This was so heartfelt, and magical. Not my favorite of this author but definitely worth a read. I think Serle does emotion so well!

Dating can be wonderful, fascinating and heartfelt, but also exhausting and sometimes painful. But what if with every new romantic partner, the universe slipped you a note to let you know how long it would last…

This is Daphne’s experience in Expiration Dates. Whether it’s a few days or years, with each new man she dates she receives an inconspicuous note letting her know exactly how long the relationship will last.

The expiration dates prove to be a blessing and a curse - would you hold back your feelings if you knew the time together was limited? Or would you enjoy the finite amount of time whole heartedly whilst embracing the relationships impending end? In Daphne’s case it’s a bit of both.

I really loved this concept, enjoyed the romance, and how the stories of these past dates were interwoven throughout the book. I would have liked to have more character development and depth in Daphne, Jake and Hugo. They each felt a bit two dimensional, especially the men. I laughed and shed some tears, but the last part of the book wasn’t as satisfying for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Expiration Dates was a fun read for me. It was a different premise than your average romance and I loved it. I didn’t see the twist coming which is always refreshing in a book. Absolutely would recommend this to everyone.

Daphne has been getting little pieces of paper ever since she was in elementary school with the name of a boy/man stating how many days she would spend with him until she breaks up with him. But then one day, once Daphne is all grown up, she gets that slip of paper with just a name, no number! Who is this man, and what will the future hold? This is an interesting premise by Rebecca Serle, but then again her books always have a twist. I did not like this one as much as I did In Five Years or One Italian Summer (the Amalfi coast!) but I do recommend this for all public libraries!

This was a beautiful whimsical romance.
Los Angeles is the second main character. I liked the characters, I enjoyed that were just flawed real people. The relationship that I thought was the most beautiful was actually with Daphne and her father.
If you’re a fan of the author you’ll love this. If you’re not you probably wont. I think the writing was beautiful and easy to read at the same time. The book was on the short side but felt just right. The jumping timeline was easy to follow and enjoyable. I get the descriptions were sometimes unnecessary, it doesn’t really matter what everyone is wearing. But also some people like that visual and to me it didn’t take away from the story any. It went along with the detailed descriptions of the city and places. I don’t need to know the name of every place they attended, it all means nothing to me. But it worked.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would like to read more from this author.

Thanks @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC of @rebecca_serle’s latest book. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. While this novel is outside of my usual genre, I couldn’t put it down. @rebecca_serle writes characters so well, and she always has us wondering how things will end. She makes me cry so much through her writing, and I think that takes real talent as an author. I was hoping for a bit more certainty at the end, but I can see why she ended things as she did. This still needs to be a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book in my opinion. Check this out when it’s released.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of Rebecca Serle’s latest #fiction novel, Expiration Dates, in exchange for an honest review.

#ExpirationDates is a feel-good story that has a dollop of SATC, but with a heavier undertone that is closer to Maybe in Another Life by TJR. While the majority of the story is a flip through the protagonist, Daphne Bell, romantic history, there is a strange twist midway that forces the reader to view the pre-twist passages from another perspective.

My one gripe is that I wish the author had provided more explanation regarding the letters. It takes some magical thinking to buy into the premise, but the characters assist the reader by simply accepting it. I also wish the reader had a glimpse into some of the future. Overall, the ending was satisfying and it makes for a solid #beachread.

This was such a good read, had my heart feeling all the feels. After In Five Years, I wasn’t sure Rebecca would be able to top it, but wowowowow!!

Oooof, this one surprised me. A slow start had me almost DNF …. but then I devoured the second half of the book. I hate to use the word “twist” because it makes future readers guess what could possibly be coming and I personally think it ruins the experience.

So instead I’ll say, keep going if you two are bored in the beginning. The main character is tough to love but it pays off.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc!

I adore Rebecca Serle! I have read all of her books and love the magical realism and realistic romance. If you are a fan of her other books, then you will also enjoy Expiration Dates.

The ending was perfect. The characters felt like real people who I would want to be friends with. The love stories were heartbreaking, yet hopeful. The California setting had me Googling flights. The premise is unique and original. I really enjoyed this one!

This was okay but nothing very interesting or memorable in any way, just kind of a cute story. I think her fans will like it, but it just wasn't anything special.

I have read many Rebecca Serle novels and have enjoyed them. I like the magical realism as it truly provides an escape.

The main character receives notifications for each relationship she embarks on with an expiration date except the latest one. You go back and forth between previous relationships and the actual one. Going back to her relationships becomes a bit redundant as I didn’t get any explanation as to why this was happening. I did not feel the character grew from it either.

Then, there is a twist which provides some kind of reason why her relationships don’t work and from there, you feel the main protagonist trying to come out of her pattern.

It was a very light read but nothing more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow…..just wow…this concept was one I couldn’t get enough of, I would read a whole extra book with someone else who receives the same notes that Daphne does and how they take it and make it their own. There’s obvious depth to this story and compared to Fiver Years Later, I see obvious maturing in the writing, the kind that make me thrilled to grow with the author. Some twists I saw, others I did not, but ultimately this was a pleasant book from start to finish that it will get added to the “books I wish I could read again for the first time” category.
I will definitely be absorbing the next novel by Rebecca Serle and can’t wait to see what they write next!

