Second chance romance are always a love of mine and this one was no exception. It was sweet, sassy and sexy - I loved the banter and the tension. I loved how the deeper messages and issues in this book were handled. Sounds a little skeptical but I don't want to spoil anything! It had a lot of similarities to Happy Place but also felt like its own book. It was cute, but I didn't totally fall in love with the characters and their romance even if they had me rooting for them! Overall, definitely worth the read/listen.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This was an emotional second chance romance. Both Eli and Georgia have some hang-ups when it comes to relationships and self-worth. Instability in their childhood has caused lasting trauma. They have known each other since high school, and their best friend Adam is about to marry the love of his life. Unfortunately for Adam and his bride to be everything that could go wrong does, and Eli an Georgia need to step in and save the wedding. Their friendship turned romance has been on frosty terms since their breakup several years ago, but they love Adam and will do anything to make his special day be as perfect as possible. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans for everyone. The day is one to remember, but the journey to get there is one too. Georgia and Eli skirt around old issues and messy feelings for the week they rush around putting the wedding together. It quickly becomes clear that they still have feelings for one another and they will have to face all of those feelings and unresolved emotions from their breakup.

This was fun, but it was missing something for me. The wedding disasters were funny and the couple had good banter. While I understand why Georgia felt the way she did regarding abandonment and worthiness in her relationships it seemed to overtake her entire personality. I wanted to get to know her as a person outside of her lists and trauma. The same goes for Eli, I needed more than the workaholic guy who broke Georgia's heart. Maybe it was a bit too angsty for me. I did like how the author brought it all together and resolved things for everyone. I enjoyed the side characters, the brought in good support for both characters.

This was another swoony romance from Jessica Joyce!

Second chance romance is my favorite trope, so it’s no surprise I loved this one. Georgia and Eli are forced to work together when they are appointed best woman and best man for their mutual best friend’s wedding.

This is a “right person, wrong time” scenario — with a second chance at love, five years later. They were both able to grow and needed to put in the work before being ready to come back together.

I loved the setting of Napa Valley 🍇 the friendships/found family were one of my favorite parts of the story.

There’s also fantastic anxiety rep, which is always a win for me 💚

The Ex Vows made me realize how much I love second chance romance books. The spark is still there, but things went awry - so much opportunity for banter and passion. And this book had plenty. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Georgia and Eli and the extra element of involving mutual friendships and forced proximity.

Recommend for contemporary romance fans - and if you haven’t read Jessica Joyce’s other book, You With a View, get to that as well. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t want this to end!! I love the way Jessica Joyce writes: it’s raw, realistic, and just feels right.

And this book was everything I wanted from her and more: the banter! the spice! the second-chance romance! the forced proximity! the character growth! the friendship! I loved it all!

Spice was for this actually more than I was expecting, more like a 3-3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

(Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

as far as romance troupes go second chance romance is just not my jam, this was fine overall but wanted a bit more.

Set in Napa Valley, estranged exes Georgia and Eli must team up to save their best friend’s wedding after a series of disasters in this steamy second-chance romance.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
After reading "You, With a View" (JJ's debut novel) I knew I had to read The Ex Vows, and similarly..I could not put this book down! I loved this second chance romance between Eli and Georgia. The reasoning behind their "falling out" felt realistic, and made me feel more connected to them as characters. I appreciated both personal growth journeys from each of them (one who is a workaholic, one is facing new career choices and friendships enduring long distance.)

Eli is the absolute best! 🥹 the sweet and thoughtful gestures, paper rings, the tension....😮‍💨 I just loved everything about him. I also appreciated the anxiety rep in a male main character (you don't see this as often).

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
🍇second chance romance
🍇anxiety rep
🍇slow dancing
🍇winery setting
🍇to do lists
🍇paper rings
🍇 swimming
🍇the cutest nickname

I absolutely love a second chance romance and The Ex Vows delivered! I felt this was such a beautiful story in so many ways; friendship, relationship, finding yourself. So cute, loved it!

I have to preface this by saying I don't love angst, but I DO love second chance romances, and I absolutely LOVED You, with a View. I was a bit hesitant to start The Ex Vows (alas, I am a wimp when it comes to angst) because I suspected it would be an emotional read, and this book just punched me right in the feels.

The angst...the pining...the undisguised lingering feels...all of this combined to give the narrative a hopelessly romantic, beautifully nostalgic feel. Georgia and Eli have so many unresolved issues between them, and they're both tiptoeing around these issues in an effort not to cause drama in the midst of their friend's wedding. The past and the present collide, making them both confront what led to the end of their relationship and what still exists between them. So the tension building between them created this heightened sense of anticipation that you just knew would lead to an explosion of passion and feelings.

Beautifully written, with an evocative narrative and multi-dimensional, captivating characters, The Ex Vows is another must-read romance from Jessica Joyce. I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next!

wow oh wow, i absolutely loved this. though i did read you with a view and enjoyed it at the time… this exceeded all expectations i had

Gorgeous second change romance. Jessica Joyce's books are a master class in swoon, pining, longing for lost love while also being funny and relatable and real.

