Today I’m reviewing The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce. In this second chance romance Georgia Woodward is preparing for her best friends wedding. What she’s not prepared for is her ex, Eli Mora, and how he’s made some major changes and ready to win her back.

Friends, I wasn’t able to put this one down!

There are so many wonderful aspects of this book I completely enjoyed! Tropes that were written so fantastically: he falls first, second chances, one bed, he’s in therapy, fake engagement (the second cake tasting scene 👏🏽), and more. What truly kept me going was the indelible threads Joyce wove together these incandescent truths of friendship, honesty, and love.

In a world where two friends turned lovers can be completely at odds with their professional and personal lives, being pulled in directions they didn’t think they would find themselves in, and finally realizing the person who stares back at them (both for Georgia and Eli) wasn’t who they were five years ago, can be hard to reconcile, especially when your partner is as adrift as you are; where the connections between them aren’t as strong and the distance is getting closer.

As I was first reading The Ex Vows I thought of the Tori Amos song Baker, Baker. I’d gone to a lot of her concerts during high school, my favorite being her Strange Little Girls album (that feels like forever ago) and I went up to San Francisco to see her play and I remember that song hitting me in a way that I think most people feel after they’ve fallen apart, but had found the strength to start gluing themselves back together.

And that’s where the story begins. The moment two people who cared for each other are back in the other’s orbit, waiting, ever so patiently, for the moment they collide. To see what they create once they do. You should read this one to find out.

The Ex Vows is a love letter to second chances, the bonds of friendship, and how two people can find their way back to each other, even when things are still so messy and unresolved.

I wasn't expecting this book to pack the emotional punch that it did, and was surprised when I found myself crying multiple times throughout this story. Something about the second chance romance and the story of how friendships stretch and change and grow in adulthood's life phases is resonant and the characters in this are absolutely endearing. I also loved Jessica Joyce's adult debut last year, and it's hard to say which one of these is better.

dude, miss jessica, how ?? i think this book altered my entire brain chemistry related to second chance romances. it’s one of my least favorite tropes, it’s almost always cliché, and i can’t relate because forgiveness is not something that comes easy

BUT THIS BOOK ?!?! i was blown away. not only is it based in northern california (bay area girlies unite), but damn was it completely relatable. the outside factors, work-life balance, the need for financial stability - and the stress it puts on relationships.. HELLO ?? it literally speaks to the quarter to mid-life generations. how many times have we had hard conversations with our so’s about work and money and mental health and all of these other things that were completely spread wide open in this book

i was in my feels is all i have to say. georgia and eli… ya’ll have my heart. i’m in absolute awe with how beautiful this story was

this was my first read by jessica and it was so good!!

You, With a View was one of my favourite romances from last year and I’m happy to say the author’s newest release will be on my top reads of the year list too.

I love the tension that comes with a second chance romance and this one was on an entirely different level. There’s so much pain, confusion and yearning between Eli and Georgia. I also loved that this trope was used with only one timeline - unique for a second chance romance and it told the history well.

The writing is so full of emotion and heart. I could honestly feel every sentence deep in my bones.

Other things I’m obsessed with: the friend group (I want to be friends with them all!!), the wedding planning, the curse, the setting, the memory flashbacks, the tension and steam, the paper rings and every single genius word that Jessica Joyce writes with such passion and perfection.

Can you tell I’m beyond obsessed with this one?? 5⭐️ (doesn’t feel like enough….)

I loved absolutely everything about this. The ending had me crying and I was swooning SO hard. It has been a LONG time since I have read a 5 star read. I am not surprised in the slightest that Joyce finally broke my slump. She was an automatic buy/go-to author with her debut but this just solidified that I will be a stan for all time.

Second chance. Forced proximity. They are bffs with the groom and they need help with the wedding bc it’s falling apart. The nostalgia. The flashbacks and silent pining. Georgia’s inner monologue. 😭 Eli’s looks!! Just so good.

I loved how Georgia grew as a character. How they needed these five years to grow up and be the best versions of themselves for each other. The paper rings really did it for me. They had me crying two whole tears by the end haha.

I loved this book. Made me laugh, cry, be mad and sad.
Georgia and Eli dated for a few years and broke up because he was a workaholic. It's been a few years and now their best friend is getting married and they are in the wedding. They have also had to take over a lot of the wedding planning. So for them to have to get a long was going to be a strain. They made it work and feelings came back or maybe they were already there just laying dormant.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC to review.

this is my first jessica joyce novel & it certainly won’t be my last!!! contemporary romances (rather than romcoms) are my to-go, and like the works of ashley poston, emily henry, and abby jimenez, this book is the reason why!!!

