Rebecca Serle knows how to write magical love stories. "One Italian Summer" is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was looking forward to reading her follow up and "Expiration Dates" did not disappoint. Daphne is a thirty-something living in Los Angeles who feels behind in both love and life. She likes her job as a producer's assistant, but can't get ahead in the love department because all of her relationships come with an expiration date, delivered via mysterious messages. But when she finally meets someone whose message is blank instead of having an end date, will she trust the message more than her heart? There are a couple of surprise twists that add to Daphne's story, which is heartwarming without being schmaltzy. I also liked all of the secondary characters in her life - her parents, her boss, and her friends.

4.5 ⭐️.

Loved this overall! It took a turn that lost me for a moment in the middle, but I was able to bounce back quickly and click back in. Here's why it worked so well for me:
🏝️ The details: The specificity of the LA setting made this book instantly come so alive to me. I could picture everything so vividly and want to make a bucket list of the few places I haven't been. It’s not even just LA, though. The details of Daphne’s life are so specific, it made it so easy to slide into her shoes (so don’t worry that you won’t like it if you don’t know all the places she references in LA).
💖 The overall message: The message of this one really hit for me. It's about dating in your 20s and 30s, yes, and I thought that it painted that picture really well. But more than that, it's about fear and how that holds us back from knowing ourselves and opening ourselves to others fully.
✡️ The Jewish rep: LOVE the casual Jewish rep and the amount of bagels devoured in this book.

Rebecca Serle is such a genius. I really enjoyed this new story of hers! To be honest, it did start off a little slow for me, however about halfway through the book there is a really interesting twist and I really loved how the second half turned out. Emotional and thought-provoking, as Rebecca’s books typically are for me! 4 stars for me, mainly because of the slower beginning.

Since she was a child, Daphne has received a slip of a paper with a man’s name on it and a number. This number equaled the exact amount of time they’d be together - whether it was 8 days or 2 years and two months. And now, Daphne has received a paper with the name Jake, but no number after it and she begins to wonder if this means that Jake is her happily ever after.

This was such a fun concept for a story, wondering how you might react in a relationship when you know that it has a finite end date. Throughout the book, we get small glimpses into her previous relationships, and a current timeline as Daphne meets Jake, and also her relationship with Huge, once an ex-boyfriend, now her best friend. As Daphne gets to know Jake, she starts to wonder if maybe the paper is wrong and we see the secrets and baggage that Daphne is keeping from Jake.

Rebecca Serle has a great talent for digging into the soul of relationships and figuring out what makes them tick, and I especially appreciated that insight in this novel. It was a quick read, but it also had plenty to chew on throughout. She asks big questions as we get to know Daphne’s true feelings on Jake in particular, and relationships in general. Her backstory, when finally exposed, makes you think back through past relationships and how they might’ve been different had she been honest.

Daphne was at times a bit hard to root for because she felt so all over the place and like she didn’t truly know what she wanted (maybe that’s what Serle intended?) but overall, I really enjoyed my time with this one and the ways in which it made me think.

I typically am a fan of this author. However, this book did not catch my attention right from the beginning and therefore I did not finish it.

Thank you @netgalley & @atriabooks for early access to this book. It publishes on March 19th.

Notes that magically appear and tell you how long your relationships are going to last? This story’s premise definitely piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the execution was successful.

The chemistry between all of the characters weren’t exactly convincing to me. FMC, Daphne’s relationship with the love interest, Jake moves extremely fast which felt unrealistic. And then a confrontation she had with him toward the end was really frustrating to me.

I enjoy Serle’s writing, but I don’t feel like this story was fully fleshed out and it left me wanting more. If you want a cute-ish, short, romantic story (maybe a palette cleanser?), you may enjoy this one.

I definitely enjoyed Rebecca Serle’s novel Expiration Dates. The concept was original albeit a bit difficult to believe. The storyline was well organized and there was a couple surprises. I enjoyed the characters with Jack being very likeable (I wish he was my bf) and Hugo being very funny and predictable. Daphne seemed a bit flaky in my opinion and hard to cheer for.
I like Rebecca Serles writing style and the fact that romance and relationships aren’t all flowery and perfect. She dives into humanity and choices which pulls the reader in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebecca See for the opportunity to read this book. I have already read In Five Years and will be going through the entire list!

