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1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from your employee.
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After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Chloe decides to create an art exhibit featuring boxes filled with memories of past relationships, appropriately called Heartifacts. She forms a crush on Daniel, who is there filming a friend's reaction to an ex's box. While she thinks she is ready to move on, the appearance of her ex and his new girlfriend make her realize she might still be hung up on her ex.

I really liked the premise of Artifacts of an Ex and looked forward to reading it, but it did not quite go as expected. I sympathized with Chloe and how she tried to turn her heartbreak into art, something she could share with other people. It was difficult to feel with her because there was significantly more telling than showing. It also moved faster than I wanted to; however, I found the pace to be reflective of Chloe as a character, always on the move with big ideas.

Individuals who like YA romances and books with an emphasis on art may enjoy the novel.

Every now and then I need a light-hearted read to cleanse the palate after heavy fantasy books. Artifacts of an Ex filled that role very well.

After relocating to LA from NYC, Chloe is heartbroken when first love Jake breaks up with her via USPS – she receives a shoebox full of their memories and a brief letter. What a classy guy, right? Her family moved to take care of her grandmother (who has dementia) and run her café. Now Chloe is in a new city she’s not crazy about with no friends. Does she let that get her down? Not completely. Her life’s goal is to be a museum curator, so she channels her heartbreak into creating a new art exhibit, Heartifacts. It features teenagers’ breakup boxes. You gotta admire her ambition.

While I liked Chloe and her devotion to her family and friends, Daniel is my favorite character. Five times the poor guy has gone on one or two dates with a girl only to have her go back to her ex. No wonder he’s wary about taking a chance on a relationship. But this is a YA romance, so he and Chloe travel that pothole-filled journey over the course of the story.

If you’re an art lover, I think you’d certainly enjoy that angle in this book. While some of the projects are interesting, for me it felt like excessive descriptions of things that aren’t integral to the plot. There are also food descriptions I drooled over. The side plot of the family trying to duplicate Chloe’s grandmother’s pineapple cake recipe is very sweet and enjoyable.

With themes of first love, family, and friendship, this is a quick, light-hearted read I’d recommend to YA romance fans.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF’d at 30%. I tried to get into it and I thought I would like it more but I was not a fan of the main character and that ultimately is what caused me to DNF.

3.75 stars - The story follows Chloe, who moved from NYC to LA for her family only to be dumped by Jake through a package she received in the mail. At first, she wanted to throw everything away, but then she came up with an idea to buy other people's breakup boxes and create an exhibit called Heartifacts. During the opening night, she meets Daniel, who has always been the rebound guy and doesn't want to be Chloe's rebound guy.

The characters in the book were so lovable, and the multicultural aspects added depth to the story. The side characters were relatable and enjoyable, and the protagonists were adorable! Although the story was fairly predictable as a romantic comedy, it was still well-written and engaging. The only thing that would have made it better is if we could read Daniel's point of view. Overall, I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

In support of the SMP boycott, I will be withholding my review of this title until SMP speaks out. If the boycott is resolved, I will update with a full review.

i will not be reviewing this title in solidarity with the ongoing st. martin's press boycott. if you want to find out more about the boycott, please visit https://r4a.carrd.co/

This is a very cute and wholesome story about friendship told through art. While the premise could be deep, because it is YA it is rarely surface level, which is okay but I wanted more.
I really enjoyed how unique the idea of this book is. I think if it wasn't this unique, it would be a lot like every other ya rom coms.
That being said, I so intend to buy this book for my friend who only reads YA romances as it gave what it needed to give and I think she would really like it.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

This was a super cute YA romance. It follows Chloe Chang who not only has to move from NY to LA, but gets dumped by her boyfriend. When the breakup first happens, all she wants to do is throw out the box of memories she's collected while they were together. Instead, she starts paying other kids to give her their breakup boxes, so she can create an art exhibit called Heartifacts. Along the way she meets Daniel. The guy who dates a girl only for the girl to always go back to their ex. When Chloe starts to get a crush on him, he's not only worried about being a rebound for her, but doesn't want what always happens to happen again. And at first he's right, the moment her ex comes to LA, she realizes she's not completely over him, and dives completely into her Heartifacts exhibit.

This story was super quick paced, and really cute! I loved the friend and the family scenes in this story. Especially the side plot with trying to find out her grandma's recipe for the pineapple cakes. I sometimes found Chloe's character to be a bit annoying, but I LOVED Daniel. Overall, a super cute read. 3.25 stars

I read this book not knowing what to expect. I was looking for a nice romance read with an entertaining plot.

