* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is my favorite of Serle’s so far. I found it to be much better than One Italian Summer, which I really didn’t enjoy. I think my favorite part of this book was the magical realism with the letters. It seemed like a unique idea and it was done well in my opinion. Overall, I just really enjoyed this. It was a quick read and I liked the characters.

I would recommend this book and I would recommend it over her other books.

I love anything by Rebecca Serle. The premise initially got my attention, what a unique idea! I loved the look-backs to Daphne's prior relationships but Hugo had my heart. There was one big secret that came out a little bit after halfway through the book that really changed the tone and reading experience for me. Maybe that was the point, but it knocked it down a star for me.

As seems to be the case with Rebecca Serle books, there is a tiny bit of fantastical to be found here, mixed with real life. Daphne is a typical girl with one special quirk - the universe leaves her notes each time she is about to have a relationship, telling her the name and length of her next fling/boyfriend/whatever. One day she gets a piece of paper with a name, but no length of time, leading her to believe he is *the one*.

As their relationship continues, we also get windows into Daphne's past, and her other relationships, including a short one with her now friend Hugo. We also learn that aside from her secret notes, Daphne has another secret about her health. She ponders this, along with her love life, throughout the book.

Although I enjoyed the book and became more invested in Daphne, I was expecting more of a twist considering the premise of the book. Perhaps a stitch in time or a glimpse into the future. I also felt that her relationship with Jake was bland, so although he was clearly an amazing partner, it was hard to be invested in their friendship. Hugo, the other character that was obviously meant to be another love interest, didn't seem very likable for much of the book. I liked the story, but I wish I had someone to root for.

All in all, a good book that I would most likely recommend to a friend.

Imagine if you're life was filled with expiration dates. Every experience has a shelf life especially relationships. Rebecca Serle creates a world where Daphne receives notes dictating the length of her relationships. Upon meeting potential suitors, a note listed their expiration date.

While Daphne feels this 'gift' is allows her to live in the moment, she comes to realize it's paralyzing her ability to move forward. When she meets a man and his note his blank, Daphne decides to give love a chance. Is this message allowing her to have a future?

Serle expertly keeps readers in suspense regarding the notes' origin. Each chapter unlocks a piece of Daphne's life while fitting in the puzzle pieces. Is the new man in her life, a forever love or is the page still unwritten?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for early edition of Expiration Dates in exchange for an honest review. The author brilliantly pens protagonists who are charismatic while lovingly flawed. Readers will enjoy exploring Daphne's past while learning about her future.

I got to buddy read this one with my girl @the_afterword which was such a treat! We both flew it & were constantly texting each other to check in and urging the other to catch up.

This is my third book by Rebecca Serle & after enjoying one (In Five Years) and not loving one (The Dinner List), I was curious to see what I thought of her latest release. Happy to report I can now confirm it’s easily my fav.

I think the premise is so interesting (swipe for synopsis!) and the magical realism was just enough without overpowering. Daphne was a likeable character and I wanted her to find her match & not settle. It took me a second to keep the timelines and characters all straight, especially all the ex boyfriends, but overall I found it to be a quick & enjoyable read!

I have read and enjoyed many of Rebecca Serle’s books, but for some reason, Expiration Dates fell short of the mark. Serle has taken a remarkably interesting concept, but has muddied it with a dual timeline that kept the story from really getting off the ground until the last 50 pages of the book! So many elements of a great story didn’t show up until a little too late for me. Will I try more of Serle’s writing in the future? Yes. Was this one the truly romantic read I’d hoped for? No. Thank you to #NetGalley and Atria Books for my gifted arc.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC! Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted copy!

Daphne’s life is interesting! Every time she meets a new man that she is going to date, she receives a slip of paper that states the man’s name and an expiration date of time, for how long their romance will be.

She has used this to guide her relationships, and no one knows this about her except her ex-boyfriend turned best friend Hugo. One day things change when she receives a slip of paper with just a name on it and no date, just the name Jake. Things get serious with Jake and Daphne is doubting her ability to open up to Jake about everything in her life.

This was my first book of Serle’s and I have heard great things so I jumped to try this one out. The book goes back and forth between Daphnes present and some old boyfriends in her past. The story was intriguing and kept my attention throughout the book.

