3.5 Stars A fun time-jumping women’s lit novel with a “magical” twist! The unique premise of this book drew me in and I was hooked from the start. At times the story was pretty predictable and repetitive, but it was a cute story and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from start to finish. It is very predictable, but I loved how Daphne never gave up and chased love. She was faced with lots of obstacles. It did tug at my heart strings at times. I was rooting for her often and happy with how it turned out!

This is a delightful romance novel with a tiny twist “magical “ twist. Well written and adorable story. Thank you for sharing. Will recommend this book

3.5 stars -

From childhood, Daphne receives slips of paper with the name of her next relationship and the expiration of said relationship. That is, until she gets Jake's name without one. The rest of the story follows Daphne as she recounts her previous relationships, filled with the struggles of a thirty-something trying to figure out her career, self, friendships and things in between.

The way the author writes made it very easy to get into the story though at times was quite repetitive and trivial.
The seemingly predictable storyline had me surprised at the twists and turns (sometimes pleasantly, most not). The more I sat with it, however, the more the twists didn't make any sense in the character development that I wanted for Daphne.

Read if you..
- enjoy time jumping chick lit
- want a story set in LA with a lot of specificity on locations, restaurants, landmarks
- are a fan of Serle's writing!
- are looking for an easy read that also makes you reflect on your own life/choices

So I enjoyed In Five Years but did not enjoy One Italian Summer so I decided to take a chance on this one and I really enjoyed it. I would not call this a romance per se. Rebecca Serle likes to have magical realism in her books. This one is about Daphne and the men she has dated. She has always received a piece of paper when she met or started dating someone that had the guy's name and how long their relationship would last. But she just received a piece of paper after going out with Jake and it only had his name. No expiration date. What does that mean? Hugo is her ex and best friend and he is the only person that knows about the papers she gets when she meets her future boyfriends. But does he still have feelings for her? I could not put this one down. It is a short book with short chapters so that certainly helped. I enjoyed the twists and turns the book took. And it certainly made me think about knowing how long a relationship would last but only one person knowing. Not very fair to the other person. And does knowing change how she acts in the relationship? Interesting premise. Made me think.

-If you never stop long enough to sink into something, then it can't destroy you.

-But what if the papers weren't just doling my life out in increments of time but also protecting me? From the pain of being blindsided. From never again having to say I didn't see it coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I always forget that Rebecca Serle’s books are going to devastate me. This one was no different. I don’t want to go too in depth on the plot because that gives everything away but this is not your typical love story. It’s very serious and heavy and I would say if you are struggling with any type of serious chronic illness maybe avoid this one. But all that aside it really is a beautiful love story and at the end I was both crying and smiling.

The book is short (under 300 pages) and the chapters are short so this is one of those books you can easily close out in a day if you desire.

I just couldn’t get myself over the cringe of the MC to actually care about what happens in this book. The second half totally twists and makes the entire first half a waste of time. The idea I suppose was that there was more clear chemistry with the “friend” but literally no one in this book had chemistry. I think this will be my last of this author after not being very into her first two.

3.5 rounded up.
This book has the same slight magical realism as Rebecca Serle’s other books which was cute. But it moved around a lot more than was necessary. The second half of the book picked up for me, and makes you think a bit, although I wasn’t crazy about the ending. Overall I was interested the whole time, even if the main character wasn’t my favorite.
Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This is my third Rebecca Serle book and it might be my favorite! I loved switching between past and present and it kept me guessing. I blew through it in just about two sittings and I couldn't believe it was over so soon. I loved Daphne and the cast of characters and loved being in this world. Her books are always filled with hope and joy and a bit of magic that just works! Can't wait for her next one.

This book was so much more than its description. You go in expecting a heartwarming love story, but you get so much more. If you are looking for a quick read that will give you the feels as Daphne recounts her various love adventures, you will enjoy this story. And if you are looking for something that also has a little more meat and surprise, then try this out. It's an interesting premise - knowing how much time you will spend with a love, and when offered endless possibility, will you lean into it? This follows Rebecca Serle's other books and is more in the vain of her earlier work.

