Expiration Dates

By: Rebecca Serle
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 978-1982166823
Reviewed by: Nellie Calanni
Review Date: December 11, 2023

New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Serle is back with another fantastical love story that comes with many surprises and gentle reminders about the importance of self-love in Expiration Dates.

Daphne, a Hollywood production assistant in her early 30s, has always relied on notes from the universe to decide where her next romantic adventure will take her and how long it will last. Where the notes come from, she doesn’t know. What she does know is that they are always right. Until, one day, she receives a note without an expiration date. Does this mean forever with the person whose name is on the note?

Only one person knows about Daphne’s “secret relationship” with the universe: Hugo, her brazen best friend, confidante, ex-boyfriend, and one of the many who had once been assigned an expiration date. Hugo knows Daphne better than anyone and understands how much Daphne relies on the notes that have always dictated the direction of her romantic pursuits. So, when she first breaks the news to Hugo about her latest note with the name “Jake” written on it and no expiration date to be found, Hugo accepts that he has no choice but to go along for the ride that will lead to Daphne’s “forever.”

Soon after receiving the "Jake note," Daphne finally meets him out in the world on a coincidental blind date set up by her co-worker. He’s charming, successful, has a complicated history, and is incredibly kind. Ultimately, Daphne is pleased with who sits before her, the man the universe has deemed to be her happy ending. The thing is – Jake has no idea he’s already stepped into the role of being Daphne’s partner for the long haul.

Daphne is ready to dive in and finally commit to “the one,” but unsurprisingly, the universe still has many more surprises for her – and the reader – up its sleeve. Daphne’s road to “finally forever” is met with obstacles she’d always known would get in the way. Now, they’re emerging in a way that is forcing Daphne to look within herself for the love she’s always searched for – the love that’s always been there, no matter how broken her heart has become along the way.

Serle depicts Daphne, her friends, family members, and love interests in a way that makes the reader feel like they’ve met each one, or someone like them, at least a time or two throughout life. She writes in a way that takes the judgement out of being with someone intimately for just twenty-four hours, or falling deeply in love after a week, or not always making the most moral choices in relationships that aren’t as black and white as they seem. Readers won’t have to try too hard to relate to Daphne, even with every characteristic and life experience that makes her journey unique. We all have a bit of Daphne’s courage, hope, and belief in a higher power within us, and Serle makes it easy for the reader to connect to those emotions.

Quill says: Expiration Dates is a warm, feel-good novel that induces snickering laughter, tears, and butterflies in your belly, in all the best ways. With every turn of the page comes a new revelation about what it means to find love within yourself and with someone else.

For more information on Expiration Dates, please visit the author's website at: rebeccaserle.com/expiration-dates.