I recalled enjoyed this book so much! Daphne has received notes for years about the duration of her current relationship. She receives a note with a name and no date, does this mean he is the one? I am a fan of a magical realism and it did not disappoint.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC.

A fun, magical, romance novel!

Daphne receives a piece of paper with a name and a timeframe before dating any man, so she always knows the time she will have to spend with them. The novel opens with Daphne receiving a note on her way to a first date with a name and no date - does this mean he will be her forever?

The novel goes back and forth between Daphne's current relationship and her previous ones. With a twist revealed in the middle, and the continuation of her ex- turned - friend, in her life this book held my interest.

Read if you like: low-spice romance, magical realism, contemporary women's fiction

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Rebecca Serle writes the most interesting realistic stories with a touch of magic! ✨

I’m a little late in finishing this ARC but I’m so glad I did! I really enjoyed this book about different stages of one’s love life and tough things that can happen to anyone!

I also like how one big detail came as a surprise to the reader a good ways through the book! I did not expect that! 😱

The ending of this book was a good conclusion that shows that it doesn’t have to be a “perfect” ending but one that is hopeful!

Definitely go check out this new book by Rebecca Serle! 💗

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest book review!

Daphne Bell has lived a pretty normal life, grew up in the suburbs of LA, only child to her loving parents, the only thing that makes her different that for every man she meets and dates she gets a slip of paper with their name and how long the relationship is going to last. Over the years they slips have predicted one night stands, weekend flings, to a 2 and a half year long term relationship. She is about to leave to meet up with her blind date when she gets a piece of paper, but this time it has no amount of time just a name, Jake.

Daphne grapples with how much choice she has in the matters she has always left up to fate, and finally baring her soul to someone when she has always held her secrets close to her chest knowing past relationships always had a fixed end.

This story was so beautiful and powerful. The exploration of being single, what it means so have a relationship, the impact of lost loves, and what it truly means to be all in on love. The author did such a wonderful job of have real meaning to the story while also making it so readable and compelling, everytime i put it down for any reason I wanted to pick it right back up. The book felt like a warm hug while also feeling challenging and thought provoking.

If you could find out when your relationship would end, would you want to know?

That is the premise for Expiration Dates. A woman gets an anonymous piece of paper with a man’s first name and a time period so she always knows how long a relationship will last. I don’t want to give any more info because this book is best going in blind. And let me tell you, I LOVED IT. It was true story of resilience, growth, and love. It was finding yourself and loving yourself. I loved all of the relatable and lovable characters, the quirkiness, the raw emotion that jumped from the page. And as an added bonus, it was a bit like a love letter to Los Angeles, including lots of references to the little part of the city where I live. Pub day is today and you need this book.

Quick read with self-empowerment vibes/owning your own future. Similar tropes to her other books but no Rebecca Serle book would be complete without an illness/death storyline tied in.

4.25 stars rounded up — Thank you Netgalley & Atria for the eARC of Expiration Dates! 🫶
*𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯!

Rebecca Serle does not miss (with me, at least) — she’s one of my auto-buy authors and this one further reinforced that! 👏 In Expiration Dates, we follow Daphne Bell as she trots through relationship after relationship — but catch: she receives a mystery slip with a name and timeframe (how long the relationship will last) before or when she meets each person, and it always turns out correct! So when she gets a slip with no timeframe at all, it has to mean forever — right? 😧

“𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦”

I adored this story — and I think this will resonate well with single women (or women in general), or those who feel stuck while the rest of the world keeps moving. The inner dialogue was SO relatable (the bit about standing in front of the mirror naked had me cackling 😂), and the overall message was so good. You’ll find more than romantic love in this book — in true Serle fashion, you’ll also see familial love, human-animal love, friendship, and (the one I loved most,) self-love.

There were a few things I missed — 1. Although I loved the messaging, this one didn’t garner that visceral emotion out of me, where her other books had (ie. didn’t make me cry); and 2. I really wish actual years were incorporated (example, Bob, two years, “summer of 2000” (ps. this was not an actual character 😅)). There was a lot of bouncing back and forth between timelines that just made it a bit too confusing at times 🥴

Overall though, it’s short and sweet, had great messaging, had many quotable lines, and had great character depth. I loved the LA setting and thorough descriptions (Serle really knows how to set the scene!). Great read for women’s month! I’d highly recommend!

