This was such a fun, romantic exploration of art, love, and finding yourself. Great banter, fun chemistry, and a healing character arc. A total joy.

This book was a bit of joy. That youthful thought that you're going to be with someone for the rest of your life but life happens, You meet someone new that really makes you see things differently.

The way these two connected and the way their art expresses their current feelings. I thought it was a joy and I had so much fun.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Mentions dementia. Contains some romantic content, but no explicit sexual content.

“Artifacts of an Ex” follows Chloe Chang, a budding art curator, as she channels the pain of a breakup into “Heartifacts,” an art exhibit showcasing mementos of past relationships (both hers and others). And in comes Damoel Kwak, to shake things up. He crushed on Chloe and Chloe claims to be over her ex, but he’s sure she’s not—and he’s not willing to become just another rebound, not when it comes to her. With a clever mix of humor, emotional depth, and cultural nuances, the book explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery.

So, I’m not the only one with an “Ex Box” apparently. “Artifacts of an Ex” strikes the perfect balance between comedy and deeply emotional times, making it a memorable read. Fans of Jenny Han and Emily Henry will appreciate the mix of romance and personal evolution—I know I did.

With its themes of artistic expression and rediscovering love, “Artifacts of an Ex” is an ode to the transformative power of creativity. It’s a perfect read for anyone who’s ever held on to a keepsake from the past, wondering what it still means.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Artefacts of an Ex offers a unique take on heartbreak and healing, with relatable moments and clever insights. However, the pacing can drag, and some sections lack the emotional depth to truly resonate.

Getting dumped via USPS is pretty savage. Jennifer Chen's Artifacts of An Ex is a light and fun YA romantic comedy for fans of Jenny Han.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

What a cute and fun read! It's lighthearted and fluffy which exactly what I want most of the time. It's a great book for those looking for cute romance, adorable friendships and great writing.

I really wanted to read this book but it seriously disappointed me! I dnf'd it at 70% because it was boring me so much. I couldn't relate or even empathise with the Main Character, i really thought she was so annoying. The story had a great potential, and im sad I didnt like it.
Props to the artist who draw the cover, it really is something, and definitly part of why I wanted to read it in the first place

This was a cute and light hearted story, it was a bit fluffy and surface level but it was okay. It has the feel of a YA contemporary book so if that's your jam I think it would be a good fit.

Loved this book so much! The plot, the characters, all of it. The writing top notch.
Would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

When Chloe is broken up with via a USPS package she decides to channel her feelings and the package into something, an art exhibit. I thought this was a fresh take on a break up and liked the idea of her taking her feelings and channeling them into something she likes. Because of it she meets Daniel and they kinds of flip flop with each other which can be rather annoying in a book. Other than the back and forth I like the book and the premise.

This was an okay romance novel. It was still light and fluffy though, and a good pallet cleanser if you are in need of one.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Review originally withheld as part of the pro-Palestine St. Martin’s Press reviewer boycott.

Jennifer Chen is a new-to-me author, but I was drawn both to the cover (Leni Kauffman FTW!) and the premise of Artifacts of An Ex. A lot gets made of the process of either being the one to return your ex’s things or destroying them after a breakup, and I loved that this book presented a new layer of attempting to get closure, through creating art from it.

Chloe is very relatable, and I loved following her journey as she navigated both emotionally getting over her ex, Jake, and becoming ready to let new love in, and also figuring out exactly the right way to run the “Heartifacts” exhibit that felt authentic to her. I especially cringed when, after swearing off contacting Jake again, she contacted him for “advice,” which led to mixed results for the exhibit. But I loved that she found a way to “follow her heart” with the intent of the “Heartifacts,” and focus on the goal of forming authentic connections with people who’ve been through similar situations.

Daniel is a really solid love interest. I appreciated that he set boundaries early on, based on his prior experiences, not wanting things to be more than platonic with Chloe until she was sure she’d moved on. And while the narrative gives a vague idea of Daniel’s past as the “rebound guy” initially, I appreciated getting more context for it later. Allowing Chloe and Daniel’s connection to grow as friends, and letting her fully heal, meant that their romantic relationship could start on solid footing, and I rooted for them to get there.

This was such a sweet read, and I’ll definitely read more from Jennifer Chen in the future. If you’re looking for a fun YA contemporary romance.

"My favorite thing about art is how we can all see the same thing and yet interpret it so many different ways."

