Sweet second-chance romance!

Georgia Woodward, the maid of honor at her best friend Adam’s wedding, is helping the couple plan the wedding of their dreams. When things start going wrong, she knows she has to step in. However, what she wasn’t expecting was for her ex, Eli Mora, to show up at the wedding venue and stay with her in the days leading up to the wedding. She knows she can't push him away—after all, Adam is also his best friend.

Five years ago, Georgia and Eli broke up. She had been living in New York with him, but their relationship suffered as he became consumed with work, leaving them with little time together. After the breakup, she returned to the West Coast and poured herself into her new job.

Seeing Eli again brings up emotions Georgia isn’t ready to confront. Her feelings for him are still very much alive, especially now that she notices how much he’s changed. He’s no longer the workaholic he used to be, and it seems like he might want Georgia back!

The Ex Vows featured likable and realistic characters. I could really feel how much Georgia and Eli loved each other, especially since they were friends before they were lovers. I was rooting for them to find their happiness together.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a deeply emotional second chance romance that doesn't shy away from all the messiness involved in growing up, finding yourself, and becoming a stronger partner.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual pov, exes, second chances, close proximity

I loved this. It was cute, sweet, funny, and sexy. I was completely blown away and couldn't stop reading. The growth that these two characters went through was so good. It's almost like they had to grow apart to grow together. I highly recommend it!

This was one of the most delightful novels I read this year. The story flowed and the chemistry and love between Georgia and Eli was undeniable. I loved that the reason they had broken up was as both of their faults, that their insecurities held them back and made it impossible to let the other fully in. There wasn't so much something to fix in the relationship, they just needed to grow and work on themselves before they could make it work.

4.5 ⭐️ I didn't love Jessica's first novel but am SO glad I gave her another chance. This was so good!!! Eli was an amazing male lead and I really loved the plot. The wedding storyline was so fun, and the dynamics between friends was well executed. I got emotional at certain points and thought the writing flowed very naturally. So good!

Jessica Joyce’s debut was one of my favorite reads of last year and honestly, probably one of my favorite romance books overall! (Bold words, I know!) So, I was very excited for her newest release and I’m so pleased that it lived up to my expectations and was just as great as her first!
 
As you could maybe pick up from the title, this is a second chance romance between our two love interests, Georgia and Eli. There’s also friends to lovers, forced proximity, and more! When disaster suddenly strikes in the days leading up to their best friend’s wedding weekend, the two estranged exes are forced to work together to help save the wedding. This story also primarily takes place in Napa Valley which, as a Bay Area native, I absolutely loved and it definitely made me want to head up to wine country!
 
While both our characters were great, I especially loved Georgia because she just felt like someone I could relate to in so many different ways and I absolutely love when that happens while reading.

Another standout about this book was the romance itself. There was a great mixture of fun and witty moments with some fantastic banter. But also there is the emotional side and in the case of this book, it even touches on mental health. I feel like I usually have pretty mixed feelings when it comes to the second chance trope, but this one was executed so well. The tension and chemistry felt palpable between Georgia and Eli and their feelings raw and honest. Their issues and relationships just felt so authentic and I couldn’t help but really love and root for both of our MCs both in their own personal journey’s, but even in the one together as they each worked on reconciling with the past. It’s tender and sweet, yet heartbreaking and cathartic and just so well done.
 
The backdrop of a Napa wedding just added to the overall vibes and I found this to be such a wonderful read. I absolutely cannot wait to read whatever Jessica Joyce writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Joyce wrote so beautifully about grief and grandparent/grandchild relationship dynamics in You With a View, and she did the same with this book, only now focusing on friendships (how those relationships change over time) and a second chance romance.

I love Georgia so much! And found that I could relate to her so deeply. I think she wants to hold on to this family that she has created for herself and it truly pains her to see how life changes these friendships. I love how she can vocalize all of this by the end of the book. I just want to wrap her up in a big hug.

The romance was so well written that it truly hurt me to see how hurt Georgia was. The chemistry they had when they reunited was so palpable and it made this second-chance romance work flawlessly. The angst was there, the banter, like these are two characters who truly know each other to their core.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce is a swoony and steamy second-chance romance that brings together estranged exes Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora as they navigate a series of wedding disasters to save their best friend’s big day. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Napa Valley, this novel is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and emotional depth.