I thought this book was ok, predictable and just ok on the plot. I felt it was very similar to prior books by the author. I saw all the plot twists coming especially the ending but my biggest issue with this was that I did not feel much of a connection to Daphne....

What I did like is that Daphne received slips of paper coming from nowhere with the length of her relationship to the men she meets. This could have been a really good and interesting book. But the characters were one dimensional and so many troubled, flawed people that Daphne meets. Daphne has issues of her own too. This should have worked to make it interesting but it was not.

Just ok for me. Some people will like this more than me, and others will no like it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Rebecca Serle and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is a vivid love story about fate and choices.

Expiration Dates is an ideal book to read as the weather warms up. It’s not long—only 268 pages—so you’ll fly through this novel. While she certainly could have written more if she wanted, the story feels very complete. And I think out of all the endings—this one is my favorite of hers so far.

Expiration Dates is an entertaining and enlightening novel. Yes, it’s short but that’s part of the charm. It packs a lot in this small story. The novel will cause you to reflect and think about your own decision making as well. And it makes for a great book club discussion as there are some twists and interesting plot choices.

I really enjoyed the concept of this story. Getting glimpses of the future of your relationship makes you wonder if it would change how you live your life. We see that in the different relationships daphne has throughout the story. My one issue with the book was the ending felt rushed and her decision just felt kind of thrown in to get to that last scene. Overall it was an enjoyable quick read that I read in a day though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC provided.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rebecca Serle does it again 😭
Daphne’s story had me captivated from the start. She finds herself always having an expiration date on a man she is dating. She always knows when the relationship will come to an end. She wants to find a forever love, however that has never been the case.

You follow her present relationships along with the past. I could not put this book down and it ended up being a beautiful tear jerker. It was so beautifully written, Rebecca Serle is a genius.

This is my first book by Rebecca Serle but I now have plans to go back and read all of her previous works, Expiration Dates follows Daphne, a woman who receives a note at the beginning of every relationship telling her how long that relationship will last.

I really enjoyed Serle's writing style, and how she unfolded the story with a mix of past and present. I thought this book started a little slow, I was hooked by 10%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

This book was so-so for me. I felt like the book was always building up to a climax but just kind of fell flat. The ending left me a little confused. The story line of Daphne knowing exactly how long she would be with someone is what peaked my interest but I feel like the ending could have been better. I did enjoy the different boyfriends and their timelines being mixed in between the current day story. Don’t know that I would recommend to a friend. Definitely an easy, mindless read. Great for a beach day if you have it, but wouldn’t recommend running to the bookstore to grab it today.

Rebecca Serle novels always have a sort of magical/mystical twist that make them stand out from other novels. Literally and figuratively, really. I enjoyed reading Expiration Dates as I was in a sort of slump and felt that it was just the perfect speed to help bring me out. The biggest take away from this novel for me was to not be afraid to live your life the way you want to live it. Don’t let the unknown or expectations of others put you in a box. You are in charge of your own destiny.

I began my Rebecca Serle book journey with In Five Years, and since then, have yet to read another book that gave me quite the same feeling as my first encounter with that story... until now. Expiration Dates reminded me of In Five Years, not necessarily in content, but in vibes. It wove magic with heartache, romance with grief, and joy with complexity, creating a dynamic story that provided enduring hope.

Daphne's character was immediately relatable, in that she finds comfort in the predictable. Each of her relationships has come with a deadline--an 'expiration date'--that she receives on a slip of paper near the time she meets someone new. She knows how long she'll have with each person and it provides peace of mind in more ways than one. This allows her to plan her life accordingly and it dictates how she acts with each individual and makes sure no lines get blurred or feelings get hurt.

However, as I read the beginning of this book, I immediately recognized that there was something more happening behind the scenes. Not only did it seem like she took these expiration dates to an extreme, but there were some relationships that felt heavier than others. I had a lot of questions that I hoped would get answered as I continued the story.

