I believe this book counts as a romance novel, but just barely. From the blurb (and the author's other novels) I knew going in that it would be a bit odd. It was enjoyable yet it also made me pause and say "what the heck?" a lot while reading.

The premise is unusual and a bit magical. For her entire life, whenever Daphne meets a romantic prospect she mysteriously receives a piece of paper printed with his name and the length of time they'll be together. This was intriguing but its origin is never explored or explained, which I guess it what makes it magical realism but it was frustrating as a reader. I wanted to know more about that.

The novel goes back and forth in time chronicling all of Daphne's relationships. That was a bit jarring. Perhaps straightforward chronological order would have been smoother.

It was a fun read that kept me engaged the entire time, but it did leave me wanting something more.

@rebecca_serle has done it again!

Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy!

Rebecca is an autobuy author for me for good reason! I love how she weaves together magical romantic stories with all the emotions.

Expiration Dates follows Daphne, a young woman who believes the universe has her on a specific path. Whenever she starts to see a new person, she finds a piece of paper that tells her how long they will be together. She’s now waiting for the one. That all might change, though, when she meets Jake.

I loved how this story was told through alternating timelines, following Daphne’s current and past love stories. Also, I absolutely loved the Jewish rep in this book and was a bit surprised by how much there was.

I found myself flying through Expiration Dates and finished it so quickly! There was a place in the middle of the book that had me scratching my head for about a chapter, but since the chapters are short, I quickly got on board with the direction the book was going.

I don’t want to say much more, but you’ll definitely want to pick up a copy when it comes out on March 19!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#litbylillireviews

Title: Expiration Dates
By: Rebecca Searle

Genre:
Fiction, Women’s Contemporary Romance

Summary/Review:
Since Daphne was a little girl in fifth grade, she’s received premonitions regarding her love life. She receives a note with the name of the man she will date, and for how long. The notes list their relationship “Expiration Date.” I really enjoyed one of the storylines, and wanted to just skip the others parts. The pacing between the boyfriends, and the transitions between past versus present threw me off. I had to keep going back to remember which boyfriend I was reading about. Also, I found this novel lacked character connection, chemistry, and depth. I wish the author would have added at least fifty pages. If you like quick, fast paced, short clean romance reads this novel is for you. For me, I am giving it a solid three starts for the well written parts.

Thank you to Rebecca Searle, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#RebeccaSearle
#netgalley #netgalleyreads
#Expirationdates
#advancedreadercopies

Daphne receives a slip of paper every time she meets a new man with a name and number on it - the exact amount of time they will be together.

Thank you simonaudio + bookclubfavorites for my #gifted copy! I could not listen to this one fast enough! I am the biggest fan of Rebecca Serle and also love a good magical realism moment, and this didn’t disappoint.

✨ all the emotions
✨ the most supportive parents
✨ the overall message 🥹
✨ Jewish rep

(rounded up from 4.5)

I loved this book! I’m a fan of magical realism and this story featured it in a lovely way. Daphne is a young woman, a native of Los Angeles. When we meet her, she’s 33 or so, and we gradually learn her backstory. The book’s unique premise is that Daphne finds slips of paper every now and then with a man’s name and a length of time (for example: Hugo, 3 months). That is how long she’s going to be together with that guy. Imagine living like that! When you meet someone you’re interested in, you already know how long (or short) the relationship will last!

The two relationships highlighted in Expiration Dates are Hugo and Jake. Hugo has “outlived” his preordained relationship by staying friends with Daphne for several years. Jake is unique - his slip of paper has no deadline on it! What does that mean?

A lot of this book read like a love letter to Los Angeles. Having visited many times (a son lives there), I could picture so many of the places Serle mentions and that was a ton of fun for me. In addition to the men in Daphne’s life, there’s a wonderful assortment of other characters, including her parents, her boss and former coworker to enjoy.

A number of years ago, YOLO (You Only Live Once) was a rallying cry. This books brings that saying back to mind. What do you do with the life you have? Do you tell your deepest secrets to the people you love or not? Do you let those pieces of paper dictate what you do and with whom?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a UNIQUE book! This had me hooked from page one, which I always appreciate. I’ve read a few books by Serle now and she always has original stories that make me think. I loved “One Italian Summer” and this is now tied with that for my favorite book of hers. I love how she blends literary fiction with magical realism. If you’ve read and enjoyed any of her other books, don’t skip this one! It comes out 3/19/24. Thank you to @netgalley for my advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Every time Daphne Bell meets a man that is a potential love interest, she receives a slip of paper from the universe with his name and number on it – not his phone number, but the number of days, months and/or years that they will be a couple before the relationship expires. For over twenty years Daphne has been receiving these numbered papers and she has always wondered whether she will receive one with no expiration date on it, meaning that they will be together for the rest of their lives. Then she meets Jake and the slip of paper has no number on it. Is this a blessing or a curse?

My thoughts: I read In Five Years by this author and really enjoyed it so I knew that I wanted to read Rebecca’s newest novel and I’m so glad I did. I really liked Daphne’s character and I was engaged in her story to the point of thinking about what decisions I would make if I were to meet someone and then receive a slip of paper with the relationship expiry date on it. Do you go ahead with the relationship and risk heartbreak or not engage? I gave this book 4/5 stars and it is available for purchase on March 19, 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a review copy.

Let me start by saying that this book was not what I expected to be getting into. I expected a regular light romance but this book left me feeling every emotion possible. I even found myself tearing throughout the last few chapters.

This book follows Daphne, who receives literal notes from the universe telling her who her next love interest will be and how long their relationship will last. I thought this concept and storyline was new and refreshing compared to other romance novels and I ate it up!

