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Jilted
Carter’s fiancé is in love with someone else. Link has just been left at the altar. After bonding over mutual heartbreak at the would-be reception’s open bar, Link and Carter pass out in the honeymoon suite—and are mistaken for the happy newlywed couple the next morning. Reluctant to deal with the fallout from their breakups, they embark on an exciting week of fake honeymooning, during which Carter starts to have real feelings for Link. A genderqueer artist who lives life by their own rules, Link inspires Carter to build a new future. Against the eclectic and electric backdrop of New Orleans, Carter and Link have to decide if a second chance at love is in the cards, or if they’re only meant to be sidelined in someone else’s story.
222 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2018
3 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Lilah Suzanne
12 books85 followersAuthor of LGBT+ contemporary
rom-coms. Bi-furious. Genderqueer. Lambda/Indies/Bi Book Awards finalist.
rom-coms. Bi-furious. Genderqueer. Lambda/Indies/Bi Book Awards finalist.
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March 27, 2018You've heard of fake dating now get ready for gay fake honeymoon
April 29, 2023
Carter is a bi guy architect. Link is a nonbinary artist. They meet after Carter’s fiance leaves him to reconnect with an ex… who was supposed to be marrying Link, who just got left at the altar. Carter and Link decide to pretend to be married to get Link’s money’s worth out of the honeymoon vacatino package, but once that week is over, both still have to figure out how their lives are going to work.
It’s maybe a bit more Carter’s story of figuring out his own than it is a romance (55/45 split?), but honestly I appreciated how both elements interlocked. It’s a slower, quieter story about two creative people, with historical house remodeling and queer rep, by a bi genderqueer author, and yay for all of that.
Re-read this in 2023 and enjoyed it just as much, if not more, the second time.
It’s maybe a bit more Carter’s story of figuring out his own than it is a romance (55/45 split?), but honestly I appreciated how both elements interlocked. It’s a slower, quieter story about two creative people, with historical house remodeling and queer rep, by a bi genderqueer author, and yay for all of that.
Re-read this in 2023 and enjoyed it just as much, if not more, the second time.
November 2, 2018
I'm going to be honest - this did not work for me. I struggled, mightily, with this from chapter 13 on.
I think my notes say it best:
1. Why did the author bother with giving Link a POV in the prologue when they are silenced thereafter?
2. Link is completely one dimensional...I want to know more about them!! Should have had more POV!
3. Link is enby, but my brain isn't dealing well with they/them/their not actually being plural, which makes me mad at myself. Stupid brain.
4. Carter is boring. Paige (Carter's sister) is such a troll. I don't like her at all.
5. Why is this dragging so much?!
6. MISCOMMUNICATION. Kill me!!
7. What is with the time jumps?! Seriously, though, even between paragraphs?!
8. There's so little tension (and that's only from miscommunication) and where's the real build up to anything? Link could be a marshmallow for all they have been described!
9. Ugh, why did this have to be written in third-person present tense? Not digging it.
10. I'm super struggling to finish this.
The best part of this book for me was the time Carter and Link spend together during the faux honeymoon week. That part was great.
However, once Carter returns home afterwards the story seemed to lose most of its traction, quite a lot of its momentum, became a bit disjointed, and more than a bit boring. It's all surface for everyone, other than Carter, including Link. I had to push myself to continue to finish. Worse, in my opinion, is that the only real tension that's introduced is through miscommunication, which is my kryptonite.
I'll bump this up to 2 stars because I did like the first part for the most part, tenses and the gloss over of Link's character aside, but ultimately this was a miss for me and I cannot recommend.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Jilted provided by Interlude Press via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
I think my notes say it best:
1. Why did the author bother with giving Link a POV in the prologue when they are silenced thereafter?
2. Link is completely one dimensional...I want to know more about them!! Should have had more POV!
3. Link is enby, but my brain isn't dealing well with they/them/their not actually being plural, which makes me mad at myself. Stupid brain.
4. Carter is boring. Paige (Carter's sister) is such a troll. I don't like her at all.
5. Why is this dragging so much?!
6. MISCOMMUNICATION. Kill me!!
7. What is with the time jumps?! Seriously, though, even between paragraphs?!
8. There's so little tension (and that's only from miscommunication) and where's the real build up to anything? Link could be a marshmallow for all they have been described!
9. Ugh, why did this have to be written in third-person present tense? Not digging it.
10. I'm super struggling to finish this.
The best part of this book for me was the time Carter and Link spend together during the faux honeymoon week. That part was great.
However, once Carter returns home afterwards the story seemed to lose most of its traction, quite a lot of its momentum, became a bit disjointed, and more than a bit boring. It's all surface for everyone, other than Carter, including Link. I had to push myself to continue to finish. Worse, in my opinion, is that the only real tension that's introduced is through miscommunication, which is my kryptonite.
I'll bump this up to 2 stars because I did like the first part for the most part, tenses and the gloss over of Link's character aside, but ultimately this was a miss for me and I cannot recommend.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Jilted provided by Interlude Press via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
November 8, 2018
3.5 stars
Content warnings include: biphobia, sex on-page, alcohol and weed use and getting black-out drunk (beginning of book links to site of the publisher where some of these content warnings are listed.)
Jilted is a cute story that opens with a fake-dating-ish scheme: On Link's wedding day, their partner elopes with Carter's fiance and boyfriend of seven years, leaving Carter and Link behind stunned and with broken hearts. After getting drunk, the two of them wake up in bed together and get mistaken for the newlyweds by the hotel staff. They decide to get along with it: the honeymoon is already paid for, why not enjoy it as they're getting over getting jilted?
Especially since they are getting along so well...
The whole honeymoon this is only a small part of the book and by far not the biggest. Most of it plays afterwards.
