I really enjoyed this book at first. I think the notes were such a fun, unique plot that could have made this a really good story. However, the author’s first big “twist” totally took the attention away from the notes which was disappointing. I felt like the two main men in this story were both so flat and underdeveloped. The alternating timelines didn’t flow well throughout the whole book, making it seem choppy. Finally, I was SO annoyed about the big reveal with Jake’s note. How would she not be able to tell???
I loved the author’s other books, so my high expectations made me feel very critical of this one. It’s still a fun quick read, just not quite what I expected.

I really enjoyed this book. I love Rebecca Serle’s style of writing and have read a bunch of her other books before this.

Daphne believes the universe has a plan for her. She receives pieces of paper each time she meets a new man with their name and a length of time on it indicating how long they will be together. As the story goes on we find things out about Daphne that most people do not know. She begins to doubt the meaning of Jake’s paper and tries to figure out what she wants out of her life.

This novel is emotional, passionate and even heartbreaking, but is so wonderfully done! I really enjoyed it! You should definitely add this to your “To Be Read” list. Releases March 19th! Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy! 😃

I was sad when this book was over. I was sucked in and obsessed within the first few pages! The book was detailed but not annoyingly detailed, just the right amount!!

I LOVED this book - read it all today- could not stop until it was done and now am sad that it is over. Bravo Rebecca Serle! I loved In Five Years and One Italian Summer. And this was my favorite one yet!! I love the combination of magical realism and romance.

This book tells the story of Daphne- who receives a note at the start of every romantic relationship with the timing of how long it will last. Super intriguing premise. The author gives us a beautiful story about friendship and love. There are some plot twists that I didn’t see coming and I wasn’t sure how the book was going to end until I actually got there. I loved it!!! Highly recommend!!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I will be recommending it to one and all!

Thank you to Simon and Shuster and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I knew it was a 5 star read for me instantly.

I instantly liked Daphne. The dual timelines were fun and kept me up late reading.

I wanted to read it right away because of the gorgeous cover and because it is by Rebecca Searle.

I enjoyed the Los Angeles setting. Searle did a great job describing locations and making the reader feel there.

My favorite line from the book: “Wasn’t the hardest part of heartache the unpredictability?”

5 stars!

I would like to thank Atria Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I always enjoy Rebecca Serle's novels. They all have that bit of magical realism/ romantasy that makes them special. This one is no different. Daphne receives messages when she dates someone new- a note with the man's name and a time frame-3 weeks, 8 days , 1 night etc. That is the end date, the expiration date if you will of the relationship. Then , just before her first date with Jake, she get a note-the name Jake, but nothing else. Is this the man she will marry? The story is told in 2 time lines. The present day , where she dates Jake and looks at him as her potential "Happily Ever After",and past time line, which details her previous romances, expiration dates and endings. Jake seems like a great guy, fun caring and honest. So is he the man for Daphne? The story is well told and the characters well written.
We meet Daphne's parents, her boss Irina, her friends Kendra and Hugo. Hugo is an old boyfriend, one whose romance ended after 3 months. He and Daphne are still close and spend time together on a regular basis. Hugo is the only one who knows about the letters with the romantic end dates. He is there for Daphne, until Jake becomes more of a presence in her life. This is an intriguing story , and one which really had me guessing. There are 2 major plot twists- one about halfway through and one towards the end. I didn't see either one coming!

Expiration Dates is one of the most unique and deeply authentic depictions about the search for love. Our main character, Daphne, is determined to find love against all odds, even if she is typically the one leading the the self-sabotaging train. What makes this story so unique is that throughout her entire dating life (yes, even elementary school flings), Daphne receives a mysterious post card that says a guys name and a length of time, dictating the amount of time she will be with said guy. At the beginning of this book, Daphne receives a letter with a guys name on it with no expiration date. Is this finally him? Her soul mate?

There were so many twists in this book that I did not see coming. They all made me go back and look at different parts of the story through a different lens. Daphne has kept a huge secret from most of the people in her life for a decade and as she comes to terms with that part of her life in this book..... you can't help but just want to hug her. Are you living or are you dying?

There are so many bigger topics and message at play here that Daphne uncovers throughout her journey- it's a matter of taking charge of your own life with your career, friends, family, love, etc.. Is it better to go into a relationship knowing when the end will come or is better to just let everything play out organically? Does knowing the end is coming, cause her to push them away? Can fate be changed?

This book resonated with me in a way I wasn't expecting. I am completely attached to Daphne and her journey and hope she gets her happily ever after.

"With Hugo it felt a little like I’d won a prize—but one that I was always in danger of losing."

“If something isn’t working, change it. Keep changing it until it works"

"The truth is hard. It’s complicated. It does not always follow a simple structure. It is not always convenient. That’s why sometimes we do our best to leave it out of the story for as long as possible. We choose to let it linger in the corners, we don’t spotlight it. But eventually, it catches up to us. Of course it does."

"Hugo crosses his arms. When he looks at me, his gaze is dead center. “You have to stop believing the worst in everyone. Fuck, Daphne. You have to stop believing the worst in yourself.”"

“But the thing is, Daphne. No one’s time is promised. Not yours. Not Mom’s. Not mine. Not Jake’s. It’s just the way it is. We are all dying. Every day. And at some point it becomes a choice. Which one are you going to do today? Are you living or are you dying?”

