My goodness, Jessica Joyce knows how to write romance!! Georgia and Eli made my heart hurt and I was rooting for their second chance from the start. The paper rings? UGHHH so cute. And I just loved the ending. The tension, chemistry and spice are all 10 out of 10, fantastically written and the way the MCs know each other so deeply because of their pasts: heartwrenching, heartwarming, phenomenal. The way they have their own language just by looking at each other? And still make an amazing team -- I am in love. I highlighted the whole freaking book honestly. There are so many quotes that will just resonate with you, sweet words and funny moments aplenty. Both Georgia and Eli have really good reasons for why they acted the way they did years ago when their relationship fell apart and I love seeing the personal growth they each have in regards to those insecurities and the anxieties that they couldn't face back then but are working on now. Adam, their best friend, is hilarious and the "curse" he thinks he has because his wedding keeps getting hit with mishap after mishap is entertaining and leads to our MCs being forced to work together to fix it. This means we get to see pretty much all my favorite tropes/microtropes(: aka forced proximity, only one bed, secret romance. You will not be disappointed if you pick up this book!! It's truly one of my favorites of 2024 and I will keep recommending it to all my friends because I'm obsessed.

Thank you so much Berkley & NetGalley for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Ex Vows published on 7/16/24 so you can go buy, borrow, read, listen to it now(:

REVIEW: The Ex Vows ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5)

Georgia is excited to be the best woman for her best friend Adam’s wedding; however, everything about the wedding seems cursed. The best man, who happens to be the other best friend in the trio as well as Georgia’s ex, Eli, comes to help save the wedding. With Georgia and Eli together fixing the wedding, will their close proximity bring back old feelings?

The Ex Vows was so what I needed in a romance right now. It was full of romantic and sweet gestures, funny moments, and great hot and heavy scenes. This book definitely brought the tropes of a second chance, friends to lovers, close proximately, as well as a small burn mixed together. I really enjoyed both Eli and Georgia as characters and their chemistry together. It was fun to hear about their memories as friends and when they were in a relationship. Eli is a perfect example of a sweet, quieter guy who really comes out in the bedroom ;-). I also really liked the growth in both of the main characters throughout the book; they both discovered so much about themselves. Plus, this book is very pro-therapy, which I love. The Ex Vows grabbed me fast and didn’t let go until the very end.

There were only two small things that didn’t quite work for me. First of all, for being a set of three best friends, I feel the book didn’t have much with Adam and his connections with Georgia and Eli. He just felt very disconnected from the other two. I also wished this book could have been in dual POV. I would love to hear Eli’s side of the story as well as Georgia’s

Overall, I really enjoyed The Ex Vow! It gave me everything I wanted in a good romance story, and I was hooked the whole time.

Thank you, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Let me start by saying I loved Jessica Joyce’s debut and I’m obsessed with this cover. That said I was really nervous going into this one because I don’t usually love second chance romances.

Turns out I loved it! Georgia and Eli had so much chemistry and it was clear from the start that they were meant to be together. I loved all the antics of trying to save their best friend’s wedding and reconnecting with each other. I wish we had a little more time with some of the friends, but that’s about all I could ask for more of. Everything else was great! And yes, many tears were shed.

This is the exception that proves the rule and I absolutely recommend checking it out even if second chance romances aren’t your thing.

THE EX VOWS is my newest book obsession.

This Sophomore book by Jessica Joyce is even better than the first—and I gave both books 5-STARS.

I adore a book with flawed main characters who go ape on personal growth during the story. I loved Georgia with her sweet vulnerability that is cloaked with making herself indispensable. Geez, did I ever feel seen. And Eli is so damn lovable as he struggles to move past the pattern that he has been stuck in.

These two had crazy chemistry, sweet moments, and spicy hot reconnection. I loved this story of first love and lasting connections.

THE EX VOWS grabbed my heart on the first page and never put it down. I love love love this book!

𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: past parent abandonment
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 3/5 - You will definitely feel some feels.

OKAY. I now understand the hype around Jessica Joyce. This title is a ridiculously cute romance that made me cry. Georgia and Eli, the love interests, had top-notch banter and serious chemistry. Joyce sold me on their romance and the fact that they were meant to be. If you enjoy a second-chance or forced-proximity romance, The Ex Vows is one book that you will not want to miss.

