I usually have a lot to say about a book (shocking, I know), but this one left me a bit befuddled. Did I enjoy it? I think so. And yet, I wanted more than what I got.

Daphne has an unusual quirk—every time she meets a new man, she gets a piece of paper with his name and the exact amount of time they will be together. Until one day, she gets a piece of paper with just a name: Jake. It seems all her waiting is over, and she has finally met the one. But as their relationship continues, Daphne starts to wonder what it means to be with someone she isn't entirely truthful with.

With a premise that, I was expecting something, well unexpected. To know the future before it happens is a double-edged sword. Do you forge your own destiny or do you let yourself be steered by what you know your destiny to be? Ah, a subtle but important distinction and a quandary to be certain. So I settled in for what is sure to be an interesting read.

We follow Daphne as she meets Jake and their relationship grows. And through flashbacks, we see some of her other relationships in the past, including her three-month romance with her now best friend, Hugo. As time goes on, she can't help but be cynical as relationship after relationship ends, exactly as the papers predict.

But then as the story continues, I started to realize that it isn't what I was expecting. Or rather, it is, but I thought there would be more. For such an fascinating premise, this seems more a romance or women's fiction rather than the profound read I was hoping for.

Yes, we do spend a little bit of time contemplating Daphne's unusual issue, but otherwise, this story unfolds along the same vein as any other fictional relationship. In fact, the story focuses a lot of time on another thing altogether, which while worthwhile, feels a bit a bait-and-switch to me.

It doesn't help that Daphne and Jake lacked chemistry together. They feel rather bland, so it was hard to invest in their relationship or to understand what they saw in each other. The only chemistry was between Daphne and Hugo, which made this a somewhat confusing read because I wasn't sure who to cheer for.

But that isn't to sell the story short. There were definitely moments when it got ahold of me and I felt its emotional pull. And its message of living your life to the fullest because it's the only one you've got is a worthy one, even if it got a little muddled in the tale.

So yes, I did enjoy this, even if it didn't end up being as profound as I'd hoped for. The undeniably fascinating premise and little nuggets of emotional moments left me with some interesting food for thought. For that, I'll round it up to 4 stars.

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See also, my thoughts on:
In Five Years
One Italian Summer
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This is my fourth book by Rebecca Serle and she never disappoints, I love how she mixes women's fiction with magical realism. I thought this one would be a light, fluffy romance but boy was I wrong...this book was so much more than that. It is such an intriguing concept, little notes tell our main character, Daphne, how long her relationships will last.

The author throws in a couple of surprise twists that I did not see coming and I thoroughly enjoyed being surprised that way. The best part, for me, was when Daphne stopped letting the pieces of paper dictate her life and she took control of her choices herself and remembers you only have one life so live it to your best ability to be happy no matter how long or short it is.

I d the way Serle writes, it isn't too flowery or wordy and her books are always so unique. The style is easy to read and so engrossing I managed this one in a couple of sittings. I love the way that romance isn't the most important part of her plots but they still manage to give me all the feels and have cheering the couple on. The book is short and very emotive and was such a gut punch a couple of times. I was really happy when Daphne found herself and her one true love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.161 s11 comments Nilufer Ozmekik2,503 50.9k

Rebecca Serle has done it again! She found my weakest and softest spot, one that I've expertly disguised from others behind a facade of a strong, unemotional woman who never sheds a tear. I bury my deepest feelings, refusing to share them with anyone. But every time I read one of her books, the main characters manage to resonate with me, cracking that hard facade and finding their way under my skin. And then, clockwork, the waterworks start. I cry as if I've bottled up years of tears, shedding them without a second thought, feeling the sorrow that I've shared with only a select few.

Daphne Bell's emotional journey to find love against all odds, including her self-sabotaging tendencies, touched me more than I care to admit. With the fantasy vibes of the story, it grabs your attention from the very first page when Daphne receives her first note in the form of a postcard at a young age. The note contains a boy's name and a number of days. Initially, she can't decipher its meaning, and the sender remains a mystery. However, as she finds herself dating the boy, she realizes that her dates correspond exactly to the number on the card. Is the universe playing a game with her, sending these anonymous cards as a warning about who she might date and how long the relationship will last?

Is this a gift or a curse? Does it prevent her from giving love a second chance? The cards never seem to be wrong, and as we witness the men she's dated, we realize that they were not the ones deserving of her affections. With the warning notes, she can shield herself from heartbreak by knowing how things will end, right? But what if she still wants some of those relationships to last a little longer? In her most insecure moments, she questions whether she deserves love and affection. But something holds her back from believing otherwise.

Fortunately, she manages to remain friends with Hugo, one of her past dates, and she finally receives a mysterious note with no expiration date. Has she finally found the love of her life? Could Jake, the man she's currently dating, be her soulmate?

