With Rebecca Serle's books, I have one of two emotions. I'm either deeply moved and adore it, or I feel entirely 'meh' about it. 'Expiration Dates' sits firmly in that second camp.

Despite an ambitious concept, this novel never really gets off the ground. It doesn't move. Chapters start giving you deja vu as they dive between detailing some of Daphne's previous relationships and present day ones that follow a 'we went here, we ate this, we drank that, we talked, quick cut to black'. Despite the depth this novel could give, it never quite manages to get beneath the surface. It tries, throwing plenty of drama at you, but it doesn't feel...necessary. It didn't make me empathise anymore with a character who has spent her life dumping people because a magical piece of paper told her to.

I'm also realising that ALL of Serle's protaganists, in all four of her previous novels, are identical. They're messy thirty-somethings who don't have their lives together and have to go on some magical journey to work out that they want a conventional heterosexual romance with someone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's all getting a bit...same-y.

Do you know who I felt most upset for? Jake. The guy thought he was getting the romance of a lifetime, he'd been through so much crap in his life - and for a reason I didn't fully believe, especially with how the book ended - he had another awful moment to go through.

I kept waiting for something to happen and it just...didn't. You can probably guess the ending from the beginning of the novel - you know where it's going to go, you've just got to slog through 300 pages first. For a book that prattles on for paragraphs about depth and abstract concepts, 'Expiration Dates' is surprisingly immature.

‘Expiration Dates’ by Rebecca Serle tells the story of Daphne - a smart and likeable woman, whose relationships are totally relatable but not really like everybody else’s… at the start of any new fling or romantic entanglement, she receives a slip of paper with their name and an expiration date. Therefore, she enters every relationship with her eyes wide open to the fact that it will end.

As the book begins, we learn that she finally received a name with no expiration date… how do you begin a great love affair when you know on Day 1 that they are unequivocally The One? Daphne is keeping secrets from her suitor, including the existence of the notes, and as they unravel, the latter half of the book has some unexpected developments.

This novel explores love and loss exquisitely through its interesting and unique premise. Told across the present day and the past - with flashbacks to the key events of Daphne’s prior relationships, however long or short - the tale is well woven and compelling.

At the end, you’ll be left with questions and wonderings about just how much of life really is predetermined and whether “knowing” is a blessing or a curse.

Giving this one a thought-provoking, engrossing four stars. This book will stay with me a long time!

3.75 stars
As a fan of In Five Years and One Italian Summer, I was very excited to see what Rebecca Serle did next.
This had an interesting concept, even if it was never explained, which felt like a bit of a wasted opportunity.
I would have loved to find out what was causing Daphne to receive the notes.
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, after reading the blurb, either.
It deals with a lot of heavy themes, such as chronic illness and the effect that it can have on every area of the person's life and the lives of their loved ones.
I felt zero chemistry between Daphne and Jake. Even his name is pretty unremarkable.
Daphne wasn't the most likeable either, at times. And Hugo didn't really develop all that much either.
I liked the flashbacks of Daphne's previous relationships and how long they had lasted.
And I did come away with the message of making the most of life and not letting anything hold you back, as tomorrow isn't promised.
Even though it did have a magical element, I didn't really feel any of the magic that I had in her earlier two books, sadly.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was curious about this one as the premise sounded great, but it didn't really meet my expectations! It was a super quick read but didn't always grab me.

This didn't have the breathtaking quality of her other books (I have read them all), but I am still an avid Serle fan and continue to be.

Serle still writes realistic storylines with a (not so seemingly far-fetched) magical streak.

I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Expiration Dates is a great concept for a book - one which initially fired my imagination and intrigued me; although I’m not sure whether knowing how long a relationship will last at the outset, would be a blessing or a curse. The story flicks between Daphne’s past and present relationships, which gives context and adds some interest to the story; although I think the Author misses a trick, in not exploring the mystery of the letters and their origin. This is a steady read - perhaps not as compelling as it could be, but there are a couple of surprising twists, which keep it interesting. The story does end very abruptly - it could do with just a little bit more, to finish it off nicely, but overall this is an easy, lighthearted read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books for allowing me to get an early copy of the book, which is out on March 5, 2024.

I feel a bit bamboozled by the summary and cover and general promotion of this book. I feel like it's advertised as a light, sweet romance with an edge of fantasy, but really it holds a lot of deeper themes about loss and chronic health conditions that I was not prepared for.

I enjoyed reading this book and being able to delve into romance and relationships. Definitely recommend it.

I loved the structure of the book. The concept of the notes telling how long each relationship will last is a trope I really liked. The book all in all is not as light and frothy as the cover portrays it.