“My Best Friend’s Honeymoon” Review

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This book was so much fun! It was the right combination of sweet and spicy. I loved the main characters journeys, both together and as a couple. I appreciated the non-binary rep. Overall, I definitely recommend.

The concept of this plot is amazing: a woman breaks off her wedding and her ex-fiance tells her that she should still go on their honeymoon. She brings her best friend, and you can imagine what happens from there. In reality though, I found the execution to be lacking. Elsie's fiance planned an entire wedding for her without even telling her, something that is farcical. He booked their honeymoon at a queer resort because he wanted to support her queer identity. (That part is cute.) But the pacing of Elsie bringing her best friend Ginny and soon after realizing how she feels about them? It didn't work for me. It felt too insta-lovey, even though they've known each other since childhood. I felt like too much of the plot hinged on miscommunication, including the third act breakup, and it just didn't resonate. This felt like a mostly colored-in drawing that's missing some key pieces.

i don’t know what i was expecting but as far as the smut goes i loved it. i thought the characters were a little bit flat and could use some more work

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

I won't lie; the cover is what drew me to this book. I wish I could live in this cover. This was a good book, but I felt like it went from 0 to 100 quickly and then went back to 0 in the snap of your fingers. There was so much excitement and a lot going on, and then all of a sudden it went a little flat. I understand the author wanting the characters to find themselves, but it felt like something was missing. I would still recommend. This book is definitely spicy! And it's LGBTQIAP+

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked the idea of the premise and the setup of the story but it didn't hit the way I was hoping it would.

Ginny and Elsie have been best friends for a long time. Elsie is a doormat who needs help speaking up for what she wants and Ginny has been in love with her their whole friendship.

I felt like the flashbacks didn't any anything to the story and some of the writing was repetitive. I also felt like the spice was a touch excessive... I know but they could've spent some of that time transitioning from besties to an actual relationship. It felt like we were supposed to rely too heavily on their pre-book established friendship. There was also too much miscommunication and lack of conversations. I feel like the third act conflict could've been avoided had they just SPOKE to each other.

I did like the nonbinary representation from a nonbinary author. I liked the growing they both did in the end.

Overall it was mid for me. I can see how it could really work for others though.

Meryl Wilsner never lets me down!

They know how to write queer stories, and I love that each one is unique (no formulas here). AND they unapologetically write edgy sapphic spice. We need more writers and stories like this!

I loved both main characters. The dual POV and dual timeline format really worked as it pulled together the sweet and vulnerable mutual pining storyline perfectly. Ginny and Elsie have already grown so much together and know each other so well... but in this story they take on a whole new journey together.

There are so many spicy tropes in this one I didn't see coming. I blushed and laughed and swooned and really loved spending time with this couple.

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin's Griffin, and @netgalley for my advanced copy!

This is definitely the steamiest of Wilsner's books, but even if you don't like that aspect, the romance is absolutely charming. Wilsner's voice is an absolute delight to read and Elsie and Ginny are so lovable and I adored this friends-to-lovers romance with its outstanding character development. I also appreciated the cultural Jewish rep - this is the second time their rep has made me feel seen in that respect. I continue to be a Merly Wilsner fan!

Being in love with your engaged best friend is hard but going on vacation with freshly single said best friend... specifically going on the honeymoon she was supposed to go on with her fiancee is going to definitely be harder because feelings are bound to get out. Ginny has been in love with their best friend since forever but has always put their friendship first. Ginny was determined to keep their feelings hidden ever since Elsie got engaged to her boyfriend after graduating... but a year later and when Elsie's boyfriend plans a surprise wedding that Elsie calls off, he insists that Elsie and Ginny go on the honeymoon he was supposed to go on with Elsie. Yet together at a resort... things get out of hand and it turns out Ginny wasn't the only one pining for their best friend. I have to say I just did not connect with this book unfortunately. I adored Mistakes were Made and Cleat Cute, but this one just didn't feel well flushed out to me. Yes it was spicy but it just didn't feel like there was a real connection, was a real romance at the center of it. I felt like Ginny and Elsie were so one dimensional while the whole fall out/break up with Elsie's ex fiancee was so bland and not an issue at all. The book just didn't feel like a really interesting story or one that would have me invested. I wish I did like this, I wish I could, but it just felt so not for me and so not well executed that it was a miss. I do think that maybe some other people who love a friends to lovers story would have fun reading it or if anyone who is looking for a non-binary love interest, definitely give it a go.

