Author Spotlight: Jessica Joyce

A few months ago, I bought a ticket to meet B.K. Borison in conversation with Jessica Joyce and Joss Richard. B.K. Borrison is one of my favorite romance authors, so I was excited when I successfully purchased my ticket. I had not heard of the other two authors, but I decided to familiarize myself with their work. While I was unable to obtain a copy of Joss Richard's It's Different This Time, I managed to check out Jessica Joyce's novels, You, With a View and The Ex-Vows, from my public library.

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You, With a View

Noelle Shepard is mourning the loss of her grandmother. She discovers an old photo and a love letter in her grandmother's belongings. She decides to create and post a video of her findings on TikTok, hoping to identify the mystery man. She receives a helpful tip and decides to meet the mystery man in person, only to discover that his grandson is her former high school rival, Theo Spencer.

When she meets Paul, her grandmother's mystery man, Noelle discovers a map of her grandmother and Paul's "Honeymoon Road Trip." When their plans to wed are thwarted, Noelle decides to embark on their honeymoon road trip, accompanied by Paul and Theo. The road trip manages to bring these two rivals closer, while also granting Noelle closure of her grandmother's death. Joyce dedicates the book to her own grandmother. While I enjoyed reading the romance blossom between Noelle and Theo, I loved reading how the road trip brings her closer to her grandmother. Joyce does a wonderful job giving life to the loving and cherished relationship that exists between Noelle and her grandmother.

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The Ex-Vows

Georgia Woodward is preparing for her best friend Alex's wedding. With the wedding looming and mishaps occurring one after another, Georgia learns she must work alongside her ex, Eli Mora. Afraid of making the situation awkward and messy for her friends, Georgia reluctantly agrees to work with Eli.

The two broke up five years ago, so there's a lot of history between them. Yet, when Georgia reunites with Eli, she's surprised to discover how he's changed. With every moment that Georgia and Eli spend together to successfully pull off the perfect wedding, unresolved issues and old feelings resurface, forcing the couple to confront their past to move forward.

Personally, I preferred The Ex-Vows over You, With a View. I appreciate that the novel explores the evolving stages that friendships often undergo. For example, Alex is getting married, and her friend Jamie recently moved in with her girlfriend. For Georgia, she's being promoted, but the job is in Seattle. Georgia needs to decide whether to move away from her close friends or remain in the Bay Area. Georgia fears losing her friends, or worse, that they will forget her. It's a rational fear that I believe everyone faces in their life, and Joyce handles that topic beautifully. Though each friend faces a different stage of their life, it's evident that their bond is strong and they want to keep one another in their lives.

After reading these books, I'm looking forward to meeting Jessica Joyce. These books were a breath of fresh air after reading Book Lovers. I plan to purchase The Ex-Vows and, hopefully, have her sign it.