I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I was beyond ecstatic to get this book as an ARC because I loved Meryl’s book, Mistakes Were Made. Meryl definitely knows how to write spice and that was one of the only things that truly excelled in this book for me. I felt the characters fell flat until about 75% of the way through when they had their third act break-up. I’m not a fan of third act break ups anyway but I can see why it was added into this story line. During the last 25% of the book, the MCs finally started showing personality and became people I was interested in but by then the book was ending. I would have loved to see an epilogue even. I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it like I expected I was going to. I do have to give Meryl tons of credit because as a more main stream/ traditionally published author it was nice to see so much diverse representation, such as a fat non binary MC, a pansexual MC, and multiple sex scenes that include less talked about kinks. I really appreciate the breath of fresh in the sapphic romance category.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Wilsner’s writing. It’s captivating and beautiful and keeps you engaged with the story. And the spicy scenes are always on point! My problem, though, is with the plot— or lack there of. And the “conflict,” which was just stupid and over exaggerated. The book literally went: best friends, vacation, sex, fight, short resolution, over. That summarizes EVERYTHING. Nothing else really happened. And the character growth was minimal.

Anyway, it was a VERY quick read, and was enjoyable enough. This is probably on par with how I felt about Cleat Cute. Not as good as Mistakes Were Made, better than Something to Talk About.

LOVED the fact that one of the MCs was non-binary! Representation matters!

I enjoyed the friends to lovers trope and really wanted a relationship to flourish, especially after the awful engagement in the beginning. These best friends had all of the chemistry and spark necessary for a steamy vacation together. Was there too much spice at times? Yes. It felt like once they crossed that line on the trip, it became the entire story. Hooking up over and over again and not much substance. I got bored.

The third act miscommunication / break up was totally predictable. My heart broke for both characters that they couldn't figure it out and talk to each other like adults. Were they co-dependent? Hell yes. But was it a problem? Not really.

Overall, I really enjoyed My Best Friend's Honeymoon and gave it a solid 3 stars.

Meryl Wilsner delivers another swoon-worthy, heartfelt romance with My Best Friend’s Honeymoon, a book that had me completely hooked from start to finish. The concept alone—tagging along on your best friend’s honeymoon—is filled with delicious tension, and Wilsner executes it beautifully, blending humor, longing, and emotional depth in a way that feels effortless.

The chemistry between the main characters crackles on the page, making every glance, every touch, and every stolen moment pulse with unspoken feelings. The slow-burn romance is perfectly paced, and I adored how the story explored the blurred lines between friendship and something more. It’s tender, messy, and deeply satisfying—just the kind of romance that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page.

Beyond the romance, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon also shines in its exploration of personal growth, self-discovery, and taking chances, even when the stakes are high. If you love emotional, well-crafted love stories with characters you can’t help but root for, this one is a must-read!

This book was okay, it definitely wasn’t great. The beginning was good, but then it sort of turned into pure erotica. I expected some spice since I’ve read this author before, but this was a lot. After what felt like 100 pages of nonstop smut, the storytelling fell flat, and the ending was very predictable

This was a really cute book. The concept of the book was really interesting, and portrayed pretty well. The setting of the book was beautiful. I loved the friends to lovers trope. There were quite a few sex scenes, which I didn't really mind. I wish they would have been spread out a little bit longer. I also wish we got more scenes that showed the two characters developing more feelings than just hooking up. The main conflict of the book seemed like a conflict that didn't need to be as big as it was. It felt a little dragged on. It was nice to see the characters grow separately from each other. Overall, this book was really cute. It had some romance. It had some spice. It was really fun to read!

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m normally a sucker anyway for best friends to lovers who have been secretly in love with each other for years (or the seemingly unrequited love troupe), but this may be one of my favorites.

Ginny and Elsie have been joined at the hip since middle school, and after a turned down date in high school, have put aside their secret feelings for each other to keep the friendship. It’s a sapphic tale as old as time, and all comes to a head when Elsie breaks off a surprise wedding and takes her best friend on the non refundable fantasy honeymoon to Santa Lupita. Antics ensue, both tropical and sensual, and Ginny and Elsie have to decide if what they have is worth risking their friendship, and even themselves, for.

I really felt for Ginny and Elsie and their respective situations and issues, from feeling lost in your career to being unable to be brave and voice what you want. The self-growth and reflection of the MCs were great to see in the last third of the book and was really needed in my opinion for them to grow as a couple as well. I don’t think I’ve seen that a lot in romance books, where they genuinely take time to care for themselves instead of a miscommunication breakup.

I also enjoyed being thrown right into the plot and big events while receiving context and relevant info from the past as we progress in the main storyline. It gave the book a cinematic element, and did wonders for revelations the characters go through.

