I'll start by saying I adore Rebecca Serle. Everything I've read has been a 5 STAR. Eventually, all streaks must come to an end.The book itself was well-written. It had beautiful details and it was creative. I think the pacing just threw it off and made the excitement and romance go down. Unfortunately I felt like there wasn’t chemistry between any of the characters.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of Expiration Dates.

I just finished reading the book and immediately hugged my Kindle. What a beautiful story. Daphne sure did go on a quest to finally figure out that she needed to love herself and enjoy the life that she has, no matter how long that life may be. I really enjoyed the magical realism aspect of the book where she received paper and notes about how long each relationship should be. There were a couple of twists that I did not see coming- her having a heart condition that could kill her at any time and the fact that Hugh was the one that wrote the timeline (blank space) of her and Jack's relationship. That last one stopped me dead in my tracks while I was reading. WHOA.
It ended perfectly and I will definitely recommend this to coworkers and book friends.

"Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle caught me by surprise. I anticipated a curious and sweet story with a magical element. I anticipated light and cute. I did not anticipate the raw truths, the gutting depths. This is a story that will stay with me. In fact, I finished this book in the early hours of the morning and woke up (bleary-eyed) a few hours later, still thinking about it.

Serle weaves through Daphne's life and her relationships, unraveling her story and unveiling her history through little flashback retellings from years' past. While I tend to be very intuitive as a reader and quick to accurately predict plot twists, Serle kept me just enough in the dark that I didn't have everything figured out until she revealed it to me. I loved that.

Having lived in LA until I was 26, this book also felt like a love letter to Southern California. Serle's descriptions capture the places, the lifestyle, the weather, the vibe, & the people of a place that will always feel like home to me. I loved visiting within the pages.

I am so eager to see this book hit bookshelves in March. It will certainly find a place on mine.

Thank you to #Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Rebecca Serle became a must-read author after her book In Five Years came out and I just loved her writing style and the connections she weaved with her words to her characters. I became emotionally invested. One Italian Summer was good but a tiny bit of a let down. It wasn't long enough and while her characters were still richly drawn and the emotions laid bare for the reader, I wanted more.
Then comes along Expiration Dates and I got an advance copy (thank you NetGalley and Rebecca Serle) and I've fallen in love all over again.

Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a Jake.

This sets up the premise that Daphne knows ahead of time going into each relationship that she has a limited amount of time with each one.. At times this expiration date allows her to easily move on knowing it was destiny or pre-designed. What we discover is that there is more to her story and she has a deeper reason for not being "all-in" for every relationship that she starts.

I can't get into all the different ways this book touched me without giving away too many of the layered plot points but suffice to say it was everything that I love about a well written book. Layers upon layers of feeling, questioning the universe and our hero and heroine are destined for one another and it takes some serious detours to find their way back to each other.
Thank you Rebecca for bringing me another book to add to my favorites list!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read this book! When I say I loved this book- it was such a good read! I loved the characters and the story. What a great concept- I love that Daphne grew so much and yet also remained true to herself. I can’t wait till this book comes out so I can keep a copy on my shelf.

I devoured this book and loved every page. It was such a unique premise - Daphne receives notes from the universe with a name and length of time and they directly correlate to her next relationship. It was such a fun idea and I often caught myself questioning if the notes were accurate because Daphne believed them to be truth or if they were actually destiny.

This is one of those romance novels that actually surprises you - or did for me anyway! There were many times I wasn't quite sure who the love interest was and there was a jaw dropping moment I totally wasn't expecting. I absolutely loved that this didn't follow the conventional love story arc - meet, fall in love, major blowout, reconnect. We've all read that before and I was waiting for the fight around 75% in and was pleasantly surprised to be surprised!

I couldn't put this book down. It's short, but not in a way that detracts from the story. It's a super quick read that you really could binge in one sitting if you have the luxury, I certainly wanted to! It kept me up late at night because I didn't want to put it down.

I really liked Daphne. She felt relatable but also a little mysterious. I like that she withheld information from the readers and that we slowly got to know her and unravel some of the tidbits we had learned.

