I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of second chance romances... they have to deliver on so many factors for me to consider them a win, and The Ex Vows did not do that for me. The single POV really put a damper on the whole story and emotional side, I love angst and pining but only being able to read about it from one side of a couple when there were two very emotional journeys in the story definitely impacted my reading. Regardless of the romance, I was also just bored, there's a lot of internal monologue and coming to grips with feelings, that were not balanced out well enough with the humor and banter that I needed to stay engaged in the book. By no means is this a bad story, I can absolutely see so many people liking this, it just wasn't for me.

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

𝘞𝘖𝘖𝘞𝘞𝘞𝘞𝘞! This book is SO GOOD! 🥹 I am taking 𝙕𝙀𝙍𝙊 criticism towards this book! Everything was perfect! A second chance romance needs to be done right and @jessica definitely 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥!

If you love 𝖸𝗈𝗎, 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺 𝖵𝗂𝖾𝗐 then you are going to fall even more in love with this book! It’s giving “𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦” vibes! I love the character development especially on Eli’s side! Their past was a big part of the story to see how they grew from it and how it came down to how they were in the present time. It’s a story of self-discovery and growth. I loved their friend group so much! It really shows you a realistic changes that happen in life between friends from college, marriage, etc.. I have to say that I can relate to Georgia so much! A people pleaser and someone that bottles up her feelings, it makes you go and say “just tell him how you f*cking feel!” And Eli, he is perfect in his own little way.. Handsome and the perfect lover! And his 𝙥𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨! Get ready for them! They had me swooning on chapter 34! 🥹🥰

The way I devoured this book. I haven't read much contemporary romance lately and this really made me question why the heck not. I stayed up too late to finish, I snuck reading a few pages on my phone when I had a quick moment, it consumed all of my thoughts until I was able to pick it back up (and finish it within 30 hours of starting it).

First of all, I am such a SUCKER for a second chance romance. But it needs to be done right - the characters need to have grown and have acknowledged/worked on the reason the first chance didn't work. Now, I will say that change was not immediately clear here. Georgia most definitely did not have that change when the book started and I thought it was glorious that we got to see it happen over the course of this book. It was like a slow burn emotional growth and I was cheering for her the entire way. Now, Eli - I wish we got his POV but that would have really changed the game from the beginning. As readers (and as Georgia) we got to slow peel back his character growth and LET ME TELL YOU - SWOON WORTHY. The author blurbed Eli as the embodiment of Hozier's Work Song and I AM HERE FOR IT. So down to the last few chapters, I was entirely loving this second chance and seeing them come into themselves as individuals and themselves as "us."

I also really connected with the awareness of their major relationship hurdles stemming from childhood trauma. There was never any real animosity but understanding even though it hurt. Although it did get a bit repetitive at time to be reminded of this. I think it really hammered home the right person, wrong time and the need to focus on yourself to give YOUR PERSON the best person you can be.

It also have some lovely areas on friendship, how life and friendships change over time, scary exciting changes, taking leaps of faith. Just concepts that will always resonate with readers (because who hasn't had a friend move to different life stage through marriage, career, and kids sending them into an emotional spiral).

This book is my new obsession. I preordered a copy for my favorites shelf before I even finished (and let me tell you that ending is AHHH SO GOOD).

The whiplash I had with this story.

Romance: 15/10 adorable, loved it, almost squeezed out a tear.

External plot: 2/10 hated everything about it and just heard Yakety Sax every time something went wrong AGAIN.

I went into this book with very high hopes because I loved Jessica Joyce's first book so much. This one started slow but grew on me towards the end. It was probably a 3-star book up until about halfway through, but the story started to pick up when the main characters finally started acknowledging they still had feelings for one another. I don't want to spoil anything, but the sneaky thing the MMC has been doing that is revealed near the end of the book deserved its own star; it was so cute. I think any issue I had with this book has to do with myself and my own tastes. I think that a lot of people who enjoyed <i>You, With a View</i> will enjoy this book. I have also seen this book compared to <i>Happy Place</i> by Emily Henry (admittedly, it's my least favorite of her books), and I think this book is better than that one, so if you like that, this book will be perfect for you.

This book was a sleeper, because while I read and enjoyed the first half of the book, I was surprised that I wasn’t feeling that emotional tug that I usually do in a romance. Cut to 60% and I’m crying on the couch. Jessica Joyce pulled the wool over my eyes and lured me into a fall sense of security and then had me feeling my own feelings in the blink of an eye.