The book really isn’t about a romance more than it is about Daphne herself. It’s a book that will make you think and contemplate what you would do if you revived these fun notes like Daphne does. Would it change your perspective on how to date in general?

The ending was a little abrupt for me…. I wanted the story to continue, maybe a bonus epilogue perhaps?! Just to give us something more about the future. But maybe just a glimpse using our own imagination is what we get!

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
💌 Magical Realism
💌 Multiple Timelines
💌 Lovers to Best Friends
💌 Unexpected Twists

WOW. This book had a lot to live up to and it still blew me away! I love a romance with an interesting story to tell or a unique angle. I this case it's the fact that our heroine receives a piece of paper with an expiration date at the beginning of every new relationship, whether it is one night or years. Until one day when she receives a note with a name and only a name - no timeline - on her way out the door for a blind date. Knowing that there is no ticking timeclock on the relationship bother presents endless possibilities to Daphne as well as cements her future. But as we learn, things are quite so simple or straightforward. Is there such a thing as fate? Can she trust this paper to give her a happily-ever-after? And what about her past? Can she ever REALLY be done with it the way the papers predicted? Full of twists, surprises, and lots of emotional hand-wringing, Expiration Dates really captured my heart.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Anytime Daphne Bell meets a new love interest, she also receives a piece of paper. That paper tells her their name but also how long they will date. Over the years these have been a blessing and a curse as Daphne longs for a lasting partner. Everything changes when she meets Jake and the paper doesn’t give a length of time. Does that mean he’s the one or something else?

For a while I was reading this book, enjoying it but not understanding where it was going and, really, the point. But then something happened that completely changed my perspective. I suddenly understood Daphne and the way she lived her life and why she didn’t fully open herself up in relationships. It was altogether sad and beautiful and poignant.

I adore all of the characters in this book. From Hugo with his playboy vibes to Daphne’s parents and quirky boss and of course the dog (who possibly doesn’t know he’s a dog).

As always, I love the touch of magic Rebecca Serle brings to her books. It’s subtle but it runs through everything. And there’s some Jewish rep too!

Ultimately this book asks the question: should we know how long we’re meant to spend with any one person and does that knowledge change how we go into it?

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For each new relationship, a piece of paper mysteriously appears to Daphne with the name of her newest boyfriend and the length that the relationship will last.

I read a lot of rom-coms and I can honestly say this book is unique. I haven’t read anything like it and loved the interesting premise. Predictability is often a characteristic of rom-coms, but not with Expiration Dates. I did not see the plot twist coming and immediately had to text my friend, who I was buddy reading this with.

Historically, I haven’t been very into magical realism, but the more I read of this genre the more I’m liking it! I’ve read a few of Rebecca Serle’s books and have enjoyed them all but Expiration Dates is my new favorite of hers.

Rebecca Serle is quickly becoming a favorite of mine - the way she does magical realism is captivating! The premise of Expiration Dates was one that was unique and unlike what I had read before, but still had your stereotypical romance feel. What sets it apart, though, is the introduction of some heavy issues and the character growth and development demonstrated through those. The final twist is one that probably everyone saw from a mile away, but that didn't make me love it any less.

This book has such an intriguing premise, that Daphne will know how long she will date a man. Is it a good thing that she receives a mysterious note that says Hugo 3 months, or a bad thing? This is one secret she does not reveal, but there is another one as well. An enjoyable read.

Rebecca Serle's books always have an interesting premise.

Expiration Dates is about Daphne, an assistant to a famous producer in Los Angeles. She is a regular woman in her 30s but with a twist about her dating life - every time she starts dating a guy (or even sometimes before) she gets a note with the number of days she will be with that person. Sometimes it's a day, sometimes it's three months (that's how she met her best friend Hugo, who she dated for a few months). But this time she gets a note with Jake's name, only, there is no end date.

I liked a lot of things about this book, especially the description of Los Angeles. I was able to guess where the book was going right from the beginning - but there were still some unexpected twists I didn't foresee. Also, Serle's books are never full romance - there is a lot of self-discoveries and character growth. There is commentary on relationships and how we go through life, which only added to the story. The concept of the story was also interesting.

