The Ex Vows | By Jessica Joyce
Book Review | Contemporary Romance
My thoughts
Narrative and Plot
The Ex Vows is a second-chance romance told from Georgia’s point of view. The storytelling is immersive right from the start—you just know it’s going to be good. The pacing, the writing style, the flow of words—it all works seamlessly. Not to make direct comparisons, but in terms of poetic language and emotional resonance, reading The Ex Vows felt as delightful as diving into a book by Emily Henry or Ashley Poston.
The plot is strong and engaging. However, toward the end, the story starts to meander slightly, circling the same conflict. While I understand the importance of that emotional beat, it felt like it lingered just a bit too long.
Characters and Conflicts
This is a character-driven story through and through. Georgia and Eli are incredibly well-developed—they feel real, with a dynamic that isn’t just a picture-perfect fairytale. It’s messy, raw, and all the more authentic because of it.
The Ex Vows tackles mental health with sincerity, exploring how our own insecurities can create hurdles in relationships. Georgia and Eli are different people the second time around, and that growth makes you want to root for them even more.
Surprisingly, the ensemble cast didn’t leave much of an impression. Normally, in a romance, the side characters help enrich the world, but here they felt more like background noise. Adam expecting Georgia to drop everything for him, despite knowing who she is, felt unrealistic and overly demanding. That’s not how adult friendships function—at least not in my world. The emotional history with the side characters didn’t carry the same weight as Georgia and Eli’s story.
Conclusion
Overall, I loved the experience of reading The Ex Vows. This book has set a standard for second chance romances and I am here for it. It is visceral, passionate, messy , imperfect and real. If thats the kind of romance you want to read, go for it.
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