Georgia and Eli were delightful, but they really shined in their present interactions. Seeing the past from Georgia’s perspective was important to understand the hurt and pain she experienced. I loved that the forced proximity helped them get back to their true selves though, and damn do I wish I was at that vineyard.

Are you ready for your heart to get ripped out by fictional characters? Do you want to feel the pain of not being with your soulmate? Are you prepared to be personally victimized by the next book you read? If you said yes to all of those, this book is for you! This is the second chance romance/best friends to lovers tropes at their absolute best!

Georgia is everything to me. She’s the best friend you could ever have, the girl with a thousand lists, and I completely understand why Eli could never get over her. I can so relate to her fear of being forgotten while everyone else around her seems to be moving forward with engagements, marriage, children, moving…It’s a terrifying feeling. Because of her childhood trauma, she wants nothing more than to hold onto the friends that she considers to be her real family. I have a feeling a lot of readers in their 20s will see a bit of themselves in our little Georgia peach.

And then there’s my sweet Eli. You could feel this boy’s pain from a mile away. Like Georgia, he had a rough childhood, which evolved into some unhealthy work habits in his adulthood. He lost the love of his life who also happened to be his best friend and now he has anxiety. He’s been through it, but he’s putting in the work to get healthy again. A man who goes to therapy will always be attractive to me! And the mouth on him? In Georgia’s words, “Eli is the living embodiment of it’s always the quiet ones.” And that goddamn gold chain? Too hot to handle, honestly.

I truly can’t speak enough about how much I loved this book. It was an incredibly vulnerable story that highlighted the complexities of love and the significance of found families. Jessica writes it, and I will surely read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Georgia and Eli were an intriguing pair to read about. I was team Eli after she described seeing him at the airport. I also really loved Georgia and Adam too. The cursed wedding made for a fun read, but Eli at the winery made it an even better read. I knew how it would end, but watching everything unfold was an entertaining ride to be on. The author did a great job building her world and characters.

Call me an official Jessica Joyce stan!

I absolutely loved You, with a View, so you can imagine my excitement diving into this sophomore novel. I'm thrilled to announce that I was not disappointed!

One of the things I loved most about You, with a View was how Jessica Joyce was able to blend a fun story with a swoon-worthy romance. The Ex Vows was no different. The shitshow that was Adam's (cursed) wedding was such a fun backdrop to Georgia and Eli's love story!

And, whew, what a love story that was! I'm usually not a second-chance romance girly, but this one had me by the throat. I was obsessed with them from page 1. However, I will admit that I was hoping for a bit more pining before they got together. That being said, I still absolutely love how Jessica Joyce wrote their story. It was clear that these two were meant to be together.

I am very excited to read whatever else Jessica Joyce comes out with in the future!

I loved The Ex Vows. I may have cried significantly. Georgia and Eli have my whole heart, their second chance romance was beautiful. I loved their story and their friend group. I’ll read anything Jessica Joyce writes at this point!

This book really made me feel all the emotions.

Jessica has writing that can make you laugh and cry in a beautiful way. It can be so poetic and descriptive.

The story is full of relatable characters and I loved them both so much. This makes me want to read her other books as things my very first and I loved it so much. I saw some of my own life in this book and it made it all the sweeter. The romance gives all the swoons! A perfectly well done second chance romance.

“How strange it is to have a first for the second time. How lucky and messy and perfect.” 😭

BOOK REVIEW: THE EX VOWS 🍇💍💝

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Estranged exes Eli and Georgia come together to save their best friends wedding which seems to be cursed bc literally every single aspect is going awry. This premise and the cover drew me in and once I started reading I was HOOKED!

I’m completely obsessed with this book!!! This was my first Jessica Joyce book and I absolutely devoured it. Her writing style is impeccable - the way that she beautifully writes heart-wrenching memories of Eli and Georgia’s past inter-mixed with funny one liners was done so well. This book gave me all of the feels and I just love Georgia and Eli so much 🥹🥰

I’m not usually the biggest fan of second-chance romance but it was done SO so well in THE EX VOWS! For me, the well-established friendship turned relationship with a 5 year time gap and having the story told on one timeline and POV worked so well!

