I like it very much! Jessica Joyce’s writing is as good as her previous book, if not better (I’m biased because I love “you, with a view”).

I’m not usually a big fan of second-chance romance, although she gave a very good and plausible explanation of how they have broken up in the past. Something I missed in this book, and many others with similar plots, is that when the exes interact past the breakup, they seem to miss the sex more than the person. Georgia talks a lot about the sizzling sexual chemistry between them (which is really well done BTW) but I think it lacked her mentioning what else she missed. She loves him, so I want to know the small things he used to do, the gestures, the caring, what else did she miss apart from his great body and their amazing sex? I think the “I still love you” was missing but the “I still fancy you” was very much present.
Nevertheless, the book is really good. Eli is so swoony! He is one of the best male main characters! I love their forced proximity and how they went from “this is awkward” to “we are a team”! The plot is great, I love it when the main characters are going on an adventure, in this case, helping to save their friends' wedding. Also, in a second-chance romance, I love it when the author gives us a glimpse of how they fell in love for the first time. Overall, I do recommend this book, I was very much into the story. I'll definitely read everything Jessica writes in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley UK and Penguin for sending me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is it dramatic to say I will never get over Eli and Georgia? Maybe but it's how i'm feeling right now. I am a sucker for a good second chance romance and this one is right up there among the best I have read. Their problems and the reasons they were apart were just so real and I just wanted the absolute best for both of them. They're flawed characters, done right and we see them grow as the story goes on. I loved the fact they were working together to save the cursed wedding and all their little escapades and dare i say it scrapes they got into....A particularly favourite scene was when the ceiling fell on Eli and of course he had to go to georgia.........lol one bed trope!
Highly recommend"

This book had from the beginning. As a huge fan of You, With a View, I was highly anticipating this title! It did not disappoint! I am a huge sucker for second chance romances, especially where they have never gotten over each other. The amount of pining and emotions left over in these two was sheer perfection.

A sweet, sexy and emotional second chance romance

Despite breaking up five years ago, childhood friends Georgia and Eli have to work together to save their mutual best friend, Adam's wedding. Will they remember the good times, or will it make their already tense 'friendship' even worse?

I adored Jessica Joyce's first book You, with a View, and this one was just as good, if not better! I just love her beautiful writing, and stayed up too late inhaling this book like some kind of manic creature! Second chance romances don't always work for me, but this one was just done so well. It grabbed me by the heart and didn't let go until after that sweet epilogue.

I loved both Georgia and Eli and desperately rooted for them to find their way back together! Georgia, with her lists spoke to me, I live by my lists too! Eli's anxiety also rang true, as I have panic attacks or general anxiety sometimes. I was obsessed reading about their past, their flaws, their love and their growth 💛 I do remember (vaguely) my twenties, and everything changing, as friends moved away, settled down and it became harder to find time for each other, so empathised with Georgia there, especially because her friends were more like her chosen family.

Speaking of friends, their friends Adam, Grace, Jamie and their relatives were just awesome!

I can't adequately describe this book, I can only say how it made me feel, and it made me all the feelings! It was romantic, cute, messy, full of banter and great chemistry. The two leads had a deep connection. The wedding venue, Blue Yonder sounds amazing, I wish it were real!

I got flashes of Emily Henry and Taylor Swift in the writing, I am genuinely gutted that I've finished it!

Date Read and Reviewed: July 18, 2024
Release Date: July 18, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️

°

This is my first time reading from this author and I just realised I have one of their other books in my tbr for a while now so I definitely will be picking that one soon and will be eyeing for the new books 🫶

The Ex Vows was a captivating and emotional romance novel. I really felt Georgia's abandonment and Eli's anxiety issues, and honestly, I don't want anyone to suffer these because it is indeed hard. There would be a sense of unconscious self sabotaging that would make the already felt or mental state worse than already is, and something like this is not something easy to be resolved.

