Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. I really liked this for quite awhile. I didn’t love the turn it took.

I was so excited to be able to read this book! I’ve read a few of Rebecca Serle’s books and I really like her books. Expiration Dates is probably my favorite book of hers, that I’ve read. I loved the story of Daphne and how Rebecca alternated between past and present. It was so easy to follow and you can’t help but love Daphne. There were a few twists that I did not see coming. I loved Hugo and wanted Daphne to end up with him. You have to read until the end to see if Daphne gets her happy ending. This is a great book and I will highly recommend it to others.

What made me read this book? I've read Rebecca Serle's One Italian Summer twice because it resonated so much with me in terms of Katy's relationship with her mother and how the author used magical realism in such a powerful way. I found that same ability to help the reader suspend belief in Expiration Dates. In this book, a 30-ish Californian woman working in movie production receives "love notes" in the form of information that tells her how long her next relationship will last - and with whom. Throughout the story, the book asks important questions such as: is it better to know the end of a relationship in advance and avoid being blindsided? Daphne also wonders "what our responsibility is to other people, how much do we owe them?" The book is both lighthearted and complex; thought-provoking and uplifting. I think readers can enjoy it on different levels and that is a quality that makes an appealing book!

Daphne knows exactly how long each relationship she has will last. She's been finding notes with names and dates on them for years, until one day she gets just a name. Daphne finds everything about Jake just about perfect not can't really believe he's truly her one. Hugo, Daphne's best friend, wants her to give this new life without an expectation date a try.

This story was full of hope for finding your person and trusting those around you to lift you up. Daphne shows a beautiful internal strength and determination. I would have liked a bit more at the end but I will take the happy for now ending.

This is my first Rebecca Serle book, and I was excited to read it because I've heard such amazing things about her other books. It did not disappoint!
Expiration Dates is about Daphne, a woman who gets a piece of paper every time she starts seeing someone new, and the paper tells her exactly how long they will be together. The book starts with Jake, whose paper has no ending date. It goes back and forth between this current timeline and Daphne's past boyfriends, while we learn more about her and her life.
Serle weaves the timelines together beautifully and lets us get to know and love Daphne as we want her to do what is best for her future.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good light romance.

Expiration Dates is a well written romance by Rebecca Serle that while fun and funny never stuck with me after finishing it. Serle writes a good story but I feel like she could have added something else to really make the book pop!

Thanks to Atria Books for NetGalley access to this title in exchange for my honest opinion, as well as to Goodreads for a giveaway win of a physical ARC. I'm a big fan of Serle’s writing and recently started to read The Dinner List, the only one of her books that I haven’t read. I particularly love the bright gold accents on her book covers, even this ARC 😍
I love how Rebecca Serle can pack so much into a short book like Expiration Dates. The concept for this book is intriguing - every time Daphne meets a new love interest, she receives a piece of paper telling her the length of the relationship. The chapters alternate between present time and flashbacks to her previous relationships, with each title telling the reader how long the relationship will last, just like Daphne was informed via her paper.
A hint of magical realism mixed with a contemporary romance was just the right blend of genres for me to be whisked into this quick read. While only 272 pages, I felt like I was able to get enough depth into the storyline. It would spoil the book to discuss what I liked and didn’t like, but I can say that this one made me think a lot - and that I was very glad to be able to discuss while reading it. This book in particular generated a lot of thoughts and opinions, and it helped me process my own feelings to hear from others in my buddy read group, especially before pub day! Look for this book in stores on Tuesday - it’s a short but impactful read that I’d be happy to discuss in more detail if you’ve read it.

Every time Daphne begins dating someone, she is given a piece of paper that has their name and a time limit. One day, a few weeks, months, or even a couple of years. Whether it be written on a postcard, a letter handed to her from a stranger, or a piece of paper stuck to the bottom of her shoe, Daphne knows when that relationship is going to end.
As she is leaving to meet her blind date, she receives a slip of paper under her door: Jake. But that’s it! No time limit. Could this mean Jake is her forever?

Daphne spends most of her time with her best friend Hugo. The two used to date, but were only time stamped for 3 months. He’s the only person in the world that knows her secret. Anything more than friends just wasn’t ‘written on the cards’ for them (ha!)

Throughout the book we read flashbacks of Daphne and the other men she’s dated. From college boyfriends, to one night stands, to a weekend fling in Paris! In one way it is nice to not be blindsided by a breakup, but Daphne can’t help but feel broken in some way that her place in peoples lives is limited.

