In the latest romance, Expiration Dates, from author Rebecca Serle, 33-year-old Daphne Bell has had six important relationships, one weekend in Paris, and 42 first dates over a period of 20 years…all determined by some kind of cosmic force. Coming out in early March, the novel relies on magic realism with names of men and the length of the relationships showing up on such things as slips of paper, a post card, and a fortune cookie, all describing the who and the length of the romance.

This phenomenon started in fifth grade when she received a post card that said “Seth 8 days” that pointed to a kid in soccer who became her very first boyfriend. Her relationship with Hugo is to last 3 months, with Noah, 5 weeks, with Martin, 3 days, and so on. Daphne relies on the messages from the universe telling her how long a relationship will last so she is always prepared and never heartbroken.

Then along comes Jake with no indication of time to be spent together making Daphne believe Jake is her forever guy. He is a great prospect, everything Daphne would look for in a lifetime partner. However, he has suffered a great loss before meeting Daphne, and she has a huge secret that could change their course.

What happens if Daphne reveals her secret to Jake who wants something more than a casual relationship? How will Hugo’s reappearance in her life affect her feelings about Jake? How can her secret compromise everything in life?

Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years, The Dinner List, and One Italian Summer. With the help of a writer-producer-director, Serle turned her young adult book Famous in Love into a TV series that lasted two seasons. Serle lives in Los Angeles.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting January 18, 2024.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

4.5 stars! Rebecca Serle has a way of tugging at your heart strings and making you feel all of the feelings. By the end of this, I was sobbing! It’s such a unique beautifully written love story that has you wanting more. I loved Daphne as a character and enjoyed her character development.

Thanks to Net Galley and Atria Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is one of the most honest and beautiful books I've read in a while. The narrator, Daphne, is so well-drawn and specific. She only allows the reader to see the truth as she allows herself to see it. This changes throughout the book and her willlingness to trust herself changes. The story is not predictable at all and the structure of the book really lends to the narrative. This book asked big questions about the nature of love, trust, and relationships. I couldn't put it down and read it in a few hours.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. I wrote a longer review on Goodreads, which is linked below. This review may contain minor spoilers.

First and foremost, I flew through this book. This is the definition of a light, fluffy palate cleanser - and will be perfect for the romance girls who love a quick read.

I'll start with what I loved. The premise is a very neat idea, low stakes but fun and unique. The pacing is quick, and the backstories are fun with interesting characters. I felt that the atmosphere was really strong and I lost myself into the scenes pretty easily.

What I have to address, though, is the plot twist at the 60% mark. I'll give the disclaimer that Daphne's story nearly mirrors my own exactly, down to the years at which she experienced her sudden heart issues. I understand the purpose that this twist was supposed to add to the plot, but I find it a bit distasteful to throw it in as a surprise. Chronic conditions, heart conditions, affect you every day in everything you do. This would be on the forefront of her mind constantly. The aspect of being a patient could have been much more fleshed out, as it goes beyond being afraid for your future and how it affects your relationships. There are so many constant battles, so many wins and losses, so many angles that could be explored. I have a lot of bright spots with my condition, and having those written out made it feel like a quick grab at a plot twist. Her condition was never described beyond "heart disease," though there are dozens of kinds, and there are a few minor inaccuracies, like she likely wouldn't be able to consume caffeine at all, and exercise would be a requirement, even if just light weights or short walks. I recognize I'm probably hypersensitive to this, having experienced it myself, so I don't want to be too nitpicky here. This will not bother or even be picked up on by 90% of readers at least.

Overall, I had a fine time reading this. I enjoyed it - especially the final twist at the end, though I wouldn't have forgiven so easily. I'd still recommend to friends and anyone who loves romance!

This was not my favorite from Rebecca Serle. I LOVED One Italian Summer, and I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I really enjoy magical realism and love how her books always have a little touch of it, often in unique ways. This book started off strong, but as the story progressed, I just found myself wanting more. Particularly, I wanted more of a focus on the notes- who/what/where were they coming from? Is she the only one getting them? Why did she believe them? Why didn't she try to challenge them? Considering they were the main focus of the first 50% of the book- I expected some sort of answer to these questions. Then, the twist that came about halfway through the book felt completely disjointed from the rest of the book and honestly gave me whiplash. All of a sudden, it felt like I was reading a completely different book. I did really enjoy the love story between Daphne and Jake, but I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a romance book, as their romance was more a side plot. Overall, I did find this one captivating and binged it in about a day, but I feel like it had the potential to be much better.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books!

