ARC Review: The Ex Vows by the incomparable @jessicajoycewrites
Pub Date: July 16th
Thank you to @berkleyromance for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As a skeptic of most contemporary second chance romances, when I heard Jessica's next book was second chance, I immediately knew I would love it. And love it, I sure did. I don't even know what all to say about this book other than I could not recommend it more and it will be one of my favorite books of the year. Just like with You, with a View, I highlighted so many freaking quotes on my kindle that I cannot possibly choose one to share with you.

Eli and Georgia's chemistry from the very beginning was just absolute fire - the tension was DELICIOUS. And even though Georgia may have been just a little obtuse in not seeing Eli's true motivations, we as readers know it even though it's single POV. I'm also so often a hater of single POV and almost always prefer dual POV. However, Jessica Joyce again just defies my usual because her single POV books are better off for being so in my opinion. (Though Jessica, if you're reading this and ever want to give us bonus content in Eli's POV I will eat it up)

And Georgia - just. Ugh. I felt such a kinship with her. Her fear of falling out of touch with her friends with her potential move was so real and understandable. As someone who just moved across the country and left many of the friendships I've made as an adult, this just really hit me! I'm so glad to be living in a time where technology exists to stay connected to people but it takes effort from both sides!

Eli and his dang paper rings, be still my freaking heart! I swooned, you swooned, we all swooned for Eli. (If you haven't read this yet, just trust me, you will swoon I promise). I love him so much that again, I'm just mostly incoherent about it.

I just could not recommend this book enough. Jessica Joyce's writing is special and spectacular and I can't wait to see what she does next. (Though in the meantime, I'll be rereading this via audio)

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

"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."

Another solid romance from Jessica Joyce. I was a huge fan of You with a View, and while this one was also good, I don't think it quite measured up to YWAV for me.

Both character were really likeable and I enjoyed their chemistry from the beginning. It was pretty clear how their interactions were going to go from the moment they're together again, so I was really looking forward to seeing Eli put some work in.

One thing that frustrated me though was how obtuse Georgia was being in regards to Eli's actions. He was very clearly working to not only make up for being absence for the friends the past years but also for her. So her continuous confusion for why he was acting the way he was was increasingly frustrating. His declaration toward the end shouldn't have been such a surprise for her 🙄

The other thing that was really getting to me was the sheer amount of issues the wedding planning was running into. Like it was ridiculously over the top and I felt it took away from the overall storyline and the development of the relationship. This could have been an even better romance if everything wasn't going wrong all the time.

But those things aside I absolutely devoured this book. And the ending almost made up for the issues I had. So many great, emotional moments that really tugged at my heartstrings. Would recommend for romance lovers ❤️

4.5 stars rounded up! | thank you netgalley & berkley romance for the ARC

In the face of my love for second chance romances waning, I read and really enjoyed The Ex Vows!

First: I appreciated that this book was told completely in the present while still giving the audience enough insight as to why Georgia and Eli broke up. My recently realized pet peeve with the stylistic storytelling choice of many second chance romances has been alternating timelines between the past and the present. This is not to say this method of storytelling cannot be done well, (I've enjoyed a few!) but it can often cause the story to become repetitive, stagnant, or allows the audience to linger too long in the couple's past without really encouraging us to understand why they need to get back together. With the story completely in the present, I feel like I really got a good idea of the ways in which both Georgia and Eli had grown while also not glossing over the reasons as to why they first broke up. Second: I appreciated that it wasn't really a secret why Eli and Georgia broke up. I find with a lot of second chance romances, the story hinges on the audience not discovering until the end why the couple separated and again, I unfortunately say, the execution can fall flat. More often than not because the secret is either too horrific to see how the couple can come back together again, or too nonsensical that you wonder why they broke up in the first place. Learning early on why Georgia and Eli broke up I feel gave levity to their interactions and allowed us to see Eli through wary but intrigued eyes as Georgie was.

I really enjoyed how all angles of the story unfolded. From Georgia's fear about falling out of touch with her friendships to Eli and Georgia's re-connection (what I feel are the two main cruxes of the story). I feel like the story well conveyed that Eli and Georgia's breakup wasn't just the loss of a romantic relationship, but the loss of a friendship. How crucial friendship, community, and staying in touch with one another are really highlighted in this story, and as someone in the midst of their 20s I appreciated the reliability. But beyond relatability, I enjoyed how this story engaged with the ways in which both Eli and Georgia could have "done better" in their relationship, and also allowed them to become friends again before finally romantically reconnecting at the end of the story.

Last notes: I love that Georgia moved to Seattle! I feel like this story could've taken a different direction with this plot line where she stayed in LA but highlighting that change and growth are a necessary part of life just felt full circle to what Georgia needed as a character, not what necessarily creates a neat bow. And last -- the paper rings!!!! Realizing that Eli had written love notes for the past decade was the romantic nail in the coffin that these two needed their second chance, and then they got it.