With the exception of the prologue, Jilted is written from Carter's view. Carter is in his late twenties, bisexual, an architect, has obsessive-compulsive tendencies and perpetually annoyed by his older sister. He's awkward and frequently anxious, especially in social situations, and I both related to him a lot and found him very adoreable, much like Link does.
Link is nonbinary, pansexual and an artist who does scuptures from recycled metal. They were fascinating and, like Carter, I wanted to know more about them (and, unlike Carter, kind of be them), to the point I wished the book had been written from their POV.
Jilted was a nice read, but I wasn't as engaged or into it as I had hoped. It wasn't that I wasn't engaged, I was never bored, but I didn't find it as compelling as it should have been. I liked the characters and I enjoyed the slow progression of the plot, yet something was... lacking.
Especially the progression and development of the main relationship, or rather the lack thereof, particularly in the second half of the novel, left me a bit unsatisfied. I didn't quite get what the problem was at times, or why Carter didn't just say what he was thinking - though of course that's probably purely the frustration as a reader speaking, since he does frequently mention his anxiety and how he's uncomfortable with the situation.
Still, to me it felt like Carter and Link could have gotten together much earlier than they did in the end, and I would have wished for a lot more open communication between the two. A lot of important things were held back, which isn't all that promising for a start into a relationship.
What I liked was the way it was written. I enjoyed both the describtions of New Orleans and the tourist-y things Carter and Link do as part of the honeymoon package, and Carter's enthusiasm about the architecture of the buildings around him. I don't know much about either the city nor architecture and am not particularly interested in either, but Carter made me like and enjoy both.
I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily.
Content warnings include: biphobia, sex on-page, alcohol and weed use and getting black-out drunk (beginning of book links to site of the publisher where some of these content warnings are listed.)
Jilted is a cute story that opens with a fake-dating-ish scheme: On Link's wedding day, their partner elopes with Carter's fiance and boyfriend of seven years, leaving Carter and Link behind stunned and with broken hearts. After getting drunk, the two of them wake up in bed together and get mistaken for the newlyweds by the hotel staff. They decide to get along with it: the honeymoon is already paid for, why not enjoy it as they're getting over getting jilted?
Especially since they are getting along so well...
The whole honeymoon this is only a small part of the book and by far not the biggest. Most of it plays afterwards.
With the exception of the prologue, Jilted is written from Carter's view. Carter is in his late twenties, bisexual, an architect, has obsessive-compulsive tendencies and perpetually annoyed by his older sister. He's awkward and frequently anxious, especially in social situations, and I both related to him a lot and found him very adoreable, much like Link does.
Link is nonbinary, pansexual and an artist who does scuptures from recycled metal. They were fascinating and, like Carter, I wanted to know more about them (and, unlike Carter, kind of be them), to the point I wished the book had been written from their POV.
Jilted was a nice read, but I wasn't as engaged or into it as I had hoped. It wasn't that I wasn't engaged, I was never bored, but I didn't find it as compelling as it should have been. I liked the characters and I enjoyed the slow progression of the plot, yet something was... lacking.
Especially the progression and development of the main relationship, or rather the lack thereof, particularly in the second half of the novel, left me a bit unsatisfied. I didn't quite get what the problem was at times, or why Carter didn't just say what he was thinking - though of course that's probably purely the frustration as a reader speaking, since he does frequently mention his anxiety and how he's uncomfortable with the situation.
Still, to me it felt like Carter and Link could have gotten together much earlier than they did in the end, and I would have wished for a lot more open communication between the two. A lot of important things were held back, which isn't all that promising for a start into a relationship.
What I liked was the way it was written. I enjoyed both the describtions of New Orleans and the tourist-y things Carter and Link do as part of the honeymoon package, and Carter's enthusiasm about the architecture of the buildings around him. I don't know much about either the city nor architecture and am not particularly interested in either, but Carter made me like and enjoy both.
I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily.
November 8, 2018
*I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Catch me leaving my fiancé at the altar someday to marry this book instead because I love it. It has second love and fake-married and an absolute nerd of a main character, and Link is the love of my life and the casual nonbinary rep was so good to have. I will never not be emotional about Carter learning that he is a worthwhile person who deserves someone who treats him right and I will DEFINITELY never get over Link always calling Carter adorable and loving him for all his quirks.
Also, as someone who hates when perfectly nice people get left at the altar in romcoms because the main character didn't work their shit out soon enough to break up in a polite manner, this book is balm for my soul. I love when there's a bit of nudging the fourth wall when Carter and Link worry that they'll always be the "boring background characters" compared to the vibrant "main characters" who jilted them, and I love reading them realize they're main characters in their own right.
There's quite a bit of both Carter and Link having to work out their own problems alone, but the frustration and loneliness there only made it more real, and made the romance even sweeter by contrast. I love this book a lot and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Catch me leaving my fiancé at the altar someday to marry this book instead because I love it. It has second love and fake-married and an absolute nerd of a main character, and Link is the love of my life and the casual nonbinary rep was so good to have. I will never not be emotional about Carter learning that he is a worthwhile person who deserves someone who treats him right and I will DEFINITELY never get over Link always calling Carter adorable and loving him for all his quirks.
Also, as someone who hates when perfectly nice people get left at the altar in romcoms because the main character didn't work their shit out soon enough to break up in a polite manner, this book is balm for my soul. I love when there's a bit of nudging the fourth wall when Carter and Link worry that they'll always be the "boring background characters" compared to the vibrant "main characters" who jilted them, and I love reading them realize they're main characters in their own right.
There's quite a bit of both Carter and Link having to work out their own problems alone, but the frustration and loneliness there only made it more real, and made the romance even sweeter by contrast. I love this book a lot and recommend it wholeheartedly.
November 13, 2018
This was unlike anything I’ve read before.
