For each new relationship, a piece of paper mysteriously appears to Daphne with the name of her newest boyfriend and the length that the relationship will last.

I read a lot of rom-coms and I can honestly say this book is unique. I haven’t read anything like it and loved the interesting premise. Predictability is often a characteristic of rom-coms, but not with Expiration Dates. I did not see the plot twist coming and immediately had to text my friend, who I was buddy reading this with.

Historically, I haven’t been very into magical realism, but the more I read of this genre the more I’m liking it! I’ve read a few of Rebecca Serle’s books and have enjoyed them all but Expiration Dates is my new favorite of hers.

Rebecca Serle is quickly becoming a favorite of mine - the way she does magical realism is captivating! The premise of Expiration Dates was one that was unique and unlike what I had read before, but still had your stereotypical romance feel. What sets it apart, though, is the introduction of some heavy issues and the character growth and development demonstrated through those. The final twist is one that probably everyone saw from a mile away, but that didn't make me love it any less.

This book has such an intriguing premise, that Daphne will know how long she will date a man. Is it a good thing that she receives a mysterious note that says Hugo 3 months, or a bad thing? This is one secret she does not reveal, but there is another one as well. An enjoyable read.

Rebecca Serle's books always have an interesting premise.

Expiration Dates is about Daphne, an assistant to a famous producer in Los Angeles. She is a regular woman in her 30s but with a twist about her dating life - every time she starts dating a guy (or even sometimes before) she gets a note with the number of days she will be with that person. Sometimes it's a day, sometimes it's three months (that's how she met her best friend Hugo, who she dated for a few months). But this time she gets a note with Jake's name, only, there is no end date.

I liked a lot of things about this book, especially the description of Los Angeles. I was able to guess where the book was going right from the beginning - but there were still some unexpected twists I didn't foresee. Also, Serle's books are never full romance - there is a lot of self-discoveries and character growth. There is commentary on relationships and how we go through life, which only added to the story. The concept of the story was also interesting.

It's a book which a lot of people will love, given the unique concept and the romantic elements. It can definitely be read at least once.

A contemporary romance with a little magic comes Expiration Dates from author Rebecca Serle.
Daphne, our FMC, comes to us from Los Angeles as a native to the hustle and bustle of the land. She works in entertainment, organizing the life of a celebrity, but doesn’t have a clue how to orchestrate her own life.
It’s not her fault though, since she is predestined to break up with every man she dates… just ask the piece of paper that slips in her direction and tells her how long each relationship will last. 🧐
Until one day, Daphne receives a name… but no date of termination. Is this her forever?
If you know how your life turns out, is it really yours?

If you are looking for a thought provoking, contemporary (somewhat) romance, start here!
This story doesn’t a great job of keeping you questioning life’s biggest mysteries - predestination vs. chance, and how choices are just as important as not choosing.

Expiration Dates is only the second or third novel from Rebecca Serle that I have read. Therefore, as a relatively new to me author, I was quite surprised by and pleased with the brevity of the novel. Its length seems a third of what most novels are nowadays, even though in reality, it’s probably half. For this reason, it was not difficult at all to finish, which is a big plus in my opinion.

The premise of the novel was quite fresh, although I’m sure that it has been done before. The concept of knowing for how long each one of your relationships is going to last inevitably results in a lack of connection between the two people. The lack of connection was indicative of how I felt about Daphne until the end. Despite the first of two plot twists, I did not find that the twist made Daphne more relatable. Rather, she seemed quite superficial in her characterization still (Serle just told us about her, rather than made us form those bonds). She also lacked any depth of personality. Her willingness to withstand an obviously stagnant and bland relationship with Jake, while remaining oblivious to Hugo, was frustrating, as that storyline has been played out umpteenth number of times.

The second plot twist was endearing on Hugo’s behalf, although if I were Daphne, I would be even more incensed than she seemed to be. That said, Hugo was my favorite character and was fleshed out more than Daphne was.

Overall, I supremely enjoyed the novel, but would have liked a bit more development at the end— it felt very rushed.

I also loved the amount of detail in the mise-en-scène.

This would be a perfect read for anyone who wants to escape for a bit, but doesn’t have much time to do so; and for those that aren’t bothered by a protagonist who lacks the emotional connection until the very end.

I like the writing and the idea of Daphne knowing how long she was going to last in the relationship…. The reason why I’m rating this a 3 stars is because I was a bit confused at the end ,, I will probably have to reread it . Omg the but friendships were so well done


Thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I did enjoy this book but not enough to recommend it. The premise is the main issue for me - with one impossible main detail (the letters - obviously there's just no way this can happen to someone). Maybe if the reveal was that a certain person was writing them all along, that could have worked. But this story line within an otherwise believable story with no explanation about the detail (how, why her??) it just didn't sit right with me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

The book captured my attention from the start and I was really into it for the first 70%, which is why I rounded up. But, and it's a big one, the ending really did not work for me. There was no chemistry between one of the couplings and where there was chemistry and some build up, we are left hanging without true resolution. There's also a twist that I didn't see coming and I really, truly didn't like the way the main character handled it. So be prepared to be really entertained and then suitably annoyed.

There will never be a Rebecca Serle novel that I don’t devour and absolutely LOVE. Her newest is definitely no exception.

Serle has such a unique storytelling style that links to some kind of magical realism world with extremely emotional undertones. Her books will always make you think about the world in a different way and I know I’m going to be reminiscing on this one for a long time to come.

