The story grew on me, but you really need to stick with the first few chapters that feel like an ad for The Happy Planner brand. I am a big planner and knew what a squad box was and what the author as describing, but I feel like it didn’t tend to be so brand specific.
Once you get past the first couple of chapters you really get to feel more involved in the story, and it was a good acquaintances to friends to finally a relationship. I found the grandmothers role in the story to be endearing and really liked her character and the way the community and family rally around and help support her.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital preview of the book- all opinions are my own.

A heartbroken teen is forced to move across the country to help her family take over her ill-grandmother’s bakery. Chloe has little interest in the family business. Her passion lies with curating museum exhibits but after her disastrous break-up she’s lost her mojo and questions whether she’s even any good at her passion.

Thank you Jennifer Chen for finding an interesting and refreshing passion for a female character because I swear if I have to read one more contemporary book featuring an aspiring baker I’m going to lose it. Women can be down-to-earth and quirky without the presence of cupcakes.

Sometimes a bump can throw your whole life off kilter. The story is an exploration of how one teen finds herself again after hurdle after hurdle is thrown at her. It is so easy to question what we know we are good at and personality traits after just one setback so the entire concept was relatable regardless of your age.

It wouldn’t be a teen contemporary novel without a little romance. Chloe and Daniel’s relationship development was sweet as we not only watched Chloe’s growth but Daniel face his own turmoil and growth for entirely different reasons.

The book features a diverse cast and characters that show great wisdom well beyond their years.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an advanced reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t get into this, it was definitely too YA for me. Maybe others will like this but I don’t think I’m the target audience. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

I received this book from Netgalley.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I honestly picked up from the book because the concept sounds great! Heartbroken Teen moved across the country.
LA and NYC lifestyle.

But the book didn't do it for me, it felt too drawn out, and the main characters were too developed for their age. I picked up the book off and on throughout the month hoping it was just me and my mood, but overall this book was not for me.

I loved reading about Chloe and Daniel. I love that Daniel happened to be the boy that her ahma always talk about and visits her. Listening to Daniel's side of what he thinks about love and his feelings showed me a perspective because most often books talks about what the girl is dealing with when there is a heartbreak but listening to his thoughts and feelings was truly touching. Will Chloe end up with her ex or Daniel, will he be the rebound? You'll have to read more to find out.

I think this would make for a cute movie. It is a light heated simple story great for getting out of a reading slump. I love fake dating tropes, I also really enjoyed how Danielle the love interest didn’t ever stop standing up for what he wanted and believed in.

📖 YA Romance
⭐ 3.5/5
🌶️ (just kissing)

🙏 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of Artifacts of an Ex in exchange for an honest review.
◾
🎯 What I loved: This was light, happy and had a great message about the importance of finding and loving yourself before you can really love someone else. Chloe evolves from someone consumed and overshadowed by her relationship to a confident & independent co-partner in a healthier relationship. As someone who is particularly passionate about museum curation- specifically within art- I really enjoyed Chloe's process of curating and subsequently revamping her Heartifacts exhibit and thought the exhibit was a perfect secondary storyline for a romance.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: For the most part, I really enjoyed this book! The only thing that didn't sit well with me was that Daniel rejected Chloe multiple times but she kept trying to date him. Although his rationale made sense, I think there's an iffy message about accepting/not accepting 'no' in relationships that Chloe may have pushed. As a reader, I can appreciate her persistence while also questioning whether she was really respecting what Daniel wanted.
◾
Read if you love:
*museum/art exhibit settings
*friends to lovers
*AAPI rep
◾
See also: Curated, Seoulmates, The Cartographers

This is definitely a YA rom-com, so please remember that going in. Chloe has to move from NYA to LA and eventually finds her space in a commune of teenage artists.

The social media focus is A LOT, and juggernaut of the cast of characters to all be top-notch in their own mediums (filmmakers, artists, curators, etc) is pretty far-fetched, especially since school is really only mentioned in the passing idea of homework. However, it's nice to see LA through the eyes of teenagers and to recognize the drive and talent that can emerge at a young age.

