Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own. You, With a View was my favorite book of 2023. I can’t even describe how quickly I requested The Ex Vows.

Georgia and Eli met in high school through their mutual best friend, Adam. They were inseparable and started dating, eventually moving in together after college. It’s been years since they split and are now meeting for Adam’s wedding. Eli has always been very busy with his job often missing important moments like Adam’s bachelor party.

Everything is going wrong for Adam’s wedding so Eli and Georgia step in and show up to the venue early to help with a backup plan. As they’re forced to spend time together, it’s obvious neither is over their past.

I absolutely adored this. Their chemistry was amazing. It was obvious neither was over the other despite the rules they put in place to try and protect their friendship with Adam. They both had growing to do and I felt like we saw that for both of them. Eli is my new favorite book boyfriend. The paper rings made me swoon and tear up.

I listened to the audiobook and I loved Kyla Garcia’s narration.

Georgia, Adam, and Eli have been best friends since their teen years. As they grew up, Eli and Georgia’s friendship turned into a bit more, but when they move to NYC together and Eli’s job takes over his life, their relationship falls apart. They both agree though, as far as Adam goes, they are just fine! Now Adam is getting married and the wedding plans are falling apart one by one. When they need a crew to get everything taken care of, Eli and Georgia both volunteer. They didn’t plan that they would be doing all of this TOGETHER though…



OMG this book was just a dang delight. The relationship between Eli and Georgia was so obviously flawed, but it was so clear they belonged together that you just wanted to force it the entire read! I really enjoyed the curse of Adam’s wedding, and following along as things fell apart bit by bit. I also loved reading along as Eli and Georgia not only tried to find all new vendors within a single week, while also trying to avoid each other at all costs. The rings Eli made just absolutely gutted my heart, I could not have loved that more. Overall I enjoyed every second of this book and highly recommend it!

Thank you to @BerkleyRomance for my gifted copy of this book!

4.5 ⭐️

holy cow!!!!!!!! I absolutely adored this book!! (pls ignore the long duration in which it took me to read this book I was in a slump and not really in the mood to read but once I finally got back into it I was IN IT!!!!)

this review will be a love letter to eli mora. hey eli!!!!!! if things don’t work out w georgia PLS CALL ME!!! kidding (not really!) but eli is everything to me!!! he reignited my love for soft boys (not that it went anywhere I just needed a reminder how amazing they are!) but eli’s character growth was CHEF’S MF KISS! he said yeah I know I have things to work on AND IMMA DO IT! and wow did he 🥹 he came back ready to show up for his best friends and I loved every second of it. he proved to georgia that he was different and ready to be there for her 😭😭 let’s wrap this man in bubble wrap bc we must protect him at all costs!!!!!!! and georgia is so right it really is he quiet ones you need to be careful with bc eeeeeek eli 🧎‍♀️🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

georgia on the other hand did frustrate me a little at times but she came around to me. there were approximately 100 times (give or take) where I wanted to SHAKE THE WOMAN and say COMMUNICATE WITH HIM YOU CRAZY PERSON! but she finally saw the light and came to her senses. praise the lord.

now i’m not typically a second chance girly like the trope never calls to me BUT it hit HARD in this book omg. THE LONGING!!!!!!!! I wanted to pull my heart out I was like omg pls be together I need it for my own good. there were so many beautiful moments where miss joyce described their feelings for one another that just had me absolutely heart sick!!!!! but in the best way possible. like “eli can’t see my heart, and it’s for better bc he’d see his name everywhere in it. but it’s for worse bc he doesn’t see that his name is EVERYWHERE in it.” I mean *SCREAMS FOR ALL OF ETERNITY*!!! overall it was such a beautiful book. from the setting, to the plot, the friendship dynamic, eli 🥰🥰🥰🥰, and seeing eli and georgia work through everything and find their way back to one another. absolutely adored and am (im)patiently waiting for the honor to listen to it on audio!!!

tysm to berkley romance and netgalkey for the arc!!!