Release Date: April 29, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately I DNFd halfway through - I've really like Meryl Wilsner's previous books so I was excited for this one. It honestly feels like a different author wrote it. The writing is incredibly juvenile and tells me everything I need to know. I don't feel connected to th characters and I don't believe they want more than physical stuff from each other. So I knew it was time to stop. Hopefully it finds its audience! It's hurt not me.

2.5 stars

I enjoyed the beginning of this and the great representation but once they got on the "honeymoon" it was simply about them hooking up. They barely talked, they didn't discuss any issues, their feelings, plans for the future, what was going on. Which of course lead to a ton of issues when they got home. I did enjoy the way it was resolved, in a way, however it still felt like nothing was discussed.

Thank you to St. Martins Griffin, St. Martins Early Readers and Netgalley for access to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up. When one woman can't decide if she's in her relationship for the right reasons, she ends up breaking off her engagement. However everything has already been pre=planned including the honeymoon that is non-refundable. So she finds herself going to the honeymoon with her best friend and from there feelings come to light including the desire to feel and want whatever she wants at the moment. She has never crossed the line with her best friend as she's been terrified of ruining the friendship but once the lines are crossed there's no going back from the unknown. I appreciate Wilsner's usage of queer characters especially in the place of having a non-binary love interest! The dynamic was freshing and so fun to read and the spice scenes did not fail to deliver as always!

This wasn’t my favorite of Meryl Wilsner’s books. I had a hard time with how quickly the friends became lovers—there was no real buildup, just the flip of a switch. It was too much of a foregone conclusion for the trope to really be believable for me. One mc who’s hopelessly obsessed with the other mc, who is wildly immature and has ended a years-long relationship “all of a sudden?” I just couldn’t buy in. It also really bothered me that the pronouns for the nonbinary main character were so inconsistent. I get that their pronouns are they/she, but it was confusing and at times hard to follow.

Thank you net galley, St Martin's Publishing Group, and Meryl Wilsner for gifting me an arc of My Best Friend's Honeymoon.

I love Meryl Wilsner and when they said this would be their spiciest book, they DID NOT LIE!
The spice might have been spicing, but it just didn’t hit right for me. I wanted to see more of Ginny and Elsie together in the real world. I felt like there was no substance to their relationship outside of them both saying, “they’re my best friend” over and over again.

This book didn’t wow me at any point but it was a fun and quick read.

Goodreads.com/bhambooksandcoffee

Wilsner excels at crafting characters with rich inner lives, and both Elsie and Ginny feel fully realized. Elsie's journey—from passivity to empowerment—is especially compelling, and readers will root for her as she begins to voice her desires, both big and small. Ginny is a patient and quietly passionate counterpart, offering steady support while also carrying her own emotional complexity.

The pacing is deliberate, leaning into emotional intimacy and character development over dramatic twists, which may feel slower to readers craving high-stakes tension. But the payoff comes in the form of earned, believable emotional growth and a romance that simmers rather than explodes.

Wilsner’s prose is breezy and heartfelt, making even the quietest moments feel significant. The Caribbean setting adds an escapist charm, but the real beauty lies in the nuanced emotional landscape between two people who’ve known each other forever—and are finally seeing each other clearly.

In all, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is a touching, character-driven romance that celebrates love, agency, and the kind of bravery it takes to rewrite your future. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers stories with emotional depth and a satisfying, well-earned HEA. I really enjoyed My Best Friend's Honeymoon.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book and interested to see how things played out. I enjoyed the storyline and thought the book was fun overall, but I feel like the characters (particularly Elsie) lacked depth. She seemed very surface/one-note to me. Did I like the book overall? Yes. Would it be something I choose to re-read down the road? Probably not.

This was my fist Meryl Wilsner book and my first non-binary MC book. And I absolutely adored it! The level of spice was off the charts! Ginny and Elise had so much chemistry that I felt like I was invading their privacy while reading their story. I absolutely loved their love story, and I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book!

Thank you St Martins Press for the gifted ARC!

