This was my third Rebecca Serle novel, and I was very excited to see that this iteration revolves around Daphne Bell and the mysterious notes that foreshadows the name of a love interest and an "expiration date" of that relationship. She receives a note with "Jake" and no time stamp, leading her to believe that no ending means she's finally met the one. This is where everything goes awry for me—I found it incredibly hard to believe that Daphne was willing to go all in with Jake, whose character development was essentially zero aside from Daphne trying to convince herself to settle for this stale but safe pick. A plot twist comes in predictably late to afford Daphne a few extra chapters to lament her victimhood and make a laughable decision concerning Hugo, her ex turned meddlesome and haughty best guy friend. The concept was promising and I wanted to acquire the taste for Serle's work but unfortunately, Expiration Dates joins its predecessors as another failed execution of magical realism.

This was a beautiful story. It was so much more than a romance. It was a powerful story of self discovery and gaining the love for oneself despite your struggles. Daphne has a past and some issues that will follow her always but only one person knows about it. Hugo is a genuine, caring, amazing friend to Daphne and he is the only one that knows Daphne 100%. When she meets Jake, he truly seems perfect.

What kept this from a five star for me was the beginning was very slow. I’m not sure how since it was a shorter book but i couldn’t really tell where the story was going until halfway in. I enjoyed the look into the past and the mystery of the relationship expiration date postcards and notes. All in all I definitely recommend this one as I would for all of Rebecca Serle’s books!

HOLY COW HELLO FAVORITE BOOK OF 2024!!!!!!!!!!!

This was so unique. So cute. So easy to read. So easy to love.

I absolutely loved this book. Every Serle book has been adorable and intriguing with the magical realism sprinkled in. This book is just magical enough to be believable. I fell in love with Daphne and Hugo. I was like omg wait is she not supposed to end up with Hugo? I went in blind and had zero clue what this was about.

Seriously the CUTEST book ever. I loved the ending. I loved everything. This would make the best movie ever.

Thank you so much for the ARC. Five easiest stars I've ever given.

Daphne's story is an unusual one. If you could find out the expiration date of a relationship upon its conception simply by opening a letter and reading it, would you?

This is reality for Daphne Bell. Similarly to Rebecca's other books, Expiration Dates melts together elements of magical realism with the storyline flawlessly. Although this story seems complex, it's quite normal for Daphne who has lived her life according to The Universe's plan. That is, until she meets Jake who throws her whole life for a loop. With the help of her best friend, Hugo, she begins to navigate new territory and learns more about herself, and about love, than she ever imagined.

While I found some of the storylines and details a little confusing, and some unnecessary, through the past/ present POV, I really enjoyed one particular twist at the end. At first, I was really upset and felt completely heartbroken but I've read Rebecca's work enough to know that the ending never disappoints!

Overall, I thought this book was enjoyable and did a great job at combining romance and magical realism, with a bit of mystery. It was a quick read and would make for a great poolside or beach-read. Pub day March 19th.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC and ALC.

This book captured and entertained me until it shredded my heart and then patched it back together again….here….READ IT! Seriously, how is this my first book by Rebecca Serle? I have some books to read! In this charming and heartbreaking novel, Daphne is single and good at it. Every man she dates comes with a magical message so she’ll know when Mr. Right has arrived. Her best friend, Hugo, is very supportive and helps her realize that Jake is THE ONE, when Daphne doubts the wisdom of the Universe. This story is NOT the story you think it is in all the best ways! I loved all the characters, especially Hugo and I will not be able to see a pair of Doc Martens without thinking of Jake. Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This very special book will finally be available for purchase on March 19, 2024, preorder now so you can be reading it as soon as possible!

This book was so cute! I loved the magical realism vibes and how Daphne’s love life really depended on the letters she got. This one had second chance romance, deep conversations and even health concerns. While it wasn’t my favorite by Serle I still really enjoyed it!

Daphne Bell's life is unusual, but very interesting. When it comes to dating every man she has dated, she found a piece of paper with his name and how many dates they would have. Her career is interesting too. When she gets the piece of paper with Jake written on it, she knew this was the one the universe wanted her to be with.
They date and start their journey to see where it goes, She still believes this is what the universe wants for her, but she is thinking about things now, and life always has unexpected surprises, so what will she discover, what will she decide, you will have to read the book. It did make me think about if I would want to know expiration dates and other things that would happen.
I received an ARC from Atria Books through NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
I have wanted to get more into romance books and decided to start with this one. The premise is unlike anything I've heard of before and I was really hoping it would be a unique book. Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this book about halfway through. I just couldn't get into it and it was reading like the typical romance book which is not what I was looking for.
I think people who read romance more often would like this book better. The idea was cute - it just wasn't for me.