#TheExVows:⁣
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Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner ⁣
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“Building a space that’s mine, rather than fitting myself into the pockets where people have room for me. I can feel myself stretching, a necessary, beautiful pain.”⁣
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I never realized I am a walking second chance romance until I read The Ex Vows. It was a literal epiphany. I love second chance romance because we ARE second chance romance 😂 So, needless to say, I loved this book so much. I related so hard (maybe too hard) to The Ex Vows and I can’t get over it. ⁣
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Georgia and Eli were absolutely perfect. They were flawed, but very realistic. Their friend group was such a great core group of people, I couldn’t help but laugh at all the shenangians from the wedding curse. I laughed, cried, and gasped (definite laugh via the DJ and gasp vis the cake) during their trip of redemption. Sometimes love is messy, and that’s ok because life is messy. It was such a good reminder. ⁣
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I loved that they took time away from each to find their own space before fitting space into each other’s orbit. That type of independence and self awareness is what I think makes the relationship survive and so real. ⁣
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I swoon. I don’t know what else to say except go grab it. Out now.⁣
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QOTD: What is your favorite trope? ⁣
For me:⁣
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Romance: Second Chance, Enemies to Lovers, One Bed⁣
Fantasy: One Horse, “Who did this to you” ⁣
Thriller: Locked room, unreliable narrator ⁣
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My Soundtrack Song: Birds of a Feather Billie Eilish

Absolutely love this book and have not stopped thinking about it. I have never related more to characters before and I cant believe how perfect they are. I already see myself rereading and annotating it!

A pretty okay read. I enjoyed the second chance romance between the couple.

I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

i devoured this book and really liked it 👏🏼 this was my first book by this author but won’t be my last!

it contains my fave trope ever—second chance. and it was done SO WELL. only a 5 year age gap!!! let’s gooooo!!!! (if you don’t know me then here’s a reminder—i loathe when second chances have 10-15+ years between the gap. it just doesn’t make sense!!)

this was a perfect pool binge and gave me Abby Jimenez/Christina Lauren vibes. maybe some EmHen too, the banter was good!

anywho, this romance had sooo much i enjoyed. the friendship themes, the finding yourself through your 20’s, being scared that your life/friendships will change if you move away (felt this one HARD), the second chance romance, sexual tension and longing between exes, planning a wedding in a vineyard, the west coast settings (cali, seattle, winery), etc. it also gave major “PAPER RINGS” and “INVISIBLE STRING” vibes… with also some “MAROON”? swifties will love it.

i could see myself rounding this up to 4.5 but a few things left it off for a 5. the wedding curse was a bit much and unrealistic for me. a few things sure but literally everything??!!! and also this might be a hot take but also the ending of this one! i don’t always need that in my romance endings (trying to avoid spoilers).

besides the romance, i truly loved the “growing up” and finding yourself parts of this plot. made the romance and overall story feel more mature and it was extremely real and relatable and well done.

this was a goodie and now i’m excited to read this authors other work which i’ve heard such great things about!

thanks to Berkley for the gifted early copy :)

3.75 If you like second chance romances, this one's for you. I have to admit, they aren't my favorite, but I heard such great things about this book that I had to check it out. I'm glad I did, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I liked the two main characters, Georgia and Eli, and I liked their group of friends and how important they were to each other. I guess I missed the build up of a new romantic relationship. The author does a good job of telling us their past relationship, but there was so much internal dialogue from Georgia and how she felt about everything. I think I missed Eli's point of view throughout all of this. I did enjoy reading this book, and I do look forward to reading more books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC.

Ahhhhh! So much love for this book! I love a week well written second chance romance and this checked all of the boxes! I loved the premise and seeing how Georgia and Eli reconnect to save their best friend's wedding. The paper rings had me swooning. Thanks to Berkley for my copy!

“Sometimes I swear adulthood is staring at your phone and wondering which of your friends has enough time to deal with your latest emotional meltdown, then realizing none of them do.”

Jessica Joyce has done it again and I’m not just talking about gorgeous covers. I’m talking about the entire package, because I fell so head over heels in love with both Georgia and Eli throughout this story that I couldn’t even keep it to myself. Nope. I was messaging Jessica the entire time.

There’s something about Jessica’s writing style that warms my heart. She’s poetic and lyrical, using raw emotions in their most real form to bring her characters to life in front of us. And boy did I feel it.

I have always enjoyed second chance romance stories, but this one might just take the cake. It’s filled with life lessons. It’s filled with mental illness and obstacles and challenges that make it so real you’ll wonder if you know these characters in real life. The pain and the mutual pining—the need to choose themselves so they might be able to one day choose each other, but never knowing if that’ll be an option again once they let go… everything about this was absolutely beautiful and I wish I could give everyone in this story a hug.

I honest cannot wait for more and I hope you’ll pick this one up. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.

“Time is a miracle. It shows you what you had, and sometimes it brings it back to you. Different. Better.”

Read if you like:
- Second chance romance
- Finding yourself
- Mental illness representation: anxiety + abandonment issues
- Catastrophe weddings
- Forced proximity
- Only one bed
- Mutual pining
- It’s always been you
- Childhood best friends
- Nicknames

Thanks to Berkley Romance for the ARC!

