Jilted is a slow-burn, occasionally funny, happily-ever-after romance starring a jilted wedding journalist—Sloane—and a wealthy former pro rugby player/commitment-phobe—Wilder.

Of the supporting characters, my favorites were Sloane’s friend/coworker photographer Elijah and Sloane's family—ex-cop father, brothers who are all firefighters or cops, and teenage niece. I might even suggest that scenes with Sloane's family sometimes eclipse the romance.

There is representation of Parkinson's disease, Diabetes, LGBTQ, and single parenting. Content warnings include infidelity (multiple), death of a teenager, death of a parent (multiple), explicit sex, crass and casual descriptions of sex, and unplanned pregnancy.

The audiobook is narrated by Aiden Snow and Andi Arndt, both of whom do an excellent job of voicing characters across age and gender.

3.5⭐

billionaire
opposites attract
close/forced proximity
a bit of them/now story line
⚠️ check content warnings


The audio made this book for me. fantastic narrators! really kept me sucked in. I'm not sure I would have been as invested if it wasn't for the audio. A bit of mix on 27 dresses a journalist writing stories on multiple weddings and she gets forced to be a bridesmaid. Wilder is a bit of a man whore and it was talked about A LOT which I could have done without.

the book for me was about a 3 star
but the audio was 5 stars

thank you macmillan and netgalley for this ALC

Sloane is a writer for Brides magazine. At a wedding she is covering, she meets Wilder. She is instantly attracted to him (and his eyes) and finds herself kissing him later that night.

She, later, finds out that he is the son of her boss and she will be seeing Wilder at a bunch of weddings her boss wants her to cover for the next year. Sloane is hesitant to get involved with him after being left at the alter the year before. Wilder has his own hesitations and I enjoyed his chapters from ten years earlier.

Wilder is awesome. He is so smitten with Sloane and does everything to be with her. Back and forth from New York to London. He’s such a caretaker, too.

This is a sweet romance with great banter and heartfelt moments.

Dual POV
Slow burn
He falls first
Diabetes rep FMC
Pro athlete MMC

When a wedding reviewer for Brides magazine is left at the alter by her husband to be she finds it hard to be around constant weddings. She meets a handsome stranger and fate intervenes allowing her many opportunities to see him. I enjoyed the story, it was a breezy predictable romance. I did find the male narrator to be quite irritating. Especially during the steamier scenes. Overall, I recommend the book and plan to read another by this author!

Sloane - a writer for a wedding magazine whose own love for weddings and romance has been jaded by being jilted at the altar by her jerk of an ex.
Wilder - Ex-professional rugby player who does not commit to any one woman after experiencing past traumas when it came to love.

When they came together, their chemistry was off the charts. It was fun to read this story and see how they helped one another grow and be challenged in their beliefs and feelings. I appreciated how they helped one another heal from past hurts, give one another space and time, but ultimately be there when the other was in need.

My only complaint was that I did listen to this one and it was eluded that Wilder had a British accent but it came and went with the female narrator and was never there with the male narrator. Commitment to that would have made listening to it all the more enjoyable, IMO.

Thank you Net Galley, Macmillan Audio, and Vi Keeland for an ALC of this story.

3.5

After being left at the alter Sloane has a somewhat jaded view of happily ever afters - she works at a bridal magazine and while covering a wedding meets cheeky groomsman and self-described player Wilder. Despite both of their pasts they instantly connect and keep bumping into each other when Sloane is assigned to cover a series of weddings for his group of friends.

This book makes up for its implausibility with its swoony romance and likable characters. Some of the tropes here won’t be for everyone, but this is a great read if you’re looking for a lighthearted romance with a happily ever afters

The dual narration is done well

Sloane has been loved weddings since she was little. Love was magical until it wasn't. She was jilted at the alter. This left her heartbroken and struggling in her career.

Sloane works for a bridal magazine and does the social media posts. Ever since being left at the alter she can't find the joy in weddings. At one wedding with a bridezilla, Sloane meets a guy with the most beautiful azure eyes. He's a playboy who has never had a serious relationship....until he sets eyes on Sloane. This book is about moving on, trusting new people and letting people in.

4 Stars

This was a really cute romance. We have two characters that are trying to find their way thru love. One was left right before her own wedding, which she had dreamed about her whole life and the other never stays with a woman more than a few dates. When they meet instantly sparks fly and its lead up for when they'll finally be together.

I really enjoyed both main love interests. They were sweet and romantic. Wilder is a famous rugby player but under that tough exterior he really is the term gold retriever boyfriend. He is kind and thoughtful, putting other always before himself. The book moves at a pretty steady pace and it seemed just right for the story it was.