With that being said, I obviously love Georgia and Eli 🤚🏽

The building of their second chance was well done. I enjoy their character growth and navigation to open up to each other once again. There's also some pinning here or just Eli gravitating towards Georgia– it was delicious 🤌🏽 I love them both.

Other than that, I also love the circle of friends these two have. They are so supportive and at the same time look out for each other's well-being. I really appreciate the relationship and the interaction the characters had.

The writing is well done as well. It was captivating as what I have said already. There's just parts that I felt were too slow for my liking. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book. This was a balance of wholesome, emotional, or angsty at times.

I would also like to mention how GOOD THE LOVE SCENE here is 🤌🏽 IT WAS SO WELL WRITTEN I HAD TO REREAD IT AGAIN 🤚🏽

Overall, I need you all to read this romance novel. You won't regret it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 🫶

Things to note in this story:
➵childhood friends to lovers to strangers (exes) to friends (kind of) to lovers 🫶
➵second chance romance
➵wonderful set of characters ✨️
➵representation of anxiety and abandonment issues
➵work stress📍
➵forced proximity 👌
➵well written love scene 🌶🌶🌶


Thank you so much, Berkley Romance, for the e-arc via Netgalley 🩷

Oh how I love second chance romances!

Jessica Joyce’s debut, You With a View, was one of my favourite books of 2023 so when I found out she was writing a second chance romance I got proper excited and let me tell you, she did not disappoint. This was such an amazing book! I’m obsessed with it!!

I loved Eli and Georgia and seeing them reconnect after years apart. 5 years after their breakup, there was still a world feelings between them, mainly love, but also a lot heartbreak and longing (SO MUCH longing!) Seeing them come to terms with this as they were forced to spend time together and work as a team and find their happy ending was beautiful. Their banter was so fun and their genuine connect couldn’t have been clearer.

I also really enjoyed their character development and the way they opened up to each other and let the other see what they thought were the worst parts of them. There’s something so beautiful about the familiarity that comes with the second chance trope, the knowing someone so deeply, deep down, yet having missed some of the changes that inevitably happened throughout the years.

Another highlight of this book for me was the friendship group and their dynamic. They all loved and supported each other so much and it was heartwarming to see it. I think the big changes caused by big life events and growing older (and the feelings that come with it) were incredibly relatable as someone who can struggle with these things, seeing Georgia open up about her feelings and receiving nothing but love and reassurance in return brought me to tears. I saw a lot of myself in Georgia (and Eli as well, at times), which made this reading book even more special.

In short, Jessica Joyce has written yet another amazing book and if you’re a chance of second chance, angsty romances and the forced proximity trope, you need to add this book to your TBR!

4 stars
i really enjoyed this one, jessica joyce i love you for writing this. i don't really enjoy this trope but this book was something special. eli was such a green flag. i, for some reason hated adam but its ok (a me thing prollYY)

5 stars
Content warnings: emotional abandonment from a young age, anxiety and panic attacks
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

This book was exactly what I expected from the synopsis. So often books these days aren't fulfilling expectations set from the marketed content, and it was a relief to sink into this beautifully orchestrated emotional romance. I loved everything about this, even with the miscommunication trope in place, because it was executed well without ruining the storyline trajectory.

I appreciated the author's decision to build the world using flashbacks. Having the knowledge of Georgia and Eli's past as friends before becoming lovers and then exes, and how they interacted with Adam, their best friend, from the beginning really elevated this read for me. It helped the reader to see why it was hard for Georgia and Eli to be in forced proximity for the week before Adam's wedding, and why they fell into using physical connection first since it was clear their bodies knew each other so well. I loved that they explored so much in such a short time without losing who they were now after their messy and hurtful breakup. It felt relatable and believable that they could fall into a new routine whilst processing old hurts and big feelings together. And it was handled so healthily that I could hug the author. Adding Eli's anxiety and subsequent therapy sessions indicated that he was here for good reasons to shake up Georgia's life. And I liked that she wasn't expected to just accept it, and still had to process her own feelings and choose the way she needed to live her life after the wedding was over. It's all handled so well, even with big proclamations and hasty outbursts, but that's what made both characters feel real to me. I love these types of romances where you can clearly see characters maturely responding to the other, and growing from their joined trauma.