YOU, WITH A VIEW was one of my absolute favorite books of 2023, so I know THE EX VOWS was going to be spectacular, but honestly I couldn't even fathom it. Jessica Joyce is just such an artist and writes so more than just an average romance book. It's the little, mega relatable moments (wondering which friend to text that could have time for your emotional breakdown, having a mindset that you're "too much" and not wanting to be a burden on others), the longing and nostalgia in the thoughts and conversations, and the reality of the inherent messiness, but beauty in relationships. I read this slowly and savored it, and I'm so glad I did. I also needed tissues for eye leakage in the entire last 30% of the book. It was wonderful. Read it.

A tender and heartwarming story of childhood friends who discover that the best love is one that’s build on friendship. A relationship that’s built to last must withstand being able to be brutally honest.

In a world of lists what will happen when Georgia needs to “wing it” and pick up the pieces at the last minute for her best friends wedding?

Will Eli Mora be able to prove he’s a changed man? Will he finally tell Georgia the truth about what happened, what he’s been up to, and that his feelings for her…

Love is messy, friendships are always tested, and lists are meant to be flexible.

A spicy story filled with hope that love always win!

**Many thanks to Berkley and Jessica Joyce for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Georgia Woodward figured that Eli Mora was finally in the rear-view mirror for good...after 5 YEARS of carefully putting the pieces of her life back together after a heart-wrenching breakup. Sure, the two had a passionate relationship and a very deep bond, but there's a REASON they broke up. Keeping a sense of harmony between them is especially important because they share more than just a romantic past: they STILL share a friend group. Being the type A list maker that she is, Georgia finds that one of the best ways to keep the peace is to hold fast to a set of rules she has developed to be followed at all times (and all costs) when interacting in any way shape or form with Eli...and so far, her type-A tendencies have paid off.

But when their mutual friend Adam (unsurprisingly) makes the pair a central part of his wedding, all bets are off. As co best man and best woman, Eli and Georgia once again not only need to be in close proximity, but have their own individual lists of wedding tasks to complete to bring the big day to fruition. And when the wedding venue literally burns to the ground...the task of pulling off the wedding takes a quick jump from big to monumental...and the clock is ticking. There's cake tasting to be done, a new DJ to book, and oh yeah...finding a new LOCATION in short order in glamorous Napa Valley. Though Georgia had sworn their story was over, the more time she is forced to spend with Eli, the more time she finds herself WANTING to spend with him...and all of those rules suddenly seem not only limiting, but worth revisiting. But does this new and improved Eli feel the same? Will all of the romance swirling in the air be enough to reconnect these two former loves? Or, like the wedding venue itself, will what's left of their friendship BURST into flames?

This is one of those stories that sounded a bit simplistic in terms of premise, but being a fan of Napa Valley (although I haven't been yet, I've had many a glass of Napa Valley wine...does that count?), a true second chance romance with friends to lovers at its core, and a wedding story to boot, The Ex Vows seemed to have all of the components to be a light, breezy, and yet still emotionally charged summer romance. Throw in an MC with the same last name as me (!), who's a Type A list queen to boot and it seemed like I just couldn't miss.

But not only was this the end of any similarities between the MC and myself...because try as I might (for almost 400 PAGES!) I just couldn't understand WHY these two broke up in the first place!

Take our aforementioned MC, Georgia. Despite being described as sort of a fastidious rule-follower, we hardly even get a sense of what these rules are...nor are they as important to the plot as the blurb (or the title of the book!) would imply. Georgia's biggest issue is simply asserting herself...and to be honest, also her standards. She seemed to be ready to sell her soul to be with Eli back when they were first together...but allowed him to pick his job over her and that was reason enough to break up the relationship? (Have these two ever HEARD of long distance?) And not to give anything away, but Georgia is not exactly 'married' to the area she lives in currently, to put it mildly...and she is presented as quite a catch at her current place of employment...which also begs the question, why didn't SHE just move to be with Eli?

And therein lies the rub with this particular romance: the conflicts....weren't really conflicts. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine in the genre, and perhaps the one factor that makes it so hard for me to buy in to scenarios like these. The biggest 'obstacles' these two overcame together were ALL wedding and venue related (don't expect to get to know too much about the betrothed couple or any of their friends...they are only mentioned sporadically and with no clear character development) and it didn't make it quite as satisfying in terms of a second chance romance when I couldn't understand why they both let a JOB come in between their first chance. There was no overly dramatic third act conflict (at least not one I deem memorable a week later!) and nothing really standing in the way besides jobs and a bit of geography. I realize these two factors may seem like an easy deal breaker in your twenties, but as someone who chose to move along with my boyfriend (and now husband) for work, I found it very hard to relate. And no, the job opportunity in this book wasn't even some sort of overseas, once in a lifetime opportunity....trust me when I say you'll probably be shaking your head a bit too.