If I have any critiques -- it's that I thought Adam's cousin as a character was really compelling but a few times like "the odd one out"? His involvement in the story at times felt a bit contrived, as if he at times was only there when the other characters needed solutions to a problem or to be confronted with one. This evened out as the story progressed.

First of all, I absolutely LOVED You with a view, Joyce's debut, it was charming, sexy, and the characters had great chemistry. On the other hand, The Ex Vows was slightly disappointing. Part of this is because I think the second chance trope is a tricky one, the reader has to whole heartedly see that the characters were/are in love AND also buy into both the issues that tore them apart, and the irrefutable chemistry and love that bring them back together, which is a lot to pack into a normal length romance. If Joyce had included dual POV or more flashbacks it would have been more convincing. We see some of their VERY early days when they first met as teens, but the rest of the relationship is related in a very "Tell not show" sort of way that just feels a bit info-dumpy without the emotion we would experience if we were seeing through their eyes during each phase not just the coming back together. I also think the secondary characters could have been more well developed in this way, seeing as how the group of friends played such a role in Georgia and Eli's lives leading up to the time period featured in the story. All in all, I still enjoyed this book and think that Joyce is an excellent writer who writes some really good spice scenes and intelligent characters - I will definitely be looking forward to any future release from her!

I would give this infinity stars if that were an option!!!

I love my anxiety-ridden, yearning-filled children so much. Their story is so beautifully written, in past, present, and future. I genuinely think Eli Mora has solidified a spot on the best book boyfriends of all time list. I just want to give him a hug <3

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this book!

Holy moly! I knew Jessica Joyce was going to be one of my favorite authors after reading and loving You With a View but this book just solidified my feelings towards her writing. HER BRAIN! Like the gasping, the cheering, the smiling, the laughing, the sniffling, all the feelings you want to get while reading a romance book. I knew from early buzz that I was going to love this book but I was not expecting to fall so hard.

Eli. Eli. Eli. Have I said holy moly yet? Because holy moly this man. He has heart eyes for Georgia from start to end. My heart just went pitter patter for him and even though I know this was going to give me an HEA, I was so wrapped up in the journey to get there. Him telling Georgia, "This is going to mean something to me." when they were contemplating on taking their sexual tension to the next level. GAH! And if there is one thing Jessica excels at is the banter. It truly comes across in this book. There were so many moments that I giggled my way through the dialogue. He never shied away from his feelings, "Fuck, the way I wanted you. I don't know how anyone cannot look at me and not see it." SWOOOON!

Georgia. Peaches. This woman. She felt so relatable that she knew if she would be around her ex, it would end badly. She was so vulnerable and did not want to go through the heartbreak that she knew was coming. She was so afraid to get sucked into this vortex of Eli Mora. And being in close corners did not help in the matter. "I did my best to cling now, but those little flashes of further and future and forever snuck in, revealing what my deepest, messiest self wants: Eli in every era." The journey she went through the book was so fun to see from the outsider view. She had this big change with work that she was excited about but at what cost? She was so scared to lose these relationships with her friends and as I think a lot of adults go through, we fear that change of growing up and moving on.

I know I focused most of this review discussing the love interest but I also want to say I love Adam - our groom, best friend to both & champion of them as a couple. This book had a bunch of side characters that did not feel overwhelming and just added to the story. There was a scene that had me cackling between Georgia, Eli and Georgia's friend Jamie - once again the banter was chef's kiss. And I loved all the little moments of them trying to get this wedding to happen but these roadblocks keep happening. Which in the end it only brought our love interests closer together.

This review is not going to do the book justice but if you were a fan of Jessica's writing in her debut and just a love of romance novels, please read this and scream about it with me.

PS: Chapter 34 - BROKE ME. How dare you Jessica!

Sampling of my favorite quotes:
"She had fake pepperonis all over her face, and she was still the most beautiful person in the room. She rearranged everything in my body when she ran into me. Again, literally and figuratively."

"It's weird seeing your friends have other friends, and it made me feel far away again, you know?"

"What are we doing tonight?"
"Everything."

"I'm going to knock on your door later. Please answer it."

