Every time Daphne is about to enter into a new relationship, she receives a slip of paper with the person's name and an amount of time. The amount of time directly corresponds with how long they'll be together... and then one day, she gets a note with a name (Jake) but no amount of time. She immediately thinks that this must mean that this is the man that she's going to marry. As Daphne and Jake's relationship begins to unfold, she starts to wonder how much truth there is in these notes or if they were a self-fulfilling prophecy.... Expiration Dates is another great book by Rebecca Serle, one of my favorite authors, and I'm so thankful to be able to read an advanced copy! You won't want to miss this one come March 2024.

I have really enjoyed Rebecca Serle’s previous book and was so excited to receive an ARC of her newest!

This one was just ok for me. I LOVED the concept of this book. Every time you start seeing someone, you know how long the relationship will last, because a piece of paper told you so. Sounds pretty great right?
But, when Daphne meets Jake, she wonders if those papers really tell the truth.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just left me wanting more. Ultimately, I would recommend it for a quick, enjoyable read, with a really cool premise,

A unique premise with a touch of magical realism - at the start of every romantic relationship, Daphne receives a slip of paper with the man’s name and a timeframe that is exactly how long the relationship will last. When she receives a paper with a name but no time, she’s not sure what it means - is he “the one”?

I loved this book so much. I read it basically in one sitting on a series of flights, and I was so glad to have it as my travel buddy.

This story was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. Entering every relationship with the knowledge that it would end is a difficult cycle for Daphne to be stuck in. When the blank paper appears, the reader (and Daphne) can finally breath a sigh of relief knowing she has found someone to spend her life with. However, things are never quite as they seem. While Jake may seem perfect for Daphne, Serle creates such a lovable character in Hugo, that it is hard not to root for Daphne to ditch her expiration date theory and truly follow her heart. Rebecca Serle's best book, by far.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this arc.
I loved this book so much. Daphne has lived in Los Angles all of her life. She gets a piece of paper with the name of a man and how long she is supposed to be with them. Martin- three days in Paris, Noah- five weeks in San Francisco, Hugo- three months. She doesn’t understand why she gets them so Daphne takes what she can and then after the allotted time ends the relationship. Hugo is the only one she stays in touch with and knows all about the papers and her heart condition. Hugo still has a thing for Daphne and tries to get her to see that she doesn’t need a piece of paper to dictate the amount of time for her relationships. Jake is the new relationship that we are following and he doesn’t have a allotted time like the others. Daphne believes that she has finally found the one and moves in with Jake and even gets engaged to him. Daphne believes she’s finally going to get her happily ever after until Hugo reveals that he wrote the note with just Jake’s name on it because he found a paper with Jake’s name and the words three weeks. He wanted to show Daphne that she can make her own happily ever after. Then sixteen months later Daphne and Hugo start a fresh new relationship with each other. I love the constant references to places in LA especially since I would love to visit someday. People are going to fall in love with Rebecca Serle’s new book.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. It’s a novel concept, every time Daphne meets a new love interest, she also receives a slip of paper with a date on it, telling her how long they will be together. This has been happening for years, and then she gets one with just a name on it, no date. Does this mean this is her forever person? Her best friend Hugo, who she met a long time ago when she dated him and had a note with the expiration date, is not so sure. It’s a fun read, a lot of it kind of a stretch. It shows interesting things about relationships, and also expectations and manifestation. When you expect something to happen, does that mean it will? #netgalley #expirationdates #rebeccaserle #advancedreadercopy #lovestory #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

So the summary and the cover of this book really made me excited to read it. I don't know what I was really expecting than a love story and happy ending and I guess that's what you'll find in this book. I kept reading expecting something to happen but nothing did. This might be the fact that I mainly read thrillers and I'm always waiting for than unexpected twist. Not sure if this review makes any sense. But if you read it and enjoyed it than that's what's important.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for the ARC.