It's a book which a lot of people will love, given the unique concept and the romantic elements. It can definitely be read at least once.

A contemporary romance with a little magic comes Expiration Dates from author Rebecca Serle.
Daphne, our FMC, comes to us from Los Angeles as a native to the hustle and bustle of the land. She works in entertainment, organizing the life of a celebrity, but doesn’t have a clue how to orchestrate her own life.
It’s not her fault though, since she is predestined to break up with every man she dates… just ask the piece of paper that slips in her direction and tells her how long each relationship will last. 🧐
Until one day, Daphne receives a name… but no date of termination. Is this her forever?
If you know how your life turns out, is it really yours?

If you are looking for a thought provoking, contemporary (somewhat) romance, start here!
This story doesn’t a great job of keeping you questioning life’s biggest mysteries - predestination vs. chance, and how choices are just as important as not choosing.

Expiration Dates is only the second or third novel from Rebecca Serle that I have read. Therefore, as a relatively new to me author, I was quite surprised by and pleased with the brevity of the novel. Its length seems a third of what most novels are nowadays, even though in reality, it’s probably half. For this reason, it was not difficult at all to finish, which is a big plus in my opinion.

The premise of the novel was quite fresh, although I’m sure that it has been done before. The concept of knowing for how long each one of your relationships is going to last inevitably results in a lack of connection between the two people. The lack of connection was indicative of how I felt about Daphne until the end. Despite the first of two plot twists, I did not find that the twist made Daphne more relatable. Rather, she seemed quite superficial in her characterization still (Serle just told us about her, rather than made us form those bonds). She also lacked any depth of personality. Her willingness to withstand an obviously stagnant and bland relationship with Jake, while remaining oblivious to Hugo, was frustrating, as that storyline has been played out umpteenth number of times.

The second plot twist was endearing on Hugo’s behalf, although if I were Daphne, I would be even more incensed than she seemed to be. That said, Hugo was my favorite character and was fleshed out more than Daphne was.

Overall, I supremely enjoyed the novel, but would have liked a bit more development at the end— it felt very rushed.

I also loved the amount of detail in the mise-en-scène.

This would be a perfect read for anyone who wants to escape for a bit, but doesn’t have much time to do so; and for those that aren’t bothered by a protagonist who lacks the emotional connection until the very end.

I like the writing and the idea of Daphne knowing how long she was going to last in the relationship…. The reason why I’m rating this a 3 stars is because I was a bit confused at the end ,, I will probably have to reread it . Omg the but friendships were so well done


Thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I did enjoy this book but not enough to recommend it. The premise is the main issue for me - with one impossible main detail (the letters - obviously there's just no way this can happen to someone). Maybe if the reveal was that a certain person was writing them all along, that could have worked. But this story line within an otherwise believable story with no explanation about the detail (how, why her??) it just didn't sit right with me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

The book captured my attention from the start and I was really into it for the first 70%, which is why I rounded up. But, and it's a big one, the ending really did not work for me. There was no chemistry between one of the couplings and where there was chemistry and some build up, we are left hanging without true resolution. There's also a twist that I didn't see coming and I really, truly didn't like the way the main character handled it. So be prepared to be really entertained and then suitably annoyed.

There will never be a Rebecca Serle novel that I don’t devour and absolutely LOVE. Her newest is definitely no exception.

Serle has such a unique storytelling style that links to some kind of magical realism world with extremely emotional undertones. Her books will always make you think about the world in a different way and I know I’m going to be reminiscing on this one for a long time to come.

Read if you like:
✨ magical realism
🖤 emotions
🐶 dogs
🥹 supportive parents

Daphne is experiencing a sort of life lottery. A premonition involving her love interests.

Slips of paper/postcards appear with dates. New man = new paper with an "expiration date" of how long their relationship will last.

She tries to navigate how to handle this situation. Is it something good or a curse? Where oh where will destiny take her?

If you enjoy some magical realism, this is an interesting premise. There were some emotional and sweet moments that were cute, but not sure the chemistry felt right and the flow was also a bit slow for my taste.

Thanks to NG for my arc. OUT on March 19,2024