Some of my fav aspects of this one were the therapy/mental health rep, strong friendships, and navigating your late 20s. And can’t forget about the Blue Yonder winery setting - I will simply never be over this book! 🥹🥰🫶🏻

Now I gotta go immediately pick up a copy of @jessicajoyce other book, YOU, WITH A VIEW!

I really took my time with this one because I knew it was going to hurt and hit close to home and damn was I right. From the very beginning, it felt like Jessica herself had installed cameras in my apartment because everything was SPOT ON. The way Georgia and I are so similar was scary but it also felt so validating and comforting to be seen in that way. She has a fear of her friends moving on without her and not fitting into their new lives they're creating and it was just so rude of Jessica Joyce to call me out like that!!

There were so many emotions throughout this book and I never knew what to expect with each chapter. The history between Georgia and Eli only added to their tension during their friends cursed wedding and I was holding my breath during some moments. I loved Eli's personal journey and growth with his anxiety and was able to be vulnerable with Georgia. Although both of them were struggling to articulate their current feelings and pent up emotions over the last five years, I really liked that they both took time after their friends wedding to adjust in their new lives and become their own person.

There were some moments where I couldn't pick this one up just because how emotional I was while reading certain parts, but I liked it in the end!

I can't wait to see what's next for Jessica to write because she has instantly become a favorite author of mine! Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

How does Joyce keep churning out exquisitely written romance novels? And I don't say this lightly

Let me start with a the characters. First, the side characters were perfect. They added levity to the seriousness and angsty bits of exes being forced to work together after a bad break. Each side character was distinct and funny and gave a lot of support to Eli and Georgia.

Now, Eli and Georgia. Where to begin? They were perfect. Eli was quiet, blushy, and thoughtful. And he went through a mental health journey before the book and throughout that was well written and represented. Georgia was a bit broken and list-driven and lonely. Both characters were so relatable in their own ways. it made the story that much more emotional and real. The punch at the end hurt that much more. Also, even though this is single pov, I still felt like I knew Eli really well. And the bits that were slowly revealed just amped up the tension that much more.

The romance was so, so good. There was steam, yes, but it felt emotional and vulnerable in ways that aren't easy to show. I also loved how we got to see Eli and Georgia's past friendship and romantic relationship without having to have a dual timeline. I like being able to stay in the present timeline, so it was nice to get these flashbacks as they related to the moments Georgia and Eli were having.

A few random thoughts
- paper rings (you'll know when you know)
- loved the whole "curse" plot
- the vibes were vibing

Overall, Jessica Joyce has once again knocked it out of the park and solidified her role as one of my new insta-buy authors. If you enjoy romances with some comedic moments and so heart, this is for you!

This is my first Jessica Joyce novel - I’ve yet to read You, With A View for personal reasons - and I I have mixed feelings about it. I love second chance romances but there are rarely good examples of it. This book has similar elements as Happy Place by Emily Henry that were handled slightly differently yet better. At the same time, there were a few things I didn’t like.

The first being the amount of references to Taylor Swift. Don’t come for me!

I don’t mind it, but as of recent, there are just so many romance novelists who reference the artist, integrating lyrics or motifs into their novel (saying that it’s so and so song coded, etc.), and it just gets exhausting. This feels like a trend and I’m impervious to it. This is my opinion and as someone who is not a Swiftie but respects Taylor Swift, I’m just trying to enjoy romance novels.

Secondly, I didn’t quite connect with Eli. His characterization was one dimensional up until Chapter Thirteen, which is when we, the reader, start to understand more of Eli’s anxiety and toxic, workaholic habits. But after that, Eli kind of gave me red flags. I don’t know how to explain it without spoiling the book, but I will say that if the author would’ve included Eli’s point of view I probably would have liked him more.

Lastly, I understand miscommunication is prevalent, even with people who are incredibly flawed and their traumas are permeated into their habits and personality, but waiting five years to communicate is absolutely insane. At least in Happy Place it was a few months but five years is way too long (however the social worker in me is so sympathetic I can’t help but psychoanalyze how so many people live in denial and lack self awareness to heal because of trauma and family dynamics but I could only ramble so much).

Nonetheless, I liked the writing style, the third act, and the ending. I do think it was satisfying and rewarding in a way that Happy Place was not. I do look forward to reading You, With A View and Jessica Joyce’s future novels.

