Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I have to be honest I still feel brand new to Jessica Joyce. I only read her first book You, With a View a few weeks ago. I immediately fell in love with Jessica’s story telling. And let me tell you as soon as I found out she had a new book coming out this June. The way I RAN to apply for this arc. Thankfully the publishing gods answered. And let me tell you Jessica did not disappoint. The Ex Vows, is everything that Happy Place by Emily Henry tried to be.

The Ex Vows follows Georgia and Eli. Once the best of friends, now exes, who are best woman and best man for their mutual best friend's wedding. Despite their awkwardness being around each other, the pair must work together to help the bride and groom solve disaster after disaster with the wedding.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was fun and I found it super relatable. Especially in regards to Georgia. I could see myself in her in so many ways - as someone who moved several states away for her career and had an existential crisis about leaving family and friends behind.

I think my only gripe in this book revolves around Eli. At times he felt a little one dimensional and I wish we could’ve flushed out more of his character. As well as Georgia and Eli’s past relationship.

The Ex Vows is not my favorite by Jessica Joyce. But Jessica Joyce has an avid reader and fan for life. I highly recommend checking this book out!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book! Jessica Joyce has written what is easily the best second chance romances I have ever read. If you love delicious tension and big, palpable chemistry along with messy feelings you will eat this up! Jessica Joyce is an absolute auto-buy author for me at this point.

Let’s talk ugly crying— I don’t do it over books. EVER. But THE EX VOWS has shaken that loose. Page 338 had me reeling. By page 348, Jessica Joyce had emotionally wrecked me in a way I’ve never experienced before in a book.

I love THE EX VOWS. {full stop}

Georgia and her lists—how she works to contain everything around her, how she wishes no one would leave, and what that deep-seated fear does to her insides.

Eli and the way he loves his Peach. His trauma of scarcity has worn a bruise, which may not heal, and his love for his two best friends drives him to realize what is important.

I love how this book looks at an entire relationship: from teens to late twenties and everything in between. I love how all of the obstacles are internal for our main characters—because that’s what I’m here for, at the end of the day. I want it to be about Georgia and Eli, and it is about the two of them entirely.

The EX VOWS is the summer romance that everyone will be talking about! It is sweet, delicious and earth-shattering. It’s a second-chance romance that will hook you and never let go.

Thank you to Berkley for an early copy to review!

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for my early copy! I really enjoyed this cute romance that’s a perfect summery read. I really liked Georgia’s character arc. So many of her great fears—her friends forgetting about her/leaving her/being unimportant to them and alone but feeling silly expressing that—truly touched a deep part in me. It’s one of those weird, strange, wonderful moments where you see some of your deepest, intimate feelings reflected back to you.

I found that the writing was sometimes a bit too much “tell” and not enough “show” especially concerning Georgia’s character arc and her big character flaw (re: her fear that everyone will eventually leave her). The internal character struggle was too overt too quickly for me, I wanted to learn her fears more subtly and slowly. I like to see it mapped out in different interactions and backstory in a subtle way that lets you unwrap the characters gradually, making for a more intriguing and gripping read. I subsequently found that some sections really dragged on for me and the dialogue felt more “written” than natural in some parts.

Overall I did enjoy this book! It was v cute and the character growth touched my soul. There’s a lot of little nuggets in this book I’ll be underlining once I get a physical copy—I just wish some areas were better finessed!

𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹 𝘷𝘰𝘸𝘴 is a lovely second chance romance that reunites eli and georgia five years post break up in an attempt to save their best friend's wedding. as they team up to finish off tasks leading up to the union, eli and georgia blur the lines, realizing the chemistry and attraction from all those years ago never truly went away.

joyce builds the tension and develops it so well; its obvious that there is still so much love and attraction between eli and georgia. sex scenes are done with such care and gives you just enough without being overly exaggerated. the glimpses into the past explains what went wrong and tugs on your heartstrings. she takes her time to put in the details to make them relatable characters- explaining georgia's realistic fears on life changing, touching on eli's mental health, and more. every piece is intentional and very human! i appreciated how realistic the book was (aside for all the mishaps of the wedding, but entertaining nonetheless).

jessica is easily an auto-read author, i can't wait to see what's next for her!

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book! The book was a delight, and the writing was on point! I liked how the plot progressed, and it didn't feel like it was going too fast or too slow. I also thought that the ending was perfect between the two as they don't get together immediately, but they have time to grow with each other.

the ex vows cements it, jessica joyce cannot write a bad book. two stellars novels and a novella into her career, she has quickly become a shining star in the romance genre.

when a second chance romance is centered around a couple that has true, real, deep history, like eli and georgia, that is my favorite version of the trope. once upon a time, they were best friends who became lovers, they tied their lives together for years and could have never imagined the pain and heartbreak of their future during those moments of bliss.

now the best man and woman in the wedding of their mutual best friend, georgia and eli must work to pull off the perfect day despite how the universe seems set on derailing the event. from the first moment of their reunion, eli's fondness of georgia, his endless longing for her, was evident. while she was more cautious of jumping back into their comfortable dynamic, for good reason, he arrived into town with a plan, intending to take every inch she was willing to give.

while the ex vows got off to a roaring start, I found that the story lost of bit of that early luster about halfway through. however, I really enjoyed how everything was resolved. both georgia and eli were able to prioritize their own health and happiness first before committing to another chance. healing and communication was a huge hurdle for them to overcome. there was a lot of maturing and selflessness showcased by both characters, as they did just want the best for each other.

lastly, for lovers of grand gestures and two people who memorized and never forgot every detail about the person they once believed they'd spend the rest of their lives with, you're in for a treat with this book. eli and georgia's history was present throughout, both as a reminder of mistakes made and as a pillar to build anew.

thanks to berkley and jessica joyce for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️ Thank you Berkeley Romance & NetGalley for an e-ARC!🤍

I didn’t love this, but I didn’t dislike it either. At the beginning, for whatever reason it was feeling kind of slow to me, and I wasn’t super invested. It did pick up after a bit though, and got better and better! I think I enjoyed the second half the most.
I think part of the reason this wasn’t an amazing read for me is that I’ve seen nothing but amazing ARC reviews, and this author has gotten so much hype that it made my expectations a little too high.
Second chance is one of my favorites, and I did enjoy that in this one, especially towards the end!
All in all, I enjoyed this and would recommend, but it wasn’t my absolute favorite! I’d still like to read her first book soon though.

An emotional reunion that broke my heart and put it together again. Proving the first chance isn't the only one. If a second chance romance isn't typically your troupe, give this one a chance. The rekindling of friendship, then romance felt so genuine. But don't let the sweet sentimental side fool you; the yearning and spice was perfect. This author is now an auto-buy, I can't wait for the next!

First off I was blessed to receive this ARC from NetGalley and I’m choosing to review. Where do I even start. I could say how much I loved this book but that would be a gross understatement! I could probably name 213 things I loved about this book & characters (wink, wink)

There is so much real emotion and heart in this one. You could sense the heartache and the chemistry between Eli & Georgia.

I really love a friends to lovers trope but when it’s second chance too…..apparently I’m a goner.

When they gave in to their attraction and things got spicy…..yum. It was beautiful but not over the top!

I’m sorry Georgia but I’m in love with Eli too! Gah he’s just such a beautiful character. Especially as he grows and matures.

I could say so much but I don’t want to spoil anything. I just will say go read this book. It’s a top shelf romance with enough heart to make the coldest heart swoon! I will be buying this treasure on its release day!

Life isn’t perfect. It’s messy, full of highs and lows. This book is messy. Seriously, could anything else have gone wrong? What held things together, no matter what, were the bonds between friends. No, more than friends, found family.

Jessica Joyce has done it again - written a story that is perfect parts, tender, romantic, fraught with tension and with the biggest payoff.

I’m not a huge fan of second chance romance, but please trust the author with this trope. She writes is masterfully and with so much crackling energy.

Cannot wait for her next book!!

i loved this book! the representation of mental health matters was done so well and i think this was the epitome of how ALL friends to lovers to strangers to lovers should be. this literally couldn’t have been better!! my only feedback is there was a lot of repetition in how Georgia’s thoughts were about Eli and i felt like the ending was a convo they’ve had many times

After sobbing my way through You, With a View, I pretty much anticipated sobbing my way through The Ex Vows too (I was right).

THIS BOOK. As a late twenty-something with pretty much all married friends, Georgia is MY GIRL. I saw myself reflected in her through each part of the book. "And it’s easier to be alone, but it doesn’t mean it’s what I want." and "Even now I can’t shake it off, and I hate that. I should be okay on my own, but I can’t help searching for that feeling of belonging. It’s so hard for me to find my place—when I do, maybe I hold on too hard, but it’s only because I know what it’s like to lose it." -- Wondering how Jessica Joyce got inside my ~messy~ brain, took my thoughts about my late twenties, and wrote some of her wonderful, beautiful, tender prose. (I am tearing up writing this)

Eli, my anxious king, and Georgia, my precious little people pleaser, keep you rooting for them throughout each part of the novel. One of my favorite parts about this second chance romance was how normal and realistic the dissolution of their relationship is. There's no dramatic event, just two kids who are the epitome of right person, wrong time, that eventually make their way back to each other.

And the PAPER RINGS? I can't take it.

You should absolutely add this one to your summer TBR - it's a must read!

Read if you love
- Friends To Lovers
- Second Chance Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Witty Banter
- Anxiety Representation
- Found Family
- Single POV
- Nicknames
- He wears a chain

Thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Joyce, and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book -- I won't be shutting up about it for the foreseeable future.

What a delight!

Excellent writing, well paced and plotted, and vibrant characters -- I enjoyed it so very much! I'm a sucker for second chance romance WHEN it's done right (Emily Henry is a QUEEN at this, for example, in Happy Place). This one felt kinda similar! I loved that it took place over a wedding, and it was fun to watch everything play out differently than I had thought -- always a nice surprise.

I also love seeing anxiety rep! I wrote coping mechanisms for anxiety (the grounding tactic) in my book too, and it was so cool to see another author doing that.

I loved this book so much!! Right from the prologue, I knew it was going to wreck me. By chapter three, I was already in love with Eli and Georgia and I didn't even know them yet. I literally never cry in books and this one had me happy crying which just shows how much I loved these characters!
If you loved You With a View and can't stop listening to TTPD, this will be your favorite summer read! Get ready to SWOON over these characters.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Short synopsis: Georgia’s childhood best friend Adam is getting married, but a “curse” is causing everything to go to crap. She teams up with her other childhood best friend (and ex boyfriend) to put on the best wedding.

My thoughts: I didn’t think anything could beat You With A View, but oh my goodness Jessica did it again! Immediate five stars from me! There is humor, and heart, and love, and forgiveness.

I just adore Georgia and Eli, their growth through this book is unmatched. I just loved watching them regain trust in themselves and in each other.

I had so many favorite scenes in this book that will be living rent free in my head for the foreseeable future. Just trust me and get this one on preorder!

Read if you love:
- Second chance romance
- Friends to lovers
- Weddings and wedding planning
- Stories with humor and heart
- Only one bed moments

I loved this second chance romance from Jessica Joyce. I was a huge fan of her debut romance, You, with a View, and I was cautiously optimistic about this one because the second chance trope is pretty hit or miss for me. But wow, this just really worked for me on pretty much every level. Our main character, Georgia, is dealing with a lot - her closest friends have all moved on into coupledom and she feels disconnected from them, she was just offered a promotion at work but taking it means leaving her home in San Francisco and moving to Seattle, and she's about to be the best woman at her best friend Adam's wedding... which is apparently cursed. The worst part of the cursed wedding is that Georgia will be spending a lot of time with her ex-boyfriend Eli, who is Adam's other best friend and who Georgia has cultivated a totally fake post-breakup friendship with over the five years since they split for the sake of their mutual relationship with Adam. She's ready to grin and bear it but then the wedding curse really strikes and the venue that Adam and his fiancee Grace reserved for their ceremony burns down. Georgia (who loves to make lists and solve problems) volunteers to take the lead on planning what is basically a whole new wedding for Adam and Grace in just over a week. Eli volunteers at the same time, so they're stuck together for a week at Adam's family's vineyard, the new location for the wedding and the place where Georgia and Eli's teenaged friendship blossomed into something else. This reminded me of Emily Henry's Happy Place, and I thought it was a great depiction of how life tends to change in your late 20s as friendships, romantic relationships, and careers seem to evolve and change. I laughed and cried while reading this, so it was a very well-rounded experience!

