Meryl Wilsner has one-upped themselves yet again. My Best Friend’s Honeymoon includes all of my favorites (and then some!!) friends-to-lovers trope, romantic destination getaway with of course only one bed, ALL of the Minnesota connections and references, Animal rescue and adorable foster pups, and epic swoon & spice the icing on the cake.

ARC via Net Galley

Goodreads review

Meryl Wilsners books are an auto buy for me at this point, every book has been perfect and they have done it again. Mistakes Were Made has been one of my favorite books, not just by Wilsner but in general, but I think it’s been evenly matched, if not knocked out. I absolutely loved these characters and was really able to see them grow, every aspect was perfect and so real. I really saw myself in both characters, but it was so refreshing having representation like Ginny. I saw so much of myself in Ginny and loved the representation both of their gender but also body type without it being the main point or even a large point of the story. It is honestly hard to describe how much I was able to relate to where the characters are at in their lives and mentally. All I can say is as odd as it may sound, this little gay romance book has influenced how I see myself and my relationships. If Meryl Wilsner has no fans I am dead.

This friends-to-lovers, LGBT+ friendly romcom was delightful. The forced proximity of being on an all-inclusive resort with your best friend you have always had feelings for makes for fun and explosive times. I liked the glimpses of their past selves and how they shaped how the act in the present and overall really enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This was a very cute, cozy friends to lovers romance. I loved the plus sized and nonbinary representation included. The world-building of the perfect tropical getaway was exactly what I needed in these cold Midwest winter months. I feel like the character development was a little lacking. Elsie’s transition within 2 weeks from being unable to tell her fiancé that she doesn’t want to get married to standing up to her dad and taking charge of everything she wants in her life was kind of sudden. It felt a little disjointed. I think there could have been more time after the vacation that she and Ginny spent apart to really reflect on themselves and learn what they wanted. The spice was very well written, but I feel like there could have been more plot development during that middle section of the book in between the spice. Overall, it was really entertaining and gave me all the warm cozy vibes in the end when everyone got their happy ever after. I would definitely read a sequel.

⭐️ 1/5 - 🚫 DNF/Skimmed to finish
Third Person Narrative | Female & Non-Binary Main Characters
F/NBi Open Door Romance

I will start out by saying I have read books with NB characters before and usually caught on right away to the use of gendered pronouns. But this is my first book where one of the main characters is NB and I think because it was also written in third person narrative it made it so much harder to understand who was being referenced when they/their/them was being used. If the book was written in first person narrative and maybe even with dual narratives with Elsie and Ginny, it would probably read a lot smoother.

Elsie is a 23 year old female who has been engaged to her fiancé Derrick for 1.5 years. She has only ever slept with Derrick and never been with a woman and identities as pansexual. Her best friend Ginny is non-binary and they have known each other and been best friends their entire lives.

Elsie describes her relationship with Derrick as simple, and predictable, and she likes that. But Derrick has never been particularly talented at figuring out Elsie’s mood. He thought he was doing Elsie a huge favor when it came to wedding planning by taking literally everything off her to-do list and booking the entire thing plus the honeymoon.
Elsie obviously doesn’t respond well to this but Derrick still encourages her to go on their non-refundable honeymoon with her bff Ginny.

The tropical getaway was nearly all finger banging and exploring each others’ “c*nts.” This word was also very much overused.
I couldn’t get onboard with Ginny’s internal thought of “cishet sex seems really focused on penetration but there is so much more than that” [with queer sex].
Even though they were almost always having sex, it was connectionless, not creative, and lacked passion. They didn’t give us much of an example of what the “so much more than that” could be other than adding more tallies to their daily scorecard of orgasms.
It’s like they were also against the use of penetration via dildo, vibrator, or strap-on. And you can absolutely still be passionate and sensual using those items too. It just got repetitive, unrealistic, and lacked romance and chemistry.

