I literally cried my eyes out! When I expected to read something about exes with unresolved feelings, I didn't anticipate engaging with their messy, genuine, complicated yet deep, realistic, passionate, embracing, heartfelt love story so much! I am proud of putting this sentimental book on your radar and advising you to read, cry like a baby, and just like I did, choose "Paper Rings" from your playlist. Listen to it at a high volume while you sing along until you hurt your vocal cords or neighbors bang on your door to shut you up! Who cares what other people think or react when you find the perfect book that matches your soul, awakening so many feelings you bottled up and all set to resurface with the lyrical symphony the author played with the heartstrings of us!

This is by far the best work of Jessica Joyce that deserves more than five stars. I didn't only fall for team Geli (Georgia-Eli) but also loved their true connection with their friends and the portraits of Napa Valley that may convince you to get married in Blue Yonder. After finishing the book, I returned to read some chapters between Eli and Georgia and got mesmerized by their emotional dialogues, truly resonating with me, might be the most honest description of the sad-sweet-compelling love story of them.

Both of the main characters' self-journey couldn't be reflected more powerfully. There's no exaggeration, unnecessary angst, or clichéd misunderstandings in this book like the regular romcoms that follow a well-known formula. The honesty, reliable perspective helps the readers connect more with the characters and ride the wave with them until they embrace the full experience in full joy!

Let's take a look at the plot: Can you imagine being the best woman at your childhood best friend's wedding, which already turns into a cursed one with so many unlucky incidents fate keeps throwing their way, including the place where the ceremony will take place getting burned to the ground? Is it a sign? This is not the only challenge Georgia Woodward has to face, like fixing the ceremony organization in one week, including driving to Blue Yonder, walking down memory lane, finding the pastry shop for the wedding cake that won't make the bride puke, hiring a DJ, etc. Unfortunately, she has to do all these chores alongside the man who stole her heart at the age of 15, declared his love with a one-dollar store cupcake and a birthday candle, made her move to NY to live with him, and at the age of 23, broke her heart and pushed her into a misery that she cannot commit to another relationship: Eli Mora; the bane of her existence returned from NY as the best man of the wedding.

Georgia is adamant about sticking to the rules they created not to make things complicated. For 5 years, they both act like they are not affected by the breakup for the sake of their friendship group. They didn't have eye contact, barely greeted each other, tried hard not to spend time in the same space, but now Eli keeps looking at her eyes, calling her nickname "Peach," showing signs of the 15-year-old boy she fell in love with, not the workaholic, resigned man with anxiety issues she left 5 years ago.

As they spend more time together to pull off the perfect wedding for their friends, unsaid words, harbored feelings, palpable chemistry push them to face their past.

Georgia is so scared to burn again, but what if the only way to embrace her happiness is to give another chance at the risk of jumping into the fire? What if only hiding her feelings and rejecting her closure may only bring her sadness? What if they have another chance not to blow up and bring them the happiness they seek?

I loved it! Did I say how much I loved this book? Okay, let me say it again: I loved it too much! I'm all for team Geli!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Five resounding stars for this absolute GEM!

I already knew I was going to love this book but I truly didn’t know just how much I was going to love it. Second chance is such a special trope and the fact that this also had best friends to lovers made it even more special! And you know when you read a book and realize the characters are absolutely meant to be together?! Yeah, that’s Georgia and Eli 🥹.

This book is the epitome of “you have to love yourself before you can let someone else love you.” The author tackled difficult subjects like anxiety, depression, fear of abandonment with such care that if you relate to any of those struggles you will feel seen and taken care of.

I do wish we got multiple POV cause I was desperate for Eli internal thoughts, but Joyce is SO good at expressing emotions both in words unsaid and facial expressions that I didn’t feel like I was missing a whole lot. I also had minor irritations at some repetitive words/phrases throughout the book, but maybe that’ll be fixed up in editing so I’m gonna let it slide. Just hope someone catches how many times someone “wipes a thumb under her eyes” 😅.

Read if you like:
👰🏼‍♀️ weddings
🍇 wineries
🫂 found family
🌶️ open door romance
✌🏼 second chance
🥰 friends to lovers

This review is truly all over the place but after crying with sad and happy tears for the last 15% of the book I can’t fully formulate thoughts. Just know I loved it from the bottom of my heart!

I was hooked right from the beginning and couldn’t put it down! The characters have my whole freaking heart 🥹🥹 set in the Bay Area made it even better as that’s where I’m from and it was all geographically very correct! The lists, the rings, the LOVE they share, I’m a puddle 😍 this was my first book from this author and I’m running to grab whatever else she has written!

