Did I squeal for joy when Berkley approved my request on NetGalley? Yep! Did I love The Ex Vows so much I had to run out and grab a physical copy on my shelf?
Also, yes!
Jessica Joyce certainly knows how to break my heart and put it back together. I basically laughed sobbed my way through The Ex Vows, I cried because I loved Georgia, and I understood her feelings and where she was coming from. I cried because I loved Eli, and I cried because I loved that these two were so good together, and they were messy and relatable.
Second chance and forced proximity are two of my favourite tropes, and Jessica Joyce delivered, add in the friend group, a cursed wedding which really had me giggling, but two exes who are clearly pining for each other.. yes, please.
*Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Jessica Joyce for sending me an advanced digital copy of The Ex Vows via NetGalley in exchange for review*

I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I loved all the characters, Georgia especially as I really identified with her anxieties and fears. There is a point towards the end where she is spilling all of her thoughts and feelings and it was like a punch in the gut how much I felt what she was saying. I thought this was one of the most perfect representations of a second-chance romance I've ever read. It was emotional, at times raw in what both of them were feeling and it was also fun. From the first chapter, I was rooting for them to make it work. I loved watching them both grow and mature in their relationship, do one of the hardest things of all, and be brave enough to trust each other this time around.

I loved Georgia's friendships with Adam and Jamie you just know that whatever life throws at them they are bonded for life and will always be there when needed.

I laughed.. mostly at poor Adam and how the curse just. kept. coming. for him and his wedding. Although I don't think the actual wedding could have been more perfect in its craziness. I cried.. like legit tears, which rarely happens to me. And when it was all said and done I was left with that warm and fuzzy feeling.

This is the first book I"ve read by this author, and I'll definitely be checking out her other books asap.

I had JUST read You, With a View when I got notified I had been approved for an e-ARC of The Ex Vows and I was so thrilled because I absolutely ate You, With a View up.

I read The Ex Vows in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Jessica Joyce has now become my new standard for romance novels. I don't read a ton of romance novels, but when I find ones I love, I will shout them from the rooftops. Welcome to the club, Jessica Joyce.

The Ex Vows is a stunning second chance romance novel, but I love the varying topics it touches on. Eli's mental health, for instance, him going to therapy (!!!! all book boyfriends should go to therapy now. Men who are in touch with their feelings and emotions are hot!!!), childhood friendships, having to make hard decisions when you don't want to.

The characters in this also felt like real adults, going through real life things. I didn't particularly LOVE the whole save the wedding for Georgia's best friend plotline, but I like how it brought Georgia and Eli back together, navigating problems.

This also made me cry towards the end???? Oh my god. I truly loved this. I'm so sad that this has now just been released because I need a new Jessica Joyce novel STAT.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!!!

I enjoyed this as a whole, and as a second-chance lover I think the trope was used well and in an interesting way! There were a few instances where I felt a little bored and an overall disconnect from the setting and characters, but the writing was great and I did really love Eli and Georgia.

I wanted to like this a bit more than I did but it didn’t quite work for me. I was extremely bored with the wedding plot line and honestly, books focused on wedding culture aren’t really for me. I think Joyce’s prose is lovely and I liked the MCs. But I wanted a bit more from the second chance (which isn’t my favorite trope to begin with) and didn’t feel satisfied by it.

Without a doubt, one of the easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given and one of my new all time favorites!!

Second chance romance can be a tricky subject for a lot of authors to write about but Jessica really hit it out of the park with The Ex Vows! It had tension, pining, tenderness, and growth! (components that are absolutely necessary in my mind for an impeccable second chance romance)

As a girl in her twenties, it’s so easy to feel like the world is moving on without you and I think that’s why I related to Georgia so easily. Georgia really struggles with maintaining friendships, trying to find a sense of belonging, and long distance friendships, which are all vulnerable and scary parts of adulthood! I still think Jessica took a peek inside my brain while writing her character. (frightening really)

My angel baby, Eli Down Bad Mora, needs his shining moment too. Gosh, his GROWTH, love, and dedication to his people needs to be studied. His mental health finally being a priority for not just himself but for the people he loves as well, is a true testament to his character. I love how much he adores and cares for Georgia. If he wasn’t taken, I’d want him all for myself.

Georgia and Eli have shown that relationships are MESSY and beautiful but require work on both ends to last forever. I truly will never get over how beautiful their love is.

I can’t express my gratitude enough to Berkley and NetGalley for this arc!! I’m obsessed with The Ex Vows and please never forget it.

happiest release day 💖

this was hands down my top read of june (tbh a top 3 of the YEAR???) and I’m still not over THEM.

georgia is her best friend’s best woman. and unfortunately, her ex and first love is the best man. oh and the wedding is cursed. when things go wrong at quite literally every turn, the two of them have to put the past behind them and work together to help save their best friends’ wedding. and like not fall back in love with each other.