When Carter’s fiancé takes him to New Orleans, he never expected the purpose was to break up a wedding, and he never expected to meet and fall in love with Link, the jilted partner of that wedding.
Carter is the first person narrator and from the start, he refers to Link as “they”. I found it a bit disconcerting at first, because I found it hard to form a clear picture in my head of what they looked like, but after a while it didn’t matter. Carter’s easy acceptance of Link had me falling into the story and rooting for them to make it.
I will warn that sex scenes were pretty ambiguous. They weren’t fade to black, but other than a blowjob that Carter received, there’s not a lot of action below the belt. Didn’t bother me, and it fit the story, but I can see how it might bother others.
Overall, this was well written, with well thought out characters with a lovely love story.
Recommended
ARC provided by A Novel Take PR
When Carter’s fiancé takes him to New Orleans, he never expected the purpose was to break up a wedding, and he never expected to meet and fall in love with Link, the jilted partner of that wedding.
Carter is the first person narrator and from the start, he refers to Link as “they”. I found it a bit disconcerting at first, because I found it hard to form a clear picture in my head of what they looked like, but after a while it didn’t matter. Carter’s easy acceptance of Link had me falling into the story and rooting for them to make it.
I will warn that sex scenes were pretty ambiguous. They weren’t fade to black, but other than a blowjob that Carter received, there’s not a lot of action below the belt. Didn’t bother me, and it fit the story, but I can see how it might bother others.
Overall, this was well written, with well thought out characters with a lovely love story.
Recommended
ARC provided by A Novel Take PR
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
September 27, 2018I love the premise of this book, and was SO EXCITED to get an ARC. But then, the third person present tense was just TOO PAINFUL to read, I couldn't finish this book. I cringed through the first three chapters and just couldn't read any more. I'm not sure if the writing was just BAD, or if it was just the third person present tense that made it seem that way, but it was awful and just unreadable. DNF. :(
November 9, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
This book was difficult for me from the first word as it is written in third person present, which is excruciating for me to read. It took me halfway through the book to become even a little settled with the style and then the story itself didn’t prove to be worth the effort. The book opens in Link’s POV, but then quickly switches to Carter’s where we stay for the rest of the book and Link was the more interesting character.
Link is waiting at the altar when Carter’s fiancé bursts in and declares his undying love for the bride. Link knew something felt off, but it doesn’t make it any easier. The same with Carter and even though Carter had been with Matthew for years, he was starting to go through the motions with it. That’s sort of how Carter seemed to live his life, just going through it, keeping his head down, and mostly doing what other people wanted.
The blurb suggests that Link and Carter spend a good portion of the book being mistaken for a married couple, though that’s not even a little bit true. While they do spend time taking in the honeymoon activities scheduled, it’s only briefly they are mistaken for being a couple and even then, it’s of no significant consequence to the story. Their explorations are also mundane as it read like a things to do in New Orleans check list.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
3 stars
This book was difficult for me from the first word as it is written in third person present, which is excruciating for me to read. It took me halfway through the book to become even a little settled with the style and then the story itself didn’t prove to be worth the effort. The book opens in Link’s POV, but then quickly switches to Carter’s where we stay for the rest of the book and Link was the more interesting character.
Link is waiting at the altar when Carter’s fiancé bursts in and declares his undying love for the bride. Link knew something felt off, but it doesn’t make it any easier. The same with Carter and even though Carter had been with Matthew for years, he was starting to go through the motions with it. That’s sort of how Carter seemed to live his life, just going through it, keeping his head down, and mostly doing what other people wanted.
The blurb suggests that Link and Carter spend a good portion of the book being mistaken for a married couple, though that’s not even a little bit true. While they do spend time taking in the honeymoon activities scheduled, it’s only briefly they are mistaken for being a couple and even then, it’s of no significant consequence to the story. Their explorations are also mundane as it read like a things to do in New Orleans check list.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
did-not-finish
October 24, 2018DNF @ 40%
I decided not to finish this because I really didn't like the way the book is written, especially the way it was written more like a grocery list of activities the characters performed instead of showing details to get to know them, so it was affecting any overall enjoyment I may have obtained.
Also, I just really wasn't invested in either of the main characters, especially Link, the one I was most looking forward to, because in the 40% I read, there were only 2 out of 17 chapters from their point of view. And I really didn't care about Carter all that much other than feeling bad over the fact that his fiance left him for someone else.
Not a terrible book--and others may enjoy it!--but it's not for me.
------
***A few notes from the review I was working on as I read***
GENDER: nonbinary, cisgender
SEXUALITY: bisexual, pansexual
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic, panromantic
PAIRING: M/ENBY
TROPES: fake dating/fake married, rebound romance
TAGS: adult, contemporary, romance, queer romance, queer characters, Creole character, biracial character
WARNINGS: anti-kink language (disparaging joke about chastity belts), ableism, anti-bisexual language, anti-queer family, anti-Native language (“savagely”), drug usage
I decided not to finish this because I really didn't like the way the book is written, especially the way it was written more like a grocery list of activities the characters performed instead of showing details to get to know them, so it was affecting any overall enjoyment I may have obtained.
Also, I just really wasn't invested in either of the main characters, especially Link, the one I was most looking forward to, because in the 40% I read, there were only 2 out of 17 chapters from their point of view. And I really didn't care about Carter all that much other than feeling bad over the fact that his fiance left him for someone else.
Not a terrible book--and others may enjoy it!--but it's not for me.
------
***A few notes from the review I was working on as I read***
GENDER: nonbinary, cisgender
SEXUALITY: bisexual, pansexual
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic, panromantic
PAIRING: M/ENBY
TROPES: fake dating/fake married, rebound romance
TAGS: adult, contemporary, romance, queer romance, queer characters, Creole character, biracial character
WARNINGS: anti-kink language (disparaging joke about chastity belts), ableism, anti-bisexual language, anti-queer family, anti-Native language (“savagely”), drug usage
November 8, 2018
Carter and Link’s story grabbed me by the hand and I was off to the adventure of feeling like I was back in the French Quarter, a place I adore.