Rebecca Serle can do no wrong! Just like every other book written by this author, this was so creatively written. This story captured my attention from the beginning and I just didn’t want the story to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I love Rebecca Serle’s
novels, so I was thrilled to be able to read this in advance. I am not 100% sure where I land on this one. The premise of the book sounded so interesting, but it didn’t really end up being what the book was about. I guess I should have expected that as Serle often throws in some type of illness or unexpected loss in her books. This particular twist just didn’t work as well for me. Overall, I love Serle’s writing and the way she keeps her books concise. I think many other authors would have dragged this one out for another 50-60 pages, but it definitely didn’t need it.

I was so excited to read this book because I absolutely loved One Italian Summer and was looking so forward to the magical realism aspect that typically comes into play in her books. I thought that the magical realism was such a fun concept, like imagine if you were given a slip of paper with the name of who you were going to date with a timeline of how long! Kind of crazy.

I thought that how we got to experience Daphne's romantic relationships as she grows up was super intriguing.. And how she worked through her love and growth of who she wants to be throughout the story was well done.

This book was heading directly into 4 star territory and then the ending happened and plummeted it down to a 3 star. I am so upset by what happened and how the ending came to be. I was actually viscerally enraged as I sat in my doctors office waiting room finishing this book. But, it ruined the whole book for me. Womp womp.

Expiration Dates

4.25 ⭐️

I think this might be my favorite Rebecca Serle book so far! I’ve only read a few of her recent books, but this one was so sweet and beautiful.

As soon as one of Daphne’s relationships starts, she always gets a note with the day it will end. Things take a turn when one note doesn’t have an end date, but it isn’t want she’s been looking for. Daphne must figure out how to answer some tough questions and if she should stick with what the universe tells her or write her own timeline.

I genuinely enjoyed this fast read. Daphne had so much character growth, and I loved the person she ended up with. Halfway through I didn’t see the more serious twist coming, but I thought it added a really good depth to the story.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC. Check this book out next month!

Sad but this book just did not do it for me. I was so excited to get an ARC but it just didn’t really sustain my interest. I thought the premise of k owing how long a romantic relationship os going to last kind of intriguing, bit it just sort of fizzled out for me

3.5 Stars - I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it. The concept was cute. I saw the ending coming pretty early on, but it was still interesting to see how we get there. It's a fun, quick read if you need something light with a little bit of mystery.

Rebecca Serle does it again with "Expiration Dates"! As always, Serle has an incredible talent for combining romance, magical realism, and a hint of mystery. I always get shocked by what comes up about halfway through each of her books, and the plot twist in "Expiration Dates" did not let down. Without spoiling anything, I loved how the main character's narrative flowed beautifully into the theme of the story. It was both devastating and hopeful, which kept me engaged and rooting for these characters. Oh, and Daphne's father's speech as the end...I have no words, I just sobbed. Brilliant book! As always, I look forward to sharing this one with everyone and would recommend it for book clubs as well! Thanks to Atria Books for the free ARC.

Daphne receives a note for every man she dates. It has his name and precisely how long their relationship will last written on it. It has never been wrong.
This book starts with her receiving a note with the name Jake written on it with no expiration date.

I think about things like this all the time. If you knew when you did something that you’d have the time of your life for a certain amount of time but when it ends it’ll end very badly. Would you still do it? If you could look up the date when you will die, would you want to know? And if you did, do you think it would change the way you lived your life?
It’s such a weird thing to think about and this book explores that but with relationships.
Without any spoilers, I really enjoyed this book. It has that tiny magical element but it’s so small that it just makes this romance a little more unique. I loved the way this book was paced. It flowed nicely. You go back in time at some parts to see her past relationships. It’s little snapshots of Daphne living her life. She’s a bit melancholy and lost, in a sense. I think it was a little hard to connect with her at first but the more you learn about her you understand her more. She’s a beautiful character.
I could tell from the beginning that this book would take a kind of sad turn. In the end though, I felt it was really beautiful. The idea of love and what it means to all of us. The idea that love isn’t always enough. It’s heartbreaking but it’s life.
Life is worth living. Love isn’t a guarantee but it’s worth the risk and effort if you find the right person.
Also, with the whole overall message of this book, I really loved the ending. I thought it was the absolute perfect ‘ending’ for this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. It was amazing.

2.5 stars. Oh this book. How quickly it reads and yet how deeply it annoys. I'll have to be vague about my concerns to avoid spoilers, but I can safely say that Expiration Dates is NOT "the romance that will define a generation," as promised by the publisher's description.

