I absolutely loved reading this book. I read it so quickly and it was so beautifully done. I felt this book centered around romance but also friendship. I truly loved everything about this book from the main character to the side (Adam, the FMC and MMC's mutuals best friend). This book is perfect for people who have friends in all different stages in life and you feel that you're stuck and don't feel like your life is progressing. This book was very real to me and I cannot wait to read more of Jessica's books.

There are very few authors who can genuinely make me laugh out loud, cry, and swoon and Jessica Joyce is one of them. The pining, the longing and the tension were just delicious in this one - it was a perfect second chance romance. I was rooting for Eli and Georgia to get back together the whole time - their banter was top notch, their chemistry was SO good, and their history was fascinating and devastating. Even though the book starts part way through their story, Jessica did an amazing job setting the scene of their past and how they got to be in this place. Every ounce of this book oozed heart and soul and a feeling of realness - it was impossible not to root for these two because they not only put the work in, but they grew as individuals and together. Their HEA felt well earned, and that is the best compliment I can give a romance book.

I loved this book! Second chance romance is one of my favorite romance tropes and this was done perfectly! I loved the cast of characters and their realness. Stemy, tense moments matched perfectly with sincere relationships! I devoured it!

This was such a quick, fun read. I am a sucker for any romcom that includes mental health awareness as well. From the character development to the scene setting, Jessica Joyce really drew me into the story. I fell in love with Georgia & cannot recommend this book enough. I would call it a perfect romance when you are in a bit of a slump, because it definitely helped me get over a book hangover & love what I am reading again!

A huge thanks to Berkley Publishing & NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

💕 Review 💗

Oh my goodness the LISTS!!!! <3.

My heart!!! The Ex Vows where do I start with you?!

“We can be all those things- good, bad easy, needy, okay or not on an endless cycle- and trust that the other will stay.” “Our circumstances are messy but so is life.” “It doesn’t mean that we can’t love each other through it.” “We already are.”

Oh my.... I loved this book so much! What a beautiful, sexy, and heartfelt second chance romance. I have to tell you I don’t read much of this trope but I think Joyce just made me fall in love again with the second chance romance trope.

Now THIS is the phenomenal type of romance I devour!! Thank you @jessicajoycewrites for writing this book and more! 🎉👏

I loved every single character in this book and the entire team was so supportive with Georgia and Eli!! Also.... STOP that ending?!!

Loved every second of it and can’t wait to read her debut You With a View!!!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to @berkleyromance @netgalley for my copy.

I loved this one!

Exes getting back together is not my favourite trope - but second chance romance has been making a comeback around here and I had to give this one a go!

Georgia had her perfect fairytale romance with her childhood best friend, Eli. But, as things change, people change. It has been years since she broke up with Eli and has had forgettable relationships since then. She has a kickass job, and she is back in her hometown near all her friends. Now, her other best friend, Adam, is getting married and she is the best woman and Eli is the best man. Together, they have to work to keep this 'cursed wedding' going because whatever can go wrong has gone wrong so far. Will teaming up with Eli bring back her feelings?

This one was so cute! Eli was such a good book boyfriend (the ring/notes?! love), plus their reasons for breaking up seemed so mature and thought out. Both their childhood issues were addressed well and how those affected their relationship was explored. Both the MCs' personalities were well-thought of such that even their fears in their daily lives seemed very consistent with their personalities. Like how Georgia's mother left her when she was a child and how in adulthood she fears moving away from her friends because she doesn't want to leave her found family and feel abandoned, or the reason why Eli works so hard. Character development and character arcs are A+, and the predictable story makes up for it. And the make-up scene is super cute, fyi.

Just, a very well-thought, cute second chance romance. There are very few romances that I recommend, and this is one of those.

Thank you, @berkleypub @berkleyromance, for the opportunity to read and review this one for a #berkleybuddyread

I am a big fan of second chance romances and a big hater of miscommunication. This one featured a good amount of miscommunication where I just wanted to sit the characters down for a chat. Fortunately, though, it ended up not being a deal-breaker for me on this one, and I ended up really enjoying it.

I appreciated the mental health representation and the growth of the main characters in their time apart. I was a bit put off by all the mentions of the curse, but appreciated the effect the need for problem solving brought together the MCs.

All in all, I think second chance romances fans will find a book to fall for. It makes me want to go back and check out Jessica Joyce's last book, You With a View.

3.5 stars rounded up

my new FAVORITE romance, wow wow wow 🥰🥹🤭

this one had it all — such beautiful tenderness, genuine struggle, the bestttttt slow burn, the sexiest tension, the SWEETEST romantic gestures, a fun group of friends, a “cursed” wedding (that could have been SO frustrating to read about but strangely wasn’t?), honest representation of anxiety and panic and workaholic tendencies, the most satisfying second chance romance… and so much more.

i was UNDONE by this book and how absolutely stunningly @jessicajoycewrites creates characters and worlds and love. in a league of her own, i tell you!

what a DELIGHT to read this at the same time as my bff @kelsey.hobbs — swipe to see some of our *spoiler free* gushy texts while reading.

i knew i loved joyce’s first book but wow, give this one a whole GALAXY of stars!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️— amazing.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

🎧 PRH Audio Review 🎧

Georgie and Eli once were inseparable, but a bad breakup caused a rift that pushed them miles apart.