Carter was someone who I would love to just grab by the shoulders as tell him how sweet and how he deserves every piece of happiness that comes his way.
I love how there is so much Genderqueer rep there is MM lately, it has opened my eyes in a lot of ways and I am grateful for that.
Link is a beautiful soul and is so confused once he is left at the altar, as anyone would be, so meeting Carter comes at an odd but kinda perfect time.
I really look forward to reading more by Lilah Suzanne as soon as I can.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Carter was someone who I would love to just grab by the shoulders as tell him how sweet and how he deserves every piece of happiness that comes his way.
I love how there is so much Genderqueer rep there is MM lately, it has opened my eyes in a lot of ways and I am grateful for that.
Link is a beautiful soul and is so confused once he is left at the altar, as anyone would be, so meeting Carter comes at an odd but kinda perfect time.
I really look forward to reading more by Lilah Suzanne as soon as I can.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
September 25, 2018
Carter's fiance Matthew decides to take a last minute trip to New Orleans, no explanation. When they arrive and he breaks up a wedding, Carter realizes he's just been dumped. He runs into Link, who was the one actually getting married who was also jilted at the altar. When they decide to go on the honeymoon together, things get interesting.
The writing was fun and there were some really funny parts, but I just couldn't get into it. I found Carter to be super annoying and he was back and forth about everything. He couldn't make one decision on his own. His sister was far too involved in his life. Link was okay, but felt disjointed to me. The only character I actually kind of liked was Eli and he wasn't even a MC.
Overall, it was fine, but didn't really hold my interest.
The writing was fun and there were some really funny parts, but I just couldn't get into it. I found Carter to be super annoying and he was back and forth about everything. He couldn't make one decision on his own. His sister was far too involved in his life. Link was okay, but felt disjointed to me. The only character I actually kind of liked was Eli and he wasn't even a MC.
Overall, it was fine, but didn't really hold my interest.
November 11, 2018
review tbd
October 13, 2018
I received an ARC of Jilted from Interlude Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, words, and opinions are my own.
This book started out really weird, but I did love the ending.
Content Notes:
💍 bimisia from family
💍 insensitivity to bimisia
💍 alcohol consumption
💍 inebriation
💍 stood up at the alter
💍 nausea, hangover
💍 casual ableism
💍 semi-explicit on page sex
💍 marijuana use
💍 mention of unemployment, eviction
💍 joke(?) about waterboarding
💍 just cuz someone is lgbtqiaap+, they must wanna meet other people who are
Jilted starts with Link getting stood up at the altar on their wedding day, their fiancée running off with Carter’s fiancée. Carter and Link meet at the bar and commiserate over their fiancées leaving them like that, and end up getting very drunk and spending a night on the town. Carter doesn’t remember the first night, but he and Link end up spending the rest of their honeymoon week together, only for Link to slink out the last morning.
Carter is unsatisfied with his life and realized his relationship with Matthew had largely been a way to be with someone who deemed him worthy. His parents aren’t very supportive of him, and he and his sister, Paige, have a fairly antagonistic relationship at times. At first, after Matthew leaves him he hides out at work and refuses to go back home, but one night he gets stoned with the office security and decides to make a change. Carter goes back to New Orleans, buying an old house to refurbish, and starts finding his own way, his own worth.
Link and Carter find each other again, but it keeps feeling like the timing is off, both trying to respect boundaries and not communicating clearly. This was frustrating and somewhat boring at times, but it didn’t come across as unrealistic exactly. Paige had come to New Orleans with Carter, and she keeps pushing at him, especially as she and Link’s friend, Eli, develop their own romantic relationship.
One of my favorite aspects of this book were all the queer identities. Link is nonbinary and pansexual, while Carter is cis and bisexual. Eli is a trans man - and he’s the one to tell Carter so he maintains his own agency around his identity. There is also a gay man and bisexual man secondary characters and a sapphic married couple. It’s all very casual, but also strong feelings of community and how queer people somehow always seem to find one another, especially when a community is most needed. Also, important to note is Link is never misgendered, not even when Carter first meets them; he makes sure to never assume, and I loved that.
One of the hard parts about reading this is it’s told in third person present tense, so it was hard to feel fully drawn into the story, but it still wasn’t a difficult read overall. I also wish there wasn’t as much miscommunication and, like, missing each other.
Overall, this ended up being an enjoyable read. It was really weird in the beginning and hard to get into, but the last third or so of the book was really good. I liked how Link and Carter finally communicated and found their way together at last. Not quite what I was expecting, but still a pretty sweet romance.
This book started out really weird, but I did love the ending.
Content Notes:
💍 bimisia from family
💍 insensitivity to bimisia
💍 alcohol consumption
💍 inebriation
💍 stood up at the alter
💍 nausea, hangover
💍 casual ableism
💍 semi-explicit on page sex
💍 marijuana use
💍 mention of unemployment, eviction
💍 joke(?) about waterboarding
💍 just cuz someone is lgbtqiaap+, they must wanna meet other people who are
Jilted starts with Link getting stood up at the altar on their wedding day, their fiancée running off with Carter’s fiancée. Carter and Link meet at the bar and commiserate over their fiancées leaving them like that, and end up getting very drunk and spending a night on the town. Carter doesn’t remember the first night, but he and Link end up spending the rest of their honeymoon week together, only for Link to slink out the last morning.
Carter is unsatisfied with his life and realized his relationship with Matthew had largely been a way to be with someone who deemed him worthy. His parents aren’t very supportive of him, and he and his sister, Paige, have a fairly antagonistic relationship at times. At first, after Matthew leaves him he hides out at work and refuses to go back home, but one night he gets stoned with the office security and decides to make a change. Carter goes back to New Orleans, buying an old house to refurbish, and starts finding his own way, his own worth.
