Meh

I should’ve known I’d feel the same way about ED as I did about IFY. Was it a good book? Sure. Was it awe inspiring and interesting and make me wanna treasure every page.

Nope.

But it was good. It was okay.

This is my favorite Rebecca Serle novel yet. It is perfectly paced to the point I didn’t want to stop reading and finished it in about 24 hours. I liked the flipping between timelines, and I feel like the unexpected twist in this books was just that; I was completely surprised. Normally, books I consume this quickly are more like 4.5 or 5 stars, but I didn’t personally like the ending. It’s well done, and it honestly fits the book really well, even if I myself didn’t enjoy it. Every time I felt where the book was leading “Rebecca! Please don’t do this to me!” So I was invested in the characters and their ending, even if I didn’t love the outcome. I also think this author does a phenomenal job of making magical realism feel every day and emphasizes that with great examples of complex human emotion and growth.

I loved the synopsis of this book and couldn't wait to read it! The storyline was a bit different and it had a few surprises.

When Daphne starts dating someone, a slip of paper with a deadline for the relationship always shows up. She is waiting to receive the paper that has no deadline so that she'll know that she's met her future husband. However, when she does finally get that slip of paper, she is confused by the relationship and unsure if she should trust the paper, or her heart.

This was a fun story that I read quickly because I wanted to know who Daphne would end up with in the end. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC.

Daphne’s love life is measured in paper. At the start of each new relationship, she receives a slip of paper with a name and duration: six months, three weeks, one night. Until one day she receives a paper with just a name - is this her forever?

Expiration Dates feels like the perfect compliment to Rebecca Serle’s previous two magical realism novels on love and grief (although I wouldn’t be surprised or upset if she finds a way to keep the theme going).

We finally got a novel which focuses on romantic love - the editors were right, we’ve been waiting for this one. I enjoyed every character in the book, and knew I wouldn’t be disappointed by the ending because of that - as someone once told me, a love triangle trope is only successful if both options are right for the main character. (Although while I understood Hugo’s pull, I’m still not sure I quite understood Daphne’s reason for breaking up with Jake).

I also just loved the premise of Daphne’s life being measured by names and paper. It was a wonderfully entertaining way to detail her life story, with every few chapters backtracking to a past relationship, and the different ways those affected her.

As always, Serle’s words resonated deeply with me - even though I’m not going through exactly the same experiences as her characters. Her lessons on love, pain, grief, protection, fate, and living life to the fullest are always relevant no matter where you are in this game of life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

An untypical romance novel with some surprising twists and turns. Story switches between current day and past romances. Well developed characters with some predictability.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this read. I think this is my fav Rebecca Serle. This book was predictable but enjoyable. I saw where it was going but I kept reading it as I enjoy her books and the writing style is always quite good. There is unexpected thing along the way so it is an intriguing read.

I honestly am not sure how to put into words how I feel after reading this book. This book was such a unique storyline. A piece of paper to tell Daphne how long each relationship she has will last. It undoubtedly changes how things progress and her commitment to each guy. Then about halfway through the book is a twist I did not see coming that changes everything. I was expecting the book to go another direction, which thankfully it didn’t, but then the book ended and I wanted to know more about how Daphne’s story played out. I wasn’t a huge fan of One Italian Summer, but I loved In Five Years. I’d say this one hits right in the middle. A solid read, but it left me hoping for more!

I loved this book! I’ve never read anything by this author before and I really enjoyed her writing style. I thought the premise of the book was intriguing and, even though I guessed the ending at the beginning, the journey was great and there were still a few surprises along the way.

I started it late in the day and stayed up late to read it in one go…

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

My biggest pet peeve of this book was overuse of the word “heady” at least 10 times. Once I started noticing, I couldn’t believe how many times the word came up! It really took me out of the story. If you are just starting this book, please get me an exact “heady” count because it is probably more than 10 and I fact might be the world record for how many times this word is used in a book. Ok, thank you for letting me get that off my chest.

Otherwise it was entertaining and a wild concept of knowing the length of each romantic relationship as you start it. Enjoyable book!

