Rebecca Serle’s “Expiration Dates” is a captivating exploration of love, fate, and the intricacies of human relationships that keeps you hooked from start to finish. This New York Times bestselling author has once again proven her storytelling prowess, weaving a tale that’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

The novel introduces us to Daphne Bell, a woman who believes that the universe has a plan for her love life. Her unique twist? Every time she meets a new man, she’s handed a slip of paper with his name and the exact duration of their relationship. Imagine the intrigue of knowing when love will bloom and when it will inevitably fade away.

The story takes us on a rollercoaster ride through Daphne’s life, from a three-day tryst in Paris to a three-month journey with her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. However, the real twist comes when she meets Jake, a man whose paper holds only a name, leaving her in suspense about the expiration date of their relationship.

Serle’s writing is filled with warmth and insight into the complexities of the heart. She beautifully captures the dilemma of Daphne, who grapples with the paper’s predictions and her own emotions. The author deftly explores themes of commitment and truthfulness, making us question whether fate truly dictates our love lives or if we have the power to change our destinies.

What sets “Expiration Dates” apart is the emotional depth and passion infused into the narrative. Serle masterfully delves into the intricacies of romantic love, leaving us teetering on the edge of heartbreak. The characters are well-crafted, and their evolving relationships are portrayed with authenticity.

While the book keeps you enthralled throughout, there are moments when you wish for a bit more exploration of certain characters and their backstories. Additionally, the resolution, though satisfying, may leave some readers yearning for a more unconventional ending.

In conclusion, “Expiration Dates” is the novel fans of Rebecca Serle have been eagerly waiting for. It’s a gripping, emotional, and passionate journey through the labyrinth of love, where the lines between fate and choice blur. If you’re seeking a heartfelt and introspective read that challenges your notions of love and destiny, this book is a must-read. Serle’s storytelling prowess shines once again, making “Expiration Dates” a book you won’t want to put down.

Rating: 4/5 stars

I think this book will be a big hit with the chick-lit lovers, but I thought it was just okay. The more I read, the less I liked the character of Daphne. It was an overall enjoyable book, but I was expecting more.

I loved this book! I was a little iffy about it at the beginning, but by the end I was convinced that everyone needs to read this book. I loved Daphne’s journey, and I am so happy she was able to heal by the end of the book. Each relationship was interesting to read about. I loved Hugo and Jake, and it was pretty hard for me to choose which one I wanted Daphne to end up with. This book is so beautiful, and one of the best books I have read in a while. I would definitely recommend it!

I read this coming off of a major world building mind-boggling fantasy book - I thought it would be a great palate cleanser.

Joke’s on me - this was the summer beach read you want when you see the cover, but it pleasantly surprised me with its depth and heart. I adore a main character in her 30’s who has a little life under her belt. I had my vote in on who Daphne should end up with…I won’t give anything away. If you don’t scream & cry & throw up at chapter 33, then we cannot be friends.

Also, Murphy. How can we not love Murphy?

(This ARC was gifted to me by the publisher, Atria Book, through NetGally - my opinions are genuine and autonomous)

Every one of Daphne's relationships has had an end date and she's known it. Right before or shortly after meeting someone, she finds a piece of paper with their name and a time frame. When she finds a piece of paper with no time frame, she thinks she's finally found her forever.
This was such a unique book and I loved how through her relationships, she learned about herself and how to be honest. While it was a romance, it didn't feel like a traditional romance because it was out of order and didn't necessarily have the normal happily ever after.

4⭐️ Thank you to Atria for the ARC!

I love Rebecca’s writing! It is so engaging and easy to get lost in, just like this story was.

This was a beautiful story of self discovery when falling in love with others and yourself! Hugo has my heart 🫶🏻

I really enjoyed this book and definitely will be reading more by this author is the future!

This book releases in March 2024, so add it to your TBR asap!!!

Rebecca Serle is always a must read for me! I loved the concept and idea of this novel, which follows Daphne through her dating over the years. the catch? Before each date she finds a paper with the partner’s name on it which says how long they will be together. There are various other twists and turns throughout the novel. The words written were beautiful as always, but I found the character development to fall a bit flat for me. I didn’t find myself rooting for the characters. I needed more history! I think this is also reflective in the length of the novel as it felt short as well. I will always enjoy the beautiful words of Serle but with this one I found myself wanting more!

"Expiration Dates" is my first Rebecca Serle book, and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style, especially how she seamlessly weaves a touch of magic into her contemporary romance narratives. The story revolves around a girl who receives a letter whenever she begins a new relationship, with the letter indicating how long that relationship will last.

This was a fluffy, no spice book where I found myself completely immersed in Daphne's love life, witnessing her personal growth and journey to self-acceptance throughout the narrative. Although I was aware it was a work of fiction, some parts of the story felt astonishingly genuine and relatable - I got chocked up a bit and everything lol.

One minor drawback I noticed was the abundance of detail provided by the author, which could potentially be trimmed down. However, in retrospect, I believe this detailed exposition was important but still personally that's not my style unless there are multiple books in a series.

Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit Books for my eArc!!

Well this was amazing. I held my breath wondering who she would end up with or if things would change medically. I was so invested in these characters. I really loved this book.