Link and Carter find each other again, but it keeps feeling like the timing is off, both trying to respect boundaries and not communicating clearly. This was frustrating and somewhat boring at times, but it didn’t come across as unrealistic exactly. Paige had come to New Orleans with Carter, and she keeps pushing at him, especially as she and Link’s friend, Eli, develop their own romantic relationship.
One of my favorite aspects of this book were all the queer identities. Link is nonbinary and pansexual, while Carter is cis and bisexual. Eli is a trans man - and he’s the one to tell Carter so he maintains his own agency around his identity. There is also a gay man and bisexual man secondary characters and a sapphic married couple. It’s all very casual, but also strong feelings of community and how queer people somehow always seem to find one another, especially when a community is most needed. Also, important to note is Link is never misgendered, not even when Carter first meets them; he makes sure to never assume, and I loved that.
One of the hard parts about reading this is it’s told in third person present tense, so it was hard to feel fully drawn into the story, but it still wasn’t a difficult read overall. I also wish there wasn’t as much miscommunication and, like, missing each other.
Overall, this ended up being an enjoyable read. It was really weird in the beginning and hard to get into, but the last third or so of the book was really good. I liked how Link and Carter finally communicated and found their way together at last. Not quite what I was expecting, but still a pretty sweet romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2021
am i ever going to be able to read reviews for a book with a character who uses they/them pronouns without seeing people whine about how confusing they/them pronouns are and how they take them out of the story and how they get in the way and ~grammar? because i'm tired and y'all are annoying
content/trigger warnings; ableism, alcohol consumption, anti-kink language, anti-native language, biphobia, biphobic family, drug use, explicit sexual content,
rep; carter (mc) is bisexual. link (li) is pansexual, nonbinary, queer, and uses they/them pronouns. eli (sc) is trans.
this book is a mixture of many things i hate: lack of communication, lack of emotional depth, overbearing side characters (seriously, carter's sister is the worst), heavy on the descriptions, the boring character being the mc and the interesting character being the love interest (i was robbed of link's pov, why have their pov in the prologue and then never again?), characters not being held accountable or being let off too easy for shitty things (carter's sister was biphobic to him his entire life and it's just...waved away with a single shitty apology. carter and link are way too easy on their exes considering what they did and then they attend their wedding?? no thanks), and the couple not getting together until the very end (carter and link don't actually get together until 88%, and that's in addition to barely even spending time together while friends. then at 93% we're informed they've been together a year and are engaged and the book ends.).
i came for the rep and bi x pan romance, but what a waste of time.
content/trigger warnings; ableism, alcohol consumption, anti-kink language, anti-native language, biphobia, biphobic family, drug use, explicit sexual content,
rep; carter (mc) is bisexual. link (li) is pansexual, nonbinary, queer, and uses they/them pronouns. eli (sc) is trans.
this book is a mixture of many things i hate: lack of communication, lack of emotional depth, overbearing side characters (seriously, carter's sister is the worst), heavy on the descriptions, the boring character being the mc and the interesting character being the love interest (i was robbed of link's pov, why have their pov in the prologue and then never again?), characters not being held accountable or being let off too easy for shitty things (carter's sister was biphobic to him his entire life and it's just...waved away with a single shitty apology. carter and link are way too easy on their exes considering what they did and then they attend their wedding?? no thanks), and the couple not getting together until the very end (carter and link don't actually get together until 88%, and that's in addition to barely even spending time together while friends. then at 93% we're informed they've been together a year and are engaged and the book ends.).
i came for the rep and bi x pan romance, but what a waste of time.
November 8, 2018
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
Jilted is a standalone book written my Lilah Suzanne. This book was nothing that I expected. Obviously, by the title, we know a character is Jilted. In reality, it ends up being two characters and though this starts as Link’s story, that point of view ends after the prologue and we are living Carter’s story.
This is not a romance story. Don’t go into it thinking that because you’ll be disappointed. This is Carter trying to figure out his life when his fiancé leaves him for Link’s fiancé. Carter realizes his life is in a rut. Maybe he wasn’t as happy as he thought he was and after spending time on a fake honeymoon with Link, maybe he has feelings for him.
Link is non-binary and I would have loved more from that point of view. <— I’m not even sure the correct way of using they//them appropriately, and having that point of view would have made a difference, I think. It’s not a POV common in books, at least those I’ve come across.
I've never thought much about what person a book was written in. This one is third person and I was not a fan. I'm not sure I've ever read a book written in third person before but I will be avoiding it in the future. As I said above, this is not a romance. Carter has feelings for Link but they are not together except for a couple pages at the end. Sorry for that information but go into this knowing you are living Carter figuring life out. And if you’ve ever been interested in exploring New Orleans, or architecture, this book will have educational pieces for you. Overall, I enjoyed this story but make sure you know what you’re getting into before grabbing it!
Rating: 4 stars
Jilted is a standalone book written my Lilah Suzanne. This book was nothing that I expected. Obviously, by the title, we know a character is Jilted. In reality, it ends up being two characters and though this starts as Link’s story, that point of view ends after the prologue and we are living Carter’s story.
This is not a romance story. Don’t go into it thinking that because you’ll be disappointed. This is Carter trying to figure out his life when his fiancé leaves him for Link’s fiancé. Carter realizes his life is in a rut. Maybe he wasn’t as happy as he thought he was and after spending time on a fake honeymoon with Link, maybe he has feelings for him.
Link is non-binary and I would have loved more from that point of view. <— I’m not even sure the correct way of using they//them appropriately, and having that point of view would have made a difference, I think. It’s not a POV common in books, at least those I’ve come across.
