Thank you to Rebecca Serle, Atria Books, and Netgalley for this ARC of Expiration Dates. Rebecca Serle is one of my auto-buy authors, and I was thrilled to be able to read this novel ahead of time. I fell in love with the premise of this love story immediately - before meeting a new love interest, Daphne Bell receives a note with his name as well as the length of time she will date him. I loved this touch of mystical realism that is also prevalent in Serle’s other books. I really enjoyed reading about each of Daphne’s love interests and the details of their relationships; it was my favorite aspect of the novel. I found these relationships more interesting than what should have been her final love affair with Jake. I didn’t find him particularly likable as a character, and his quirks were not very believable. The twist toward the middle of the novel was very unexpected, and I wondered what the point of it was. I was rooting for a Hugo the entire novel and really enjoyed him. Overall, this book did not disappoint, and it was a quick read for me.

I LOVED In Five Years and couldn’t wait to read this one.

I was hooked from the start and was obsessed with finding the happy ending to Daphne’s story.

Unfortunately I never actually liked Hugo. He didn’t come across as authentic to me and I hated she ended up with him. Jake was just so much more believable (until he wasn’t in the end)

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
5/5 🌟

One day binge read rec !

I have read two other books from this author and I love the way she dives into relationships and the emotions of finding love. I loved this from start to finish including the cover imagery. She makes this story feel realistic and modern with a fairy tale hint in the expiration date note drops.

This book follows Daphne who is a 33 year old living in LA looking for love while she maintains her career, friendships, and family. She wants to find a partner but isn’t consumed or careless with her efforts. After meeting a suitor she gets a note with their name and how long the relationship will last. This varies from one night to infinite. We go back to each one with a through line of Jake the guy that may not expire. She is hiding a big part of her life from many people and it highlights how guarded she still is while living her best life.

Hugo her ex and friend, Kendra her work buddy, and Murphy her dog are amazing side characters supporting her and keeping her grounded. I appreciate the details used from products, coffee shops, and cities it really makes the story come to life.

My heart is happy and filled with hope after this one!

This was fantastic! I have read books by this author before and they have always been thought provoking. This one was no exception. I loved getting to delve into the character development of everyone and I can’t wait to see what is next from the author!

I have loved reading Rebecca Serle's book since first reading In Five Years and everything I've read of hers after has just been better and better. She has a way to really hit you in the deepest parts of your soul and just keep you wanting more and more and this book didn't disappoint.

What would you do it you could know how long each relationship you were in would last? Well Daphne can and sometimes the one you want to end up with may not be who you are meant to, or so she thinks. I really loved how the author weaved in all the relationships she was in while also tying in her present day and her secrets that end up surfacing out.

**thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book to read and give my honest opinions!

I could have fallen over when I got the notification that I would get to read this book early. Rebecca Serle never fails at taking me through every single emotion in every one of her books. As a 30 year old myself, I love to find books with characters in a similar stage of life as me! Daphnes character is my favorite of any that I’ve read recently ❤️ thank you for another amazing book!

Perhaps my favorite Serle novel to date! It's warm and fuzzy but feels more mature than her previous novels. Daphne is such a likeable character and you go through all the emotions as she flashes back to previous relationships all with expiration dates- a night, weeks, a few months, several years. How does that change you if you know it'll end before it even starts. Would you still believe in love?

Serle is a must-read author in my book! I was instantly into this story. Great characters and just a little bit of a fantasy plot to get me believing. Touching moments, funny moments, I was here for it all! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

I liked this one. I will say, I don’t buy that the protagonist is charming or charismatic enough to have her successful, super stud “bestfriend” (spoiler alert) be pining after her for years. She has a health condition that makes her future… uncertain at best. She is unable to have kids, work out, etc. She has not one but two desirable men pursuing a lifetime commitment with her despite those things. Call it jealousy - that kind of unconditional love showing up twice is enviable. I like that there is an open element to the ending - she never gets to see her last expiration date/slip of paper. It also begs the question - did the expiration dates serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy? With a blank one for her eventual-fiancé she stuck around and got engaged only to find out he was supposed to last 3 weeks! Cool book, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a great read! I found it hard to stop once I started. I was left questioning the existence of fate or a life led by choices. Would highly recommend this book for those looking for a unique spin on romance with a satisfying ending.