Elsie is still very young and has no idea what to do with her life and has a lot of growing up to do yet. She thought she was content with her mundane life with Derrick and then has a quarter life crisis with a massive sexual awakening. It gave me curious-horny-college-girl-gets-her-lesbian-experience-out-of-her-system vibes. And what better way then to use her bff who is in love with her as a live sex toy to experiment with? They both took advantage of each other like crazy to fulfill their horny urges but we didn’t get any character development or relationship growth from them.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💧Drip-o-Meter: 💦💦💦💦💦
💗Something I Loved:
1. As far as opening lines go, this one’s a solid 10/10 for me - “God, this man is truly not very bright.” 🤣
2. The main characters are from the Twin Cities. As a fellow Minneapolis, MN resident, this made me nearly giddy.
3. The spice… I’ll get to that later but this book is extremely NSFW.
4. The fat positivity and queer rep (Ginny is a non-binary lesbian and Elsie is pansexual).
5. The theme of speaking up for yourself and your own desires; of asking for what you want instead of only worrying about the people around you (sometimes to your own detriment… ya know, like almost marrying a man you don’t love 🤦🏻‍♀️).
🫤Something I Would Have Changed: As much as I loved all the Minneapolis references, parts of it are also what I would change… in particular the reference to Uncle Cheetahs. I mainly didn’t like it because it’s not accurate (this establishment does exist, but it’s not here) and while I know this is fiction, why not pick an actual local establishment from here especially when other real landmarks (ex: First Ave) are mentioned? Also for anyone wondering… MN isn’t quite as gray as Meryl makes it seem… I saw sunshine at least twice this year. 🤣
🥰Favorite Moment: The ending. Granted, I will always and forever hate a third act breakup, but it does make me love when they finally come back together that much more.
“Tell me the most important thing that’s happened since we—“
“This.”
🌶️Spiciest Scene: Chapter 14…. And 16… and also 17-18… Actually I’ll just make a blanket statement here… It’s all really freaking spicy.🔥🔥🔥 I mean, holy shit. I had forgotten how good of a sex scene Meryl writes but my-lanta! Should we all be banging our best friends because… 🥵 Fair warning friends: they reeeaaaaally go for it in this one (👊🏽🩸🤬🍑) but it might also be their best yet in terms of spice. And hey, at least they brush their teeth after certain activities. 😂
📚Standalone vs. Series: Standalone
📖Would I Recommend: Yeah. It was definitely entertaining and, for me at least, the parts I liked overpowered the parts I didn’t. However, it was a little repetitive at times and I do wish there was at least one more chapter or an epilogue… while I don’t doubt that Elsie and Ginny will have their happy ever after (yes, I realize I could use my imagination but nah), I just really wanted to read about their HEA for more than a few measly pages. It wasn’t perfect but overall I really did enjoy it and will continue reading Meryl’s books with the hope that they’ll someday be able to top Mistakes Were Made. 🤞🏼
💬Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Dirty Talk, LGBTQ+ Rep, Caribbean Vacation

I DNF"d this book so I don't necessarily have helpful feedback. I linked it in general, but I never got hooked in by the plot and had other books I wanted to prioritize more. I loved the premise of the book in the summary, but I didn't get attached to the characters the way I wanted to.

Oh my goodness this book. I don't understand how this took every queer kid who has falling in love with their best friend and turned it into an amazing book.

I love the friendship between Ginny and Elsie because it's what you need. The way Elsie is always there when someone misgenders Ginny and when Ginny is there for Elsie during her broken engagement and then that honeymoon.

They never told anyone that they weren't a couple, and they made it seem like they were one. I thought that bedroom scene was a dream that Elsie was having, but nope. And it was all they wanted to do, was to be together.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this eARC!

i love meryl wilsner’s books and i was excited to read this one, and especially excited about the fat/nb representation. it was enjoyable and touching and a quick read, and i think the present tense worked well for it. i wish it had been a bit longer, especially at the end, giving itself more time for the characters to settle into the necessary changes and their happily ever after.

the book wasn’t as grounded in place as i think it could have been, which could be improved if it was more fleshed out. it was also wild that the MCs were 23 bc that is just… so young.

it was a bit annoying that the main conflict resulted from miscommunication/overreaction, it’s just not my preferred trope. i wish they were better at communicating.

the sex scenes were quite concentrated to the middle of the book and it was a little unbalanced. but they were well written and fun and i liked the sense of adventure.

elsie as a character was a bit annoying. i loved ginny but they needed to grow a backbone as well

thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Meryl Wilsner’s latest romance centers around Ginny and Elsie, who have been best friends since high school—a time that, surprisingly, wasn't too long ago. At just 23, Elsie finds herself ensnared in an engagement that feels more like a dictatorship than a partnership. Her fiancé proposed to her on stage at her graduation (yikes), and then he pushed her into planning a wedding she had no say in (double yikes). However, the lifelong people-pleaser in Elsie has finally reached her breaking point. The catch? Her fiancé has already booked and paid for a non-refundable honeymoon to a fictitious island. In an impulsive bid for freedom, she leaves her fiancé behind and invites Ginny instead. This sets the stage for a tropical escape, undeniable chemistry, and plenty of excitement.

One of the standout elements of this book is its considerate representation. Wilsner provides genuinely kind and respectful fat representation—something still quite rare in mainstream romance. The nonbinary representation was approached thoughtfully, and the narrative felt more like it was naturally incorporating diverse characters rather than trying to "educate" readers. This is something I truly value.

However, the book leaned heavily into the concept of insta-love, which wasn't to my liking. While I was rooting for Ginny and Elsie, their romantic journey felt hurried, lacking the emotional depth to make their feelings feel deserved. Additionally, although I generally enjoy a steamy romance, the abundance of spicy scenes became repetitive, diminishing their overall impact. Sometimes, less is more, and I wished for a better balance between character development and physical connection.

Then came the infamous third-act breakup. I won’t reveal too much, but it felt both unnecessary and frustrating. Elsie’s response left me wanting to throw my Kindle across the room. I understand the need for conflict, but this moment felt forced rather than organic.

In the end, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon showcased fantastic representation and sizzling chemistry, but it stumbled in execution. If you're in search of a romance that emphasizes spice above all else, this could be a great choice. However, if you’re looking for well-developed emotional arcs and a believable love story, this one might not meet your expectations.

