I had a hard time getting into this book. The writing was great and the steam was very good, but the beginning just threw me. I wish her fiance would have been more of a jerk so I could dislike him more. It felt like she had just been stringing him along with no plans to ever marry him.

I'm sure this will have the right audience, but it was a bit of a miss for me. The writing was great and I will definitely check out more books by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.
3.5 rounded to 4

Ginny has been in love with their best friend Elsie for as long as they can remember, but they put their friendship first, always. Elsie knows her people-pleasing tendencies aren't doing her any favors, but she just can't seem to stand up for herself. When Elsie's engagement to her nice-but-oblivious boyfriend falls apart, the two best friends go on what was supposed to be Elsie's honeymoon. But maybe Ginny isn't the only one who's been pining for their best friend.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Wilsner's Mistakes Were Made and Cleat Cute were two of my favorite romance reads last year, but I was disappointed in this one. Neither character had much depth beyond their friendship and their jobs. The characters interact only to each other for most of the book, which left me feeling very trapped in their codependent dynamic. I was begging for an interaction with another guest at the resort or for the two of them to do anything but swim and fuck and eat.

The shifting third-person-close perspective didn't do any favors to the story--we were so far into the book before (view spoiler)

Still, there are good elements in this story. I always love seeing queer friendship represented in novels, and I think the third act breakup felt more realistic than many other romances. I think if I hadn't read Wilsner's other novels, I may have rated this higher but, for an author I like so much, this truly felt like a let-down.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from Netgally for an honest review.

I wasn't a huge fan of the book, I thought the story and plot were cute to start, but struggled with how two dimensional the characters were. I was actually glad for them when near the end they learned who they are as themselves, but struggled with the first 2/3 of the book, as it felt very flat. I also found it a bit off-putting that one of the messages was people's obsession with sex. It's like that's all people in the story found as a reason for their relationships. I know it said other times that the main characters had a friendship that was 'amazing' but I didn't see a ton of that in the writing. I also felt like the friend characters that appear at the end of the story were hard stereotypes. Anyways, it was fine, but not something I wanted to sit and read or would recommend.

Thank you for the opportunity to review. I was interested in the dramatic tension that I felt could've been created with the characters as they were introduced, and found it a little bit of a letdown and overly predictable - there was a lot of potential! The writing was good but not memorable.

At this point, I will read anything Meryl Wilsner writes! They are an auto-buy author for me. And I'll likely still buy this book after it is released to support them!

I know there is going to be a large population of readers that adore this book! That being said, My Best Friend's Honeymoon is maybe my least favorite of Meryl Wilsner's books. One of my favorite romance books tropes is friends-to-lovers, and this book definitely has that trope going for it. However, it relies a lot on the relationship that developed before the story started. I am not a reader that loves a lot of spice, and this book is vastly spice. Like I said, there is a large population of romance readers who will love this book for the very reasons that I am hesitant to!

I did love the different queer representation in this book! I don't get to read a lot of major publishers that publish non-binary main characters.

Do I still recommend this book? Absolutely! Just because it wasn't my favorite Meryl Wilsner doesn't mean I didn't still enjoy my time reading this!

ARC Review - Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this eARC.

4.5 ⭐️s!! Beautiful story of going after what matters to you in life - whether that’s in your career, your love life, or even activities you’re interested in.

Ginny (nb) and Elsie (f) have been best friends for over a decade so it makes perfect sense to Elsie to invite Ginny on her honeymoon trip after she calls off her wedding. Ginny is determined to show Elsie how much her opinions, wants and desires matter, so they insist that she gets everything she asks for during their week in paradise. And they mean everything. 🫦🥵

This book is sweet, funny, heart wrenching, beautiful, spicy and full of love. I absolutely loved it! Get your hands on My Best Friend’s Honeymoon when it releases later this month (April 29!)

Perfect if you enjoy any of the following:
- Friends-to-lovers
- Non-binary MC
- Open door spice
- Loads of pining
- Dirty talk
- Forced Proximity

This was my first book by Meryl Wilsner but it certainly won’t be my last!

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