The Ex Vows is so good that I feel bad for any book I read after it. I have such a hard time writing reviews for books like this because it's like "What did you love?" and my answer of "EVERY SINGLE THING" doesn't really make a compelling review.

Like a lot of people, I was already a Jessica Joyce fan from reading her debut You, With the View BUT I have to admit that The Ex Vows was on another level for me. I'm not a fan of second chance romances usually, but honestly I will read anything Jessica Joyce writes because her writing is just SO GOOD. Also, I'm not usually a highlighter but there were so many clever/relatable/heart-wrenching lines that felt special and I needed to note for when my brain forgets (as it does bc it's very rude).

In general, I found all the characters so well developed that they felt like a real friend group. The inside jokes and banter within this group were so well done. I loved how they all knew each other so well, but in a believable way. The way the dynamics were different between every character felt really nuanced and authentic.

Our main characters, Georgia and Eli, were so good and human and well written and I loved them both BUT I especially loved Georgia. There were so many moments where she felt like a friend that I just wanted to hug, because even when she's not being completely rational I could totally understand and empathize with her. Both Eli and Georgia have great, realistic growth in this book and I love how their story unfolds.

Speaking of Eli and Georgia...THE TENSION IN THIS BOOK omg. As we know, I am an absolute slut for tension and banter and this book delivered both in spades. I see people complain about books that are not dual POV, but I feel like this book is a winning argument for why single POV can work so well. The not knowing what the other person is thinking feels SO real, and the way that Jessica Joyce built this relationship and the tension??? MASTERFUL.

Also excuse me?? My heart?? How dare you??? This book hurt me in the best ways. I was basically on the verge of tears this whole book. I was on a plane reading it, and I actually had to stop myself because the sniffling from fighting off tears was getting ridiculous.

Pacing was great in this book, it felt like there was no filler and every line felt important. This book goes in the small list of "wish this was longer", but let's be real I would probably say that no matter the length tbh.

If you couldn't tell: I absolutely loved this, I'm definitely going to reread, and I have already been raving and screaming about it to my friends.

Thank you Berkley Romance for this ARC!!!

The Ex Vows is a slow burn, forced proximity, second chance romance where exes Georgia and Eli are brought back together for the preparation and celebration of their mutual best friends wedding.

This was my first read from this author, and I was quickly swept up in the story and understood why so many friends have been hyping her books and recommending her to me. The story while having a sting romantic theme, tilted heavily into the contemporary/ women’s fiction side - which I absolutely love in a book. If you want a book with romance but also one that captures growth and explores relatable life themes - this falls right in that vein.

I really liked the characters here, they felt authentic- flawed and like someone you could both relate to and know in your real life. Each of our mains had their own struggles and journeys to go on. I appreciated the slow unfurling of their backstory as we got to see them reacquainting themselves in presently.

Some things I especially appreciated about this read were the positive and realistic portrayal of therapy and mental health in general. (Both anxiety and panic attacks are represented). I really enjoyed seeing how each character grew and learned how to articulate and communicate. I like that things didn’t magically come together but real work had to be done and thoughtful approaches had to be taken. Most importantly I really loved Eli as a main love interest and all he was going through and showed he was working on.

Overall, I’d just sat the book flowed beautifully and I was swept up in their story. I found the ending to be satisfying and hopeful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.