Jessica Joyce knows how to tell a love story that makes you feel - hope, anger, joy, and, most obviously, love. I quickly became infatuated with Georgia and Eli and giddily devoured this book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this egalley to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Georgia Woodward loves her lists, the most important one being the one with the rules she has about her ex Eli Mora. What she wasn't expecting was for Eli to break them or for him to be different than what she remembers from when they broke up. And being thrown into working with Eli to ensure their best friend Adam's wedding goes off without a hitch is throwing her off kilter. Georgia wasn't expecting her feelings for Eli to come to the surface, or to connect with him in a way she never thought possible. But her lists are slowly being dissolved and opening up to Eli can only lead to more heartbreak. Will this new version of Eli, can she trust they can build something new and better than they had?
I love a well done second chance at love story and Joyce truly hit the mark with this one. Add to it a close proximity trope and you've got the makings of something wonderful. But it's not just about those tropes, it's also about a journey of self-discovery, growth, and learning to trust.
The character development in this book is amazing. I wasn't expecting the growth and healing that happened with the main characters. It was easy to connect with both Georgia and Eli on so many levels. Georgia's need for stability is something I really understand. It makes her feel like she's in charge and able to dictate how her life will proceed. She needs to be in control and direct because this makes her feel safe. But life can be messy and Joyce shows us that with Eli. Like Georgia, he craves stability, but has come to realize you must be happy in life and going after what makes you happy is the most important thing. Their romance is very sweet. I love how the little things they experienced together helped build a foundation for their attraction. There's chemistry with them from the very start when she sees Eli for the first time in two years and he breaks their set rules. It also showed Eli and Georgia never really stopped loving each other, even after being broken up for 5 years. Their romance is messy, complicated, realistic, and genuine
My favorite quote from Eli: “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."
Joyce's choice to create a friend group going through life changes together was a great edition to the story. Not only was it realistic but it was a great back drop to the changes that were happening individually to the main character but also between them. I loved the banter they had, the understanding they had, the love they shared. It's so important to have your people. This was a found family struggling to adjust to the nature of how life moves forward.
The anxiety and panic attack representation was spot on. it was literally palpable in the descriptions the author used and made my own heart accelerate with the understanding of what this feels like. I feel Joyce really did her research or potentially has experience with anxiety because it was presented with kindness and grace. It was so raw and it made Eli seem so much more real. I'm also happy with the inclusion of the therapy aspect and how Eli has found this help after so many years of suffering. And he's open about it to a fault. He lays it all out on the table for Georgia to see so she can understand why things really happened the way they did between them all those years ago.
“Sometimes happiness is loud and messy.”
Books do not often make me cry. This book was the exception. There were so many times I was in a chokehold; times I felt my chest hurt with an ache that was beyond measure. I was not expecting the deep and passionate connection between Eli and Georgia given their past. And when that connection really started to bloom, I became very emotionally invested. Joyce gave us emotional dialogue that was true and honest and raw. No angst or silly misunderstandings leading to them parting and coming back together. The characters take the journey they need to come back together in the pattern that suits them best. There were quite a few moments I felt wrecked with the rawness between Eli and Georgia. I will say, all my tears had me worried how the ending would wrap up. I'm not a fan of unhappy endings, or lovers parting as friends. But Joyce did not disappoint in the end.
The only thing I didn't love about this book is that it was single point of view. I love my romance books to have that. However, this book really is about Georgia and so it is understandable we would only get her perspective so we can watch her growth. So in the end, it was redeemed not seeing some of the story through Eli's eyes.
I adored Joyce's book You With a View. It's one I recommend often. This book will take a place on that list. I was totally invested in the story and characters the entire time. This has also solidified Joyce as a go to author for me; a read whatever she writes because I know it will be that good author. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. My only complaint is that it's over and I can't read it again for the first time. Fans of Ali Hazelwood and Abby Jimenez will enjoy this book for sure!

Second Chance in first person POV didn't work for me. This book desperately needed Eli's POV. The characters were also very one dimensional and I never felt like their initial issue for their breakup was resolved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for this earc

This book was so good. There is just so much to say but I don’t want to give away too much.

But let’s just say, we got second chance romance, characters with mental health issues and then finding a way to deal with.

We got love, friendship (more like found family to be honest) and family.

But honestly my favorite thing about this story was when the characters do reconnect, they might have jumped into the physical but they did took their time with the emotional.

And of course the PAPER RINGS. * TS

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘰.”

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘭𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸, 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 ‘𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.’”

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥.”

I could review this book entirely with quotes alone. It was so good!

Georgia & Eli broke up 5 years ago with little closure and a struggle to move on. Despite the fact that they now live across the country from each other, they find themselves joining forces to help pull off their best friends wedding that might just be cursed as it quickly falls apart. As someone who lives by her checklists, Georgia consults her ‘Eli list’ and reminds herself of the number one rule…. they can’t spend time alone together. Ok, fine. How hard can that be?

This book is a journey of deep friendship, true love, communication, loneliness, and all the ways that these things can shape who we are and where we end up.

I love everything about the way Jessica Joyce writes. She has quickly become an auto-buy author for me.

Two exes, Georgia and Eli, have to ban together to help save the disaster of their best friend’s wedding. Literally one thing after another goes wrong and they have a week to deal with a venue change and several other tasks.

