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.

I’ll admit it; I’m a list person when it comes to certain things, and I often find myself fixated on them, which can be counterproductive.

Meet Georgia, a list enthusiast who finds herself unexpectedly working with her ex-best friend and former boyfriend, Eli, to ensure their mutual best friend Adam’s wedding goes off without a hitch—despite the looming threat of a curse. Georgia and Eli have maintained an unspoken list of rules for five years, giving Adam the impression they've managed to be cordial.

As Georgia and Eli travel to Napa Valley together, their shared experiences force them to confront their own issues. While dealing with a series of wedding disasters and the supposed curse, they also tackle their personal list of unresolved feelings, including forgiveness, second chances, and a reckoning neither of them anticipated.

The beginning of the book really hooked me, but around 35%, I found Georgia’s internal monologue a bit frustrating. Fortunately, I pushed through a few more pages, and things improved significantly.

I absolutely adored the friendships portrayed in the story—imperfect yet refreshingly honest. It’s tough to start a new chapter especially when friends are on different pages. I related to Georgia’s anxiety about not fitting in as she once did when she thought of relocating.

The ending was unexpected and emotional—it left me moved. Here is my list of reasons to read this book:

1. Exes to lovers
2. Authentic friendships
3. Themes of forgiveness
4. A touch of spice
5. Found family
6. Job relocation
7. Fresh starts
8. Adorably cute! 🥰

This book made me love a trope I have been known to be picky with. It might just change how I view second-chance romance forever. Jessica Joyce has written the perfect romance book, truly. Literally, any fan of the genre will be taken by this stunning work.

Happy pub day to this PERFECT book! 🥳 THE EX VOWS by Jessica Joyce is out today!

Yall I loved this book so much. This was one of those books that I KNEW a few pages in that I’d be obsessed. It’s a second chance romance but the MC’s are also childhood best friends who get together in college, breakup, then finally see each other again after 5 years and their collective best friend’s wedding (that might be cursed)! I loved all of the characters so much and found the plot surrounding Georgia and Eli’s reconnection to be so fun and entertaining!

I absolutely love a second chance romance and I loved that this one only had 5 years separating the MC’s breakup and their reconnection! The pining and tension was just so palpable on the page and I ate up every single word! 🤭

Highly recommend this one - thanks to @berkleyromance for sending me a copy! 🍇💚

Thank you PRHAudio for picking me for your Influencer program and thank you for this audio.
Thank you Berkely for my ARC of the ebook. This book deserves infinite stars.

From the bottom of my heart; this has just moved to the number one fave book of 2024.


“The one thing that hasn’t changed at all is him loving me. And me loving him. It’s our tether, the thing that’s never let us drift too far.”

This book IS a soundtrack ; and it is from the heart of Taylor Swift and other equally profound songs:
Say Something
You’re losing me
Everything Has Changed
Mirrorball
Paper Rings
I love you, I’m sorry
Ever Since New York
Invisible String
The Alchemy
Endgame

The Tropes
╰›🍇 Friends to Lovers
╰›🍇 Banter
╰›🍇 Forced Proximity
╰›🍇Second Chance
╰›🍇Found Family
╰›🍇Only one cottage/One Bed
╰›🍇Single POV

“Time is a miracle. It shows you what you had, and sometimes it brings it back to you. Different. Better.”

Georgia Woodward
This character is 25-year-old me . Before children , before life had changed me. She is hyper focused ; list oriented and time crunched. Every moment she is trying to make sure she makes everyone in her circle happy with every fiber of her being and it is a cycle. She is the epitome of a helicopter friend. Worrying that if she stopped being hyper vigilante her best friends would no longer have use for her. They would no longer include her in the circle and leave her for the job; the partner; a better friend that was more "fun" or less needy. Georgia knows she makes herself smaller , she makes her needs less because she doesn't wish to be ' too much' too messy" . But real love is loud, messy and all encompassing, and these people she doesn't want to lose dont want to lose her either. The love of my life had anxiety like Eli Mora. He didnt go to therapy while we were together either. I understood why Georgia left New York. She couldn't continue to live with Eli and feel like she was the only one trying in the relationship.

Eli Mora
The mental health aspect of this book was well done. Eli over worked to quiet the anxiety, but over working made it worse. Overworking pushed people out of his life, and I wonder why these two couldn't talk about these feelings. He was genuine; loving and when he was present this week he was everything.

“But while he was trying to fix what was broken in his past, he was breaking something that was right in front of him.”

Eli put a pin in his life and made the decision to put Adam and Georgia first. When he couldn't speak , couldn't voice his words he made Georgia a paper ring. They were all the words he felt but couldn't say.
This week; this wedding gave them the time to unravel the past with Georgia.
This wedding that was cursed was messy ; loud but so incredibly full of love with this circle of friends.

“When I say I’m still in love with you,” he says quietly, “I mean today and yesterday and this entire week. I mean at Nick and Miriam’s wedding and I mean for the past five years.” If possible, he gets even quieter, but now he’s closer so I get every word. “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.”

Jessica Joyce wrote a book that wrecked me. The last three hours I listened to with tears running down my face. Even in the funny parts I continued to cry because Adam and Eli were just perfect men. I am glad Georgia put herself first. I am glad Eli learned to meet her how and where she needed him to, and put her first. Because in love we need to meet each other halfway and be the love each other needs.

A romance writer who can convince you to love your least favorite trope is elite. I tend not to like second chance romance because I usually find the couple’s reasons for not being together to either be contrived or I’m not really interested in seeing them get back together. The Ex Vows has neither of those problems, but is a heartfelt, swoony, steamy romance that will have you both laughing and crying. I loved seeing glimpses of Georgia and Eli’s early relationship, and was fully invested in their second chance! The forced proximity element about them helping to replan their best friend’s wedding was so fun. And the big final reveal - omg it was so romantic. I loved this so much!

This was so stinking cute! I love a good second chance romance and this one did not disappoint. I felt like the characters had insane chemistry and I love how it flashed back and forth between their previous relationship and the current one. Such a good romcom to read at the beach!

This book has my heart. I loved it so much. The chemistry between Eli and Georgia was shining from the start. The emotional and relatable dialogues were written so well. I love a second chance trope and this book is now at the top. After a five year breakup that almost wrecked them, I felt their angst and their longing for each other while they also tried to save the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam.

Told in dual timelines that showed how Georgia and Eli met at 15 and started dating quickly thereafter and the present time where they were on-site doing all the wedding stuff for Adam and falling for each other again. Their relationship was messy but earnest, complicated but passionate and very realistic. Georgia’s personal growth and realization of how much she is loved by both her ex and her friends made me get that warm fuzzy feeling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC. Easily one of my top books read this year, The Ex Vows is out now.

♾️⭐️ — the best book i read this month! jessica joyce has such a way with words and describing the raw, tender emotions her characters feel. loved the therapy representation & the ending made me weepy. if you see me quoting this book at my wedding, no you didn’t❤️

Jessica Joyce, this book! My word. Georgia and Eli are too soft and wonderful for this world.

“I might be messy on the inside, but I’m pathologically good at keeping it locked up tight. Except, unfortunately, when I’m not.”

After successfully avoiding really interacting with each other for years, exes Georgia and Eli are thrust together to help save their best friend’s wedding from disaster after disaster. Do you love a second chance? Forced proximity? Gorgeous scenery? A wonderful friend group you just can’t help but want to be part of? This book is so for you!

There was so much of Georgia that was utterly relatable and made me feel so seen. The Ex Vows is written with so much heart, so much depth of emotion. And it was also fun with multiple moments that made me laugh out loud. I just loved it. I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

3.5-4⭐️This was cute and I liked the story and the characters but I just felt a lot of it was miscommunication or lack of communication which made it feel like it dragged a bit for me. But I super loved the paper rings and the second half of the book saved it for me.

Thank you PRH audio for my gifted audiobook.

What an absolutely beautiful second chance romance. Set against the backdrop of a childhood friends wedding, Jessica Joyce blends the tenderness of first loves with modern day breakups, issues and navigating the messiness of adulthood. Jessica’s writing is so incredible - rich with imagery & filled with lines that will stay with me a long time.

Highly recommend the audio - Kyla Garcia is the narrator and she is chef’s kiss - so good!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Another fantastic read from Jessica Joyce. I didn't love this one AS much as You With a View, but it was close. I'm a sucker for a second chance romance, and this one absolutely delivered.

Georgia and Eli's arc was a bit predictable, but everything they went through to get there just tore at my heart. Reading how Georgia felt when they lived in NYC and Eli was 200% invested in his career made me sad, especially because I really thought they belonged together. My heart hurt for them because I knew Eli wanted things to work but wasn't sure he could be what Georgia needed, or even if he deserved a second chance. Their chemistry was intense!

I'm glad it wasn't just a hook up, make up, get back together, HEA story arc - there was a lot more to it before we get to our HEA, and I appreciated that.

4.5 stars rounded up

This was a beautiful second chance romance that burrowed it's way into my heart.

Estranged exes Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora are childhood friends turned lovers turned frenemies that have found themselves partnering up to save their best friends wedding from an alleged curse that continues to complicate every plan they have.