Expiration Dates💌

Rebecca Serle is an auto-buy author for me at this point, and basically an auto-love. Expiration Dates was no different. At some point in every romantic relationship she has, Daphne gets a note — postcard, sticky, slip of paper — that tells her the length of the relationship. 6 months? 5 weeks? 3 days? You never know what it will say. Until, one day 20 years later she winds up with a piece of paper for Jake, and it’s blank!! Has Daphne finally found the one?

I love how Serle takes a small element of magical relaism and injects it into the story, in a way that makes you think: What would I do in this situation? Do I want to know how long each relationship will last? Will it make it easier to get over and move on from, or harder to get invested in? There is always just the right amount of romance and contemplation and of course a touch of magic in her stories, keeping me a huge fan.

P.S. the dedication and acknowledgements section🥹

2.75⭐️

A fast paced read that had quite a bit of emotion thrown in. Expiration dates was very cute at times, but I felt the characters fell flat and I didn’t feel connected to them the way I should. I wish the “Expiration Dates” had a little more explanation, but I understood that in some of the relations that Daphne was in, she used those dates as a way to hold back and limit the action she took.

I did like the friendship between Hugo and Daphne, and I think the outcome just goes to show how Daphne resisted, and limited her actions because she believed so much in the Expiration Dates and didn’t choose to challenge them.

I liked how there was the message about believing how what we can’t control dictates the things in our lives that we do have control over.

Expiration Dates was not exactly what I expected, and yet it was fairly predictable at the same time. More language than I like, a slightly irritating protagonist, and a somewhat boring leading man rounding out an average read. Liked it better than her other books….but I guess I, just not a fan. Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

Favorite Quotes:

The thing no one ever wants to say about dating is this: It’s hard to be real, sure. It’s harder to let someone else be.

Exercise isn’t really a part of my adult life, what with all the sweating, and the fact that I now have a hair-care regimen.

She’s not coming. Some mix-up with my personality. She decided she didn’t like it.

I once read that there are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on Earth. It seemed impossible. It always seems impossible to believe the things we cannot see.

My life has been filled with magical moments, I was just so busy waiting I didn’t see them when they were here.


My Review:

This was a delight to read and wickedly perceptive and observant. I smirked most of the way through perusal although there were several profound inner musings that I had to stop and reread a few times.

I adored every clever word as much as I did the quirky characters, each was authentically detailed yet I ached for just a little more of each chapter. The writing was well-honed, cleverly original, delightfully witty, keenly insightful, amusingly entertaining, and sparked sharp visuals across my gray matter.

Rebecca Serle has strong word voodoo and now rests at the top of my favorites list.

I have enjoyed this author’s previous books so was looking forward to this one. Daphne has been on many dates, and in an unusual twist, always receives a paper letting her know how long she will be with each new man. Her three months with Hugo were special, and she remains friends with him even as she continues to look for the right person. I was not as enamored of the stories of her other beaus, but really liked her chemistry with Hugo. From the first,I was not convinced of her relationship with Jake. There was another twist that helped explain a lot, but I did not feel the book as a whole flowed well. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

EXPIRATION DATES • Rebecca Serle • Pub Date: March 19, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Serle authored one of my all-time favorite books (In Five Years), so my expectations are always high when she releases a new book. While this book hit a little different than Serle's works normally do, she stays true to her ability to weave a beautiful story handling emotionally heavy topics like grief and love with a fun, magical realism twist.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: Every time Daphne Bell meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Then finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake. But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

Everything Serle writes makes me think and makes me wonder. Now, did I like this book in particular? I’m still not quite sure. I am left with wanting more than what I got, but appreciating what I was given. I loved the plot. I loved how Serle chose to tell the story. I was also pleased with the ending. This book's message on what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define these things for ourselves did hit home. However, I found that this book did not have me as emotionally gripped or invested as I normally find myself when it comes to Serle's books. If I had to put my finger on it, I think it stems from a lack of connection with our MC, Daphne. As the narrator here, there was just something about the way she told the story that had an air of disconnect, almost.

