Meryl Wilsner, the plots you concoct! Two best friends, one non-refundable honeymoon, pining, scorching hot sexual discovery, and the power of asking for what you want. It's true magic. The conflict in this one felt a bit contrived at first, but then it really settles in and makes the circumstances of the breakup a good thing. A good romance should leave both characters better than you found them, but these two need to be apart for a hot sec for that to be true. Just trust the process! Drink this book: Enjoy with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that smells like a tropical vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 stars.

The chemistry in this book is incredible - the banter between Ginny & Elsie is sexy, delicious, and so, so, so fun. However, these two women are incredibly frustrating!! They are so clearly in love with one another, and they work so incredibly well together - however they both won't get out of their own way which is incredibly frustrating!

The spice was spicy and delicious and was done so incredibly well that it blew my mind a fair bit!

this is definitely my favorite Meryl Wilsner book since something to talk about! this isn't even open door. there just isn't a door. very steamy, deeply queer, and a really fun read.

I'm not a big fan of miscommunication trope but this whole book was one. Pleasant enough to read but not a favourite. I found it s bit hard to get into. But I liked that the characters careers were very down to earth, Midwest, relatable, not grandiose. I am not a prude but the ubiquitous use of the word cunt in the sex scenes felt gratuitous, jarring, and unsexy to me. Also there were times where narrator lapsed on consistent pronouns and she was used instead of they and while I understood the character uses both, I think it best to keep they across the book.

Ive loved all of Wilsner's previous works with Mistakes Were Made being my favourite and while this didn't manage to knock that out of its number one spot it has certainly come close. the chemistry between the two main characters practically jumped off the page even as they both denied it. I couldnt put this book down without my brain working over time to try figure out when I could pick it back up. If you haven't dipped a toe into Wilsner's work just yet this is one of the perfect books to take the plunge into and then you can pick up all their previous works to work through the slump this will surely give.

This was my first book by Meryl Wilsner. I liked it enough. I enjoyed the relationship between Ginny & Elsie, especially how Ginny pushed Elsie to ask for what she wanted in life. I felt like the moment Elsie finally asked for more with Ginny was too sudden and I was waiting to read that she was dreaming that they were about to finally be physical. I wasn't too thrilled with the way the third act breakup happened, it felt like Elsie was overreacting to me. I would still like to try some of Meryl's other books though.

2.5 stars rounded up. This book seemed like it would be a fun summer read in the beginning and had a decent premise. It sort of lost me around the middle though and never fully recovered. It's a fast burn, spicy friends-to-lovers story with a fun vacation setting (that could've been used more, in my opinion). It works well if you're in the mood for that kind of book. I think my issues were mainly that there was more spice than substance and I hate when there's an annoying misunderstanding/miscommunication obstacle that makes the happy ending take an unnecessarily long time to happen.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

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I really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner's book Cleat Cute so I was so ready to love this one too but unfortunately it was just middle of the road for me.

I did enjoy the friends to lovers aspect of the story and was rooting for Ginny big time as they were my favourite of the main characters. I wanted them to get the HEA they had been dreaming of since meeting Elsie.

I found the beginning of the book really grabbed my attention and made me want to keep coming back but the third act break up was a super bummer and felt like a bit of an exaggerated response from Elsie. You could see it coming a mile away and I was really hoping there would be more to it than that but there wasn't. I also hated how Elsie said super hurtful things for seemingly no reason and then expected Ginny to just move on with very little conversation about it. I know the characters are meant to be young but I feel like most would know that it would require a proper conversation and apology to move on.

I also wished the author would have spent more time developing the relationship between the two and built the romance more since while on vacation it was limited to a very spicy physical relationship. I realize as life long best friends these two already knew a lot about each other but we didn't and only got bits and pieces through poorly timed flashbacks. I think this is a sorta average romance book that had so much potential that it bums me out.

I received an early digital copy of this book through NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book however I had a hard time fully paying attention. Loved the ending and the story story that was in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Released April 29, 2025

3.5 stars rounded up.

A quick, queer, friends-to-lovers summer read with spice with lots of pining.

Elsie and Ginny have been friends for over a decade. Ginny secretly loves Elsie, but Elsie is engaged. When Elsie breaks off her engagement, her ex-fiancé says she should take the already booked honeymoon with Ginny.

Really fun set up, and I thought the audio was extremely easy to listen to and follow. The writing had excellent pacing….and then BANG! The 40% mark went buck wild very abruptly. Once the door was open, it stayed open! I do feel like there should have been a conversation, a pause, something from Ginny asking if this is truly what Elsie wanted. From how Ginny’s personality was presented and how understanding their friendship was, the first sex scene was very out of character to me.

I do wish we got more romantic relationship building outside of the sexual relationship.

Honestly, I think Ginny needed the space after their self-realization. It made sense. Both characters are extremely young and learning how to just be themselves in their new stages of life.

i unfortunately didn't enjoy this book from the start. i just wasn't really a fan of ginny or elsie. and the fact that majority of this book was them hooking up and not really reading about a true connection blossoming just got old for me. the title definitely represents the book well and things play out like they should, the storyline is good. but the characters and their chemistry just wasn't.

