Idk what this author is putting in her novels but I’m addicted. I read it in a day and gobbled it right up!! Must read, total beach read.

Wow, this made me feel all of the emotions. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of dislike for the second chance romance trope, but I honestly thought it worked perfectly here. Georgia and Eli, sigh, I loved them so much. Their relationship was full of ups and downs, but also so insanely romantic. Their story is about doing things that scare you, embracing the messy parts of life, and loving each other through the good and the bad.

There were of course plenty of fun moments too - cursed weddings, excellent banter, and the pretending/sneaking around…*chef’s kiss*. Highly recommend this for romance lovers especially those of us in our late 20s/30s trying to figure out what the next stage of life looks like. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Jessica Joyce!

Thank you to Berkeley for the ARC!

infinity stars. five stars will never, ever be enough for this book.

absolutely heartbreaking, gut-wrenchingly genuine, and disgustingly perfect. jessica joyce wrecked me with this one.

with every chapter, every damn page, I felt like I had been punched in the gut. my face was set in a permanent frown because I was fighting my tears. Georgia and Eli are absolutely everything—and more—to me. their love is embedded into my soul for the rest of my life.

there are so many moments in this that really just tore me up inside. it was such a vulnerable story that shows the messiness of love, the importance of authenticity in love. but it also is just so lovely in every way. it broke my heart, but it also made my heart yell and sing with a happiness that not many of the six hundred books I have read in the last two years can come close to claiming.

I want to say so much more, but I also want to keep the moments of this book to myself because it was such a magical experience to live alongside Georgia and Eli for the last three days, and I want everyone who picks this book up to experience it in a similar way. all I’ll say is “still” (iykyk).

if you need me, I’ll be in the corner crying while rocking in a fetal position.

Jessica Joyce’s books are always written with such beautiful prose. I loved the wine country setting and the premise so much. Second chances are always a fav of mine because of the inherent angst and Jessica absolutely nailed it.

Jessica Joyce does it again! What a great second chance romance book! I feel like this book and story was so fresh. I had been flashing this book to read during the summer and it was honestly such a delight! Georgia and Eli felt like people you knew and people you were rooting to get together. Sometimes second chance books can rely too much on either past/present timelines or just the author’s word that the couple was in love, but I felt like the was the story unfolded you could really see and feel their connection throughout the years. Definitely am recommending this book and will definitely be a staple in my second chance romance books.

Great read. Eli Mora is one of those male leads in a romance book that becomes an instant and a favorite book boyfriend. Just what us romance lovers want/need/like in a story like this. The feels were there, the family dynamics were great, and the relationship between the two leads was top tier.

I enjoy Jessica Joyce's writing, but didn't feel connected with this story in particular. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

I have been looking forward to this book ever since it was announced and it absolutely did not let me down. I absolutely loved it - it made me laugh, it made me cry, it was sweet and spicy, and it was a perfect second chance romance. There was so much delicious tension and longing between Georgia and Eli - you could immediately tell that these two people still deeply loved each other and I adored watching them reconnect and fall for each other again.

I thought the pace of the book was good, it did get just a tiny bit slow in the middle, but it wasn't awful, and I really enjoyed how the ending all played out. Can't wait for more from Jessica Joyce, she's absolutely become an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the e-arc. All opinions are my own!

Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance @netgalley #berkleypartner #berkleybooks !!

Being part of this #berkleyinfluencer program means that sometimes I get to treat myself and treat myself I did — I got my grubby little paws on a @jessicajoycewrites book ARC that doesn’t come out til July!

Listen, you’re in for a treat because nobody writes rolling around in your own head and yearning the way that @jessicajoycewrites does. This book is from the POV of Georgia Woodward, a super competent woman, kick ass employee up for a big promotion that would move her from SF (her home) to Seattle. One catch: she’s already extremely lonely in the way we’re all lonely at 29 because our friends are all moving on and drifting apart because life happens. This move, she fears, will break her. And she can’t tell anybody how she feels because the worst thing on earth is feeling needy and having people realize you need things. Childhood was a mother who walked out, and a workaholic, absentee father (not *super* thrilled that his absenteeism was explained by him being a public defender ngl).

