I really enjoyed this book.
I really liked the character growth of our main character, Chloe. I enjoyed the slow burn of the relationship - the falling in love? Maybe a bit fast but you could see it? The banter between Daniel and Chloe. I liked the passion of their art.

Issues I had? I'm a planner too. I know Happy Planner products. I felt like it was a bit of an ad, listing all Happy Planner products. We didn't need the names of the products, just notebooks and stuff, you know?

But that was it. It was cute. I liked the family. I liked reading the stuff about the grandmother; the realism of it and not shying away from how hard it was.

A cute, sweet story about a teen art curator working through the challenges of creating an exhibit about love and heartbreak. The descriptions of each exhibit conjure vivid images in the reader's mind, while Chen uses the work of the central love interest--a teen filmmaker--to provide a counterpoint to the heroine's thoughts about love and art as the two discuss their evolving work. My favourite element of this particular story was Chen's subplot about the heroine's ahma, and the family's attempt to recreate her most famous recipe. It was such a sweet way to depict a loving family with strong multi-generational ties. I also enjoyed the NYC/LA comedic through-line, having lived in both cities and marvelled at some of the extreme differences between the two.

As seems to happen to me more and more often, I didn’t realize this was a YA read but y’a know, this time I was able to stick with it and really liked it. Chen strikes the right balance between the new and unsure love and the breakup feels are spot on! Chen blends culture, art and love in this beautiful story of young people, and those who are young at heart, just trying to find a spot for themselves in the world, or in this case, LA.

I do find with YA titles that I often have to suspend disbelief a bit more than normal romance reading. We almost never hear about Chloe going to school or where all of her pocket money comes from. But we aren’t reading this book to evaluate these points so we can try to let them go - I’m just someone who gets hung up on these points from time to time.

I’d read more titles from this author for sure!

This book is full of teenagers who are establishing space for their creativity. Chloe is a character who evolves over the course of the book as she gets over a first love and finds a love more suited to who she is. She learns a lot about her own flaws and personality as she works through the end of her relationship with Jake and starts to fall in love with Daniel. This was a sweet story with great role models and relationships.

This is a very sweet YA love story featuring Asian FMC/MMC and cute LGBTQ+ side characters.

This book reminds me so much of my awkward, cheesy first love interests as a teenager. I thought this book was very very sweet. I will definitely let my daughter read this book when she's a little older, but honestly I feel like this book would be a great Tween contemporary romance book as well.

This book features:
✨ Art for self expression & self discovery
✨ Negative self talk
✨ Pretty insta-love
✨ Friends to lovers
✨ Instagram influencer account
✨ Texting
✨ Art exhibits
✨ Videography
✨ Art curator

Favorite quotes:
📚 Negative self talk by FMC, MMC says, "Hey. Don't talk about my friend like that."
📚 "I realize all I've ever wanted is to be more than just some guy. I want to be someone to love."
📚 "I feel myself beaming like I'm covered in glitter."

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

Super cute teen romance! Marketed as YA but I'd definitely say it's middle grades appropriate, perfect for a middle school library collection! Wonderful for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

Oh what a cute concept but unfortunately I didn’t love this book. The pacing was off, jumping straight into the story and then bouncing around to new ideas with no background. Chloe (the main-character) comes off unlikable and Daniel is sweet and much more enjoyable but I just couldn’t root for them to be together. The side story with the recipe was fun to follow and parts of the book were nice. As a whole, though, it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for an arc copy of this book. All opinions are my very own.

Cute YA, don’t over think it,

Great technical writing on the part of Jennifer Chen, I could feel the balance of storyline and attention to detail, I felt like I got to know each character just a bit and the story line was practical in a good way, The female lead, Chloe, is an artist, living in a community of artists and while that’s 100% not my thing, I understand the community a bit better and got a sweet love story out of it.

I think the balance of freedom to age was off, or maybe that’s just me because I was not afforded such opportunities in my teenage years, the independence alone made me swoon, but didn’t quite feel like reality,

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, would recommend to friends and will gladly read Chens next work.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this piece!

"Artifacts of an Ex" by Jennifer Chen is a delightful and heartwarming contemporary romance that skillfully weaves together themes of love, healing, and the transformative power of art. With its engaging characters and unique premise, this novel offers a fresh take on the classic story of love and self-discovery.

Chloe Chang, the novel's protagonist, is a relatable and endearing character who faces the challenges of heartbreak and reinvention head-on. When she receives her breakup box via USPS, she embarks on a journey of healing that takes an unexpected turn when she starts creating an art exhibit called Heartifacts, using the breakup boxes of other teenagers. Jennifer Chen beautifully captures Chloe's emotional growth and resilience as she transforms her own pain into a meaningful and creative project.

The introduction of Daniel Kwak adds depth and complexity to the story. His determination not to become another rebound for Chloe adds a layer of tension and anticipation that keeps readers invested in their evolving relationship. The chemistry between Chloe and Daniel is palpable, and their interactions are both heartwarming and at times, humorous. Jennifer Chen masterfully explores the complexities of modern dating and the fear of repeating past mistakes in relationships.

One of the novel's standout features is the exploration of art as a means of healing and self-expression. Chloe's journey to create the Heartifacts exhibit is a testament to the cathartic power of art, and readers will be inspired by her determination to turn her heartbreak into something beautiful and meaningful.

