Imagine always knowing when a relationship is going to end. Will it last 2 hours, 2 weeks, 2 years? For Daphne, that is her reality. Whenever she meets a man, she gets a piece of paper with his name and the date the relationship will end. But what happens when the paper just has a name?

Rebecca Serle's "Expiration Dates", like her previous books "In Five Years" and "One Italian Summer", blends love and a touch of magic in a compelling way that led me to devour the book in a day. In the end, I still wanted more of the story. This was a solid 4 star read, and as always, I can't wait to see what bit of magic Serle comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for allowing me to be an early reader!

Expiration Dates
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

ARC Review:
From the beginning this book had me hooked and intrigued. A woman named Daphne receives notes of how long her relationships will last. How crazy is that to know who is worth and not worth your time?

The middle got a little slow for me and I felt like some of the male characters and their stories weren’t necessary. It was a little hard to keep up with all of her past relationships. I wish we had details on why she received these notes because there was no explanation at all.

I had mixed feelings about the last 20% of the book. A part of me felt really bad for one of the male characters and I thought the FMC was a bit selfish in her reasoning for what she did to him. But another part of me liked how it ended because I was rooting for these specific characters and their HEA. Overall, I enjoyed the book and it had some really great moments.

Thank You NetGalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for sending me this ARC for an honest review.

Expiration Dates was a novel I could hardly put down. I started it at bedtime, read until after 1:00 am, and was awake again at 6:30 to finish it. I couldn’t wait to find out more about the main character, Daphne, and her path to find love. I have read all of Rebecca Serle’s novels, and this one is her best yet! Daphne is such a loveable character, and her friends add a lot to the story. The story ended in the best possible way—with me in tears! Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the advance reader copy of this book.

If you knew exactly how long your relationship would last would it be a blessing or a curse?

WOW. Rebecca Serle is one of my favorite authors when it comes to romance and magical realism and she does such a good job combining the two in beautiful, unique, and emotionally packed stories and this one is probably my new favorite.

There's emotion, there's romance, and there's that magic that Rebecca Serle is known for.

This is a sweet, fun, emotional read that will pull at your heartstrings. I read the whole thing in one sitting and had a huge smile on my face the whole time.

5/5 beautiful and magical stars!

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Why are you doing this...We're just getting started."

"Because our time is up."

Time and love are the themes in the very deeply thoughtful often surprisingly gasp worthy Expiration Dates by gets in your head and stays there rent free author Rebecca Serle.

In her previous squeezed my heart books she explored the love of best friends and the love of mothers and daughters. Now she is tackling romantic love but like her other books this is not a straight line love story. Besides many flashbacks to past relationships it's also about loving yourself, trusting yourself and balancing fate and who your heart truly loves.

Daphne considers herself a serial dater. She started young and felt it was really out of her hands. From her very first time she received a postcard with nothing on it but the name of her guy and a time frame. It was how long the relationship would last. This phenomenon happens every time and Daphne accepts the finality of it. Never challenges it until...

Voice actress Julia Whelan is beyond her talented self especially the last half of the story when shocking truths are revealed and Daphne's heart is rocked to the core. Of course, as is the usual, this writer destroys, teases, and leaves us catching our breath with her twisty turns.

The first line of this heartfelt story is, "The paper is blank save for the name Jake." There's no time frame on it. Is he the forever love? Or is he the never will work one? Or is her time up to find love? This story takes its time to build to a philosophical and emotional last half that acknowledges we all have an expiration date so how do you want to live it?!

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Expiration Dates releases March 19, 2024

3.5

Dating back to the fifth grade, Daphne has always received cards with the name of a boyfriend and a timestamp for how long the relationship will last. But at the age of 33, she receives a slip of paper with just the name JAKE printed on it. Does the absence of a timestamp mean forever? Or is it the universe telling her that she no longer gets to know?

Would you want to know the exact end date of every relationship you ever had?
Would knowing make it hurt less when it came to an end? Or would it take away from the natural spontaneity and excitement, thus making you feel forced to settle and be less invested?

Living with a congenital heart disease, Daphne doesn’t mind the timestamps — in fact, she likes the measure of time and the guarantee it gives her.
She’s been waiting for an epic love her entire life, but now that she’s given the possibility of forever with someone, is she willing to give it her all in return?