I devoured this book. every single crumb. it’s wonderfully emotional, vulnerable, and I cried more than once. eli and georgia’s second chance at love with the backdrop of the wedding couldn’t have been any more perfect.

the found family aspects of this novel were some of the parts that moved me to TEARS. georgia’s worry of being left behind and her working through that to finally overcome her fear with her chosen people was beyond moving. found family gets me every time 🥹

eli was perfect. he worked hard to get back to georgia and we love a man groveling on his knees. second chance is one of my favorite tropes and it was done absolutely perfectly. and not even to mention the anxiety rep in this? I was blown away. shout out to the grounding/mindfulness skills in this. that is how you write mental health rep!!

I’m also fully convinced not only does jessica write first kisses like no other, she also slaysssss single pov. her ability to write yearning is unparalleled. I could feel eli’s need for georgia through every interaction they had. and when I tell you I sobbed during a certain reveal at the end? 🥹

I truly can’t say one thing about this book. It’s now a top tier forever favorite and I’ll never shut up about it 💖

@jessicajoycewrites thank you for writing this book and these characters. they are so full of life and love and I won’t stop recommending this book. if you need me I’ll be daydreaming about napa valley.

thank you for berkleyromance for this gifted copy!

read if you like
✨ second chance romance
✨ found family
✨ only one bed
✨ chaotic disaster weddings

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Her best friend Adam's wedding was cursed, and Georgia heeded the call to get the wedding back on track. Little did she know the curse could be the blessing that reunites her and her Ex.

This book opened with a flashback to when Georgia first met her ex, Eli. It was beautiful and dreamy and my heart was pitter pattering. Right then and there, I was fully invested in Georgia and Eli reconciling. I just knew deep, deep in my soul that they belonged to one another.

I had so MANY feelings as I watched these two tip toe around their past and put on their game faces for the sake of their mutual best friend, but they were both still dealing with the fallout from their broken relationship. While they were spending time together, it reminded them of why they fell for each other in the first place though they weren't exactly who they were before. They both grew and changed over the years, partially as a result of their failed relationship and also with the passage of time.

I was especially impressed by the changes Eli made. The contrast between Eli then and now was incredible, and he really put himself out there for Georgia. Being with them during the wedding week was a roller coaster ride, but I could not argue with the results.

This was another one of those love stories where it was the right person but the wrong time. They were so young and needed to figure out who they were individually before they could really settle into who they were together. I love that they got their second change. It was lovely and emotional and satisfying. Joyce did an incredible job helping me understand who they were then and now and why they still belonged to each other.

I also adored the friendships that were highlighted in this story. The typical adult friendship struggles were highlighted, but the bigger focus was on how much they loved and cared for each other. How they all really stepped up when necessary and made time in their lives for one another because they valued their relationships so much.

I hope I am not making this sound all melodramatic because it wasn't. This book was packed with humor, and a majority of the humor came from all the wedding disasters. Poor Adam! His loss was our gain in terms of laughter, as well as a great way to push our exes together.

Overall, this was a touching second chance romance which had my emotions all over the place in the best way. My heart ached, warmed, and exploded, and I loved it all!

Georgia has one thing she's known for: making and sticking to each bullet point on her list. She's a stickler for following the rules, including being friends with her ex at their best friend's wedding. Yet, when Eli steps off the escalator at the airport something is different about him...something that Georgia isn't sure is on her list.

Their best friend, Adam, is convinced his wedding is cursed. The point is more proven when their wedding venue is no more, making Georgia and Eli band together to save their wedding at their childhood favorite winery hotspot. They're their to celebrate their friend...that's all. Yet why can Georgia not get rid of the butterflies and her heart skipping 10000000 beats at this new "Eli?"

Jessica Joyce, you QUEEN. This book!!!!! Written in single point of view, I immediately was able to immerse myself in Georgia's story and her emotions....along with Eli's. It was easy to feel the yearning, the heartache, the laughter lines that come from these two. I simply adored this book, maybe because Georgia is "me" and I'm a stickler for lists and trying not to ever be left out of friend groups. I laughed, I cried in the car and I screamed "FINALLY" at some scenes in this book... it's my new favorite of 2024. Jessica, I can't wait to see what's next for you and will now be blasting "paper rings" forever more.

This was the first book I've read by Jessica Joyce, and wow will I be coming back for more. This was the second chance romance of my dreams, and the writing was stellar. Our couple, Georgia and Eli, had romance and tension jumping off the page. I found their relationship both tender and beautiful, with hilarity strewn throughout. I adored this so, so much and will definitely be reading more of Jessica Joyce's works.