Now they are forced to put their differences aside and come together in a different way- for the wedding of their best friends. Serving as best man and maid of honor, the pair each take on vows of their own- promising to be civil, be present, and most importantly, be resistant to feelings for one another that never really went away.

But when the bride and groom to be run into a venue related snafu of their own, it takes Eli and Georgie to work together in the name of the love, even if it means spiting the rules that have successfully kept them at arm’s length for all these years.

The Ex Vows is the latest release by newly popular romance author, Jessica Joyce. I read and enjoyed You, With A View enough to give this a try, but I will say that unlike many others, I wasn’t blown away by either story.

My main problem with The Ex Vows was I’m still uncertain what Georgie and Eli’s big problem was. We are thrown into the after, but never really get much of the before to really process the rift, or to root for the reunion. Their coming together to fix odd wedding related mishaps also felt odd and misplaced, as did the couple they were coming together for in the first place which barely made it into a story of which they were the catalyst.

I know I’m in the minority with this review and I’m ok with that. But The Ex Vows is one book I wish I had a stronger bond with.

This is probably the best contemporary romance I read in 2024. It's hard to explain how much I loved this book. Everything about it was pure perfection. Honestly I thought I would never love this one as much as I loved You, with a View but Jessica Joyce outdid herself with The Ex Vows. Eli and Georgia were utterly perfect in their imperfect and messy relationship and I just wanted to never stop reading about them. I can't wait to read more from Joyce!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Georgia and her lists…have I ever identified more with a character trait? Probably not. Anyway, Georgia is a task orientated list maker and one of her many lists include a do and don’t list regarding her ex. Eli and her just happen to be sharing best person duties for their mutual best friend and they need to make sure their history doesn’t get in the way of Adam’s wedding day. One disaster after another leads to the wedding and it’s up to Georgia and Eli to put the wedding back together and in the process they find a second chance at love.
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I loved all of these characters and Joyce did such a great job of establishing their relationships from high school to current time. I was totally invested in these characters!

I love Jessica Joyce and her writing style. I loved You, With a View and The Ex Vows was just as good. Georgia and Eli had such an honest and consuming relationship. I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the book. The writing was done so well and the chemistry kept me hooked. I also loved all of the friendships present in this book. Those details always make a big difference for me as a reader.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author, and won't be my last.
I really enjoyed this book!
I enjoy the friend group dynamic (because I don't have one lol!). I think it brings a lot of depth to the relationship, and a lot of history. Best friends to lovers and second chance romance? I'm so in.
This book did not disappoint! I can't put into words how much i enjoy this read <3

Thank you for this early eard! I absolutely loved this book! I read it so quickly and was just hooked to the characters and story. This book was packed with intense tension, and I was shipping Georgia and Eli sooo much even from the very start. Their relationship broke my heart and mended it back together. I felt like they were so believable. The character growth was so well done individually and with them together. I just loved every aspect of this book. The tension between the exes, the stress of getting the wedding all planned in such a short amount of time kept me hooked. I found myself not being able to read fast enough because I needed to know what would happen next. Georgia "Peaches" and Eli are on my list of favorite couples now. They brought out the best in each other as they began to get to know who they each were after 5 years of being apart. The friends to lovers to estranged exes was so well done. They history between them was palatable and so heart breaking. You can't help but root for them to mend their relationship and past hurts.

I now need to read every book Jessica Joyce writes.

I'm not usually a fan of second chance romances but I did really enjoy this one, it was pulled off very nicely! I feel like Jessica pulled off the realities of relationships and what needs to go into them for them to work, Eli and Georgia's relationship felt so realistic and relatable. I was really rooting for them to work it out and find their happiness!

I really enjoyed this book.

I thought that the characters, trauma, storyline and plot was written well. I always love a book with sexual tension and some angst. I love these characters, history, and I loved more than anything it ended.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and would buy it for myself

This is going to live RENT FREE in my head for a long, long time. I just love a second chance romance, and this MMC has absolutely set the standard. I absolutely enjoyed reading this. Some romances tend to feel unrealistic but this just felt so genuine and authentic and they felt like real people I may know in real life. This was charming, funny, and wholeheartedly sweet. Jessica Joyce you can do no wrong!

4.5 stars!! THIS WAS SO GOOD!! I basically devoured this book in the span of 24 hours and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Jessica Joyce’s writing is so fast paced and easy to digest while still holding so much emotion and meaning. I love Georgia and Eli and their story and I was kicking my feet and giggling when things worked out for them in the end and they got their happily ever after. Highly recommend for all my romance lovers!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

“We can be all those things—good, bad, easy and needy, okay or not on an endless cycle—and trust that the other will stay. Our circumstances are messy, but so is life. It doesn’t mean that we can’t love each other through it. We already are."

I was so hesitant about reading this because second chance romance is one of my least favorite tropes, but ahhh this ended up being so good. This was 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. Being married is not an easy fare and I think Jessica Joyce writes romance for the readers who are aching for something desperately real and raw.