oh how i wanted to love this book… and oh how i didn’t. i struggled to connect with the characters which made it difficult to get into the story. i also was just bothered by how daphne let the paper premonitions control everything. the whole point of life is that we don’t know and i was just extremely bothered by the way she lived hers. i also was sad that jake and hugo felt so deeply hurt at different times as a result. this may be an unpopular opinion, but this book simply was not for me.

Fantastic novel, enjoyed every minute of it! Absolutely nothing not to like about it. Such a cute story and great characters. Highly recommend this!

Expiration Dates is an original story that kept me entertained and guessing what will happen until the very end! How would knowing the exact length of your relationship with a romantic partner impact your relationship and how much you truly bring to the table? This is the dilemma that Daphne phases. Alas, her latest relationship has no expiration date- Is Jake the one? Also, mixed into the story is her friendship with an old boyfriend named Hugo. He is one of her best friends and the only person who knows about the little papers Daphne receives with the expiratation date of her next relationship. Again, this is a unique story with some surprising twists and turns. My only regret was the story didn't last longer! Rebecca Serle has created a gem of a story that will keep you thoroughly engaged!

Rebecca truly has a way of making you contemplate what is truly important in life. I love the way that she uses magical realism in each of her books to explore existential questions. All of Serle’s books have stayed with me many years later.

Daphne receives a note stating a man’s name + number of days of this relationship. Does this protect her heart from getting too invested? Does this hinder her ability to see endless possibilities? Does Daphne have a choice in who she loves? Is she steering the relationship to what she thinks it’s supposed to be? While some may consider this a romance, and there are some romantic elements, this book is for me was really about self discovery, and took us on quite the journey with a few plot twists and turns- some I was surprised by, and others I was able to infer— but it didn’t change my experience with reading this book.

I manage to cry the last 20% of every Rebecca Serle book and this one was no different. If you enjoy magical realism, and introspective reads— which is what Serle is known for, you’ll love this one!

THE REFERENCE TO IN FIVE YEARS!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the ARC!

Wow. This book. I could not put it down. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before. The plot is so clever but also embedded is so much reality when it comes to dating. Daphne gets notes, letters, postcards all that let her know how long she’ll be with the man she just met. 3 months with Hugo, five weeks with noah, 3 days with Martin etc. While going through this for 20 years Daphne also goes through other personal struggles that get harder as life progresses. I laughed in some bits and cried in other parts. I love going into books blind and I’m so glad I did for this one too as it took me on an emotional journey in the best possible way. Highly highly recommend this one

There we parts of this that I loved but then parts of it that got on my nerves. For instance, but why are outfits described in such detail when it doesn’t actually, in my opinion, contribute anything to the story? It felt so elementary and young author. Secondly, I struggled with the magical realism element and just accepting these notes ans ann unquestioned part of the plot. Our MC never questioned them as the truth yet knew they were odd enough she never mentioned them to anybody else? I can’t bring those two opposites together in my mind. If you can’t get past that, and I’m not sure I can, I felt like it was an okay read. I keep going back between two and three stars.

Daphne and Jake's story had me invested the whole time. I was curious as to how everything was going to turn out that I could not help but to keep reading. The premise alone had me interested and the outcome was delightful. I really wasn't expecting the emotional pull of this book and in the end it left me satisfied and gooey inside. I loved it!

After having loved In Five Years and finding One Italian Summer enjoyable, I wasn't sure what to expect with Expiration Dates, but it fell short for me. The book jumped right in without a backstory (that did come), so I started off confused. I had a hard time connecting with Daphne and the way she was in relationships. The idea of knowing how long you have in each relationship from the start is intriguing and really made me think about how you'd handle that kind of knowledge, especially when you want more, or less, time with someone. There were a few twists that I did not expect and it changed the way I viewed Daphne and her approach as well as how much you might let ideas/thoughts influence your approach to dating.
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Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I could not have been more excited to receive an advance copy of this book. I fell in love with it immediately. Watching the main charter grow into her life was wonderful. I thought I knew what I wanted to happen 50 times, but she kept me guessing. I love how Rebecca Serle always has just a little bit of magic to her stories. I hope she has many more to give us.

I really enjoyed Serle’s In Five Years and had high hopes for this book. When reading the summary, I was excited to read it but after finishing the book, I can’t decide exactly how I feel about it. This review may contain slight spoilers.

-The flow of the book felt so jumpy going between various timelines. It works in some books but felt disjointed in this one.
-I kept waiting for more explanation about why Daphne got the notes, who sent the notes and why she was the only one to get them. I enjoy the aspect of magical realism but it felt like there should have been more connection and description about it in there.
-Daphne and Hugh weren’t very likable as characters and seemed less and less compatible as the book went on.
-The medical “twist” about Daphne felt so out of place. The rest of the book focused on it and it was a disappointing direction in my opinion.

While I enjoyed sections of the book, it was sadly underwhelming in others.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one. The concept that the universe gives the lead character signs in the form of notes drew me right in. The love triangle, on the other hand, was where the author lost me because I couldn’t connect with either of the couples. Beyond that, I wanted to know more about WHY the lead gets these notes from the universe. I kept waiting for an explanation that never came, which left the story feeling unfinished.

Overall, I did enjoy this for the most part, so I am giving it a solid 3 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this one and have so many thoughts and feelings about it. Daphne throughout her life has been receiving notes with names and lengths of time. She has based all of her relationships on these notes, meeting the person and being together for that length of time. Her best friend Hugo is the only person who knows about the notes. Her friend Kendra sets her up with a guy Jake, whose note has no length on it. Is this her forever romance?