The only thing that took away the experience of reading specifically, was it felt kind of instalove. Right from the first couple chapters the characters are drawn to each other. They also instantly want to be together. However, she is on a hiatus from dating and he is unsure if he can do something serious. However, its reminded thru ought the book that we are just waiting for that point of them giving in to dating. This took away some of the tension and chemistry for me.

This book is dual narrated, I appreciated the dual narration. I really loved Andi Arndt's narration of the FMC POV. She did a great job doing both voices. She brought life to the characters. Aiden Snow also does a great job and I can see why women love his narrations. For me though, it just didn't quite work. It's no fault to Aiden, he does a great job I just don't love his style of narration for male characters. It's just too husky and low for this type of rom com style book, I think his voice and narration would be amazing for dark romance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced listener copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

Jilted
By: Vi Keeland

The vibes:
- Bride magazine journalist + retired pro athlete turned pro team owner
- Slow burn
- He falls first
- Forced proximity
- British MMC
- Wedding meet cute

This book was SO great! Easy 5 stars for me. Sloane is a journalist for a bride magazine and while writing about a wedding she has an instant connection with one of the groomsmen, Wilder. Wilder is swoon-worthy & pursues Sloane in the sweetest, most romantic ways! I loved their connection and the secondary characters were so wholesome & great!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were awesome & really added to the story!! Highly recommend.

Content warnings: diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, loss of a parent, grief, cheating ex, unexpected pregnancy, loss of a partner

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

4.5 stars
This is a fun, entertaining, good read. Wilder and Sloane are interesting, wounded, complex, relatable, intriguing, strong, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. I feel in love with Wilder from the start. This story grabbed me and held me until the very end. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrators.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Loved the chemistry between these characters! I really felt like it didn’t need to be that sexual though? Like at times it almost felt like it was forced and took away from their connection.

This was my first experience with this author, and I have to admit I struggled with this book. Jilted had an interesting premise - jilted bride Sloane has to put her personal misgivings aside to do her job covering a series of weddings while managing her contentious feelings for recurring groomsman Wilder - but lacked swoon-factor. Wilder was, to borrow Regency terms, a rake attempting to reform his ways, and his POV was pretty much just cringe smut. I did finish, mostly because the narrators were wonderful and I usually enjoy their work, but I was left unsatisfied by the lack of emotional depth, and this was not the book for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

3.75/5, rounded up

Thank you Bramble for the advanced listening copy!

Quick and easy romance, and great on audio. I liked both narrators a lot. Sloane’s POV was more meaningful to me — Wilder seemed like a sweet former playboy in her POV, but in his it seemed 90% sex crazed which like, is fine sometimes but not always. There was some spice in this one, and it was well done! However, I found Wilder's POV to be redundant -- mostly talking about how h*rny he was, which can get old.

The overall premise of this book was super cute. I enjoyed all of the wedding features, and inclusions of Sloane's family. I always love a prominently-featured family in romance, especially when that includes overprotective brothers!!

Wilder's little brother added a lot to the story and his persona, too. I thought the way his previous relationship was revealed was a bit confusing and disjointed, but it did feel related to the overall story and added a good layer to that.

Overall, though slightly flawed, I enjoyed this one! My second by Vi Keeland -- first was a thriller, THE UNRAVELING! -- and I definitely like her writing. I have her next thriller, SOMEONE KNOWS, up soon on my TBR!

4 ⭐️ This was my first Vi Keeland book and I really liked it. It had a lot more heart than I expected from the cover. This was a great audiobook and perfect to get me out of a few slump reads. It was touted to be a cross between 27 Dresses and the Hating Game and I think it comes close to those, even if I didn’t love the Hating Game. This is about Sloane, a jilted bride who was left at the alter, who 6 months later meets the perfect guy at a wedding she is covering and the chase to their own happily ever after. The pacing to this story was pretty perfect, I sped through the audio in just a few days. I loved the dual narration. Andi Arndt was perfect as Sloane but as much as I typically love Aiden Snow, his voice was too dark and gruff to fit pretty boy, Wilder. It just didn’t match his personality, Wilder was written as was more sunshine, playboy and Aiden is more dark and scary it was a weird juxtaposition that didn’t work in my opinion.

