Daphne Bell believes the universe has her life planned out. Every time she meets a new man she receives a piece of paper with the exact amount of time that they will be together. This is a true romance and you quickly learn that none of this is true and we can all find true love. Another great read by Rebecca Serle that will definitely be a best seller and great book club pick.

Daphne has an unusual quirk—every time she meets a new man, she gets a piece of paper with his name and the exact amount of time they will be together. Until one day, she gets a piece of paper with just a name: Jake. It seems all her waiting is over, and she has finally met the one. But as their relationship continues, Daphne starts to wonder what it means to be with someone she isn't entirely truthful with.

We follow Daphne as she meets Jake and their relationship grows. And through flashbacks, we see some of her other relationships in the past, including her three-month romance with her now best friend, Hugo. As time goes on, she can't help but be cynical as relationship after relationship ends, exactly as the papers predict.

Although there's the twist of magical realism, it certainly isn't what drives the story. Serle has crafted a heroine and two love interests with depth, humor, and realistic flaws. I rooted for both of the guys throughout, (and think one of the gentlemen needs his own story, stat!)

This book has the perfect amount of heart-string-tugs + surprising twists. 4.5 stars!

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

Expiration Dates 📚 by Rebecca Serle

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Thank you @netgalley for this #advancedreaders copy! This book will be published 3/5/2024.

Rebecca Serle's books are always light, comfortable reads with the right level of emotion that doesn't leave me in tears 😄 And this book continues that trend.

Daphne throughout her dating histort has received random pieces of paper with a guy's name and a time frame - indicating who she would end up dating next and for how long. Until one day, she receives a piece of paper with just a name and the rest is blank.

This is a book about love, friendships, and staying true to your heart.
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Rebecca Serle never disappoints!

📖 The Details:
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

⏱️ Quick Summary:
Every time Daphne meets a new man, she receives a piece of paper about how long it will last, including with her ex-boyfriend turned best friend, Hugo. Then she finally receives one that says "Jake" and no expiration date. Could he be the one?

💁‍♀️ My Take:
I LOVED the idea of this one, and I love the lil bit of fantasy/magic RS always sprinkles in (because I'm not a *fantasy* girl). I really enjoyed the story and the flow and how it all eventually turned out. There were moments that I was so torn about what Daphne should do - which is a good sign for this feeling so real and raw. Yes, it was a bit predictable at times, but it still made me happy. The only issue I had was that I had trouble connecting with the characters and I'm not sure why. They seemed likable enough, but I didn't get much warmth from them. Maybe I was in a mood *shrugs*

I would definitely recommend this one if you've enjoyed other RS books - she has a similar formula and I for one think it works!

I love a quick, sweet read and this one was just that. I went into it blind and was so happy I picked it up. I have been loving Searle lately and will continue to read whatever she publishes!

4.5

This book was so good to read. The ending and the writing was truly beautiful. A story about taking control of your life even when you feel like there is no reason to. I highly recommend.

💌Expiration Dates💌

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Author: Rebecca Serle
Genre: Magical Realism
Dual Timeline

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for this early copy of this book!

Daphne is like every other women out there looking for love, but she is cursed with knowing the expiration date of each relationship she is in. Every time she meets a potential love interest, a letter arrives for her stating their name, and how long their relationship will last. That is until one day she receives a letter with the name Jake, but there is no expiration date. Daphne finds herself questioning the letters prediction of a life long love, and battles with the idea of free will.

I was really excited to get an ARC for this book because I love Rebecca Serles book One Italian Summer, and the concept behind this book. It fell a little flat for me though. I thought the concept was so interesting, and had the potential to be so captivating and romantic, but it didn’t quite reach that mark for me. Daphnes relationship with Jake lacked chemistry and time. The characters were quite bland, and lacked any serious character development. The book is half flashbacks to old relationships, that personally, I felt didn’t add anything beneficial to the story, and I often wanted to skip past those chapters. I kept waiting for a profound moment that never came. I think that if the author kept it to a single timeline without all the chapters about past boyfriends, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I loved this book. It was filled with little surprises all along the way. As with Rebecca’s other books you are laughing and then wanting to cry as the story goes along. Has you thinking what if you knew ahead of time that each person you meet you already know how long they will be in your life. Would you cherish that time as like a life lesson, would you try and hold on to prove those papers wrong or would you try to not even bother. This is a heartfelt story that has more depths than just the expiration papers and will have you wanting to keep reading.

