This is only my second book by this author, but I love everything about her writing. The story flows so easily that I just wanted it to go on forever. The touch of the magical without stepping over into PNR makes it a completely delightful read. Daphne had moments where I didn't completely love her... and then that shoe dropped, and I was all in for the journey. While it may seem that everything is predetermined, sometimes you need to follow your heart to something truly magical.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is a love letter to women on their journey to fall in love. It read like a comforting hug that I devoured in less than a day.

Rebecca Serle’s writing is filled with magic and warmth that I can’t find from other authors. Her story’s all have deep messages about life while still managing to be quick reads.

There are no notes for Expiration Dates. I thought it was absolutely perfect with the Acknowledgements being the perfect epilogue. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I cheered and feared for Daphne. And the twist!!!

Pick this one up in March. This will absolutely be one of my top books of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Artia Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Expiration Dates does not have an earth-shatteringly unique premise. It doesn't have twists that will make you gasp. But somehow Rebecca Serle never fails to capture my interest and keep me coming back for more.

Maybe it's her familiar main characters - I feel like I know them, or that I can relate. Daphne is an intelligent, kind, and hardworking person who I care about right away. Her life seems similar to mine and she does things I would do (most of the time).

Maybe it's the familiar plot lines, with a unique. magical twist. Daphne is single and not worried about it. She doesn't feel a lot of drama about her dating life, but it turns out, that's because she gets notes with each guy's name and the length of time he'll be in her life. This allows her to understand in advance how much to invest, and she's rarely surprised when the relationship ends.

Maybe it's Daphne's awesome best friend, who just happens to be a guy. I've always had guy best friends, so this aspect of the story resonated. Hugo is brash, successful, busy, and kind of a player, but you can see his affection for Daphne right away.

I won't give any of the twists away but, you'll see them coming if you pay attention. I enjoy Serle's handling of situations of family crisis - hard times like these come to everyone eventually, but they are treated with so much heart and love that I can't help but enjoy reading about them. If you liked In Five Years or One Italian Summer, I recommend you pick up Expiration Dates!

***Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved Rebecca Serle’s book “In Five Years” and was so excited to have the opportunity to read this ARC! Thanks @netgalley and @atriabooks!!
I loved Rebecca’s writing and how she gave us glimpses of Daphne’s past and present life. Daphne’s story was at times sad and I felt badly for her that she carried such a large weight constantly by not telling anyone of her heart condition. I’m glad she was able to open up to her friends at the end of the book and become more comfortable being herself. I loved her friendship with Hugo and I hope that one day we get to read more of their story!!

As a fan of Rebecca Serle, I've come to expect certain things from her books: a little magic and a lot of heartbreak. Check and check: Expiration Dates fits the mold. Quite like In Five Years and One Italian Summer, the book starts off with a character I just can't gel with; there is something a tad unlikeable about Daphne. But, like the other books, as this moved along, I found myself liking her more and understanding her. A couple of twists were thrown in and toward the end of the book, I actually took a pause to think about what was really happening and what I would do. I think that's the trademark of a good book. Even though I enjoyed it and thought the premise was wildly creative, it did lack a little something that I just can't quite put my finger on. In the end, I think Irina turned out to be my favorite character.

I was immediately excited about this book because of its fun unique premise but unfortunately I hated it pretty much immediately. The author has written a very pretentious inside LA type of book. I have no idea if the many restaurants are real but there is a boring litany of descriptions of places that is absolutely unnecessary. It’s especially ironic when she’s actually attempting to write a book with depth. Be warned this is absolutely not a fun romantic book with magic. This is very much a book about a single woman coming to terms with herself. About the only moving part was her relationship with her father. I absolutely loathe when the descriptions do not match up and that is absolutely the case with this book and what the blurb and cover have you thinking this book is.

I read In Five Years and went into it excited about reading a fun book with a unique premise but even though it was not at all what I expected the writing won me over in spite of its flaws. Unfortunately that is not at all the case here. This book feels like a huge step back from the way the other much older novel was written.

Overall, I enjoyed this read- however, the beginning was a little slower than I would have liked but I’m glad I stuck to it.

My favorite Rebecca Serle book! Loved the concept for this plot & enjoyed the different chapters of past relationships. Daphne is a great character that I’d absolutely want to be friends with. Wish the ending had a little more to it, but overall really enjoyed it.

I've read a couple of her books before, and I must say this one is the one I disliked out of them all. I found the story dragging and the previous ex boyfriends overall did not make a difference with her story other then when she developed the heart condition symptoms. I liked it was a quick and easy read, just wasn't for me.

Overall, this one landed on a solid 3.5 stars for me. I enjoyed it and read it fully in one day, but it wasn’t a favorite. In Expiration Dates, we see Rebecca Serle’s writing and how it is absolutely immersive and really places you into the story/story setting, which was my favorite part of her previous work, One Italian Summer. Unfortunately, Expiration Dates left me wanting more than we got, especially towards the end of the book. I understand the message that Serle was trying to portray, but for me the execution just wasn’t there. I did enjoy getting to know Daphne, however I felt like we only got the tip of the iceberg with her and that there was room for a deeper dive into her growth, journey, etc.

