Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Serle, and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a joy - I really, really loved the characters and the premise. Definitely my favorite of the author's booksI also read the Author's Note at the end, and as someone who was also single and looking for my person for what felt like forever, I found all of this to be incredibly poignant and moving. However, I was certainly left with unanswered questions - I think I need to learn that Serle's MO is writing these short, powerful little books with unexplained magic that tug at your heartstrings. Answers will not be found but tears will be shed, and that's okay! 4.5 stars :)

Imagine an expiration for every relationship… would you bother to even try knowing when it will end? Every relationship that Daphne has had revolves around a piece of paper. It holds all the control over her and she uses it to protect her heart. I enjoyed this story and the twists I didn’t predict. Be prepared tho, once you start it you won’t be able to put it down until you turn the final page.

Thanks to Atria Books and Simon Audio for an advanced copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle.

I listened to this in one go because it was so quick and I enjoyed it. It was such an interesting premise and had the right amount of magical realism.

Daphne believes the universe has a plan for her. When she meets a new man, she receives a piece of paper with the guy's name and a number on it - the amount of time they will be together. So when she goes on a blind date with Jake, the piece of paper has only his name. Told in the present as she dates Jake and wonders/doubts the paper along with stories of the men of her past.

I liked the questions this book raised and some of the surprises that made me gasp out loud as I was listening/driving. I loved chatting with friends as they read this book. Knowing how long a relationship would last and whether it changes how you feel about it or how you act was so fascinating to me!

I liked it, didn't love the ending but liked Daphne's character and found her job fascinating.

ARC READ THROUGH NETGALLEY. I really enjoyed this book. I almost immediately liked Daphne, even though I thought she was putting a little bit too much stock in those papers she kept receiving about her love life. I was already into the story when there was a plot twist and then I was even more invested. I also didn’t necessarily see the ending coming, I thought it was maybe a possibility, but only got hints of it and it seemed like there were too many other things in the way, so I was pleasantly surprised there too. All in all, a good read.

This is my first @rebeccaserle book (even though I have her other two they sadly not been read - but will be now because I really enjoyed Expiration Dates

Daphne receives notes from the universe with a name and length of time and they directly correlate to her next relationship. It was such a fun idea and I often caught myself questioning if the notes were accurate because Daphne believed them to be truth or if they were actually destiny. This is one of those romance novels that actually surprises you! There were many times I wasn't quite sure who the love interest was and there was a jaw dropping moment I totally wasn't expecting. I absolutely loved that this didn't follow the conventional love story arc - meet, fall in love, major blowout, reconnect. We've all read that before and I was waiting for the fight around 75% in and was pleasantly surprised to be surprised!

I couldn't put this book down. It's short, but not in a way that detracts from the story. It's a super quick read that you really could binge in one sitting if you have the luxury, I certainly wanted to! It kept me up late at night because I didn't want to put it down. I really liked Daphne. She felt relatable but also a little mysterious. I like that she withheld information from the readers and that we slowly got to know her and unravel some of the tidbits we had learned.

I loved this one! I have read each of Rebecca Serle's books and was super interested by the summary of this one. And it lived up to what I was hoping for! I grew so attached to Daphne and I just kept rooting and begging for her to choose herself for ONCE!! I loved this story. It was magical, romantic, charming, and witty. My one drawback is I wish we had more backstory on the notes. Who wrote them? Why? Overall, a great read!

Daphne has a leg up when it comes to love over anyone else. Every time she meets a new guy, the universe sends her a note telling her how long she has with him. One day she finally gets a note with no date on it with a guy named Jake. Jake is a sweet, devoted man that Daphne is afraid will be hurt if he knew *everything* about her. She is scared to show it all to him despite the note. Luckily, she has her best friend (and ex) Hugo to talk about everything with. He is the only one who knows about the notes. Daphne will wrestle with her idea of taking fate into her own hands.

I love Rebecca Serle and have read a lot of her work. I thought this was an inventive idea- who wouldn't want notes telling us how long a relationship will last. Serle unveils Daphne dating history while also letting us gradually get to know Daphne. We get to know the part of Daphne that she doesn't want anyone else to know. I also enjoyed the love story throughout- I thought it was cute. I did think the writing got a little cheesy toward the end, like quotes you would stitch on a pillow. But overall, a fun story about fate and love.

I will read anything by Rebecca Serle and Expiration Dates did not disappoint! I love how she writes well-written women’s fiction with a touch of magical realism.