Two exes, a best friend's wedding to save, and a second chance at romance. Georgia and Eli were best friends, were (are) in love with each other, dated for years... but broke up.... and they just happen to share a mutual best friend, Adam. When Adam's wedding looming between them and both of them are best man/woman.... they'll have to find a way to spend a week together. Yet Adam's wedding is one disaster after another, from their DJ getting food poisoning, to the wedding venue catching on fire, its up to Eli and Georgia to now save Adam's wedding but in the process finally face their feelings and why their relationship went wrong.... and how their feelings for each other are still very much the same. Eli and Georgia have loved each other for so long, they are best friends, perfect... but when things went wrong Georgia promised herself that she won't break her rules again and that she'll guard her heart from Eli a second time yet this new Eli is back and he's determined to break all her rules and get her to see that he's never going to let her go if she gives him a second chance. Can they save Adam's wedding and repair their relationship by the time the wedding is over? This was such a beautiful and sweet second chance romance. I loved how real both Eli and Georgia felt, how their insecurities and their relationship falling apart is so understandable yet their love for one another and willingness to communicate and face their feelings was so well done. I truly had such a great time reading this and as a fan of Jessica Joyce's writing, this book absolutely hit it out of the park. I am not even the biggest fan of second chance romances but this one completely captured my heart. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance book!

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

5⭐️ this right here is why I LOVE second chance romances!!!! Jessica, my queen, you knew what you were doing when you wrote this one. Probably one of my favorite second chance romances I have ever read.

This one is so beautiful, raw, real and so true to what a second chance in real life could and should be! This is a true soulmate and right person, wrong time love story. Reading about the drifting apart of their relationship was gut wrenching. And reading about their journey back to each other was beautiful.

I couldn’t love the main characters in this book more. I really really resonated with Georgia. As a fellow people pleaser and conflict avoidant person, it was so honest and true some of my thought processes. And my angel, Eli!!!! That man was absolutely everything a man should be. The pinning and ownership of his mistakes as well as his dedication to becoming a better man for Georgia was perfection. Also, reading about his anxiety, panic attacks was heartbreaking.

This is an absolute must read if you love second chance, and even if you don’t! I know some people say they don’t love the second chance trope, but I really think this one might chance your mind.

I can pinpoint the exact moment I knew I was done for while reading this book.
“There you are.” A smile melts across his face, slow and sleepy. “Hey, Peach.”
As soon as I read that line I was a hot mess, and I was only 24% into this book.
I loved You, With a View but I LOVED The Ex Vows. I loved Georgia and Eli and Adam and Grace and every other single character that was in this book. I love when a character does the work to fix themselves (or begins to) so they can be what the person they love needs them to be. Whole and happy. Eli’s love for Georgia spans space and time and by the end I just had tears streaming down my face (and I do right now writing this). I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Thank you to Jessica Joyce, Netgalley and Berkley for an early copy.

4.5 stars

I loved “You, With a View” and had high hopes for this book, too. While it has a completely different tone than the first book, it did not disappoint. I enjoyed both Georgia and Eli and appreciated the emotions from both of them. Five years of unresolved feelings is a long time. The secondary characters in this are all wonderful, too—especially Adam and Cole.

“When I say I’m still in love with you, I mean the first time I saw you and right now. I mean every second in between.” Swoon. When I read this I immediately highlighted it and melted.

Eli and Georgia were friends and then a couple for a long time. It’s been five years since they were together, but now he is back in San Francisco for their mutual best friend’s wedding. Now the two of them must work together to fix the “cursed” wedding. Georgia’s not sure how she is going to get through the next week being so close to Eli.

This is such a wonderful romance. The ending was just beautiful, too.

The Ex Vows is a romance full of second chances, self-discovery, and unexpected wedding mishaps.

I was excited to read this after adoring Joyce’s previous novel, You with a View, and the same amount of charm, banter, and sweet romance carried over into this story.

I did find myself not connecting as instantly with this new story as I did with You with a View. I felt the relationships, conflicts, and dynamics in this book were difficult for me and didn’t sweep me away and into this story as seamlessly as her previous one.

The scenery and chemistry-filled romance (with a touch of Happy Place vibes) were some highlights, and I am looking forward to seeing what future stories Joyce will write!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Head over heels for second chance romance. Give me more, Jessica Joyce writes amazing stories. I just eat it up. I loved the romance and the growth that happened. I saw myself in the main characters and books like that always stay with me. So so good.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce 🍷

This is one of those reviews that I am kind of nervous to write because I know I won't do the book justice with what I say. As I was reading it there was never a doubt this would be anything but a 5 star read. The love between Georgia and Eli was so beautifully written and proved that a second chances deserve to be given. I no joke tabbed and underlined something every other page and actually ran out of tabs and had to get more. Love, love, love this book so much and it's one I'll be thinking of for awhile.

