This book follows exes Georgia and Eli as they attempt to save their mutual best friend Adam’s imploding wedding. Five years after their breakup, this is the first time Georgia and Eli are spending any time alone together, and it brings up some FEELINGS. This book felt like a quintessential second chance romance. The PINING!! The EMOTIONS!! This book felt like a Taylor Swift song come to life. It was a perfect mix of tender, painful moments with heartwarming, jump-for-joy ones. I could cry over this story and the beautiful way it was written!

I sat down and tried to write my thoughts about this book in a comprehensive way that could be considered a review, and I realized it just sounded like a love letter to everything Jessica Joyce creates. You, With a View was a book that touched on the beauty of life in a way I’ve never experienced with a book, so I KNEW I needed to read The Ex Vows too (re: BEG the universe to put this in my hands as soon as possible, and I’m thankful to Berkley for giving me the e-arc of it 🥹💚).

If there is one book that I will tell you to pick up at your local indie, request at your library, nominate as a pick for your book clubs, whatever you have to do to experience this immediately, it’s going to be this one. The Ex Vows had me HOOKED from start to finish (I literally started this the minute I got it and finished it within a few hours). A second chance romance in California wine country, filled with as many funny moments as there are sweet (and spicy!!!) moments??? A great cast of characters who were so loving in both romantic and platonic ways???? A. MUST.

Eli and Georgia were two characters who were so easy to fall in love with. Two exes back in each other’s lives because they both want their best friend to have his happily ever after. Two people on a path of discovering what they want out of life, yet struggling to find the right way to get it. They were so perfectly imperfect, both in how they existed, and just for each other, in general. I loved everything about their complexity and their journeys as individuals throughout the book. The Ex Vows is the epitome of the perfect second chance romance, and the perfect example of finding your way back to where you’re meant to be after choosing yourself.

If all of the above wasn’t enough to convince you to add this to your TBR, let Eli Mora’s gold chain do all the talking, because I promise, that alone made this read worth it 🤭

Absolutely fell in love with these characters and could easily find them all relatable! The romance in this was swoon worthy!

Every review that praises this book is 100000% right. Phenomenal. Perfect for fans of friends to lovers, second chance romance. This book is miscommunication trope done right because all the miscommunication is done primarily off page. 10/10 no notes.

This book was such a sweet lovers-to-exes-to-friends-to-lovers romance! I liked the pacing and the way the story was told, it felt very believable. I didn’t like how the main character did not want to have an adult conversation about her emotions at ALL in the beginning, but that was kinda part of the main plot so I can forgive that lol. But I LOVE a man who goes to therapy so that takes the cake. Character growth for the win!!

Definitely recommend this one and I’ll be checking out this author’s previous books for sure.

🌈Queer rep: Secondary FF couple, queer female characters

Thanks to PRHAudio for a free audiobook and to Berkley for an EARC.

I adored You With a View and was so excited for this one. It didn't disappoint!

Second chance romance in this one was well done.

I loved the friendship - our main wondering who to reach out to when she needed someone to talk to and questioning herself. Worrying about moving and losing friendships (which I could totally relate to).

I LOOOOVED the audio version and it really brought the story to life for me.

This one just made my heart happy and Jessica Joyce is going to be a go to author for me!

Last summer when I was really getting into my romance era, I picked up Jessica Joyce’s debut, YOU, WITH A VIEW and promptly fell in love with it. When I heard the follow-up was a second chance romance in which estranged exes must team up to save their mutual best friend’s vineyard wedding, I was IN.

Second chance romances really do it for me. They’re always so angsty and full of flashbacks to the good, the bad, the ugly of our couple’s first go at true love. As such, I really loved THE EX VOWS.

In the five years since Georgia and Eli broke up, they’ve done their best to avoid each other. But when they’re tapped to be the best woman and man at their mutual best friend Adam’s wedding, they’re forced to reconnect. As disaster after disaster plagues the impending nuptials, Georgia and Eli must team up to save the big day. Georgia begins to recognize the Eli she fell in love with so many years ago, but struggles with letting him back in.

WHEW! I was like 99% sure I would love this book and welp, I did. While this is fast-paced, it skews a little bit more character-driven than a lot of romances, as we delve deep into Georgia’s perspective as she considers where their relationship initially failed. While I would have loved to read from Eli’s POV, we still did get to learn a lot about his motivations and psyche. The shared history REALLY worked in here. Without spoiling anything, it all comes together in an utterly swoonworthy way at the very end.

