Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for.

I really enjoyed this sweet romance with a touch of magical realism. I thought the concept was creative, where Daphne randomly receives pieces of paper with a guy’s name on it and the amount of time they will date. Then, one day, she receives a piece of paper without an expiration date on it. From there, we go on this romantic journey with Daphne as she figures out what she truly wants in life while also carrying a big secret and the emotions surrounding it. 

This is told in first-person POV (Daphne) and has past and present timelines. Sometimes, these dual timelines bother me and feel jarring as we skip back and forth, but it didn’t this time. I really enjoyed learning about Daphne and her past boyfriends. She shares when she received other pieces of paper with names and expiration dates, how she met other guys from her past, and what happened with them. We learn about her through these flashbacks, which made me connect with her more and understand her more in the present. She was a likable character – funny, charming, flawed, guarded, emotional, strong, and confident. I enjoyed watching this character grow and develop throughout the book. 

I also enjoyed the romance in this book. It made me laugh, cry, swoon, and everything in between. There is a tiny bit of spice, but it’s not too explicit. It did get steamy at times without revealing too much, which I appreciated since I prefer closed-door romances. I loved the banter between Daphne and Jake, as well as Hugo, her friend. There is definitely some emotional depth and maturity in this story. I would not consider this a light, fluffy romcom but more of a romance drama with some humor. There is also a nice twist at the end that I didn’t expect. 

Daphne was born and raised in Southern California (L.A. area), so there’s a lot of description about this city. The imagery painted by the author was so vivid that it almost felt like I was in CA with the characters. In a way, this story also felt like the author wrote a love letter to this state. It’s quite obvious she knows the area very well as she names streets, restaurants, shops, etc. I felt completely transported to CA. 

Daphne also comes from a Jewish family, where we meet her parents, and they are in multiple scenes. So I really enjoyed watching the family dynamics between them and then learning more about the Jewish culture, customs, and habits. I also LOVED a scene toward the end with Daphne and her dad. It was so touching and made me cry. Loved it! 

However, this book did lean toward the liberal/progressive side in tone. Also to note, there is one gay side character. And, there is some language. 

Overall, this was an incredibly moving, emotional, heartfelt story. It was extremely relatable and thought-provoking. I loved the messages about choosing with your heart and not letting fear stop you. Time isn’t promised to anyone; therefore, we must live for today and not let the fear of the unknown (or future) get the best of us. Life is a choice, and we can choose to live it fully or let it pass us by because we’re too scared of what may or may not be. Never take your time with someone for granted because it is precious, and people come in and out of our lives for a reason. It’s also about vulnerability and not being afraid to open up to others. They may surprise you!

I also appreciated that the chapters were short, and overall, it’s a short read. I got through it in just a few days. This is my first book by this author, and I definitely want to read more by her now. Highly recommend!!