A cute enough romance novel, not as much of a focus on the magical realism aspect as I was hoping for but a very quick, light, enjoyable read.

I really really LOVED reading this book.
I thought I knew what was happening with the papers and the dates.
I was so so so surprised to learn why she did not take a bigger goal with her work.
I was glad when she moved in and got engaged
but then SO SO SO SO HAPPY when she went back to the actual true love
YAY
:)
GREAT BOOK
Thanks so much

I absolutely loved the premise of this story. I think it is a really great idea and an extremely difficult one to execute. It just felt like it was missing something for me. It was definitely good, just missing something and I cannot put my finger on it. It definitely had a cute ending, even if it was predictable. I do also wish we got an explanation on the letters as well. Overall though, it was a cute and quick love story so if someone is looking for just that, this is definitely for them. I just needed a bit more, I feel like.

This book was a difficult one to read, because I felt like it didn't know what it was.
The initial premise and set-up of the story presents as a romance. However, once we move past the set-up, the story becomes muddled. We spend very little time with the character introduced as the love interest, which makes it very difficult to care about the relationship. There are numerous jumps back in time to previous relationships that did not reveal anything about the main character or her current relationship. I had the feeling through this section that the novel was not actually a romance, but was about something else entirely.
Around the 60% mark there is a large reveal that proved this thought correct. As a reader, I found this jarring, as it seemed to be kept a secret from the reader just to have a reveal. I think the novel would have been stronger and more cohesive if this had not been a late reveal, but present from the beginning of the story. We would have had a chance to connect for the main character and root for her and her relationships.

I feel like Rebecca Serle’s books surprise me in the best of ways, and this one was no different.

I went into this book thinking it’d be a romance, and that’s not quite the case. This is a book about love, but not always in the romantic sense. It’s about self-love, and platonic love for people in our lives, and what it means to love someone for who they are wholly. I really liked the MC Daphne; she was relatable and flawed, and it felt like I was reading about a friend. There are a couple surprising twists I didn’t see coming, but I thought they both took the story in really interesting directions. I like the way it wrapped up, and even though there’s a smidge of open-endedness there, I think it’s done well and reinforces the message of the book.

After reading the synopsis I was ready to dive into this book. I adore books with a magical element. Add in past and present timelines and I’m hooked. Unfortunately Expiration Dates fell flat for me. There was no explanation of why Daphne the main character received these random notes with the name of her next love interest. I would have enjoyed how that came to be and I think would have made the story more interesting. There was so much detail about things that I didn’t care to read, the story dragged on. I appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC. I’ve heard wonderful reviews about Rebecca Serles other books, I may give those a try.

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.