Expiration Dates is the story of Daphne Bell, a thirty-something production assistant with a secret – every time she begins to date someone, she receives a slip of paper with his name and the length of time they will be together on it.
This was a very interesting premise, but I am sorry to say that the premise was better than the execution. What could have been a cute romance with some depth to it – if the author chose to focus on the idea of fate vs. free will – instead fell flat.
First, the “romance” between Daphne and Jake never made any sense, and there was definitely way more chemistry between Daphne and Hugo. It made me feel like the author was saying the book was about one thing, but in fact it was really about something completely different. And then, a little over halfway through the book, the story suddenly took another turn and wasn’t even about the notes anymore. I won’t give any spoilers, but personally I hate when authors do that. And, I was disappointed that we never learned how or why Daphne receives these notes – it seemed like a major selling point of the book that the author pretty much forgot about.
Not to mention, Serle spends way too much time talking about what people are eating and wearing. This is my third book by Serle and she did the same thing in One Italian Summer (which for the record, I did not enjoy at all because the MC was also incredibly immature and kind of a terrible person). Now, don’t get me wrong – I believe there is a place for unreliable narrators and unlikeable main characters. However, I do not think romance novels are the place for it. To be fair to the author, I probably would consider this women’s fiction over romance.
After really enjoy In Five Years but disliking her last two books, I think I’ve decided that Serle is not for me. That being said, a lot of readers really enjoy her novels so I think I am an outlier here. If you enjoy women’s fiction and aren’t afraid of surprises, you might enjoy this book more than I did.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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 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.

I love all things written by Rebecca Serle. She has a way with words that make even the most delicate of storylines magical. I loved this book so much. The story was so good and easy to follow. I enjoyed all the characters and various backstories of Daphne's dating life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

A good read that held my attention the whole way through. I never found myself truly engaged with any of the characters though, which is where this book slipped for me.

I still enjoyed the story line though, despite hoping for a different ending.

A fun take on magical realism and a romantic comedy. The main character Daphne, who receives a piece of paper with how long she will date each boyfriend, and how she learns to be happy no matter the length of the relationship. Cute read, and I will definitely read more of Rebecca Serle's books.

I can honestly say I did not enjoy this book at all. This book was described as “the romance that will define a generation” and I would definitely disagree. I did not find this book romantic in the least bit; it read more like a high school girls journal and was boring and drawn out.

Our main character, Daphne, has a gift; she receives a paper with a man’s name and the length of time their relationship will last. It sounds cute, adorable even, but the story fell flat. We learn about Daphne’s previous relationships in pieces throughout the novel and those pieces don’t fit the story line what so ever. All of these extra characters do nothing for the story, they aren’t significant. Maybe I missed how they mattered or connected, but the seemed entirely pointless.

Honestly, I just kept reading in order to finish the book. At one point, I was skimming the chapters trying to hurry thru, that was how bored I was. This book moved SLOW. Yes, there were areas that I found interesting and one or two parts that I didn’t see coming, but a majority of the book ran SO slow. I found Daphne whiny and unrealistic. She complained about the most minute things and made terrible decisions. I felt throughout the story she was doing nothing but settling. I mean trusting a piece of paper about dating whom ever doesn’t exactly scream great decision making. This book was unsatisfying and left me bored.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of high hopes for this book after liking her other books, but y'all, this was SO boring. There is such an interesting premise and so much could have been done, but I just kept waiting for literally anything to happen. On top of nothing happening, the ending was so unsatisfying. This might be my last from this author.

"Expiration Dates" is a novel by Rebecca Serle. It tells the story of Daphne Bell, who believes that 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 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.
The book is emotional and passionate, and heartbreaking
It’s about what it means to be single and find love, and how we define each other

Oh, Rebecca Serle, how I love the way you do magical realism.

Daphne Bell has a bit of an unusual situation when it comes to love. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it- the exact time they will be together. It happened with Seth, her first boyfriend in the fifth grade, Stuart, an old friend from high school, and Hugo, her boyfriend turned best friend. But is it fate dictating the length of these relationships, or is Daphne? That question is put to the test when she meets Jake. Unlike the rest, his paper has no end date. Does that mean Jake will be her forever love?

