This book left me wanting a little bit more. I LOVED "In Five Years" and although this book gave me similar vibes, it was not the same. It was a bit of an emotional ride in a good way, but I felt like this story was a little rushed.

Some of the details were given as if they were a glimpse back in time but with very detailed memories of what was ordered at a restaurant or what someone was wearing, and it felt out of place really. Like there was a word count to hit. That's harsh, but that was how I felt.

The story reminded my of my favorite Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ" where at the start of the date you know exactly how long the relationship will last. Although this book is NOT a Black Mirror episode, I was VERY excited to see where it went.

Overall, I liked this book. It was a quick read. It wasn't too heavy. I just didn't love it like I loved "In Five Years".

4⭐️
wow, wow, WOW.
When I started this book, I was quickly drawn in by its short chapters and the fact that it was fast paced and easy to read.
This book felt so incredibly raw and real that I can’t even begin to explain the level of emotion that it elicited out of me. It was like a fleeting memory, something you try to catch before it flies away, you know it is not gonna last forever but it’s gonna impact you for a longtime.
Like living through a moment you can tell is gonna be a core memory. This is a book that stays with you and I don’t think I will forget the feeling I had while reading this book.
THE WRITING? UGH
This book had such an interesting concept, but to me it felt like so much more than trying to find true love with the right person, it was more like falling in love with life itself.

This book was the definition of bittersweet.
It reminded me of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (1st movement). Highs and lows, melancholy and stillness and like life itself, unanswered questions. To diverge and disappear, but not without leaving your mark.

( As you can tell I still feel empty inside)

Rebecca Serle does it again, making me think about fate versus free will, and just how much control we have over our own futures... I couldn't put this down and was so happy to have a love story as the main plot of her next book! Sharp and to the point, I fell in love with the characters immediately and had a hard time deciding who I was rooting for the main character to end up with... Loved this one so much!

I really enjoyed In Five Years, despite the "magical" element - which usually is offputting to me. So while I approached Expiration Dates with hesitation, because of a similar supernatural piece, this book earned five stars regardless. The characters in this novel were fantastic and I could not stop reading simply because I had to know what was going to happen to them. My continuous reading was rewarded at a couple of NOTEABLE places; I don't want to include any spoilers, but I did not see either piece coming, AND, both events made me say "but that makes SO MUCH SENSE." I definitely recommend this book, which spoke deeply to my innate desire to know that everything is going to turn out okay.

3.5 STARS

Thank you Atria Books for sending me this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Expiration Dates follows our FMC Daphne who works for a film producer in sunny Los Angeles. She has always wanted the type of love that is told in the movies. Ever since she was a kid when she starts to date someone, the universe sends her a note with a name and a length of time. Noah, five weeks. Martin, three days. Hugo, three months. So on, and so forth. Every relationship has an expiration date. Until Jake. She gets a note the night of their first date, but unlike every other time, this one doesn't have a date.

This was my first Rebecca Serle book, and I enjoyed it. I love that there was a little bit of magic in this normal world. The plot twists were shocking, and they really kept me interested in the story, even if it was a little clinical feeling at times. Daphne had so much character growth from beginning to end of this book. She started as someone who expected the worst, and ended as someone who was willing to let her fears fly out of the window.

"Yes, I wanted epic love. Weak-in-the-knees, movie-kiss-in-the-rain epic love. What I never realized, not up until this very moment, is that I got it - everything I'd been asking for. My life has been filled with magical moments, I was just so busy waiting I didn't see them when they were here."

Most of all, this book is the kind of story that shows that if you are always waiting on the other shoe to drop or for the next best thing, you're going to miss out on what's right in front of you, experiencing life to the fullest. I think that's a lesson everyone should take to heart.

Rebecca Serle has done it again! This book was written so beautifully, I loved every word of it!

Daphne gets a piece of paper with a name and a time frame on it. This tells her who she will be with and how long their relationship will last. Until the day she gets a piece of paper that just says Jake, no time frame on it. She wonders if Jake's the one? Will he be her forever?

As we read, we find out that things in Daphne's life aren't what they seem to be. She's dealing with some pretty heavy stuff.

Hugo is her best friend. They dated for 6 months and then became friends. Hugo knows all of her secrets.

Daphne has many choices to make. I love the way she went to her dad for help sorting everything out. Beautiful story and I loved the ending. The twist was surprising too!

This is my first book by Rebecca Serle, and overall, I liked it. It had some good messages and was well written. It is a quick read that did keep me hooked.
This is the story of Daphne, who receives a paper for every romantic relationship she has that tells her how long it will last. At first, she didn't believe it, but it was true to the day. This tells the story of her romances and her life.
I liked the book, I just felt a bit annoyed with the heroine at times. Some of the relationship stories being told felt like filler and didn't add much to the story.
This is a story of growth, self-realization and acceptance, and love.

Daphne Bell knows how long a relationship will last before it even begins.
Each time, she receives a note with the name of a man she will soon meet and the length of time they will be together. Sometimes it's just one night, others promise weeks or months.
Then, she receives a note with a name, but no date.
I hesitate to say much more about the plot of "Expiration Dates." It's sweet, poignant and emotional without ever becoming too heavy. A welcome easy read from Rebecca Serle.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

Rebecca searle has written a novel with a cute concept and heartwarming characters. Dealing with tough situations and adding a little magic makes this one of my top reads of 2023!

