Rebecca Serle writes magic - both literally and figuratively. Her stories are full of life and love and I find it hard to put her books down once I’ve started them.

This is my first book from the author and I can see why she's popular. I went into this book without reading the synopsis and was pulled in by the unique premise. It was an intriguing, easy read, but the execution was unfortunately lacking. 3.5 stars rounded up.

The pacing of the story was interesting. I was 40% through before I even realized it then it felt like it wrapped up too quickly. I expected more conflict or romance with Daphne, but it was more melancholy than anything else. The flashbacks added more depth, but the writing as a whole could've been so much better.

I would recommend this book to others. It sounds like it was on par with the author's previous books, but I just wish there was more to it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book did not disappoint, I felt so nostalgic reading it and I really enjoyed it. It tugged at my heart and made my heart warm, I would definitely recommend this book.

I loved In Five Years and was so excited to read Expiration Dates. This is another romantic feel good story with a gut wrenching twist and was the perfect binge read to sit down to with a cozy blanket and cup of tea.

When Daphne Bell was in her teens and started to develop feelings for a boy she noticed a piece of paper with the boys name written on it, and a period of time next to his name. She quickly came to realize that her dating life was pre determined. She is given a piece of paper for every man she will date throughout her life, and written on that piece of paper is the length of time they will date. Until one day the piece of paper simply says "Jake". Daphne understands that this must be the man she is supposed to marry and she throws herself into the relationship 100%. As the months go on, Daphne starts to wonder if the paper was wrong and if she could somehow tempt fate and ignore the message the universe is trying to send her. She doesn't want to break Jake's heart, but she is also holding onto a secret which makes her ultimate decision even more important than originally thought.

This book was light and heartwarming and I really liked it. Serle has a way of intertwining happiness and sadness at the same time and it is a true gift. I'm looking forward to her next one!

I loved this book. It had such a feel good, interesting storyline that kept me wanted to go back to it. I did find the notes aspect a little strange, but overall I loved the message the book conveyed and I think it was realistic in that way. (wish their was an epilogue with a 1 year later happily ever after though)

Enjoyable read - if you’ve read Serle’s other work, you’ll enjoy this one as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Rebecca Serle has done it again! She found my weakest and softest spot, one that I've expertly disguised from others behind a facade of a strong, unemotional woman who never sheds a tear. I bury my deepest feelings, refusing to share them with anyone. But every time I read one of her books, the main characters manage to resonate with me, cracking that hard facade and finding their way under my skin. And then, like clockwork, the waterworks start. I cry as if I've bottled up years of tears, shedding them without a second thought, feeling the sorrow that I've shared with only a select few.

Daphne Bell's emotional journey to find love against all odds, including her self-sabotaging tendencies, touched me more than I care to admit. With the fantasy vibes of the story, it grabs your attention from the very first page when Daphne receives her first note in the form of a postcard at a young age. The note contains a boy's name and a number of days. Initially, she can't decipher its meaning, and the sender remains a mystery. However, as she finds herself dating the boy, she realizes that her dates correspond exactly to the number on the card. Is the universe playing a game with her, sending these anonymous cards as a warning about who she might date and how long the relationship will last?

Is this a gift or a curse? Does it prevent her from giving love a second chance? The cards never seem to be wrong, and as we witness the men she's dated, we realize that they were not the ones deserving of her affections. With the warning notes, she can shield herself from heartbreak by knowing how things will end, right? But what if she still wants some of those relationships to last a little longer? In her most insecure moments, she questions whether she deserves love and affection. But something holds her back from believing otherwise.

Fortunately, she manages to remain friends with Hugo, one of her past dates, and she finally receives a mysterious note with no expiration date. Has she finally found the love of her life? Could Jake, the man she's currently dating, be her soulmate?

I know some of you might think you can guess the biggest twist of the book easily. I had a feeling too, but who cares? The journey of Daphne, her relationships with her girlfriends and business associates, her self-discovery, her confrontations with her fears, and her grappling with things she cannot have versus things she can achieve—all while learning to accept them by embracing both logic and her heart's desires—are the highlights of the book that I truly enjoyed. As a fellow Angeleno, I also appreciated the author's excellent choice of locations in Los Angeles, from the spectacular view at the Bel Air Hotel to the amazing lattes at Alfred's. Even the timing and directions of LA traffic made me smile. She certainly has great taste (and I think I'm also complimenting myself here because I adore those places she highlighted in the book).