We meet Georgia about two weeks before her best friend Adam is getting married. The other catch? Georgia might be Adam’s best woman, but Eli Mora is his co-best man, and Eli broke Georgia’s heart five years ago as an absentee workaholic boyfriend.

That’s right folks, we’ve got a second chance romance here, and some delicious, delicious angst and regret and refusal to have feelings out loud, you know, your late 20s.

I’ve never met an Eli that I didn’t like (IYKYK). What happens when this Eli, a five years later Eli, is seeing a therapist about his own childhood trauma and his job is on the back burner? Can Georgia really keep what’s happening between her and Eli strictly physical? IS ADAM’S WEDDING FOR REAL CURSED?

I want to answer, but I also don’t because I loved finding the answers amongst the angst and the fear and the horniness and the shenanigans along with Georgia, and I think you guys will too.

This book is bittersweet but affirming, smart, funny (BANTER, we’ve got banter Dodson) and very very extremely hot. “Make it messy,” I die I swoon I goggle I gasp 🤐🥵🔥☠️

Jessica Joyce does it again, AGH. 💖

First off, THIS BOOK 📚 is what a second chance romance should truly be. What does that mean? It means that this book brings out the raw past but also doesn't sugarcoat the "will end up together" future timeline either. That's why this book was a 5-star read for me. 🌟 Jessica Joyce brought out the raw emotion of how it's okay to be hurt and to try and express those feelings even though 5 years have passed. AGH, I JUST WANT TO HUG THE CHARACTERS IN SO MANY SCENES and be like, "you will be okay." 🤗

Georgia and Eli have to work together to save their best friend's wedding 💍, and what better way than to go to the same vineyard that started it all 🍇. Five years is nothing when they've known each other for longer. The way you can see the tension, the chemistry, and the way they reopen to each other is so wholesome. It feels like time didn't pass between them when it did. Again, this book was a 5-star read because of how REAL and relatable it feels (their situation) despite the wedding shenanigans giving it more rom-com vibes 😂.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves a second chance romance but isn't afraid to read through a reckoning of emotions, because you will be giddy but also aching ❤️‍🩹

Fav Quote: "...We’re not strangers. We’re . . .” “Us.” That single word fuses me to him. A tiny voice whispers, oh hell, but I push it away. “We’re us.” He lets out a soft, slow breath. And then he says, “Then that’s enough.”

Tropes:
🍇Second Chance
🍇Forced Proximity
🍇Only One Cottage
🍇Found Family
🍇Mental Health Rep
🍇Single POV aka no present/past timeline THANK GOD

Thank you Berkley for giving me the opportunity to review this book, it really made my entire summer!

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Hi, this book is precious and everything to me. It's also an impeccable example of a second chance romance! Where most fall short is trying to force two characters together who haven't *changed* in any way. And man, Eli Mora has come a long way. He and Georgia have the kind of history that only comes from being childhood friends and lovers, but that also means there's a lot of baggage. But you also get adorable childhood nicknames like Peach, my heart!! As a workaholic with panic attacks and lover of to do lists, I identified so much with Eli and Georgia. Their pairing is anything but cursed! AND THE PAPER RINGS. The way I kicked my feet and squealed like a schoolgirl. Just the freaking cutest. (Also I want passionfruit cake now, thank youuuuu!!)

Wow, I loved this.

Two childhood best friends turned lovers turned exes who are forced to pair up together to save their best friend’s wedding from a string of bad luck.

Though I liked the fmc who is a mirrorball coded character, I truly loved Eli who showed the importance of a man stepping up and getting himself to therapy to better himself. The book also painted such a realistic picture of getting older and having friends in such different phases of life in your late twenties/early thirties. There’s also a dreamy setting and wonderful character arcs.