The book centers around Daphne Bell, a 30-something who receives notes informing her how long each romantic relationship she enters will last. Most of the story is told from present time, but we get glimpses of past relationships every few chapters.

I was rooting for Daphne and wanted her to have her Happily Ever After. This was a sweet story with sprinkles of life lessons throughout the book. I particularly liked the concept of love as a safety net. You’ll understand after you read the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just imagine meeting a possible love interest and finding out right away how long the relationship will last. It would seem to put a damper on the fun of dating. This is exactly what happens to Daphne.

She began getting postcards in middle school that had a name and a length of time written down. As the years passed by, she began to expect the cards and resigned herself to the situation.

Hugo was one such love interest and the only one she confided in about the “love notes.”
After Daphne and Hugo broke up, they kept their friendship in tact and saw each other on a regular basis.

Eventually Daphne meets Jake through a mutual friend, but this time her post card only has his name and no time frame. Puzzled, Daphne begins to think he’s the one to go the distance.

But there are some twists coming that made this story well worth reading. Light-hearted, but with some sobering content, this was a pleasure to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am pleased to recommend this and give my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria for this gifted digital ARC of Expiration Dates.
This is my first Rebecca Serle read and quite possibly, my last. I went in knowing that this author's books have reviews that swing from one end of the pendulum to the other. I figured this would be a good one to get my feet wet and find out what end my review would land on.
I began this book enjoying it. I thought the premise was kind of fun, and I was thoroughly entertained. Then at about 35% of the way in, it started to lose me. I became too annoyed with the disjointed chapters, the jumping around between Hugo, Jake and the others, and I was no longer entertained. The characters weren't loveable. The relationships were confusing and lacking depth. And I just didn't care to read anymore. I stopped at 50%.
This one missed the mark for me.

It’s not fair how much I absolutely loved this story.

Daphne is likeable right from the start. Sure, she has this weird super power of receiving notes telling her how long her relationships will last, but she’s me, she’s the women I know. When she receives a note with just a name, and no timeline, things change and her outlook changes with it. As her relationship with Jake progresses, we follow along and feel all of her emotions with her.

I felt like Serle was writing my feelings. She so perfectly executed optimism and finding “the one” when you’ve never found anything like that before. When the story took its turn at the half way mark I felt even more invested and even more like she was writing this story for me. I connected to every aspect of this and couldn’t get enough of it.

Thank you for this masterpiece.

When I was gifted a copy of this book as an ARC, I could’ve fallen over! I absolutely adore Rebecca Serle’s books and I just couldn’t believe I was given this honor!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the touch of magical realism and how it’s intertwined with “real life”! This book also really makes you think! Does outside knowledge or “insider” knowledge change your life course? Would you rather know about how long you have with someone or is it better to not know?

Daphne is a wonderful main character and I really enjoyed her journey and the progress she made.

This book will be available on March 19th and I highly suggest y’all grab it! Especially if you’ve enjoyed Rebecca Serle’s other books!

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

Since 5th grade, Daphne has received notes that tells her exactly how long she will be in every relationship she has ever had- 3 months, one night, 2 years, etc. Until one day, she finally receives a note with just name. She believes that this means that Jake is her soul mate and goes into the relationship seeing everything great about him. But, eventually wonders if the universe got it right. Even if someone is perfect on paper, are they perfect for you?

The premise seems strange when you read the synopsis, but as usual Rebecca Serle did a a great job with the concept. You will see that there is much more to the story than just notes. Part of the plot is a little predictable, but there are a few twists I didn’t see coming!

I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun, quick read but with a good message to take away. I will definitely recommend it to friends!

✨ Review ✨ Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Thanks to Atria Books, Simon and Schuster #bookclubfavorites and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This would make the perfect light beachy read for spring break or summer! Readers looking for a deeper literary read though might not find it here.

A lot like One Italian Summer there's a magical realism component to the story. Daphne always receives a note, a postcard, a receipt or some other scrap of paper with a name and a length of time before any relationship starts. For her then, every relationship has a built in expiration date (and she's going on dates...get it? lol) Until she gets a note with a name and no end date on it, and realizes she's met her forever man.

The book peels back layers of her life, looking at her budding relationship with Jake, the one with no end date, in addition to her relationships with bff Hugo, her boss Irina (who steals the show), and others in her life. It jumps between past and present to also sprinkle in examples of her past relationships, and admittedly, sometimes these jumps were a little confusing.

