I loved the plus size non gender conforming representation. I am a huge fan of friends to lover and most markedly best friend to lover, so this book was really meant for me! I enjoyed the story even though I was scared a few times. The spice is also on point. Definitely recommend.

Elsie is days away from her wedding, but she doesn't know that. Her fiancé, Derrick, planned a wedding behind her back, and it's happening next week. Now, Elsie needs to decide what to do. There's a reason they haven't planned a wedding yet, she just hasn't come to terms with it. When she calls off the wedding, Derrick insists that she still go on the honeymoon to Santa Lupita and take her best friend Ginny along with her. Ginny has been in love with Elsie since the start of her friendship, but after a slight flop in high school, she has not voiced her feelings to Elsie. Now isn't the time to share her feelings anyway, with Elsie hot off the end of her engagement. However, things start to heat up during their week away from Minnesota. In an effort to do what Elsie wants and to start to stand up for herself and her beliefs, Elsie approaches Ginny for some "fun." Soon, they cannot get enough of each other. When the vacation comes to an end, their future is at stake. Will they ruin their lifelong friendship after the last few days of experimentation? Will they be able to move forward, no matter what their label is? More importantly, will Elsie take the lessons learned during her vacation and find who she really is?

This one was S P I C Y!!!! More so than her other books! However, I enjoyed the storyline and was really rooting for these two. Even if they do not end up together, I just want everything to work out. The book is fast-paced but also keeps you engaged with Elsie and Ginny's story. However, the book didn't blow me out of the water. It's a great sapphic read, but it lacks something to make it truly outstanding. If you've enjoyed Meryl Wilsner's other books, you'll absolutely love this one. Plus, it's the first book of hers to feature a non-binary character. If you haven't given her books a try, please give this one a shot! I was skeptical based on some of the other earlier reviews, but this is a really good read, especially if you're stuck in a slump!

When Elsie calls off her engagement, her fiancé insists she still goes on the honeymoon and takes her best friend along.

This one from Wilsner didn't do it for me. The whole book is a giant miscommunication as the characters don't talk to each other. There's more spice than romantic connection so I wasn't buying into their relationship, even if they've known each other for years.

Meryl Wilsner does it again!!

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is adorable, quirky and unapologetically queer. This story follows the classic best friend to lovers trope and if you enjoy that particular style, then this is the perfect novel for you! Additionally, this story is inclusive in a way that the world desperately needs. One of the love interests is a non-binary and Ginny is written wonderfully. Their non-gender conforming life is brought to the page in a way that shows how we all can be better allies!

The love story within these pages is absolutely delightful! It’s endearing and readers have plenty to connect with! It’s a genuine second chance romance for Ginny and Elsie and their love deserves the chance to flourish. Another component of this romance is the spice. This is one of the spiciest Meryl Wilsner books I’ve ever read and I LOVED it! It starts in a dorky way, but the “asks” get more and more sensual. The sexual tension reaches a boiling point and all the feelings explode from there.

My only minor confusion point were the flashbacks. They were somewhat separated from the story and although they gave great characterization they did at times make the story feel a little disjointed. But ultimately the characterization I gained from it, made me love the characters even more making the love story that much impactful!

Check this story out, it’s wonderfully wild, hot & steamy, and it’s the romance you NEED to read this summer!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. This is my second read from Merlyn, and I honestly did not like this story. I wanted to DNF at 40% but I held out hope thinking this would end differently. This is a Friends to Lovers Romance where we follow best friends Elsie and Ginny who go on Elsie’s honeymoon after she dumps her fiancé a week before the week he planned for them and urges her to still take the paid vacation. I’m giving this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ only because I loved Ginny, I couldn’t stand Elsie at all. I enjoyed their growth separately and some of their friendship. Also Ginny’s granddad, Sue and her friends were gems! Love them!

A friends to lovers romance with a lot of steam, And spice. Elsie and Ginny while on the honeymoon Elsie was meant to take discover that they can be more than friends, And so they do. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For Wilsner's fans.

Huge thanks to Meryl Wilsner, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I’m so grateful I got the chance to read this one early! This was actually my first romance featuring a female and non-binary main characters, and I love the representation. The first 40% totally had me hooked, I loved the setup, the chemistry, and especially the setting. The way the resort was described made me feel like I was right there, lounging by the pool and watching everything unfold like a movie.