My only complaint is that I wanted more... the story is very well developed, but that ending made me need MORE. Rebecca Serle's author note, did leave me to believe we may be getting more to the story & if so, I can't wait!

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for this arc. I really liked the premise of a single woman who mysteriously receives notes with her dates name and the amount of time they will be together. What I love about Rebecca Serle’s books are they focus in the main character yes, there are side romances and friendships but the development of the MC makes RS a go to author for me.

I've loved Rebecca Serle's work for a long time, but she really blew it out of the water with Expiration Dates. Swoony and funny, while also being a really interesting meditation on relationships. I really enjoyed following these characters, and I didn't see the twist coming. This might be her best yet. I'll be shouting this one from the rooftops when it comes out.

I recently watched "Embrace Love in the New Year: A Heartfelt Conversation with Rebecca Serle" and I knew I had to read her new novel coming out in March 2024.

I liked the concept of how Daphne recieves a letter of when the relationship will expire. It was unique. The novel was filled with a wide rage of emotions, yet it all made me feel connected and itching to know what will happen next. Especially the last 35% of the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Expiration Dates!

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

I am giving this one a 3.75 stars-it held my attention, was a quick read, and I enjoyed it! The “plot twist” in this book definitely through me off and at first felt very random, but I think by the end it helped to add perspective to Daphne’s choices! I’d recommend this one!

This was a fun read! The plot was not like something I have read before and I loved learning more about Daphne throughout the book. I was rooting for Hugo the entire book. This was more emotional than I predicted but I thought it was a good addition to the book. This is my new favorite book by Rebecca Serle!

Thank you SO much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

If I wasn’t a huge fan of Rebecca Serle, I am now!

Expiration Dates is a lovely story about a young woman, Daphne, who, for most of her adult life, receives notes telling her how long she will be in a relationship with someone. She goes through life and love knowing this information, which makes her keep her guard up and never really let anyone in until she meets Jake. His note didn’t come with an expiration date. Did she finally meet the One? Or is she telling herself this because of what the note said? Follow Daphne on her journey to love - love for her self and love for others.

It’s a sweet story about finding true love. It had some surprises to it that I didn’t see coming that helps give the story a little more depth than your average romance. It has a touch of magical realism with the notes that Daphne gets that tells her, who will be her next relationship will be and how long they will be together but it doesn’t really explore too much into that. The story is very steeped in LA and that’s fun. For me it was a little predictable, a little saccharine but I think if you like the romance genre your would enjoy this book. It’s enjoyable.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This was an interesting concept. Is it better to know that a relationship has an end date or let it play out organically? Daphne gets random notes when she meets men that she's going to date that tell her how long the relationship will last. Daphne also has a heart condition that she also lets dictate her decisions. The story takes place in the present day, but flashes back to previous relationships with their expiration dates. Currently, she has her best friend and ex bf Hugo and a date her friend set her up with, Jake. For the first time, she receives a note with just a name and no expiration date. Convinced that this person is the one, the relationship forces itself forward. Jake is a great guy and I truly felt for him. He was already a widower and an overall sweet guy. Daphne didn't disclose her heart condition to him until they were already moving in together. That wasn't fair to him, although he was understanding and didn't flinch. They didn't seem to have chemistry, but Jake loved her enough to keep the relationship going as long as it did. They got engaged and Hugo confesses to writing Jake's note. The original note said 3 weeks and wanted to prove to Daphne that she was letting this dictate her life. He was still in love with her and their 3 months wasn't enough. She didn't tell him about the heart condition either and she broke up with him when she told him and he hesitated to know how to react, which honestly is fair since she didn't tell him and then lied when she had surgery. I was a little surprised with the ending because I thought it was headed in a different direction, but I still enjoyed this read. This wasn't my first book by the author and it won't be the last.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book and I'm providing my honest review.

I love the magical realism that Serle works into her books - imagine getting a slip of paper with an end date every time you met a new love interest? This feels both liberating and paralyzing to Daphne, who is also grappling with a pretty heavy secret beyond the mysterious slips of paper. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, although I wish it were a bit longer and dug deeper into some of her relationships and developed other characters further.

Daphne Bell is a single woman who is looking for that special someone. Sounds pretty normal right?.... Not so fast!

Each time Daphne meets a new man she receives a slip of paper with his name as well as the exact number of days that they will spend together. Whether it's Noah in San Francisco, Martin in Paris, or Hugo who eventually became her best friend- Daphne always knows exactly who and how long to expect. Until her blind date in LA with Jake, the only man without an expiration date...

This was a really fun read! I loved the unique concept of the story and it kept me totally invested on Daphne and Jake's relationship and how it would play out. The unexpected twists kept me turning those pages and of course I'm ALWAYS a sucker for a little magical realism!

*Thank you so much Atria Books, NetGalley, and Rebecca Serle for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

GoodReads Review Posted: 1/27/24-https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6211471288
IG Review to be posted: 1/31/24-https://www.instagram.com/the_books_we_love_/

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review!

I really really liked this book! The storyline was so original and grabbed my interest right away. It’s a little bit of a slower read and a slowwwww burn and I would of liked a little more to the ending but all and all I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend!

This is such a cute romance with a unique premise. It ended up being more emotional than I anticipated. It was a little bit predictable toward the end, but it was so sweet I didn’t mind. If you’ve enjoyed Rebecca Serle’s other books, I think you’d enjoy this one as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.