This is definitely my favorite Rebecca Serle book to date. She continues to have gorgeous descriptions, beautiful language throughout, and I just felt for Daphne the whole time.

Things I loved (*spoilers!*):
Daphne’s thoughts on love and love lost.
The way the story was told - loved the alternating timelines and it made sense with the story.
The best friend Hugo (heart melted).
Jake was such a perfect love interest.
Irina and Kendra were great!
Her parents. They were so cute and sweet and her dad was really wise at the end!
Hugo’s messing with her destiny had me gasping - but we all knew he was in love with her right?!
That tough conversation by the beach.
The end was so cute and sweet!

Also- makes it better to know that she found her forever while writing this book. I yearn for that type of connection one day.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the way Serle merges the small magical elements, in this case simple notes, into a normal every day life. Daphne, a thirty-something woman, is looking for love. But at the beginning of each relationship, she finds a simple sheet of paper with the prospective persons name, and a time for how long the relationship will last. The notes appear in different places each time, and she’s learned to just roll with the punches.
Relationships are hard enough as it is, but I can’t imagine the weight it must hold to know exactly when a relationship will end. It made me think how I would act as a person. Would I be myself? Would I be able to let little things go and just enjoy the time I had? This novel was unique, fun, intriguing and thought-provoking. I would recommend this all day long.

Daphne, age 33, has a job she enjoys, good friends, and great parents. She hopes to find her soulmate, but is content with her life as it is. She has been on 42 first dates, and mysteriously knows when each relationship will end. Therefore she doesn’t have to fully commit or get hurt. She begins to ask herself,””is it fate or timing that controls our lives?” The reader will have a meaningful journey with Daphne,,as she searches for the answer.

Ahhh yes, another fantastic read by Rebecca Serle! Absolutely love her novels and think she is a wonderful author. The characters she writes about are always complex and bring so much to the story. I loved this novel and already cannot wait for the next Rebecca Serle novel!!

My third Rebecca Serle and oh my word I devoured this beautiful book! Always unique and with a touch of magic she has created another favorite of mine.

This story is about Daphne… who throughout her life as soon as she starts dating somebody she receives a piece of paper with their name and a time frame… sharing how long she will date that person. In the book you are introduced to Daphne’s past flames and I found it incredible how much story was told while keeping the page count low. I loved these glimpses into her past and how she approached each significant other throughout her life. While we get the past… we are also seeing Daphnes present day play out… and the note that may end all notes!

The way I devoured this audio! A quick, thought provoking read that will leave you thinking is this a gift or a curse?

Loved loved loved the setting… the characters… Hugo 🫶🏻… and the storytelling. She has a way of writing the most quotable sentences! I need to snag a physical to annotate! Already looking forward to Rebecca’s next book , 100 an auto buy author for me!

Thank you Atria Books & Simon Audio for the gifted eARC/ALC

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Rebecca Serle does it again! I have read all of Rebecca's adult books and I love how she weaves a bit of magiccal realism into these stories. It punches you in the gut and makes you have all of the feels. What would you do if you got notes that told you how long your romantic relationships will last?

I loved the twist that came towards the middle of the book and what Daphne our main character did when she learned these twists. I highly recommend this book and think everyone will enjoy!

I love the way Serle writes, it isn't wordy or flowery and each book stands apart from the next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

For 20 years, Daphne has known exactly how long her romantic relationships will last. The universe tells her. Just as she meets someone new, she receives a note with the man's name and the length of time the relationship will last, from days to years. Now, Daphne has received one with just the name Jake on it, but there is no date. Is Jake her forever?

I was very intrigued by this premise, as I love magical realism. The story is told partly in flashbacks of Daphne's past relationships. The men and relationships in the flashbacks are not explored in depth but have a papery quality, almost like the notes that announce their arrivals, and I don't mean that as a criticism. I viewed them like snapshots of her major life events. Daphne searched for meaning and took chances romantically, even if a relationship would be very brief, because of where she is emotionally and physically at different stages in her life.

The exception to these fleeting characters is Hugo, who becomes Daphne's best friend after their dating relationship ends. Hugo was one of my favorite characters in the book. When the story takes an unanticipated twist, everything is turned on its head, and the idea of fate, controlling one's destiny, and living in the moment because of the preciousness of time comes into play. Themes of loss, grief, and strong female friendship are touched upon, and the way the setting is described makes this also feel like a love letter to the city of Los Angeles. A story full of warmth, and I enjoyed it!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in one sitting! I've read most of Rebecca Serle's books and this was my favorite so far. I was sucked right in by the concept of how Daphne, the main character, receives a piece of paper before each relationship that predicts how long it will last. The author cleverly illustrates the potential benefits and pitfalls of that knowledge. I liked how the timeline shifted back and forth. It really kept the story moving-- I was on the edge of my seat through the different plot twists. There were some really beautifully written moments involving her friends and her family, and true to her other books, there is some sadness here too.

What's interesting about this book is that I loved it while I was reading it. Then after it was over, I immediately had SO many questions and I almost felt annoyed by how much more could have been explored and explained. I also reflected on the relationship between Daphne and Jake and got even more annoyed on his behalf. I suppose it's good that I was left wanting more? But I also feel like there were some shortcuts taken (both the Jake and Hugo connections could have been better explored) and in thinking it through, I'm not sure if I really like Daphne that much since some of her actions are pretty darn selfish.

But overall, I did really enjoy the book while I was reading it, so I'm going with a solid four stars!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another great read by Serle! I’m always excited to open up her next book. I enjoyed the use of boyfriends/timelines to show a snapshot of the protagonist at that time. I would have loved to have gotten to know the protagonist more throughout, it felt like it was left for the last 10% of the book. But overall, it was a wonderful record of dating life.