Yet ANOTHER amazing, heartfelt, and emotional book from Rebecca Serle. I don't know how Serle finds new ways to write about love with such genuine characters and emotions, but I was absolutely sobbing by the end of this book and could not put it down. A quick read, but still impactful, and one that will be on my shelf for years to come.

4.5

I don't know what it is that Rebecca Serle puts into her books, but its addicting. I'll admit, this book started of slowly for me, but in truth I think that's because I wasn't giving it the attention it deserves. This is a shorter book, so it moves quickly, but there is a lot of unexpected depth to the story that doesn't jive with casual reading, or reading when you're not able to fully give your attention (its not an airport book, in my opinion). But once I gave it the right amount of attention, I sank into the story and it truly sang.

As with all of Serle's books that have a touch of magical realism, there comes a point when the story is singing along and then BAM another hook comes out of no where and hits you right in the feels. This happened in this story and I was then convinced I knew what was going to happen and I was prepared for tears. There are tears, but the self-imposed expected did not happen. What comes after the mid-point revelation is quite profound and I think it can be unjustly boiled down to "love is not always enough." This is said several times throughout the story, and it just makes sense. As Daphne traverses the different relationships, you're given the sense that even if she was given that true love, it might not be enough.

Serle is always a writer whose true purpose is found in the subtle details, in the inbetween moments. The true purpose of this story doesn't hit in you in the face until almost the end. And its in a very simple scene with just Daphne, coming to terms with herself. Its unintentionally beautiful. Or maybe intentionally, I"m not sure, but its beautiful just the same.

There are many different types of love in this book, all just as important and profound as romantic love. In many cases, more important. Which is the lesson to be learned here.

Serle also has an uncanny way of making the reader fall in love with the setting of her books. She opened my eyes to the beauty and joy of Los Angeles in a way that I hadn't realized existed before. Her other books, set in NYC, resounded with me because I know and love that city. But, like with Positano, Los Angeles became a character itself and boy do I feel like I've misjudged that city for far too long.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, I feel like the concept of the "expiration dates" isn't fully fleshed-out or explained...I was kind of confused throughout the whole book about them. Why is Daphne the only person who receives them?

In addition, I felt like this book was also very surface level. It didn't feel like the flashbacks to past relationships had any point to the story, other than to illustrate that she did indeed receive pieces of paper regarding the relationship length. I don't feel like I learned anything about the ex boyfriends that was essential to the story. Also, the focus on Tae seemed really misplaced - I know it was during her heart scare but I literally could not tell you a thing about Tae other than he helped her during her heart problem?

I did enjoy the overall message of free will vs. fate - this aspect of the story made me think a lot. But the relationships within the book felt stale and the storyline was soooooo predictable - I knew she would end up with Hugo once he was introduced in the story. Poor Jake, he was a nice guy.

Thanks anyway for the ARC - I appreciate the opportunity to read and review with my honest opinion!

This was a really sweet story and while some of the twists felt predictable it still managed to pull at the heart strings. I've enjoyed other books by Rebecca Serle and this one is no exception. I will definitely be looking to add this to our popular reading collection.

4.5 stars!

If you liked In Five Years, you're going to LOVE Expiration Dates!!!

Rebecca Serle is back, and she's writing a romance -- which she does beautifully! But of course, Rebecca isn't simply writing a romance. No, there is so much more to this book than that. It touches on singleness, unexpected obstacles life throws at you, learning to open up to friends and family, and better understanding yourself ... on your own. I was SO TOUCHED by this book. It was stressful and sad, and yes, I cried at times, but it was also so hopeful and beautiful. It's a book that really makes you think and reflect on your own life.