I have been so excited to get my hands on this book! Ever since I read One Italian Summer, I will read anything @rebecca_serle writes. This book was so entertaining, and really a great reminder to purposefully live each day.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the premise of this book, and the touch of magical realism that the author is known for. I connected with the MC, and wasn't sure which direction she was going to take for a while. I also loved the heartbreaking twist in the middle, and how it ended on a heartwarming note. The ending did feel a bit rushed, but overall I enjoyed the message about allowing "fate" to dictate our path, versus making our own choices and outcomes.

I thought the prose in this story was beautiful. There were heart wrenching emotional moments that I felt so deeply and could so clearly relate to. The plot twist of Daphne having a chronic illness added an interesting layer to the story and she was a great voice for that demographic. The overall layout of the book and significance of exploring all of her relationships was captivating but the ending left me disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the advanced readers copy of Expiration Dates.

I am a fan of Rebecca Serle. I love how she incorporates just a touch of magical realism to her modern day novels. This one was no exception. The concept of getting a slip of paper that tells you how long the relationship will last with a new love interest added to our main character and her quest for love.

I think this novel is age appropriate even for young adult readers. Nothing salacious is in the novel.

Review: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle 4⭐️


I loved the magical realism premise of the book and Rebecca’s writing has such an honest feeling about it. She captures women in their late 20s into their late 30s in a relatable way. I don’t always love the characters or their decisions but I think that’s what unique about her books - they really make you question what you would do in their shoes.

The beginning of the book dragged at points but once I hit the 2/3 mark I was fully invested and had to know how it ended. The twists surprised me and made me reflect back on the beginning with a new lens.

I read all of Rebecca’s adult fiction and In Five Years will likely always remain my favorite because of the NYC setting (I was living in NYC at the time and the same age as the main character). Expiration Dates felt like a love letter to Los Angeles so if you have an affinity for LA, this may be the book for you!

Usually magical realism is outside my comfort zone, but Rebecca Serle may be my exception. Set in LA, the story follows Daphne, a woman who for the last 20 years has received a note at the beginning of any romantic relationship telling her how long it will last. It’s spot on every time. But is this clairvoyance or self fulfilling? Hard to know.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a short read, perfect for a return flight home from LA. The story is definitely romantic, but not in a conventional way, and really centers more on Daphne and the reasons she has difficulty trusting she will have a future.

Expiration Dates publishes next week March 19th! Don’t miss it!

Thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for access to an e-arc of this book.

I absolutely loved and devoured Rebecca Serle’s last book. I was SO excited to be approved for this ARC! I am honestly torn on how I feel about this book. I loved the characters and loved the premise. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but I just wanted more of something to really push this into a must-read for me.

NYT bestselling author and master storyteller Rebecca Serle returns following One Italian Summer with her latest enchanting romance, EXPIRATION DATES — could a piece of paper alter your destiny and true love?

Meet Daphne Bell. Her love life has revolved around a slip of paper with a name and number listed—The exact time they will be together.

This time, the name is Jake. It's a blind date. They are to meet in a restaurant in West Hollywood. She thinks she is about to meet her soul mate. This time the envelope arrives blank with no time. What does this mean?

The previous papers told her—for example, that she would spend three days with Martin in Paris, five weeks with Noah in San Francisco, and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend.

She has received the numbered envelopes for over twenty years, always wondering if there might be one with no expiration date. The only person she has shared the notes with is Hugo, her best friend (and former ex-boyfriend).

She seems to be doubting the papers and possibly controlling things alone this time. She has had setbacks and things she is unwilling to share with a new guy.

As the story unravels, Daphane and the reader will experience emotion, passion, second-guessing, anticipation, expectations, doubts, and some pleasant surprises. The unknown can be beautiful.

EXPIRATION DATES is beautifully written, enchanting, and heartwarming with a sprinkling of magical realism. The author has a way of hooking you from beginning to end with her winning style.

Enjoy the journey, hitting the fun hot spots in LA, friendships, family, and the meaning of love and self-discovery. A fun, lighthearted tale that will make you smile.