And what could have sparked SUCH a dramatic change in the other half of this power couple? What could have possibly made Eli SUCH a changed man between the past and present of this book?

Well, it all comes down to what I (unfortunately) deem to be Eli's character-defining trait:

...He went to THERAPY.

Joyce mentions this not once, not twice, but at LEAST three times (it may have been more) and there are long passages of Georgia fawning over what a huge difference these sessions have made (apparently) although it's never REALLY revealed why his character needed therapy so much in the first place. The way she puts so much weight on going to therapy alone was completely bizarre: it's one thing to go to sessions and another thing to IMPLEMENT the changes in your life, and none of that was explicated here. Eli didn't seem to be buried in trauma in the flashbacks presented, wasn't abusive (verbally or emotionally) and if anything, perhaps just needed to be more vocal or insistent at times (?) which doesn't really justify in MY mind all of this life-altering therapy. I think that rather than having moony passage after moony passage at the end between the two lovebirds, Joyce could have used this bit of information as a springboard to make Eli a much more complex character and delved into his psyche a bit more...but this was yet ANOTHER missed opportunity.

I also learned after reading that Joyce is a bit of a Swiftie and I think this book in general lends itself MUCH more to Gen Z than the Millennial set. (Although I believe I am TECHNICALLY an elder millennial...but let's put that aside) I have read from other reviewers that there are references aplenty but since I am not a Swiftie myself, I'm pretty sure I missed all of them. What I DID notice (and not sure if this is related) is many a reference to Georgia's desire for a 'messy' love...and the only place I've heard this phrase recently is the current season of the Bachelorette. (Yup, I'll admit it - Bachelor Nation right here!) I'm not sure if this is a chicken or the egg situation, but all I know? It just made me feel OLD. I can't imagine describing my relationship with my husband as being 'messy' in a good way...yet another reason I think this one is aimed at a SLIGHTLY younger (and subsequently inherently messy) set. An honest love? Sure. But to me 'messy' implies drama, cheating, or the like...and I'm PRETTY sure that's not actually what Joyce (or her MC) meant. (At least, we can hope so!)

And although one of the grand romantic gestures in this one contains one character giving another a plethora of paper rings, I think perhaps one diamond STILL might have been the easier way to go.

(I mean...talk about a BEST friend!)

3.5 stars

How can a book that is packaged in such a cute, romantic way in truth be a story that will rip my heart out and put it back together again with a little kiss on the forehead?
The Ex Vows was one of the greatest love stories I've ever read in so many ways. Georgia and Eli know each other in ways that not many people will ever know: as children, as each other's first loves, as exes, and as secret lovers. The journey we go on with these characters is one I will carry with me forever and I can't wait to share a story so close to my heart with others.
I also hope people can learn and resonate with Georgia and Eli's personal struggles they overcome throughout the book. I think Jessica did an excellent job of highlighting how childhood traumas can impact romantic relationships as well as encouragement to overcome those thoughts. I also appreciated her handling of anxiety and panic attacks through Eli's character.
This book was beautifully human and I fell in love with every single character that was introduced in the story. Every character felt real and that I could go drive down to Napa and hang out at Blue Yonder with them.
One of the best romances, and books, I have ever read!

I really enjoyed this book, however, fear I have an unpopular opinion in that I didn’t absolutely love it.

What I enjoyed: the setting, the friendship, and Eli as a character.

What I didn’t love: with the single POV and constant inner monologue the book felt very slow and I found myself getting bored.

This was completely lovely, I inhaled it, how long do I need to wait for another Jessica Joyce book?

I thoroughly enjoyed this second chance romance. Eli and Georgia were a great couple, and Eli just seemed dreamy. The first half or so was a little slow, but the last quarter of the book was so good!!!!! I loved the meaning behind all the paper rings. Great read!!

*Thank you partner @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted e-galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

The Ex Vows is a second chance romance. Georgia and Eli met at 15, became friends then best friends then dated in college and moved in together. Until they broke up, 5 years ago and since then they’ve faked being friendly whenever they had to meet again for their common friends’ benefit. But they aren’t friendly, and Georgia has a to do list of how to behave and what to do and not do in his presence because it’s intoxicating, and she’s shoved the feelings down for 5 years and plans on keeping it just that way. Until it’s their best friend’s wedding and things are not going as planned and the two of them are suddenly in charge of fixing things. Together.

From very early in the book, I just knew Georgia and Eli were going to give me all the feelings. There is a lot of confusion, and hope, and fear. It was very clear that they were the right person for each other and they just needed to find themselves again at the right time. The love Georgia has for him is overwhelming her but you can also feel how hurt she has been and she still is, and how afraid she is of letting herself fall and getting hurt again. But at the same time, Eli is carefully trying all along to make things right and you know he desperately loves her just as much.