This is a tough review to write. I’ve loved every Rebecca Serle book I’ve read and the premise of this one was really good. However, this one fell flat for me. On one hand, I read it after finishing up one of the best books I’ve ever read. We all know how that goes. But in the other hand, I could not connect with the main character. I was bored. The book alternates back to some of her older relationships and I didn’t really see the point. At about the 60% point (maybe a little further) a big twist comes and makes absolutely no sense. It’s just shows up out of the blue. For me it all went downhill from there. I’ll continue to pick up future RS books; this one just wasn’t a hit for me.

I’ve always love how Rebecca Serle books have a hint of magic in them. Compared to her other books, this was mid for me. *SPOILERS AHEAD* The expirations dates were interesting but didn’t really mean anything at the end. I have no idea why she broke it off with Jake - there wasn’t a moment that seemed breakup worthy to me. Hugo seemed pretty friendzoned and that’s okay to be friends with your exes. But he lied to her, and that’s okay with her? I wasn't really rooting for Daphne and Hugo so that caught me off guard.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. This was sweet, touching and an easy read. It tells the story of Daphne, a single girl dating in LA who gets notes with her relationships dating life on them...IE Josh 3 months. Then one day she gets a note with NO date..is he THE ONE? I loved that halfway thru this story it has a twist that added some much needed depth and emotion to this story. The overall message is live your life. LIve every day. I also loved the LA setting, the author made LA seem romantic and charming....not easy to do! I really enjoyed this and I am not a romance fan generally.

This book was just fantastic! I read it in about 3 hours because I had to know how it ended. Daphne's unique gift made this book so intriguing! (I won't say more because I don't want to add any spoilers.) Her friends are fiercely supportive and her parents were just the BEST!! Everyone should read this one!

Thanks to Atria Books via NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.

4.5 ⭐

Rebecca Serle has become an auto-buy author for me!!! I LOVE the characters she writes and the hint of magical realism in all of her books… it adds to the story so much and makes it more intriguing 🙂

this one was a bit weird because main character Daphne has always received notes (from the universe? god? who knows) of her next love interest and how long they will be together. then she receives ‘jake’ and the rest of the note is blank. Daphne can only assume that means happily ever after and it is so interesting to see how she navigates their first date and relationship with the knowledge that he may be her future husband. the weirdness comes in when we go in the past to see her other relationships. and then me getting sad she didn’t end up with them LOL

since Daphne and Jake’s story is intertwined with her previous love interests, it makes for a fast-paced read where we explore her flaws, her uncertainty of her future at age 30, friendships, and many many breakups.

It’s fun and bittersweet and i totally recommend it!! loved the story and characters, found the writing to be a teensy basic and repetitive at times but that didn’t take too much away from the story!

Rebecca Serle’s latest book Expiration Dates wants you to answer the question “what would you do if the universe determines your love life?”

Daphne Bell receives mysterious notes with a name and an expiration date for each of her relationships. But what happens when a note doesn’t have an expiration date on it?
Will Daphne continue to take these notes at face value or will she finally open up her heart and fight for what she truly wants.

When Daphne’s second secret is finally revealed later in the book, it becomes a primary theme in the story being told. As the timeline jumps between the past relationships and present time, perhaps this secret helps to explain why Daphne is so willing to listen to these notes over her own heart.

This was a sweet story and I enjoyed the quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced digital copy

Oh my, this book! I hardly know where to begin!

The book is about Daphne, her story of looking for, and finding love. But it’s about so much more.

What a journey of self- exploration she’s on in this book! It’s a wonderful tale of her growing up, and learning about herself, and her family, and the loves in her life. Every time a new romance begins, she receives a paper with his name and the amount of time they’ll be together. So there are no surprises—-until there’s just a name, without the timeframe.

Her experience has so much depth, and there’s a big twist that affects everything, but at the heart of it, she comes to see more of what life’s about. She learns from her parents ( I LOVED them), her friends, and from Hugo, her friend turned lover turned best friend.

It’s a really memorable story, one that I really didn’t want to end. 5 stars! Highly recommend!

Wasn't my favorite of all her books but it was still a cute, quick read. I would have liked her to lean in a little more to the mysterious notes, but 0h well.

I enjoyed her other books, but I think this is my new favorite of hers. They all have a bit of a surreal twist that doesn’t need explanation but makes them stand out. Loved the characters and the ending was beautiful.

I normally love any and all Rebecca Serle novels but this one just didn’t do it for me. The secrecy around Daphne’s illness seemed unnecessary. I can understand being nervous to share that side of yourself with someone new but the fact that she hid a serious medical emergency from her long term boyfriend then flippantly was like “oh, we’ve reached 6 months so it’s not worth talking out with you. Goodbye” really made me irritated. To me, the situation at least warranted an honest follow up conversation seeing as he was severely caught off guard after she lied to him about it. Plus, the justification for why she trusted the notes and got in so deeply with her main love interest drove me crazy.

I love Rebecca Serle. Every novel is just perfect. Expiration Dates is no different. I didn’t want to put this down as I raced to read about Daphne’s life. I highly recommend this!