Started so strong I really thought I was going to love this romcom story. Cute met by chance, two different life styles drawn together- FMC swore off men for a year and MMC a player who will attend the same 12 weddings in the year-His buddies from Ivy League college weddings and her reporting on them for the bridal magazine owned by MMC father. It does have the Hallmark movie vibe but not set in the small town-man rescue woman feel- a steamy romance but the way the MMC talks “he wants to take care of her” etc. felt so 1980s. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

I started off really enjoying this book! We’re thrown into things right from the beginning: Sloane has to stand in for a bridesmaid, and she meets Wilder at the wedding. Wilder is a reformed playboy who gets hooked on Sloane, and I’m a sucker for reformed playboy stories. This is a slow burn romance, and we get to see them get closer without jumping straight into their attraction for each other.** I loved that Wilder made it clear that he wanted to pursue Sloane but respected all of her boundaries.

I enjoyed listening to the narrators. I loved the male voice actor’s voice, and it was pleasant to listen to. The female voice actor did a great job of differentiating speaking voices.

**Trope/spoiler warning: That being said, the accidental pregnancy at the end of the book felt pretty jarring, though I suppose accidental pregnancies typically do come out of left field. I’m personally not a fan of accidental pregnancies in stories if they’re not a big part of the overall story. In this case, it felt like a minor plot point to justify the flashback scenes and cause some third-act tension, but I think it was all unnecessary.

Overall, read if you like the following:
-Slow burn
-Accidental pregnancy
-Reformed Playboy
-Sports romance (though not a lot of sports action in this book)

Title: Jilted
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: New Adult Romance
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Aiden Snow and Andi Arndt
Publisher: Macmillian Audio
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
My Rating: 2 Stars
Pages: 272

Sloane is a writer for Bride magazine, but she of all people was left alone on the on her wedding day - yep she has been jilted!
Life goes on and Sloane is sent to cover a wedding of her boss’s friend’s daughter. She gets caught in the middle of a bridal meltdown and ends up being in the bridal party. She meets Wilder—who indeed caught her eyes and hears – he has piercing blue eyes, and she likes his slight British accent, and a way with words.
Unfortunately this didn’t work for me.
I do like a sweet romance – however, I found nothing sweet about this.
I did finish but it never reached ‘sweet romance’!🤔

I do want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 6, 2025

Dual Narration - Aiden Snow & Andi Arndt
Love these two narrators. They did amazing.

Pro athlete MMC
Writer FMC
Reformed playboy

Sloane is a writer and podcaster for Bride Magazine. She is covering a wedding when she meets Wilder a handsome rugby player who is known for is playboy ways.

Sloane is a bit jilted after being left at the alter by her ex and working at Bride magazine should have been a dream but since her ex left her she’s salty about weddings. Wilder has some history of his own that holds him back from being all in with any one woman, but could these two get past their issues and become something amazing?

Wilder is immediately smitten with Sloane but she is on a man hiatus. He goes above and beyond to woo her. Wilder is a softy at heart and cares deeply about his family and friends. Over the course of a few months these two get to know each other and it is so fun to go along for the ride.

I really loved this book. I found their story to be fun and flirty with layers of emotions. Strong supporting characters.

I absolutely loved Jilted by Vi Keeland! This book was such a fun read for me. I am a huge fan of Vi Keeland books and have read so many in the past and I enjoyed the storyline of this one so much. We follow sloane, a magazine journalist for a bridal magazine and wilder a handsome and charismatic ex rugby player, that are paired together at a wedding bridal party and their attraction is instant. After working together on some other projects they can’t seem to get enough of one another. This book was full of surprises and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to read a fun romance with a little humor and a little bit of reality and a great amount of spice!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance Audiobook Arc in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved it!

This was a fun and quick read that I did not want to end! Wilder could not had been more perfect-- he was completely attentive to Sloane and those around him who he cared for, he was observant, thoughtful and his generosity was beyond this world. At the start of the book I was not sure I would like him but I have to say that his charm easily leaped off the pages and he won me over with his humor and debonair. He was extremely witty and you would think that he was just good looks and a fun time but he proved to be so much more than that in this story! I won't forget about Sloane, yes I loved her too and I think she had a pretty cool job. I felt so much empathy towards her and enjoyed seeing these two blossom into the perfect pairing.

Last year I95read my first by Keeland, which was a thriller, and I was surprised to see she had a romcom publishing so I went for it.. I was not sure what I would be getting when I gave this one a chance but my goodness I loved it! I look forward to her newest, Someone Knows, coming out this June!

“You can’t be afraid to take chances because you got hurt.. life is all about taking chances..”

I really enjoyed Jilted by Vi Keeland! It’s the kind of slow-burn romance that pulls me in with chemistry, humor, and just the right amount of emotional depth.

Sloan Clark’s situation immediately grabbed my attention as she is working at Bride magazine while still recovering from being left at the altar.
When she meets Wilder Hayes at a wedding, and their playful banter made for such a fun meet-cute. Of course, things get even more interesting when she learns that Wilder is her boss’s son, meaning she’s going to be seeing a lot more of him.

The romance is a slow build, and gave space for real emotional connection, trust, and healing to develop. Sloan and Wilder have great chemistry, and their back-and-forth kept me engaged the whole way through. The humor and strong side characters added even more depth to the story, making it feel both entertaining and heartfelt.

I listened to the audiobook, and Aiden Snow and Andi Arndt did a great job with the narration. It blended seamlessly into the story, letting me fully focus on the characters and their journey.