I LOVED the romance though! And the unique idea of receiving a paper with the exact amount of time you're going to be with that guy. I felt Rebecca Serle did such a good job touching on the ups and downs of having that trick up your sleeve. ALSO! Girl has you rooting for our main character, Daphne, but also for a couple of the guys we meet. There was one in particular I loved from the very beginning &&& I was absolutely rooting for him the WHOLE time haha.

You're definitely going to be so touched by this book, & You should absolutely read it!

Thank you Net Galley & Atria Boks for this eARC! This is my honest review.

I love Rebecca Serle books. The way she just turns a story into an experience is beautiful and Expiration Dates is no exception. The story follows Daphne who receives a slip of paper with a name and a time frame. This leads to her meeting someone with that name and the relationship lasting how long was written on the paper. Exploring Daphne's past relationships and her current endeavor with a name and no date had me pulled right in.
It definitely made me reflect on my life and how maybe I wish I had know the expiration date to some my own relationships.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

First and foremost, I want to thank Netgalley and the Publishing company for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Thank y’all so much!

What I loved about this book is that Daphne can overcome everything. From an unexpected heart condition that seems to take full control of her life, to realizing that she had the power to take back her life, this novel shows the true growth in the main character’s story.

Rebecca Serle is an auto-author for me. I loved her last two. I really like the concept of this book. This author does magical realism really well. I just felt like something was missing for me on this one. I didn’t connect with the FMC the way I wanted to. I needed more depth or growth from her. The ending also felt really sudden? But it was a quick engaging read that makes you think. I’d still recommend!

This was so beautiful. Painful, poignant, insightful. I didn’t always like Daphne, but I liked her growth throughout the story. This one will stick with me.

Book 14 of 2024-#ExpirationDates by @rebecca_serle
I loved this book so much.
All her life, at different times, Daphne has received a piece of paper with a name on it and a period of time. Then she would meet this person and they would be together the exact time of the note. At the beginning of the book, she has received a note with just a name and no end date. What does this mean? This book was magical. It took us through previous relationships and kept us up to date on the current situation. I don’t want to spoil the end, but I loved it! Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

This is the third book I’ve read by Rebecca Serle and I really liked it! The first bit of the book I was honestly a bit confused and lost. As the story went on, character development built, and more context was given, I was following closely and pretty hooked!

I personally love a rom-com/rom-dram (not sure if this is a real term lol) and enjoy predictable endings! So if this sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll likely enjoy this easy read!

Okay this book was so not for me. The concept sounded so good. Getting a note with how long each of your relationships will last. I understood Daphne not being able to connect with people knowing there was an end date. But her behavior with Jake and Hugo was so frustrating. The twist that happens at 60% feels so misplaced. The whole book changed and became about that. And who she ends up with makes no sense and was maddening.

Six years of being a professional reader, and now a Top Reviewer for @Netgalley, I still get giddy when receiving invitations to read, or being automatically approved to read my favorite authors. Rebecca Serle is one of those. 
I think I read "Expiration Dates," too fast. I've had the worst book hangover all day. (In the best way) I loved it, I didn't want to put it down, I didn't want it to end. And then more than halfway through a twist that changed everything. Rebecca Serle is a storyteller you can count on, not one of her books will disappoint. This one is no different.
Daphne doesn't enter a romantic relationship without knowing when it's going to end. She receives a note with a name and a period of time, for example "Hugo" three months. Their heat and chemistry is undeniable, Hugo's charisma leaps off the pages.  Daphne and Hugo remain friends after their relationship ends, and somehow he's the only one who knows her secret. So when she gets a paper with the name "Jake," and no expiration date she is convinced he is the one. As their relationship develops, Jake is everything Daphne needs him to be, and he accepts Daphne for all her perfects and all her faults. The story flashes back and gives us glimpses into Daphne's prior relationships, so we can really see how good Jake is for Daphne. When it comes time for her to move in, Daphne worries she will finally have to reveal her secret. 
With a touch of magical realism implying the universe has some say in our fates, Serle's latest did not disappoint. I felt these stories of Daphne's relationships, I lived this book while I read it. So good.