Single gal and LA producer's assistant Daphne Bell has a unique secret. Every time she dates a man, she receives a mysterious piece of paper containing his name and how long the relationship will last. She has never tried to determine the source of these papers, or why she seems to be the lone person on planet Earth to experience them, but okay, I can go with that. On her way to a blind date set up by her BFF, she gets the expected paper but there is no time limit included next to the name "Jake." Does this mean Jake is The One that she will marry and grow old with, the relationship with no expiration date?

Fortunately, Jake is a wonderful guy - caring, handsome, successful, funny, just the right amount of quirky - and soon he and Daphne are a happy couple. But as their relationship moves towards the next milestone, Daphne agonizes over the need to tell Jake her Big Secret. No, not that one. The Other Big Secret.

I will not divulge the nature of the Other Big Secret except to say that it takes the story into unexpected and unwelcome territory. What starts out as a lighthearted romcom with a gimmick turns into melodrama and angst. Genuinely nice people are deeply hurt as Daphne makes martyr-like choices for them. Flashbacks to her previous time-limited affairs serve little purpose besides establishing the infallibility of the expiration date messages. The plot includes a Love Triangle (one of my least favorite tropes) but the other guy is a playboy douche-bro whose Grand Gesture is an unforgiveable (to me) act of control.

The author describes every outfit Daphne wears, the decor of the restaurants she patronizes, and other unnecessary details such as the fact that the shopping mall at which Daphne and BFF meet for lunch has a Santa train at Christmas, a giant bunny at Easter, and a Gilmore Girls gazebo the whole year through. No wonder this was a quick read; I skipped over all of the extraneous stuff.

The one thing that saved this book from one-heart territory was the loving, supportive relationship that Daphne has with her parents. So often Jewish parents, especially mothers, are stereotypically portrayed as overly involved, meddling noodges. Debra and Moshe Bell are lovely people who are willing to meet their daughter where she is, not where they want her to be.

There are many glowing 5-star reviews of Expiration Dates on Goodreads, so it's clear that mine is a minority opinion. YMMV if you like melodrama, Instagram-like fashion and decor descriptions, and ambiguous endings.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

Every time Daphne begins a relationship with a new man, she receives a note with the end date. But something different happens when she meets Jake. With Hugo, her best friend as her sounding board, Daphne navigates this connection with Jake. However, can she trust a relationship when she isn’t being totally honest herself.
Serle once again has given us a unique story that drew me in right away! I don’t always love mystical stories, but I loved the mystical aspect here. Its subtle, just little notes showing up in unexpected places. And Daphne is able to enjoy each relationship for what it is and for the time it will be. However, she did let the note steer the relationship. And from the middle of this book, I felt like I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and have my heart broken and I was reading with such a sense of foreboding.
I’ve only seen rave reviews for this, so maybe it was a victim of that had it fall a little flat for me. Sadly, I had trouble connecting with this one. It’s a shorter book, under 300 pages, and I think I would have liked if the author went deeper into the character development. There was a lack of chemistry that made part of this predictable.

Readers can relate...you're trucking along, minding your own business, thoroughly enjoying the story as it's unfolding and....BAM! Something is revealed that jumbles up everything you thought you knew, everything you thought was going to happen in the story. This book packs that punch and, oh man, it was really well done. Daphne receiving slips of paper with just the man's name and a time period (5 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, etc.) letting her know how long each relationship is going to last is such a fun premise. She's a strong female lead who has figured out how to keep her guard up when necessary to protect her heart. It was nice to watch her work her way through her dating history until she finally meets "the one"...but who is in control here? Destiny with the slips of paper? Daphne with her own free will? Something else?

This book was really enjoyable. I would (and I will!) recommend it to all of my fellow romance book lovers. It has a little bit more to it than your "typical" girl meets boy, girl falls in love, girl lives happily ever after plot line. It makes you think deeper about your partners, why you choose them, what you have to offer them in a relationship (and vice versa), and what parental love looks like as we age. It is absolutely worth spending time with Rebecca Serle's latest work.

Thank you to Atria books for an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Daphne always gets slips of papers telling how long her relationships will last. When she receives a blank one before her first date with Jake, she’s convinced it’ll last. But she is holding a secret from him as their relationship progresses.

While this kept me entertained and was a fast and fun read, I had so many questions unanswered. Can someone please message me and explain to me what was up with the doc Martin thing? It seemed like it was figured out but not explained. I love magical realism in books but I really need more of a reason behind it. I was left with too many questions and the ending felt rushed.

“Being single is like playing the lottery. Most of the time all you’re left with from that trip to the convenience store is a bag of chips and a six-pack. But then there’s always the chance. There’s always the chance however slim, that with one piece of paper you could win it all.”

Expiration Dates comes out 3/5.