Thank you NetGalley for this awesome ARC

This book is magical realism and romance at it's finest. I read it in one afternoon. I couldn't put it down. There is honestly so much to unpack - it's a journey into questioning everything we think we know about relationships and the choices we think we will make/and do make if we already know what the outcome will be.

When the second plot twist dropped I just sat there with my mouth hanging open while my heart swooned in shock. I did not see that coming. In typical Serle fashion, the ending left me in tears.

I recently discovered Rebecca Serle's other books and fell in love with her writing. This new addition to her list made me love her even more! I love the premise of how the main character, Daphne, gets a slip of paper with a man's name on it and a number of how many weeks, months, or years she will be in a relationship with him. We hear the story of past loves, and how long they lasted, along with her current love, Jake. It seems that the slip of paper with Jake's name on it has no expiration date, which means their love will last forever. Or will it? That is the question the author poses, and along with a few deft twists and turns, she carried me through turning the pages until the deeply satisfying ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this delightful story!

Every time Daphne is about to enter a new relationship, a paper mysteriously appears with the name of her future partner and how long they will be together. Then one day, there's just a name and no time period. Is this finally her forever?

I am all about some hints of magical realism, and Rebecca Serle can come up with some great premises for her books. I just wish someone else had written them after that.

The pros: At under 300, Serle doesn't drag her books out overly long. After reading more than one book in a row that were hundreds of pages too long, I appreciate the brevity.

The cons: Even though it was under 300 pages, there was still so much fluff: what everyone is wearing, all of the food they're eating, street names they are turning on in traffic. It just felt like filler.

The book bounced back and forth chapter by chapter between Daphne's NOW with Jake and their relationship without an expiration date and then THEN to chapters of her failed relationships. I felt those chapters to be totally skimmable, as we know there were all failures, and there was no use getting attached to any of the people in them.

This was my last Rebecca Serle book. Despite how intriguing I find their premises, they don't come close to living up to my expectations.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced manuscript copy.

Soft and soul-wrenching, Expiration Dates takes a magical realism look at love and relationships. It places a premium on the concept of fate vs. free will, of learning to live with impending uncertainty, and of deciding to invest your whole heart regardless of time constraints.

Ever since she was a little girl, Daphne Bell has received notes from the universe that stated the name of the next man she would date as well as how long the relationship would last. Whether it was days, months, or on a couple occasions, years, the notes were always accurate. So she grew to follow them to the letter even when her feelings protested, yearning for the day when she'd receive one without an end date, but secretly believing it'd never happen. However, all that changes after she receives a card with one name and nothing else: Jake.

Could this mean he is her soulmate? Is that why there was only a name and no expiration date? Or have these notes over the years been acting more as self-fulfilling prophecy because Daphne's been too afraid to face, let alone share, a devastating secret about herself?

Told with warmth and resonant emotion, this book asks readers to imagine how one might approach love differently if one knew precisely how long it would last. The author does a good job of illustrating the struggle that exists between wanting to be as present as possible in a relationship while also fearing/dreading the loss of someone whether it's imminent or not. Daphne is a character who toils intensely over life decisions, especially when it comes to love, so it is both affecting and satisfying for readers to be a part of her journey of self-discovery. Jake and Hugo are both great counterparts, too. They each bring out different sides of her, challenge her in diametric ways.

All around, this was poignant read with a unique concept and unexpected twists. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

3.5 stars

After reading Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years, I was on high alert for a heart wrenching plot twist in Expiration Dates…and yet, I still didn’t see this one (these ones?) coming. This book has “can’t put it down” vibes, and I breezed through it in a day. Hopeless romantics, this one’s for you. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I can’t wait for my fellow readers to get their hands on this one in Spring 2024!

3.5 ⭐️

I always go into Rebecca Serle’s books excited to read because of the plot, but they tend to fall a bit flat for me.

I didn’t love the main character (never really felt like she had much emotion) but the plot line was fun to follow and that kept me reading.

I was a bit annoyed with the name dropping of locations in and around LA, like the suburbs, coffee shops, and restaurants. There were just so many and for someone that isn’t familiar with LA, those were not at all interesting to me.

Overall was a fun, quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early reviewer copy.

Expiration Dates is a short novel but packs a solid punch! Before every relationship in Daphne's life, she's mysteriously received a piece of paper telling her the name of the next guy she'll be with, as well as long as the relationship will last. With this knowledge in her arsenal, she's learned to be very pragmatic about relationships, while still holding out hope to find her person. And when she receives a note with the next man's name and no expiration date, she thinks she's found him.

While I liked the concept of the story from the beginning, going into the book I was a little wary I'd find the magical realism of it a bit too far-fetched. Why is she the only one to receive these notes? But it actually didn't end up bothering me at all. I really liked how it immediately started with Daphne meeting Jake, the man without the expiration date, wasting no time getting into the story. Exposition and past relationships of hers were sprinkled in out of order, which was a little confusing at first, but once the "twist" about halfway into the book hits, it suddenly made a lot more sense why she did it like that.

And boy, the twist was good. It's hard not to compare this book to In Five Years, because I had gone into it expecting a romance and came out with a heartbreaking story about friendship. This too is more than just a romance; really, it's a character study on Daphne and how the two boxes she keeps under her bed define so much of who she is (iykyk). The only critiques I have on the book were that they really set up Jake to me this Perfect Man that it was hard to take him seriously as a person. That, and despite being happy with how the plot concluded, I wanted more from it.

Overall, this is definitely a quick read and a rec! Big thanks to NetGalley for sharing this with me.