Read if you like:
✨ magical realism
🖤 emotions
🐶 dogs
🥹 supportive parents

Daphne is experiencing a sort of life lottery. A premonition involving her love interests.

Slips of paper/postcards appear with dates. New man = new paper with an "expiration date" of how long their relationship will last.

She tries to navigate how to handle this situation. Is it something good or a curse? Where oh where will destiny take her?

If you enjoy some magical realism, this is an interesting premise. There were some emotional and sweet moments that were cute, but not sure the chemistry felt right and the flow was also a bit slow for my taste.

Thanks to NG for my arc. OUT on March 19,2024

This was a really great read. Serle has perfected the genre of magical realism romance that isn’t actually romance. The idea of the expiration dates was really interesting. If you knew exactly how long a relationship would last, would that affect how you felt about that person?

I loved all of the characters, and how the relationships were handled. And then of course there was a plot twist halfway that shook up everything.

This is a nice, short read that packs an emotional punch. I wanted to feel a bit more emotion and angst, but overall I really loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a deeply frustrating book. The premise is super cool - the female protagonist gets a slip of paper with a name and an amount of time everytime she begins a new relationship. Unfortunately, the execution was not great. Daphne did not have any real personality traits, and neither did any of the side characters. The messaging of the story felt cheesy and it was not particularly romantic. I also did not see the plot twist in the middle coming at all because it was so out of the blue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really like Rebecca Serle's writing style, and I liked this book overall. It wasn't quite what I expected but had some truly touching moments. The hard part for me is it didn't feel like Daphne and Jake had any chemistry, and the parts about their relationship were somewhat boring. It was still a solid read, though.

I wasn't sure how I initially felt about this book prob due to the concept of how she lives her love life based upon mysterious paper/notes that she receives that tells her how long each relationship will last. It felt a little different but as I continued-I learned to appreciate and see how Daphne viewed her life/love life due to her fate (messages).

I read this book in a matter of 2 days I was hooked after the first few chapters.

I absolutely loved this book and a satisfying ending. I would love another epilogue more of Daphne and her relationship with the man she finds herself with in the end.

This was the first book I've read by Rebecca and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read this story early..

I needed a fast read that was mostly plot driven to fill in some time after reading two excellent pieces of literary fiction. I always think the
author is capable of something more but really in the end I am let down by all her books which I know are escapist but read to me like a tv movie. It could be that illness and relationships as a theme have lost every creative spark…I felt it was a bit like reading one of the less good modern love columns. I did finish it, unusual now when I am underwhelmed..which does up the stars to three.

Daphne knows exactly how long her romantic relationships will last thanks to a mysterious paper that will show up soon after meeting the man. Now, she receives a paper that has no end date on it.

Wow. What a beautiful book.
Here's what I loved.

The relationships. You don't just get to delve into Daphne's current relationship but you also go back and meet some of the men that didn't work out. Along with that, you also get to see into her life with her parents and friends. All of this gave the book such depth.

The audio. Julia Whalen does an amazing job with this audio. She gets into all of the characters so well.

A look at life. This book poses so many questions about life in general. What would happen if you know the outcome of something? Serle does an amazing job digging deep with this idea and really giving some good insights.

All in all, this was an amazing novel!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy

I really enjoyed Rebecca Serle's In Five Years and this is another good one. The premise was fun and interesting - every time Daphne Bell meets a new guy, she gets a piece of paper with his name and the amount of time they will be together. Her ex-boyfriend Hugo is now her best friend - his paper said 3 months and that's exactly how long their romantic relationship lasted. After 20 years of receiving these papers, Daphne is wondering if there will ever be a name with no expiration date. When Daphne's best friend Kendra sets her up on a blind date with Jake, that paper finally arrives. "Part of the beauty of the paper is that it allows me to be present. To not plan ahead too far, not further than specified. Until now." Daphne and Jake's relationship quickly becomes very serious, but Jake not only doesn't know about Daphne's "papers", there's something else that's much more important that she's not telling him. This is a quick, easy read that I finished in two days. Thanks to #netgalley #atriabooks and #rebeccaserle for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars. This is my fourth and favorite book thus far by Serle!

Synopsis: Every time single Daphne meets a potential new boyfriend, she mysteriously receives a piece of paper with his name and a number on it, which corresponds with the amount of time their relationship will last. That is, until she meets Jake, and the paper only contains his name, with no length of time on it. Does this mean he is The One?

Without spoiling the story, I really enjoy how she always takes what appears to be a simple, light romance story, but she adds complexity and a touch of magical realism that make for a much more meaningful, moving, and memorable work!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book to review.

This is hands down my favorite Rebecca Serle book, and I devoured it in one sitting! There are some incredibly relatable and beautifully written passages in this novel that hit way too close to home - perhaps that's why it left me feeling so emotional!

Similar to "One Italian Summer," "Expiration Dates" incorporates magical realism, but it's executed with such finesse! The book encapsulates so many essential themes. Daphne has been receiving letters since she was very young, each containing the timeline of their relationship (e.g., three weeks, 1 day, 3 years). However, one day, she receives a blank piece of paper, implying there is no expiration date. Could this mean she's finally found "the one"?

What makes Daphne so relatable is her adherence to the timelines provided on those pieces of paper - almost as if she's self-sabotaging her own life. In her most vulnerable moments, she questions whether she truly deserves love and affection. Yet, something within her prevents her from fully believing otherwise.

While the plot may be somewhat predictable, I found myself completely engrossed in Daphne's journey toward happiness. The conclusion involving her dad was incredibly heartfelt and left a lasting impact.