That said, I wasn’t fully prepared for how spicy it would get. That might be on me, but I did find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed after a certain point. Up until around 60%, I was rolling with it, but there was one scene in particular that pushed me past my comfort zone, and I ended up DNF-ing at 64%. Still, there was so much to love: the banter, the vibes, the friendship. I think a lot of readers are going to fall hard for this one, especially if you’re looking for a steamy, summery escape with heartfelt LGBTQ+ rep.

The pace was fast and the story was super steamy. I really enjoyed the warm setting in the book as a way to escape the cool Chicago spring.

DNF at 10%

This one is on me but I still wanted to try. I forgot I didn't enjoy Cleat Cute and ended up DNFing but didn't realize it was the same author until after I grabbed this. I also thought it was going to be more of a "jilted at the altar" type of thing not "I'm a terrible person for wanting someone to break off our engagement when I didn't plan the wedding without talking to them or saying no in the first place."

I tried but I hated both MCs. Not for me.

4.5 stars | My Best Friend's Honeymoon 💫 is a great friends to lovers romance with a lot of 🌶️! Elsie invites her best friend of forever on her honeymoon after she calls off her wedding and they end up hooking up after years of mutual pining.

Here's a bit more about the characters:

Ginny: they/them, fostering dogs, woodworking, love their wholesome grandpa!
Elsie: she/her, has 4 siblings, works at the family store, cries over dog pictures 🥹

Both characters are well developed and have great chemistry together. Meryl Wilsner is one of my favourite sapphic writers and I will read whatever they come up with next, always.

I knocked out half a ⭐ because honestly, the romance formula where a conflict must arise between the two mains really annoys me and I felt that in this case the conflict wasn't that much of a big deal and was blew out out of proportion for the sake of it. That being said, the fight between the two main characters isn't overly long and their time apart is great for their personal development and enjoyable to read about.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me an eARC!

“Easier not to risk anything than to lose everything.”

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner is a sweet contemporary romance following two best friends who have known each other for what feels like forever! When Elsie's fiancé decides to plan their wedding in a week as a surprise, Elsie bulks and finally ends the relationship. The kicker - her fiancé already bought a nonrefundable honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean! Else decides her best friend, Ginny, is just the person to go with her. However, Ginny has been in love with Elsie for over a decade, but was rejected by Elsie once in high school, and feels like she has to stay in the "friends-zone." But on a secluded island, where Ginny has demanded that Elsie can have whatever she wants as long as she specifically asks for it - all is about to change. But can they survive once they are back in reality of their daily lives?

Great premise! I have to say, I go into a lot of the books I read blind, and I'm not sure if I knew this was a contemporary lesbian LGBT book when I started to read it. I truly believe love is love, and enjoy any romance novels that are well written. I enjoyed Elsie and Ginny as separate characters and as they grew together.

Yet, I believe communication was very poor in this book and there were so many trust issues over dumb things (which if you really are best friends, it should be easier to talk to each other). In addition, in the middle there were way too many consecutive sex scenes; now, I like spice but spread it out some... I needed more substance! Elsie getting whatever she wanted got a little old throughout and started to make Ginny look inferior to me in the friendship/relationship.

I absolutely loved the line: “I know intent isn’t as important as impact…” I had to sit back and think about this line for awhile. Wilsner incorporated a lot between these pages and their overall intent and impact was appreciated by this reader!

There was so much right about this book, but overall it feel a little short for me after a strong start. I did enjoy it, but I'm not sure I'm jumping up and down to recommend it.

3.4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for this sumptuous ARC! All opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️

I received an advance copy of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Elsie breaks off her engagement, she’s left with a non-refundable honeymoon and a lot of heartbreak. When her ex-fiancé refuses the trip, she invites her lifelong best friend, Ginny, to come along. During this trip, the two of them begin to realize that their feeling for each other may in fact be mutual.

This book was a cute read! The dynamic between Ginny and Elsie was so wholesome, and I loved the foundation of their relationship being rooted in years of friendship. Watching them grow both emotionally and romantically was really sweet. I also enjoyed seeing them support and uplift each other’s goals and passions.

That said, this story moved a bit too fast for my liking. The transition from friends to romantic partners was extremely quick, and I would’ve loved to see more emotional buildup. It also got a little frustrating at times how often a small miscommunication caused a larger issue. So many of their conflicts could’ve been resolved if they had just had an honest conversation earlier on.

Overall, I did enjoy this book.

Overall, I enjoyed MBFH by Meryl Wilsner. Reading it felt like they had a good time writing this story and, whew, do readers benefit with some raunchy fun! A highlight was that I thought it was handled really well when Ginny and Elsie realized their codependence on one another might be impacting their own individual lives and it felt like a realistic issue. The friends-to-lovers trope was done very well. My one qualm would be that the ending felt rushed. Would recommend!