On a side note, I’m disappointed that we never figured out who or what or how Daphne was receiving the expiration date notes all these years. Did I miss this in the story? I just feel a little confused and I’m left a little sad, to be completely honest. I did enjoy the story and the premise is super unique and intriguing, but overall this just didn’t play out the way that I thought it would’ve/wanted it to!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have read a couple of this authors books now. Hey writing really gives a lighthearted feel, but smacks you with such emotion! I really enjoy her writing. This one can be added to the list of greatness.

Rebecca Serle's latest novel, Expiration Dates, has the heart, romance, small bit of magic, and of course emotional devastation we've come to expect from Serle. The universe seems to have a plan for Daphne Bell, every time she gets a new boyfriend, she receives a piece of paper with the name of the man and the length of the relationship. Three days, five weeks, six months- she is able to go into relationship with a finite amount of time predestined. Until she receives a paper with just the name Jake- no time line. Does this mean Jake is the one? Daphne leans on her friend Kendra, boss Irina, and ex-boyfriend Hugo as she enters this new relationship and discovers if this could last forever. Set in Los Angeles, which becomes a character in itself, Expiration Dates will leave you crying and smiling.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A nice little romantic ditty about fate vs freewill. As always, add one magical twist. A solidly enjoyable read.

Anytime I read a Rebecca Serle novel, I know I’m going to be transported and experience unexpected layers of depth and whimsy. Expiration Dates does exactly that. A touch of magical realism, compelling characters, and fun twists mean this isn’t your cookie cutter romance novel, and I am so grateful for it. I love the creative risks, the nuanced emotions, and the crisp, clear prose. That all makes anything by Rebecca Serle an auto-read for me.

Thank you to Atria Books for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.

This book was a quick read but I wish it had a little something more. I enjoyed the premise and the characters but I wish there was a tad more to the book to keep you interested and turning the page.

In “Expiration Date,” Daphne, the first person narrator, has received mysterious notes with the name of a man and the length of time her relationship with each one will last. The duration of the relationships range in length from a day, a few weeks, a few months and a few years. Then she receives a note with the name “Jake,” a blind date she has been set up with by a friend, with no “expiration date.” She is mystified by this sudden change in the notes’ content, and can only surmise that Jake is “the one.”

The novel goes back and forth in time, describing the various relationships and their endings, which always correspond exactly with the time specified in the notes. During the present time frame, Daphne describes her developing relationship with Jake, with whom she feels comfortable and safe. She also has a continuing friendship with Hugo, who had been her boy friend until their relationship reached it’s “expiration date.” Halfway through the book, a sudden revelation about Daphne sheds more light on the title of the book.

The narration draws you in with its elegant prose, (including beautiful descriptions of Los Angeles and the surrounding area), the great dialog, and the well drawn characters. Although this wasn’t a thriller, I couldn’t put the book down and ended up finishing it in one day. I have read all of Rebecca Serle’s previous books and loved them, so I was gratified that this book was also delightful. I highly recommend this book for those who like a well-written book with a hint of magical realism, and appealing characters.

The concept of this one was really unique. Daphne has the ability to know how long each of her relationships is going to last. When she receives a piece of paper with a name but no time, does that mean he’s her forever?…

There was an aspect of the plot that I felt came out of nowhere, was king of random, and didn’t really contribute to the overall story. It was still an enjoyable read, though!

this one was interesting. it took awhile to get into it. it had so much potential but fell a bit flat in my opinion. character development was nonexistent and springing a major thing at the 70% mark and making it basically the while book from there until the end felt odd?

thank you netgalley for the ARC!!

Thank you Atria books for the advance copy of Expiration Dates.

Rebecca Searle’s books are transformative and Expiration Dates is no exception. I loved following Daphne and she explored various relationships through the lens of time. Searle’s character development was phenomenal and I felt like I was reading about friends of mine. I couldn’t but the book down and did not expect the outcome at all!

Daphne knows how long each of her new relationships will last, every time she meets her next boyfriend, she receives a piece of paper with their name on it and a time frame indicating how long the relationship will last. Some only last a few days, while there have been some that lasted several months. When Daphne meets Jake she receives her note with his name, but this one is different, there is no timeline indicated. This leaves Daphne to wonder if she finally found the person she is meant to be with.

The book alternates between Daphnes current relationship with Jake and showing her previous relationships. One of Daphnes previous relationships was with Hugo, who is now her best friend. As you see her current relationship grow with Jake, you see a lot of her relationship with Hugo and how theirs ended. Daphne has always believed that the notes were a sign and to help guide her. As the book progresses Daphne begins to question whether the notes really determine her next relationship or whether things should be left up to fate. I really enjoyed the friendship between Daphne and Hugo and how much support he offers her throughout the book.

This was a quick, fun read with some interesting revelations along the way.