I've never thought much about what person a book was written in. This one is third person and I was not a fan. I'm not sure I've ever read a book written in third person before but I will be avoiding it in the future. As I said above, this is not a romance. Carter has feelings for Link but they are not together except for a couple pages at the end. Sorry for that information but go into this knowing you are living Carter figuring life out. And if you’ve ever been interested in exploring New Orleans, or architecture, this book will have educational pieces for you. Overall, I enjoyed this story but make sure you know what you’re getting into before grabbing it!
Rating: 4 stars
June 25, 2023
You know how people always say you can't judge a book by its cover but then you always do anyway? Well, this cover is certainly unfortunate, but this book is actually SO lovely.
The writing style drew me in right away, because this is a really funny book, and the romance it just so lovely imo. It's a short read but it feels really well developed, and I'll definitely reread this is I need something quick and comforting.
The writing style drew me in right away, because this is a really funny book, and the romance it just so lovely imo. It's a short read but it feels really well developed, and I'll definitely reread this is I need something quick and comforting.
October 26, 2018
3.5 stars - RTC
October 12, 2018
3.5 Stars
This might be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.”
I expected (and really wanted) to like JILTED a lot. And I did like it! But...IDK, not as much as I anticipated, I guess. Something with the pace/rhythm was super off.
Lots of good queer rep, though: non-binary, bisexual, pansexual, and side characters who are (respectively) a trans guy, gay, and WLW.
This might be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.”
I expected (and really wanted) to like JILTED a lot. And I did like it! But...IDK, not as much as I anticipated, I guess. Something with the pace/rhythm was super off.
Lots of good queer rep, though: non-binary, bisexual, pansexual, and side characters who are (respectively) a trans guy, gay, and WLW.
October 21, 2018
E-ARC kindly provided by the publisher.
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Guys, do you have any tropes that you like extra much? For me, I could list at least 10 of my absolute favorite ones. One of my most liked one is the trope that is fake dating and while that is awesome, I wasn't prepared for this book because this is fake honeymoon. Which is even better, for obvious reasons.
In this book, you're following Carter, who's traveled to New Orleans to attend a wedding with his soon-to-be-husband, Matthew. One half of the couple getting married, Jamie, is Matthew's ex and long story short, the reason Matthew even wanted to attend the wedding was because he hoped that would give him a chance to win Jamie back. All said and done, Jamie dumps her partner, Link, on the altar and takes off with Matthew. This leaves Link and Carter to themselves, and they end up going out and getting really drunk together, which then leads to them going back home to sleep things off at Link's wedding suite and from there on, people assume Carter is Jamie and they pretend to be a newly wed couple in order to enjoy couple things that were already paid for.
All in all, this was a very light and quick read that didn't have much going on in it, neither in terms of character development or in terms of plot but it was very cute and fluffy and exactly what I needed right now. I usually need my books to be somewhat realistic and while this wasn't, not fully, I did really enjoy it still.
I really liked Carter as a character, although I wanted to kick his butt for not admitting his feelings for Link earlier. Link was...vague. They're an artist and I know half the point of their character was to be ~mysterious, I still feel like their character could have been elaborated on a little bit more. Their relationship was cute and healthy and contained only a moderate amount of relationship angst, which suited the overall tone of this story. Also, I shipped them like mad. Hashtag #iwillgodownwiththisship. Paige, Carter's sister, could also have used a little bit more work because she comes off as slightly one-dimensional at times.
Aditional things I liked about this story was the fact that the LGBT rep in this book was incredible and very diverse, and that Link was a nonbinary character, which is something I've never read before. However, for some reason this book was marketed as m/m, which it isn't. Personally, that error surprised me but didn't really disappoint me. I just wanted to alert any future readers so that they know what to expect of this book.
I think my thoughts on this book could be summarized as "while maybe not the most rememberable book ever, it's cute and fluffy and also it gave me a new favorite trope".
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Guys, do you have any tropes that you like extra much? For me, I could list at least 10 of my absolute favorite ones. One of my most liked one is the trope that is fake dating and while that is awesome, I wasn't prepared for this book because this is fake honeymoon. Which is even better, for obvious reasons.
In this book, you're following Carter, who's traveled to New Orleans to attend a wedding with his soon-to-be-husband, Matthew. One half of the couple getting married, Jamie, is Matthew's ex and long story short, the reason Matthew even wanted to attend the wedding was because he hoped that would give him a chance to win Jamie back. All said and done, Jamie dumps her partner, Link, on the altar and takes off with Matthew. This leaves Link and Carter to themselves, and they end up going out and getting really drunk together, which then leads to them going back home to sleep things off at Link's wedding suite and from there on, people assume Carter is Jamie and they pretend to be a newly wed couple in order to enjoy couple things that were already paid for.
All in all, this was a very light and quick read that didn't have much going on in it, neither in terms of character development or in terms of plot but it was very cute and fluffy and exactly what I needed right now. I usually need my books to be somewhat realistic and while this wasn't, not fully, I did really enjoy it still.
I really liked Carter as a character, although I wanted to kick his butt for not admitting his feelings for Link earlier. Link was...vague. They're an artist and I know half the point of their character was to be ~mysterious, I still feel like their character could have been elaborated on a little bit more. Their relationship was cute and healthy and contained only a moderate amount of relationship angst, which suited the overall tone of this story. Also, I shipped them like mad. Hashtag #iwillgodownwiththisship. Paige, Carter's sister, could also have used a little bit more work because she comes off as slightly one-dimensional at times.
Aditional things I liked about this story was the fact that the LGBT rep in this book was incredible and very diverse, and that Link was a nonbinary character, which is something I've never read before. However, for some reason this book was marketed as m/m, which it isn't. Personally, that error surprised me but didn't really disappoint me. I just wanted to alert any future readers so that they know what to expect of this book.