I keep going back and forth between 4 and 5 stars because unfortunately I do think the cast of characters was a little too big, there were a lotttttt of pop culture references (nearly too many), and many many mentions of a praise kink. Not a fan of things constantly being pointed out to readers, if that makes sense. But I’m overlooking those things bc everything else was just so good and this book is what it’s supposed to be, an enjoyable contemporary romance that’s perfect for the summer 🩷

- friends to lovers to estranged exes
- second chance romance
- forced proximity
- one bed trope
- anxiety/therapy rep
- single pov which i LOVE

Thank you to Net Galley, Berkley Romance, and Jessica Joyce for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a fan of second-chance romances, I was thrilled to get an early copy of "The Ex Vows", which follows estranged exes Georgia and Eli as they're forced to work together to save their best friend's wedding.

I wanted to love this book a bit more than what I did. I found the writing to be a bit too much telling and not enough showing, which I think is necessary when reading a top-notch romance. Some of the book dragged a bit during the middle preventing me from connecting to the characters and their relationships.

I think my biggest ick with the story was the "wedding curse". The more and more it was written about the more I wanted to toss the book into the trash.

My absolute favorite part? THE PAPER RINGS.

Jessica Joyce is a new auto-buy author for me! While I loved "You With a View" her sophmore release knocks it out of the PARK!

Georgia and Eli were high school sweethearts to college lovers who were surely destined for marriage, until one day they weren't. Their breakup is mysterious but has stuck with Georgia, she has created a strict set of rules to help them co-exist in their friend group. But when their best friend Adam's wedding starts to fall off the rails, Georgia and Eli must work together to save his wedding.

This book is heart-wrenching in the best way. The Ex Vows is a second-chance romance that doesn't shy away from tackling more intense themes. The book adresses mental health issues so beautifully and also from a male perspective which is a less represented demographic. Additionally, the book also takes on issues of trauma, parental neglect, growing up, and changing friendships. Ontop of all of this the writing is just so stunning! Anyone in the Bay area or who is a fan of the Napa region will LOVE the vivid descriptions of the settings. I found it so fun to hear all the towns I've been to name dropped in this book.

I tore through this book in one night it was so incredibly wonderful, I wish I could go back and read it again for the first time! If you love Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez I feel like this book has similar themes/concepts and would be a great pick for you!

✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Found Family
✔️ Love on Vacation
✔️ It's Just Sex

You, with a View was one of my top reads of last year so you know The Ex Vows was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. It was glorious - swoony, sexy, hilarious, and left me with so many warm fuzzy feelings. I love books about imperfect people working hard to be more whole and more happy.

The slow-burn was painfully good. I loved being in Georgia's head and deeply empathized with her working hard to protect herself from being hurt and figuring out that that's different from actually trying to be happy.

There were so many moments that I loved including:
- Eli's nickname for Georgia 😍 I love a good food-based nickname and this one is up there with Shortcake from Hating Game, Lemon from The Seven Year Slip, Plum from Beautiful Player
- the many scenes where Georgia and Eli are forced together, from the quick fake dating scene to woo a baker for their friend's wedding to dancing very closely to a prospective wedding band
- trying to hide their hooking up from their friend group to no avail (it reminded me of the supercut of Friends with each person finding out about Chandler and Monica)

I loved this book - thanks to @berkleyromance for the ebook and thanks to myself for pre-ordering my own signed and personalized copy. 5⭐️

Highly recommend this especially if your love language is words of affirmation (with a dual minor in quality time and acts of service).

Steam 🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

I can say with complete sincerity that this is one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read in a long time and will absolutely be in my top reads of the year. It’s THAT good. Part of the reason I’ve been gravitating so much towards histrom lately is bc contemporary romance just hasn’t been doing it for me. It seems to lack romance to put it bluntly. I miss books that give me longing and tension and yearning glances and stolen touches and also really good character development and The Ex Vows has all of that and more in spades. Beyond being a very *romantic* second chance romance novel, it also showcases the importance of found family, of friendship love and how important that is to a person’s well being.

Georgia, a lover of lists and well used to being abandoned by people, is afraid of honest conversations and emotional vulnerability, afraid to ask for what she actually needs bc all to often, she’s not gotten it.