4.75/5

oh how i love this book!!!

after hearing such good things about this authors debut, you with a view, this book was a instant request for me when it popped up on net galley. this book has everything needed to make a great romance story, exes, a wedding, anxiety representation, and so much more. it actually pains me to say that i can't rate this book five stars but the fact that this book wasn't dual pov literally broke me. i so badly needed to see this story from eli's mind as well. georgia was great and all but the angst would've hit so much harder if it was coming from both of them. also all of the cole scenes would've been ten times better if we knew everything and what his conversations with eli really entailed...

that being said, this book is so fucking good. i mean i was sobbing when he showed up in seattle, no lie. the paper rings... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! so many parts of this book were just so cute and romantic that screaming and crying was necessary, multiple times i found myself laughing out loud at the wedding "curse" or just the antics of the characters!! georgia and eli were not only the cutest couple, they were also hot... like i am a tad bit obsessed with eli now. this book is a second chance romance, which i love, and the author did such a good job adding in moments from the past without making them be full chapters. the way they came to georgia as memories was so unique and more second chance romances should use that technique of flashbacks because it works so well. the best part of this book though was by far the found family trope. this friend group means so much to me now and i just want to see all of them happy for ever and ever. also cole needs a book like now because he stole the show during multiple scenes in this book.

now i must be on my way to pick up this great debut i've heard so much about because i need some more of jessica's writing!! if you liked you with a view or you're just in the mood for a romance with a great friend group and a romantic as hell male lead, pick this up in july!!

*thank you NetGalley + Berkeley for the ARC*

I’ll have to try to make this coherent through my tears because the ending of this book made me cry more than I expected?? I honestly think this book was written for me (and not just because I’ve always made little folded trinkets out of my straw wrappers that my husband has saved over the years). It’s hard for me to not love a friends to lovers second chance romance, but Jessica Joyce really knocked it out the park with this one and truly cemented herself as an auto buy author for me. I just love her writing and I think it will be hard for me to not like anything she releases. I was so drawn to Georgia and Eli together, and I loved both of their character development in terms of how they grew both individually and together.

And that ending?? Ugh I just love them.

I know it’s annoying to compare every contemporary romance to Emily Henry, but if You, With a View was for the Beach Read lovers, this one is for the Happy Place lovers. (I am all of them)

A million thank you’s to Berkely for magically approving my Netgalley request for this.

The absolute best relationship is if you manage to fall in love with your best friend. The worst possible outcome is if you break up - especially if you're determined to stay in the same friend circle. Now add in the fact that this friend group happens to be the kind of squad we all aim to find in our lives.

The Ex Vows starts with two estranged ex-lovers tasked with saving the cursed wedding of their mutual best friend. If you read romance, you already know how this will turn out and you're not wrong but the actual magic Jessica Joyce uses at each turn will leave you breathless and swooning. This story is delicately and lovingly crafted to form a perfectly messy love story with a glorious twist. #TeamGeli!

I have never been a big second chance romance gal but this blew me away! I had tried Joyce's "You With a View" but couldn't get past the social media references / plot line in it. However, I figured I would try The Ex Vows out and see if this would be more my speed and it was absolutely fantastic! The real star aspect of this book for me was how relatable the main character was with avoiding tough conversations and feeling intensely worried about how large scale changes can impact friendships. I will be keeping my eye on Jessica Joyce's future books!!

In "The Ex Vows" by Jessica Joyce, Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora navigate the intricacies of past love, friendship, and the unexpected twists of a chaotic wedding. The story beautifully unfolds as Georgia and Eli, once inseparable, find themselves reunited for their best friend's wedding, facing a cascade of challenges that force them to confront their history.
Jessica Joyce crafts a poignant narrative that explores the complexities of relationships, growth, and the possibility of second chances. The banter and tension between Georgia and Eli add depth to the story, creating a heartfelt journey of friendship rekindled. As they navigate the chaos of wedding planning, readers are treated to a tale that begs the question of whether soul mates can find their way back to each other.
"The Ex Vows" is a delightful second-chance romance, blending humor, heart, and a touch of chaos. The captivating storyline and the stunning cover make this book a must-read in the genre.

