2.5 rounded up

I enjoyed reading book two in this series. I had the lingering question about why they broke up in the first place with all this pent up tension 5 years later. Maybe it was the forced proximity, maybe it was just the fact that Eli was held back by his demanding job all those years ago.

I did like the second chance aspect that was sprinkled throughout this whole book. I appreciated the insight we were given into the characters heads about their second chance thoughts. I also found the "he falls harder" trope to be done well.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy!

This is the type of second chance romance that I needed. It's so emotional, steamy and all around fantastic. Loved this and definitely a perfect summer read.

This was SO GOOD OMG. It was healing, it was romantic and the quotes!? Sometimes books feel like they were written just for me (even though they weren’t) and this one falls into that category. I will definitely be picking up more by Jessica Joyce in the future!

4.5/5 ⭐️

This charming story follows two people who have loved each other for most of their lives but were separated by long-standing, unresolved family issues rooted in their childhoods. Now, years later, they find their way back to one another while helping their best friend during his wedding mishaps. Their journey is a lively, touching reminder of what truly matters in a relationship when love is real.

Reading this book was a feel-good experience that arrived at just the right moment for me. It rekindled my love for the genre and made me proud of my choice to return to it. If you’re a fan of emotional reconnections and enduring love, this one’s definitely worth the read.

I’m a sucker for second chance romance, so you know I gobbled this right up. I am Georgia and Georgia is me. 🤭

Georgia and Eli felt so dang real. These characters didn’t feel perfect and that’s what made them and their story feel so authentic. The growth that both of these characters went through both individually in their time apart and together in the present.

One thing I will eat up every time and it doesn’t happen in books often is when characters seek therapy. Especially when the men start therapy. I feel like it’s such a “taboo” topic for men and it’s not discussed enough. Eli grew so much and if I can’t find a man like Eli I don’t want him.

I’m a sucker for really getting both POV’s and that would be one of the negative takeaways. This was still enjoyable as single pov, but I just know I would have loved Eli even more if I was able to get into his head.

“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.”

What to expect:
- second chance
- one bed
- found family
- single pov

Jessica Joyce.......the woman that you are. She has a way of writing books that feel like the PERFECT romcom.

I will tattoo Jessica Joyce’s name on my forehead so DON’T play with me. I just love her writing style and characters so much. This was very reminiscent of Happy Place by Emily Henry. It was exactly what I needed right now. 🫶🏼

The Ex Vows gave exactly what I wanted it to give desperately and more even. I got my heart ripped out multiple times while reading this book and I don’t even mind. This is one of the best second chance romances I have ever in the longest time. So good.

I love a second chance romance and this one was excellent. We get to see how Georgia and Eli met, how they fall in love and of course how they break up. This is done in flashbacks and while I often struggle with back and forth in time, Jessica Joyce is a master. I think having Georgia and Eli reunite to help plan their best friend's wedding was brilliant. I was concerned it would be too cheesy but I thought it was amazingly well done. It was romantic, it was sweet, it was sexy, it was pure Jessica Joyce.

I felt like this was a little hard to get through compared to the author's other book. There was very little keeping the main couple apart. It was only the jobs, and not being able to communicate well. Even though they're not together for a while, they know that they should be.They just can't get through their own crap. This made it very hard for me to get through it. It felt way longer than it should have been.

This was a really cute book. I really enjoy second chance love stories!! I loved Georgia and Eli's connection and how everyone low key knew that they would find their way back together. loved Georgia's character and relate to her quite a bit with her lists and fear of losing her friends and drifting apart from them. I also appreciated Ell's character and his struggles with work life balance. I enjoyed how Eli and Georgia first used to be best friends and I really enjoyed thier friendship with Adam and then planning the wedding.
Everything in the world that could go wrong for Adam's wedding went wrong lol. I loved Eli's grand gesture and loved the banter between them. I also adored Eli's nickname for Georgia ( Peach ).Such a cute book I loved It!!!!

This was sooo cheesy at first buy really grew on me. Second chance romance is admittedly not one of my favorite tropes, but I enjoyed the characters and how they changed throughout the length of the book.

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

What a cute, heartfelt story! I loved how honest and true this book was. I loved moving through the relationship of Georgia and Eli. I liked both of them so much and was glad for how it ended. Thank you NetGalley!

It started off great but by the time I got to 66% through I was bored. Just redundant. Thier friend couldn’t get get his shot together for his own wedding.

The emotions this pulled out of me was wild. I didn’t expect to feel so vulnerably raw with a second chance book. The way these characters simply had growth and blossomed.

This was just the fun and joyous breath of fresh air I needed right now. Georgia and Eli's second chance romance reminded me of all the reasons love is worth fighting for and how special and precious that connection can be! Love is something that will always find its way back to you, and this book will have you look over at your person and go, "Yea, it is worth fighting to keep this feeling"

Thank you Jessica Joyce for writing this amazingly fun book, for Berkley Press for sharing it with me and NetGalley for helping this book find me!

I always enjoy Jessica's writing style. I think this story was beautifully crafted. I also really enjoyed the romance, I cannot wait to see what Jessica writes next.

After falling in love with Jessica Joyce’s previous novel you, With A View, I couldn’t wait to read her latest release,
THE EX VOWS.

Just as I hoped, I was pulled right into the story with such great characters, with Georgia and Eli at the center of it all. Themes of second chances and owning past mistakes, with a Napa Valley setting, The Ex Vows made me have hope in second chance romance, a trope I swore I would never love, once again.

I paired the book with audio and loved them both, but being immersed this way was so fun! I enjoyed the narration so much.

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, prh audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This is the saddest case of right book, wrong time ever. Very much "I'm so sorry I promise it's me, NOT YOU".

"You and I are going to have a reckoning Georgia"

hahahahah what do you mean I had this book on my TBR for months and months and months and never picked it up until a month ago and then fumbled my way through the beginning a little but then finally dedicate myself to it and had it shine such a warm and loving light on my soul like what do you mean THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING TO ME.

For my money I think this is the only contemporary romance I've read that made me cry because of how beautiful and bittersweet and loving and carrying this book is like omg I need a physical copy ASAP.

Best read of 2025 already hands down I can't wait to reread and annotate wow reading is good and books come into our lives at the right time for a reason.

I really felt seen reading this book. One of my favorite parts about it was how it has such a strong thesis statement. Some of the romances I've read lately don't have a strong point of view or moral to me, but The Ex Vows has such a strong message of "embracing the mess". It is such a wonderful thing to hear when so much of your mental state can get wrapped up in how everyone else's relationships look perfect and mine is messy but spoiler alert they're all messy!!

I commend this book for being equal parts relatable and romantic. This book really embraces the beauty of how it feels to be loved and to love in real life. There is nothing here that is crazy over the top or fantastical but it still feels joyous and special and ugh why is it perfect it's a perfect book to me.

I can't wait to reread and pick up more on Eli but oh my godddd his commitment to Georgia is so unmatched. And Georgia learning to break down her walls and deconstruct everything she's built around herself in order to achieve happiness for the new version of her.

Obviously this is a romance and has an HEA, but I truly was gripped reading parts of this not knowing what was going to happen. As an avid romance reader, it takes a lot for me to feel shocked and surprised by a romance and this did it for me.

I can't believe this book exists. Thank goodness it does.