I loved the mix of magical realism and romance. I found Daphne’s character to be relatable and I struggle with an illness and have a hard time opening up.

Another hit by Rebecca Searle. She is now officially an auto read for me! I love how she mixes everyday life with magical realism and makes it all seem possible. He characters are likable and relatable and I enjoy the storylines! In this story a woman, Daphne, receives a note every time she begins a new relationship. On it is the man’s name and how long the relationship will last. She has gotten used to this and now that she’s in her 30s it just seems matter of fact for her, until she gets a new note with a name but without a time. What does this mean? She goes into this new relationship without a timeline and things get complicated for her.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

easy to read and mostly enjoyable.. except for the way she broke up with jake what the fuck was that daphne

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an arc of this book. I was so excited to receive an advanced copy. I always love any books written by Rebecca Serle and this new book was no exception. It was an emotional love story. I truly enjoyed this book. The author weaved so many little nuggets of life reflection throughout the story. I found myself highlighting several quotes throughout this book as the main character, Daphne, went on her journey. I was rooting for her through each relationship. Without giving any spoilers, this book will make you believe in love. As with all of Rebecca Serle’s books, this one is emotional….it will tug at your heartstrings, but leave you with hope. I loved every minute of this book!! It is a 5 for me….leaving me with many things on my heart as I read every page start to finish.

I love how Serle manages to add a little bit of magic to the premise of each book! This one is provided in the form of notes Daphne finds before the beginning of each of her romantic relationships indicating the duration of said relationship. I’m not sure how the author does it, but she manages to make us feel. This book tackles grief in different ways than her other works. Without providing a spoiler, I’ll add that I could feel Daphne’s grief with the loss of what she thought her future self was going to suffer. The secrecy surrounding her inability to open up to others led to isolation and missed relationships. This was delivered in an honest and authentic manner by Serle. I did feel this book was a bit rushed and likely could have used more content. Despite this minor critique, I found myself tearing up and really appreciating the true magic of Serle’s book. I will read everything she writes! Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but it fell flat for me. The premise as a whole was cute, but I wanted to yell at each character (especially Hugo) soooo many times.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I was pleasantly surprised. The story goes between past and present, is very well written and has plenty of revelations throughout. If your intrigued by the summery, I think you'll really enjoy this book!

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle adds a new twist to the typical girl meets boy romance story. Instead, when Daphne Bell is on the verge of a new boyfriend, she receives a mysterious note that tells her exactly how long the relationship will last. This plays out in many different ways throughout a variety of relationships, but is more complicated paired with the fact that Daphne doesn't know exactly how many days she has left.

This novel has many of the typical elements of a romantic comedy, but also poses some deeper questions about life like are things like pre-ordained versus self fulfilling prophecy. Does knowing how long a relationship will last make it better, or does it limit the relationship into lasting only that long? As a reader, I pondered the question of what areas of life I am placing limits that perhaps are self imposed.

Overall, this is a quick read that has the opportunity to challenge the reader to think on some of life's questions while enjoying some romance. I recommend it for readers enjoys a splash of fantasy with romance. I would not describe this romance as a light and easy read, as it does deal with some more challenging storylines, but it does so in a way that feels hopeful for the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne Bell receives a piece of paper every time she meets a new man with the exact amount of time they'll be together, ranging from days to years. Then one day she receives a piece of paper with only a name: Jake. For the first time she feels a relationship has the possibility of being her forever after. Daphne builds her relationship with Jake, but is keeping the notes and another big secret that only her former lover and best friend Hugo knows.

Does Daphne really have a choice in love? And if she does, who will she choose?

I thought Expiration Dates was a wonderful, heartfelt novel about love and friendship. This is my first Rebecca Serle book, but I look forward to diving into her backlist.

Thank you netgalley: this was pure brilliance.
Serle's other stories didn't quite hit for me nearly as well as this did, so if you're in my camp: PICK. THIS. UP.
What if you knew your love life expiration dates? Every relationship, every hook up, you knew exactly how long it would last? How would that color you as a person? When you finally meet the one who DOESN'T have an expiration date....what would drive you together, choice or fate?
This book did such a good job asking some really hard hitting questions about love, choice, expectancy, and endings that I wasn't totally prepared for! Daphne was so deep and yet so flawed, which made her the perfect person to receive these expiration notices. I particularly loved the snippet chapters that focused on exes' throughout her life, and how some of these known short term romances really shaped her. Jake is seemingly perfection, which makes him a perfect foil to her plans when his name shows up without the expiration date. And Hugo....too much about Hugo would make him a spoiler, but he is the quintessential "what could have been" best friend who plays the PERFECT side role in this story. Add in the friendship story lines and its even better.
I particularly LOVED the twist in this one. Serle is known for her twists and in the past, they've always muddied for me what would otherwise be a really good story. This one just double downed on the questions about choice and fate and really strengthened Daphne's ultimate ending: who decides on who you love?

Living the single life dictated by notes from the "Universe", Daphne is waiting to meet the "one". Really interesting premise and delightful story of love.