Georgia is so incredibly relatable as woman in your 20’s. Feeling like you’re always too much and your mess is too much for others to see. Feeling like no one cares about you as deeply as you care for me.

This book was incredible. The writing was captivating and moving. I had tears in my eyes as I reading because I felt so seen and represented in this book

🍇Second chance romance
🍇Forced proximity
🍇Nickames
🍇Mental health rep

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I cannot function omg this book is so good. I cried so much in the end. The subtle nods to friendship and love, platonic and romantic. The trauma of childhoods that made you feel abandoned or unloved and how that made Eli push so hard for stability and Georgia push so hard to not need anyone too much. It’s all so relatable. So loving. So hard. So messy.

Jessica does a wonderful job of writing a beautiful love story but also a love story about family or friends: grandparents in YWAV and now friends in TEV. Adam and Eli and Georgia. A friendship that survives so much, end of an era but start of a new one. And Adam and Eli - the ways they showed vulnerability with each other. The crying and emotion is not something you see often with men in romance.

I absolutely loved this. “It’s a privilege to have someone trust you enough to show you those pieces of themselves, the most vulnerable and tender, the least polished. It’s a show of trust to let you see them first thing in the morning, in the middle of a panic attack, right after they’ve cried.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭

This was probably the first book I've read that really delves into the loneliness of single adulthood--being so happy for all your friends, but also grieving for yourself and wondering how you can ever fit with them when you are alone. Georgia's feeling are incredibly relatable ones, and it was so nice actually seeing that written out and explained. Overall, this was a rather vulnerably beautiful read--with both Georgia and Eli's feelings being expressed so well throughout the story. And of course, this was incredibly swoony and I would also like an Eli please.

My only complaint was probably that I didn't completely believe their connection/certain parts of their past--that is, I didn't feel too much of a connection to them personally.

Phew, this book had me on a rollercoaster of emotions and I'll be sending Jessica Joyce my therapy bill!

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of second chance romances because they usually have dual timelines but I was pleasantly surprised when I realized this one didn't! While the story touched on past feelings and moments that caused the deterioration of Georgia and Eli's relationship, it focused more on the present and the feelings that were still there after five years apart and each characters' self-discovery and growth.

Georgia and Eli both developed anxiety due to events from their childhood and this book not only touched on stoking the embers of their relationship, but it also dealt with them getting a grasp on their anxiety and mental health. It perfectly illustrated how a person's battle with mental health issues isn't an easy fix and that even when you put in the work, life will still be messy and there are still going to be ups and downs. Even with those ups and downs, though, it doesn't mean that you are any less worthy of love from those around you.

If you're looking for a hopeful, tear-jerking, sweet, and at times spicy, romance, do not hesitate to pick up this book!

Read if you like:
- Second Chance Romance
- Friends to lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Found family
= Witty Banter
- Making To-Do Lists

I’m going to keep this short and sweet - I loved this one so much! I’m a sucker for second chance romances and omg, all the feels! Run, don’t walk, to read this fantastic book! 5⭐️

Thanks so much, NetGalley and Berkley Romance, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read This Book If…you love the song Paper Rings by Taylor Swift!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

Please note: This was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: romance
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: San Francisco & Napa Valley
POV: single, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: childhood friends to lovers to exes, second chance romance, one bed, found family, forced proximity, “it’s always been you”

My Thoughts:
If you’ve ever had a messy breakup and you still had to see your ex, this one’s for you.
If you keep a million lists written down in your phone, this one’s for you.
If you’re a people pleaser with a praise kink, this one’s for you.

This book accurately captures just how awkward it is to regularly see your ex after a messy breakup. Georgia’s keeping everything bottled up inside was super relatable to me but I loved her journey to opening up, including to her ex Eli. There’s some great anxiety and therapy rep in this one, which I always appreciate.

This was such a tender read that made me tear up a few times! It’s a beautiful story about finding where you belong in adulthood and learning from your mistakes. There’s considerable growth from both main characters, which I love to see!

This book is more romance-focused than the author’s debut (which I also loved!) If you liked Happy Place by Emily Henry, I think you will enjoy this one as well!

Memorable Quote: “It’s not about not being messy, it’s about being honest with your mess.”

I was so excited to read this one, I really wanted to love it, but it just fell really flat for me. I was uninterested in the story and the characters. They were pretty boring and bland. Also, the story moved at such a slow pace that it didn't hold my attention. It was missing something for me to make me want to keep picking it up. I unfortunately had to DNF.

PERFECTION. This. This is how you write a TAYLOR SWIFT coded book. I haven’t read You, With a View yet, but you bet it’s on my immediate TBR now!!

Wow, holy crap this book had me hooked from the very beginning. It broke my heart and pieced it back so perfectly! I absolutely loved this one!