Georgia and Eli are forced together when their best friend’s wedding begins to fall to pieces. Everything that could possibly go wrong, starts going wrong, and the two of them step up to solve as many of the last minute issues as they can. The two end up back where their relationship began and through last minute cake tastings, DJ auditions, and spending time in a place that’s so close to their hearts, the two realize they cant (and don’t want to) stay away from each other.

I loved the personal growth in both main characters. The pacing of this book. The way it addressed the anxiety of moving into a new stage of life, especially within a friend group, and how challenging it can be to navigate. I also felt like this was such a realistic representation of a couple getting back together. There is so much work that each id then does on themselves and with each other to make a relationship happen again.

- second chance
- childhood friends to lovers
- forced proximity
- only one bed
- found family

Georgia and Eli were THE couple. From the first time they bumped into each other at age 15 they were orbiting, waiting to grow into the love of a lifetime. But after moving to NYC together after college and the realities of demanding jobs and adulting begin to wear on them both their perfect, easy relationship falls apart. 5years later they are now at their mutual best friend's Adams wedding - as best man and best woman. When the wedding venue burns down the week before the big day Georgia and Eli volunteer to save the day by helping re-plan Adam's wedding. Each of them is trying to prove not just to the other, but also to themselves how valuable of a friend they are. But as every forced proximity expert would tell you they can't pull off the seemingly impossible without working together and opening up to each other about the secrets they've been carrying around for far too long.

Tropes to expect: friends to lovers, 2nd chance romance, witty banter, found family, forced proximity, anxiety rep, only one bed, it's always been you, no third-act breakup (because technically they aren't "together")


4.5 stars (rounded to 5) and 3/5 steam

TW/CW: absentee parents, anxiety/panic attacks

I really wanted to love this one since early reviews are raving about this one. Unfortunately, I’m in the minority here and didn’t love it like I wanted to.

The positives: I loved the premise (big second chance romance girl here). I loved the mental health rep. I loved(!) the ending. However, something was missing for me to get more emotionally invested earlier on. I think I would have liked dual POVs and/or dual timelines. I think if people liked Happy Place, they’ll liked this one.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 4.25 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

With its gut-wrenchingly beautiful prose and unapologetic authenticity, "The Ex-Vows" encapsulates the very soul that is second-chance romance.

playlist 🎧: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2II8qzYZpWORnOhEqYu3Uz?si=aae1f6db90864e78

At the end of the day, I am nothing if not a friends-to-lovers enthusiast. The thought of someone falling so deeply in love with the messiest parts of you that in turn, they only cherish the beautiful ones all the more is a sentiment that is burrowed so deeply into the core of my being, I would be lost without it.

“I’m in love with you.” “Again?” “Still.”

As a self-proclaimed second-chance romance connoisseur, I can proudly say that Georgia and Eli earned my stamp of approval long before their reconciliation.

Georgia “Peach” Woodward is for the overthinkers. The planners and list-makers. The glue of the friend group. Her love is without bounds, though her fear of being abandoned in the wake of it was one that resonated deeply with me. I’m convinced that it’s a rite of passage to be lonely in your twenties, despite not being alone. It’s comforting to know that so many of us will see ourselves in Georgia and will not just survive, but thrive in due time.

“When I say I’m still in love with you, I mean the first time I saw you and right now. I mean every second in between.”

To quote none other than Georgia herself, “Eli is the living embodiment of it’s always the quiet ones.” Lord, do I mean that in every sense of the phrase. From his eager determination to his desperate pleading, he’s landed a coveted spot as one of my absolute favorite book husbands. I would marry him with paper rings in a heartbeat.

For those of you that despise ‘other woman’ drama, I would like to reassure you that this man doesn’t have a disloyal bone in his body. I mean, Georgia is stronger than me because I would’ve folded the moment he set his sight on me at that airport.

“Time is cruel and a miracle all in one swoop. It shows you what you had, and sometimes brings it back to you, but it’s always different.”