I loved that this was told in single POV. Georgia was incredibly relatable for me and I loved getting to be in her head. The loneliness she felt as all of her friends seemed to be moving on to new stages in her life hit so hard. How she was making sure to put on this brave front for her friends to prove she was okay even though she wasn't. Meanwhile while we don't ever get a look into Eli's thoughts as the reader, we get to see it through his actions and words to Georgia. He is also dealing with feeling lost from his friend group and being unsure about his next stage in life.

Georgia and Eli met in high school through a mutual best friend. Their romance starts when they're in college and then ends up not working out. It's something we get to figure out along the way and adds tension to the story. Especially as Georgia and Eli attempt to handle all the mishaps of their best friend's upcoming wedding together. Seeing them interact had me being like why aren't you two together, you're obviously perfect for each other. But along the way I realize that they needed that time apart from each other to grow in to themselves.

The grand gesture that Jessica includes in her books are next level. I will never look at a post it note or gum wrapper the same again. If you know, you know. I refuse to give you any more context or hints to it than that cause it had me tearing up with how sweet it was.

Please read this book!

❤️ second chance
🍑 nickname
👥 close proximity
🥹 best friends to lovers to near strangers to lovers
🫶🏻 found family
📝 grand gesture
💭 sprinkles of flashbacks

single POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
1.5/5 spice level 🌶️

Possible spoilers ahead.

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I’m a sucker for second chance romances and childhood friends to lovers, so I wasn’t surprised that, when I finished this beautiful romance, my first thought was “Such a beautiful love story!” Having said that, after finishing the book, I decided to read some reviews and was very surprised to see how polarized they were. The vast majority of readers loved it, but those that awarded it either 1* or DNFed it made some valid points. I just don’t agree with them. I do get the comparisons to Henry’s Happy Place and People We Meet on Vacation and Lauren’s Love and Other Words, but I don’t see that as a detriment.

Harriet and Eli met at age 15 and the attraction was instantaneous although they didn’t act on it until their junior year in college when Eli transferred to Cal Poly and they shared their first kiss on her 21st birthday. After graduation, Eli convinced her to join him in New York when, fast forwarding two years, they broke up because he was a workaholic and, in her loneliness, she felt her only option was to move back home to San Francisco where her friends lived, especially their mutual best friend Adam. The story opens five years later when Adam, a hyper Type A worrier, is freaking out, convinced that his and Grace’s wedding is cursed, with the DJ out of commission, the wedding venue burnt to the ground, and more. As his best man and best woman, Eli and Harriet, who have barely spoken since their breakup (by mutual agreement, they’ve hidden their emotional distance from Adam), are pressed into service to work miracles in just over a week by finding alternative arrangements. So, against their better judgment, they drive up to Napa to Adam’s family’s vineyard and use the time they’re forced together to finally talk about what went wrong, why they didn’t fight for each other, and perhaps find a way forward.

Let me tell you, this dispassionate summary doesn’t begin to do this amazing love story justice. Author Joyce’s storytelling is beautifully poetic, complete with necessary angst when needed and a depth of emotion that made me alternate between laughter and tears more than once. In my opinion, Eli and Harriet were just too young and emotionally vulnerable to navigate a relationship when they both had quite a bit of baggage and lacked the proper communication skills needed to express their feelings. Yes, five years is a lot of time to let pass without having had proper closure, but it doesn’t take too long for readers to realize that they never stopped loving each other, even if they couldn’t see or admit it. The question is, will the combination of much-needed and long overdue therapy for Eli and the willingness on Harriet’s part to let go of the lists she lives by and to finally communicate her needs be enough for them to risk another try?

I’m not a fan of a single POV from the female MC but, for some reason, it wasn’t as noticeable in this story, perhaps because Joyce allowed Eli to express himself in the dialogue. As the story nears its end, there’s also an unveiling of sorts that is one of the most romantic things I’ve ever read. Yes, I cried! So, if you’re a fan of second chances and soulmates, you won’t want to miss this one. Highly recommended.

💭 MY THOUGHTS: My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Georgia and Eli have the sweetest relationship even when they’re not sure what their status is anymore. Their inside jokes, shared childhood memories and complete understanding of one another had me rooting for them.

One of my least favorite tropes is slow burn and I will say this was quite slow. Georgia is in her head about their relationship and her feelings. But the fun antics leading up to the wedding kept the story pleasantly moving along.

I also totally wanted to be a part of Georgia and Eli’s friend group. They’re all ride or dies and have a blast when they get together.

Read for:
🎮 Childhood Friends
💫 Second Chance Romance
💍 Best Friend’s Wedding
🛏️ Forced Proximity
🔥 Slow Burn
🚻 Cast of Characters

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

“When I say I’m still in love with you, I mean the first time I saw you and right now. I mean every second in between.”

This book was SO good! I was feeling all the feels! I was laughing out loud and tearing up. It was the perfect second chance romance!