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't really liked any of this author's work previously. I always go in with such high expectations because the premise of every story she writes is always amazing. But, everytime I read, I am always disappointed because the execution of the ideas is never what I want it to be or what I was expecting at all.

While this story was emotional and made me think, it wasn't what I wanted out of it. The characters didn't have any chemistry, the way the story ended just made me angry. Over all, I just didn't like it. This was a definite miss for me.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Expiration Dates. I really enjoyed that this wasn't a typical romance book and I really enjoyed the notes about Daphne's boyfriends. I thought it was an interesting concept and I flew through the book in record time. I found myself emotionally invested in Daphne. This is my first Rebecca Serle book and I really enjoyed her writing style.

On the other hand, I was left with a lot of questions after finishing. I, of course, was rooting for Hugo the whole time though. It was hard to root for Jake for once learning more and more about Daphne and Hugo's friendship. So it was hard to get invested/found it getting a little boring or annoyed that Daphne wouldn't come to terms with her true feelings. The biggest issue I had with the book was that there was no conclusion to the notes about her boyfriends. Why did she receive them???

I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the concept for this book was really interesting—the idea of knowing exactly how much time you have with someone you are in a relationship with. Throughout this book, Daphne receives pieces of paper throughout her adult life that reveal with whom and how long she will be with someone -whether it be one night, a few weeks, or even years. Then one day she receives a piece of paper with the name Jake, but no timeframe is given. What follows is her journey of self discovery as she navigates this relationship and the unknown.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, the main character and her best friend, boss and parents, etc. but I did find myself struggling a bit with the MMC in the story. The relationship felt very safe and almost too easy, which, I suppose could’ve also been a sign. I did enjoy the slight twist that gets thrown in probably 2/3 of the way through and I did enjoy how it ends, and would recommend it!

I devoured Expiration Dates. It does not give me the goosies quite like In Five Years, but I really enjoyed it!
The only comment I have: I doubt the chemistry between Daphne and Jake. But maybe I was feeling a bit jaded when I read it.
All in all a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy.

This book had such a good premise and idea, but the execution was ATROCIOUS. I'm honestly shocked because I loved In Five Years by this author, but this writing felt so chopping, boring and all over the place. I couldn't even follow the story, nor did I care about anyone.

As a fan of Rebecca Serle, I don't say this lightly: this is easily my favorite Rebecca Serle book that I've read thus far. What a beautiful ride this was--I love the questions that this story raises about the limitations that we impose upon ourselves, all based on what we believe our destiny is supposed to look like. We make so many assumptions about our lives that change the trajectory and become self-fulfilling prophecies, but what if we leaned farther into hope and open-heartedness? How different would our life look? This book doesn't shy away from grief and difficulty, and I loved that. It didn't feel saccharine--it felt true.

If you love reflective, emo romances...put this on your TBR right now. This is essentially a love letter to all the late 20s-30s single girls out there, trying again and again and putting themselves out there again and again, but still a little (a lot) afraid of getting their heart broken, wondering if it's too late to change paths or trajectories.

I devoured this book without even realizing it. Initially, I thought it would be a more lighthearted read and it would be a journey through each relationship she gets a letter for, but boy was I wrong. Instead, you fluctuate between present day and past relationships, spending most time in the present day. The concept of getting a letter with a name and timeframe ended up being more of a side note in the story than the main driver of Daphne's (FMC) motivations and choices in love and life. She can be a bit frustrating at times, which usually I'm fine with because that makes characters human, but she hides a huge health condition from nearly everyone, which doesn't really make sense to me when it can be an issue of literal life and death for her...like the logic behind why didn't add up. In the present day, there's really two MMCs that she could end up with...both of whom have flaws but are well-written and you don't root for or hate either of them. I anticipated which one she'd "end up" with, but was surprised by the ending...I'll leave it at that.