Very grateful to the publisher for this review copy, opinions are my own

Georgia and Eli had a romance story that seemed fated. They became best friends immediately after meeting, went on to announce they loved each other in college, and moved cross country together to start their lives. Only, not all love stories have a happy ending. Eli became too anxious and obsessed with his work life, leaving Georgia lonely and missing the happiness and fulfillment she felt for the life she left behind. She broke it off and returned to California to their third best friend (Adam) and began rebuilding a life on her own. Years later, her career is advancing and Eli and Georgia are reunited for Adam's wedding, which is turning out to be a total disaster. Stepping into their roles as Best Man and Best Woman, they have to put their past and differences aside to try to pull off a string of miracles to ensure the wedding occurs. Full of banter and tension, The Ex Vows tells a beautiful tale of a friendship rekindled and begs the often asked question - do soul mates exist? Are there some people who, no matter the time, circumstances, or relationship, are just meant to be a part of our lives and a part of our hearts forever? Jessica Joyce doesn't disappoint in this heartfelt journey of two best friends who are growing up, but can't decide if it's better to do it together or apart.

This book made me remember why I love a second chance romance so much.

Short synopsis: Exes Georgia and Eli reunite in Napa Valley for their mutual best friend’s wedding.

I will admit the first 35% was a little slow for me. I really liked it but felt like there was a bigger focus on Georgia and Eli’s best friend Adam and his wedding rather than the couple’s history/ relationship.

At around the 50% mark everything changed. The tension and chemistry between Eli and Georgia shined off the page, the vineyard setting came to life and it was easy to feel alongside them as they worked through their insecurities and feelings. From high school best friends, to college and post college lovers and to five years of being exes, Joyce so vividly described what a reunion between two soulmates feels like, highlighting the amazing memories but also tackling the immense pain and longing. Also, while this was told in a single POV, I still feel like I knew Eli just as much as I knew Georgia, which just shows Joyce’s talent as a writer.

Read if you like:
-Angsty, emotional reads
-Second chance romance
-Tight-knit friend groups
-Wedding antics
-Open door romances
-Napa setting
-Twsift Paper Rings

Thank you Berkley Romance for the ARC. Pub 7/16

Holy shit. What a lovely book. Probably one of the best romances I've read in years. Had I known how much I would love it, I would've waited to read it a bit longer and tried to savor it instead of feverishly inhaling it in one day. Also goes in the hall of fame of emotionally-devastating romantic gestures and love declarations....I legit gasped. I though Joyce's debut was solid, but this one is god tier. If her next book is even a tiny bit better I'm afraid of what it will do to me.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Eli Mora’s dirty talk, Eli Mora’s chain, Eli Mora’s nickname for Georgia, Eli Mora’s paper rings.

this book is going to be part of the romance novel zeitgeist, hear you me

5 stars (at least!!!)

thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc!!

This book... wow. I felt EVERYTHING while reading this: love, happiness, sadness, frustration, heartache. I laughed and I sobbed, I giggled and blushed and swooned. This is such a beautiful book in every single aspect. The story, the characters, the writing, the development. Its angsty, funny, heart-wrenching, endearing, and SO good.

I related so strongly to both Georgia and Eli, in so many ways. The way Georgia struggles with her own fears, anxieties, and abandonment issues. Eli’s anxiety, panic attacks, and the pressure he feels to find stability, even if that means sacrificing himself in the process. These are two incredibly well written characters, with a remarkable amount of depth and growth. Getting to see them grow as individuals and as friends/a couple was soso beautiful.

The romance in this book is SO good. It’s sweet, endearing, and full of love. It’s also heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and angsty. The way Jessica Joyce tackled their love story was perfect. The bits and pieces of the past sneaking into the present moments made it hit so much harder. You can practically feel the undying love these two have for each other OOZING from the book. Eli and Georgia’s relationship full of chemistry, tension, love, banter, and care. Its also full of hurt, longing, desire, and devotion. The pining, the lingering touches and stares, the communication. Ugh, so SO good. THE PAPER RINGS??? THE CUPCAKE??? they are soulmates and you couldn’t convince me otherwise.

There is a million more things I would love to say about this book, but I’ll keep it all locked in until its released. Just know that I love Eli and Georgia, and this book was a life changing experience!!!

This is a second chance romance, with friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, forced proximity, and all of the emotions. HIGHLY recommend.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc!!!

This is a second chance romance that takes place in beautiful Napa Valley. Two exes work together to plan a wedding for their best friend in one week after his wedding venue burns down.

Georgia first met Eli her Sophomore year of high school at her best friend Adam’s house. Adam’s home is warm and welcoming while hers is cold and lonely – her mother left when she was three and her father works all the time. Eli and his two younger sisters moved to town to live with their aunt when his dad lost his job and Adam welcomes him into their friend group. Georgia and Eli become best friends and fall in love. After college they move to New York together and then something happens to break them apart. Now it’s been five years since they lived together and the story alternates between the present and flashbacks to the past.

