This was such a great book. I love that there is always a touch of magical realism in all of Serle's novels. I think the characters in this book were very likeable and even the ones that were questionable ended up turning out to be good people. Definitely not a typical rom-com (which I love) but even better.

Rebecca Serle can do no wrong! EXPIRATION DATES was another hit for me from this auto-buy author. Her stories always have an unexpected twist that'll tug at your heartstrings. I'll never forget this beautiful story and super unique concept!

Each time Daphne gets a new boyfriend, she also gets something extra--a note that tells her exactly how long her relationship will last. Each new man comes with an expiration date. But when she meets Jake, the note is blank. Is Daphne destined to be with Jake forever? Expiration Dates unfolds as a typical romance, with the "is this the one" question dangling in the back of the reader's mind, complicated by a secret that Daphne holds. Serle writes lovely romance fiction, lighthearted and easy to read. A decent quick end to a 2023 year of books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Author Rebecca Serle is so so good at taking a universal life event, adding a touch of magical realism, and spinning that period of life for the central character around and watching what happens next. As readers, we can’t help but join in wonder, really, as the characters respond to the sudden weirdness in normal ways and seek to set their world right again, with hope and renewal. In EXPIRATION DATES, the main character, Daphne, receives advance notice about paramours and the exact amount of time they will have with her. Yes, months, days and hours are spelled out for her in advance. We can’t help but wonder what else might be going on in Daphne’s life that is also carefully calibrated in units of time. This is a short and sweet book that packs a punch; Daphne’s single life and attempts at romance will strike a chord with everyone who has ever searched for love and meaning in companionship. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

This was a solid romance novel, but typical Rebecca Serle style - not my favorite of her books, but yet I found myself turning those pages to see what would happen with Daphne and her love life.

Rebecca Serle fans with adore and devour this!

Speculative romance with a twist.

For over 20 years, Daphne Bell has received slips of paper that tell her the duration of that relationship. Until one night when the paper simply says "Jake." Is Jake her final and true love?

Loved this story, although I knew I would because Rebecca is one of my favorite authors. You can’t help but get hooked on the first page. Daphne steals your heart and her story is captivating! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. .

Thank you for giving me the chance to read & review this story! It was so great! I adored the perfect detail descriptions of Los Angeles. The characters were lovely, and I will always appreciate Jewish representation. This was a fantastic story, and I'm so glad I was able to read & review it! Thank you!

I raced through this book in a day- my first book for 2024! I’ve enjoyed all of Rebecca Serle’s books and although fantasy elements and illness topics are not my favorite things, Serle writes in a way that works for me. The characters are believable (although most women only wish they had all the great dates Daphne has!) and the plot draws you in. Atria will publish this book on March 19th- go get it!

From the author of In Five Years, a new delightful story that’s a creative and unique take on romance novels. Searle is an expert at writing novels with emotional depth.

The main protagonist Daphne is searching for love. The twist - every time she meets someone special, she knows exactly when the relationship will end. While the story is about finding love, there are many insightful views about life and the delightful, messy and crazy journey. Expiration Dates is full of romantic, emotional and tender moments that fans associate with Rebecca Searle novels.

This page turner should definitely be added to your pile for 2024 books!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. I’ve read Rebecca Serle before and that made me very excited to read this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy to read love story. I read it in less than 24 hours!

The premise is completely unique and left me guessing right to the end. So many times with “beach reads” the ending seems a foregone conclusion right from the beginning! Not the case here! Plenty of twists and turns with surprises along the way.

Part of me wanted to learn the origin of these papers Daphne received, but by the end you realize that’s not the point. I was ok with not knowing because of how everything was tied together in the end.

Serle’s style is engaging and makes you feel you are right there watching it happen. This was one of those books you read and imagine who the actors would be in the movie version. It’s not a book that makes you question your world view. Rather, it’s an enjoyable story that will make you feel all the emotions! I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Every time Daphne gets into a romance, a mysterious piece of paper shows up with the guy’s name and the exact length of time the relationship will last. Some are “one night”, others are “two years one week”… but then she gets a piece of paper with the name “Jake”… and no expiration date. Her best friend (Hugo, formerly Mr. Three Months) is the only one she’s ever told about the notes, and the two of them dissect what this means. I loved that the plot reminded me of one of my favorite Black Mirror episodes (an electronic device decides how long you’ll be together as it gets closer to finding your perfect match). My only complaint would be that some of the characters felt a little bit flat at first, but some big twists throughout the plot made it a lot more interesting and helped flesh out the characters. The ending was rather open-ended, which is a style I don’t like, but it did fit this plot nicely and didn’t feel too unsettling.

This was my first Rebecca Serle book and I really loved it! It reminded me a lot of the concept of the Black Mirror episode, “Hang in he DJ” - each relationship having an expiration date and knowing beforehand. I loved the back and forth between the different previous relationships and I also really loved Jake and Hugo ugh 😣 I am so excited to read more of Rebecca’s books!

Gosh what a read!
Both saccharin and sweet and so painful and heavy wrapped into one.
I felt the flow was awkward or somehow disjointed at moments with Daphne not seeming like a cohesive character but by the end, I think it worked for the story. I really liked the characters and the plot and there were some fantastic twists. Loved the themes and how they were handled.

Rebecca, girl, WOW! This book is a must for your 2024 TBR! I am obsessed with this story, the characters, I need more. Absolute 5 star read you will not want to out down.

Serle’s writing is unexpected and fun and deep, all at once. This book was no exception. So, so good.

This is the third book I’ve read by Rebecca Serle, and I really love her writing style. It’s detailed, warm, cozy, draws out emotion, and she makes it easy for the reader to visualize the scenes. I also enjoy the magical realism.

I read Expiration Dates in one sitting. It was an engaging story with a unique concept, it pulled on the heartstrings, and included a couple of twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming. Overall, this is an enjoyable read with a good lesson.

****POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD****

I really enjoyed the book, and my only gripe is that the ending was a little sudden and I was left wanting more - a little more Jake, definitely more Hugo and Daphne, and what came after. I generally dislike “fast forward” endings and endings left open to the readers’ interpretation. (What happened during the 16 months we skipped over? Where do Hugo and Daphne end up?)

Thank you Rebecca Serle, NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars.

Rebecca Serle has been added to my list of auto buy authors. I very much enjoyed this original concept romance novel where the main character, Daphne, finds out at the beginning of all of her relationships exactly how long the relationship will last. This novel isn’t a silly romance. Daphne is challenged with living her life cautiously versus living her life to the fullest due to some life issues. Enjoyed that the characters communicated directly and there weren’t any silly, easy to clarify misunderstandings that carried on for multiple chapters.

Rebecca's books always have a touch of magical realism which I really enjoy. This one is about the search for love and realizing it's not always what you expect. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say there were some great surprises and it was a fun read!

Rebecca Serle is writing women's fiction in a way that no one else is currently writing them. They're romantic, funny, sweeping, and just really great. Expiration Dates ended exactly the way I expected it to but I still couldn't put it down.