It's like Jessica Joyce paid off my therapist to give her access to all of her notes in order to write this book. This story felt PERSONAL. Which, of course, its not. But it just goes to show what an incredible writer Jessica is. There are so many things I loved about this book! It was angsty and tender and raw. It brought me to tears and laughter often and, sometimes, simultaneously. It made me reflect on life and truly think about love in such a unique way, We've all heard the phrase "you're your own worst enemy" and in this situation, similarly to many, its so relatable. Prioritizing yourself and your mental health is HARD. Standing up for yourself is HARD. Asking for what you need is HARD. But unless we're willing to get out of our own way, we'll be stuck in the same patterns forever. Not to mention, the chemistry was INSANE. Talk about BLUSHING in public??? Wow, just perfection in a book. Absolutely LOVED every bit of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

paper rings by taylor swift

this one is for the girlies that love lists and making them.

i'm sorry to say but this did not hit for me. it took me a bit to get into. idk the writing felt all over the place and there wasn’t really a flow. once i was halfway through the book, I realized wow this is kinda boring

Honestly I was excited for the idea of exes forced back together to help plan a friend’s wedding but the execution felt lackluster

honnestly i wish we got eli’s pov. that might’ve helped esp with seeing his perspective and feelings.

there wasn’t much character building in this one which was disappointing because i loved getting to know the characters in the first book. most of the characters felt one dimensional to me. like I wish we got to see how/why Eli has anxiety and why working gives him stability. the book also involves a friend group that i didn’t felt a connection to bc there wasn’t much details about them or like friendship moments together idk at times i forgot the main character gerogia had friends besides adam

this is a story about history between two exes as well as history within a friend group that the exes eli and georgia do not want to ruin but WHERE WAS ALL THE HISTORY

there’s a lot of history between ell and georgia which are heavily detailed to us but I wish the author SHOWED us the history such as through flashbacks

ngl this was boring for me i feel like there wasn’t really any angst or tension. like what the author did best was tension in the other book but this one was eh

It’s crazy how short this book would be if they communicated. The way they FINALLY communicated after 80% of the book makes me want to rip my hair out. I usually don’t mind the miscommunication trope but this book felt it was dragging.

BIG FAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a beautiful second chance romance. The emotions are tangible and relatable and it's messy in the best possible way. I genuinely enjoyed the flawed characters, an objectively terrible event that is somehow perfection, and MCs who are working to be better for themselves as much as they are for their partner. "The Ex Vows" is a great choice for a rainy weekend.

NetGalley provided the ARC, opinion is mine.

This second-chance rom-com amidst a wedding backdrop is the perfect thing for this upcoming summer! With a mixture of hilarious and heartwarming moments, it tugged at my heartstrings and pulled them back together all at once. This story is a great reminder that nothing has to be perfect, it is more realistic because it is messy.

If Jessica Joyce writes it, I will read it.

Second chance romance, roadtrip to celebrate a wedding for their mutual friends - so many problems that they have to try to fix (which not admitting that they want each other’s help).

Jessica Joyce writes in a way that brings a lot of emotion into the story and really brings the characters to life. You fall in love with the characters, root for them, swoon over them, and just want a happy ever after. I also appreciate that she’s not afraid to bring emotion & honest mental health situations into her book.

I absolutely loved Georgia and Eli & I know anybody who reads this book will love them too.

Huge Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4⭐️This book has so many of my favorite tropes - second chance, forced proximity, one bed scene. I had a fun time reading this, but the more I read the more I really felt like this was very similar to Happy Place (which I loved and could reread over and over again). While it was a good read, the romance felt a little dull at times - no butterflies or smiling or kicking my feet the 5 star reads give me. I wanted to love this but it was just a like for me.

This was an advanced read copy I received through Netgalley so it’s not going to be officially published until July 16, 2024! But this is my honest review!

Ｔｈｅ Ｅｘ Ｖｏｗｓ

Thank you to @berkleypub for the early access to this amazing e-arc! It was one of my top anticipated reads for the year!

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲: 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐉𝐨𝐲𝐜𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 🎉
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 5 ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

ˀPredictive Text: My ex is an ex because ___.
Or, what are you currently reading?
********************************************
I really enjoyed this book! Not only did it exceed my expectations, but it’s made me a fan of the author’s work. I’m looking forward to reading “You, with a View” by her next.

A beautifully written story about ex couple Georgia and Eli who start their relationship at a young age. Although they thought their love would last forever, a break down in communication, along with long hours at work for Eli, results in the pair breaking up.