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. “My Best Friend’s Honeymoon” comes out on April 29th, 2025!

I am a big fan of this author and was extremely excited as well as thankful to receive this ARC.
While I generally liked this book I wish that there was more. There was great representation for the queer and plus size community that I loved. I do wish that we had gotten deeper scenes to better show the characters friendship before it turned into a relationship. As well as getting to see them together as an actual couple outside of the bedroom. The intimate scenes are well written and I loved the friends to lovers trope I just wish we had gotten more. I personally love an epilogue to show any insight into the characters future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for granting me access to the eARC for review purposes.

This was the first book of Meryl Wilsner that I read and it was a good book. The friends-to-lovers theme was well written in this story. There was a decent amount of spice but also character development. I will read more books by this author.

Although I enjoyed this book, I was hoping for a little bit more.

I love the best friends/mutual pining trope. The lead characters had distinct, compatible personalities, and as a reader I could tell how much they loved each other. The dynamic was cute. I thought the friendship with longing was a great base to develop a beautiful romance.

The issue is that the relationship immediately jumps from friends that are into each other to constant sex. There isn’t much flirting, or slowly hinting that they are into each other. Once the steam started, it was constant. I liked the way the sex was written, but I didn’t like that it overtook the entire story until the third act breakup.

I imagine that some readers will be put off by the long breakup, but I didn’t mind it. I felt that the time spent apart was essential for the character development.

Ultimately, I’m glad that the couple ended up together. I thought the story was cute, but I wish it had focused a bit more on the romantic development rather than sexual.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for granting me access to the eARC for review purposes.

This was one of my most anticipated books! I’ve read Meryl Wilsner’s books before and they’re always a hit for me, so I was extremely excited to be approved for My Best Friend’s Honeymoon.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devouring it in just over a day. I thought Ginny and Elsie were great characters and were well fleshed out. Their friendship and chemistry was also very believable.

Since I was given this eARC for reviewing purposes, I will get a little nit picky going forward, but don’t be confused, I really liked this book.

My biggest problem with the story was how the POV was handled. Third person is my favorite to read, so I’m no stranger to it, however switching between Ginny’s internal monologue to Elsie’s in the next paragraph with no chapter breaks felt incredibly jarring. This happened throughout the book. If the focus on each character was separated by chapter, or even chapter breaks, it would flow much better.

Another issue I noticed was pronoun usage for Ginny, specifically in chapter 24. Throughout the story Ginny is only referred to with they/them pronouns. Yet in chapter 24, Ginny repeatedly gets referred to by she/her. No where else in the story does Ginny use feminine pronouns. If it was been sprinkled through the novel it wouldn’t be an issue, however it’s only in this specific chapter where it’s used.

My non-editorial complaint was that almost 40% of the book had Ginny and Elsie fighting or not speaking. I understand why the characters took time away from each other to grow and discover themselves, but almost half the romance book being devoid of any romance felt a bit rough to get through. If we’d gotten more time to enjoy their reunion than just the end of the last chapter, it might’ve evened out some. But they got back together and then the story was over. No time to enjoy them being a couple again.

Overall I did still really enjoy this book and I definitely look forward to reading what Wilsner writes next! I can’t wait to recommend this book when it releases in April.

This was a really good book. I loved the character development. I do wish there was a little more, but is was a wonderful read. It was something different for me to read. Thw cocer is very pretty, which led me to read this book. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

In a time where queer visibility snd love stories are needed more than ever, this hits the mark. I loved watching the growth and personal understanding of both main characters.

Two best friends end up going on one of their honeymoons after she leaves her man at the altar in this sapphic romcom.

Ugh, the pining. I love a good pine and both these bitches were hopeless the whole book. It was a good amount of angst for a fluffy book. I daresay this is Meryl’s best work thus far. They gave us some solid non-binary representation, a sapphic friendship that evolves into more, and a plus-size sapphic. They also get a little zestier in this one with some praise/degradation and some very light kink that you don’t usually see from a trad published romance novel. We love to see it!

Medium burn with biting, ass-slapping, rimming, and praise/degradation.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual Third Present

This was a cute story, but I wanted a little more to the relationship. I feel like we got a friendship and the hooking up, but I wanted more development in the relationship with Elsie and Ginny.

An enjoyable read, but not my favorite Wilsner.

I appreciate this author's work as they're an auto buy for me. However, I'm slightly disappointed in the lack of depth with these characters. Typically I appreciate the cheeky banter they write, and I feel because the characters were friends for so long, we could've experienced some of that. Considering it only took a simple ask before they turned into something more. To be fair, I wouldn't take anything out of the book. It honestly could've been longer so we could get that feet kicking flirting.

This book was sweet and sexy and thoroughly enjoyable. I read it very quickly, and found the pacing quick and snappy and the characters very fun. My only issue was some continuity problems and characterization that didn't always feel consistent, but I recognize this is an unedited ARC so hopefully those will be fixed by the pub date. The main issues were regarding how long they had been friends and how long Els was dating/engaged. Similarly I felt the miscommunication plot was a bit thin, but I still liked the message and writing of it.