It's not your typical romance novel, which makes it stick with you.

Absolutely enjoyed Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle.

Daphne has an interesting quality, she receives notes with a name and a length of time and these notes correspond to the men she dates. Thus far, each note has been accurate with each relationship ending on the same time frame listed in the notes that mysteriously arrive. One day she receives a note with a name, but no timeframe and her relationship with Jake progresses from there. While Daphne and Jake’s relationship grows, Hugo, Daphne’s best friend and ex, reveals something life-changing to Daph, which changes the trajectory of her life.

I had hoped for an epilogue with a bit more detail about the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. I really liked this one but the ending absolutely threw me for a loop. This is my 3rd book by Rebecca Serle, so I'm not surprised at all. Just like the other books of hers that I have read, she takes the reader for an emotional rollercoaster ride. I loved it and I'm sad all at the same time. It was a beautiful book! The complex emotions that the main character experiences and the tragedy amongst beautiful moments was incredibly well done. I will absolutely pick up more books by her in the future and I appreciate the opportunity to review this one. 5 stars for sure!

First thought: I enjoyed it. You never know what to expect when you read her books and this one’s no different. It moves between points in time and you get more insight to the characters as you go. Just be warned this one has a few surprise twists.

Daphne has gone into every relationship in her life knowing how long it will last. She believes the universe is giving her a timeline to help her find love. It does this by sending her a note with the name with an amount it of time it will last.

For 20 years this has been happening, and tonight before her blind date she received another note but this one had no timeline just a name. Does this mean he will be the one?

This story follows Daphne forward and through the past as we learn how she navigates relationships and learns how to love and what it means to be loved in return.

Literally Themes you’ll find:

* Magical Realism
* Finding the One
* Love is a Net
* Secrets
* Growth
* Moving Timelines
* Surprise Twists

💌⏳💌⏳💌⏳💌⏳💌⏳💌⏳💌

Well. Serle does it again! I would have never said that I would be a fan of magical realism, but Rebecca writes in a way that makes it feel so normal so natural this “ there’s no way in hell” situation could actually happen and she makes it feel so real within her stories. Somewhere near 50 to 60% I started to feel like I knew who Daphne would end up with and it started to make me sad because I knew who I wanted her to end up with but overall it was a very great story, and very interesting and had me placing myself in Daphne‘s perspective wondering how I would react, how would I live, if I were in her shoes and I knew that people and things had expiration dates!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a free copy of the book and a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

interesting concept but the pacing really threw me off. this book go back and forth between the present and then randomly goes back in time to one of Daphnes prior relationships. at the beginning of each chapter i wasn’t sure if we were back in the present or still reading about a past relationship.

by the end of the book, we still don’t know why Daphne gets notes about her relationships. thought the ending of this book was a bit corny and really tried to push the moral of the story.

thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What if you were lucky in love? Okay, maybe not “lucky” but what if the universe had your back? What if every time you started a new relationship She sent you a little note with its expiration date? For Daphne, that happens!
Until she meets Jake…
Jake has no expiration date. So what does that mean? Where does that lead her?

I officially have a new favorite from Rebecca Serle. I love how the author incorporates a touch of magical realism in each of her novels. This one being unique in its own world. Having read Serle’s novels before, I thought I knew where the story was going but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong!

Expiration Dates releases March 19, 2024 🗒️

A unique premise awaits in the new story by Rebecca Serle. Every time Daphne meets a new man she receives a slip of paper that states his name and how long they will be together. Until she meets Jake: she receives a slip of paper only with his name on it. The story follows the development of her relationship with Jake, her continued friendship with ex-boyfriend Hugo, and touches on her back story with her heart diagnosis and previous relationships.
The main theme that I gathered from this novel was "living life to the fullest". With that being said, I felt this theme didn't come strongly through until the very end and in a sense got lost along the way. I felt sorry for Jake as he became a pawn in the middle of two people who were very obviously still in love with each other. Daphne was definitely restrained by the pieces of paper she collected with each man she dated.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all.
Okay, I love Rebecca Sterle. This one definitely made me shed a tear or two. Highly recommend.