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.

Another great romance from Jessica Joyce!

I love second chance romances, and this book proved exactly why. Georgia and Eli are two characters that I am sure will win you over. They are two flawed individuals trying to balance their anxiety while also figuring out there own lives. I think this is definitely a place in life that several of us can relate too.

I will always love a MMC who values the small things and Eli knows EXACTLY how to!! This man is attentive, loving, and a romantic at heart. Seeing him allow himself to be vulnerable after bottling it in for so long was reliving. I was fully rooting for my man!

I also love myself a man who can acknowledge his wrongs and strive to be better!

Also I need to highlight that this book is very Therapy Positive which I LOVEEEEE, One of my favorite things about this is that Eli acknowledges that Therapy is a process and that it won't automatically cure his anxiety. Which is so real and honest of him, which I applaud him for.

Georgia was honestly a great FMC, I liked that we had her perspective in this book because it really helped me understand her character and frustrations. Towards the end, this girl was tugging on my heart strings because she really deserves nothing but the best. The way she is so present for the people she loves is respectable, and to be honest I strive to be like that too!

Each individuals character development was really well written, in second chance romances it's always important to find out how the relationship ended and how that will impact their future which I think this book did a really good job in showcasing!

Overall, I think this book was a good one. It didn't get the full 5 stars because there were some scenes where I wish we would've gotten more chemistry moments between but regardless I still had a good time!

I am super excited for everyone to read this!!!

Mental Health Rep: Anxiety and Panic Attacks

I enjoyed this in spite of the overuse of messy! (Like, how many times can 'messy emotions' be mentioned in one book?!)

But Georgia and Eli were sweet, and I'm glad they had a second chance. And their larger friend group dynamics were so fun. Plus I'm a sucker for the Bay Area.

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.