This was such a quick read and heartwarming love story. I loved the flashbacks to Daphne's previous relationships and really love a second-chance romance.

Since the very early stirrings of puppy love, Daphne had known how long her relationships would last. It wasn't a feeling, but rather an actual note from "the powers that be". These notes always indicated the person and a length of time until Jake's note. That note only contained his name giving Daphne hope that he was "the one" with no expiration date in sight, but could the universe have gotten it wrong?

I am sitting next to a pile of crumpled tissues, the result of reading this book. I am a fan of Serle's books and have grown to expect the unexpected, to have my heart broken, but to also be challenged by her characters' journeys. Once again, she has managed to surprise me with this thoughtful and lovely story of love and heartbreak.

As with all Serle's books, the magical element allows for an interesting way to set the character on their journey. These expiration dates broke Daphne's life into finite blocks of time which could seem like a gift, but they could also be a barrier. Embarking on a relationship, knowing it's bound to end had Daphne keeping an emotional distance. This note with no end date was a game changer. It was new territory for Daphne, and it begged to question if the end dates were legitimate or a self-fulfilling prophesy. Was Daphne really destined to a chain of short relationships or did she never give these romances a fair chance?

Regardless, it was thought-provoking. The peeks into her past were heartbreaking for me, but helped me form a full picture of how she got to this point. Maybe those flashbacks made me appreciate her situation with Jake even more. I have to admit, there was a reveal that made me understand Daphne a LOT more, and then that OMG moment later. Wow! I was thrown. I will say that there were tears from that point forward, but they turned from sad to happy, as I was gifted with what I consider a hopeful ending for Daphne.

Overall, this was quite a journey for both me and Daphne. It was a beautiful exploration of love of all kinds, as well as a compelling story of self discovery. I laughed, I cried, I felt some joy, and I reveled in every second of it.

Rebecca Serle's books are always a little thought provoking, and this one is no exception. I would categorize this one as more women's fiction than romance however it did have a romance subplot. It started off with Daphne who we later on learn has a chronic illness which I'm not sure why the author kept it as a huge mystery, I found this a little problematic. Daphne is a woman that because of her chronic illness leaves it up to the universe for every decision and hasn't decided on what she's worthy of.

Throughout the story, we find Daphne transform and decide what she's worthy of and no longer allowing the universe to make decisions for her.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

There are not many novels that accurately capture what it feels like to be single amongst a gaggle of not single people. Expiration Dates joins the rankings next to Dolly Alderton's Ghosts, in my opinion. Daphne's inner monologue sounded so much like some of my very own thoughts that I found myself nodding along as I was reading the words on the pages. Not only that, I rooted for her to find love, be true to herself, and feel confident. I could not stop tearing through this novel and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read it early!

I was so excited to read this one after I fell so in love with One Italian Summer. I loved the idea of the premise here but didn’t feel like I was invested enough in Daphne as a character even with the knowledge of her background and everything she’d be through. It felt like she’d doubted things before with Jake but didn’t act on the doubt until she found out the truth regarding his slip of paper. And then once that was resolved everything just seemed to end too quickly. I wanted more for the ending and just didn’t get everything that I was hoping for as I did with OIS.

Another winner by Rebecca Serle! I have loved all of her books and this was no exception. Expiration Dates was a super unique premise and I loved how the story played out. This was a quick easy read — highly recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley!

Rebecca Serle could write anything and I could read it. Her fantastical realism makes my heart flutter with joy. I loved this book, truly. As someone who is also single in their thirties and always wondering when "the one" will show up, hit home for me. Her relationship with Hugo made my heart swell and how it compared with her affection for Jake, solely because she thought he was the one.

The ending was perfect and I loved (just like all her other books) how thought provoking it was. My only dislike was that Hugo didn't stand up for himself and their relationship more, it would have saved them a lot of pain. Overall 4.4/5

OK, the queen of magical realism is back with..... her best yet?! I simply ADORED this book. It's short and sweet, and I loved this general positivity about modern dating. It SUCKS out there, but Daphne (as the reader realizes) has a different mindset around it. It was a breath of fresh air. I could see this book becoming a fabulous romcom (and considering it takes place in the world of Hollywood, it seems possible!!?)

I had high hopes for this one, as I really enjoyed IN FIVE YEARS by Rebecca Serle. Unfortunately, EXPIRATION DATES has a great concept, but the execution fell flat. The premise is great - the main character Daphne has received "notes" for every guy that she has ever dated which states exactly how long the relationship is going to last. All have had an end date, either in days, months, or years. The story begins where she finally gets "the" note - a note with no expiration date. Is this finally her forever person?

I really wanted to LOVE this book, but I found Daphne to be really unlikeable and blah. The magical realism part of the plot was a great premise, but the story haphazardly jumped timeframes really with no rhyme or reason, and made the story feel unnecessarily choppy. There is an emotional twist about 2/3 of the way through, but I think it would have worked better being woven in a bit earlier so you could join Daphne's full thought process throughout her relationship with Jake. Without this perspective, it kind of just made me even more infuriated at how the ending developed and how Daphne treated Jake. I think this will resonate better with some than others, but overall it isn't a read I would strongly recommendation.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. I finished it quickly. While I initially thought it was going to be quite predictable, about half way through I was quite surprised. It was a feel good book, but with more depth and a unique story line. While I wish the paper slips had been resolved or explained in any way I did find it added some interesting touches to the story

This was actually my first read of Rebecca's, and I liked it a lot. I have heard great things about her as an author so I did have pretty high expectations. I liked that it was on the shorter side, as they tend to hold my attention a little bit more than a longer novel.