It was easy to see why the author added the spicier moments at each point in this book, and the tension was superb. The reader can easily tell they're both still in love, and while this is told from Georgia's narrative, Eli feels well-formed as a main protagonist, and I love that we can see his thoughts and feelings so clearly even when Georgia might not wish to. The ending revelation over a seemingly mindless habit of Eli's was complete perfection, and I would like to sign up for an Eli Mora of my own now.

I cannot wait to read more from this author, because if it's anything like this book, I know I'm going to have a wonderful time exploring more of her stories.

I have NEVER given an arc 5 stars but this didn’t feel like an arc. It was SO SO good. I found myself savouring it and not wanting to speed through it because I was in so deep. The descriptions of how Georgia felt about Eli and the way in which they loved each other was everything. This broke me and healed me in each sitting and I SIMPLY CANNOT COPE with the rings. Obsessed.

This is the second book I have read from Jessica Joyce and it was a privilege to receive this book as an ARC!

Georgia and Eli were an item. However, they parted their own ways when Eli moved to New York and Georgia remained in San Francisco. Now Eli had returned back to the California, to attend their friend, Adam's wedding to Grace and they were assigned to arrange Adam's wedding in Napa Valley. As they reluctantly try to work together, they couldn't help but feel the chemistry between the two and soon, their love starts blossoming again. But the problem--Eli had resigned his job in New York and wanted to move back to California but Georgia is moving to Seattle for her promotion.

I feel this is better than her debut book, You with a View, which I enjoyed so much and which I couldn't put the book down. There were some spicy scenes in the book and there were some funny parts in the book as well. I also like the diversity in the book as well. Not only that, I do like the chemistry between Georgia and Eli and really wanted them to be together. The descriptions of the places were felt like I was also there at the place, not to mention that while reading the book, I felt like I was a part of the story too. I also liked the ending really well.

Overall, if you haven't read her second book, then try this one out--a funny romance novel that will give you a rollercoaster ride--worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Dedication: "For past me, who didn't give up, and for future me, who will look back on all of this and be so proud."

Favorite quotes :
~ "Time is a miracle. It shows you what you had, and sometimes it brings it back to you. different. Better."
~ "It is a truth universally acknowledged that people who use the phrase "no offense, but" are the most offensive people on the planet."

This book is probably one of my favorite reads of the year, and one of my favorite romance of all time.
It's my first novel by Jessica Joyce. I was excited to discover her work and tbh, had a lot of exceptations. The bar was sky-high tbh after all the hype surrounding You, With a View last year. And boy did she live up to it. This book was everything. It is now my life, my entire personality and my time reading this book is already a core memory (yes the whole 24 hours it took thank you very much).

I read this book during a difficult day, when I was so stressed out and anxious I needed an outlet. I poured everything, all my emotions into this book and it carried me to the other side.
I swooned, I laughed so hard, and cried just as much.

Eli and Georgia. Eli and Peach.
Eli, and his need for stability in his life and financial safety. His ability to love so hard, to be THE most romantic man out there and the swooniest.
Georgia. Her vulnerability, her difficulty to lean on her friends, her feelings of being to much and expecting too much from others ; but also her fierce love, how she moves heavens and earth for the people she cares about, and her lists (obviously).
Together, they form the most beautiful and authentic couple I've read about. Witnessing their journey back to one another felt like a real privilege.

I see bits and pieces of myself in the two of them. Feeling seen in a book is the best thing ever. It reaches down to your soul, shaking you at your core. It was such a beautiful and profound experience.

