Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - Expiration Dates

if there’s one thing rebecca serle knows how to do best - it’s making me CRY 🥹😭❤️ every single one of her books punches me in the gut and revives my soul at the same time I swear

with a hint of magical realism, this story focuses on daphne and her relationships through the years in her quest to find her forever soulmate - and boy was it a ride 😭 I was here for every heartbreak, every joyous moment, every revelation of her past

because I do know that rebecca’s books rip my heart out towards the end, when I got to the plot twist towards the middle, I straight up said “oh no” out loud because I was convinced how it was going to end right then and there 👀 however, I’m happy that it wasn’t so black and white and left it up to the readers for interpretation!!

I was so attached to every single character in daphne’s life - and I wanted so many stories from everyone!! this was such a unique premise and another winner from rebecca serle!!!

thank you to netgalley and atria books for this new favorite of mine in exchange for an honest review 🩷

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast rosé

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devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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nukie19's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a quick and cute read with a twist that honestly surprised me. Maybe not my favorite Serle novel, since I thought Daphne was incredibly frustrating at times. However, she doesn't act out of character and stays pretty consistent throughout story, even with the back-and-forth in time, so others may not mind so much. Overall, this would be a fun beach/vacation read where you want something quick but just a bit thought-provoking.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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izzyrbell's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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meganashlee27's review

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hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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louisekf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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4.0

I began my Rebecca Serle book journey with In Five Years, and since then, have yet to read another book that gave me quite the same feeling as my first encounter with that story... until now. Expiration Dates reminded me of In Five Years, not necessarily in content, but in vibes. It wove magic with heartache, romance with grief, and joy with complexity, creating a dynamic story that provided enduring hope.

Daphne's character was immediately relatable, in that she finds comfort in the predictable. Each of her relationships has come with a deadline--an 'expiration date'--that she receives on a slip of paper near the time she meets someone new. She knows how long she'll have with each person and it provides peace of mind in more ways than one. This allows her to plan her life accordingly and it dictates how she acts with each individual and makes sure no lines get blurred or feelings get hurt.

However, as I read the beginning of this book, I immediately recognized that there was something more happening behind the scenes. Not only did it seem like she took these expiration dates to an extreme, but there were some relationships that felt heavier than others. I had a lot of questions that I hoped would get answered as I continued the story.

I got swept up in the different romantic timelines, rooting for certain partners a little more than others, and hoping that maybe something extra magical would happen and the expiration dates would be incorrect for some of them along the way. My heart was set on Daphne remaining in one of these loving relationships long-term.

There were several predictable moments throughout the book that I'm sure would be considered "plot twists," but that seemed a long time coming in my mind. I'll admit that was a little bit of a letdown and probably the only thing that kept me from giving this story a full five stars. While a few of her other books have really blown me away with their twists, I wasn't particularly shocked by the outcome in Expiration Dates. That being said, I still enjoyed the direction the story went! It was fun to make guesses and even satisfying to be proven correct as I read.

Like her other books, Expiration Dates deals with topics like illness, grief, and relational challenges. It contains depth and makes you want to pause to consider your own life multiple times while reading. I found myself highlighting several passages to reflect on later because they were so poignant. Unlike her other books that often centered around familial love, this story focused heavily on romantic love, which was such a delight. It made me happy to know that Rebecca's joy was woven into the story in a brand new way and makes me look forward to her future releases as well!

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cc_shelflove's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, this was not a bad book, but it simply wasn’t amazing either. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of the novel. Since the fifth grade, our main character, Daphne, has been receiving surprise pieces of paper. Nothing is written on them aside from a name and a length of time, as the papers are providing expectations for her romantic relationships before they even occur. When a sheet a paper arrives with a name only and no duration, does this mean she will finally be meeting her soulmate? The blank must mean forever, right? In my opinion, the book was too short for me to develop any connections with its characters. While at times it was not overly special, I think I would still encourage people to read it (unless you hate love triangles… then don’t). I don’t feel like I wasted my time; I just think I wanted more substance. A so-so book with a nice message to always follow your heart.

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