I adore when I can relate to a character in a book, and even more so when I feel like my thoughts have been plucked out of my head and translated onto the page 🥹 georgia’s thoughts, fears, and tight hold onto everyone and everything she loves was like watching myself in a book, and I can’t believe jessica joyce knows me better than I know myself the audacity!

second chance romances aren’t always my thing, but the way that eli and georgia’s story unfolded was done so perfectly 🩷 the reasoning behind their original separation was so adult and civil compared to others that rely on the miscommunication trope! I loved seeing two adults talk about their feelings and acknowledge each other’s too 🥹🥹

georgia’s love for her friends and family was so beautiful - and as someone who lives far far away from most of my found family, I relate so hard on feeling lost or disconnected at times from those you love the most 🥲 but!!! the way her friends love her back!!! no notes I cried

the plot of the wedding itself was adorable, but I think the characterization would be a bit stronger in a different setting - but this is me nitpicking because wow!!! I loved this one!!!

thank you to berkley and berkley romance for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot

Where do I even begin? Eli and Georgia will have my whole heart forever. The Ex Vows is an EASY 5 stars for me! I was hooked by this second chance love story from the very first chapter. Eli and Georgia navigate being childhood friends turned lovers... turned ex lovers... turned... something more again? They have a complex history with strong bonds and intense hurt and resentment. They find themselves in forced proximity and tasked with saving their mutual best friend's wedding. Georgia navigates the very real and valid hurt of wondering if Eli has really changed... he sure seems like it. I was deeply invested in the characters and their development in this book. Jessica Joyce did a fantastic job with pacing and keeping me hooked as the reader. Time to go get my physical copy and reread it!

Do you know nothing about rugby, except for the thick thighs and booty shorts?

Then may I introduce you to the thigh fetish queen, Jessica Joyce.

I was honestly nervous for this one, as second chance is one of my least favorite tropes. Normally, I don't feel there's enough growth to make it work.

However, I ended up loving this one. I find Jessica's writing style quickly sucks me in, and I end up devouring her books. She has a gift for hiding little Easter eggs for millennial nostalgia, and not to brag, but I bother her every time I find one.

I think what really sold this for me was that both characters admit they have faults, and while they've both grown, there is still a lot of room to grow together. Oh, and therapy. Lots of therapy for everyone.

I will soapbox a smidge and add Jessica handled the trauma of poverty really well. My grandma once told me, "Once got have to go without, you'll make sure it never happens again." It sounds like words of wisdom, but the root is trauma, and it's true you never forget it. I can say from experience, it does impact your relationships forever.

Read if you like:
🥺 Emotional Stories
🥈 Second Chance Romances
🏡 Forced Proximity
😬 Anxiety Rep
👧🏼 Childhood Trauma Rep

This book deserves all the stars and then some! The laughs, the tears, the anxiety, the heart pounding moments, the sweet and sexy moments… truly this book had it all for me and I just loved it more than I can even say.

The fact I was quite literally SOBBING while reading the book at different parts and how much I related to Georgia feeling like she can’t take space or else people won’t want her around because of her childhood traumas… girl, I felt that soooo deep in my soul!

I also love love loved the very subtle swiftie moments in the book and Omg the way paper rings was incorporated made me absolutely lose it especially as I quoted paper rings in my wedding vows…

The therapy rep, the slow burn, the tension and unrequited feelings that had been simmering since their break up 5 years prior that didn’t have the anger and fights they needed for closure but instead just ended without the fight, truly had my heart wrenching for them knowing how hard it is to express what you need in fear of being too much.

Ugh, i could truly go on and on about my love for this book but please know it was automatically my fave read of July and the month isn’t even over yet.

Thank you beyond words to Berkley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Jessica Joyce’s You, With a View was one of my favorite reads last year. I fell in love with the way Joyce writes relationships, both romantic and platonic, and so couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her new novel, The Ex Vows. I read it while I was on vacation and was just positively swooning over this gorgeous book!

The story follows Georgia and Eli, two exes who must put aside their differences and come together to save their mutual best friend Adam’s wedding, which appears to be cursed. Georgia still very much has feelings for Eli and has come up with a set of rules that she will abide by in order to keep her feelings in check. The last thing she wants to do is create more drama for Adam or possibly wreck their friendship just because she and Eli are sharing “Best Man” duties and will be in close quarters as they race to Napa Valley to try to salvage the wedding.

This road trip, while filled with hilarious mishaps as the curse continues, turns out to also be quite eye opening. There is definitely still plenty of love and chemistry between Georgia and Eli, and not only that, but Eli seems so different from the way he was when his and Georgia’s relationship ended. Is a second chance in the cards for them?

I really loved everything about this story! I was so invested in the possibility of a second chance for Georgia and Eli. Their relationship was so beautifully written and the issues they faced as a couple were just so relatable. I also adored Adam and was rooting for Georgia and Eli not only to save the day for him, but also for them not to wreck the wonderful friendship between the three of them.

If you enjoy road trips and second chance romances, you’ll want to check out The Ex Vows!

I love second chance romances and Eli and Georgia executed why I love it so much perfectly!!! The angst, tension, love, love, love. You, you, you 😭

Eli is literally perfect but it’s weird of me to say I KNOW men are actually like him out there (he is my dream but he is not that faraway that I can’t reach it) but they’re difficult to find. Just not afraid to show how he loves and how much? He is the blueprint. Therefore I want to shove this book down every man’s throat. This is quite the aggressive review I wasn’t expecting to write until I wrote this, sorry.

