In “The Ex Vows”, estranged ex-lovers Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora find themselves thrust back together to salvage their best friend Adam’s wedding, which is teetering on the edge of disaster. Georgia, a meticulous planner who lives by her lists, must navigate the chaos alongside Eli, who arrives with a newfound sense of spontaneity. As they tackle mishaps ranging from venue fires to failed cake tastings, their old spark reignites. Amidst the wedding planning mayhem, Georgia begins to see Eli in a new light, questioning whether breaking her own rules could lead to a fresh start and a rekindled romance. San Francisco Book Review talked with Bay Area local author Jessica Joyce about her writing process and how “The Ex Vows” came to be.

 

1. What inspired you to write “THE EX VOWS”?

I wrote a different version of it back in 2021, which may as well be eighty years ago in that I don’t recall the exact spark of the idea. The previous version took place during the wedding week of their best friend, but pretty much everything else has changed. When I was reimagining it, I loved the built-in tension of Georgia and Eli existing in the same space during a wedding, because what’s more painful than being with your ex while someone else is getting their happily ever after? There was something inherently delicious about pairing the second chance trope with an event that’s all about love and forever and togetherness. It kind of took off from there!

 

2. How did you develop the characters and their relationships in “THE EX VOWS”?

A lot of that happened while I was drafting, as it always does. I knew that I wanted Georgia to be a people pleaser who was at a crossroads in her life, and someone who had a real fear of showing her messier emotions. From there I thought about who I needed the people around her to be in order to expose the lie that she told herself (“If I’m not perfect and useful, people will leave me”). For me, it’s always most important that the love interest conflict with that lie in some way, so I really built Eli’s personality around Georgia, and did the same with the secondary cast of friends. Georgia needed people who were going to show up for her no matter what, so a lot of those emotional beats were about planting seeds to almost tell her “See? Eli (or whomever) isn’t running away in this moment.” That naturally helped me build who they were as people—Eli being super open with his emotions because Georgia couldn’t be, both of them being incredibly loyal, etc.

 

3. Is there any crossover in this book from your other book “YOU, WITH A VIEW”?

Every book I write is a standalone, but my characters are always tied by an invisible string somehow. I just love the idea that we’re all connected through wild and wonderful ways, so you get to see a little glimpse of Noelle and Theo in The Ex Vows!

 

4. “THE EX VOWS” is based in Napa Valley, California and hints at other Northern California areas. How does living in the Bay Area influence your writing when it comes to writing about these areas?

I think because the way I write is very visual, it’s important for me to immerse myself in whatever setting I’m writing about in some way. I imagine at some point I’ll leave the Bay Area fictionally and will have to settle for YouTube videos or something, but I love that I can visit a place and really imagine my characters living in that space, and then go home and write it. There’s also just so many different types of absolutely beautiful settings in this area: you have the coast and the mountains and tree-stuffed hills and flatter, drier land all within a very accessible drive. The inspiration comes really easily here. And finally, I don’t see as much representation of the Bay Area in books and I want there to be more!

 

5. Romance is an ever-growing genre and has gained major popularity the last few years. How does “THE EX VOWS” differ from other romance novels?

Romance readers are so wonderfully loyal because there are expectations that a romance novel hits every time: people are going to fall in love and they’re going to get a happily ever after. There’s so much comfort in this genre, which I think we need more than ever! I wanted to make sure The Ex Vows really leaned into the elements of all the romance novels I love most: it’s deeply emotional with relatable character arcs, focuses on finding acceptance in who you are just as you are, and shows the transformative beauty of finding a partner who does the same.

 

6. Did you face any challenges while writing this book? If so, how did you overcome them?

There’s this thing called Book 2 Syndrome, which nearly every author will say is very real. Once your book is out in the world (or at the very least, being perceived by early readers), you suddenly have other people’s voices in your head. Your relationship with your own writing changes, and having to draft a book under those ever-evolving conditions can be really challenging when you’ve only ever really known your own voice. I had to shut out a lot of the external voices to focus on the story I wanted to tell without worrying about how it would be received.

