A mildly spoilery review of Jessica Joyce’s second contemporary romance novel
Well, hello there! What did I miss? Oh, almost the entire summer season? Silly me.
In all seriousness, I’m sorry for the lack of updates over the last… *checks calendar* twelve weeks?? Wow, that’s… that’s three months, holy cannoli. I have a routine when the kiddos are in school, and apparently when school’s out, my routine goes out the window!
Okay, moving on, or I’m going to let that stick with me and I’ll just stew on it.
Today I’m going to be talking to you lovely people about the latest novel from author Jessica Joyce, “The Ex Vows.” Let’s jump right into the summary!
A second chance contemporary romance, “The Ex Vows” follows our main characters, exes Georgia and Eli, as they are shoved together to help salvage their best friend Adam’s “cursed” wedding after everything seems to be going wrong. The straw that breaks the camel’s back (for good reason) is when Adam and his fiancé Grace’s wedding venue heartbreakingly burns to the ground! Now it’s up to Georgia and Eli to head up to Napa Valley and visit Adam’s family’s vineyard, where they have ten days to re-plan a whole new wedding.
Amidst all this wedding drama is the drama that unfolds between Georgia and Eli, who broke up five years ago and are still struggling with how to be around each other. It doesn’t help that their chemistry is (still) off the charts. Can these two succeed in their daunting task while navigating what they are to each other: friends, or something more?
My star rating: a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
I’m a sucker for a character who’s been yearning for the “one that got away” and dang, is there some serious yearning going on. Makes my heart give a little pitter-patter. Yes, I’m a simple gal.
There is a good amount of emotion in this book, so while there was some humorous (and over-the-top) shenanigans afoot, the meat and potatoes of the book goes to the relationships throughout the story. I’m not just talking about Georgia and Eli.
The “found family” aspect of the book is very sweet. Both Georgia and Eli don’t have a warm and fuzzy family, but their best friend Adam not only has that, but a large family that accepts and takes them in so smoothly. Georgia, the moment she met Adam when they were kids, soaks that in like a sponge. When Eli comes into town when the three of them are in high school, Georgia and Adam bring him into the fold and they’ve been inseparable ever since. “The Three Musketeers,” if you will.
Georgia and Eli have had chemistry since the moment they met, but they stayed friends for years before they finally got together in college. A lot of the choices they made when it comes to their relationship (pre- and post-breakup) have had Adam in the center. They don’t want to upset him, they don’t want him to be angry with them for any reason, they don’t want him to leave them. It’s truly a heartbreaking thing to see; it seems like deep down they’re afraid Adam is going to rescind his friendship with them, and by association, his family.
This is a big driving point for Georgia and Eli. It’s why they volunteer to do anything they can to fix the disaster that is Adam and Grace’s wedding. Georgia feels like she owes Adam so much, so she’s doing everything she can to be a solid pillar for him to lean on. And lean on her he does. Eli has missed so many events (including Adam’s bachelor party) due to his demanding job, so he feels like he needs to make up for his past mistakes and prove to Adam he can trust him.
This all culminates to the end, where the problems with Georgia and Eli’s relationship in the past comes out: abandonment, loneliness, choosing career over relationship. However, the moment Eli came back home to help with the wedding, he had another motive: win Georgia back, no matter what.
I really loved how the story progressed. It never felt slow for me, the chemistry between Georgia and Eli is off the charts, and the end was so sweet and kind. I teared up a little bit! I love moments that show a person that yes, not only does this man love you now, but he’s loved you for years. Not only has Eli been in love with Georgia since the moment he met her, but he had proof of this. And they were in the form of lists, Georgia’s love language! Ugh, be still my heart.
A sweet, warm, heartbreaking at times book with characters I greatly enjoyed. The feeling of home at the vineyard for Georgia and Eli was so strong to me; you just knew how much that place meant to them. A fast read I gladly devoured.
Have you read “The Ex Vows” yet? Loved it? Hated it? On your TBR? Let me know down in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! I’ll also do my best to not randomly disappear for three months. The kids are going back to school soon, so that will help with me getting back in my routine.
As always, until next time my lovelies!
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