Georgia and Eli are inevitable. Say what you want to say, believe what you want to believe, but these two are soulmates in every universe. Their pull was so magnetic it made my heart ache. The intimacy between them was sensual, romantic, tension-filled, and meaningful. Chemistry is defined by them. There’s an empathetic nature about the couple that took my appreciation for their pairing to another degree. Their relationship was a cry from effortless. To overcome their fate of becoming star-crossed lovers was to endure loss like no other. To be torn from the heart you’ve donated yours to.

The overarching theme of mental health awareness in the aftermath of their breakup was approached in a delicate and yet pragmatic manner. Both Georgia and Eli finding their way back to therapy to make sense of all their lives have become was an intentional and powerful decision. Relationships are about just as much as you trusting yourself as it is trusting your partner.

“How strange it is to have a first for the second time. How lucky and messy and perfect.”

While I was secretly hoping for this to be an infinity star read, there were some aspects that took the magic away on my end. While I am an avid angst lover, the tone of writing wallowed in it throughout the entirety of the story; no thoughtless banter to level the interactions as a breath of relief. Alongside the weighted mental health representation, it consumed me in the feeling of grief. Diving into the actual contents of the writing, there were some very obvious pop culture references that were distasteful to me stylistically, but did ween out as the story progressed. Nonetheless, it was clear that our protagonists were of the millennial age, more so Georgia than Eli.

There were a select number of occasions where the race of certain characters would be very blatantly stated, and while I hope I’m not stigmatizing or reading too much into it, it just seemed…odd that it would be gone about in a way that was non-discreet and truthfully, ineloquent. At the end of the day, none of the characters that were profiled this way were involved in the novel enough to warrant a physical assessment of that caliber. It was out-of-place and could've been substituted for more valuable information, such as their career or familial background.

Moving onto the conflict of the story, the “curse” surrounding Adam and Grace’s wedding seemed a little too outside the realm of believability for my taste. There’s only so many disasters I can accept before determining the common denominator seems to be the individuals involved.

Though it didn’t fall short because of it, I could see the use of dual POV and alternating timelines being beneficial in this scenario. Especially since the dynamic in this novel is very much centered around a character-led journey. Georgia’s inner monologue came across as monotonous after a while and being in the dark about their past only heightened my despair.

That being said, I can already envision my re-read upon this book's traditional release. With similar tones to "Happy Place" by Emily Henry, I stood no chance. The second-chance, friends-to-lovers romp is tried and true and I don’t plan on deviating from it any time soon!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Jessica Joyce for so kindly providing me with an ARC. As always, all thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

If Happy Place and <i>Love, Theoretically had a baby, it would be this book! 😍

This book has EVERYTHING I look for in a contemporary romance. It has the *perfect* amount of angst, which is balanced SO well with intenseeeee romantic tension and chemistry that just sizzles off the page. There's laugh-out-loud flirty banter, LOADS of pining, found family, emotional depth that will make you ache, a slow burn relationship that's built from a strong foundation of friendship, and the perfect amount of spice. The romance is SO hot and SO convincing, it may have you lowkey wondering if you should call your ex (I mean, I get it... but you probably shouldn't) Pacing is so important to me when it comes to second chance novels and this book is the blueprint! I loved You With a View, but this one solidified Jessica Joyce as an auto-buy for me.

The Ex Vows rocked my world and kept me up until 3 am because I couldn't put it down. I can't stop thinking about these characters. I don't know what kind of magic she put into this book but I'm obsessed and can already tell this will be a book I want to reread over and over again. Can't recommend highly enough! 🥹💞

The writing for this was lovely as always, and I thought the characters had depth and were well fleshed out. I really liked them. It did feel like it dragged some in the middle and that the conflicts were a little bit thin? Mostly though, the reason it doesn't get more than 3 stars is the absolute constant mess ups for the wedding. It was just too unbelievable.