Now estranged, the only thing that keeps them “in touch” is their mutual childhood best friend Adam. His wedding is on the horizon, and they’re both invited to be best man and woman.

I found this book to be somewhat of a coming-of-age story for both Georgia and Eli. Self-reflection and growth done on both parts, while also working through their feelings for each other during their friend’s wedding trip.

I love seeing mental health being represented, as I can relate to having anxiety myself (It was handled well and delicately). Men’s mental health still seems at times taboo, so I appreciated seeing Eli working through his anxiety.

This was character driven with a good plot and a nice diverse cast of characters. Loved seeing/reading about the Korean family since I’m half Korean. It made the story that much more relatable to me.

If you enjoy reading rom coms with some depth (layers), second chance romance & found family tropes (steamy spice 🥵). I’d say - look no further! The Ex Vows really has it all and I’d recommend it to everyone.

If there was ever a book that made me laugh and cry at the same time. It would be this. I’m literally in shambles. I genuinely don’t even know what to do with my life anymore. The angst was angsting, and the humor was humoring. But most of all the romance served on a freakn silver platter. I’m genuinely so obsessed. I even buddy read this with a friend and I think the emotional rollercoaster that this was hit her harder than it did me.

Truly such an amazing story and I can’t wait for this to be out!

For fans of Emily Henry’s ‘Happy Place’ and Mirrorball by Taylor Swift

It’s hard to put into words how much I loved this book but let me try…

The characters and the friendships really shine here including the friendship between Eli and Georgia which I think was such a solid foundation for their romance that I truly believed in them the entire time. The banter was immaculate but the conversations and the flashbacks really paint such a picture of who they are as people and who they were as a couple. I honestly believe there are not two people more perfect for each other!

Eli and Georgia are the true definition of soulmates 💕

The friend group dynamic left me wanting more of their shenanigans. Do in need a Cole book now? Probably.

Something Jessica did that I loved as well was the “breakup” and reconciliation- it felt like the perfect path for both characters to take before they could truly stand on a solid foundation together

And OMG KILL ME DEAD WITH THE PAPER RINGS

I already want to go back and reread this.

⭐️Childhood friends to lovers
⭐️Found family
⭐️Forced proximity
⭐️Second chance romance
⭐️One bed

Georgia Woodard loves a good list. They are her rock. Especially, now that she is about to see her ex at a friend's wedding where they are best man and woman. Eli Mora broke Georgia's heart and despite all the reasons that their relationship ended, she still loves him. We learn very quickly that Georgia never got over Eli. As Georgia and Eli have to work together to save the seemingly cursed wedding of their friends, those old feelings are hard to ignore. This couple has great chemistry which is palpable. But no matter how many years have passed, Georgia still has a lot of work she needs to do for herself. I appreciate that the author was open about therapy and working to heal from past trauma. Seeing that Eli and Georgia are working on themselves made the ending much sweeter. I enjoyed this sweet romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

The Ex Vows
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

I had been waiting and waiting and waiting for this to arrive. I’m always seeking summer reads and this seemed absolutely perfect.
First, this book takes place in Napa Valley, so the summery, beautiful, and warm setting met all of my expectations.
If you’ve talked to me before you’ve heard me say a dozen times that second-chance romance is my favorite trope. So imagine my happiness when I learned that this book is a second-chance romance! It melts my heart every single time.
This has two of the most lovable main characters, and everything about them and their story together felt so authentic. The ups and downs of their love story felt realistic and made connecting with these characters so easy.
This book is “You’re Losing Me” and “Paper Rings” coded!
It’s also no secret that I love a book with mental health representation. The anxiety representation in this book was so well-written, truthful, and realistic.
Georgia and Eli are just so *chefs kiss* together.
This was a delightful book, and I encourage everyone to read this! Any second-chance romance fan is going to adore this story. This has multiple of my favorite tropes combined, it was wonderful!
This book comes out on July 16th so add it to your list! It is a great choice for a beach/pool read!

