I literally have no idea what I even read. I feel nothing, besides confusion ? I literally need someone to explain the point of this book. 2 ⭐️ feels too harsh because it wasn’t bad per se, but 3 ⭐️ means “it was okay” in my book and like…. What was ok??? I DO NOT GET THIS BOOK?????

This book was cute. I loved seeing how the papers made Daphne interact with each relationship, and how her reliance on them grew and affected other life choices. I wasn't quite expecting the ending, I had a much darker idea brewing in my head, but I'm glad it turned out the way it did.

On the evening of a blind date, Daphne Bell receives a slip of paper with a name on it. Contrary to the previous slips of paper she received in the twenty years prior, this one does not have a number on it. You see, these slips of paper are not ordinary slips of paper. Each contains the name of the man she will meet and the exact amount of time they will be together. This story is about reflection, truth, and all matters of the heart.

In true Rebecca Serle fashion, this book has a hint of magical realism and a whole lot of emotions. This one was an ode to LA, and it made me want to google if some of these places exist (I haven’t yet, its on my list!). I enjoyed Daphne’s free spirit and her relationships with her friends and boss. I yearned for more though. More character development—especially of our side characters, more connection to the papers of her past and the present.

This is a quick read and the chapters are shot. I had a smile on my face at the end! If you are a fan of her previous work, you will enjoy this one too. Trust that RS will take you where you want to go. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was a quick read for me and I could not put it down. I did feel like I was skimming over some of the information but I loved the premise of the book. Rebecca often mixes romance with a hint of magic, which I love.

Daphne Bell's life takes a unique turn as the universe presents her with slips of paper foretelling the duration of her relationships. This whimsical premise sets the stage for a thought-provoking journey into the complexities of love and destiny. After receiving slips of paper for over 20 years with relationship expiration dates, Daphne finally meets Jake who doesn’t come with one. But she finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction.

The novel's exploration of the secrets Daphne harbours adds a layer of intrigue, which kept me engaged and emotionally invested. While the unique concept of receiving numbered papers predicting the duration of relationships added a fascinating layer to the story, I found myself craving additional twists or unexpected turns to elevate the narrative.

3.5/5

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!