I’ve seen a lot of people compare this to HAPPY PLACE and I sort of get that? It has found family energy, is full of angst, is obviously a second chance romance, and has a self-discovery subplot for both Eli and Georgia mixed in. It’s steamier than an Emily Henry book for sure, and I think Joyce absolutely nailed the “right person, wrong time” scenario.

I hope this becomes one of THE romances to read this summer because it’s FAB. I mean, a vineyard wedding, a healthy dollop of angst, plenty of spice. Loved it and read it in a day.

I am Jessica Joyce's new biggest fan! This book is perfect for fans of Emily Henry's Happy Place & Christina Lauren's Love & Other Words. Georgia & Eli have been broken up for 5 years but have to spend time together as best man & best woman for their mutual best friend's wedding week. Nothing is going to plan for the wedding so they team up to fix everything. The story is told from Georgia's perspective, and I loved how she slowly gave bits and pieces of the past without it being a dual timeline. I also love that this second chance romance did not have the miscommunication trope.. it made sense why they broke up and the problems were addressed in such a healthy way for them to be able to get back together. I can't say enough good things about Jessica Joyce's writing. This book was so funny and emotional at the same time. 10/10 recommend!!

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters were so good, and I loved that I could see myself in the MFC especially. Her affinity for details and list making screamed my name! I also found myself totally in love with Eli. He was such a charmer! The friends to lovers and romance of the story completely swept me away, and I could not put this book down. Jessica Joyce has another hit on her hands!

I have been seeing the best things about this one, and loved Georgia and Eli 💕. Second-chance romance always hits and this one HITS 👏🏻.

It had an engaging plot, picturesque setting, the tension, the pining, the swooning, and Georgia felt like such a relatable FMC!

There was so much depth and levity and Jessica’s writing truly shines!

Jessica Joyce will definitely become an insta-buy authors for me!

This story was so funny and heart warming. I related so much to Georgia and love watching her and Eli’s relationship repair it self

The song of this book will forever be PAPER RINGS

5⭐️
3🔥

Quick Breakdown

Second Chance
Napa Vineyard Setting
Only One Bed
Fake Dating for Cake
He Falls First
Found Family
Anxiety Rep
Single POV
Open Door - Moderate Detail

THANK YOU SO MUCH to @berkleyromance for the eARC & gifted copy & @prhaudio in exchange for my honest opinion #berkleypartner

THIS FLUFFING BOOK.

Jessica Joyce once again knocks it out of the park. Her debut You, With a View was one of my top reads of 2023 & The Ex Vows has cemented her place as one of my favorite authors.

The Ex Vows is a second chance romance, which isn’t something I usually gravitate towards intentionally. That said, I was blown away with how Joyce handled the trope. Instead of past / present timelines, we get these deeply meaningful flashbacks. It felt realistic, as if i was Georgia, remembering little tidbits from our once wonderful past. It’s this mix of nostalgia & forced proximity that makes your heart happy & hurt at the same time.

“I remember. The most dangerous phrase when it comes to us.”

Something I’ve adored about Joyce’s writing is how even though it’s written in single POV, I still felt like I knew Eli. There were hints from the get go of how he was feeling, which helped to sooth any angst related heartache for me. Him & so many other tiny moments had me hooked.. the paper rings, how they easily pretended to be engaged to score a wedding cake, the bachelor party, THE PAPER RINGS! Swoon 🫠

This was deliciously steamy, too. More than I was expecting it to be, but in a way that felt like it added to the story. Georgia & Eli have so much history, it felt believable that their physical intimacy was the bridge back to exploring their feelings.

I primarily listened to this on audio. It’s narrated by Kyla Garcia & IMO her voice is the perfect match for Joyce’s words. I HIGHLY recommend you give it a listen!

You, With a View was one of my favourite reads of 2023, so Jessica Joyce’s second book, The Ex Vows was such an anticipated read of mine and it did not disappoint!

The Ex Vows is a beautiful second chance romance following two exes who have to work together to save their best friend’s wedding. I loved every single thing about this book from the romance to the Napa Valley setting to the friendships! Georgia was such a great main character and as a people pleaser, I saw so much of myself in her. I loved Eli as well. I really appreciated the anxiety representation with his character and how determined he was to improve his life. Both of these characters were so relatable and their growth was incredible.

This book was truly something special and unlike anything else I’ve ever read, I can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you so much to Berkley for an advanced copy of this book! Jessica Joyce catapulted to the top of my favorite author list with her last book, and this book did not disappoint!

I am a total simp for a friends to lovers story, and when you add a little second chance in there, there is literally nothing that tops it for me. I was in love with these characters and this story from the beginning. I don't know if it was the emotion of the moment for me or the emotion of the book itself, but I literally found myself with tears in my eyes fighting for my life on a return flight while I read. Something about this story and the connection between the two main characters just sank its teeth into me.