Of course, it’s Meryl Wilsner, so holy smut scenes, and I loved every single one of them. If anything I needed MORE, especially at the end, which I felt was a bit rushed if anything. Overall though, the over-arching story was well-written, I had a great time witnessing these goons figure themselves out, and I felt fulfilled and satisfied by the end, which is all I ask in a romance book. This story is a great option for any sapphic reader, especially for the tropes discussed above, as well as non-binary rep and body variety.

Meryl Wilsner is already an auto-buy author for me and I couldn’t wait to read this story with a best friend/honeymoon trip trope but queer! The way Meryl writes the story weaving Ginny and Elsie’s present story and their history made for a dynamic read. I also loved the quick glances into queer culture and how much they’ve aligned with a lot of my experiences! The story made me literally go from tearing up or crying to bursting out a laugh. Can’t wait to get my physical copy when it comes out and recommend to my reading buddies!

This book, while predictable from the beginning, was so fun to read! Two best friends end up on a honeymoon together after one friend calls off their engagement. It was so fun to see them take care of one another and for their friendship to grow to something more. I enjoyed the queer portrayal throughout the book, and am looking forward to reading more from Meryl Wilsner!

I have zero doubt this is a great book, but I can't read third person present tense. That POV just doesn't agree with my brain, so I DNF at 1%. A pity, because Mistakes Were Made is one of my favorite books and frequent rereads.

I won't be leaving reviews on Goodreads or Amazon for this book since I DNF so quickly.

Let me just start by saying I was very excited for this book. I’ve previously loved Meryl‘s other stories and I always enjoy queer love stories. I couldn’t believe it when I got approved for this arc and I went into the book expecting to love it. Unfortunately, that didn’t end up being the case.

The story started off weird to me with Ginny having been in love with Elsie for their whole lives, but never having said anything. Ginny had been living their whole life around what Elsie wanted, and ensuring they couldn’t always be around Elsie, and I didn’t love the vibes. I just kept imagining myself in a position of Elsie and I know I would’ve felt so uncomfortable. If I found out after decades, I had a friend who had always been in love with me, but never said anything and essentially built their whole life around staying close to me. Ginny even quit her job without telling Elsie to go on this honeymoon trip with her.

I felt like it didn’t represent queer people very well. I know that everyone is different, but too often queer people are portrayed as predatory, and I felt like the start of that story gave me that vibe.

What’s the two of them are on the honeymoon and realize they’re into each other we start to get into the spicy sex scenes - which was another piece of this book I was originally very excited for.
But honestly, the sex scenes felt like they were going on forever and were repetitive. I wanted more connection between them and more activities of them like falling in love. I wanted more than the two of them just going on a Caribbean trip to have sex for multiple days and rarely doing anything else or talk about anything interesting.

Towards the end of the book I did start to like it more. My favourite part is after they get home from the trip and spend some time thinking about things separately.

Ginny is doing things for themself for once - like getting a foster dog, texting with their family, and starting a new business they feel inspired by. Ginny builds her own foundation for her life.

Elsie spends time with her family talking a lot about certain things that she’s always wanted for herself, she fights for those things for herself, and learns to stand on her own outside of a romantic relationship.

Those are the parts that made me feel happy and made me feel like I was getting to know the characters and made me want to keep reading.

I also liked the way the book ended. Getting to know the characters at the end wrapped things up nicely for me, but honestly, the first 3/4 of the book were not for me.

Most likely I will still pick up whatever Meryl Willner writes next because I do love to read queer stories, support queer authors, and get that diverse representation in the books I’m reading. I’m hoping this story is just an outlier for me and I’ll go back to loving most of what Meryl writes.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is ⭐️⭐️ for me.

Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and a chance interview this book!

Have you ever yearned before? If not, get ready for a masterclass in the yearning of young queer folk who desperately are trying to not ruin the friendship.

I loved the dialogue, the characters, the vacation that made me jealous of tropical temperatures.

The author alternates the narrative between the two leads, and offers insight into their own personal history and how that is impacting the way they are handling the situations around them. I really loved this narrative style. It felt very immersive and like I was living in the character’s minds.

Three words: Plus-sized. Nonbinary. Sapphic! (Is plus-sized 1 or 2 words?...)

Yes. Just yes. This book is everything I expected and more. Meryl Wilsner is an automatic buy author for me and My Best Friend’s Honeymoon was no exception. And this one is PACKED with spice. If you loved the spice of Mistakes Were Made, they have turned it up EVEN HOTTER with this one, I’m still blushing.

I really enjoyed this wlw book by Wilsner. Look, am I generally annoyed by characters who feel lost/ stuck, and don't know what they want? Yes. Did this make Elsie grate on my nerves a bit? Yes, but I also think she was brave for deciding not to marry her ex-fiance. The premise of Ginny going on Elsie's honeymoon with her and the two discovering their friendship could be more (with Ginny's personal goal of helping Elsie decide what she does want -- in bed and out) was fun. I got anxious for the final third of the book but ultimately loved the time spent with Ginny and her foster-dog / Elsie and her family alone before coming back together. For this being Wilsner's first romance with a NB MC, I appreciated her nuance.