The conclusion of the book brought a deep smile to my face. I believe this is one of my favorite works by the author. I don't care about the predictability of the big twist. I easily became attached to Daphne's story of chasing happiness and found myself lost in her well-depicted La La Land tale, which resonated with me even more than the plot of the La La Land movie. It tugged at the strings of my heart, and I devoured it in one sitting. I'm giving it my five stars without a second thought.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this heartfelt book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I loved this book! When I first started reading I had a good feeling about Hugo and Daphne. The only thing that made this four stars and not five was that we didn’t get time with Daphne and Hugo at the end. I wanted more of them at the end after Hugo made his declaration to Daphne.

A beautiful, charming, quick read, that makes the reader question how they would live and love if they knew part of the ending. Daphne is a likeable 30-something and this is her journey through love. We meet her ex-boyfriends, and flames, in flashback style chapters. The character development was deep; in particular Hugo. I wanted to sit and have a tequila soda with a lime with him after reading this book. Overall, a wonderful Rebecca Serle novel, with interlaced with magic. What a lovely time. Be sure to save this for one sitting--it is that good!

Cute and easy read but I didn’t love that we never found out where the notes were coming from. I also feel like the love story could’ve been built up a little more. It feels like it all happened way to fast. I would’ve loved to see a little more drama. More drama would have helped me forget the fact that these random notes were coming out of thin air and never talked about. Overall, it was a cute book, very easy read and a good pass time.

I was so excited to read Rebecca Serle’s newest novel, Expiration Dates. Daphne, the main character, goes into each romantic relationship knowing exactly when it will end. Since she was young, Daphne receives a slip of paper at the beginning of each relationship that has a name and a time frame. Then one night she has a blind date with Jake. She receives a paper with a name - Jake, but no time frame. Daphne wonders if the universe is telling her Jake is the one.

Daphne meets Jake and he is great. The story is told both in the present and in the past with the backstory of each relationship Daphne has had. Including Hugo, former flame who, after his expiration date, is now her best friend. But then Hugo drops a bomb and we learn Daphne’s backstory.

This book kept me guessing and I didn’t want to put it down. I wish the ending had a little more substance, but other than that, I loved it! The idea of knowing when something would end, even before it begins, is an interesting one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. A solid 4 stars!

4.5 stars - Although Expiration Dates isn't released until March 2024, when I received the arc of this new Rebecca Serle book, I knew I couldn't wait to read it. Rebecca wrote one of my favorite books of all time, In Five Years, and the parallels between that book and her newest release were evident. I FLEW THROUGH Expiration Dates. Expiration Dates follows Daphne, whose relationships have been defined by a slip of paper that she receives, with the person's name and an expiration date for their relationship. Daphne, the main character, attempts to navigate her love life and her tumultuous adult life. Expiration Dates is more than a romance, but a study on the challenges of opening yourself up to love and letting others in. I loved how this book explored chronic illness, grief, and the fear of missing the opportunity to find love the older one gets. I connected to this book the most in terms of the secrets Daphne keeps about her illness, and how she seeks someone who understands her and her hesitancy to love and trust others. Rebecca always comes up with the most creative ideas for her romances, and I love her plots every time. I thought it was brilliant how we followed Daphne as she went through her various relationships and saw her grow as a person and as a partner throughout the story. I loved learning about the secrets she kept hidden from others, and seeing her come into herself by the end of the book. I saw a lot of myself in Daphne and Rebecca once again provided me a bit of hope that the right person comes around when you are in the right place to be open for them. I cannot recommend this book enough and I hope everyone checks it out when it is released at the beginning of next year!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC!

This new novel is classic Rebecca Serle (in mostly a good way!). More In Five Years than her other works, we have a magical realism element driving the story forward, of course with a small twist toward the end. I do believe the less you know, the better with Serle's novels.

The main plot focuses on the protagonist knowing in advance when her relationships will end, and exploring how this affects her buy-in to the relationship and how it affects other aspects of her life. The twist did feel a bit predictable to me, but that may be because I was guessing at it the whole time and expecting it, as Serle does tend to follow a formula. However despite this, this was a very enjoyable read and the writing style was fantastic.