Eli, with his seemingly endless paper rings, a child of divorce who grew up with financial instability, is desperate to make sure his adult life is a far cry from the transient nature of his youth. These two love each other with a fierce devotion and complete abandonment until they break. And then 5 years later, they are forced to team up to save their mutual best friend’s disaster ridden wedding.

Winding it’s way from San Francisco to the hills of Napa, the prose is lush and gorgeous, the characters brightly drawn, flawed and endearing, the romance is sweet and tender and heart aching with the yearning (Eli Mora, man that you are,
with your paper rings and your ultimate list to end all lists).

I don’t do this often but I will buy this book in paper form for my keeper shelf. That’s how much I love it. I became a fan of this author with her debut, You, With a View but her second book has made me a FAN. This book gave me everything I wanted in a contemporary romance and then some. All the happy sighs and swoons, some tears and smiles, and the urge to hug these characters tight when the book was over.

something about me you should probably know is that I am simply a wh*re for second chances romances - the pining, the angst, the tension, the groveling, the nostalgia, the falling apart, coming back together, finding each other again, the soulmatism of it all - it's my kryptonite. And this book is second chance romance at its FINEST.

I adored You with a View and there are parts of that book that I think about every day but this book. THIS BOOK. is about to become a book that I unwillingly measure every other book against. In the most perfect of worlds, this is how I want all books to make me feel.

I love knowing, better yet, FEELING, from the very first page, that these two are soulmates. That they shared a love so real and big and deeply rooted that they'll never escape it. And the pain of being forced to face it, face them, and pretend you're not falling apart at the seams, even years later, is like candy to me. Eli and Georgia had me sobbing, smiling, tearing at my chest want to rip my heart out and hand it to them, sobbing again. This was beautiful. No ifs, ands, or buts. 10/10 no notes.

Jessica Joyce, the woman that you are, thank you for this.
I will simply be thinking about them forever.

hmmm, i have conflicting feelings on this one! i'll start with the disclaimer that second chance is one of my least favorite romance tropes. while i think this book was very well-written and i'd love to read more of jessica joyce's books in the future, i really struggled to connect with either the main character or the love interest in this book. i felt like we as the readers never truly got clear a sense of georgia and eli's past relationship, and because of that, it was difficult to root for them the second time around. in general, i'd say that i left the ex vows without a clear idea of who georgia, our mc, is as a person, which made it hard to fully invest myself in the story. that said, i thought the premise of the book was really fun, and i did enjoy reading about the various wedding mishaps our main characters had to solve. the ex vows also has a great cast of charming side characters, but again, i wish they had been fleshed out a bit more. overall, i did enjoy my experience reading this book, but the characters and their relationships were often lacking a bit of depth. if you're a fan of second chance romance, i think this is worth the read! but if, like me, that trope isn't your thing, i sadly don't think this book will persuade you otherwise.

This is another sweet and steamy read from Jessica Joyce! Second chance romance can be really hard to pull off, but Joyce succeeds here, interspersing tender flashbacks with tension-filled current ones. The over-the-top wedding drama adds a nice bit of humor to balance out the high relationship angst. A lovely summer read!

The Ex Vows was a beautiful second chance romance that featured flawed characters, all the angst, incredible emotional growth, and the sweetest love story.

Georgia and Eli were teenage friends before becoming lovers, but five years ago their young love imploded and left them devastated. Ever since then they keep a strict set of rules in order to maintain their friendship with their mutual best friend, Adam.

While reunited to save Adam’s wedding, which seems to be cursed with disaster after disaster, Georgia is desperately trying to cling to her list of rules. She hopes that keeping Eli at arm’s length will protect her still fragile heart.

Eli seems different, but he’s still the same man that Georgia never stopped loving. He’s determined to have an honest conversation with her about all the reasons that tore them apart, but Georgia is not sure her heart can survive it.

In forced proximity, revisiting the place they fell in love, and under pressure to pull off a wedding, Georgia and Eli must decide if their love is worth a second chance.

The Ex Vows has officially solidified Jessica Joyce’s place as one of my favorite contemporary romance authors.