This is such a good story, and the romance in it was perfection. It left me seriously wishing I had an Eli in my life.

Star Rating: 5⭐️

I absolutely adored this title! I'm such a sucker for second chance romances, and this one didn't disappoint. The romance in this book was so beautifully written and powerful. The author wasn't afraid to dive into some deeper feelings here, including the heartbreak the MC's experienced in their past. I thought the MC's were just perfectly written. They were likable, with depth and vulnerability. I loved the side characters as well, and the author did a great job of developing both those characters and our MC's. I just recently read "You, With a View," which I also loved. The author just has a way of telling love story that makes you feel lots and lots of things. Like her previous title, this one will give readers the full roller coaster of emotions. I would recommend this one to fans of Emily Henry and Abbey Jimenez.

The Ex Vows was one of my most anticipated reads after Jessica released her debut, You, with a view -last year. The Ex Vows is a masterpiece, to say it lightly. This book gripped me from the very beginning and left me feeling like someone squeezed my heart and then gave it a hug. This is second chance romance at its absolute BEST! Georgia and Eli have a history that jumps off the pages and makes you feel like you've been witnessing their love alongside them.
The story was unique, as the two are working to remedy their childhood bestfriends wedding together. I loved how she seamlessly included bits & pieces of their past, making you yearn for their endgame even more! I was able to connect with Georgia and Eli in many ways, both are strong & complex characters whose own issues are being healed.
This book is VERY pro therapy and it was wonderful to witness, as both characters go to therapy to heal after trauma.
Georgia's character was immediately very hard hitting for me, Jessica did a phenomenal job with how she portrayed someone with childhood trauma that impacts her every day life. I love how this book takes two people who are so wholeheartedly right for each other but needed to grow a bit in order to make it work again. Chapter 34-35 | was sobbing the whole time, at two AM!
I highly recommend this book to everyone, it's a romance book that has the undertones of how scary change & growing up is. I LOVE THIS BOOK. It will never leave my head. Especially the paper rings and little detalls, my gosh Also, the spice... was SO GOOD, it was intimate and included the perfect amount.

Jessica Joyce wows us all again in her sophomore novel 'The Ex Vows'. This book is so incredibly real and raw that it hits home. A beautiful depiction of what it means to fall in love.

tldr, i love them i love them i love them!!!

i have a new entrant to my ‘favorite books of all time’ tier!

this is a second chance romance, following georgia and eli, who broke up 5 years ago, and are now forced back together for their mutual best friend’s wedding. with this setup, you get the traditional humorous beats of a romcom, where they have to work together to fix the various things going wrong with the wedding itself, but it is mixed with this sweeping love story that just feels like soulmate love. what i particularly love about this book’s use of the second chance romance trope is that you don’t have to wait for long to find out what went wrong, which really opens up the story to the reader, because you are welcomed into that journey with them, knowing what it is that they need to work on together to get back on track.

i also really connected to georgia as a character, and i suspect others in their late twenties/early thirties might relate. she has complicated feelings about change, and having her friends be in different life stages than her. she pushes her needs to the background in favor of keeping the peace, she’s a list girl and i just truly get her on many levels. and within the story, you get glimpses into what shaped georgia and eli into the people they are now, and how those formative experiences trickled into their relationship dynamics too.

on the romance front, this has that trademark jessica joyce angst and tension, but it's also that type of romance where, they're aware where the other person is in a room, they just inherently understand what it is that the other needs, and specifically when it comes to their second chance, there is still that sense of knowing each other, but with the added benefit of getting to rediscover each other in a whole new way. plus there is truly the most romantic gesture ever in here, so much so that i’ve re-read that scene with each friend that has read the book, so!

Miss Jessica Joyce has done it again!! Jessica has this incredible ability to make her characters feel like real people. So many characters in contemporary romance are written to be idealized, almost cookie-cutter/perfect. But Jessica's characters feel like real people that I know in my own life. It's that special spark I notice in all of my favorite books. The Ex Vows is no exception! <3

This was a fun and emotional roller coaster of a ride! It's got friends to lovers, second chance relationship and a beautiful Napa wedding! You can tell the author is from the Bay Area because it had all the Bay Area vibes and diverse cast of characters as well. I was rooting for Georgia and Eli and loved their group of friends. There were some definite laugh out loud moments and I'm not a laugh out loud kind of reader but I sure did while reading this one. It's also great on audio. I'd say the middle felt a little long and kinda dragged but I'm glad I stuck with it because once the day of the wedding hit, it was fun chaos!