💌 Book Review (Spoilers!): Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
⭐️ 5 out of 5 stars | Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Magical Realism / Romance
🚨 Spoiler alert! I’m about to tell you all the things. If you want to experience the twists on your own, stop here!
📍 Expiration Dates — A Shockingly Great Read
I went in fully expecting not to love this one. Romance isn’t usually my jam. But this was our book club pick, it was free on Libby, and I figured — why not?
And WOW — I’m so glad I read it.
👉 Expiration Dates is sweet, sad, smart, and totally pulled me in.
👉 It made me think about life, love, and fate in ways most books don’t.
🧵 The Full Plot — Spoilers and All
📝 Daphne and Her Mysterious Notes
Daphne Bell has two big things shaping her life:
✔️ A genetic heart condition that could shorten her life.
✔️ And a strange, magical thing — before every relationship begins, she mysteriously receives a note.
➡ The note tells her exactly how long the relationship will last — a few weeks, a few months, whatever the case may be.
At first, Daphne feels like this is a blessing. She can control her expectations. She can prepare for heartbreak before it happens.
💔 The Relationships
We follow Daphne through a series of relationships — always knowing the ending before it begins.
➡ She convinces herself that it’s better this way. No surprises. No wasted effort.
And then she meets Hugo.
👉 The note says: 3 months.
👉 But Daphne falls harder than she expected.
👉 For once, she wants more time than the note promises.
On their “expiration date,” Hugo learns about her heart condition. He’s all in — he doesn’t want to leave. But Daphne, so used to following the rules of the notes, lets him go anyway.
They stay friends — Hugo is there for her through everything. Always supportive. Always present.
🕵️ The Note That Changes Everything
After Hugo, Daphne starts dating Jake.
This time, the note is different.
➡ It simply says Jake’s name — no time limit.
Naturally, she thinks: Is this it? My forever?
Jake is kind. They move in together. They get engaged. But Daphne feels… unsettled.
🤯 The Big Reveal
Here’s where it all clicks into place:
Hugo is the one who switched the note.
➡ Originally, the note said Daphne and Jake would last 3 weeks.
➡ Hugo secretly replaced it with a note that only had Jake’s name — because he wanted Daphne to feel what it’s like to love without a countdown.
💡 How Daphne Realizes Hugo is The One
As time goes on, Daphne starts to see the cracks in her relationship with Jake:
✔️ He’s a good man, but he’s still deeply grieving his late wife.
✔️ There’s a distance between them that she can’t bridge.
✔️ And most of all — she starts to realize that love isn’t about knowing how long you have. It’s about who shows up for you, over and over.
Hugo had been that person all along. The one who:
➡ Stayed.
➡ Supported her through her hardest moments.
➡ Loved her without needing a note to tell him how long to do it.
Once Hugo confesses what he did, it finally clicks for Daphne:
👉 She doesn’t need magic notes to tell her the truth about love.
👉 She just needs Hugo.
She ends her engagement with Jake (kindly, because he really is a decent guy) — and chooses Hugo.
🧠 My Take
✅ Beautifully written — emotional without being sappy.
✅ Philosophical, thoughtful, and memorable.
✅ A romance even a non-romance fan can love.
❌ None! This one really worked for me.
✨ Final Thoughts
I’m giving Expiration Dates 5 out of 5 stars.
✔️ A sweet, smart, and surprising read.
✔️ Magical realism with meaning.
✔️ A book that stays with you.
📚 If You Liked This, Try:
💫 In Five Years by Rebecca Serle — same author, same vibes
🕰 Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore — time-bendy and emotional
🎥 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — philosophical fiction about choices
🛒 Buy Expiration Dates
👉 Get it on Amazon (affiliate link)
💬 Let’s Chat!
What would you do if you got those notes? Did Hugo’s gesture break your heart like it did mine? Comment below — I want to hear your thoughts!
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