Mistakes Were made is one of my favorite books so I am always on board for a new Meryl Wilsner book. This book took awhile to get into the grove for me because of the third person present. It felt like Ginny was speak about themselves in 3rd person. I didn’t love that and I think this book would have nailed it if it was in first person. That said ME writes great spice and boy was there a lot of it. I think the story would have been a tad more relatable if there ass some angst between the two when they were younger. As always MW writes great queer love.

3/5 stars: This is Wilsner's 2SLGBTQIA+ Steamy Romance that follows a woodworker who goes with her hardware store shopkeeper lifelong best friend on a non-refundable Caribbean honeymoon after she calls off the surprise wedding she didn't want but only if she'll explore everything she wants... even if they never expected her to want them. Told in dual POV and with plenty of humor and heartfelt feelings, Wilsner's writing and character work are well done; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Ginny, who's nonbinary and a lesbian, and Elsie, who's pansexual, are great and I enjoyed seeing them deal with their personal issues, come together and get their HEA. This is a best friends-to-lovers romance with top notch swoony banter and OPS scenes that are incredibly steamy, oh so spicy and kinky. With tact and sensitivity, Wilsner takes on some very serious and sensitive issues; so take care and check the CWs.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Usually, I don't like the friends-to-lovers trope. Most of the time I find it lacking, either in drama or yearning or whatever, and the idea of falling for my childhood best friend grosses me out- but sometimes, when it's done right, it's so good. Meryl Wilsner gets it so right in My Best Friend's Honeymoon.

The novel follows Elsie and Ginny, childhood best friends who go on Elsie's honeymoon together after she breaks up with her boyfriend when he surprises her with a wedding. But soon the platonic get away turns less than platonic when the pair give into the attraction they've both felt and start sleeping together. Wilsner's sex scenes are so hot, and this may be their hottest book yet.

The character development in the book was excellent as well. Both Elise and Ginny realize that they have their own issues that may be inhibiting them for a better relationship with each other, and the second half of the novel allows them to discover themselves outside of their close friendship and flourish as individuals.

It's also notable that Ginny is the first non binary main character Meryl Wilsner (non binary themselves) has written. Ginny is a non binary lesbian while Elsie is queer.

I liked My Best Friend's Honeymoon a lot (which was a relief since I didn't care of Cleat Cute, Wilsner's novel before this one). The premise was fun, the book both sexy with lots of character development, and I was rooting for and shipping Ginny and Elise so hard. It's cute and I recommend it.

I am throughly disappointed in having to give such a low rating to a book. Especially a LGBTQIA book. I understand that ARCs are uncorrected copies, but the blatant disregard for not using Ginny’s they/them pronouns consistently became so frustrating that it really made me wonder if the author understood the importance of non-binary people or just wanted to seem like they did. The number of times Ginny was referred to as she/her especially in the scene visiting her grandfather made me want to throw my Kindle across the room.

There is also A LOT of sex in this book. Like… I get it. You’re in a sexy place finally hooking up with someone you’ve been pining over for decades. But it was just getting to be so much I had to start skimming to get to some substance again.

This is a big pass from me, unfortunately. But I do thank Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Damn Derrick (both appreciative and degrading). I am a sucker for best friend’s to lovers considering my personal experiences. I love nonbinary lesbian rep. Elsie and Ginny are adorable together. This is a lesson all women need to learn. If you don’t take care of your needs first your life will be unfulfilled. Personally I didn’t enjoy the spice, but that’s my own biases because I went into the book knowing about the spice. I assume it was written well, and Elsie and Ginny really enjoyed it. Their enjoyment made me happy.

5 Stars – A Perfect Blend of Romance and Friendship!

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner was an absolute delight to read! From start to finish, I was completely captivated by the heartfelt journey of friendship, love, and unexpected romance. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and Wilsner does an amazing job of weaving a story that balances humor, vulnerability, and emotional depth.

The plot is refreshing and unique – it takes a trope we all know and love (best friends and unexpected romance) and adds a layer of complexity and warmth that makes it feel entirely new. I couldn't help but root for the characters as they navigated their feelings and the twists and turns that came with their evolving relationship.

What truly stood out to me was the way Wilsner handled the themes of friendship and love. The dynamic between the characters felt so real, and it was easy to get emotionally invested in their journey. The writing is sharp and witty, and the pacing was perfect, making it a book I couldn't put down.

This is definitely a book I will recommend to anyone looking for a beautiful, heartwarming romance that also explores the bonds of friendship. If you're in the mood for a story that will make you laugh, swoon, and maybe even tear up a little, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is the perfect pick!