OMG I loved this so much. Second chance can be hit or miss but this was done SO well. Loved the communication between the two of them and the healthy grow. Steamy and swoony, I thought this was great. 4.5 stars

Sweet second-chance romance!

Georgia Woodward, the maid of honor at her best friend Adam’s wedding, is helping the couple plan the wedding of their dreams. When things start going wrong, she knows she has to step in. However, what she wasn’t expecting was for her ex, Eli Mora, to show up at the wedding venue and stay with her in the days leading up to the wedding. She knows she can't push him away—after all, Adam is also his best friend.

Five years ago, Georgia and Eli broke up. She had been living in New York with him, but their relationship suffered as he became consumed with work, leaving them with little time together. After the breakup, she returned to the West Coast and poured herself into her new job.

Seeing Eli again brings up emotions Georgia isn’t ready to confront. Her feelings for him are still very much alive, especially now that she notices how much he’s changed. He’s no longer the workaholic he used to be, and it seems like he might want Georgia back!

The Ex Vows featured likable and realistic characters. I could really feel how much Georgia and Eli loved each other, especially since they were friends before they were lovers. I was rooting for them to find their happiness together.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a deeply emotional second chance romance that doesn't shy away from all the messiness involved in growing up, finding yourself, and becoming a stronger partner.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual pov, exes, second chances, close proximity

I loved this. It was cute, sweet, funny, and sexy. I was completely blown away and couldn't stop reading. The growth that these two characters went through was so good. It's almost like they had to grow apart to grow together. I highly recommend it!

This was one of the most delightful novels I read this year. The story flowed and the chemistry and love between Georgia and Eli was undeniable. I loved that the reason they had broken up was as both of their faults, that their insecurities held them back and made it impossible to let the other fully in. There wasn't so much something to fix in the relationship, they just needed to grow and work on themselves before they could make it work.

4.5 ⭐️ I didn't love Jessica's first novel but am SO glad I gave her another chance. This was so good!!! Eli was an amazing male lead and I really loved the plot. The wedding storyline was so fun, and the dynamics between friends was well executed. I got emotional at certain points and thought the writing flowed very naturally. So good!

Jessica Joyce’s debut was one of my favorite reads of last year and honestly, probably one of my favorite romance books overall! (Bold words, I know!) So, I was very excited for her newest release and I’m so pleased that it lived up to my expectations and was just as great as her first!
 
As you could maybe pick up from the title, this is a second chance romance between our two love interests, Georgia and Eli. There’s also friends to lovers, forced proximity, and more! When disaster suddenly strikes in the days leading up to their best friend’s wedding weekend, the two estranged exes are forced to work together to help save the wedding. This story also primarily takes place in Napa Valley which, as a Bay Area native, I absolutely loved and it definitely made me want to head up to wine country!
 
While both our characters were great, I especially loved Georgia because she just felt like someone I could relate to in so many different ways and I absolutely love when that happens while reading.

Another standout about this book was the romance itself. There was a great mixture of fun and witty moments with some fantastic banter. But also there is the emotional side and in the case of this book, it even touches on mental health. I feel like I usually have pretty mixed feelings when it comes to the second chance trope, but this one was executed so well. The tension and chemistry felt palpable between Georgia and Eli and their feelings raw and honest. Their issues and relationships just felt so authentic and I couldn’t help but really love and root for both of our MCs both in their own personal journey’s, but even in the one together as they each worked on reconciling with the past. It’s tender and sweet, yet heartbreaking and cathartic and just so well done.
 
The backdrop of a Napa wedding just added to the overall vibes and I found this to be such a wonderful read. I absolutely cannot wait to read whatever Jessica Joyce writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Joyce wrote so beautifully about grief and grandparent/grandchild relationship dynamics in You With a View, and she did the same with this book, only now focusing on friendships (how those relationships change over time) and a second chance romance.

I love Georgia so much! And found that I could relate to her so deeply. I think she wants to hold on to this family that she has created for herself and it truly pains her to see how life changes these friendships. I love how she can vocalize all of this by the end of the book. I just want to wrap her up in a big hug.

The romance was so well written that it truly hurt me to see how hurt Georgia was. The chemistry they had when they reunited was so palpable and it made this second-chance romance work flawlessly. The angst was there, the banter, like these are two characters who truly know each other to their core.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce is a swoony and steamy second-chance romance that brings together estranged exes Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora as they navigate a series of wedding disasters to save their best friend’s big day. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Napa Valley, this novel is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and emotional depth.

What I Loved:
Character Chemistry: The chemistry between Georgia and Eli is palpable. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine emotion, making their rekindled romance both engaging and heartfelt.
Humor and Heart: Joyce’s ability to balance humor with tender moments shines through. The story is peppered with laugh-out-loud scenes, especially during the wedding preparations, while also delving into deeper emotional territory.
Setting: The Napa Valley setting adds a charming and romantic backdrop to the story. The vivid descriptions of the vineyards and wedding venues enhance the overall atmosphere and make the reader feel immersed in the locale.

Overall, The Ex Vows is a charming and emotionally resonant romance that will leave you smiling. Jessica Joyce delivers a story full of love, laughter, and second chances, making it a perfect read for fans of contemporary romance.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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