I think my thoughts on this book could be summarized as "while maybe not the most rememberable book ever, it's cute and fluffy and also it gave me a new favorite trope".
November 5, 2018
I think the best way to describe this book is: Vague. I expected a heart-warming, gay romantic comedy, of sorts but instead the book reads kind of like a meandering journey through fog-- only getting a slight glimpse of what the author intended to say.
From the very beginning, we meet Carter and Link but don't get a defined picture of who they are-- and by 'they' I mean both Carter and Link, not just Link, in the non-binary sense. This brings me to the second problem I had reading. The non-binary pronouns 'they, their' kept getting in the way and I was constantly having to re-read to make sure I understood. I also found the effort to keep Link gender neutral with the pronouns, clashed with the frequent use of adjectives such as 'smooth, soft' to describe them (Link). This is new territory for me, had I not read a book on gender pronouns earlier this year, I would have had no idea what I was reading, grammatically.
Aside from frequent architectural (slight) descriptions/references, I didn't find much informative detail to draw me in to the story or its locations. Just vague. You know how when a friend is constantly whining about something but never gets to the heart of it? That's how I felt reading this book.
The premise is enticing and from what author Suzanne shares with us-- the characters could (and should be) really fascinating people. We just aren't given enough to care.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the very beginning, we meet Carter and Link but don't get a defined picture of who they are-- and by 'they' I mean both Carter and Link, not just Link, in the non-binary sense. This brings me to the second problem I had reading. The non-binary pronouns 'they, their' kept getting in the way and I was constantly having to re-read to make sure I understood. I also found the effort to keep Link gender neutral with the pronouns, clashed with the frequent use of adjectives such as 'smooth, soft' to describe them (Link). This is new territory for me, had I not read a book on gender pronouns earlier this year, I would have had no idea what I was reading, grammatically.
Aside from frequent architectural (slight) descriptions/references, I didn't find much informative detail to draw me in to the story or its locations. Just vague. You know how when a friend is constantly whining about something but never gets to the heart of it? That's how I felt reading this book.
The premise is enticing and from what author Suzanne shares with us-- the characters could (and should be) really fascinating people. We just aren't given enough to care.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2018
I have to be honest that I struggled to finish this book. I loved the premise. It is not often books come out with nonbinary characters, and I was excited to read it. The first few chapters were very entertaining. The time Link and Charter went on their fake honeymoon was fun and a pleasure to read. I had trouble with the they/their pronouns, though. Obviously, they were used to address Link and rightfully so, but for some reason, it took me out of the story many times. Then, when Link and Carter go their own way, the story becomes rather boring. The pronouns didn’t help. But reading on, I was hoping that would change when they were back together again. But sadly, it didn’t.
The story is told from Carter’s POV, and therefore we get to know him. He is a bit of a nerd, and that’s all right. I love nerds, but most geeks have something fun and endearing. I didn’t feel that with Carter. It didn’t help that his sister, Paige, called him out on his behavior many times. She was not one to speak, though, because her own attitude left a lot to be desired.
Link came across as an interesting character, but due to the POV choice, I didn’t learn much about them. And again, with the they pronouns, it was difficult to connect with them.
For me, the best episodes in the book were when Link and Carter were together, but unfortunately they were too few and far between for me to really enjoy this book. It just didn't work for me.
The story is told from Carter’s POV, and therefore we get to know him. He is a bit of a nerd, and that’s all right. I love nerds, but most geeks have something fun and endearing. I didn’t feel that with Carter. It didn’t help that his sister, Paige, called him out on his behavior many times. She was not one to speak, though, because her own attitude left a lot to be desired.
Link came across as an interesting character, but due to the POV choice, I didn’t learn much about them. And again, with the they pronouns, it was difficult to connect with them.
For me, the best episodes in the book were when Link and Carter were together, but unfortunately they were too few and far between for me to really enjoy this book. It just didn't work for me.
July 29, 2019
Standard rom-com with an eye-opening point of view of one bisexual character (Carter Jacob) and one non-binary character. (Link) Link is left at the altar by Jamie who re-unites dramatically with long-ago love, Matthew, who happens to be Carter's fiance. A little complicated. Carter and Link meet at the hotel bar as each attempts to drown their sorrows. They end up (innocently) spending the night together in the honeymoon suite and then are assumed to be the happy newlywed couple, so partake in all the booked and paid-for honeymoon activities in the Big Easy. It is therapeutic for both of them and some sparks start to fly, but both are afraid of the rebound relationship. At the end of the week, Carter returns to Aurora IL where he has a very dull life as an architect, though he is passionate about the work. After a week or 2 avoiding his shared condo with Matt and crashing with his annoying, though caring sister Paige, Carter rethinks his life and returns to New Orleans to pursue a house renovation dream - and Link. Some hits and misses get a little frustrating - Carter can be so dense I wanted to shake him! Standard Shakespearean comedic ending. Yay! New for me - and challenging until I could override my grammarian training-was the inclusive use of pronouns "they, them, their" to refer to Link. Reading for me is always about learning, so this book succeeded in that regard.
November 8, 2018
Although I found the author's style of writing a little difficult to follow at times, I did enjoy the premise of this story. It was certainly different to any thing I'd read before. I really enjoyed both of the MCs, they were very different to one another but ultimately seemed well matched. However, told from only Carter's point of view, I did find it difficult to really get a grasp on Link's character, and I'd have loved to get to know him better.
What I did come across, I liked, but would've really liked to hear from Link also. I really feel that the story would've benefited from being told from both points of view. I also found that later in the book, the story somewhat meandered, and felt that it didn't need to be as lengthy as it was. It seemed to take an age for Carter and Link to get together.