TL;DR: Not my favorite book by the author, but still a pretty damn good book with a plot unlike any other.

“What is blank space, really, but an invitation?”

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is a heart-felt journey into how you guard yourself and act differently if you already know the end. What would happen if every time you started dating a new man, a piece of paper showed up with their name and how long your relationship would last? With all of Daphne’s relationships, she knew how many weeks, months, or years she would be with each person. The good – she was never blindsided. The bad – she never allowed herself to get too comfortable. Especially because “[t]he paper made it so that nothing was personal.” But when she is set up for a date with Jake, and the paper shows up blank . . . does this mean she will marry this person? That their relationship will last forever? Or does it mean something that Daphne has been hiding for years? Oh – and add in Hugo (three months, five years ago) into the mix – will Daphne start trusting her heart or let the universe and it’s papers direct her pathway?

I was pulled in immediately – this one-of-a-kind premise was new and endearing. The characters all had something to offer (and all had a purpose, they weren’t just background noise), and the emotional aspects weren’t overdone. Daphne was interesting with a fun job you could escape into, and having LA as a setting is never a bad thing. Also, my youngest son’s name is Sullivan, so knowing that Daphne named her car Sullivan right from the start was a bonus!

I also loved the ingenious name of this book, well done on the double entendre! However, I was left wanting a little more. I can’t really put my finger on it – I liked this novel, but something was missing. Some umpphh maybe? More sizzle and less knowledge is power? More excitement? I’m not sure what I wanted but some parts were slow and emotionally draining.

Irregardless, Serle has a way of tying in magical realism in a way that it is believable – and it works! This thought-provoking novel will leave you reflecting on love, life, and what’s really important. While I loved In Five Years more this read, her novels are unique and grounded in something much deeper that is hard to describe. Serle is leading the way on Women’s Fiction. I give this 3.8 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this sincere read. All opinions are my own!

“The unknown can be beautiful.”

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I adored this one and was hooked in from the start because of the unique plot! This is so much more than your typical romance

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Unique plots
Magical realism
Dual timeline
Emotional moments
Captivating reads that are easy to binge

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Jewish rep
While it seems a little predictable I love that there were actually a few unexpected twists

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The timing felt a little off

If there is anything you can count on Rebecca Serle for its: a tear jerker of a story, really great characters, and a great twist or two.

I loved the look into each of Daphne’s relationships — and seeing her learn that even ‘the perfect man’ may not be perfect for you. Real love is messy and imperfect…

“What I see now, emerging in the mirror, is this one, simple truth: learning to be broken is learning to be whole.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Thank you, NetGalley, Atria Books, and Rebecca Serle for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this book.

I loved this book so much that I might have to add the physical copy to my collection.

It's a contemporary romance with magical realism sprinkled in. Our MC, Daphne, receives slips of paper whenever she meets a new guy that says how long she’ll be with him. Each chapter goes through those relationships, which was a great plot device.

And every relationship has met its end, until Jake. Jake’s paper is blank.

The unfolding (see what I did there?) of events is entertaining, and the story felt like a love letter to LA, which I liked. The author called out various spots and things she loved about the city.

Much like You, Again (another contemporary romance I recommend), which was a love letter to New York, I wish there was a roundup of places mentioned at the back as well.

But what I liked about this story is everyone is charming and likable. It created warmth and empathy for the characters and added to the emotion of the story.

Because even though the ending was predictable to me, there are a few secrets tucked in there that made it fun getting there. Sometimes it’s the journey, you know?

In this love story, though, my favorite character was Irina, Daphne’s boss. While they didn’t have a romantic relationship, I love a strong female bond, especially when one person seems prickly on the outside but really has a soft center.

I would consider this a breezy read, but there are a few tender moments that made me tear up. Turns out underneath my prickles, there’s a soft center as well.

I love Rebecca Serle books, and Expiration Dates did not disappoint! The premise was unique- finding out how long your relationship will last before or soon after it begins! I enjoyed the ride of each relationship and the characters!