In the back of my mind, I knew the book would play out like it did, but I still held out hope that somehow it would end differently.

Expiration Dates has a fresh concept with a hopeful outlook, but I do think Serle’s novels lean more towards women’s fiction than romance and this is not the “romance that will define a generation.”
The magical realism element was a little too loosely handled and I have a very hard time believing the plot twist, and how fate (or whatever was at the hands of the notes) didn’t intercept after the 3 week mark.


“Maybe I just wanted you to feel what it felt like to choose.”

“What is blank space, really, but an invitation?”

3.5 stars rounded up. I think this is an objectively good version of a romance-ish novel that is both pretty well written and a little too schmaltzy and sentimental for my tastes. I liked the way the story unfolded, and the secrets that are revealed, and I liked Daphne, Josh, and Hugo. I do think that the revelations are often told and not shown, and not exactly believable, in part because the use of third-party limited narration limits out the reader from Daphne's thought process a lot. But I loved the references and the sense of place and it was a good way to spend an afternoon/evening.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Serle's novels get better and better! Expiration Dates is wonderful and will have you laughing and crying. Daphne Bell believes the universe, or fate, has a plan for her. For the last 20 years, she has been receiving slips of paper with a man's name and the length of time they'll spend together. Stuart, 1 night, Noah, 5 weeks, and even Hugo, her best friend, 3 months. One day, Daphne receives a piece of paper with the name Jake and no expiration date. Jake is perfect but is Daphne ready for forever? Daphne has another secret as well, one that will probably break Jake's heart.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-arc.*

I’d seen so many great reviews for this one I had to pick it up! So much packed into a short read. Serle told a beautiful and unique story. The characters were all lovable and I was hooked from the start. I was so curious about the letters! I loved how Daphne’s story slowly unfolded and we learned more about her and her past as the story went on. Can’t wait to read more by this author!

How easy would it be, if you knew exactly how long your relationships would last? You’d never be surprised, and even if it hurt, it probably wouldn’t break your heart.
Daphne has been receiving sips of paper with the name of a man and an amount of time, since middle school. But then she gets one with just a name. Does that mean he’s the one?

I love how thought provoking Rebecca Serle’s writing is, and that final chapter though… “Here we are.”

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Rebecca Serle - 4.5 stars!

Daphne Bell is single and searching for love. But she has long been receiving little slips of paper with a man's name and the length of time the relationship will last. And they've all proven true. So when she receives a paper with just the name Jake and no expiration date, she's confused. Is he her forever one?

I have always loved Serle's books - a touch of magical realism and a lot of heart, and this one is no exception. Her books never feel flowery or with eye rolling scenes. This one is short and you won't want to stop reading once you start! Daphne has only ever told Hugo, an ex and now her best friend, about the papers she receives, because who would believe her? We go back in time to see how her past relationships played out, and I loved the growth of her character in the end. It's all about being true to yourself and others. Great book!

“The paper is blank save for the name: Jake.”
Here are reasons to read the Contemporary book:

Limited Time- Every time Daphne dates a new guy, she gets a paper with his number on it, along with the amount of time they will be together
Life Planned - This has served Daphne well because she is prepared for exactly how each relationship will go
No Time - Until Daphne gets a paper with Jake’s name and no date
The One? - and this makes Daphne hope that maybe he is the one she can finally stop looking for

Rebecca Serle has a way of writing magical realism that really gets you to connect with the characters and provide little twists that really stab you in the gut. And while this book did have some things I did not expect, emotionally this book was not as heart wrenching as her previous works. Don’t get me wrong, I loved reading about Daphne’s journey to be honest with herself. The story really doesn’t clear up some some questions, but in the end, I am ok with that.

First I am a huge fan of Rebecca Serle books. I adored One Italian Summer! My expectations were high going into Expiration Dates, and I loved this one equally as much.
Having the insight to know what the future holds is both exciting and frightening at the same time. Each time Daphne Bell meets a new man, she receives a piece of paper with his name and a date - an expiration date. When she meets Jake, the paper only has his name. What does this mean?
So much more than a general romance, I loved the way the language flowed, the characters developed, and the importance of self-discovery was explored. With a few unexpected twists and a roller coaster of emotions, I finished this book with a smile. As with all previous Serle books, I cannot wait for her next!