The emotional depth in this book! I was in tears! It’s beautiful & powerful! The friendships in the book give a good hug feeling along with the shared history! I love a second chance romance & I gobbled this up!!! Georgia & Eli <3

This book made me ugly cry on my cruise-- thankfully I was in my room reading before bed when it happened because I couldn't go to sleep until I finished it, and honestly I spent a lot of my evening just wanting to go back to the room so I could keep reading instead of doing the shows and such. Beautifully done second chance romance where it didn't feel like anyone was giving anything up to get back together. Faults were realized and worked through in a healthy way. Perfect levels of spice. I was sad to have it end!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

Jessica Joyce was a new author to me, but based on my experience reading her book, The Ex Vows, I will definitely be looking for her debut romance--You, With a View-- and her future novels.

I immediately became invested in Georgia, the female protagonist, and rooted for both Georgia and her ex-boyfriend, Eli, to somehow survive as they were thrown together as attendants in their friends' wedding. And it wasn't for just a day. They had to work together for a week to make the wedding a success in the face of disaster after unforeseen disaster. Both are truly damaged from their brutal breakup five years earlier and dubious about whether they can become friends or have any relationship at all, but they try to figure it out as their time is mostly occupied with wedding planning. I won't give any details or spoilers---contemporary romance fans will have to read the book for themselves, and I hope they will..

Joyce is a real talent, her writing creative, sometimes hilarious, and often profoundly emotional. Her supporting characters are also lovingly portrayed and memorable--especially the pair's friends, Adam and Jamie. The wedding is one of the most entertaining scenes in the book. But honestly, the last portion of the book (even before the epilogue) is deeply, deeply romantic and almost wrecked me--there were tears. Highly recommended.

My sincere thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Jessica Joyce knocks it out of the park with The Ex Vows. I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book and it surpassed all of my wildly high expectations.

It was very clear that Joyce put her whole heart into crafting Georgia and Eli - two adorable friends turned lovers whose breakup rocked their tight knit fold. The key to a second chance love story lies in the growth of the main characters. Something has to shift so that whatever tore the characters apart prior is fixable in the present. Georgia and Eli's development was very apparent and their relationship pulled at the heartstrings. As a reader, you could tell how deep their love for one another ran even after years of separation.

Friendship is also a main highlight of this story. Georgia and Eli’s hang ups converge in how available they are to the people they love. The lack of which sends them both into separate but equally distressing tailspins. Their mutual bestie Adam is getting married but last minute devastation has left him without a wedding venue. Georgia and Eli take it upon themselves to give Adam the wedding of his dreams which requires them to lean on each other for the first time since their painful breakup. The mayhem that ensues is a necessary levity to the tempest of emotion that Georgia and Eli are working through. It is very clear how Adam, Jamie, and the rest of the secondary characters have shaped Georgia and Eli and how profoundly this friend group cares for each other.

This is one of my favorite romances of the year! It ripped me open and stitched me back up all while I laughed out loud due to hostile bakers, overenthusiastic DJs, and meddling cousins. And on that note, I shall never be able to think of Paper Rings the same after reading this book. Eli Mora has my entire heart!

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this ARC!

Jessica Joyce has once again delivered a captivating romance with 'Ex-Vows.' This second chance love story pulled at my heartstrings in all the right ways. Despite my usual hesitations with second chance romances, Jessica's nuanced portrayal of personal growth and redemption had me rooting for Eli and Georgia from the very beginning.

I appreciated the depth of emotion explored in this novel, especially surrounding themes of anxiety, mental health, and the importance of self-discovery. Eli and Georgia's journey felt authentic and relatable, making their rekindled romance all the more meaningful.

As always, Jessica's descriptive prose beautifully captures the essence of wine country, transporting readers to the picturesque backdrop of the story. Her writing is both evocative and heartfelt, making 'Ex-Vows' a truly memorable read.

I'm grateful to NetGalley and the Berkley Influencer Program for providing an ARC of this book. Jessica Joyce remains an auto-buy author for me, and I eagerly await her next release. And can we talk about that 'paper rings' reference? Pure perfection!

This one was lovely! Jessica Joyce is a knock out and I can’t wait to see what she has next for us! The setting and the characters were so well-described. I loved every second!

4.5 ⭐️ A touching, give-me-the-feels book about a second chance at love.