Thank you to Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review.

This one didn’t quite work for me. I felt that the reveal was a bit too late. The idea was interesting but kind of fell flat. The whole book was a bit quick and I preferred her other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Leave it to Rebecca Serle to make me shed a tear.

The main protagonist, Daphne Bell has believe that the universe is looking out for her, by leaving her little slips of paper that tell her how long a relationship will last before it fizzles. This is my third read of this author so I didn't find that premise ridiculous. In fact, I was locked in from the very first chapter to see where this wild ride would take me. The chapters bring us from the present to the past and we learn of all Daphne's up and down battles with finding her one true love.

Quite early on, I could feel that there were going to be a few twists and I wasn't wrong. Like other early reviewers, I must echo that the one drawback was the expectation of a deeper message. Also, I wanted more information regarding those slips of paper. Who was writing them? However, I was satisfied with the ending which as I stated brought a few tears.

A beautiful contemporary romance.


Expected Publication Date 19/03/24
Goodreads Review 16/02/24

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Release Date: 3/19/24
Format: gifted ebook by @netgalley
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I feel like Rebecca Serle is an author most folks have big feelings on. I had only ever read One Italian Summer by her and I absolutely adored it, so I took a gamble and requested Expiration Dates when I was browsing NetGalley a couple of months back. While I didn’t love it as much as One Italian Summer, I still really enjoyed this quick read!

Daphne Bell has a secret. She gets a piece of paper from the universe prior to each romantic relationship she embarks on that lets her know exactly how long it would last. This is such an interesting premise that opens itself up to conversations about how we live our lives when we have certain intel.

I really dug the premise, the characters, and the glimpses of Daphne’s backstory we get through her past relationships. Plus any book with dogs are usually a win in my opinion!

All in all, this book is quick and certainly worth the read! There were just a couple of things that felt rushed to me and I wish Serle would have dug a little deeper and let this book be a little more painful at certain moments. It almost felt surface level and I loved the idea so much, I just wanted a little more!

3.5 stars
Daphne keeps getting pieces of paper with men's name on them and how long their relationship will last. They come into her life for a brief moment and then are gone just as quickly. One man, Hugo, is her best friend and has managed to stay in her life, still in love with her. One day she meets Jake and he's perfect, and with no expiration date. Will they last or will someone else finally show her that the dates don't matter, that it is more important to live in the here and now? This story was interesting, a different type of romance book that you don't read all that often, not the cookie cutter romance. I enjoyed Hugo's portion of the story and the end was sweet. I'm glad Daphne can get her HEA. I would recommend this book but at times I felt like I just wanted a little more from the main character, a little more emotion.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Serle, and Atria books for allowing me to review this ARC!

Maybe my favorite book by Serle so far! It has a very interesting concept with great dialogue. The banter is charming and it develops a connection with the characters.

The plot starts out a little obvious - but that actually works in this case. Ever since middle school, Daphne has been receiving notes indicating who her next love would be and how long that relationship would last. This provides her life (and the story) a great sense of ease and predictably.

Then comes the twist…I truly didn’t see it coming and it provides the story with pop another layer of complexity and much needed depth.

I can’t help be feel that this book needed one more draft. The pacing is a little off for me - some bits are unnecessarily descriptive while other beautiful and moving parts are glossed over too quickly.

But over all, a very intriguing and unique read! I am so grateful to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read it!

4.25 stars 🌟

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

I loved the premise of this book - can you imagine knowing how long every relationship is going to last before the relationship starts? I feel like this could be such a blessing and a curse. I loved how the twist brought more depth to the overall story.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Let me start by saying I absolutely loved this book!

This is a book about life and love. Daphne receives a slip of paper with a name and a number on it. The number represents how much time she'll spend in a relationship with that person. She finally recieves a paper with just a name on it, Jake, and no number. This story is not only Jake and Daphne's love story but it is interspersed with stories of her time with every other person she received a paper for. This is no oridnary love story. By the end you'll be looking for tissues and thinking deeply about life and love. Plus there's an adorable dog!