Just now, getting back into this world, reading all the quotes I've highlighted and writing down my thoughts, I'm emotional all over again. And I already want to go back and read the whole book again. It hasn't even been a week and I already miss Eli and Georgia so hard <3

This book deserves all the love. Please read it, thank you.

Read this if you love :
- second chance romance
- forced proximity
- vineyard setting
- LOTS of pining, the perfect burn and incredible spice
- the swoon
- Eli.
- hey peach

Thank you NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book on #netgalley I knew it was fate! Second chance romance has always been my favourite, not to mention that my friends (who I love very much) haven’t stoped nagging me to read Jessica Joyce ever since her debut 🤣🤣 Well I’m definitely reading it now that I’ve experienced The Ex Vows 🥰

Georgia and Eli were best friends before they were in love, and that’s what brings them back into each other’s orbit after they fell apart. Their other best friend — Adam — is getting married, and our heroes are both Adam’s best people. Georgia tries desperately to keep it together and stick to her plan of not interacting with Eli any more than she has to, but having him around almost 24/7, all gorgeous and helpful, is forming cracks in her carefully crafted facade.

The story grabbed me by the throat from the prologue and didn’t let go until the last page. The angst and the love between Georgia and Eli were palpable, and the obstacles to their relationship made me fear for their future. I could see myself in Georgia and her vulnerability that she tried so hard to hide. With Eli, it was clear that something has changed before the start of the story. I knew what it was from the beginning, but I don’t think the author was trying to hide it.

The writing is beautiful, the story unfolds as if in slow motion, focusing on characters’ reactions and thoughts. Even though the plot only spans what, a week or so? — I believed wholeheartedly that these two should be back together, because I’ve seen their past through mini flashback memories, and I’ve experienced their present where they are still so tuned into each other. They knew each other as if they never really ended.

The third act was an avalanche of emotions for me — I hurt for them, I cried with them and I kicked my feet in the air when they finally chose each other! And then out of nowhere the acknowledgements caught me by surprise 😭😭 If anyone reading this is writing and struggling (aren’t we all), Jessica has the sweetest message for you ❤️

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Oh boy, where do I start with this one. This was EMOTIONAL. Yes, capitalized. I didn’t expect to get punched in the gut time and time again.
A second chance romance is something that is very difficult to pull off in my opinion, but when an author makes it work, it’s usually going to end up as a masterpiece. I have never read a book by Jessica Joyce before, but after seeing so many raving reviews about You with a View and seeing The Ex Vows pop up on Netgalley, I knew I had to try and snag an ARC. And I am so happy that I did.

A friends to lovers story is something that I don’t usually choose to read, but in this case the focus wasn’t as much on how Eli and Georgia ended up together, it was about their own individual childhood trauma that caused their relationship to blow up. These 2 both needed A LOT of therapy, and watching them working through their trauma (especially for Georgia since it’s written in her POV) was very emotional and even cathartic at times. This book resonated with me on a very personal level and gave me all kinds of melancholic feelings. From just breaking down and crying uncontrollably to laughing just a moment later about all the antics with the ‘wedding curse’ backdrop.

The sidecharacters were all so amazing and I love how they really helped Georgia see through her issues and just want the best for her. The setting was amazing and I really felt like I could see the vineyard and cottages very clearly. I can go on and on about every little element in this book.

Thank you so much to Random House UK and Netgalley for providing an ARC.

"The Ex Vows" by Jessica Joyce is a delightful romantic comedy that captures the complexities of love and relationships with humor and heart. Joyce's writing is sharp and engaging, drawing readers into the world of the protagonists with ease. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making their journey both poignant and entertaining. The narrative balances witty banter with deeper emotional moments, creating a satisfying and well-rounded story. Overall, "The Ex Vows" is a charming and enjoyable read that will leave fans of romance novels eagerly turning the pages.

✨♾️✨

TL;DR - This is the best second-chance romance I have ever read. My favorite book of 2024 so far.

-

I wish I had this book in my 20’s, but I’m very grateful to have it in my 30’s. This book was so much fun to read, and it had me sobbing my eyes out. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted from a great romance.