I have so much to say and also don’t know how to say it. I knew I would be in love with this from the prologue. The story of Georgia and Eli was so special and this was such a well done second chance romance, but this book went even deeper than that. This book was about friendship and self growth and it was all put together so beautifully.

Reading this book in your 20s, after college, while navigating what the adult life looks like, hits so hard. Georgia’s friendships began to change shape and she was desperately trying to hang onto them, wanting nothing to change. This story depicts so so beautifully that this change is natural and can be an amazing thing. Watching Georgia grow into accepting this, but also grow into herself took this book to another level. She was constantly trying to fit into others’ lives where they would let her, never asking for what she needed from them, always fearing she was being too much. Her fears and anxieties were speaking to me on such a deep level. I don’t think I’ve ever read a character quite like her and I wanted to hug her so bad.

Eli’s character was SO wonderful and he just has such a big heart. The anxieties they both had rooted in their own deep fears made them such real and raw characters. Their love and connection runs so deep, and the way that their past was woven into the present timeline was seamless and perfect. It felt like I understood their love and heartache deeply, I was rooting for them so unbelievably hard. This book feels like it defines love and friendship so tenderly it feels precious.

This book was emotional but also funny, and had all the tension and banter. It truly felt like a perfect mix of everything it needed, and Jessica Joyce’s writing feels very unique. The setting was beautiful, the plot was so much fun, and of course the romance of two soulmates was perfect.

what a beautiful, breathtaking, complete joy of a book this is. the second chance love story between Eli & Georgia shows such overwhelming understanding, patience, forgiveness, trust, and love. seeing them work through years-deep wounds, reconnect in new & exciting ways that also reflect their bone-deep memories of each other was so beautiful to read. many moments throughout the book left me breathless, making me sit and reflect on the words I’d read (staring at the ceiling, or with my head down) with so much reverence & feelings of being seen.

the friendships who are found family in this story provide their own beautiful love story. such dedicated commitment to showing up & keeping space for the ones we love, the ones who have always loved & kept space for us, so elegantly told a love story of friends who are our chosen family.

this story so powerfully & reverently shows how love is showing up, trying, accepting the other person for everything they are & have to give, all in the everyday moments of life & not always in a big grand gesture.

thank you so much Berkley for this ARC! I have been such a fan of Jessica Joyce’s writing since her debut published last year, and I am so grateful for having received this ARC and providing an early review.

5/5 stars! No notes

(Thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group for providing the arc).

This book gave me all the feels: happy, sad, nostalgia, anxiety, excitement, and more.

Georgia, Eli, and Adam are all three best friends. However, Georgia and Eli have a history: they dated and it didn’t end well. To prevent a tear in the friendship triangle, they’ve been pretending to get along for the last five years. Now that Adam is getting married and they’re both “best people” in the wedding, they have no choice but to spend time together. Georgia struggles a lot with worrying about feeling unwanted and being left behind. Eli struggles with anxiety and being worried about his financial stability. These are things I’m sure every 20 and 30 something adult can relate to; I know I did.

The book is funny, full of slow burn moments, and it’s definitely on my top 5 favorite reads of 2024! 💖I’ll be buying the physical copy for my collection.

Thank you @BerkleyPub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner for the free book and @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This cements it. I love everything Jessica Joyce writes.

Georgia and Eli broke up five years ago. But they were best friends first and remain deeply enmeshed in their circle of friends. So they have rules for how to interact, both publicly and privately. But then they have to race to Napa Valley for a week to set up their best friend's wedding after the original wedding venue is no longer available.

Jessica Joyce writes single POV so wonderfully. And this is a perfect second chance romance that takes places largely in the present. We know what went wrong as well as Georgia does.

The book left me broken and crying more than once. It felt so honest and authentic, and it made me feel seen and understood. And that's despite me having practically nothing in common with the surface level aspects of the story and characters. I can't gush enough about the writing and the beautiful representation of therapy and the necessary character growth. And the friend circle is just as spectacular as the two main characters.

Jessica Joyce is an auto-read author from here on out. All the stars for this romance! And now, I'm making plans to visit a winery with my closest friends.

Another 5 Star Read by Jessica Joyce. I was hooked from the first page! I loved every single character in this book. The group of friends is definitely something to envy! I love the incredibly sweet vibes this book gives off, with the added bonus of spice! Joyce has solidified her space as an Auto-Buy Author!

Thank you, Berkley, for the gifted book.