Read If You Like:
🍇second chances
🍇childhood friends
🍇wedding planning
🍇forced proximity
🍇anxiety representation

5/5 ⭐️
Release Date: July 16th

The story follows Georgia and Eli who started off as best friends that would later on turn to lovers at the age of 21. 5 years after their break-up, they are out together to create the best wedding in a weeks time for the other best friend Adam. Adams wedding has become a disaster with one thing leading together going wrong blaming it’s all cursed. In a last ditch effort to try and save the wedding of his dreams he enlist Eli and Georgia to drive uptown to handle the plans since he can’t go for another 4 days. The tension between Georgia and Eli was there from the very beginning. You could tell right from the start these characters even after 5 years still had deep feelings from each other. As the story folds you get to see what ultimately brought them to their demise and watch them have great character growth. If you are a fan of Emily Henry, run and get this book on release day because it felt very reminiscent of her banter and the growth of the characters. I finished this in one sitting and will be impatiently waiting for my physical copy so I can annotate it.

If there is one song that I would use to describe some parts of this book would be Tolerate It by Taylor Swift.

Thank you NetGalley for a complementary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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

‘The Ex Vows’ is a second chance romance story that I enjoyed… that I LOVED! I found myself giddy and smiling for a large part of the book. I laughed and got anxious for the characters as if I knew them personally. Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for a few years, I found myself envisioning the Napa winery setting so cleary. It is a beautiful backdrop for the storyline!

Sure, I could list a few nit-picky things I wished were different, but why should I? Just go into this book with rose-colored glasses on and let the story play out like an adorable y2k romance movie. I think you will enjoy it!

Highly recommend for those who enjoy any of the following romance tropes/aspects:
🍇second chance romance
🍇childhood friends to lovers
🍇he falls first
🍇wedding disaster comedy
🍇found family/personal sense of belonging
🍇one bed trope
🍇spicy romance

I enjoyed this book so much that I zoomed through it, a real page turner! I can see myself reading TEV again as well as other books from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Jessica Joyce for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The trouble with staying friends with your ex is that you have to shove the hurt deep. Georgia and Eli share a mutual best friend and the only comfort is the distance between SF and NYC. But Adam is getting married and as his best people, they have to step up their friend game when Adam’s wedding is plagued by the curse.
Jessica writes with so much heart and I swear she did some digging around in my feelings for this book. How many times can I say “yes” or “I relate”? It’s immeasurable. I have the biggest crush on Eli and I absolutely loved the ending.

Read for:
🍇 A perfect sub-cast of friends (looking at you, Jamie & Adam)
🍇 So many “it’s me!” moments
🍇 Second chances
🍇 When it rains, it pours
🍇 Paper rings 🥹

Thank you to the author for the traveling arc. All thoughts are my own.

what an incredible, incredible book. one of my top romance reads of all time. bawled my eyes out

for the girls with mommy with issues; the ones who hold so tight to their friends, always afraid to be forgotten; for the ones who love love and crave it but can never voice it; for the girls who are kind and are people pleasers but hold so much on their hearts; the ones who are the last ones unmarried in their friend groups. this one is for the ones whose lives are held together with lists (me); the ones who would never, ever voice their concerns for fear of rocking the boat; the ones who are ambitious and want to chase their dreams but are always looking for home.

jessica joyce, you will be paying for my therapy but this book was a little bit of therapy in and of itself. i'm so devastated and i love love 😭

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

Jessica Joyce, this book has bewitched me, body and soul. This book gutted me and broke my heart into a thousand pieces on my flight home from Paris. I loved every 👏 single 👏 minute 👏! (But for real, I was practically sobbing on the plane while eating peanut M&Ms, hoping no one looked at me or noticed the tears streaming down my face. I was a mess!)

This was the most wonderful story of found family and learning (and accepting) that you are enough. I was totally and completely overcome by the lessons on friendship that were shared in abundance throughout this story. The friendship between Georgia, Adam, and Eli was just so heartwarming and supportive.

I also fell head over heels for Georgia and Eli and their list-loving selves. After being broken up for five years, the words left unsaid were numerous and the tension that they felt insurmountable. These two were utterly perfect and I could not get enough. The forced proximity was electric and lord knows I love an only one bed sitch! I will be thinking about this book for months and months!

For anyone who follows me, please be advised that this book now counts as required reading. I just loved it SO MUCH and I know you will too!

Thank you to Jessica Joyce (@jessicajoycewrites) and Berkley Romance (@berkleyromance @berkleypub) for the free book in exchange for an honest review.