With Rebecca Serle’s signature heart, humor, and emotional havoc, this book had me feeling all the feels and hoping Daphne could get out of her own way to find love. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think that you will, too.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @atriabooks for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars rounded to 5!

Expiration Dates has quite a unique premise and I couldn’t wait to dig into this story to see where it would go. I’ve read both of Rebecca Serle’s most recent novels and loved them both. She truly has a gift for painting a vivid picture of her characters, settings, and having them come to life in your mind. I’ve always felt like I was part of her stories and Expiration Dates was no exception.

I found myself really falling for all of the characters - especially Hugo. So much so that I started reading and was more than halfway through the book before I even realized it. There’s a bit of jumping around with timelines, which might be confusing for some, but even if that’s not your thing, I urge you to give it a try anyway.

Expiration Dates ended up being such a beautiful, unexpected gem. Rebecca Serle is quickly becoming one of my favorite Authors.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Atria books for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a sweet story. It felt like I was reading a diary into someone’s life. I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a quick comfort read.

The lead, Daphne, receives pieces of paper every time she becomes romantically involved with someone that indicate the duration of the relationship she will have with them. That is until she meets Jake and the paper is blank - indicating that maybe this is her forever love without an expiration date.

I didn't think that Rebecca Serle could beat her last book One Italian Summer, but this one might take the cake! I found this to be such a quick, cute read. The concept of the book is also so unique!

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

There is something about Rebecca Serle’s writing that draws all of the air out of the room and delivers the feeling that you’re on the precipice of something - something important. Dating and the pursuit of a life partner, the pursuit of love, is something most of us relate to. It’s a hopeful journey that can feel hopeless. Serle captures the authenticity of this human experience in “Expiration Dates.” I loved this story; I was compelled to never stop reading it. The alternating timeline, demonstrating the magical twist, enhanced the pacing of the plot.

Many thanks to Rebecca Serle for another beautiful story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Rebecca Serle's latest novel, "Expiration Dates," is a captivating exploration of destiny and love that left me emotionally stirred and wholly refreshed. From the very beginning, the story grabbed my attention, presenting a unique and thought-provoking concept that had me pondering the intricacies of fate.

At the heart of the narrative is Daphne, a remarkably likable character whose journey serves as the focal point of the novel. Daphne's depth and soul make her a relatable protagonist, and as a reader, I found myself effortlessly investing in her joys and struggles. The emotional journey she embarks on becomes a mirror through which readers can reflect on their own lives and choices. The addition of Hugo to the storyline was a stroke of brilliance. His presence injects a delightful liveliness into the narrative, serving as both a foil and a complement to Daphne. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the overall reading experience.

What struck me most about "Expiration Dates" was its ability to prompt introspection. The thought-provoking premise of the story had me contemplating how I would navigate the challenges presented to Daphne. This engagement with the narrative made the reading experience not only entertaining but also personally enriching.

The pace of the story was so engrossing that I found myself devouring the book in just two days. Serle's adept storytelling and engaging prose kept me turning the pages eagerly, eager to uncover the next twist in Daphne's journey.

One aspect that left me curious throughout the story was the origin and purpose of the mysterious notes. While I questioned their significance, I appreciated how, by the story's conclusion, their origins became secondary to the overarching lessons about life and love. It was a testament to Serle's storytelling prowess that she could seamlessly shift the reader's focus from the initial curiosity to the broader, more profound themes embedded in the narrative.

In many ways, "Expiration Dates" is reminiscent of Serle's previous work, "In Five Years," as it follows a similar narrative structure. However, this familiarity did not diminish the impact of the story; rather, it showcased Serle's mastery in crafting emotionally resonant tales with a refreshing perspective on life and love. A must-read for those seeking a blend of emotional depth and a unique take on life's profound questions.

I would like to express my gratitude to Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.