Overall, I adored this book and definitely. It's a solid 4.5 stars and while I'm going with a 4 for now, if I'm still thinking about it this time next week, I'll probably round up!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the copy. This is one to pre-order for sure!

Daphne Bell is a 30 something, living in LA and working as a production assistant. However, all is not as it seems with her life, and every time she embarks on a new relationship, she receives a mysterious slip of paper with the name of her new romantic partner and a time frame, the length of time that her relationship will last. With this interesting premise, Expiration Dates presents an intriguing idea to the reader about seeking love and relationships, and how it might change you if you know how long it will last every time.
As the book opens, Daphne is going on a blind date with Jake, and receives a paper with no expiration time frame on it. The book then alternates between the current timeline as Daphne and Jake get to know each other and fall in love, with a mix of chapters about Daphne's previous failed relationships.
This book is very short at under 300 pages, and while seems to have an interested concept as the central idea to the plot, somehow it fizzled out and failed to live up to the potential of this premise. While I read it quickly, and overall *mostly* enjoyed this book, I was still left puzzled by the ending and confused by what message the author was trying to convey. From the other reviews I'm seeing, I am not the only one left feeling vaguely unsatisfied.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

This book took me through so many twists and turns with my heart. What an amazing book that shows the battles one faces when single but also when having their heart broken. I felt deeply connected to each of the characters and really enjoyed how the book flowed. I’d highly recommend this.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞

Omg!!! 🥹 I was not anticipating finishing this book over the weekend, but once I picked it up I could NOT put it down! I was so drawn in by this unique concept & the second I realized there were some magical realism elements, I was sold 😂👏🏼 thanks so much to @atriabooks for the gifted early copy of this one!

👍🏼: I absolutely loved the unique storyline of this book as Daphne’s love life seems to be controlled by the universe because every time she meets a new man, she receives a piece of paper telling her exactly how long they will be together or in her life. I loved Daphne’s journey and was also heartbroken by her situation, with a wild twist in the middle that I didn’t see coming. I also loved Daphne’s relationship with her best friend, Hugo & the history they shared 🥹 and the ending!!!!

👎🏼: okay speaking of the ending, I still don’t know how to feel! I have so many mixed feelings because I NEEDED MORE! @rebecca_serle please tell me there will be a sequel 😭

Overall, I definitely recommend checking this one out when it publishes on 3/19! The writing was beautiful & the story was a memorable one 👏🏼🫶🏼📚

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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#expirationdates #atriabooks #rebeccaserle #marchbookreleases #advancedreaderscopy #ARCreview #magicalrealism #romancebooks #fivestarbooks

Thank you NetGalley and The Publishers for this ARC unfortunately this is a DNF for Me. This was the first Book I've read by Rebecca Serle and was excited to read as I heard wonderful things from her previous works but it just fell flat.

The premise seemed very interesting but I was so bored and I gave up 50% of the way through. I found the book really slow and lacked character development. I mostly skimmed pages just to find something of Interest which turned out to be the dog.

This is my opinion and maybe be wonderful for others but just wasn't my cup of tea.
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Daphne is trying to find love...one note at a time. Boy, does this author know how to tell the story you think is being told, only to completely change it up on you. I found myself cheering on Daphne during this story. Sometimes being a little "broken" really changes your expectations.
I got Evelyn Hugo vibes in this story because of each relationship introduction. AND there was a Hugo in the story.
I'll always pick up a book if it has Rebecca Serle on the cover.

This is my third Rebecca Serle book and as with her others the idea was excellent and intriguing, but the ending left me frustrated and wanting more and not in a way I think authors want.