As for the story, I really liked everything it tried to do but it was a lot. It has diabetes rep, secondary parental figures to their niece and brother, parents who died, Sloane’s dad was suffering from Parkinson's disease… it was very nuanced but still managed to feel genuine to me. I also love a good he falls first story, especially when you get to be in Wilder’s head. It also has some dual storylines of past relationships so you get a better understanding of the characters and their personal growth journey. Also, I am not one to be obsessed with weddings and for this to have a lot of weddings, working for a wedding magazine and a jilted bride, I didn’t get overwhelmed with wedding talk or even feel like Sloane was the type of woman to be scared of for loving weddings so much. This was a very cute rom-com with great flirty, spicy banter, some open door scenes that I think weren’t over the top or too much. I’d definitely recommend to my contemporary romance/rom-com besties, assuming you check trigger warnings. There is a 3rd act storyline that may be triggering, but could be a spoiler, so check the content warnings.

TLDR:
* He falls first
* Jilted Bride - self worth issues
* Billionaire/pro sports player mmc
* Spicy funny banter
* Long distance - slow burn
* Dual POV
* Many medical storylines (check trigger warnings, otherwise possible spoilers if I give them all here)

Such a perfect rom com! I loved how the MMC was just devoted to the FMC! Their love story was perfect!

“The best way to get over someone is to get under someone new”

What a pleasant surprise!

The perfect rom com for readers who love to read about weddings. There was definitely some 27 dresses vibes. I really enjoyed listening to this. The narrators were so good and the plot was fun and original. Also, there were so many hilarious moments, I’m sure I looked crazy cackling to myself in the office lol.

I loved how obsessed he was with her and he was so patient with her. This was my first book by Vi Keeland and I will definitely check out more reads from her!

Thank You Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review!

Tropes/Notes:
- Jilted Bride
- Billionaire Ex Rugby Player
- Instant Attraction
- Rom Com
- Duet Narration
- Good Banter
- He calls her cupcake
- Spice 2/5

🎧 Book Review 🎧 There’s a whole new level of irony for a journalist who was left at the altar now spending her dream career covering weddings. Sloane may have had her heart broken and left with a bitter taste after her own failed wedding but she is still very professional even though it feels like working in the industry that broke her is just rubbing salt on a wound when she is down on her luck. Except for the one wedding when she is asked to fill in for a bridesmaid. It only takes one slip with a devilishly handsome groomsmen…okay two slips because of one not so unfortunate nip slip posted to the social media account to change her luck. Vi Keeland has written some impressive thrillers that have kept me on the edge of my seat and to dive into her world of romance was an absolute treat! Jilted is one hilarious read with the right notes of unapologetic cynicism paired with a cautious optimism that comes together for a real zinger perfectly narrated in duet by Aiden Snow and Andi Arndt.

I loved this book. The only reason it wasn't a 5 star read is the spicy scenes were cringy to me. I think the story would have been better without it. Quick and fun romance.

🎧4⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to and review this audiobook through NetGalley.

Sloan is doing her dream job writing for Bride magazine. Her only downfall she was left at the altar, so to say she is a little lost would be an understatement, but she has great friends and co-workers.

She meets Wilder at one of the weddings she is covering, and sparks fly. Things happen, and they have an unforgettable night.

Only to find out that Wilder is the son of the magazine owner. And she is about to see him in a lot more weddings, so they can’t avoid each other, and he doesn’t want to. He is dazzled by her.

I love that saying, “If he wanted to, he would.” And I feel like this book was that quote to a tee. He wanted her, so he was persistent, and her faith in love and marriage might just be on the mend because of this dashing one-night with a stranger.

Aiden is a favourite narrator of mine, so I was not surprised he gave Wilder the swagger and polish his character demanded. Andi always delivers, and she gave Sloan the exact right tone.

Jilted is the newest Vi Keeland book and I was so excited to read it a bit early and devoured Sloane and Wilder‘s story.
 
Sloane works for a bridal magazine, and I really liked how the story showed everything surrounding weddings and I really liked the facets of it. Sloane once planned her own dream wedding, but the groom walked out on her, and she almost give up on finding her own hea. Sloane is such a romantic at heart and so kind and you can only like her. I also absolutely loved her family with her dad, brother and niece and their little bar in the heart of New York and I hope we get another book from this world.
 
Wilder is a workaholic and businessman who has a rich dad who owns the bridal magazine. I really liked seeing his relationship with his younger brother and how supportive his friends are. Wilder is tough on the outside but a real softie on the inside who has been hurt deeply in past relationships and is therefore only a playboy. And I loved how he falls first and risks everything for love.
 
This romance is just so feel-good, and Sloane and Wilder have truly found a match in each other. But they have to go through a lot, and I felt it all. I laughed and cried a little for these two and rooted for them from the beginning. I listened to the fantastic audio narrated by Aiden Snow and Andi Arndt and the audiobook truly enhanced my reading experience and made me love this book even more and brought the characters perfectly to life.
 
Jilted is my new favorite Vi Keeland book and I’m completely in love with this story and found a new favorite. 5+ stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)