I got swept up in the different romantic timelines, rooting for certain partners a little more than others, and hoping that maybe something extra magical would happen and the expiration dates would be incorrect for some of them along the way. My heart was set on Daphne remaining in one of these loving relationships long-term.

There were several predictable moments throughout the book that I'm sure would be considered "plot twists," but that seemed a long time coming in my mind. I'll admit that was a little bit of a letdown and probably the only thing that kept me from giving this story a full five stars. While a few of her other books have really blown me away with their twists, I wasn't particularly shocked by the outcome in Expiration Dates. That being said, I still enjoyed the direction the story went! It was fun to make guesses and even satisfying to be proven correct as I read.

Like her other books, Expiration Dates deals with topics like illness, grief, and relational challenges. It contains depth and makes you want to pause to consider your own life multiple times while reading. I found myself highlighting several passages to reflect on later because they were so poignant. Unlike her other books that often centered around familial love, this story focused heavily on romantic love, which was such a delight. It made me happy to know that Rebecca's joy was woven into the story in a brand new way and makes me look forward to her future releases as well!

Content Warnings: (Major) Medical content and Chronic illness, (Moderate) Sexual content and Grief

Daphne Bell works in Hollywood as a production assistant. Other than the glamorous setting of Hollywood, California, her life is pretty normal except for one thing. She receives notes from the universe regarding the people she dates. The note includes the person's name and how long she will date him. This has happened to her since the 5th grade. This is all well and good until one day she receives a note with the word "Jake" on it with no time length. Could this be it for her? Could Jake be the one? After she meets Jake, she realizes he is charming, adorable, and someone she could see herself with, so why not go all in? Except she doesn't. She is hiding a secret from him. Once Jake meets Hugo, her ex-boyfriend and current best friend, things start to get weird. Could Hugo, who is perpetually dating other women, actually still have feelings for Daphne? Daphne must decide to let fate take over or finally take control of her life. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is a charming romance with a touch of magical realism.

I have really come to enjoy Serle's novels as they always have a bit of magical realism - not too much to make it entirely unbelievable, but just enough to make it fun. Notes from the universe? Sounds compelling! That is until you think about it and question how much you are taking control of your life versus just living out the note's expectations. This is exactly what Rebecca grapples with in Expiration Dates. The book isn't all romantic fluff though as Daphne does deal with some chronic health issues, but Serle handles it very well and really highlights how a chronic disease can impact just about every aspect of your life and your decisions. So, if you are looking for a cute romance and enjoy touches of magic, look no further than Expiration Dates.

Another touching story by this author. I'm always nervous going into her books because they break your heart but in the best way. This was no different and not as heavy(to me) as the last one. I enjoyed it. Her books are the perfect length for me.

Rebecca Serle does it again! Flawless placing keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and flying through this new release. Extremely fun and unique story premise.

Imagine knowing, from the moment you meet someone, exactly how long they will be in your romantic life. Would it be a relief, or a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Can’t wait to Serle’s next work!

Thank you NetGally for the eARC copy of this book.

#netgalley #newrelease #fivestarreads #expirationdates

Thank you for this ARC, I quite enjoyed this read. It was light but still kept my attention and still had no idea where it was leading. The wrap up was maybe a little eh but the play out over all was good. I would love to have had more Hugo at the end, especially because it felt like his love came from a little from left field

I hate that I’m giving this 2 stars because the concept was so intriguing but the execution just fell so flat for me. All the characters felt so one-dimensional and the only person I remotely liked was Jake. Also it felt like this book was trying so hard to say something profound or inspirational and it just didn’t hit the mark in that aspect either.

The writing style in this book also was not for me. It felt so disjointed and at times I got so confused because it would go off into tangents on topics unrelated to what had just been happening. The glimpses into previous relationships was also just unnecessary and pretty boring in my opinion.

There wasn’t much I actually enjoyed about this book but it was a fairly quick read and that’s why it’s ultimately a 2 star.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.