This book follows Daphne, a 33 year old, who lives in LA. Each time Daphne meets a man or goes on a date she receives a piece of paper that provides the name of the man and how long their time together will be. The premise of this story had so much to offer. Unfortunately, for the first 2/3 of the book I felt like the reader was kept at a distance from truly knowing Daphne. In the final 60 pages, there are two major twists which completely altered my perception of Daphne and the story and then it abruptly ends. I think there needed to be some reworking in how this story was told and I wish there had been 70-100 pages more. This was a great premise, but the pacing of the story and the plot twists really didn't work for me in their current form.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

I loved this Rebecca Serle novel, though it did feel like a “before” and “after” story. I love how she plays with magical realism in her novels and always treats her characters with kindness. Daphne’s romantic entanglements have always come with expiration dates. She receives a note before she begins dating someone with their name and the length of their relationship. Until Jake. Jake’s note has no expiration date. And she doesn’t want it to….but Daphne is complicated and so is her past. Can Jake take that on? Should he? This is a delicious vacation read—I read it in one sitting.

"Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle captivates with its unique blend of romance and magical realism. The author weaves a compelling narrative around the concept of knowing when relationships will end. Serle's prose is both enchanting and thought-provoking, making it a delightful read. The characters are well-developed, and the exploration of love and its complexities is both heartwarming and poignant. While the pacing is solid, a few predictable moments slightly detract from the overall impact. However, I also wish Jake and Daphne’s relationship had a bit more depth to it. Nevertheless, the book's inventive premise and emotional depth make it an enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and Aritia for sending me this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rebecca Serle did not disappoint with her latest novel, Expiration Dates. I’ve really enjoyed all of her books and the unique twist she brings to a plot. This one was no different!

This book blindsided me in the best way possible! In this unique storyline, Daphne’s love life being controlled by the universe, or so she thinks! She receives slips of paper at random with the name and specific time frame in which she will date someone.

Much like Rebecca’s other novels, this one leaves you guessing throughout and although I don’t want to spoil anything you should definitely find out for yourself!

Romance with magic realism? Yes please! Honestly, it did take a while for me to get into the story, but Daphne eventually won me over.

“Expiration Dates” will make you kick your feet in the air while squealing, but also make you cry. It’ll make you question whether knowing the timeline of a relationship is a good insight or terrible timing… buckle up because each slip of paper pulls your heartstrings a little more. Is Mr. Right that's on the paper actually the right man for Daphne? I enjoyed this book!

3.5 ⭐️s rounded up
I was super excited to receive an advanced copy of this book and couldn’t wait to dive into it! The premise of knowing the “expiration date” of relationships before they even begin seemed like an interesting concept.

The first part of this story was slow and a bit all over the place for me. We meet Daphne, Hugo (her ex and now best friend), and Jake, who appears to possibly be “the one” as his magical slip of paper has no end date. Throughout the first half-ish of the book the timeline flip flops between the present, the timeframe when she met and dated Hugo, her friendship with Hugo in the present, as well as flashbacks to several relationships she’s already had with expiration dates. I just found this part of the book slow and a bit hard to follow.

Once the story focuses in on just the present it started to grab my interest and pick up for me. There was a twist to Daphne’s story that was revealed in the second half that added new issues to her relationship dilemmas. I felt like it also became the new focus of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read for the most part. Although I wish it would’ve been more linear. I was also hoping for more of an emotional connection, more depth, more something….

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity. Publication date 3/19/

I enjoyed reading this story, but I do feel like it was a bit too predictable for my liking. I had a hard time completely finishing to be honest.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I was intrigued by the premise of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle, but overall the book fell flat for me. I contemplated dnf-ing the book a few times, and I don’t know if I’m glad that I opted to finish it instead.

Pros:

- I love the way the author writes about LA. I think she authentically captures the essence of Southern California.
- The postcard / expiration date concept reminds me of that one black mirror episode!

Cons:

- I didn’t feel invested enough in Daphne and her story
- It was hard for me to get through the book

Spoilers:

I feel like as soon as Hugo was introduced, it didn’t take much to guess how the rest of the story was gonna go. Daphne and Hugo clearly care deeply for each other and are meant to be together, which made it hard to read through the rest of her relationships.

The plot twist that Hugo actually faked Jake’s note was a pretty interesting reveal.