I really enjoyed how magical realism was woven into the storyline, and it didn't feel overdone or too cliche. There were also a lot of life lessons interspersed, which I enjoy. Daphne and Jake were very likable and easy-to-read characters, I felt connected to them and they had great chemistry on the page. Overall I enjoyed the book and will be looking into Rebecca's other novels as well.

She is an author that I I always enjoy reading. This one was on my most anticipated list for months.

The main character, Daphne, finds a piece of paper every time she meets a new romantic love interest. The paper tells the person's name and the exact amount of time they will be together. At the beginning of the novel, she meets Jake and his piece of paper has no end date. Is he her happily ever after?

Throughout the novel we see her relationship with Jake progress, see her past relationships told through flashbacks, and also watch as she continues her best friendship with Hugo, a previous relationship with an end date.

The novel was more of a slow burn than I expected with a lot of character development.

I did enjoy this book in the end; however, it was very different than what I was expecting from it. There were some sweet moments with the characters and some deep questions about fate and free will, but in the end I tried not to think about it too much and just enjoy the ride.

This was cute and an incredibly fast read. The premise was super unique, which I loved. All in all a solid read!

More like 3 and a half Stars ✨

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my gifted advanced readers copy of Expiration Dates.

Rebecca Serle is a hit or miss author for me.
I did enjoy this one more than some of her previous books but it wasn't perfect.
I enjoyed the premise. Rebecca Serle always delivers a unique story. It's what usually draws me in.
I appreciate that all of her novels are short. Expiration Dates was under 300 pages.
The writing was very simplistic and this was definitely an easy read.

Now that I've read 4 of Rebecca Serle's books here is a ranking that nobody has asked for:

1. One Italian Summer
2. Expiration Dates
3. In Five Years
4. The Dinner List (It was a DNF)

Overall- Recommend - to some readers but not all. I will be picking up more by this author.

I joined an @aotmbookclub buddy read for this book and it was a great was great way to read the book! I have loved all of Rebecca Serle’s previous books so I was thrilled to read an advanced copy.

Daphne Bell is single in LA. But when she meets a guy she’s interested in, she receives a mysterious note telling her how long her relationship will last. Some are a few weeks, a few years, even just a night. But when she receives a note with a name and no date, she thinks this must be her forever guy. Her former love and current best friend, Hugo helps her decide her feelings and whether she should take the final leap.

I really liked how they explained a lot of her prior relationships and how they formed her dating life. I do think there maybe have been 1 or 2 too many though. I also love her job and career in LA. Without giving away too much, Daphne has some medical issues that make her question what she has to offer a partner and makes her wonder what she really wants herself. I think anyone who is taking that next step in a relationship will think about what this means long term, but for Daphne it’s even more. This novel has just a touch of magical realism and it was the perfect amount.

I think this is one that you definitely need to discuss with a friend. You will either love or hate the ending!

Thank you @atriabooks for my gifted ebook. Expiration Dates is on sale March 19.

I love how creative and unique Rebecca Serle's books are. Her stories are always full of magical realisms and life lessons. Daphne receives a note every time she starts a new relationship. The note tells her exactly how long her new relationship will last. I really enjoyed how the story went from present day to flashbacks to all of her previous relationships with their length of time and how the journey to the expiration date. There were a couple times that the flashback wasn't explicitly stated so that was a bit confusing. There was a large secret that comes out and makes the reader understand Daphne a bit more. The overall message of the book was a beautiful one, you never know how long you have and what you do with your time is what is important, not the amount of time itself. The writing was just a bit choppy for me but for the most part I enjoyed the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Shelf Awareness for this copy of "Expiration Dates."

Ever since she was a young girl, Daphne has received a paper with the name of her next romantic interest and how long it will last.

But when she gets a paper with the name "Jake" and nothing else, she's not exactly sure what it means.

This compulsively readable book beautifully explores what it means to love, let go, and make choices.

I fell in love with this book. I loved that it was short and sweet. The title really explains so much and in such a deeper way. The whole book really grabs at your heart strings. The concept of meeting someone and then finding out for how long you’ll date them. Really loved how that isn’t a typical romance story and how it doesn’t fall into those tropes everyone talks about. This was my first book by this author and I’m going to read the others hopefully sooner rather than later.

I was definitely intrigued by the concept of this book. A person getting notes when she is about to date someone with their name on it and a time frame. The note basically is telling her how long that specific relationship will last. It is unique and creative, but I found myself not connecting well with the characters and not wanting to pick up the book to finish it.

The writing of the story was good and I loved chapter 36 when she has the conversation with her father IYKYK. I also was very happy with the ending and it went the way that I wanted it to, but overall I would only give this book a 3.5/5 stars (round up to 4 stars for netgalley rating).

I think that if I could have connected more with the individual characters I would have liked it more. This book was just okay for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved One Italian summer and I was looking forward to this one. It didn’t hit the mark for me. I’m not sure if introducing so many characters didn’t work or what the case may be

Thanks for my e arc for my honest review