I had the absolute delight of listening to this book in one sitting while I was working the stroller kiosk at the zoo one very slow August day. This was the perfect story to accompany the afternoon summer heat: a lighthearted romance that didn't require much deep thinking. We all need these books in our lives sometimes, especially in the dog days of summer.

Chloe has just moved across the country to LA from New York City and is thrilled to get a jump on exploring the art scene in LA. When her boyfriend dumps her via a USPS package, Chloe is inspired to start her new art exhibit: collected artifacts from exes donated by various people. Chloe puts together this gorgeous exhibit and ends up running into Daniel on the first night of her new exhibit. Daniel is filming his friend's reaction to seeing his ex's stuff in the exhibit. What follows is a budding friendship between Chloe and Daniel while Chloe works to grow her exhibit's popularity. As she and Daniel spend more and more time together, Chloe finds herself falling for Daniel while he realizes he has become yet another rebound.

This was a super cute & fun young adult contemporary romance. It seems all of these modern romances have me yearning for the simplicity of Sarah Dessen's trademark romance stories: ones without social media and being constantly connected via cell phones. Yet I recognize this is reality for today's teenagers and they need to see realistic representations of themselves in literature. I was a bit confused how these characters were going to school as that is rarely mentioned. It seems like a pretty big piece of a teenager's life to avoid spending time with and made this book a little less relatable for me. This was a cute little story but unfortunately, not one that will likely stick with me long-term.

Recommended for: Grades 9+

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

A cute idea, but the story felt a bit forced with too much back and forth. I did like the family subplots and how supportive they were, but this one just wasn't for me.

Artifacts of an Ex was exactly the fun-loving book that I needed this weekend. a cute, light-hearted story about friendships and relationships told through art.

"Artifacts of An Ex" was a cute YA contemporary rom-com by Jennifer Chen. The novel is about Chloe - who just got dumped by her ex via USPS mail and who then decides to create an art exhibit called "Heartifacts" - an exhibit made up of her and other teens' break-up boxes. On opening night, she meets Daniel who she befriends and eventually develops a crush on. The only problem is that Daniel doesn't want to be another rebound and he feels that Chloe still isn't ready for a new relationship.

I was really excited to read "Artifacts of An Ex" because of the Asian-American representation and the unique friends-to-lovers arc between Chloe and Daniel. As a fan of YA contemporaries, I really enjoyed reading this. I thought the chemistry between the two of them was great and it was just so cute. Outside of the romance between Chloe and Daniel, I loved reading Chloe's character development, with the growth she shows on her journey post-breakup and her evolving friendship with Daniel.

Overall, if you're a fan of YA contemporary romances and coming-of-age stories by Jenny Han and Emma Lord, definitely give this a go!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! The concept and story line was amazing. I felt like it was real life and who would have ever thought to get items leftover from your EX and show them off. GENUIS!

In the tradition of Jenny Han and Emma Lord, Jennifer Chen’s Artifacts of an Ex is a story of love, art, and finding your way when everything you know has changed completely.

When Chloe Chang gets dumped via USPS after moving across the county from NYC to LA, her first instinct is to throw her box of memories in the garbage. Instead, she starts buying other teenagers’ break-up boxes to create an art exhibit, Heartifacts. Opening night is going great, until she spots Daniel Kwak illicitly filming his best friend’s reaction to his ex’s box. When she tries to stop him, an intense discussion ends up launching a creative partnership and friendship… and a major crush for Chloe.

There’s just one problem: Daniel is dead set on not being another rebound.

Five times he’s been the guy who makes the girls he’s dating realize they want to get back with their ex. And he refuses for there to be a sixth. She insists she’s over her ex, but when he shows up unexpectedly with his new girlfriend, it turns out Daniel was right. She isn’t ready for a new relationship.

She throws herself into making Heartifacts successful, but flashy influencers threaten her original vision of the exhibit. To create the exhibit she’s always wanted, Chloe needs to go back to basics, learn to work with artists in a more collaborative way, and discover what love can be. Only then will she convince Daniel she’s truly ready for everything they could be to one another.

Broken up with through mail?? Yes please.

At least it wasn’t a text 😖 the mail actually requires work, right? 😅

But anyway. Chloe and Daniel are very likable. This is a quick, fluff YA story that I’ll definitely recommend to students. I enjoyed it. It was cute.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I found the story to be sweet but this book reminded me of other books I had read before with similar plots. I still enjoyed it but for me it wasn’t anything to rave about which is why I’m only giving it 3 stars.