I cannot function omg this book is so good. I cried so much in the end. The subtle nods to friendship and love, platonic and romantic. The trauma of childhoods that made you feel abandoned or unloved and how that made Eli push so hard for stability and Georgia push so hard to not need anyone too much. It’s all so relatable. So loving. So hard. So messy.

Jessica does a wonderful job of writing a beautiful love story but also a love story about family or friends: grandparents in YWAV and now friends in TEV. Adam and Eli and Georgia. A friendship that survives so much, end of an era but start of a new one. And Adam and Eli - the ways they showed vulnerability with each other. The crying and emotion is not something you see often with men in romance.

I absolutely loved this. “It’s a privilege to have someone trust you enough to show you those pieces of themselves, the most vulnerable and tender, the least polished. It’s a show of trust to let you see them first thing in the morning, in the middle of a panic attack, right after they’ve cried.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭

This was probably the first book I've read that really delves into the loneliness of single adulthood--being so happy for all your friends, but also grieving for yourself and wondering how you can ever fit with them when you are alone. Georgia's feeling are incredibly relatable ones, and it was so nice actually seeing that written out and explained. Overall, this was a rather vulnerably beautiful read--with both Georgia and Eli's feelings being expressed so well throughout the story. And of course, this was incredibly swoony and I would also like an Eli please.

My only complaint was probably that I didn't completely believe their connection/certain parts of their past--that is, I didn't feel too much of a connection to them personally.

Phew, this book had me on a rollercoaster of emotions and I'll be sending Jessica Joyce my therapy bill!

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of second chance romances because they usually have dual timelines but I was pleasantly surprised when I realized this one didn't! While the story touched on past feelings and moments that caused the deterioration of Georgia and Eli's relationship, it focused more on the present and the feelings that were still there after five years apart and each characters' self-discovery and growth.

Georgia and Eli both developed anxiety due to events from their childhood and this book not only touched on stoking the embers of their relationship, but it also dealt with them getting a grasp on their anxiety and mental health. It perfectly illustrated how a person's battle with mental health issues isn't an easy fix and that even when you put in the work, life will still be messy and there are still going to be ups and downs. Even with those ups and downs, though, it doesn't mean that you are any less worthy of love from those around you.

If you're looking for a hopeful, tear-jerking, sweet, and at times spicy, romance, do not hesitate to pick up this book!

Read if you like:
- Second Chance Romance
- Friends to lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Found family
= Witty Banter
- Making To-Do Lists

I’m going to keep this short and sweet - I loved this one so much! I’m a sucker for second chance romances and omg, all the feels! Run, don’t walk, to read this fantastic book! 5⭐️

Thanks so much, NetGalley and Berkley Romance, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read This Book If…you love the song Paper Rings by Taylor Swift!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

Please note: This was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: romance
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: San Francisco & Napa Valley
POV: single, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: childhood friends to lovers to exes, second chance romance, one bed, found family, forced proximity, “it’s always been you”

My Thoughts:
If you’ve ever had a messy breakup and you still had to see your ex, this one’s for you.
If you keep a million lists written down in your phone, this one’s for you.
If you’re a people pleaser with a praise kink, this one’s for you.

This book accurately captures just how awkward it is to regularly see your ex after a messy breakup. Georgia’s keeping everything bottled up inside was super relatable to me but I loved her journey to opening up, including to her ex Eli. There’s some great anxiety and therapy rep in this one, which I always appreciate.

This was such a tender read that made me tear up a few times! It’s a beautiful story about finding where you belong in adulthood and learning from your mistakes. There’s considerable growth from both main characters, which I love to see!

This book is more romance-focused than the author’s debut (which I also loved!) If you liked Happy Place by Emily Henry, I think you will enjoy this one as well!