If you read any romance I recommend this year, make it this one. It is as gorgeous and heart-wrenching in character as it is redefining in craft.

For this, Joyce does not rely on a dual timeline or hiding the why of the breakup from readers to build tension. We know why they broke up early on, and the tension could not have been wound any tighter throughout this story! By not relying on the standard procedure we’ve seen before Joyce got to do what she does best - give us characters with so much depth that we know them down to their marrow, as Georgia would say.

I have never read another romance that took a chance like this, narrative-wise. This made the story so much more fun to read, it zapped with tension in real time that had my heart racing, making everything come alive off the page.

So many second-chance romances hold you as the reader apart, in this Joyce wraps us up with Georgia so that we feel everything she feels as she feels it, and it is truly breathtaking.

We get to know all the friends in the present and via Georgia’s memories as she recalls them. We do not get Eli’s POV, but I loved not having it. I was squirming just like Georgia! It was delicious knowing from her POV that Eli was acting like he wanted to crack them open as she was trying so desperately to hold herself together around him.

I got to grow with them as they came back to each other. No man has ever been as steadfast as Eli Mora. I think about the way he was so focused and zeroed in on her, like he was keeping his finger on the pulse of her, all the time.

Shout out to the best friend group in a book - Adam, Grace & Jamie - I loved them all so much.

Georgia & Eli are going to be so viscerally relatable to so many of us. Yeah, this one is gonna wreck you in that great way great romance does.

Thank you @berkleypub for the ARC. Where do I send my therapy bill? 🍇🧁

This exquisite book is my read of the year. It’s just superb. It feels more like it’s been crafted than written, author Jessica has been honing and tweaking and sanding so there’s no unnecessary words or sloppy expression or needless ambiguity. I wanted to read in it in one sitting but I couldn’t because it was too intense - I couldn’t absorb Georgia’s feelings without having a break - that’s how far inside her head I felt.

This is Eli and Georgia, they met at school, had years together, and broke up five years ago. They agree to help salvage a wedding for mutual friends and this means revisiting some of their history. Their break up wasn’t either one’s fault, more that their strengths are also their biggest weaknesses. Eli’s work ethic combined with his anxiety meant that he couldn’t prioritise the relationship with Georgia. Their patterns of interaction were so ingrained that she couldn’t ask for help and he couldn’t give it. Georgia has her own issues. Was their breakup necessary? I ached for them both. There’s humour, and tenderness, and pining and so much honesty. Shoutout to therapy. It’s in Jessica’s point of view, but we get to know Eli from his actions, he’s an open book once Jessica starts to look.

Vignettes of their connection, past and present are scattered throughout - from the cake bakers, the DJ, the pool, all the mishaps, and then of course Eli’s paper rings. Each of these is a perfect moment expressing something critical that these two have shared together. This isn’t a grand saga, it all takes place over a few months, mostly in the week before that wedding. It’s a slow burn back to intimacy for these two - steamy in all the ways 🌶🌶 and in the best way - their love for each other.

I salute writers like Jessica Joyce who can put out one book a year, with this much skill 💖

Thank you so much NetGalley, Jessica Joyce and Random House UK for the ARC. It’s been a privilege and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved Jessica Joyce’s book “You, With a View”, which was in my top five books of 2023. So I was really excited about reading her next book; “The Ex Vows”.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The story centres around exes, Georgia and Eli. Who volunteer to spend a week together at a winery in Napa, sorting out the cursed wedding of their best friend Adam. Having convinced Adam that everything is fine between them, Georgia decides to follow a list of rules she’s created to enable her to work with Eli. The only problem is that spending time with him is bringing back memories of all the good times they shared together and she’s finding it harder to keep to her rules and ignore her real feelings.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I absolutely loved this romance. It’s just beautiful. Joyce writes perfectly and every word flows and hooks you into Georgia and Eli’s story. Also, the descriptions of Blue Yonder meant I could imagine the stunning winery.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Eli and Georgia were the most gorgeous characters and I was desperate for them to have their happily ever after. Through flashbacks you learn how their initial relationship started and fell apart. And how they were both left heartbroken by the failure of a relationship they thought was forever.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The other characters in the story are brilliant. I really felt for Georgia as she worried about leaving her friends behind and losing them. I’m also a sucker for mental health rep in romances and thought Joyce wrote Eli’s panic attack and use of grounding techniques accurately.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A gorgeous romance and Jessica Joyce is now on my list of auto-buy authors.