The supporting characters in "Artifacts of an Ex" are well-developed and add depth to the story. The challenges Chloe faces with flashy influencers threatening her artistic vision add a layer of conflict and authenticity to the narrative. Jennifer Chen's portrayal of the art world and the creative process is both insightful and engaging.

The pacing of the novel is well-executed, with a perfect balance between romance, personal growth, and artistic exploration. As Chloe and Daniel navigate their feelings for each other and confront their own insecurities, readers will find themselves fully immersed in their journey.

Ultimately, "Artifacts of an Ex" is a stellar contemporary romance that combines a unique and compelling premise with well-drawn characters and a heartfelt exploration of love and healing. Jennifer Chen's writing is engaging, and her ability to capture the complexities of modern relationships is commendable. This novel is a must-read for anyone looking for a heartwarming and thought-provoking romance that celebrates the transformative power of art and love.

I need to stop with the YA romance, it just does not vibe with me. This book is too fast paced, we don't have real insight into the character's decision making, the whole thing feels like a sped up rom com without any of the actual fun parts. Thanks to author, publisher, and netgalley for the ARC

A cute YA book that had potential but kind of fell flat. I was interested to start then it started to drag. It is somewhat of a quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

Artifacts of an Ex is a captivating read that delves into the realms of love, art, and navigating through life when everything you once knew has been completely upended. This enchanting story seamlessly weaves together a vivid sense of place and community, accompanied by intricately crafted supporting characters, a heartwarming intergenerational family dynamic, and a love story that is both tender and profound. Through its endearing exploration of loss, love, and the transformative power of art, this novel offers a compelling narrative that is sure to captivate readers.

Chloe was just dumped, and all her momentos from the relationship were sent to her in a box from him. This inspires her next exhibition - boxes of heartbreak. It's there that she meets Daniel. Daniel hasn't had a relationship yet but all his dates end up back with their exs, which is why he doesn't want to date Chloe.

This book is good, and I flew through it. But there were some things I didn't love. There is a lot of description about her art, which could have been condensed. The pace seemed off a little if I'm honest, and there really didn't seem to be a ton of tension in the romance itself.

Overall this wasn't the book for me, but I didn't dislike it enough that I was mad I read it. If you're into art, this would definitely be a good book for you!

This was a cute book with believable protagonists. You often wanted to shake them for sabotaging themselves or making poor choices, but it was generally in a way teenagers would or could actually behave. Chloe's social media channel about planning and bullet journaling and ambitions toward museum curation were both a nice change from the usual "artist" or "fashion" focuses. I also liked the maturity she showed about the move from NYC to LA, given the reason. It was a nice contrast to how immature she could be when it came to relationships. It felt very much like a real teen who was trying her best.

The pacing was a little meandering and I think the back and forth on various things throughout the book -Chloe/Daniel, Chloe/Ex, Heartifacts' changes - were its weak point. Oftentimes a choice seemed made to get to another spot in a story or to have a certain realization or confrontation that either felt like a retread of previous situations, or occurring out of nowhere. I paged backwards a few times to make sure I hadn't missed a motivation or earlier mention, but, nope. I think the flow should have been tightened up during editing.

I probably won't be rereading this book, but I would read other books by the same author.

This could've been a really cute Netflix romcom but as a book it sadly didn't work out :/ the storyline had potential but the messages fell flat and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Overall this was a short and well-paced read but sadly very forgetful.

Amazing & absolutely gorgeous😻💖✨

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Chloe has just learned her relationship with Jake is over through a box he mailed to her new home in LA. She decided to make this experience into an exhibition of other boxes with objects telling stories of heartbreaks, and that's how she meets Daniel. Daniel hasn't had a relationship yet but he's experienced a heartbreak after the other as all his dates have decided to go back to their exes. For that reason, he doesn't want to date Chloe and turn her into one more that gets away.

Now, this might not be the most unique idea ever, but it's full of heart without going overboard. You won't need a box of tissues for Chloe's journey – she's too determined to let it knock her down. Sure, the breakup affects her, and maybe she's not exactly toughing it out, but she's not moping for a guy who isn't meant to be.

Here's where things get a bit tangled up. I get it, Chloe loves art, wants to be a curator, and is going all-out for her exhibition, even though she's new in town. But we end up with way too many paragraphs describing every little art piece. Compare that to her grandma's cookie subplot (which is a blast, by the way), and it's like they're on opposite ends of a seesaw. The artsy angle is cool at the start, but it drags on too much.

In the end, this book runs super long (no page count in mind, just how it feels) even though it digs into some aspects that other YA stories don't touch on. Chloe kind of gets on your nerves, and the drawn-out descriptions didn't help. Daniel's pretty cool, though. He's not exactly a swoon-worthy character for me, but I dig his journey and how his documentary changes everything – including himself. The side characters are the real stars and carry the show.

In a nutshell, it's a solid pick for a YA read. It doesn't go overboard on the mushy stuff or the drama, and the extra stories mixed in give it some oomph.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. A great debut romcom. It was just what I needed this weekend. It would make a great movie.

I rally wanted to like this more because the diversity was great, and it was a cute idea. But there was so much product placement stuff, and the central relationship really had no reason not to resolve by the halfway point at least, except for Plot Reasons. Probably will work for the teens it's aimed at.

The concept of creating an art exhibit with the remnants of a relationship that is over is so cool. It’s a cute read and I really loved it!