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

I was so excited to read this one, I really wanted to love it, but it just fell really flat for me. I was uninterested in the story and the characters. They were pretty boring and bland. Also, the story moved at such a slow pace that it didn't hold my attention. It was missing something for me to make me want to keep picking it up. I unfortunately had to DNF.

PERFECTION. This. This is how you write a TAYLOR SWIFT coded book. I haven’t read You, With a View yet, but you bet it’s on my immediate TBR now!!

Wow, holy crap this book had me hooked from the very beginning. It broke my heart and pieced it back so perfectly! I absolutely loved this one!

I absolutely loved this book! I enjoyed Joyce's debut so I was excited to get an advanced copy and The Ex Vows kind of decimated my expectations.

I was emotional throughout and really related to Georgia. And I was half in love with Eli the first time he stepped onto the page. Seeing them work through things and work their way back to one another was beautiful. And the cast! I love all of them! There are so many side characters and they are all unique. The found family aspect is one of my favorite parts of this book.

Also, as someone whose favorite song off Lover is Paper Rings- 10/10.

I think this is also one of the most authentic representations of anxiety and it was incorporated in the book so that it felt natural. I think sometimes it feels forced or like you're reading a textbook about anxiety and mental illness. But the way that Eli felt and handled his anxiety just felt so real and it just flowed in with the rest of the story perfectly.

This is truly one of my favorite books of the year and I can't wait for everyone to read it!

i loved so much. everytime i had to put it down i wanted to pick it right back up. it also reassured me that eloping was 100% the right choice for me LOL. chosen family and strong friendships are always a win and this had both. thanks netgalley for the ARC!

“Maybe it’s just like going back to visit a home that isn’t yours anymore. Maybe you don’t have the key, but someone lets you in anyway, and you stay awhile, and it feels so good just to be somewhere you once belonged. “

I’ll start this by saying I’m a second chance romance hater. I’m not a fan. But I adore Jessica Joyce that I knew I was gonna read it anyway.

If all second chance romances were like this book, I wouldn’t be a hater anymore.
This book was absolutely beautiful and it destroyed me in the best way.
I cried and I laughed so many times. I found myself rooting for the MCs the entire time. I needed them to be together asap.

Jessica has such a beautiful way of writing a story and making you feel like you’re there. She is absolutely killing it!

The Ex Vows is perfection. I loved every single thing about it. Highly recommend it.

Georgia and Eli thought they would be together forever. But they broke up and barely talked for five years. Their best friend Adam's wedding brings them together again. With both of them in the wedding party, it's Georgia and Eli that end up spending a lot of time together trying to fix a series of wedding disasters that pop up and their broken relationship.

This was a stand out second chance romance for me. I will definitely be buying the paperback when it comes out. The chemistry, tension, and pining between Georgia and Eli was so good. I felt an emotional pull towards this couple. At times the moments between them were so tender I was close to tears. Other times they had me smiling with their banter. The underlying storyline of their friend's wedding was so perfect in how it tied into bringing them together five years after breaking up.

I like how their memories from the past were sprinkled in. Some sharing why things fell apart, some how deeply they first fell in love. The focus was not only about the complexity to their relationship, but also about their individual growth.

There were so many scenes and details that made this book special. I don't even want to say what any of them were because I want new readers to fully experience them for the first time without knowing a thing. But there was one specific plot point that every romance reader will absolutely adore. Unforgettable.

I just loved everything about this book...the depth, humor, characters, romance. Add this one to your TBR for when it releases on July 16.

The writing was beautiful, and really put you into the characters shoes. I loved the second chance romance and how we got to see when they first met. I also loved the wedding setting and how they kept getting mistaken for the couple getting married. Loved the whole thing!

The end of this book had me crying in my car driving home from work.

I loved the second chance romance and how we got to see when they first met. I also loved the wedding setting and how they kept getting mistaken for the couple getting married. The writing was beautiful, and really put you into the characters shoes. Loved the whole thing!

Never before has friendships depicted in a book brought me to tears (I’m so not a crier), but Jessica Joyce has done just that. This has hands down the best friend/found family relationships I’ve ever read. The insecurities! The communication! The tears! All the more powerful because the secondary characters are so fleshed out and well-written that they don’t feel like secondary characters. And though their relationship is romantic, I’m grouping Eli in with found family because he is Georgia’s friend, first and foremost. Just, please go read this book. Like, right now. Go!

<b>He skims me from head to toe. It's quick, maybe three seconds, but it lingers on my skin. "You look so beautiful I can't feel my knees." </b>

infinity stars. an absolute banger of a novel. real and honest and messy. jessica joyce’s books are goose-bump inducing.

✨THINGS AND STUFF✨
-friends to best friends to lovers to we burned it all down
-second chance
-“hey, peach”
-mental health rep: anxiety, panic attacks, therapy
-puzzle making night
-paper rings
-napa county 🍇🍷
-THE LONGING!!!!
-forced proximity
-a reckoning
-#IsThisAKissingBook open door. “what if i kissed you first?…” …”i wouldn’t hate it.”

thank you berkley romance for an advanced copy!

Where do I even begin? How do you find the words to describe something that's perfect from beginning to end? When I say "no notes," it's not an exaggeration. Jessica Joyce's sophomore novel is an absolute, indescribably breathtaking treasure. It's one of the greatest romance novels of our time -- the kind of story that'll live with people for years and years, eventually becoming a classic that later generations will look back on. Joyce's debut was glorious, but this is truly something else entirely.

FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2024/07/01/the-ex-vows-by-jessica-joyce-review/

Thank you to Berkley for the advance reader copy -- all opinions are my own.

Jessica Joyce does it again! Sweet, swoony, a little spicy and a whole lot of real emotions. Second chance, friends to lovers, Georgia and Eli's story is a great read!

The Ex Vows is a sweeping, second chance romance from Jessica Joyce! I loved You, With a View when I read it last year, and knew I would love this one as well. I feel like Jessica Joyce's writing is so easy to follow along, and works really well with my brain. It's charming and funny with the perfect comedic and heart-wrenching beats. While I feel like the round 2 of romance between Georgia and Eli could've been better paced, I still really enjoyed watching them reunite after 5 years. I think my favorite part of the book was definitely the friendship between Georgia, Jamie, Adam, and Eli. I can't wait to read more of Jessica's works in the future!

4.5 Second Chance Love Story stars

A trio of friends since high school – Georgia, Adam, and Eli – are set to meet up again for Adam’s wedding. Georgia (a chronic list and rule maker) is still very close to Adam, but Eli is an ex-boyfriend she now struggles to be around. As you might have predicted, Adam has asked Eli to be his best man, and Georgia knows that she will have to be in close proximity to Eli for a few days. How will she cope?

We eventually discover what tore Georgia and Eli apart and that their relationship is unresolved. Georgia now lives in San Francisco, and Eli is still working a high-pressure job in New York. His job has kept him from being a good best man, and he’s flown to California to make it all up to Adam before the wedding.

As Adam and his fiancée struggle with wedding planning disasters, it’s Georgia to the rescue. Except that Eli wants to step in and fix things, too. Will the two find a way to work together? Will Georgia’s lists and rule following save the day on short notice?

Georgia and Eli head to the wedding venue in Napa and relive fond memories from the past. Will their feelings be rekindled? Can they get through the issues that broke them up? Is there a second chance possible for them? And why does Eli seem more like his old self?

This one has a high spice level, but I loved the story and how the characters evolved throughout the book. There are mental health issues explored in this one. And I loved the wrap-up with paper rings. Rumor says there’s a song out there that matches this!

I first found this author when I saw rave reviews for her first book, “You, With a View.” I gave that one five stars and wondered if I had found a new favorite romance writer. That one is still my favorite, but I eagerly read this one and will continue to read what this author publishes next.