 

7. Can you share any interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits or trivia about the writing process?

I made a couple trips up to Napa to get into the vibe of the area, and even toured a winery in Rutherford (where the fictional winery in the book, Blue Yonder, is based). I learned a ton of information about winemaking and Napa County laws—for instance, there are only a handful of wineries in Napa County that can host weddings because of an ordinance that went into effect in 1989. Blue Yonder is one of the wineries that got grandfathered in to be able to continue to host weddings. It’s so interesting learning real life information like this and braiding it into fictional situations.

I also spent a weekend at a B&B in Napa and wrote chapters 30 and 31. They’re so pivotal to Georgia and Eli’s relationship that I felt like I actually had to be there to make it happen, and it worked!

 

8. Is there a particular scene or chapter in the book that holds special significance to you? If so, can you tell us about it?

There’s one chapter where Georgia is gathered with Eli and their friends, Adam and Jamie, and finally has this moment of full emotional vulnerability. It was actually really emotional to write, because I think we all want to stand in front of people we love, be seen in a messy moment, and not just be accepted for it but completely embraced. That’s what happens in this scene and it was cathartic for both Georgia and me!

 

9. How do you approach creating realistic dialogue between characters?

So much of my dialogue happens as a very fast back-and-forth in my head! Often I feel like I’m just transcribing, not coming up with it myself, which is a really wild experience. For me, it’s important to let dialogue flow that way, though, because it sounds more natural. I also allow myself room for letting my characters say things like “like” sometimes, because that’s often how we talk in real life. Basically, I just try to mimic how something would sound if I were talking to someone else.

 

10. Are there any particular literary influences that inspired your writing style or storytelling in this book?

I feel like generally I’m an amalgamation of all the authors I look up to and the books I really deeply love. I remember reading Laura Dave’s Eight Hundred Grapes years ago and thinking, “wow, I’d love to write a book set in wine country” because it was just so immersive and that setting is naturally very romantic. Writing style-wise, I tried to stay in the same wheelhouse as You, with a View, where it was really emotion-led storytelling.

 

11. How do you balance the elements of romance and conflict in “THE EX VOWS”?

I think the romance naturally comes with conflict in a romance novel—an argument can lead to a love declaration, for instance. And with second chance in particular, there was a baked-in conflict where Georgia didn’t want to want Eli, because they’d already broken each other’s hearts once. That emotional push and pull folded pretty effortlessly into the romance.

 

12. Can you describe your typical writing routine or habits while working on this book?

A lot of it is writing chaotic notes to myself, either on my Notes app or (very randomly) as an email to myself. I’m often not in front of a computer, and my brain loves to come up with ideas or dialogue or internal narration when I’m, say, in the middle of the shampoo aisle in Target. Usually when I’m sitting down to actively write, half of it is me staring off into space thinking about what I want to say next, followed by bursts of activity, followed by pacing and staring off into space. I repeat until my writing goal for the day is met!

 

13. What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are working on writing a romance novel?

Write the book you would want to read! Be indulgent with it—put in your favorite types of moments in the romance books you’ve read, add in your favorite tropes, do whatever you need to do in order to make sure you love it. Also, read tons of romance books to understand the market (and also just to read amazing books) and make sure, whatever you do, that your story ends with an HEA 😉

 

14. Are there any plans for sequels or related works to “THE EX VOWS”?

I’ll never say never!

 

15. Finally, what do you hope readers will feel or experience when they turn the last page of “THE EX VOWS”?

I hope they feel like they’ve met their new favorite comfort book.

 

About Jessica Joyce:

Jessica Joyce lives happily-ever-ongoing with her husband and son in the Bay Area. When she’s not writing character-driven, realistic and relatable tales of millennials who are just Doing Their Best while falling in love, you can find her listening to one of her dozens of chaotically curated Spotify playlists, trying out a new skincare face mask, crying over cute animal TikToks, or watching the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice. Learn more online at www.jessicajoycebooks.com.