didn't necessarily feel as neatly done as I'd have wanted it to personally.

This book has likable elements, but is overall just okay.

I am so sad to say this one wasn’t for me. As you all know I am a huge fan of this author but this one I couldn’t get into. I loved the synopsis and the idea of the letters but this book didn’t feel magical. I was expecting more of a magical realism story but that is not what I got. The main character made some questionable decisions but it was the side characters and lack of chemistry that ultimately left me feeling bored. The writing was simple and lacked that ‘wow’ factor. The third act could have been erased since it felt so out of place. It’s almost like the author didn’t know how to write the ending or wrap up the story. Overall, this one was a disappointment for me but that’s okay because I know others might enjoy it.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this story due to Daphne’s unique dating life. Daphne receives slips of paper with a man’s name and how long the relationship is going to last.

The story started off very slow and took me a while to get into it and honestly just when it picked up and I started enjoying it more, everything was wrapping up and it was the end?? We as readers never found out why the notes exist or why she was receiving them in the first place which is confusing given it’s the premise of the book and her “big secret” the entire time.

The chapters alternate between her past relationships as well as the present and while I liked learning about her prior relationships and why they didn’t work out, there was a lot of time dedicated to them and I felt less time was given to her current relationship. Even though he was “perfect for her” and “the one” I feel they had no chemistry. There were also two “twists” in the last half of the book that left me with mixed feelings as they both felt randomly placed and yet I liked the way they were woven into the story.

My favorite part of the story was a scene with her father - which had the most emotion and depth in that scene than the rest of the book. There was a quote in that chapter, “Life is messy and uncomfortable, complicated and beautiful” that I think really sums up Daphne’s character and was a nice addition to the story.

** thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC and chance to read and review **

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

I loved One Italian Summer so much and was so excited to see a new book from Rebecca Serle. And this one did not disappoint! While in ways this was just a regular romance story, but then suddenly there were other parts revealed which gave the story so much more depth and emotion. I loved watching it all play out, wondering if Daphne would finally get the happily ever after that she deserves.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I have come to really love this author and will read anything she writes in the future! Also put The Dinner List on my TBR to read soon!