⭒ Rating: +5 stars

I absolutely loved this one!! I’ve read it twice now and the second time was just as good as the first. It was almost like I was reading it for the first time and experiencing the angst between these two all over again. It’s so good.

These two own my heart. They are literally so good together. Watching them find each other again, both in friendship and in a romantic relationship. It was beautiful seeing them work through everything. It took them a while to actually talk it out but the journey until that conversation was so cute and fun with lots of emotions behind it too.

I’ve never related more to a character, I don’t think, as I did with Georgia. I’ve never actually read a book before where they literally talked about this topic and gosh it made me feel seen and understood. It’s something I’ve always struggled with and always kind of hurts. Reading about someone struggling with those doubts and fears made me feel not so alone. It made me so emotional throughout the book but especially when the group had their moment.

And Eli, oh my god. I could not love him more. I do wish we had gotten some chapters in his pov, that would have made things even better. But then again watching Georgia realize how much he had always always loved her wouldn’t have hit as hard. It really was such a emotionally stunning journey. I seriously loved this book. The paper rings, sigh. Literally the cutest freaking thing.

Every single one of her releases makes me more and more of a Jessica Joyce fan. She’s such an incredible writer. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

♥ Tropes: destination wedding, second chance, friends to lovers, forced proximity, anxiety rep, found family,
♥ Microtropes: <spoiler> it’s always been you; golden retriever with a dirty mouth;
praise kink, she takes care of him </spoiler>

Jessica Joyce is absolutely brilliant, once again, and I’m desperate for her to write more love stories!

She has such a spectacular way with words, and I love this book with all my heart.
I’ll be thinking about Georgia & Eli for a long, long time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
This was such a beautiful second chance love story.

I was blown away with how the author seamlessly included flashbacks interwoven within the story, having old memories resurface while new ones were being made.

📖 story:
Georgia & Eli meet as teens, both taken in by their mutual best friend Adam - they’ve both been left before, and have this deep sense of not wanting to be forgotten, which continues into adulthood.

They find solace, friendship, and love in one another.
This was in the past, and in the present, they’re forced back together to help save Adam’s wedding.

Over the course of the story we see that their bond never truly left, and what broke them apart, as they revisit a place where so many of their memories were built.

🤍side characters:
The side characters in this story were phenomenal. Their mutual best friend Adam added humor, and another piece to their connection. I also loved the special relationship Georgia had with Jamie, showing how family is what you create.

tropes + topics:
💕 second chance
💍 best man + best woman (best friends’s wedding)
💙 he falls first (twice)
🧠 mental health rep (anxiety/panic attacks)
🛏️ only one bed
🔗 forced proximity
🫶🏼 found family
💜 single 1st person pov

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ Forget Me Not by Julie Soto (second chance romance, wedding setting, forced proximity)

Thank you to Random House UK & NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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This was adorable and honestly a standard to which second-chance romances should be held... if the main characters didn't think it a good idea to lie to their best friend for a five-year period!

The romance, the characters, the writing style, absolutely chef's kiss! I loved that aspect and will definitely be reading more books by Jessica Joyce in the future. But I just can't get over the fact that the main characters denied any falling out between them, even straight to their mutual best friends face. Even when he asked point-blank!
Your best friends should be someone you trust, not someone you lie to for an extended period of time.

Aside from that, loved the concept and the story. Get me more!