On the whole, Jilted was just an OK read, which showed promise and could have been so much better. It started off well enough, the first part being quite entertaining. Somewhere in the story though, the author seemed to lose her way, and with this the story lost some of its momentum. It's a great idea, but the book needed to be shorter, and told from both MCs points of view to be really successful.
What I did come across, I liked, but would've really liked to hear from Link also. I really feel that the story would've benefited from being told from both points of view. I also found that later in the book, the story somewhat meandered, and felt that it didn't need to be as lengthy as it was. It seemed to take an age for Carter and Link to get together.
On the whole, Jilted was just an OK read, which showed promise and could have been so much better. It started off well enough, the first part being quite entertaining. Somewhere in the story though, the author seemed to lose her way, and with this the story lost some of its momentum. It's a great idea, but the book needed to be shorter, and told from both MCs points of view to be really successful.
December 4, 2018
I think part of what made this book work so much is that it focused on Carter and Link's individual journeys as much as it did on the romance. Sometimes even more so, which I think is something romance struggles with a little. So I really enjoyed that. Someone else said that Paige was a troll and I completely agree with that. I felt like it wasn't so much as "Carter needing to get along with her" as her needing to grow up. There's a difference between honest and mean. Often they go together, but she was both. Said person also said starting the book in Link's perspective but then the entire rest of the book in Carter's was a little confusing, which I have to agree with a little. I just found it odd when we never switched back to Link's perspective but didn't think much of it.
I actually thought this book was a lot shorter than it really was. I thought it was gonna be an instant love kind of thing and that the fake honeymoon was the majority of the story. And then Link left and I was like?? I do feel like it was a little long and dragged a tad bit, but it didn't unreasonably drag like some books. Overall, a good read and super fun.
I actually thought this book was a lot shorter than it really was. I thought it was gonna be an instant love kind of thing and that the fake honeymoon was the majority of the story. And then Link left and I was like?? I do feel like it was a little long and dragged a tad bit, but it didn't unreasonably drag like some books. Overall, a good read and super fun.
October 25, 2018
Jilted
by Lilah Suzanne
due Nov 2018
Interlude Books
This started slowly. Predictably. But it got better. Much better.
Link and Jamie are at the altar. Jamie's ex, Matt, comes to the wedding to win back Jamie before she is lost forever.
She leaves Link at the altar.
Carter and Matt have had a long relationship, and Carter is upset and is lost. He ends up drunk. Link is lost and drunk. Carter and Link end up in honeymoon suite talking and pass out.
They are mistaken for the newlyweds, and decide to roll with it and enjoy the guest package included with the suite.
This is told through Carters point of view and I really grew to like Carter, and Link. When they run into each other again in New Orleans and decide to visit the tourist attractions there, they slowly develop feelings for each other. The relationship between them and their slowly developing trust was so good. Carter and Link won my heart. Their relationship is the
highlight of this novel.
Thank you to the author and Interlude Books for the ARC for review.
#Jilted #netgalley
by Lilah Suzanne
due Nov 2018
Interlude Books
This started slowly. Predictably. But it got better. Much better.
Link and Jamie are at the altar. Jamie's ex, Matt, comes to the wedding to win back Jamie before she is lost forever.
She leaves Link at the altar.
Carter and Matt have had a long relationship, and Carter is upset and is lost. He ends up drunk. Link is lost and drunk. Carter and Link end up in honeymoon suite talking and pass out.
They are mistaken for the newlyweds, and decide to roll with it and enjoy the guest package included with the suite.
This is told through Carters point of view and I really grew to like Carter, and Link. When they run into each other again in New Orleans and decide to visit the tourist attractions there, they slowly develop feelings for each other. The relationship between them and their slowly developing trust was so good. Carter and Link won my heart. Their relationship is the
highlight of this novel.
Thank you to the author and Interlude Books for the ARC for review.
#Jilted #netgalley
November 14, 2018
I had really high expectations for this book, and part of that is on me. I needed a light and funny read and both MC's just seemed kinda down to me. Things I LOVED - Representation!!!! Representation galore in this one! I loved the correct pronouns. I loved the backdrop of New Orleans. Such an amazing city and the author did a great job of painting that picturesque city very well. All in all, this was a good read and I am looking forward to more from this author.
November 15, 2018
I have been a fan of Lilah Suzanne's prose ever since her first story came out.
But Jilted is, for me, an exceptional proof of her talent.
Her description of heartache and new love never ceases to amaze me and I fell in love with the characters, fot their qualities and for their adorable flaws.
Many times, while reading, I found myself thinking "Hm yes this hits all the right buttons" and I think a lot of people will agree!
Let yourself be swooped in this New Orleans romcom !!!
But Jilted is, for me, an exceptional proof of her talent.
Her description of heartache and new love never ceases to amaze me and I fell in love with the characters, fot their qualities and for their adorable flaws.
Many times, while reading, I found myself thinking "Hm yes this hits all the right buttons" and I think a lot of people will agree!
Let yourself be swooped in this New Orleans romcom !!!
July 24, 2019
I think I primarily review romances based on the number of times my heart swells within the text. There were moments where I was swept away, and others that just didn't land for me. I wish Link's POV had been expressed more; I though the book was either going to be dually shared or at least from their perspective. Carter's was fine, but I felt we lost out on what Link was going through this whole time. Nevertheless, a nice read, a HEA/HFN, and some interesting, silly people to root for throughout this book.
December 7, 2018
This was an ok read for me. Not sure why we didn't get more of Link's POV. i would've loved to see things from their point of view. I feel like that was a missed opportunity. I did like how much Link would swoon when Carter was being his awkward self, but they found it charming as opposed to boring as others did.
I really feel I would've loved it more, had we gotten into Link's head as well!
I really feel I would've loved it more, had we gotten into Link's head as well!
November 9, 2018
*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*
- Review to come
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
- Review to come
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
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