Our main character gets broken up by literal mail as her ex sends back items that he had. She decides to transform them into an art exhibit and there meets the male main character.

The art part of it was interesting and different I just wish there had been more comedic relief to the romance part of it.

Thank you NetGalley for the book.

I got about a third of the way through this one before deciding to DNF.

First of all, for the story starting off with our main character getting unceremoniously dumped, girlie didn't seem heartbroken?? She also seems so young that I was baffled to hear them talking about her losing her V. The characters felt much younger than they were and I didn't really care for them.

About 1/3 of the way in, I was surprised that she was already kissing the new love interest. I felt no chemistry between them and around this point I just realized this wasn't the book for me.

I was hoping to enjoy the book more than I did, but it took me quite awhile to get through it. The main character continuing to not listen when everyone told her she wasn't over her ex was annoying. Her not taking into consideration Daniel;s feelings was annoying. Her magically getting over her ex by following a step by step guide was not believable at all. Overall would not recommend

Cute idea for a story in relation to using the breakup boxes in an art show. However, I just didn't think the story itself came together quite like the author hoped.

DNF at 15% I wanted to like this book. It has a cute premise, but I just can't with our main character. Yes, this is a YA book but she is so immaturity and honestly annoying.

I unfortunately could not get into the writing of this book, which is why I’ve decided not to finish it. ARTIFACTS OF AN EX had potential, but the clunky writing style just took away all my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen.

This book was cute, easy read young adult story about break ups and falling in love with everything in between. The rebound’s, being scared to get heart, knowing when you’re over someone, all while tying it to art. The premise I felt was a bit better than the what I got. As I read this book, I kept thinking the characters where older then they were which was throwing me off. It was a very wholesome book, it’s just they were “playing” very grown up roles in wanting to be artists and art curators while really high schoolers. The cover and description did draw me in and ultimately I finished the book as I wanted to see how Chloe and Daniel made out. 3.5⭐️

Loved this! What a fun, cute, swoony read! This was the perfect book to have in my hands when I needed a pick me up.

"I was expecting this book to make me cry via commentary on the nature of love, NOT via grandparent with memory loss feelings." - an approximate quote by me to my friends while reading Artifacts of an Ex. To be fair, it did also make me cry via commentary on the nature of love. It's a multi-faceted story.

Seriously though, I'm an adult dealing with a grandparent's memory loss, and as much as it sucks, I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if I were a teen when it started. Especially since, like Chloe, I have a tendency to want to be in control of everything. As much as I loved everything that this book had to say about love, self-expression, and the nature of art, the dementia sub-plot is what pushed it into favorite territory for me. I really hope it finds the teens out there who need it.

Artifacts of an Ex is a cute, lighthearted YA read. While it’s not the most sentimental read, it’s definitely a fun book that I would recommend for high schoolers!

"Artifacts of An Ex" by Jennifer Chen takes readers on a journey through heartbreak, self-discovery, and the unpredictable twists of love. Chloe Chang's unconventional response to being dumped—creating an art exhibit called Heartifacts from breakup boxes—is a unique and intriguing concept that sets the stage for a story of healing and personal growth.

The narrative kicks off with Chloe's determination to turn her own heartache into something creative and meaningful. The introduction of Daniel Kwak adds an unexpected twist, as their chance encounter leads to a creative partnership, friendship, and the inevitable complications of a budding crush. Chen captures the complexities of post-breakup emotions and the fragile nature of rebound relationships.

The central conflict arises from Daniel's reluctance to become another rebound in Chloe's life. His past experiences of being the guy who inadvertently leads girls back to their exes create a barrier to their potential romance. This tension adds depth to the storyline, exploring themes of trust and vulnerability in the aftermath of heartbreak.

However, the novel falls short in delivering a fully immersive and emotionally resonant experience. While the concept of Heartifacts is creative, the execution of Chloe's journey lacks the depth needed to fully engage readers in her emotional transformation. The plot feels somewhat predictable, and the characters, while likable, don't undergo significant development.

The exploration of Chloe's efforts to make Heartifacts successful and her struggle against flashy influencers adds a layer of conflict, but at times, it detracts from the core emotional arc of the story. The resolution, while satisfying, may leave some readers wanting more complexity in the characters' emotional journeys.

"Artifacts of An Ex" is a light and enjoyable read with a fresh concept, but it doesn't fully capitalize on the emotional potential of its premise. Jennifer Chen's writing style is engaging, and the themes of self-discovery and collaboration in the art world add depth to the narrative. While the story is enjoyable, it doesn't quite reach the emotional depth needed for a higher rating, earning it three stars for its creativity and entertaining elements.