When Elsie Hoffman calls off her wedding she goes on the non-refundable honeymoon with her best friend Ginny instead.
Ginny thinks it’s high time Elsie learned how to speak up for herself. So, they make a deal with her. For the next week, Elsie can have whatever she wants, wherever, however, and whenever she wants it, as long as she asks. They never expected Elsie to want them.
But what happens when the honeymoon is over?
MY BEST FRIEND'S HONEYMOON is about not only learning to ask for what you want, but for the happiness you deserve.

Okay first, this book has so much queer rep! Ginny is non-binary and Elsie is pansexual! There are also some older queer characters later on in the story. And Ginny is also plus size and a woodworker and fosters dogs! I think Ginny is one of my favorite characters from a book i've read, ever!
Second, this book is super spicy! Like the entire middle of the book lol. SO hot but it's done so well.
I don't think i've ever seen two bigger idiots to lovers than Elsie and Ginny!! For the love of God, just talk to each other! Seriously though, their friendship is so sweet and the longing was sooo good. I loved the dual POV and I'm glad they both got to figure out what they wanted for themselves too in the end.
If you're looking for a spicy and sweet quick read then check this one out,

This didn’t really work for me. I was hoping for more of an emotional connection. The main characters felt a little bit too juvenile, and there wasn’t a strong enough plot to keep me engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Meryl Wilsner, and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

HOT HOT HOT!!!!! Wilsner has done it again with the ultimate spicy queer romance!!! I love any juicy gay drama and this book DELIVERED. However, I was impressed by the genuine moments of introspection woven throughout that were equally as strong as the sex scenes. I believed in Elsie and Ginny’s friendship AND romance and found myself rooting for both their individual growth and growth together. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold and appreciated that we got to see them outside of the honeymoon setting as well. I’ve only read one other of Wilsner’s works (Mistakes Were Made), but reading this made me so excited to check out the rest of the backlog! Great beach/pool read for summer.

“It was easier to move away from the problem than to fix it. Easier to never trust anyone to care about what you want, never trust anyone to be kind about it, than ti risk vulnerability. Easier not to risk anything than to lose everything.”

I really wanted to love this. I enjoyed Mistakes Were Made when I read it a while back, so I was excited about this one. This started out pretty good, but as I got further into the plot I got frustrated with the story.

Ginny and Elsie’s find themselves in Santa Lupita on the honeymoon Elsie was supposed to be on with her now ex-fiancé, Derrick. I was surprised that the reason they go is because he insists Elsie should still go because she never takes time for herself, despite that fact that she just broke up with him. He is definitely way too calm about bring broken up with, even though he was wrong for planning their wedding and not telling Elsie. It's an incident that starts this pattern of quickly resolved issues. There is a bit of chemistry between Ginny and Elise that does boil over in their forced proximity at the resort, which was really fun to read. But even then there's still this disconnect between them and I struggled to stay invested.

The entire time they’re at the resort, they don’t talk about either of their feelings and just continue to be intimate. This is frustrating because as a reader you know that Ginny has always had feelings for Elsie, and you learn that Elsie rejected them in 10th grade over fear of losing her friend. Additionally, Ginny quits their job in order to go on the vacation but doesn’t tell Elsie. It’s the cause of their third-act breakup, but it feels hypocritical when Elsie has been keeping her own secret about her feelings for Ginny and why she rejected them years ago. It's understandable because they are so young, but at the same time Elise gets mad about something she's been doing herself and doesn't really acknowledge that. There is a lot of spice, which is great, but one moment felt so jarring and out of place that it took me right out of the story.

There’s also the frustration of how Elsie’s family treats her in their hardware store business. They don’t want her input and don’t listen to her at all. It doesn't feel like they value her input or the fact that she went to college to get her education to help the family business. They're almost cruel to her about everything, including the fact that she didn't want to marry Derrick. Not only is no one listening to her, Elsie doesn't speak up for herself. And while this is a catalyst for her character arc, she still doesn't stand up for herself because it gets magically resolved when Elsie’s sister reveals she’s on her side and Elsie gets to give her dad a presentation on updating some things. She has other people help her ambush her dad with a presentation and even though she does give him her opinions, it doesn't feel as satisfying as it could have been. There isn’t a good conversation that resolves this and it feels way too neat and clean.

I just never felt connected to the story of the characters, and the overall plot felt really frustrating. It felt like there was just such wasted potential with this book and the plot. I never felt connected to the story or the characters, and it continually felt like something was missing. I do think there will be readers that really enjoy this as everything is very surface level, but it just didn't work for me.