What I Loved:
Character Chemistry: The chemistry between Georgia and Eli is palpable. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine emotion, making their rekindled romance both engaging and heartfelt.
Humor and Heart: Joyce’s ability to balance humor with tender moments shines through. The story is peppered with laugh-out-loud scenes, especially during the wedding preparations, while also delving into deeper emotional territory.
Setting: The Napa Valley setting adds a charming and romantic backdrop to the story. The vivid descriptions of the vineyards and wedding venues enhance the overall atmosphere and make the reader feel immersed in the locale.

Overall, The Ex Vows is a charming and emotionally resonant romance that will leave you smiling. Jessica Joyce delivers a story full of love, laughter, and second chances, making it a perfect read for fans of contemporary romance.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #berkleypub #berkleyromance #berkleybuddyreads #ltbreaderteam #berkelywritesstrongwomen #theexvows #jessicajoyce

I absolutely loved reading this book. I read it so quickly and it was so beautifully done. I felt this book centered around romance but also friendship. I truly loved everything about this book from the main character to the side (Adam, the FMC and MMC's mutuals best friend). This book is perfect for people who have friends in all different stages in life and you feel that you're stuck and don't feel like your life is progressing. This book was very real to me and I cannot wait to read more of Jessica's books.

There are very few authors who can genuinely make me laugh out loud, cry, and swoon and Jessica Joyce is one of them. The pining, the longing and the tension were just delicious in this one - it was a perfect second chance romance. I was rooting for Eli and Georgia to get back together the whole time - their banter was top notch, their chemistry was SO good, and their history was fascinating and devastating. Even though the book starts part way through their story, Jessica did an amazing job setting the scene of their past and how they got to be in this place. Every ounce of this book oozed heart and soul and a feeling of realness - it was impossible not to root for these two because they not only put the work in, but they grew as individuals and together. Their HEA felt well earned, and that is the best compliment I can give a romance book.

I loved this book! Second chance romance is one of my favorite romance tropes and this was done perfectly! I loved the cast of characters and their realness. Stemy, tense moments matched perfectly with sincere relationships! I devoured it!

This was such a quick, fun read. I am a sucker for any romcom that includes mental health awareness as well. From the character development to the scene setting, Jessica Joyce really drew me into the story. I fell in love with Georgia & cannot recommend this book enough. I would call it a perfect romance when you are in a bit of a slump, because it definitely helped me get over a book hangover & love what I am reading again!

A huge thanks to Berkley Publishing & NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

💕 Review 💗

Oh my goodness the LISTS!!!! <3.

My heart!!! The Ex Vows where do I start with you?!

“We can be all those things- good, bad easy, needy, okay or not on an endless cycle- and trust that the other will stay.” “Our circumstances are messy but so is life.” “It doesn’t mean that we can’t love each other through it.” “We already are.”

Oh my.... I loved this book so much! What a beautiful, sexy, and heartfelt second chance romance. I have to tell you I don’t read much of this trope but I think Joyce just made me fall in love again with the second chance romance trope.

Now THIS is the phenomenal type of romance I devour!! Thank you @jessicajoycewrites for writing this book and more! 🎉👏

I loved every single character in this book and the entire team was so supportive with Georgia and Eli!! Also.... STOP that ending?!!

Loved every second of it and can’t wait to read her debut You With a View!!!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to @berkleyromance @netgalley for my copy.

I loved this one!

Exes getting back together is not my favourite trope - but second chance romance has been making a comeback around here and I had to give this one a go!

Georgia had her perfect fairytale romance with her childhood best friend, Eli. But, as things change, people change. It has been years since she broke up with Eli and has had forgettable relationships since then. She has a kickass job, and she is back in her hometown near all her friends. Now, her other best friend, Adam, is getting married and she is the best woman and Eli is the best man. Together, they have to work to keep this 'cursed wedding' going because whatever can go wrong has gone wrong so far. Will teaming up with Eli bring back her feelings?