I have really tried to get into Meryl's stories, but they don't seem to grab my attention. I always love the premise, but feel like the writing is just lacking a bit. I do love the queer representation.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this book.

I rated this book four out of five stars, and I enjoyed it. Meryl Wilsner is an author whom I have read in the past, and I am working on reading their other books as well. This one was fun, flirty, and had some great moments with those honeymoon vacay vibes!

When Elsie realizes that she does not belong with her fiancé anymore, after he fully plans their wedding and honeymoon without consulting her, she breaks it off and her fiancé pushes her to still go on her honeymoon and to take her best friend Ginny.

Ginny has been in love with Elsie for all of their adult life, but has stood by and been her best friend, supporting her throughout the years. However, when they join Elsie on her honeymoon instead of Elsie’s fiancé, things drastically change, and events occur that cannot be undone.

Friends to lovers is not typically one of my favorite “tropes,” but this one was done very well. This story brought me a lot of emotion and a lot of heat with that spice!

Wasn’t my favourite, I loved the concept but didn’t love the miscommunication. On the plus side it was a quick read under 300 pages.

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for this eARC!

The biggest concern to this one was forcing the 3rd act breakup. It didn't feel right for these two characters.

I picked this one up because it's pride month and I liked the only other Meryl Wilsner book I've read (Cleat Cute). This one was a little bit of a let down though. I liked the characters a lot, though I was a fan of Ginny more so than Elsie. Ginny gives strong, silent, supportive type and I really liked their character. I do think that they let their feelings for Elsie cloud their judgements at times and that was frustrating, but they did figure it out at some point which I appreciated. Elsie for me was just too in her head and too ambivalent for me. I understand in some ways how life can end up happening to you instead of something you do, but I think she took a little too long to accept her feelings for Ginny and make the move necessary. For best friends to lovers, I feel like there needs to be a little bit of a build up, but that did not happen here. These two went from zero to 1000 out of nowhere and it felt really jarring; they also went back the opposite way just as quick and it just didn't work for me as a reader. I did really enjoy their personal journeys and how they both grew as people because of each other, but the romance wasn't one that I connected with well and I felt like the resolution happened too fast. Not sure how much changed in the final version but for me, this book was just okay. I'm not sure if I'll try more Wilsner (some of the tropes in their other books aren't for me) but right now, I'm still open to it.

DNF for me but this was 100% a me issue and not the book. The writing style didn't work for me and while the premise of the book was right up my alley (best friends to lovers? yes please!). something was just missing that made it 100% believable and made the book feel clunky and not the immersive experience i was hoping for. Will be keeping reviews off of socials as this was not an author issue.

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin's press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Wow was this hot. I loved this book so much I had to run out & get a copy to share with a friend.

I didn’t care for the miscommunication however. These two are best friends, even though their relationship has shifted to something new they shouldn’t have been afraid to talk to each other.

I was really excited to dive into My Best Friend's Honeymoon, but unfortunately, I ended up DNF'ing it. I made multiple attempts to listen to this audiobook and to read the e-arc since its release, but I just couldn't get into it. It just wasn’t the right fit for me at the time. I thought I might give it a try later on, but it just hasn't pulled me in.

Thank you to NetGalley St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Pride Month 2025 #5

🍦 🍓 The Ripped Bodice's 9th Annual Summer Romance Bingo 🕶️ 🏄🏼

/ It Was Supposed To Be A Summer Fling

I'm sad. I think this is the first Meryl book I haven't loved, and it's one that represents their own identity. Shame on me. I hate it here.

I was going to say friends to lovers is hit or miss, but truly any trope is hit or miss. Elsie has been engaged to Derek for some time. He decides it's a good idea to spring a surprise wedding on her. She hates surprises. I, too, hate surprises. This is my worse nightmare.

(True story. A former friend wanted to surprise visit me after I moved. Our mutual friend had to tell her that was a terrible idea, that I hated surprises, and that I would absolutely not be down. Same friend tried to buy me Kendra Scott. I may be a basic bitch, but I'm not southern white girl basic. Disgusting. Anyway.)

Ginny, not short for anything, though Elsie likes to call them Ginevra, Virginia, and other things for funsies, is Elsie's best friend. And has been in love with Elsie since basically when they met. But don't tell Elsie that. Even if everyone else knows.

So Derek's idea blows up in his face. In an act very reminiscent of me, Elsie, who doesn't make any decisions until she's pissed, breaks up with Derek. Meanwhile, he has planned an all inclusive nonrefundable honeymoon. He's nice, if dumb. He tells her to take Ginny and have fun. She does.

They do. Each other. Not right away. But because Elsie has trouble asking for what she wants, even though she loves doing anything for others, Ginny lets her ask for anything she wants this week. And Elsie does. And it gets raunchy. Because sleeping with your best friend is a great idea. I mean, I'm rolling my eyes, but it worked out for them.

📖 Thank you to Goodreads and St. Martin's Griffin

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin