This book was so cute! The tension between Georgia and Eli was palpable, and I loved their backstory. Some of what happened was kind of predictable, but not necessarily in a bad way. I loved all of their friends and seeing them interact with all of the other characters. The setting of Napa was beautiful to read about. The drama/the curse didn't seem totally unrealistic, which was good. I devoured this book, and I've been seeing a lot of well-earned positive reviews of it. I'm excited to recommend this to patrons and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

this was a very cute book and there were a lot of little lines and comments that had me smiling, and the whole paper rings concept was SO cute and the little swifie lover girl in me was obsessed. however i did find a lot of scenes just came out of no where (especially the spice) and i felt like i didn't really know the characters. i also couldn't grasp the friendships in this book very well until pretty much the ending but maybe that's just me because i know so many people LOVE this book.... all in all very cute and i can see why this book as been loved by so many!

Buckle up because this is a rollercoaster of emotions!

Georgia and Eli are exes who have been thrown together to save their best friend’s wedding (where everything that could go wrong has). All they wanted was to get through the planning and the wedding itself with as little interaction with each other as possible. Of course that was never going to happen.

Now, let’s talk Jessica Joyce’s writing. She has a knack for creating characters that are so real, you’d swear they were your friends IRL. Georgia is a list-maker (a girl after my own heart) and Eli... well, let’s just say he’s got a new rule-breaking attitude. Plus, the banter between them is perfection. There is also no denying that the chemistry between them is off the charts. Personally, I’d love to see this book get made into a movie.

What really got me in this book was the emotional depth. It’s not all fluff and cotton candy, it’s about the real emotion and heartache that comes with second chances, and having to face past mistakes. Make sure you’ve got a box of tissues handy!

In short, The Ex Vows is a heartwarming, sometimes hilarious, and steamy read that will leave you cheering for Georgia and Eli.

OMG THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING! I loved this second chance romance and the way these two figured things out. It was so sweet and soft, it made me feel all the things and I am forever a Jessica Joyce stan!

When Georgia reunites with Eli for their mutual best friend's wedding, her plan is to avoid him as much as possible. What she doesn't plan on is being tasked with saving her friend's wedding when one thing after another goes awry, a detour that forces her to work alongside Eli. Only her ex is different now, and when they team up to assemble new vendors, their old chemistry quickly returns. Jessica is such a talented writer and I loved this gorgeously penned, heartbreakingly romantic story.

The entire book was so good with a great plot and chemistry, but I ADORE the way the ending came around. Chefs kiss for being swoony and realistic all at the same time. The characters rely on nostalgia a lot to help and hurt their connection which was so unique. I love the way that the author used how our bodies remember based on settings from our childhood.

As someone who has never believed in second chance love, I was still really rooting for these characters and was happy to follow along their lil journey. I love a good romance just based on connection, but I was also really invested in the storyline too. So fun.

Overall, loved and would recommend :)

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I die hurry me with this book. aò
As someone who is not of fan of second chance romance this book changed me and the way I look at this trope forever.
This book was everything I needed in a romance novel. It had me giggling and kicking my feet. The tension and love between Eli and Georgia was radiating through each page I read. Jessica has absolutely blown me away once again.

This book follows exes Georgia and Eli as they attempt to save their mutual best friend Adam’s imploding wedding. Five years after their breakup, this is the first time Georgia and Eli are spending any time alone together, and it brings up some FEELINGS. This book felt like a quintessential second chance romance. The PINING!! The EMOTIONS!! This book felt like a Taylor Swift song come to life. It was a perfect mix of tender, painful moments with heartwarming, jump-for-joy ones. I could cry over this story and the beautiful way it was written!

I sat down and tried to write my thoughts about this book in a comprehensive way that could be considered a review, and I realized it just sounded like a love letter to everything Jessica Joyce creates. You, With a View was a book that touched on the beauty of life in a way I’ve never experienced with a book, so I KNEW I needed to read The Ex Vows too (re: BEG the universe to put this in my hands as soon as possible, and I’m thankful to Berkley for giving me the e-arc of it 🥹💚).

