This book was a sweet surprise. Daphne is searching for love. But this isn’t your typical love story. Daphne knows, through serendipitous and mysterious notes she receives, how long a relationship will last from the very start. This book is heartfelt, agonizing, funny, sad, and beautiful. I loved the variety of characters and how the stories all tied together. I found this book hard to put down and I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what happened.

I have liked Rebecca Serle's other books, they are sweet and have a little magical quality to them.
However, I just could not get into this one. It was too far fetched to have a slip of paper mysteriously appear each time she met a guy, telling her how the relationship would last. Really? As if the universe only cared about her particular well being. It just felt trite to be told that you have to treasure and learn from each relationship you have, because you don't know which one will last.

I liked the premise of this book. A woman receives note with n the names of men and the length their relationship will last. I love the extra aspect of magical realism. With the being the premise I was a little confused on the way the author ended the story. All in all, a nice book about expectations, fate, and sacrifice. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From Atria Books: Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. 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 name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.
*************************
My review: Like all Rebecca Serle books this one is riveting. You think you know what's happening but you're never quite right. A little mystery that borders on the supernatural and spiritual, friendship, and some love make this book intriguing. Daphne always feels she's on borrowed time, and in more than one sense she is. Is it better to make the most of the time you have, or to hold back so there's less pain? It's an excellent question and Daphne doesn't seem sure of the answer.
Hugo and Kendra and Irina play important friendship parts and they each offer Daphne something different: the what was, the what could be, and the why the heck not? Like all her novels, Serle keeps you guessing and wondering and needing to know what will happen. I started reading and suddenly I was almost done. She is a masterful author.
I loved this book just as I loved the rest of her works. Serle's creativity is above and beyond and the suspension of belief is just at the edge so that you have to buy in and keep reading. Because the ending is the sum of the parts...like life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Rebecca Serle book, but I can say with confidence that it will not be my last. It's so satisfying when you're intrigued by a book's synopsis and the book absolutely delivers.

EXPIRATION DATES follows Daphne, a single woman who, when she meets a new man that she's destined to have a romantic relationship with, she'll receive a slip of paper with the man's name and the amount of time they'll be together. But one day, she receives a slip of paper with just a name: Jake, and no date, leaving Daphne to wonder if Jake is the one she's been waiting for, and how much time she'll have with him.

I'm truly so impressed with this book; it felt like a masterclass in not only immersive and poignant writing, but also in impeccable plotting and structure. Serle had me feeling all the feels--laughter and joy to pain and grief, right along with the characters. I enjoyed our entire cast of characters; they were all well-developed and flawed, which I always love to see.

To speak in SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL terms (a writing craft book I will always recommend), Daphne's shard of glass was so powerful and added another layer of both internal and external conflict to the story. I won't go into specifics about it because spoilers, but the way that secret of hers follows her throughout the story until she finally shakes it at the end is just a perfect example of what that arc should look like. Daphne grew tremendously as a character, despite the short length of the book, and the ending felt honest and earned and so satisfying.

The structure of weaving in flashback chapters with Daphne's previous relationships was very well done. I didn't get lost at all as we jumped from the present to the past, and I loved how we learned more about Daphne through seeing how she behaved in these previous relationships.

I think everyone can relate to this story and the idea of not knowing how much time you have and wanting to both make the right decisions but also make the most of the time you have. Because of that, I'm keeping this review intentionally a bit vague because I think it's best to go into this story not knowing much and to just enjoy the ride.

Regardless, I look forward to picking up another Rebecca Serle book soon!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Quick, light read if you want a book that fills time, but not necessarily space. I like what this book could have been, but I feel like it didn't necessarily deliver.

Every relationship Daphne has ever had has come with an expiration date. Literally. Somehow fate has delivered to her the exact date whatever relationship she's in will end on a piece of paper. When she goes on a date with a man and the paper just has his name, she thinks this must be "the one."

While I wish my dating life came with something similar, I didn't love what this book did with it. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon, but not a book to which I'll return.

Thanks, NetGalley!