The Ex Vows was a well-written and heart-felt story about Georgia and her long-time friend and ex, Eli. Throughout the story we are shown glimpses of the history between Georgia and Eli. They had a beautiful friendship that evolved into love, but something breaks them and Georgia has spent the last five years following her lists (read: rules) for how to live in a post-Eli world.

From the blurb, I anticipated this being more of a rom-com. While it had a few funny moments, the majority of it was serious. Stylistically, the writing was more show-me-don't-tell-me as there was a lot of Georgia inner monologue and less dialogue. I found it to be a bit tedious at times, but generally I enjoyed the writing.

~~What I liked~~
-The subtle way we were told of the events leading up to Georgia and Eli's break-up. It kept me interested until the end.
-The positive light given to mental health. I love when characters have real-life flaws and authors address them by having them see a therapist.
-The angst. The back and forth Georgia felt at the situation was so well done. I was invested in seeing this story through to the end because I wanted her to finally have her HEA.
-Georgia's fears about her friend group. The author did a great job of showing how human Georgia is, which made it very easy for me to relate to her character and made the book that much more enjoyable.
-The love story between Georgia and Eli. It was so sweet and tender.

~~What I didn't like~~
-Stylistically, the writing was more difficult to get through. I usually listen to audiobooks and this book was about a 7.5/10 for use of narrative immersion. Sometimes I would have to re-read a sentence to really grasp what was being said. However, I think as an audiobook, this would be easy to listen to, it was just difficult for me to read. Lots of long, compound sentences with descriptive language.
-The number of things that went wrong with Adam and Grace's wedding. It seemed a bit overkill for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would love to re-read as an audiobook.

A great follow-up to Jessica Joyce’s road trip debut last summer. Rather than enemies-to-lovers, exes-to-lovers is the focus here and it’s done with a lot of thought.

Jessica Joyce remains an autobuy author that I trust with my soul. The Ex Vows is tender, wistful, and so romantic. It has such a beautiful setting and characters and readers are going to fall in love with Georgia and Eli.

This was my second year in a row reading a Jessica Joyce book while on vacation, and they were both fun reads (though admittedly with the problems inherent in reading something spicy on a plane!)

Eli and Georgia were an adorable couple, with realistic conflicts and lots of chemistry. The surrounding friend-family was sweet and I enjoyed the wedding plot. This was a quick and clever read. I look forward to more strong romances from this author!

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Truly enjoyed this Second Chance Romance! Easy to dive on in to this heartfelt tale. The book has an entertaining way of webbing the past with the present The characters are relatable and I found myself laughing along with this emotional story. The chemistry between the main characters is fun to tag along with throughout the book!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! After devouring You, with a View I was soo excited for this book and it did not disappoint. This is for the readers who, like me, love a second chance romance with childhood friends to lovers. This has some delicious tension and angst that had me reading late into the night. I also love the found family aspect of this group of characters. Jessica Joyce is one of those special authors who can write delicious men who are deeply in love with the FMC’s but also can incorporate heavy topics the characters are going through as well. I truly can’t wait to read what she writes in the future!

5/5

A Napa Valley wedding rekindles the sparks between Georgia and Eli, once lovers now strangers, who may just have a chance to get back what they lost while building something altogether new. Filled to the brim with the bittersweet, The Ex Vows is a second-chance romance that encapsulates all of the joyous and painful parts of reuniting and reconciling the past. Georgia and Eli have both been through a lot, together and apart, and the focus on these experiences in mending what went wrong in their relationship makes for a truly exceptional romance. The yearning, the underlying tension between the two leads, and the wonderful moments of rediscovery along the way completely bowled me over. Jessica Joyce’s sophomore novel expands on her talent and craft as she interconnects the past and present, focusing on mental health, and the power of love in finding healing. The Ex Vows is astonishingly vulnerable and its resolution will undoubtedly have you close to tears. Jessica Joyce supremacy!

This will appear on my blog closer to publication!

I devoured this over night! I was hooked rom the beginning with this second chance romance. This book is sure to be a favorite this year and I will pick up anything written by Jessica Joyce.