3.5 because poor Derrick
Ok listen it was good, it was nice even, but a few things really confused me.
They go from “oh no we couldn’t possibly ruin our friendship being romantically involved” to have some seriously kinky sex out of nowhere without a conversation besides the “nothing will ruin us”
Besides that, what I really think would have made anything better was if the characters were 7/10 years older. If they met as teens, had the whole rejection thing in their early twenties, and were now late 20s or early 30s
It would have added so much more pining and pathos.
This two are 23, like, children, really. You haven’t pined enough. You are not in love with the other since the day you met! You were 10.
But yes, ok I hated the third act, which wouldn’t exist if they were older!!! Because it would already have happened I believe!!!!
I needed a TW for the period sex ngl

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me an early copy of this ebook. All opinions are my own.

Whew! What a spicy little friends to lovers romance. 🥵

Elsie has finally come to the realization that she cannot marry her fiancé, but even though she broke up with him, he tells her to take their non-refundable honeymoon trip anyway, and to take her best friend with her. (Seriously, I felt kind of a lot bad for him, poor guy. 😂)

I really, really loved the vacation part of this book, with all those romantic tropical getaway vibes. I loved Elsie learning to ask for what she wants, and then getting exactly that. 😘🔥

I will say the back half of the books was definitely a bit weaker for me. While I understand that there was some important character development that needed to happen, it happened in a way I didn’t feel quite worked for me, but that said, that final scene was very cute, and I loved where the characters ended up.

What this book is giving:
✅ Romance
✅ Dual POV
✅ Best Friend’s to Lovers
✅ Nonbinary MC
✅ Non-refundable Honeymoon Trip

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

I’ve enjoyed Wilsner’s novels in the past, but after reading Cleat Cute and now My Best Friend’s Honeymoon, I think it’s time for me to step away from their work. A few years ago, their stories felt right for me, but I’ve come to realize that I’ve outgrown their writing style and the way their romances are constructed.

The biggest issue for me in this story—echoed by many other readers—is the lack of buildup to the romantic and sexual tension. Since the two main characters have been best friends since childhood, we’re dropped into a relationship where the emotional groundwork has already been laid off page. There’s no visible transition from friendship to something more—no shy moments, subtle flirting, or slow realization of deeper feelings. Instead, we’re simply told that they’re meant for each other and expected to go along with it. What follows is mostly sex scenes and a lot of miscommunication, without the emotional payoff that makes a romance satisfying. I missed the heart-fluttering tension, the sense of discovery, and the gradual unfolding of chemistry that makes these stories worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was a short, quick and cute friends to lovers romance. I enjoyed when they were in paradise. Elsie was a frustrating character at times and hard to root for. Overall a cute romance!

This book as everything i needed right now. It was fun, it was spicy, and it was queer af!! i absolutely love Ginny, our non-binary main character and love interest. They were definitely my favorite part of the book, and it’s not just because i am also a plus-sized lesbian with a thing for carpentry and woodwork. the feeling of being so completely in love with your best friend for years is so well written that I felt it in my soul. I know what it feels like and this book perfectly captures that, and the rush of joy when you realize your feelings are reciprocated. The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that at times I found Elsie - our other main character - a little annoying. It felt like some of her reasonings or motivations for actions didn’t make complete sense, although maybe that was the point. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and You Had Me At HEA for giving me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Oh. My. Gosh. I ATE this book up. I have a headache from looking at my Kindle for 5 hours straight but honestly it was totally worth it to finish it today. I ADORE both Elsie and Ginny, and their journey from best friends to lovers. Their chemistry was undeniable, and GOSH the longing was eating me alive, but thankfully I didn't wait too long 😉. The supporting characters were hilarious while also helping the plot move along. Also the third-act breakup was ACTUALLY believable, which I usually struggle with. All in all, I honestly recommend this book so so much. I feel like I already want to reread it, it just gave me so many feels!

This was the first real miss for me with any of Wilsner's novels, and it's partly due to friends-to-lovers being one of my least enjoyable tropes. My Best Friend's Honeymoon features a F/NB romance between lifelong best friends Ginny and Elsie, and the conflict revolves around miscommunication, which is another device that I don't enjoy. As usual, steamy sex scenes abound, and as usual, I flip through those pages as I'm a closed door kind of gal. In this book, it felt like exploring the changing dynamic between Ginny and Elsie would have been better served by less time spent in detailed sex scenes and more time spent in out-of-bed interactions. Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital review copy.