Adam asks Georgia and Eli to travel to Napa Valley for him and finish the plans for his and his fiancé, Grace’s upcoming wedding after a series of wedding planning disasters. Adam’s family owns the vineyard where the wedding will take place and both Georgia and Eli worked there when they were teens during the summers. Adam needs their help to line up a cake and a DJ. While Georgia and Eli spend time together working on the wedding, I could see how much they still cared for each other.

Georgia and Eli both have their own reasons for wanting to help Adam with his wedding. Eli feels like he hasn’t been a good friend because he's been so busy with work he has missed important events with them, like the bachelor party. He asks Georgia to promise to let him help with the wedding plans so he can show everyone that they can count on him to be a good friend and best man. Georgia sees her relationships with her friends changing as they pair up. She worries she won't see them as often especially when the company she works for has asked her to relocate to Seattle.

My favorite parts of the story are when they are at the vineyard with the beautiful courtyard and pool. I would have liked to hear more about their time working there as teens. There is a lot of angst and tension between Georgie and Eli as they remember what happened when they were a couple and I missed the humor of her first book..

There are some wonderful side characters, both family and friends and it’s really sweet when Georgia and Eli get their second chance at love. Thank you to the author, Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Ex Vows.

Thank you to Berkley for giving me access to an advanced readers copy. I truly appreciate it.

I remember reading the Christmas/new year short story that Joyce had released most recently and that quickly turned me into a fan. Then I read You with a View and immediately added her to my auto-read authors. I know that going into The Ex Vows I was going to love this and it excessed all of my expectations. Joyce is such a talented writer and I strongly believe that she understands what it means to depict/show longing and desire. She just gets yearning and it is evident in all of her body of work so far.

I was extremely invested in not just the main couple, Georgia and Eli but also their friends! This is a testament to Joyce’s storytelling ability and her writing skills because all the rest of the characters felt real, not like caricatures. All too often in romances people don’t have friends that they can lean on but we see the support system that both Eli and Georgia has and that made the book even better.

I also think Joyce really captures that feeling of being scared about watching the trajectory of your friends’ lives as they get married and move and have kids while you are trying to still figure out how your friendship fits into the new lives they have created.

What a wonderful book from start to finish.

Sorry to everyone who thinks this book is about them. This is MY book. A childhood friends to lovers second chance romance where the FMC is 15 years old when she meets the love of her life?

Jessica Joyce is a master at her craft. Perfection isn’t real but this book? This book would be right there if it were. From the MCs to the friends of to the characters who only pop up for a second, everyone was a joy. Found family will ALWAYS have a profound space in my heart.

The anxiety rep? Wow.

I’m so jealous of everyone who will get to read this for the very first time.

I am in an online book group and there was a discussion because a member said romance books are awful because they are always written horribly. I instantly became enraged because that’s the farthest thing from the truth. And this book is the prime example. This book was full of deep emotions. There was so much longing, loneliness and feeling like you can’t be yourself with the people that love you. Georgia ripped out my heart. I am glad we were able to spend so much time in her head and really get to know her. Eli was also an amazing character. This was a beautiful book and I loved it so much.

I’M NEVER RECOVERING FROM THIS BOOK IT WAS SO GOOD.

i think this is jessica’s best book yet. this is literally the best second chance romance book i’ve ever read. the intensity, the tenderness, the pain, the pure love - absolute perfection!!! eli and georgia’s story is so perfect. i 100% recommend reading this.

a huge huge thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc!

RATING: 4.25/5 STARS

Jessica Joyce's second novel is a winner! I'm convinced she has mastered the craft of second chance romances. THE EX VOWS had the perfect amount of tension and longing between the two main characters. There was excellent chemistry between Georgia and Eli. I loved how they addressed their issues with mental health and insecurities in order to grow in their relationship and set a fresh path forward. They were so honest and vulnerable with each other, which added a lovely richness to their well-earned HEA. This entire book was also very Taylor Swift-coded around the song Paper Rings, so that was a bonus surprise!

Is this real life? I’m stumped for words. This was one of the most beautiful, romantic books I’ve ever read. I have never rooted for a couple more than I did for Eli & Georgia. The little moments in this book were so heartfelt & tender & I couldn’t love it more. I sobbed my eyes out multiple times, parts really took my breath away. Beautiful writing, beautiful story of second chances, & a beautiful ending. I adored it.