4.0

Thank you NetGalley, MacAudio, and Vi Keeland for the chance to listen and review this ALC.
Overall, I really enjoyed this audio. I thought the narration was well done and engaging.
The story was also keeping me locked in. I’m usually not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope but I didn’t mind it here. I also usually find long distance relationships to be hit or miss, but again - this one kept me entertained. I did find the dynamic between the niece of the FMC and brother of the MMC situation to be awkward and almost unnecessary. All in all though, I enjoyed this one.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a fast and cute read with a happy ending.

Listen, is this basically the exact same storyline as Vi Keeland’s book, The Baller? Yes. Is it a great formula for a romance? Absolutely. So thank you to the author for knowing your girlies. I will say that I have an issue with the female narrator (she’s very popular so must be a me problem) but she somehow makes the banter so stiff and weird. Again, a me problem.

Thank you to PRH audio for this ALC 🫶🏻

3.5 ⭐️
Our FMC is a bride left at the altar, but also she writes profiles about weddings. She meets a handsome groomsmen at a wedding and he’s smitten! She’s on a break from men and thinks they won’t meet again.

When he convinces her boss to cover all of his friends’ weddings for the year. She can’t avoid him and he only wants her. He has to impatiently wait for her because she’s been hurt pretty recently.

I really liked the MMC until one of my least fave tropes shows up and he handles it poorly. I didn’t think it was necessary to the story. The HEA is great though!

Oh no. This started out as a four star listen for me, but kind of went downhill until I alternated between irritation and indifference by the end.

So the story started off pretty cute. I thought it was a nice mash up of instalove, but slow burn; quasi-enemies, but friends. I generally think that referencing different romance tropes without completely relying on them can be a romance novel sweet spot. But then as the story went on, I realized it was less a beautiful mixture and more like throwing every single trope at the wall to see what'll stick. Along with the aforementioned tropes, there's the sports thing, rich guy thing, forced proximity thing, jilted bride thing, and don't even get me started on the surprise baby. And I feel like these tropes were all there because the characters didn't really have personalities.

I think I started leaning towards disliking the story when the fourth or fifth sexist and/or dated thing happened. I can usually take one or two things like that in stride and I don't expect a perfect novel. But when it becomes a theme, I start getting annoyed. And when there was the big reveal at the end about the MMC and the "lying woman trapping a man" trope, I was like, welp, there goes that star. Also, that storyline made literally no sense. It's like she and her partner made fraud part of their family planning strategy. That's almost hilarious?

Besides all that, I think this may have been poorly edited. At least two examples come to mind where the characters learn something and then learn it again later. These aren't dramatic plot points or anything, but still.

Lucas was MVP. Probably telling that I always liked the story best when he was present and annoying his brother.

The narrators were fine. They're both known for their romance novel narrations and did capable jobs. This is probably an unpopular opinion, and while I don't avoid Andi's narrations, I don't seek them out either. Aidan has a lovely voice, but I got second hand embarrassment for him during his line reading during the sex scene(s).

I loved, loved, loved Hate Notes. And I always want to check out other audiobooks by Vi Keeland, but so many are only available on Audible, and I'm stubbornly opposed to supporting their anticompetitive practices. So when I saw Jilted available on NetGalley, I was like, ohhh, I should request this! Although it does look like this book will be available on Libby and elsewhere as well. This hasn't turned me off to the author entirely, but this was a miss for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, nonetheless.

Please give me all the books about weddings! I love them. It was a treat to get the chance to listen to Vi's story Jilted on audiobook. I liked the flow and the narration. The story is a bit predictable, but I still had a fun time with it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨✨ (4.5/5)

“I wanted to watch your show but it’s not because I’m sweet, Sloane.”

“Sometimes you get lucky and something perfect falls into your lap.”

Thanks to Macmillan Audio (Bramble) for my #gifted copy of this audiobook.

I loved both MCs from the jump. The chemistry was on point. The flirtation was on point! Sloane is so relatable and Wilder will make you swoon all day long. Wilder is just cocky as hell and super charming.

The banter between Sloane and Wilder was so much fun. I loved his questions during her show and how she didn’t pull any punches calling him out on it. I even loved his stalkery vibes. I also love how anti-cheater Wilder is.

Loved how he picked her up at the airport. Adorable but not cheesy.

Only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the in & out accent for Wilder. It was a little distracting in the audiobook. When in doubt throw the accent out 😂😂.

Elijah as the bestie is so much fun too.

The “leave room for Jesus” during the dances scenes made me laugh.

I also loved Sloane’s wedding rules. All brides and bridesmaid should read it.

Sloane infuriated me from time to time…girl just enjoy the moments. You can still protect your heart and live in the moment.

Tropes:
💙second chance at love
🩶rugby player hero
💙journalist heroine
🩶diabetes rep
💙banter
🩶boss’s son
💙accidental pregnancy

Jilted was an entertaining and fun read to listen to.
This is the story of Sloan and Wilder. I loved both characters from the very beginning.

The FMC, Sloan, had been left at the alter about 6 months ago, and is currently not dating nor looking for anything to do with men right now. Sloan and does not care for weddings even though she is currently working for BRIDE magazine. She meets Wilder at a wedding, and at several more through the season and then learns he's the boss's son .

The mmc, Wilder, is a famous rugby player who has been living in London for the past 10 years. He is known as a bit of a playboy that really doesn't do relationships. Wilder knows of Sloan's no men for a year plan and is willing to wait for her. Wilder is a bit on the cocky side which fits his persona and image.

Both main characters have baggage that makes them apprehensive to start a brand new relationship relationship, but this was a slow burn and they took it slowly. The banter between Sloane and Wilder was so much fun to listen to and their chemistry was great.

The narration by Andi Arndt and Aiden Snow was great. Andi is one of my favorites to listen and I think Aiden was great, although I have not listened to tons of his books..

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun book to listen to.

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*