✨E X P I R A T I O N D A T E✨
🅶🅴🅽🆁🅴—𝑅𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒/ 𝑀𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓂
🗓ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕖—𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙 𝟙𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜

“𝓑𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝔂. 𝓜𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓻𝓮 𝓵𝓮𝓯𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓹 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓫𝓪𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓹𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓼𝓲𝔁-𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓴. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮'𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮'𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮, 𝓱𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓶, 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓹𝓲𝓮𝓬𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓹𝓪𝓹𝓮𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵.”

✂️ P L O T L I N E
Daphne Bell is a 33 year old female who has been getting notes since the 5th grade that tell her the length that each of her relationships will last. Finally, she gets a note with Jake’s name on it that contains no time limit. She finally believes that she has found the one that she is destined to be with forever. As her story unfolds she begins to have doubts about Jake and her relationship. Is the prediction on the paper correct this time, or is there something unpredictable in store for Daphne and her future?

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I went in to this book completely blind and I was hooked by the premise immediately. The touch of magical realism really made this book come alive. I truly had no idea where this story was going or how it was going to end, and the twists really threw me for a loop in the best possible way. I read “In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle a while back and remember getting emotional during that book. I didn’t feel as emotional reading this one but definitely got a little teary eyed a couple of times. My only gripe is that the book was too short. I felt like I wanted more from the character development point of view and felt like there was room to grow the depth of the characters a bit more. Overall, this was a quick read and a heartwarming book that I really enjoyed.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Search for love ❤️
💫Self discovery 💡
💫Magical touch 🪄
💫Unexpected twists 🔀
💫Alternate timelines ⏰
💫Closed door romance 🚪
💫Heartwarming reads 🥰
💫Cute pup 🐶
💫Los Angeles backdrop 📍

🗒️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🗒️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: “𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉'𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒, 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒾𝓉? 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝒻 𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝑜𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝑜𝓇 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓃. 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒾𝓉𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻, 𝓌𝑒 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒.”


🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts 💕

I liked it but not as much as I liked her other books. Interesting story line, very creative.
I liked the characters and their relationships.

Another amazing book by Rebecca Serle. I could not put it down! When her relationship status follows secret notes left, but there's more to uncover as you continue on.

I liked the sweet little novel as much as I liked her other ones. The characters were well developed, and I loved the whole love story angle. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Rebecca Serle just knows how to immerse you in her books. Her way of writing really makes you lose you yourself and I love it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review in advance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and to the author Rebecca Serle for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found Rebecca Serle this year with reading her book One Italian Summer. I instantly fell in love with her writing. I wanted to read all her work. So I have read One Italian Summer, In Five Years, and now Expiration Dates. She is one of my favorite authors. She truly outdid herself with this book. It was my favorite one by her. It was a 5 star read for me from beginning to end. If you are a fan of Rebecca definitely pick this book up. I will be for sure purchasing the physical copy when it comes out in March 2024!

Daphne Bell has had something unique happen to her after every single guy she meets. She receives a piece of paper with their name on it and the exact amount of time she will spend with them. It could be three days, three weeks, three months, three years. For twenty years of her life she has met many different guys and spent her exact amount of time with them. One of the guys Hugo her now ex has stuck around though because of their friendship. They remain close even when Daphne mets Jake, the person she thinks is finally the one. Daphne has so many obstacles in her way though and really has to decide where her own future will go..

Things I liked:
A unique story
The flow of the books (I liked the past POV of all the relationships Daphne has had, it was like multiple mini stories in one)
Rebecca’s description of the settings throughout the book (one of my favorite things about her writing!)
Daphne and Hugo’s dynamic
Jake (nothing but love for Jake)
The way it ended

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is a captivating exploration of love, destiny, and the enigmatic nature of time. Daphne Bell's life takes an extraordinary turn as she receives slips of paper predicting the duration of her relationships, shaping her romantic journey for over two decades. Serle's poetic prose and masterful storytelling elevate the novel beyond a typical romance, striking a delicate balance between realism and whimsy. The characters, particularly Daphne, are skillfully developed, drawing readers into their emotional landscapes. The introduction of Jake challenges the predictability of Daphne's love life, leading to a rollercoaster of emotions that resonates long after the final page. The novel's unique concept becomes a metaphor for life's fleeting moments, urging readers to cherish every second. Expiration Dates is not just a romance novel but a profound exploration of the human spirit in the face of love's unpredictability, leaving readers with a lasting reflection on the beauty of life's unpredictable journey.