This one was so cute! Eli was such a good book boyfriend (the ring/notes?! love), plus their reasons for breaking up seemed so mature and thought out. Both their childhood issues were addressed well and how those affected their relationship was explored. Both the MCs' personalities were well-thought of such that even their fears in their daily lives seemed very consistent with their personalities. Like how Georgia's mother left her when she was a child and how in adulthood she fears moving away from her friends because she doesn't want to leave her found family and feel abandoned, or the reason why Eli works so hard. Character development and character arcs are A+, and the predictable story makes up for it. And the make-up scene is super cute, fyi.

Just, a very well-thought, cute second chance romance. There are very few romances that I recommend, and this is one of those.

Thank you, @berkleypub @berkleyromance, for the opportunity to read and review this one for a #berkleybuddyread

I am a big fan of second chance romances and a big hater of miscommunication. This one featured a good amount of miscommunication where I just wanted to sit the characters down for a chat. Fortunately, though, it ended up not being a deal-breaker for me on this one, and I ended up really enjoying it.

I appreciated the mental health representation and the growth of the main characters in their time apart. I was a bit put off by all the mentions of the curse, but appreciated the effect the need for problem solving brought together the MCs.

All in all, I think second chance romances fans will find a book to fall for. It makes me want to go back and check out Jessica Joyce's last book, You With a View.

3.5 stars rounded up

my new FAVORITE romance, wow wow wow 🥰🥹🤭

this one had it all — such beautiful tenderness, genuine struggle, the bestttttt slow burn, the sexiest tension, the SWEETEST romantic gestures, a fun group of friends, a “cursed” wedding (that could have been SO frustrating to read about but strangely wasn’t?), honest representation of anxiety and panic and workaholic tendencies, the most satisfying second chance romance… and so much more.

i was UNDONE by this book and how absolutely stunningly @jessicajoycewrites creates characters and worlds and love. in a league of her own, i tell you!

what a DELIGHT to read this at the same time as my bff @kelsey.hobbs — swipe to see some of our *spoiler free* gushy texts while reading.

i knew i loved joyce’s first book but wow, give this one a whole GALAXY of stars!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️— amazing.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

🎧 PRH Audio Review 🎧

Georgie and Eli once were inseparable, but a bad breakup caused a rift that pushed them miles apart.

Now they are forced to put their differences aside and come together in a different way- for the wedding of their best friends. Serving as best man and maid of honor, the pair each take on vows of their own- promising to be civil, be present, and most importantly, be resistant to feelings for one another that never really went away.

But when the bride and groom to be run into a venue related snafu of their own, it takes Eli and Georgie to work together in the name of the love, even if it means spiting the rules that have successfully kept them at arm’s length for all these years.

The Ex Vows is the latest release by newly popular romance author, Jessica Joyce. I read and enjoyed You, With A View enough to give this a try, but I will say that unlike many others, I wasn’t blown away by either story.

My main problem with The Ex Vows was I’m still uncertain what Georgie and Eli’s big problem was. We are thrown into the after, but never really get much of the before to really process the rift, or to root for the reunion. Their coming together to fix odd wedding related mishaps also felt odd and misplaced, as did the couple they were coming together for in the first place which barely made it into a story of which they were the catalyst.

I know I’m in the minority with this review and I’m ok with that. But The Ex Vows is one book I wish I had a stronger bond with.

This is probably the best contemporary romance I read in 2024. It's hard to explain how much I loved this book. Everything about it was pure perfection. Honestly I thought I would never love this one as much as I loved You, with a View but Jessica Joyce outdid herself with The Ex Vows. Eli and Georgia were utterly perfect in their imperfect and messy relationship and I just wanted to never stop reading about them. I can't wait to read more from Joyce!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Georgia and her lists…have I ever identified more with a character trait? Probably not. Anyway, Georgia is a task orientated list maker and one of her many lists include a do and don’t list regarding her ex. Eli and her just happen to be sharing best person duties for their mutual best friend and they need to make sure their history doesn’t get in the way of Adam’s wedding day. One disaster after another leads to the wedding and it’s up to Georgia and Eli to put the wedding back together and in the process they find a second chance at love.
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I loved all of these characters and Joyce did such a great job of establishing their relationships from high school to current time. I was totally invested in these characters!

I love Jessica Joyce and her writing style. I loved You, With a View and The Ex Vows was just as good. Georgia and Eli had such an honest and consuming relationship. I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the book. The writing was done so well and the chemistry kept me hooked. I also loved all of the friendships present in this book. Those details always make a big difference for me as a reader.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.