Expiration Dates: A Novel

This book was like a breath of fresh air.

This was a unique and original book. It can easily be read in one day. It had me entertained though out the book.

Daphne Bell lives in Los Angeles, and is currently working for a producer. Her boss is moody and eccentric, but a woman she admires. She’s great at her job and loves it, but her romantic life is a whole different story.

Whenever Daphne meets a new man, she receives a note with his name on it and a number. This number is the expiration date of their relationship. She’s only told one person about the notes she has been receiving, Hugh. He is a former boyfriend from five years ago, who is now her best friend.

When her friend sets her up to meet Jake, the paper has no date. Could he be the one? Is this Daphne’s happily ever after?

When Jake shows up, everything about him seemed to fit perfectly for all of Daphne’s possibilities of him being her last and final relationship. But then there’s a twist that blindsided me.

The story is told in a past and present timelines. We see Daphne revisiting her past boyfriends and what happened on those relationships expiration dates.
The ending was unpredictable and quite lovely, one I hadn’t considered. This far surpassed my expectations, and I was here for it.

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley, Artia Books and Rebecca Serle for this wonderful ARC.

To read more of my book reviews please visit my website theshelflifebooks.com

I was really excited to dive into Rebecca Serle’s newest novel, Expiration Dates, after having previously read and loved both The Dinner List and In Five Years. Like these books, Expiration Dates, has a unique and promising concept that includes an element of magical realism.

The novel follows Daphne on her search for love in LA. Like many other single 30-something, Daphne is looking for love and the novel flashes back and forth between her previous relationships and the current day. But unlike others, Daphne walks into relationships knowing exactly how long they’ll last. Before any first date, a magical note appears with her date’s first name and a length of time, how long the relationship is destined to last. Until one day she receives a note with just a name and no expiration date.

I was hooked by this concept and so eager to pick up the novel. But unfortunately, I felt like the execution fell a bit flat.

Daphne, and the supporting cast of characters, all read as very one-dimensional. I struggled to connect with Daphne and I often found myself rolling my eyes as she would tell others, men in particular, that she “wasn’t like other girls” while having no personality traits behind it.

The book is short, under 300 pages, and a quick read. But I felt like where I wanted character development and relationship building in a novel that should be centered around the relationships, I would get paragraph upon paragraph that felt like they could be ripped out of a Los Angeles travel guide. I’ve never been to LA, but I don’t need a two paragraph explanation of what The Grove is. The lack of character development in lieu of a focus on random overly-detailed and repetitive descriptions of settings, outfits, food, and drinks made the novel feel elementary and boring despite having such a great concept.

Perhaps because of the lack of character development I felt like none of the characters had any chemistry. The primary relationship of the novel felt shallow and to be composed solely of small talk that felt as dull to read as a mediocre first date is to sit through.

There is a giant plot twist halfway through the novel. But to me, it didn’t feel earned and the character’s behavior for the first half of the book really does not make sense when it is revealed. If anything it made me actively dislike the MC and find her to be cruel hearted.

Overall, I think this novel had the potential to be great, unique, and strike a perfect blend between being lighthearted but it fell short and flat for me. However, if you’re looking for a short, sweet, and quick read with a touch of magical realism, this may be a great option for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle in exchange for a honest and fair review.

Not as good as In Five Years. Quick and kind of lacking a spark

This is a 4.5 ⭐️ read for me. I’m in awe of this beautiful story!

Rebecca Serle’s Expiration Dates is a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel that beautifully explores fate, love, and the unpredictability of life. The story follows Daphne Bell, a woman who receives notes predicting the exact length of her relationships—until one arrives without an end date. As she navigates this new romance, she’s forced to question what love really means and whether she’s ready to embrace the unknown.

Serle captures life’s bittersweet reality with profound wisdom, reminding us that “being surprised by life isn’t losing, it’s living. It’s messy and uncomfortable and complicated and beautiful. It’s life, all of it. The only way to get it wrong is to refuse to play.” Daphne’s journey is one of learning to let go and trust in the beauty of uncertainty - and that even “bad things” can be beautiful. As she reflects, “We have to be cracked open sometimes. We have to be cracked open sometimes to let anything good in. What I see now, emerging in the mirror, is this one, simple truth: learning to be broken is learning to be whole.”

Expiration Dates is a poignant reminder that love—and life itself—isn’t about guarantees, but about the courage to keep showing up.

I loved this book I couldn't put it down