Expiration Dates
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pair this with a cold sav blanc on a hot summer day in LA
A huge thank you to xxxx and xxxx and xxx for this ARC. (Comes out 3/9!)

This was so good. Like nothing I’ve read before and I am here for it.

➡️ romance
➡️ coming of age
➡️ socal setting/Hollywood
➡️ magical realism
➡️ unique

This was probably one of the most thought provoking stories I’ve read in a while. It was sweet and fun but also heart-wrenching as is Serles’ style!
I loved the uniqueness of this story and would highly recommend it if you want a unique love story that also makes you think about your destiny ✨

Every time Daphne Bell meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper that tells her exactly how long the relationship will last. Sometimes it's one night, others it's two years. She measures her life in these increments of time, but as each relationship ends, she starts to question if these slips of paper are a blessing or a curse. Were these relationships always bound to end, or are they a self-fulfilling prophecy?

My favorite thing about Rebecca Serle's writing is that I always feel transported to her settings. She does such a great job of immersing her readers into the worlds she creates, and I felt like I was following Daphne's story right beside her. Expiration Dates is my 4th book by Serle. Her combination of women's fiction with magical realism feels familiar at this point but every story is still unique.

There was a twist about halfway through that I truly didn't see coming and it added another layer and more depth to this story. I resonated with Daphne in a lot of ways, especially in her self-sabotaging tendencies, and her ending left me so happy for her.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me the opportunity to read this book.

Centered around Daphne, the narrative unfolds as she receives a piece of paper before each relationship, dictating a name and an expiration date. When Jake's name appears without an end date, Daphne's life takes a unique turn, prompting her to discover her desires and confront major life issues.

While the plot is exceptionally creative, the pacing occasionally falters, shifting between the present and extensive chapters on past relationships. The narratives of her best friend and ex, Hugo, fell short of my expectations, leaving me yearning for more.

Despite these pacing issues, the book itself is well-written, with beautiful details and a creative narrative. The sporadic pacing, however, dampened the overall excitement and romance. Nevertheless, I still recommend this book for its cozy and relaxing atmosphere. I look forward to delving into more works by this author even though they aren't making my favorites list, they're still enjoyable!

LOVED this book! The relationship notes were such an interesting concept – one I had never read about before or considered. It has tones of The Measure but obviously less life and death. So fascinating to consider how you personally would handle that type of situation. And how Daphne should have handled it. There are some minor twists in this book… If I have one criticism, it is that I found it a little predictable. Regardless, the story is fun, fresh, and compulsively readable with great characters. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher for the egalley of this book. I loved this book! It was exactly what I needed after reading several stress induced thrillers in a row. It is smart and has an interesting premise that wasn't entirely guessable. The main character is pretty great but not a perfect person which is refreshing. I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end - if you're looking for something fun, tugs at your heart strings a bit and has a dog or two, pick this book up! Can't wait to see what Rebecca Serle writes next!

Rebecca Serle's Expiration Dates asks a very complicated question, would life be lived differently if there were known expiration dates?
Daphne Bell receives a note corresponding to each of her relationships, with the man's name and a length of time. On the night of a blind date, Daphne received a note with just the name Jake on it, no expiration date. Is Jake the one?

Serle's talent for writing contemporary romance sprinkled with magical realism once again produced a page turner. I found myself up far too late NEEDING to know what was going to happen next. This story had me relating so deeply to Daphne and of course laughing and crying along the way.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of Expiration Dates in exchange for my honest review.

I’m still reeling from this novel. The best way to describe, “Expiration Dates” is a rollercoaster. The main premise of the book did not prepare me for the weightiness of it at all. I went into this read expecting a quirky romance novel, and got out so much more.

I’m finding it difficult to express the multitude of emotions this book elicited in me without giving away any of the major plot twists. While I was at first unhappy with the apprehension and disinterest I had towards Jake, I now recognize and can appreciate as being intentional.

The author did a great job of mirroring what I imagine Daphne was feeling within the reader, as if I also were just going through the motions, and leaning into what seemed like logical choices.

Much like life, “Expiration Dates” was heartbreaking and joyous, and not at all what I was expecting. A perfectly pensive read which everyone should grab in a few weeks!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!