With that said 😌 Jessica’s writing is so emotionally lyrical and just gets better and better. How relatable she makes her characters and filled with emotions and being so human with what life throws at you. Right time and right moments. This book made me laugh and smile and tear up. But also allowed me to just talk out loud to myself with just loving this out loud!!! I loved it. A perfect romance and why I love the genre so much. Catch me at Blue Yonder, cheers!

the ex vows by jessica joyce is officially my favorite romance of 2024 <3 this book is a masterpiece !!! after a five years post-break up, eli and georgia a (aka peach) are on the road to healing and mending their relationship - this story was so REAL and impossible to put down. Jessica Joyce is now one of my auto-buy authors so thank you NetGalley.

I fell in love with Georgia and Eli while reading this book. I rooted hard for them to get back together because it’s clear how much they love each other and how much they’ve sacrificed for their mental health. If you’re not sure what true love looks like, you’ll find it in this book.
The other characters are really well done and the ending will send you to the tissue box. 5 stars. OPO o

Synopsis:

Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago. 

What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together.

As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"Make it messy."

Book of the week, of the month, of the season, of the freaking year. This was EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE and somehow even MORE. Jessica blew my expectations away!!

There was something so instantly familiar about Georgia. She's quite different from your normal "cookie cutter" people pleaser kind of character and I loved her and rooted for her from page 1. I love that, even if at her core she is a people pleaser and will bend over backwards for the people she loves and to see them happy, she is also dealing with an internal struggle of wanting to go and get things for herself, but her fear of disappointing her people holds her back. It makes her feel so much more real and it makes you want to cheer her on and support her while she lets go and embraces her goals and what she truly wants.

ELI MORA. ELI MORA. ELI MORA. ELI WHO WEARS A CHAIN MORA. I need him biblically. I need him in a way that is CONCERNING to feminism. He was such a highlight for me! I connected so much to him and to his way of thinking. To his struggles, specially those with anxiety. He felt so real and so human and he was so down bad for Georgia. I love how he loves her and how, even if they neglected each other in the past, he was such a rock for Georgia and allowed her to just be and also pushed her to be comfortable with asking for things and seeing her needs met.

The friend group and found family aspect was also everything and more. The wedding planning plot line had me HOOKED, and it also made me cackle. And the scenes where Eli and Georgia give into each other? OMG. Hot.

This book made me laugh, swoon, cry to the point that I stained it with tears. I cannot wait for everyone to meet them.

THANK YOU FOREVER BERKLEY FOR THE ARC. I AM INDEBTED TO YOU.

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Georgia is a list maker. She lives her life by to do lists and pro and con lists, and no list is more important to her than the “dos and don’ts” list she has for her ex Eli. This list is an unstated list of rules for how they interact around each other, especially around their mutual best friend Adam. It’s been five years since their awful breakup, and they have both been hiding from Adam how bad it actually was. They are going to be in the same place for an extended period to both be in Adam’s wedding in Napa Valley, but, when they arrive, Adam thinks his wedding is cursed. Georgia will need her lists more than ever before if she’s going to save this wedding and stay compartmentalized around this new, break-the-rules Eli.

THIS BOOK, YALL. I inhaled this book like fresh oxygen and couldn’t get enough. Jessica’s writing is on another level, and I filled my ebook with highlights and notes. The TENSION, the SWOON, the PAPER RINGS?!

I really admire Jessica’s ability to make me connect so well with both MCs in a single POV novel. I felt like we really connected to Eli and his thoughts and motivation, likely due to excellent dialogue writing and communication between the characters.

The side characters were excellently written to benefit the story, the setting was pristine, and the plot was well-structured. This is an easy five star book and I’m all in on @jessicajoycewrites and whatever she writes in the future.

“It’s not about not being messy, it’s about being honest with your mess.”

“Time is a miracle. It shows you what you had, and sometimes it brings it back to you. Different. Better.”

This audiobook, narrated by Karla Garcia, was GOLD. Gold I tell ya. I was immediately sucked into this crazy world of exes with a mutual best friend coming together for said best friends wedding. Now you can only imagine the drama and emotions that this will unleash.

This book was sweet, hopeful, heartfelt, and with so much mental health representation! I loved Eli and how vulnerable he was with Georgia and, quite frankly, himself. It’s so much more than just your typical romance novel. This story has heart, and it certainly captured mine.

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to @berkleypub, @Netgalley, and the author for the ARC.

I love this book viscerally, spiritually. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start it all over again.

I already love a second chance romance. But there is something so much better about a childhood friends to lovers second chance— and particularly something magical about Georgia and Eli themselves. Everything is tangled up, the past and present, frustration and helplessness, love and resentment.

Eli and Georgia’s love for each other seems like it’s suspended, crystallized in a block of honey that melts into sticky, messy liquid with every page they spend yearning. It was addicting, I couldn’t stop reading, or listening, or highlighting. At some point you keep wondering how much closer you can get to the edge before you topple over, and it’s never when you expect.

I love them, I love them.

Beautiful writing with a strong connection between the main characters. It’s kind of slow, not a lot happening plot-wise, but a sweet story of two people in love finding each other (and themselves) again. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC!