I have always enjoyed Rebecca Serle's books, and Expiration Dates was no different. There is always an element of magic realism in her books, and I thought this one had it woven into the plot seamlessly.

The novel follows Daphne, a girl who receives a message (beginning when she was young) about how long her relationship with a guy will last. The notes obviously impact how she lives day-to-day and how she treats her relationships. There is a subplot that I will not give away because it really impacts the overall meaning of the story.

I loved the depth that Serle was able to pack in 272 pages. If you know me, you know that I don't understand why books are longer than 300-350 pages. I think that's one reason why I always love Serle's books, too :)!

I definitely recommend checking out this book!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I’m a huge fan of all of Rebecca Serle’s books. While this did not live up to her last atmospheric release, I still read expiration dates in one sitting. I loved the concept of receiving notes with the length of the relationship on them, however I found the ending predictable. Also, I the characters seemed fairly one dimensional. With that being said, id still recommend this read to fans if Serle’s other works and I will continue to read her future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an ARC copy of this book in return of my honest reviews.

Count me in for everything Rebecca Serle.
A little magic, all the warm fuzzies and love, plus a love letter to the city of Los Angelos.

Daphne gets notes telling her how long each relationship will last - days, weeks, years. But how much is the note and how much is destiny. I sped through this is in two days during a beachy vacation.

3.5 stars but rounding to 4

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the advanced reader copy.

Chapter 39, these pages are worn out as I've reread them over and over. <SIGH>

Serle has become a one of my favorite authors especially after this read. Notes with love defined float in time around Daphne spelling out the "who" and "how" long she'll experience the joy of a relationship. Every man's end is clearly defined in each note, from one night, to three days to six months. Each relationship has an expiration date until a note appears with only a name.

Daphne's best friend is Hugo, a man who had three months, remains a constant in her life even though they've expired. Hugo is a successful, a bit egotistical and still in love with Daphne. Jake appears without an end leading her to believe she finally found her true love. Is this paper predicting her love story with the right man?

This is La La Land the novel as you travel throughtout LA, and it spectacular views.

Definitely my favorite book by this author. Thank you Atria Books for the complimentary copy.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Rebecca Serle is an auto buy author for me, so when I saw she had a new book coming out next March, I rushed to request the arc.

I adore her storytelling and this novel was delightful. Since Daphne was 11, she’s gotten slips of papers with the name of a guy and length of time her relationship will last. She knows what people will mean to her before they do, and this knowledge shapes her life decisions. Think “The Measure” but with romantic knowledge instead of life span. She’s longed for the day when she would get just the name and no end date, but is happy ever after in the cards for her?

I loved the intriguing concept at the heart of the novel and there were a lot of life messages woven throughout. At times it felt a little YA as the chemistry didn’t always work and some characters could have used a sprinkle more depth, but there were unexpected twists and I found myself unable to put it down. Be on the lookout next March for this heartwarming and original story!

Thank you NetGalley

On the surface, this was an entertaining story with an extra bit of magic we’ve all come to expect and love from Rebecca Serle (with multiple twists that I did not see coming!), but when you delve deeper, this book so much more than that. What drives us to make the choices we do in life? Knowing what we know now, would we make the same choices if we could do it all over again? If we knew then what we know now, would we have taken a different path?

Daphne was a very easy character to empathize with, and there were interactions with several other characters in her life that definitely pulled at my heartstrings. This was an entertaining, “unputdownable” read that left me thinking about it hours after I’d finished, so I rated this book 4.5/5.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book! Serle has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She has a way of throwing romance and life in with magical realism that doesn't seem fluffy. This time around, our protagonist always knows exactly how long each romance will last---she literally receives a piece of paper telling her how long. She has a best male buddy (a former short-term flame) who was my favorite character. He was so funny and charming. Throw in a dog, and this book was a page-turner. There are several surprises in this book that make it so delightful. I think this would make a wonderful movie. Way to go, Rebecca Serle!!! I cannot wait for your next masterpiece.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this enchanting title.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of Expiration Dates!

What I love most about Rebecca Serle’s books is her ability to incorporate whimsy into real life heartbreak. Not only did this book have just enough whimsy, but it was also masterfully intentional.

Jake and Daphne seemingly have no chemistry because they’re not really meant to be.

Not only do Daphne’s relationships have an expiration date, but she feels like her heart is going to give her an early “expiration date,” too.

And as a native Californian, the references to Los Angeles were so on point!

My one qualm with this book is that the letters were not explained more. Why were they sent? And how? What did the last one say?

Overall a great read and I remain a Rebecca Serle stan!

A short little novel about Daphne, a woman that always gets a note prior to the start of a relationship letting her know how long each relationship will last. One night. Six months. But the time comes when Daphne gets a note that doesn’t have an ending date. Has she finally met her soulmate?

This was an easy read, and semi-enjoyable, but it definitely could have been a little bit longer. I would’ve like to hear more about some of her relationships, especially her relationship with her friend Hugo.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the advanced copy of this book.

I am a huge fan of this author, and I have found myself loving all books written by her. Her writing style is so easy to read and seems so effortless for her to write her novels.

LOVED this book! So sweet and romantic much like her In Five Years. I would recommend this to anyone and would love to see this be a big book club book.

⭐️ ARC REVIEW ⭐️
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
My Rating: 4/5⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for the ebook copy of Expiration Dates!

My Review: I was captivated by the dating experiences that Daphne went through. Knowing when a breakup would happen and preparing yourself is an interesting perspective. She knew nothing was permanent, until one day it was. She got a letter with a man’s name on it and no expiration date. He’s the one, right? That’s what Daphne thought, that she could finally fall and know there wasn’t going to be an end. It almost seemed too good to be true.

After the first half of the book we learn that Daphne has a chronic illness that cannot be cured. So the reader learns that for Daphne the expiration dates for the men in her life are actually time guaranteed for her to live.

This book will pull at your heart strings and teach you valuable life lessons. Rebecca Serle knows how to find that soft spot in everyone and really dive deep into it. I love all the details she adds to her books, they always make the story just a little more personal. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this early!

Available March 19, 2024

Serle has absolutely cornered the market on magical realism. I loved the romance and intrigue. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book a lot! Rebecca Serle always comes up with such interesting premises, and I really liked the main characters. The mid-book “twist” was not my favorite, but this book gave me a lot to think about!

I didn’t enjoy this novel at all until a big reveal happens. Then I simply disliked it less.

Daphne receives a slip of paper every time she starts a new relationship with a name and an amount of time. With Hugo, it said three months. Three months on the dot, she and Hugo broke up. He is now, five years later, her best friend, and when she gets a slip of paper with Jake’s name but no timeline, she wonders if this could mean forever. But she’s withholding things from Jake, things that Hugo knows, and very few other people do.

I didn’t think the writing was particularly good, or the story, or the main character. For some reason Daphne frequently describes what she’s wearing and sometimes what her date is wearing—why? I know that’s a small point, but it really bugged me because it added nothing.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 5, 2024.

*This review contains spoilers*

My initial thought was what’s going on?? The first half of this book is so jumpy. I’m typically a fan of dual timelines but this one felt like a frog in traffic. I wasn’t sure where we were headed. Why not keep the previous dates in order leading up to her current relationships? Maybe it was the lack of transition into each chapter….

There were weird descriptions of almost each character’s clothing attire but there was a lack of scene descriptions.

The author totally cuts out the conversation of Daphne telling Jake about a significant health issue…WTF. If I weren’t almost finished with this book, I would have dropped this book sooner. How are we supposed to skim over that?!?

Can we talk about Hugo? He withheld notes from Daphne in hopes of what? That he would have a chance? To prove her wrong? Then he’s rewarded at the end. Ick.

The Dr. Martens boots….are we going to get a further explanation on the point of including that has Jake’s weird quirk? Like did his previous wife wear them???

Who is sending Daphne all these notes? Can we get a little more background on that, please?

The concept behind this story had so much potential but I felt like this book just wasn’t complete. A five star idea with two star execution. I’m pretty bummed because I had high hopes for this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the early access ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since she was a girl, Daphne has received a note with a guys name and the length of the relationship. Now in her 30s, she’s still chasing that forever love when she gets a note with no time limit.
I hesitated before reading this bc I don’t always love magical realism but something about this just worked okay for me. It was a fun, well thought out story and hit just enough of the right emotional notes to work.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC provided via Netgalley for an honest review! This is out 3/14/24.

Romance. Ever since her first boyfriend, Daphne receives a paper with the name of the person she's dating and exactly how long their relationship will last. One night, 5 weeks, 2 years - without fail the papers are always right. Only her friend - and former bf - Hugo knows about the papers. Until one day before Daphne goes on a first date with Jake she gets the paper and it just says his name...and no expiration date. Thinking this means she has found the one, Daphne begins to see a future for herself for the first time. But when Hugo isn't on board, it makes her question everything about the papers and how much (or how little) of a choice she has always had with her relationships.

LOVED. I'm a big Serle fan already and I think k this is her best book so far - I started/finished this in the plane yesterday, could not put it down. I loved the characters, loved the original concept, and her ability to bring the cities her books are set in to life is just this made me actually want to go to LA lol. There are a couple big twists I did not see coming and this made me cry quite a few times.
Love love Loved!

This is a cute and quirky rom com that can be read in one sitting. It's fun, super fluffy, and a great palate cleanser if you've been reading too many psychological thrillers and just need a story about a potential partner who isn't trying to murder you.