If there is one book that I will tell you to pick up at your local indie, request at your library, nominate as a pick for your book clubs, whatever you have to do to experience this immediately, it’s going to be this one. The Ex Vows had me HOOKED from start to finish (I literally started this the minute I got it and finished it within a few hours). A second chance romance in California wine country, filled with as many funny moments as there are sweet (and spicy!!!) moments??? A great cast of characters who were so loving in both romantic and platonic ways???? A. MUST.

Eli and Georgia were two characters who were so easy to fall in love with. Two exes back in each other’s lives because they both want their best friend to have his happily ever after. Two people on a path of discovering what they want out of life, yet struggling to find the right way to get it. They were so perfectly imperfect, both in how they existed, and just for each other, in general. I loved everything about their complexity and their journeys as individuals throughout the book. The Ex Vows is the epitome of the perfect second chance romance, and the perfect example of finding your way back to where you’re meant to be after choosing yourself.

If all of the above wasn’t enough to convince you to add this to your TBR, let Eli Mora’s gold chain do all the talking, because I promise, that alone made this read worth it 🤭

Absolutely fell in love with these characters and could easily find them all relatable! The romance in this was swoon worthy!

Every review that praises this book is 100000% right. Phenomenal. Perfect for fans of friends to lovers, second chance romance. This book is miscommunication trope done right because all the miscommunication is done primarily off page. 10/10 no notes.

This book was such a sweet lovers-to-exes-to-friends-to-lovers romance! I liked the pacing and the way the story was told, it felt very believable. I didn’t like how the main character did not want to have an adult conversation about her emotions at ALL in the beginning, but that was kinda part of the main plot so I can forgive that lol. But I LOVE a man who goes to therapy so that takes the cake. Character growth for the win!!

Definitely recommend this one and I’ll be checking out this author’s previous books for sure.

🌈Queer rep: Secondary FF couple, queer female characters

Thanks to PRHAudio for a free audiobook and to Berkley for an EARC.

I adored You With a View and was so excited for this one. It didn't disappoint!

Second chance romance in this one was well done.

I loved the friendship - our main wondering who to reach out to when she needed someone to talk to and questioning herself. Worrying about moving and losing friendships (which I could totally relate to).

I LOOOOVED the audio version and it really brought the story to life for me.

This one just made my heart happy and Jessica Joyce is going to be a go to author for me!

Last summer when I was really getting into my romance era, I picked up Jessica Joyce’s debut, YOU, WITH A VIEW and promptly fell in love with it. When I heard the follow-up was a second chance romance in which estranged exes must team up to save their mutual best friend’s vineyard wedding, I was IN.

Second chance romances really do it for me. They’re always so angsty and full of flashbacks to the good, the bad, the ugly of our couple’s first go at true love. As such, I really loved THE EX VOWS.

In the five years since Georgia and Eli broke up, they’ve done their best to avoid each other. But when they’re tapped to be the best woman and man at their mutual best friend Adam’s wedding, they’re forced to reconnect. As disaster after disaster plagues the impending nuptials, Georgia and Eli must team up to save the big day. Georgia begins to recognize the Eli she fell in love with so many years ago, but struggles with letting him back in.

WHEW! I was like 99% sure I would love this book and welp, I did. While this is fast-paced, it skews a little bit more character-driven than a lot of romances, as we delve deep into Georgia’s perspective as she considers where their relationship initially failed. While I would have loved to read from Eli’s POV, we still did get to learn a lot about his motivations and psyche. The shared history REALLY worked in here. Without spoiling anything, it all comes together in an utterly swoonworthy way at the very end.

I’ve seen a lot of people compare this to HAPPY PLACE and I sort of get that? It has found family energy, is full of angst, is obviously a second chance romance, and has a self-discovery subplot for both Eli and Georgia mixed in. It’s steamier than an Emily Henry book for sure, and I think Joyce absolutely nailed the “right person, wrong time” scenario.

I hope this becomes one of THE romances to read this summer because it’s FAB. I mean, a vineyard wedding, a healthy dollop of angst, plenty of spice. Loved it and read it in a day.

I am Jessica Joyce's new biggest fan! This book is perfect for fans of Emily Henry's Happy Place & Christina Lauren's Love & Other Words. Georgia & Eli have been broken up for 5 years but have to spend time together as best man & best woman for their mutual best friend's wedding week. Nothing is going to plan for the wedding so they team up to fix everything. The story is told from Georgia's perspective, and I loved how she slowly gave bits and pieces of the past without it being a dual timeline. I also love that this second chance romance did not have the miscommunication trope.. it made sense why they broke up and the problems were addressed in such a healthy way for them to be able to get back together. I can't say enough good things about Jessica Joyce's writing. This book was so funny and emotional at the same time. 10/10 recommend!!

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters were so good, and I loved that I could see myself in the MFC especially. Her affinity for details and list making screamed my name! I also found myself totally in love with Eli. He was such a charmer! The friends to lovers and romance of the story completely swept me away, and I could not put this book down. Jessica Joyce has another hit on her hands!

I have been seeing the best things about this one, and loved Georgia and Eli 💕. Second-chance romance always hits and this one HITS 👏🏻.

It had an engaging plot, picturesque setting, the tension, the pining, the swooning, and Georgia felt like such a relatable FMC!

There was so much depth and levity and Jessica’s writing truly shines!

Jessica Joyce will definitely become an insta-buy authors for me!

This story was so funny and heart warming. I related so much to Georgia and love watching her and Eli’s relationship repair it self

The song of this book will forever be PAPER RINGS

5⭐️
3🔥

Quick Breakdown

Second Chance
Napa Vineyard Setting
Only One Bed
Fake Dating for Cake
He Falls First
Found Family
Anxiety Rep
Single POV
Open Door - Moderate Detail

THANK YOU SO MUCH to @berkleyromance for the eARC & gifted copy & @prhaudio in exchange for my honest opinion #berkleypartner

THIS FLUFFING BOOK.

Jessica Joyce once again knocks it out of the park. Her debut You, With a View was one of my top reads of 2023 & The Ex Vows has cemented her place as one of my favorite authors.

The Ex Vows is a second chance romance, which isn’t something I usually gravitate towards intentionally. That said, I was blown away with how Joyce handled the trope. Instead of past / present timelines, we get these deeply meaningful flashbacks. It felt realistic, as if i was Georgia, remembering little tidbits from our once wonderful past. It’s this mix of nostalgia & forced proximity that makes your heart happy & hurt at the same time.

“I remember. The most dangerous phrase when it comes to us.”

Something I’ve adored about Joyce’s writing is how even though it’s written in single POV, I still felt like I knew Eli. There were hints from the get go of how he was feeling, which helped to sooth any angst related heartache for me. Him & so many other tiny moments had me hooked.. the paper rings, how they easily pretended to be engaged to score a wedding cake, the bachelor party, THE PAPER RINGS! Swoon 🫠

This was deliciously steamy, too. More than I was expecting it to be, but in a way that felt like it added to the story. Georgia & Eli have so much history, it felt believable that their physical intimacy was the bridge back to exploring their feelings.

I primarily listened to this on audio. It’s narrated by Kyla Garcia & IMO her voice is the perfect match for Joyce’s words. I HIGHLY recommend you give it a listen!

You, With a View was one of my favourite reads of 2023, so Jessica Joyce’s second book, The Ex Vows was such an anticipated read of mine and it did not disappoint!

The Ex Vows is a beautiful second chance romance following two exes who have to work together to save their best friend’s wedding. I loved every single thing about this book from the romance to the Napa Valley setting to the friendships! Georgia was such a great main character and as a people pleaser, I saw so much of myself in her. I loved Eli as well. I really appreciated the anxiety representation with his character and how determined he was to improve his life. Both of these characters were so relatable and their growth was incredible.

This book was truly something special and unlike anything else I’ve ever read, I can’t recommend it enough!