The premise of Ms. Keeland’s upcoming novel had lots of potential, with its fresh take on weddings, breakups and how journalism treats the wedding industry. Sloan, a journalist who works in the business, has been recently jilted and is trying to balance her near obsession with a picture perfect wedding she nearly had, and the challenge of mending her broken heart. A former rugby phenomenon and current groomsman Wilder crashes unto the scene, putting Sloan’s plan into a tailspin.

The list of trigger warnings is long, and I think the plot could have stood on its own without throwing so many potentially distressing narratives into the mix. None of this content was bothersome to me, but the pervasiveness seemed unwarranted. This book is advertised as spicy but Wilder’s unnecessarily crude language seemed to constantly be at odds with his other character attributes and the “boys will be boys” stereotyping was distracting.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sloan works for a high end wedding magazine, covering elite weddings all over the world. It was her dream job growing up as she has always been obsessed with weddings. Unfortunately, her own wedding was anything but a dream when she was left jilted at the alter.

At a recent wedding gig, she finds herself forced into the wedding party when a bridesmaid was unable to attend. The bride under no circumstances *gasp* could have an uneven bridal party! It is here Sloan lets loose and has a little fun with a groomsman name Wilder who has the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen. She figures it is a one and done kind of thing but circumstances keep bringing them together and we have the beginning of a cute friends to lovers trope. Or is it? Sloan has sworn to not dating for at least a year and Wilder has a reputation of being a player.

This was a great contemporary romance read. It had humour, emotion and two main characters I absolutely loved. The character development was superb in this novel and I was rooting for them to find their way together the entire time. There is a bit of spice in here but the book really focuses around their relationship and the chemistry brewing between them.

A perfect beach read or book to read/listen to when you need a break from your usual genre. The duo narration by Aiden Snow and Andi Arndt was phenomenal!

I wanted to like this really but it felt like the author made a list of interactions for them to have back to back before they could have a happily ever after but none of those felt significant, there was no real spark or chemistry other than attraction and they had such big emotional attachments without anything baking it up.

All the cupcakes! Jilted by Vi Keeland was a sweet and swoony strangers-to-lovers romance that did deliciously good things to my heart. I loved the bridal vibes this book brought, putting a huge smile on my face. Sloane and Wilder’s instant connection was magnetic from the start, and I adored the way this man pampered her and wooed her to the fullest.

Andi Arndt and Aiden Snow performed this audiobook in dual narration, and both embodied Sloane and Wilder to the fullest. Andi’s performance emphasized Sloane’s graceful and sophisticated demeanor as she figured out her true feelings for Wilder. Aiden’s deep, warm timbre gave Wilder the perfect touch of confidence and charm, making this man simply irresistible. Both narrators created a slow-burning longing and chemistry between these two that quickly became explosive when they finally gave into their desires.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of a jilted bride romance with a hot hunky retired pro rugby player, a sassy passionate journalist for Bride Magazine, witty banter, wedding meet cute, coat closet kisses, he falls first, family owned bars, he spoils her, a supportive family, truths about past relationships, first class trips to London, fancy hotel suites, he shops for her, surprises, and a HEA that will do blissful things to your heart, then you will love Sloane and Wilder’s story. I always look forward to more from Vi Keeland.

Jilted was an entertaining and easy listen. It was a pretty typical contemporary romance featuring tropes like: forced proximity, opposites attract, billionaire (or at least very, very rich), etc. It had some cute moments, but I never really felt like we got to truly know Wilder or Sloan. They each have baggage that makes them nervous to start a relationship, but I liked that they didn’t rush into things (even though the instalust was there). Repeatedly being reminded of Wilder’s sexual history wasn’t fun though. Seriously, is there anyone he hasn’t slept with?!? The third act drama felt forced and the big reveal about Wilder’s past fell pretty flat, but the epilogue was sweet.

The narration by Andi Arndt and Aiden Snow was great. I do wish there was a bit more variation in the voices Aiden Snow uses though. Overall, this was an enjoyable listen, but there wasn’t anything that made it stand out from any other contemporary romance.

CW (possible spoilers): diabetes, death of parent (past), Parkinson’s disease, grief, cheating ex, accidental pregnancy, mentions of secondary/minor characters with: dementia, death related to drug overdose, cancer

*I voluntarily listened to an advance review copy of this book*

ARC review • pub date 05.06.25

Okayyyy Vi - I see you 👀

As an already HUGE fan of her thrillers, this is my first romance book from Vi Keeland and she was gooooood.
I would much rather listen to a romcom than read the book, and I thought the narrators (Andi Arndt and Aiden Snow) were absolutely perfect for this. 👌🏻

Sloane is still healing a year after being stood up at the altar. At a wedding, she meets the Wilder and finds out she will be working with him on and off through the season. He has already fallen hard for her, but she makes him promise to wait six months.

The story is packed with humor, tension, and second chances. Vi Keeland has such a way with words that you never want her stories to end. I loved Wilder and his ambition, and Sloane is the type of female you just want to root for! If you loved the movie 27 Dresses, you’ll devour this book 💛

4.5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my ALC