I admit this book took me a bit to get into, but I’m glad I hung on. I was in love with the story by the end of the book. I wish it was a little more clear when the story was about present day Hugo vs past Hugo, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. I didn’t love the timing of the illness “bomb”, but I also understand why it was brought up when it was. It makes sense to introduce her heart issues when she talks about the boyfriend she was with when she was diagnosed. But I also feel like we could have learned about it earlier. It felt like a missed bombshell. My favorite thing about Rebecca Serle’s books are how they are non-traditional romance books. I felt like the love story in In Five Years was more the love between two best friends and the love story in One Italian Summer was more the love between a mother and daughter. In fact, I think there’s several love stories in this book and the main is Daphne learning to love herself. I love how her story with Hugo wrapped up. He didn’t believe in the idea of them having an expiration date and learned to love her from afar if that’s all he would be able to do.
Favorite Quote: We have to be cracked open sometimes. We have to be cracked open sometimes to let anything good in. What I see now, emerging in the mirror, is this one, simple truth: learning to be broken is learning to be whole.

Expiration Dates is a sweet and charming romance. To keep a plot "fresh" there needs to be a twist to the standard "boy meets girl" story-and Expiration Dates has several-although the revelation at the end is more of a "slight curve" than a "curve ball straight out of left field." Whenever Daphne begins a new relationship she finds a note with the just name of the person she is seeing and a date-Daphne figures out the date is a literal "expiration date" of how long their coupling will last. That is until Daphne meets Jake-the note she finds soon after meeting Jake only has his name. Surely this means Jake is the one Daphne is meant to spend the rest of her life with. And Jake is perfect-kind, smart, and clearly smitten with Daphne. Expiration Dates will keep you counting (and smiling!) from beginning to end. It's clever and wise, full of hope and heartbreak. It's a quick read, but the joy you'll find in its pages never expires.

I was fascinated by the of this story. It has left me thinking about it for days. I loved the characters. I was so invested in them I stayed up way too late so I could finish the story. Great read!

"Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle is a contemplative and emotionally charged novel that delves into the profound questions of life, love, and mortality. I had the privilege of reading an advance copy, and it's a book that left me deep in thought.

Serle's writing is elegant and thought-provoking. She effortlessly weaves together a narrative that revolves around the intriguing concept of knowing the expiration date of one's life. The premise is both fascinating and unsettling, and it serves as a springboard for exploring the characters' motivations and choices.

The protagonist's journey of self-discovery and personal growth is at the heart of this novel, and it's a journey that many readers will find relatable. Serle paints a vivid picture of the emotional turmoil that comes with facing the inevitability of death, and she handles the subject matter with sensitivity and depth.

The characters are well-drawn and multidimensional, making it easy to empathize with their struggles and dilemmas. Their relationships and interactions, particularly the central romance, are portrayed with authenticity and emotional resonance.

One of the strengths of "Expiration Dates" is its ability to spark introspection. It invites readers to ponder their own lives and consider how they might approach life if they knew their expiration dates. This philosophical element adds a layer of depth to the story that elevates it beyond a typical romance novel.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I'm awarding it four stars instead of five due to a couple of pacing issues in the middle of the story. There were moments when the narrative felt a bit slow, but it did pick up again as it neared the conclusion.

In summary, "Expiration Dates" is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel that explores themes of life, love, and mortality. Rebecca Serle's storytelling is both compelling and introspective, making it a worthwhile read for those who enjoy contemplative romance novels with a touch of existentialism. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced digital copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. I rated the book at 4 stars, but in reality it’s more like 3.5/3.75. I loved the premise of the story. It was a cute quick read that I really did enjoy. However, some parts of the story fell flat and Daphne’s ending was too rushed for my liking. Also, the most important question was left unanswered! Where are the notes coming from? Some of the supporting characters were underdeveloped and left me wondering why they were there. Overall though, it was a sweet clean romance.

I have enjoyed Rebecca Serle books since I first read The Dinner List. This book is right up there with her others. She creates amazing characters, and the plot of the story is unique. This is a very good book to read if you are in a reading slump.

Expiration Dates is a sweet and heart-warming romance novel. The premise was interesting. Rebecca Serle gets her readers thinking and questioning life’s choices. If you knew the future of a relationship, would you behave differently? If you knew how long you would be dating someone and when it would end, would that change how you spent your time with them, the topics you discussed or the things you did together?
Like other Serle novels, the story contains a touch of magical realism, however, not enough to make me loose interest.


Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.