I know some of you might think you can guess the biggest twist of the book easily. I had a feeling too, but who cares? The journey of Daphne, her relationships with her girlfriends and business associates, her self-discovery, her confrontations with her fears, and her grappling with things she cannot have versus things she can achieve—all while learning to accept them by embracing both logic and her heart's desires—are the highlights of the book that I truly enjoyed. As a fellow Angeleno, I also appreciated the author's excellent choice of locations in Los Angeles, from the spectacular view at the Bel Air Hotel to the amazing lattes at Alfred's. Even the timing and directions of LA traffic made me smile. She certainly has great taste (and I think I'm also complimenting myself here because I adore those places she highlighted in the book).

The conclusion of the book brought a deep smile to my face. I believe this is one of my favorite works by the author. I don't care about the predictability of the big twist. I easily became attached to Daphne's story of chasing happiness and found myself lost in her well-depicted La La Land tale, which resonated with me even more than the plot of the La La Land movie. It tugged at the strings of my heart, and I devoured it in one sitting. I'm giving it my five stars without a second thought.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this heartfelt book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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OH MY HOPELESS ROMANTIC WHEEZING HEART!!!!!! Expiration Dates written by Rebecca Serle was such a sweet memorable story. It was lighthearted at times with a few giggles here and there, but it was also heavy on the heart at times which caused a few tears to escape. I have never read a book written by Rebecca Serle before, but after Expiration Dates had a chokehold on my heart and my emotions, I will definitely be sure to check out her other books for sure. I loved every single minute of this story, from the gorgeous cover, to the heart to heart talk our main character had with her dad, to the supportive best friends/co-workers, overall it was a sweet story. The only very minor issue I had with this book was the descriptions to every single person's outfits, we get it we love people with a fashion sense of humor, but I didn't need to know what every single person was wearing. I feel with the short chapters, it kept the story moving freely. Ladies, you're absolutely beautiful with or without make up, but I advise you not to wear any makeup, unless it's waterproof because those tears will be sneaking up on you, whether you expect them to or not.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND ATRIA BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

"Being single is playing the lottery. There's always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all."

If you received a little piece of paper with someone's name on it and an expiration date for how much time you have with that one person, what would you do?
-Honestly, I would make every minute count, I would love to get to know that person, but at the same time I would live my life and happy. You know what they say, the first impression is what makes or breaks a relationship/friendship.

Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time Daphne meets a new man, she receives a piece of paper with the man's name and a number on it, that number resembles the exact amount of time they will be together. Daphne has been receiving these papers for over twenty years, but she is always wondering when there might be a piece of paper without an expiration date. These papers have told Daphne she would spend three days with Martin in Paris, five weeks with Noah in San Francisco, and three months with Hugo, Daphne's ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Finally the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, Daphne receives a piece of paper with the name Jake on it, but no expiration date. As Jake and Daphne's story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper's prediction because she's at crossroads with what it means to be both committed and truthful in a relationship. I feel Daphne is doubting the paper's prediction because she knows things that Jake doesn't and if Daphne withholds that information from Jake much longer, when the time comes for her to actually open up to Jake, the information Daphne withheld could actually break Jake's heart.

I know Expiration Dates is a romance novel, but I absolutely love how the whole book wasn't just based on romance, Rebecca Serle actually took us on Daphne's journey of finding her one true love and soul mate. Throughout the book we get a flashback/backstory on the men Daphne has previously been with, how they met, what their relationship was , how their relationship ended. I can't recommend this book enough, please do yourself a favor and add Expiration Dates to your TBR immediately. Despite if a relationship ended horribly, I love how Daphne didn't hold any grudges against any of these men, she simply spread her wings and moved on. I will admit, Jake and Hugo were my absolute favorite, I adored how Hugo and Daphne remained best friends after their relationship ended, and Jake was so thoughtful, he never once judged Daphne. THAT ENDING???? I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED!!!!! I can't express my love for this book more than I already have, but holy cow, I loved this book so so much, no amount of words or love I express for this book will ever give Expiration Dates the justice it deserves. If I could rate this book a million stars, I definitely would because it's just going to have that lasting effect on me. Daphne was just the sweetest soul I have met in this fictional world.books-read-in-2024161 s72 comments Holly B (Short Break)879 2,393

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 19,2024a-bit-bored-with-it just-ok net-galley ...more107 s55 comments mimi (taylor’s version)413 366

Happy publication day to Rebecca Serle’s Expiration Dates!!

Rebecca Serle’s writing is unnaturally easy to read, especially for something created to make you reconsider your certitudes about love and life.
And cry, most definitely.

Expiration Dates has the same subject as hundreds of other books: fear of love. Is he/she be the one? Is he/she going to break my heart? How long will we have? Will I survive when, one day, I’ll be alone again? Is it worth it?
Even the ones that had their hearts broken will tell you that yes, it's worthy to love and be loved. But it's not easy and it's not always the most obvious choice, especially when you become good at being alone.

Well, if you ever wished for an answer straight away, afraid of the unpredictability of life, this book is for you.
Be aware, tho: its purpose is not to make your dream come true; it’ll make you see how wrong is for you to want something so stupid.

? 4 stars

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

p.s.: also, I feel you’ll love this book even more if you're not from Los Angeles. Everyone “knows” the city from so many tv shows and movies, but the way Rebecca writes about it will make you think you belong there.95 s Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill624 608

Wow!! I absolutely loved this book!!
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