I will read anything this author writes! I loved the characters, the storyline, everything was perfection! Highly recommend!

What if the day you met someone you knew exactly how long the relationship would last. That's what happens to Daphne until one day she receives a paper with no date on it. Has Daphne finally met her match?
While not my favourite of Serle's, the concept of the book was very original. I wasn't expecting the twist, although I did guess the ending. I wish I would have connected more with the characters because then I probably would have enjoyed it a little more. I'm giving this a 3.5/5 but rounding up to 4.
Thank you to Rebecca Serle, Atria, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. When you know your own future holds you sweep past a lot of the beating around the bush and become more direct with life’s choices. This was Daphne’s thought process. Knowing there is an end date before a relationship even starts has become her lot in life. Sometimes not all goes as planned. Having Hugo as her only confidant through these struggles made him a true friend and strong support system. Living by these random notes she was treading water. Sometimes you just have to go your own way and make your own decisions. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I’m voluntarily leaving this review.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for an arc of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. When Daphne dates a new guy, she always gets a piece of paper with a length of time that corresponds to how long her relationship will last. I have enjoyed all of Rebecca Serle's books. They are a bit chicklit and romance, while throwing in some magical realism. This book throws in a twist I didn't see coming and it made me like the book even more. I recommend reading this book and it is best to go in to unknown. Enjoy!

There was something about this book that made it so hard to put down. Right from the start the idea of this MC knowing everything about her relationships was an interesting idea that made me feel like I had to figure out how it worked. The characters were intricate and it didn’t take me long to need to see how it all resolved. It’s a short read and I didn’t see the twist at all that was coming. This book will tug at your emotions and make you realize sometimes we misunderstand the guidance we’re being shown.

Searle is so good at writing women's fiction and magical realism, she makes it look easy. A couple of solid twists and some gut punches---but still so hopeful.

The premise of this book sounded so intriguing- Daphne receives mysterious notes throughout her life telling her how long she will be in each of her relationships. What I really liked: the message that time spent in relationships that don't pan out is not wasted- we grow into the people we are meant to be and are shaped by the sum of our experiences. I do really like Rebecca Serle's writing and her unique, thought-provoking plots.

What didn't work as well for me: I was not particularly invested in ANY of the romantic relationships that Daphne had. Although I enjoy a good plot twist, the ones in this book felt jarring and disconnected to me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions are my own. I was pleasantly surprised by Rebecca Serle's new novel. I thought I was predicting the ending early on but how you get there and the twists along the way were clever. The main character, Daphne Bell receives little slips of paper that tell her how long her relationships will last, until her date with Jake, when the paper is blank. It is an interesting concept to think about if you know how something will end, does that change how you act in the moment. I appreciated the use of her best friend Hugo and I think the storytelling leaves the reader with some interesting philosophical thoughts. It is still at heart, a light-hearted, comedic novel - a perfect beach/pool read or a curl up by the fire kind of book.

Daphne is looking for love but every time she meets a man, she receives a mysterious piece of paper with their name and how long that relationship will last. Then one day, the piece of paper only contains a name with no expiration date. Does this mean he is the one Daphne will spend the rest of her life with?
As their relationship progresses, Daphne begins to doubt that this is who she is supposed to spend her life with. How is she supposed to know? This was a new to me author, and I look forward to reading other books by her.

3.5 stars rounded up
I love Serle and all her novels usually sparkle to me, but this one fell a little flat. I didn’t connect with Daphne and thought the story was on the slower side. The concept was very original though, and the message of vulnerability and how scary that can be was well done.

I'm so torn between wanting just one more chapter and accepting that the ending was pretty spot-on. This story was an interesting take on dating with some unexpected twists. If you've ever thought about the role of agency and predetermination in your choices, this book will definitely give you some fresh perspectives.

Expiration Dates by ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Pub: March 5, 2024
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Daphne receives a piece of paper every time she meets her next fling telling her how long it will last. That is until she receives a note with just a name. Has she met the one?
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I know this one doesn’t come out for a while but when I received the ARC I squealed and had to read it immediately. You know when you can tell a line or scene was written from personal experience? That is how the entirety of Expiration Dates felt, with that added spark of magical realism we are accustomed to with Rebecca Serle. It was so relatable and real. If you’ve read any of her books you know they are anything but light and fluffy, so prepare for some emotional damage and grab the tissues. I fell in love with the characters and had so many moments where I related to Daphne. If you could know how long you would be with someone, would you want to know? Or would you rather it play out? |Brit|