For Serle fans and those of Katherine Center, Jennifer Weiner, and Sarah Jio.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC and a stunning hardcover copy with swag (loved) for my honest feedback.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 19, 2024
March 2024 Must-Read Books
March Newsletter

This was just honestly not me for me. I guess I didn’t realize it was a book with realistic magic, but I have it a shot and couldn’t get into it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

How would you feel about relationships if you always knew when they would end? In this book, Daphne receives notes with a man’s name and an expiration date. She quickly learns what it means. She goes thru her life knowing when each relationship will end. Until one day, the card doesn’t have a date. Does this mean this relationship is forever?

4.5 Stars

Main Characters:
-- Daphne – early 30s, assistant to a famous producer for the past three years, has been receiving notes since she was in 5th grade with a the name of a man (or boy when she was younger) and the length of time they would be a couple
-- Jake – mid 30s, a television executive for Warner Brothers, set up with Daphne by Kendra, his name was on Daphne’s most recent slip of paper with no length of time
-- Hugo – late 30s, one of Daphne’s ex-boyfriends, now her best friend, works in real estate, he is the only person besides Daphne who knows about the notes
-- Kendra – trained Daphne to replace her in the assistant’s role and became one of her closest friends
-- Irina – late 50s, “Old Hollywood,” Daphne’s boss

Some of the best romantic comedies have a mystical element to them. In Prelude to a Kiss, a new bride changes bodies with an old man at her wedding reception. In The Age of Adaline, a woman stops aging after a car crash into a freezing lake. City of Angels tells the story of an angel who falls in love with a mortal woman and chooses to “fall” to be with her.

None of these are realistic scenarios, but I’m still drawn to the stories. They take me a little out of the realm of reality, and they make me smile.

Expiration Dates reminds me of those stories, and I can totally picture it as a movie. Told in the first person by Daphne, the story begins with Daphne finding a piece of paper reading “Jake” slipped under her door as she leaves for dinner and her first date with Jake. The slip of paper is not unusual for Daphne, but the name without a timeframe throws her off a little bit.

Since fifth grade, Daphne has received pieces of paper with the name of a man (or boy when she was younger) and the exact amount of time she will have a relationship with him. While she waits (Jake arrives late), she texts her best friend Hugo and tells him about the paper. As both of them try to dissect what it means, they come to the same conclusion. Jake must be the one.

Over the course of the book, we learn how Daphne and Hugo went from lovers to best friends. He was, after all, one of her slips of paper (three months). He’s also the only other person who knows about them. Between the chapters developing Daphne and Jake’s relationship, the author drops in a handful of the relationships Daphne has had in the past. Some she moved on from easily, and some caused heartbreak even though she knew they were going to be ending.

As she navigates the experience of being in a relationship for the long haul, she takes advice from Kendra and Irina, who are constant female friends for her. But Hugo is a different story. He becomes more distant as her relationship with Jake develops.

Things eventually come to a head. They always do in a romance. But probably not the way you would expect, and I don’t want to spoil it. There are two big reveals. The first explains a lot about Daphne’s tentative personality. The second literally made me gasp 😲, but you have to wait until you get 87% of the way through the book.

I really enjoyed this, and it really made me think about how we respond to events in life when we think we know the outcome. It’s also a reminder to live life to the fullest while you can. (You’ll find out why when you read it.)

The only thing I struggled with was the chapters didn’t have any sort of indication of “when” we are in Daphne’s life, and the timelines flipped back and forth a bit with the chapters about Daphne’s exes. It would have been fine if Hugo weren’t a part of her past and present. But I found it a bit confusing. Knowing how old she was in each chapter to know where she was in her life would have been helpful.

This was a great read, and I’ll probably be looking into more by this author.

This is my first read of Rebecca Serle's and it was such a fun, thoughtful book!

Daphne has an unusual knowledge of her life - she has two secrets she keeps. The first one is in regards to her dating life - every time she meets a new romantic interest, she gets a slip of paper with a timeframe on it. The second secret doesn't come out until almost the end and is just as life altering. The book follows her along as men come and go from her life - it's interesting, entertaining (she's a fantastic character), makes you think and I just really enjoyed reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I really liked this book. After very much disliking Rebecca Serle previous book One Italian Summer I was a little apprehensive about this book but I was pleasantly surprised. While I did guess Daphne would ultimately end up Hugo as early as the first chapter I did like the little twist in the middle of the book. I liked the flashbacks to previous boyfriends and the descriptions of Daphne’s dog Murphy.

Once the twist was revealed I liked knowing how the author had written in small clues such as Daphne’s lack of exercise. This book was a winner for me.