I flew through this book and read it in less than a day. It was beautiful writing and a breathtaking story. I loved hearing Daphne's love life adventures and how she felt about knowing when they were going to end. Sometimes I was frustrated and just wanted to get back to her and Jake's love story, but it all makes sense in the end. Hugo was an interesting character I didn't know how to feel about for a while because of his cockiness and him being a bit of a player. Her parents seemed like the sweetest people and watching Daphne grow throughout the book was wonderful.

It's so hard to write this review without spoiling anything! Just read it, it will be so worth your time. It's an absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, and touching story. Rebecca Serle, I can't wait to read more of your books. I have clearly been missing out!

A couple of of my favorite quotes:

"Learning to be broken is learning to be whole"

"Protection and love are not the same thing. Love says, I will try and I will fail. Love says, Despite. Love says, and yet and yet and yet.

An interesting premise: Daphne gets a paper telling her exactly how long she will be in her relationships. Finally she gets one without an end date so she can only assume he is “the one.”

There was a twist towards the end that I truly didn’t see coming and I’ve thought about it nonstop since I finished the book.

I truly enjoy this author’s writing style; however, I struggle with some of the themes mixed into the story. I don’t love the idea of putting oneself first when you’ve made a commitment to another person. That’s just my take and something that felt hard for me to get over.

If you liked this authors prior books, I’m confident you’ll like this one too!

I loved One Italian Summer and In Five Years, so i was so excited to read this ARC by Rebecca Serle! This one didn’t disappoint. The writing was captivating and the premise pulled me in right away. Daphne receives a tiny slip of paper every time she meets a new love interest - along with the exact amount of days they’ll be together. When Jake’s slip arrives, there is only his name - no numbers. Is this her forever love?

The magical/fantasy aspect of “what would you do if you had the power to know…” had big The Measure vibes for me. Daphne has a secret that is revealed at around 60% that I can’t give away without spoiling, but it’s also the part I want to talk about most, so spoiler alert below:

The revelation about Daphne’s heart condition and medical issues caught me off guard and kind of hit me like an emotional wrecking ball, as I have had my own traumatic experience with heart surgeries, hospital stays, being sick, feeling scared and needing to be taken care of. Rebecca’s descriptions of these experiences completely resonated with me and hit home in a big way. TBH this reveal kind of came out of nowhere, which I don’t really know what other people will make of, but because it related so weirdly close to my own experience, I enjoyed reading it and felt understood

Overall, I loved the story, the ending, and the message of understanding yourself, taking control of your destiny, and living your life to the fullest while you can because it's the only one you've got,

Serle is an amazing writer and I was very excited for this one. Happy to say she did not let me down. The premise was fascinating and unique: the main character, Daphne, gets a slip of paper whenever she meets a new beau indicating how long they'll be together. And every single paper indeed had an expiration date. Until Jake. There is no expiration date on the paper with his name and Daphne is left to wonder, is this finally her forever guy? The story continues on with her growing relationship with Jake, her friendship with her former love and now best friend Hugo, and flashbacks to previous relationships over her life.

Rebecca Serle writes it, I read it. This is my third book by her, and I'll say, if you loved In Five Years then you'll almost certainly enjoy this one. I spent half the book uncertain of how to feel due to the romance but guys, TRUST THE PROCESS. Everything came together in a beautiful way and no stone was left unturned. I love how she takes a contemporary story and adds the perfect amount of magical realism. It's no easy feat and she knocks that aspect out the park every time. My favorite character by far was Hugo but Daphne grew on me, and I found her very relatable. There is a twist that I still can't decide if I loved or hated but I understand why Serle included it, it definitely added to why Daphne was the way she was and what the notes signified to her. I loved how reflective the story was and the message of taking life into your own hands. What even is fate?

Highly recommend to fans of women's fiction, contemporary romance, flashbacks, and magical realism. For being on the shorter side, it definitely packed an emotional punch.

4.5