Years ago when Georgia and Eli were living together, Eli's work-life balance destroyed their relationship and split them apart. Now, they are trying to keep it together for the sake of maintaining their mutual best friend Adam's, sanity during the disaster that has been planning and executing his wedding.

As they spend more time together, Georgia starts to realize the differences in Eli. He's no longer attached to his phone and the way he has been looking her is less friendly and more like the looks he would give her back when they were in love. But what does this mean? They had an agreement. No touching, no talking about the breakup, no acknowledging the uncomfortable awkwardness that they have tirelessly tried to keep Adam shielded from, and absolutely no smoldering looks that make Georgias knees feel weak.

So what is happening here? Because it looks like these two exes are breaking their vows...

My Review:

I think what I loved most about this book is the character growth and the idea that people can change if given the chance. I really admire the way Eli made his tough decision (no spoilers) not just out of love for Georgia but for himself and to improve the life he was clearly not happy with. It takes tremendous strength and courage to take the path with resistance, and so I believe this part of his character deserves acknowledgment.

Georgia also experiences a shift in her character when she finds it within herself to loosen her people pleasing quality and ask for what she wants and allows herself to express her needs. In these moments she is rewarded with the most happiness because she is allowing herself the experiences and love she limited herself to for the sake of keeping everyone else happy. This also takes a lot of courage.

What I also loved is their love. Because of Georgia and Eli's familiarity with each other, their souls remembered the affection they once had and when that spark was rekindled, the floodgates opened and what was revealed was a much stronger version of who they used to be. This is why I love second chance romance. It tells a story of two people who just needed time to become the person they were meant to be. For them it was right person, wrong time and I just love how they made it back to each other.

Additionally, I adore how Eli calls Georgia "peach".

ALSO: the paper rings melted my heart.

Overall, I rated this book 4.5/5

With gorgeous writing and a fun premise, Jessica Joyce's second chance romance is as believable as it is swoonworthy. I loved the wedding-planning-forced-proximity premise and the vineyard setting and the banter was beyond. One of my favorite romcoms this year!

4.5 stars

Thanks to Berkley for the copy to 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." And queue the waterworks.

This book had me so emotional. I felt like I was always on the knifes edge of laughing or crying and all in the best way. The way Jessica Joyce writes her characters and crafts her stories is so tender, you can't help but fall in love along with the characters.

The Ex Vows is a second chance romance with Eli and Georgia who are not only ex's, but also childhood best friends. When Adam, their other best friend, is getting married and disaster strikes yet again (that dang curse!), Eli and Georgia must go to Adam's family's vineyard in Napa to pull together the wedding location, secure a cake and DJ in a week. These two have lived on separate coasts since they broke up 5 years ago and the last thing Georgia wants is to be in close proximity to the man who has broken her heart and simultaneously still holds it in his hands. Through the week and a series of mini disasters, they wind back up in each other's arms. While Georgia can't fight her feelings for Eli in the moment, she doesn't know if she can risk her heart again after the wedding is over.

One of the things I loved about this book is that there was also so much focus on friendships and how they can be so hard as an adult. There were characters like Eli, Jamie, and even Cole that showcased a different kind of love and care than solely a romantic love. It was so great to see represented and one of my favorite things about this book, after Eli and Georgia of course.

One of the other things I really enjoyed was how so many interactions between Eli and Georgia were layered with memory. It showed their deep rooted connection going back to teenagers and how their love connects through every moment, and how even when they aren't together that kind of knowledge of another person is bone deep and moments echo memory. So many times their interactions felt like two people homesick for the person right in front of them.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for whatever Jessica writes next!!

I absolutely loved this! Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I found this very relatable, as growing up and growing apart from friends is always a terrifying change. But the characters learning in this that it’s okay to ask your loved ones for what you need from them is definitely an important takeaway. I normally don’t like second chance romances, but this is one that I very much enjoyed and will absolutely read again!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s the perfect second chance romance and the writing is so good. The characters are so real and the side plot was equally as good as the romance!

I feel like sometimes I struggle with “second chance romance” and I fear that’s why it took me a while to get into this one. I love a man written by Jessica Joyce and Eli did not disappoint. I feel like I let my views clash with the way Georgia was sort of a Taylor Swift “Mirrorball” and it annoyed me at times. I do enjoy Jessica’s writing and will be reading all her upcoming books.

This book was so beautiful and heart wrenching. I love how this author writes. You experience all the emotions the characters do. I felt so connected to them and this book. I loved the flash backs. I got so many butterflies while reading this book. So good!

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!