A sweet rom com with some magical realism aspects! I wanted a little more from the plot but I’m happy with how the story turned out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book.
It had great details and descriptions. The book made me want to travel and eat all of the good food.
The book centers on Daphne who has always recieved a random piece of paper with a name and expiration date for all of her relationships from one night to multiple years. Before a first date Daphne recieves a paper with the date Jake's name on it and no end date on it. It starts a special journey for Daphne and she tries to learn what she wants, how much she's always lived because of those notes and other major life issues.
The book had a really creative plot but the pacing was off at times because of it. It would be interesting in the present time but then there would be a long chapter on a random guy she dated at one time. Then her best friend and ex Hugo's story wasn't as long as I had hoped and I wanted more.
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. I would still recommend this book! It was cozy and relaxing. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I am (happily) still weeping as I write this review as this novel touched my heart like no other! It begins by begging the question, what would you do if you knew how long each relationship with a man would last? Daphne finds "notes" in unusual places that reveal things like "2 years, 3 months" before she even meets someone, So inevitably she tries not to get too attached as each relationship does run its course like the messages said. Oh, but there is so much more to this lovely and fascinating story that will make you laugh and possibly cry as you follow Daphne on her journey to find--and keep--true love. It's simply breath-taking and beautiful!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Daphne Bell never has to wonder if/when she is going to break up with her boyfriend. Every time she meets a guy she is interested in, she mysteriously receives a piece of paper with a name and time frame on it, and she knows how long the relationship is going to last. Until one day she receives a paper with Jakes name, but no time frame, Is he the one?

Expiration dates switches between various times in Daphnes life, giving us insight into how this way of living has effected her and learning about the secrets she hasn't shared, both because of fear and because all these relationships have an end date, at least in her mind. We see her gradually gain confidence and grow up and learn some important life lessons along the way. I loved the relationship between Daphne and her parents, as well as her boss, and although I could see the ending coming a mile away, I enjoyed the journey.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the e galley in return for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC of this title in exchange for my review.

This was my first book by the author, and I'm not sure I'll look for her other books. This book sounded interesting, but the book itself felt cobbled together. Like an assignment you've made notes and drafts on, then quickly put it together to turn in on time. Additionally, I'm not a fan at all of authors describing EVERY outfit, EVERY meal, telling me EVERY little thing the character does. It feels like fluff and filler - let me use my imagination!

Overall, I was disappointed in this one.

2 stars for 'it was ok'

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
This is the first book I’ve read from Rebecca Serle, I was very impressed! This was well written, kept a fast pace and kept my interest the entire book! I finished within a few hours, it was that good! The storyline was great! The thought of knowing when the end of a relationship would be before you start? How would you go about things knowing that? Very interesting thought to have. I loved this book and would recommend!

I am admittedly a fan of Rebecca Serle's novels. Today, I was thrilled to hear from Netgalley that I had been chosen to receive an ARC, (advanced reader copy) of her latest book, Expiration Dates. As excited as I was, I am currently in the middle of two other books with others ahead in the queue. So, I thought it would have to wait. Then I thought maybe just one chapter was enough to get the flavor. That was six hours ago, and I had just finished the book in one sitting. To say it is my favorite work by this author is without doubt.

Reminiscent of the notes people receive in The Measure by Nikki Erlick, giving them a finality of time, Daphne has always received unexplained notes with the name of her next partner and the length of their relationship, begging the question of whether she fits the relationship into the time frame stated in the note or would the note be correct anyway. Until she finally receives a note with just a name, "Jake," and no time frame. Could Jake be "the one?" As she and Jake deepen their connection there are secrets abound that will impact and alter the course of their relationship in unexpected and life-changing ways.

I loved the sensitively told story of Jake and Daphne and the input of her boss and her friends, Kendra and Hugo. I loved the role of Daphne's parents and their cultural connection to their heritage. I also loved the descriptions of food and the overall love letter to both Los Angeles and the state of California. Thank you, Netgalley, for such a wonderful treat- consider the book highly recommended!