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!

Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friends wedding after a string of disasters. Georgia and Eli broke up on bad terms but they can’t let this affect their best friend Adam’s, wedding. However with them working together to save the day they start recognising each other for who they fell in love with! 💗

This book is cute, flirty and funny with such likeable characters which made me fly through this book! 👏

I was rooting for Georgia and Eli’s second chance romance even though it was predictable but their love for each other was so prominent it had to end that way! 🥰

I did enjoy Jessica Joyce’s writing so I need to add and read You With A View to my tbr!👀

The Ex Vows is out in the UK on the 18th July so start preordering now! 🙌

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this digital advanced copy! 💕

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 !!

DNF 16% in.

Thank you to Penguin and netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I was really excited for this one and I can’t explain fully how disappointed I am in this book. I did like the writing and I may give this author a second chance but I can’t get past the fmc and love interest lying to their best friend for 5 years. I had been seeing nothing but fantastic things about this book and it even has a 4.5 average on goodreads so I was expecting to love it.

The FMC and love interest broke up 5 years prior to the main timeline and since then have lied to their best friend about how the break up was. The best friend believes that they are still friendly and it wasn’t a horrible break up when that isn’t the case. The FMC and Love interest the best woman and best man for their best friend’s wedding and have to work together and pretend to be friendly during the time leading up to the wedding which is easier said than done. They are having to combat what seems to be a curse on this wedding and make sure their best friend still gets the wedding he deserves.

My biggest issue with this book is how dishonest the fmc and love interest are with Adam the best friend. We even see Adam point blank ask Georgia, the fmc, if there was any problems between her and Eli, the eventual love interest and ex. He heard that she was seeing getting drunk and crying at a mutual friend’s wedding a few months prior to the book and she point blank lies to him and says everything is fine. What was the real kiss of dnf for me was when Adam says “I hate secrets.” before telling them that his fiance is pregnant. I personally can’t imagine not telling my best friend something for 5 years. I get they didn’t want to damage the friendship but I personally think lying for 5 years does more damage than being honest about it being messy. Yes it wouldn’t have been right to say something at that moment but that is truly on them for hiding it for a half a decade.

I really enjoyed this second chance romance. I loved the cast of characters -I related to Georgia (FMC) the most especially with her struggles and need for lists. I loved the idea of the paper rings and their secret meaning. It has actually inspired me to open up more to my husband about our relationship too -especially when we hit hard/difficult times. I liked the author’s writing style and thought the book was well written and easy to follow. There’s humour along with sweet & spicy moments that lighten some of the tension and mental health struggles of the main characters. Overall, this was a great read!

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce is an ideal choice for fans of swoon-worthy and steamy second-chance romances. This heartwarming and humorous tale beautifully captures the essence of rekindled love, friendship, and the joy of a meticulously planned wedding. With a delightful emphasis on charming meet-cutes, heartfelt romance, and the exhilaration of a second shot at love, this book earns a well-deserved 4.5 stars.

I kind of wasn’t expecting this book to make me ache in the most satisfying and gorgeous way.

Joyce has such a gorgeous style of writing that draws you and makes you feel everything right there along with Georgia. The way that her relationship ebbed and flowed with Eli was stunning. It was so achingly beautiful throughout and so wonderful to read Georgia come into herself and find her footing more and more.

Eli was such an interesting character and learning more about him as Georgia did. And the paper rings! That was around about the time I lost it because it was so beautiful and really showed the depth of just how well Eli knew Georgia.

I also really liked that the main star of the show ended up being communication. There was a lot of that and it was very sexy.

To start this review, I want to preface that this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I absolutely LOVED this author’s debut novel ‘You, with a View’ so naturally I was really looking forward to reading this. When initially reading the blurb, it reminded me of ‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry and was slightly worried that it would be similar. Fortunately, they are distinctly different, and while I did enjoy ‘The Ex-Vows’ I didn’t find myself connecting with the story the way I thought I would. I did like the writing style (I knew I would because of the first book) and it also has one of my all-time favourite tropes which is second-chance romance. It did seem like the breakup between our two main characters, Georgia and Eli, could’ve been avoided with a simple conversation. Maybe if the breakup time had been a few months rather than years it would’ve been more realistic…That being said I did like the personalities of both the main characters, especially Georgia. She kept her emotions to herself, putting the needs of people she’s closest to above her own, which I found myself relating to. I also enjoyed the growth that Eli and Georgia had as a couple especially when Eli would be the only one to see how she was actually feeling behind those fake smiles. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to others…thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy.

When Georgia's and Eli's best friend's wedding turns into a disaster, they are thrown together to fix the situation...

The only problem is, they used to be a couple.
The tension is simmering and it's pretty clear there are a LOT of unresolved feelings. And oooooh the mutual pining!

Both Georgia and Eli are relatable, beautifully written characters and the feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and loss of a relationship are dealt with perfectly.
It's easy to make one-half of a couple to blame in 2nd chance stories, but in this book, you can emphasize with both sides of the story, which makes it feel so much more real. Life and love is messy! It takes two people to make it work.

Needless to say... I cried.
This book will break your heart — in all the right ways!

🌟 4.5/5
🌶️ 2/5
Genre: new adult romance
POV: single, first person

Tropes:
✨ second chance
✨ friends to lovers
✨ forced proximity
✨ it’s always been you

Georgia and Eli became best friends the moment they met at 15 years old. Along with Adam Kim, they were a solid trio. It was only years later when they gave into the romantic feelings they had.

Eli is a complex character riddled with career anxiety and obsessive with providing financial stability. Georgia gives more than she takes. And when Eli’s career bulldozes over their relationship, she retreats. Until one day, enough is enough. She deserves more.

5 years later and their best friend Adam is getting married, and they are the best man/woman tasked with saving a cursed wedding.

Eli is different, something has shifted in his mindset. He’s back to make amends. Oh and he’s quit the job that forced Georgia to break up with him.

The story is a beautiful second chance romance. It discusses anxiety so well. As well as highlighting the realities of love. It’s messy. Complicated. But it’s the people who want to love you through the highs and lows that are the special ones.

It made me cry in the last 20%. If your love language is words of affirmation you will love it 😭❤️

Another beautiful story by Jessica Joyce!