In her search to find love, Daphne ends up finding herself. She learns to love herself and accept her life for what it is and live every day to the fullest. Daphne’s story was realistic and relatable, which made this such an easy read. Rebecca Serle’s writing is absolutely beautiful. She makes you connect with her characters and feel everything they are feeling,

I truly loved this book and would rate it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Can’t wait to add this book to my shelf when it comes out!

Wow. I went into this one not sure how I would like it and I LOVED IT!!

Every time Daphne meets a man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and the amount of time they will be together. When she meets Jake, she doubts the paper's prediction and she knows if she tells him it will break his heart. It's such a beautiful story and Jake reminded me a lot of my husband, so I LOVED IT!!

Expiration Dates follows Daphne, a young woman living in LA who receives notes from the universe detailing her next romantic partners and how long she will be with them. I thought the idea of this book was interesting, but the execution was poor. In general, I found the writing to be lacking a lot of depth and couldn't find myself getting deeply connected to any of the characters. I really just didn't care what happened in the end. I will list some more thoughts below that include spoilers:

*potential spoilers*
- I found Daphne's "secret" came very out of left field and didn't really fit in with the rest of the novel.
- I was SO annoyed that she left Jake, who I felt like was such a good partner to her, for Hugo, who was simply not? Especially when it was revealed in the end that he was the one who tampered with her note in the beginning of the novel about Jake. He was just not AT ALL who I was rooting for, it made me question Daphne's judgement completely.
- Finally, I do like magical realism in books and I found the idea of these "notes" compelling, but I thought the chapters detailing her past romantic partners were boring and unnecessary. I also thought it was strange that we didn't get any more information as to where they came from? and yes I know there doesn't need to be an answer but idk it bothered me.

I did really enjoy this author and her style of writing. This is a very quick read that I read in one sitting. I always enjoy a book with a bit of magical realism sprinkled throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be sure to check out other books by Rebecca Serle.
3.5 star

This was fine? It wasn’t mindblowing, but it wasn’t terrible either. Just rather middle of the road, if you ask me.

Daphne has been given a gift by the universe: she knows how long her relationships will last. When she starts up with someone, a message will make its way to her. 4 weeks. 6 months. 1 night. But is it a gift or a burden to know when love will not last, even if you want it to?

Objectively, this is a very well written book and I think both plot lines in this book weave together to have an interesting tie to the concept of an “expiration date”. I just found it very hard to connect with any of the characters. I found it hard to root for Daphne because you could tell she was only going through the motions because she thought that’s where she was supposed to be.

I think this book was good, but not great. To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll remember much about it in a few months. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

Rebecca Serle has been hit or miss for me – I LOVED In Five Years, thought The Dinner List was okay, and DNF'd One Italian Summer. But the premise of this one – in the beginning of every relationship Daphne gets a piece of paper that tells her just how long it will last – sounded intriguing enough I was excited to give it a try. And it lived up to my expectations! Like In Five Years, I could have easily read it in one sitting, it was such a quick and absorbing read. And there were a couple of twists that really threw me for a loop (something that's harder and harder to to these days), with enough emotion that I felt connected to Daphne and the story. There were some other themes that really resonated for me personally which definitely contributed to its emotional impact, but revealing them would be a spoiler. If you've liked her other books, even if just one, give this a try.

I liked this but it left me wanting more. It just was so close to being what I hoped it would be, but then it wasn't. I like this author and her writing style, but this book was just ok for me. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great book. What I thought was a light romantic book grew into so much more. This book asks the question how would you love if you knew when it would end? Would you love?
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!!

I really enjoyed this book. I like Rebecca Serle’s books in general. This book follows Daphne, an assistant in LA. The title of Expiration Dates is spot on in many ways to what the book brings. I would definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book had some magical realism in the style of Rebecca Serle's other books. In my opinion, Serle's writing just gets better and better. At some point in each of her books, I can't figure out how she will possibly write herself into a satisfying resolution, but each time, she does it. In Expiration Dates, there is enough to go on to realize that Hugo and Daphne are in love with one another, but Jake is written so empathetically that it's hard to imagine a satisfying conclusion for everyone. Ultimately, the slow reveal of secrets, the miscommunication, and the ultimate resolution all work really well together and make this a must read.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
5 stars
Pub date: March 19th, 2024

-magical realism
-emotional read
-fate vs choice

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for a copy of this digital ARC!

Each time Daphne enters into a new relationship, she receives a slip of paper with the man's name and the amount of time they will be together. Expiration Dates follows Daphne's journey through love and heartbreak, as she searches for her soulmate, and navigates life along the way.

This one took a couple of days for me to process before I could sit down and write a review. I buddy read this with a friend, and we decided that we would highly recommend this one as a book club read. I have a feeling I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

This story was beautifully crafted, and I absolutely loved the concept. There were some alternating timelines, which got a bit confusing at times, because I felt the chapters weren't titled as clearly as they should have been. That being said, it didn't bother me enough to result in a lower rating.

I highly recommend picking this one up when it releases March 19th!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine that you are young, beautiful and single. Every time that you meet a man, you will receive a piece of paper with his name on it and the # of months that your relationship will last. Saves you a bit of anguish and time, right? This is the life of Daphne Bell. When Daphne meets Jake, the paper gives them 3 months...but what if that were not true?

I have enjoyed the 2 previous books by this author and this one is another fun read that is gripping, emotional and heartbreaking! The plot works and the characters are well-developed and likeable.

Highly recommend!!!

i love this book! Daphne was such a lovable main character and the magical realism in the book kept me turning the pages. There were two twists I did not see coming and the ending was satisfying without being overly tidy.