By: Rebecca Serle
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN: 9781982166823
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 03/19/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all.
From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.
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.
My Review
NYT bestselling author and master storyteller Rebecca Serle returns following One Italian Summer with her latest enchanting romance, EXPIRATION DATES — could a piece of paper alter your destiny and true love?
Meet Daphne Bell. Her love life has revolved around a slip of paper with a name and number listed—The exact time they will be together.
This time, the name is Jake. It's a blind date. They are to meet in a restaurant in West Hollywood. She thinks she is about to meet her soul mate.
This time the envelope arrives blank with no time. What does this mean?
The previous papers told her—for example, that she would 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.
She has received the numbered envelopes for over twenty years, always wondering if there might be one with no expiration date. The only person she has shared the notes with is Hugo, her best friend (and former ex-boyfriend).
She seems to be doubting the papers and possibly controlling things alone this time. She has had setbacks and things she is unwilling to share with a new guy.
As the story unravels, Daphane and the reader will experience emotion, passion, second-guessing, anticipation, expectations, doubts, and some pleasant surprises. The unknown can be beautiful.
EXPIRATION DATES is beautifully written, enchanting, heartwarming, and magically realism-infused. The author's winning style hooks you from beginning to end.
Enjoy the journey, hitting the fun hot spots in LA, friendships, family, and the meaning of love and self-discovery. A fun, lighthearted tale that will make you smile.
For Serle fans and those of Katherine Center, Jennifer Weiner, and Sarah Jio.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC and a stunning hardcover copy with swag (loved) for my honest feedback.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 19, 2024
Praise
"A romantic gem. Grabs you on page one and never lets go."
—LAURA DAVE, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
"Daphne’s sometimes heart-wrenching, often heartwarming search for meaningful relationships, both romantic and platonic, is sure to inspire."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"Serle’s compulsively readable prose will attract fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Henry."
—Booklist
"Serle provides an interesting conceit and a healthy dose of wit that readers will appreciate. An entertaining love story with moments of depth."
—Kirkus
About the Author
Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of Expiration Dates, One Italian Summer, In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.
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