Omg this book! Loved it! I seriously devoured this in one sitting. Thanks for the ARC Netgalley, author and publisher.

I think I just need to accept that Rebecca Serle isn't for me. The premises of her books always sound SO good and original, but the characters feel so cliche and underdeveloped. Like always, the idea that someone receives a piece of paper saying how long she will be with a partner is fascinating! But it just didn't amount to much and I was skimming by the end.

I was so excited when I got approved for this one! I'm a Rebecca Serle fan so had really high hopes and it didn't disappoint! Daphne has always received notes from the universe telling her exactly how long each relationship she has will last. This novel is a super sweet story about a girl trying to figure out if the universe is really determining the course of her life or can she forge her own path and overcome her own secret challenges.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book, the characters, and the overall messages within it. The chapters and story moved quickly and I really enjoyed the ending.

Rebecca Serle creates magic within the bounds of our known reality. In this book, the main character always receives slips of paper telling her how long she is going to be with any given romantic interest. Until one day, she finds a slip of paper right before a first date, with her date's name on it, but no end date. Does this mean that he is her soulmate? That it isn't going to end? This book explores what it truly means to love someone and what it takes to make a relationship last. You will not regret picking up this beautiful title. I know I couldn't put it down!

This is an interesting story of knowing when things will end for the main character, Daphne's romantic relationships. It all occurs with just a little piece of paper!
How can this be?
But.. It is true in every case and romance she encounters.
Knowing in advance is a blessing and at times a curse because how do you invest in a relationship when you know it will be over after a short or long while.
This story is fun and yet there is some anxiety over Daphne's life as well as mystery with these papers.

It is a wonderful fantasy,romance read anytime.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Atria for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

I absolutely adored this creative, easy-to-devour romance read!

Nobody writes magical realism like Rebecca Serle I’ve loved every single one of her books, and this might be her best yet!

Serle has a way of jumping right into that story and captivating your attention from the very first page. As a reader, I always buy into the magical elements and get swept away by the unique situation her main character is facing. She draws me in and keeps my full attention to the last page. I read this book in just over 24 hours and if life hadn’t gotten in the way, probably could have devoured it in a single sitting.

If you’ve read her books before, I’d say this is most similar to In Five Years— but it’s truly its own unique story. It also reminded me a bit of The Measure— it’s got that ‘would you want to know?’ question hanging over every chapter. I also thought of The Immortalists while reading— kind of a chicken and egg question of self-fulfilling prophecies here.

While this book is super easy to read, it also serves up some deeper themes and gets your brain working too. While entertaining me, it also reminded me to be present. That no time here is guaranteed and we need to make the most of what we are given!

Oh, I just loved how this book ended! While I’ve loved this author’s previous books from start to finish, this one took me a bit longer to get into. I found the start a little confusing with a few too many characters storylines. After almost deciding not to finish, I gave it a bit more time and I’m so glad I did.

As before, this author wove together a beautiful story about life, time, choices, and love. It ended perfectly and left me both satisfied and inspired. While I wish the beginning had been a bit easier to get into, it was absolutely a worthwhile read and I’m excited to see what this author writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley Atria Books for my review copy.

This was a truly delightful read. It’s a story of trying to outpace fate, until you realize all you can do it take it day by day. The story kept me on my toes, with unexpected twists and a not-so-predictable ending. Perhaps most charming of all, woven throughout is an ode to the city of LA that has even skeptics like me racing to visit all of Daphne’s favorite spots. This story is out next March; thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

4 ⭐️

The main character in this book, Daphne, gets letters throughout her life that gives her an expiration date with the person she is dating or is about to date. This time, however, she receives a letter with a name but no expiration date for a man she is going on a first date with. So does this mean that this man will be her happily-ever-after?

This book was super cute and such a quick read. I loved how easy the writing was, and it felt very realistic with her relationships and I loved all the characters. It gave me such warm fuzzy feelings, but sadness at times too. Super thankful to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with another enjoyable ARC!