I though this was more interesting as a women's fiction book than as a romance, and I appreciated the rich details about life in LA, including restaurants and food, beaches, and other fun experiences the characters had. I also really liked that Daphne lived without fear in so many ways! I found her compelling as a character. Overall, I thought it was fun and light, but it left me wanting a little more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: women's fiction, romance
Setting: Los Angeles
Pub Date: March 19, 2024

A charming — but not quite gripping — contemporary romance with a hint of magical realism and comedy.

While Daphne and her universe-appointed soul mate Jake get to know each other, we are shown glimpses of her past relationships. Plus, we get to hang out with Hugo, her best friend and the only other person who shares Daphne’s secret. I quickly pinned this as predictable then turned out to be pleasantly surprised, more than once. I did find it easy to put down at times but the last third was full of emotion, growth, and wisdom. I had expected a wild ride and received a sweet adventure beautifully weaving together the delicate strands of family, friendship and love. A well written story that I can widely recommend to anyone.

This was a lovely heart-warming novel where main character, Daphne, receives a note of some kind every time she is about to enter a new relationship, and the note tells her how long it will last. Until one day she gets a note with no expiration date. What does it mean....has she found her forever person?

I liked the book because it kept me guessing -- what did the note mean? Daphne's life is complicated for many reasons revealed in the book, and she has learned to rely on these notes to give her guidance, until one day that guidance drops away. Can she trust herself? The book reminded me a bit of Nikki Erlick's The Measure where people's fates were revealed to them if they wished to know. This is sort of the same -- if you know what the future holds how does that change the way you act, and do you even want to know?

This was a quick, touching, romantic novel that I greatly enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Rebecca Serle stole my heart with In Five Years, so I went into this one with high hopes. I was not disappointed. An unconventional love story with new elements brings a story sure to entertain to anyone's heart. I wish I could read it again for the first time. If you like to seasonally read, save this one for a Valentine's read or another themed read!!

In the fifth grade, Daphne Bell gets a note with the name of a boy and the exact amount of time they will be together. Over the years, she's gotten papers correctly predicting the start of her relationship with a man of that name and the length of the relationship - until one day, she receives a paper that just says "Jake." As her relationship with Jake unfolds, Daphne struggles with telling him all the secrets she's been keeping.

I was really excited to read this as I loved The Dinner List when I read it years ago and In Five Years infuriated me in the best way (One Italian Summer is still on my TBR!). Ultimately, I thought this book was a bit disappointing. First of all, the magical realism of the notes was never explained or even dug into, which I wished we would have gotten more on. Second, I felt like the book was pretty slow-paced for the first half and then ZOOMED by the second half, ultimately making me feel like we didn't really get anything out of it. It was also less than 300 pages, so I wish it had been a little longer to really flesh out some of the story points a bit more. An illness is thrown into the story at around 55%-60% for no real reason and I feel like it didn't really add anything to the story. Ultimately, I was so frustrated at Daphne for wasting Jake's time and at Hugo for just being an asshole who didn't show any real growth. Overall, this book was just okay.

Daphne has a gift. She receives a postcard with a name and time frame on it at the beginning of each new relationship. It signifies how much time the relationship will last…in days, weeks, months.

I’ve read a few of this author’s books and do have mixed reviews on past books. But I always enjoy her storylines and attention to detail, so it’s always a yes to request. I flew thru this book. I really enjoyed the magically realism aspect. Would I have wanted to know how long some of my relationships would last? I don’t think so! As I was reading, I knew a twist was coming, but I didn’t expect the one that was presented. I enjoyed the characters, and could totally see the different connections between Daphne and most of her suitors. Things changed for me at the end. I found it rushed, and not very convincing. For all the attention to detail (scenery, fashion), the ending fell flat for me. Although attraction and decisions do not necessarily go together. The secondary characters were well written and were an integral part of the story other than fillers. The female friendships were a welcome addition, showing the best side of love and support, leaving out the cattiness we so often see. Loved her parents, but didn’t totally feel their anguish. But, as I wrote this review, I realized I enjoyed this book much more than I thought, although I did debate throwing down my kindle at the end! Ultimately, the heart wants what the heart wants!

My thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this book. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you, @Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book. After reading Expiration Dates, I have discovered that I am a big fan of Rebecca Serle. Her books are magical in the best kind of way. They feel good and make me happy. Even when frustrated with a character, I can sympathize and root for them to do the right thing. I feel immersed in the character journey, and I also enjoy the supporting characters. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.