Overall: 3.5 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, LGBTQIA+

**Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the free DRC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Artifacts of An Ex was super cute, but a little read a little too YA for me (more like middle/preteen), and I wasn't a fan of that.

i didnt have time to read this and I have not heard much about this book i forget why I even requested for it- idk if i would recommend it

This was a cute fun romcom. I really loved the diversity and representation in this story. The west coast LA vs east coast NYC banter was also a fun dynamic between the love interests. Chloe’s character was a little intense at times but I found the story pretty accurate. They are teenagers and the author did a great job depicting that first love first crushing breakup type feel. This was a great coming of age post breakup story and finding new love all in one. I also really enjoyed how Danielle the love interest didn’t ever stop standing up for what he wanted and believed in. While he had some reservations it was great seeing him open up and work through his hesitation and get closer to Chloe. Their relationship felt natural and I appreciated the slow burn friends to lovers aspect. Overall this is a cute story that isn’t just about romance it’s about family and great friends. It’s a fun lighthearted YA contemporary romance perfect for any romance fans.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC

Artifacts of An Ex by Jennifer Chen

What an exciting book that was well written and actually can be enjoyed by many age groups. It took me back to my teenage years but I was not like our protagonist Chloe. She is courageous and determined. After moving from NY to LA she gets a box delivered to her that contains memories of a time when she was in a relationship. The box implies she has been dumped. And like most teenagers frustration takes over and she wants to dump the box in the trash but at the last minute decides not to. Which turnout to be a great thing because she decides to buy break up boxes from others and put them up as an exhibit. That is when she meets Daniel. The two develop a friendship and Daniel begins to have feelings for Chloe but is adamant not to be a rebound boyfriend. He has dated other girls who have gone back to their exes and thinks Chloe will too. Her new business is called Heartifacts and she is spending most of her time making it a go while Daniel has started a new relationship. Chloe moves on with her venture of helping others through breakups. But what happens to Daniel? Can she merge both aspects of her life? The relationship between Chloe and Daniel moves at such a natural pace.and all of the characters are well developed and adorable. This rom com certainly made me feel young again and pulled on my heart strings.


November 14,2023! I can’t wait!


5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Chloe wants to be an art curator, and she knows it is in her future. When her last boyfriend gets upset at her over ambition, specifically when it comes to curating a show for him. When Chloe finds a shoebox full of old mementos from her ex, she decides that she is going to come up with her own exhibit of break-up boxes.

This story is really fun, and I adored the representation throughout the novel. The love interest was a complete cinnamon roll and I adored him. Great book!

Two hearts both broken, one feels like they will never be good enough, the other lost because they moved to a new town and lost their boyfriend all at the same time. Yet their love of art brings them together in a unique way. Chole is such a fun character. She is driven and organized, but throughout the book she learns that sometimes you must take a step back and not dive headfirst into something. Sometimes failing is the best way to learn how to do something better. I also loved how Daniel can see with his film that it is okay sometimes to take risks. Overall, this is a cute book. I think it is relatable and that teens will enjoy looking at love from an artistic perspective.
Thank so much to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This has cute cover art and a really was hoping to enjoy a light YA read. However, this was just a little too cute and sometimes I don't enjoy the references to the technology throughout the whole book. It was ok in premise but overall really didn't come across as this great book. Nothing really stood out about this book to me as a whole, and that's always kind of a bummer. Overall it was just an ok book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I am glad I got an opportunity to read this before it was officially released. Jennifer Chen is a great writer and wrote this book in a way that makes you think about your past and current relationships. Made me appreciate what I went through and what I am currently going through. I knew how most of the book was going to end, but there were still times I was yelling at the main characters like “Come on Daniel. You can’t do that again” but there is so much representation in this book and I love it.

I loved the concept and originality Of Artifacts of An Exb by Jennifer Chen. It's a very interesting take on what happens when a creative person is broken up with after moving across the country, she doesn't know how to handle it. She comes up with an idea of how to handle what she received in the mail after the break up and wonders if others have detritus from their past relationships as well. A compelling story comes of this! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the diverse characters in this book. The side characters were fun and relatable. This book was so much more than just a rom-com. I enjoyed reading this book and it kept me engaged and entertained the entire time!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the arc of this book.

I was able to get my hands on a NetGalley arc for this book and I'm so glad I did! I loved the title so much and it made me excited to read it. Chole Chang is trying to process her breakup with her long distnace boyfriend when she gets the idea to make an art exhibt with pieces of her relationship. A journey she needs to take, she meets some good friends along the way that help her realize she needs to get over her ex in order to move onto a new relationship. I loved this so much and can't wait for others to read it.

Aspiring art curator, Chloe Chang, can't believe her artist boyfriend would breakup with her by mailing a box of her things across the country. Her first instinct is to throw it all away until she gets the idea that she could curate an art exhibit based on other people's breakup boxes. Thus, Heartifacts is born. As she struggles to bring her ideas to life, she is also caught between getting over her ex-boyfriend, and falling for someone new. I really liked the premise of this story, and the spotlight into the art world that I do not frequently inhabit. However, the new romance was an eyeroll. Chloe asks the boy out TWICE, and he is very clear that he is uncomfortable with that since she just got out of a relationship, but she refuses to take no as an answer. You can see this as bold, but you can also see it as domineering and manipulative. It all ends well, but that just didn't sit right with me, especially because I genuinely liked Daniel as a character.