If you love friends to lovers, then this one is for you. Ginny is a non-binary, earnest, adorable woodworker with a crush the size of Lake Superior on her tall, blonde, indecisive best friend Elsie. When Elsie's engagement falls through and someone has to go on the honeymoon with her, what's a pal to do? This book had heart, yearning, and laughs. I enjoyed it a lot.

I was so excited to see I got approved for this because I liked Mistakes Were Made.

I thought this book was good - I think it just needed a little more to make it great. It was very easy to see where the story was going to go from the beginning and where the conflict was going to arise. I wish we had a little more chance to dig in to their emotional journey and more backstory /nuggets or flashbacks of them falling in love when they were kids.

This is the second book I've read with they/them pronouns, the first I've read that is in third person. It didn't take as long as I thought it might for me to not notice it. There were just a few times when I had to reread something - but thats my brains fault not the writing. I think the pronouns were done well.

I just wish this world could have been built out more. I think I needed a little more from our side characters. I think if both Elsie and Ginny talked about their relationship more with the people around them it would have solidified their issues a little more. I wish we could see that work they did to come back together. I wanted more.from Sue and the hot drag queen friend as well as Elsie's family.

I loved the spice - but usually don't love it when it's all in one part of the book. I wish we had a little more of a slow burn into their first hook up.

Another queer romance by Meryl Wilsner! I was super excited about this one just from the cover. A plus-sized MC is rare. And to have nonbinary representation too! Exciting! That said, “My Best Friend’s Honeymoon” didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Personally, I’m not a fan of romance books that involve a main character just breaking up with someone. It creates too many passages of a romance between two people to be focused on someone else. Elsie ends her engagement when he tries to spring a surprise wedding on her but since the honeymoon is nonrefundable, he is nice enough to suggest Elsie takes her best friend, Ginny, with her instead. The inevitable comparisons between Ginny and her ex, Derrick are plentiful enough to be annoying. Especially during sex. Even though they’ve been best friends for years, I found the no-questions-asked, immediately sleeping together after one statement a bit unbelievable. I did like that sex was looked at in a healthy way and lots of consent was given even after multiple times. Though the romance and plot felt a bit predictable, I still enjoyed the read. The book had lots of spice and some less typical sex, too, than you’d expect from reading Wilsner’s other books.

Overall, you can’t lose reading a Meryl Wilsner book. Even if this isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, the book is still a fun ride. Maybe I had too high of specific hopes for this book. It’s still a good read even if I’ll recommend “Mistakes Were Made” first.

Meryl Wilsner’s hottest book yet!!!

I’ve been a fan of Wilsner since Mistakes Were Made, but My Best Friend’s Honeymoon absolutely stole my heart. It takes the classic best-friends-to-lovers trope and dials up the tension, the yearning, and the heat—all while delivering a heartfelt story about self-discovery, learning to ask for what you want, and stepping into the life (and love) you actually deserve.

Elsie is stuck with a wedding she doesn’t even want when she realizes her fiancé has planned every last detail without her. So she calls it off and takes her non-refundable honeymoon to the Caribbean with her lifelong best friend Ginny, who’s been secretly in love with her for over a decade. But here’s the thing: Elsie might not have named her feelings before, but the attraction has been there all along. She just never let herself acknowledge it.

And that’s what makes this book so good. While Ginny’s been pining, Elsie’s been unconsciously repressing. When Ginny lays down the challenge that Elsie can have whatever she wants, as long as she asks for it, Elsie starts to realize what she wants most. And once the floodgates open? Whew. The tension builds in such a delicious way, and when it finally snaps, it snaps.

Beyond the romance, I loved the way Wilsner incorporated themes of communication, self-advocacy, and truly seeing yourself and your own desires. The nonbinary and fat rep is fantastic — Ginny is confident and unapologetic in their identity, and the way Elsie adores them (even before she fully admits to herself what she’s feeling) is so tender. Their dynamic is just so good — playful, intimate, and full of history, but also charged with this slow-burning realization that they could be so much more.

If you love best-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, and pining with a side of serious spice, this one’s a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

DNF'ed at 23%. This book was unreadable to me as the two main characters were so deeply unlikeable. We start in the POV of Ginny and she is so in love with her best friend that all of her internal monologue is actually quite negative, cynical, and rude at times. I know we are supposed to dislike the boyfriend but he really didn't do anything out of ill intent! Derrick planned her wedding and honeymoon because he genuinely thought he was being helpful and taking stress off her plate. Then when Elsie dumps him he insists she go on the honeymoon he planned and paid for because "it would make him too sad to go" heartbreaking! I felt like I was reading a book in the POV of the villains of the story and I'm a lesbian! A lesbian who found herself rooting for the ex-boyfriend. Justice for Derrick! He should have gone on the honeymoon and found himself a nice himbo surfer dude. That's a story I would have read instead of this!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I really enjoyed Elsie and Ginny’s romance. They had a great classic childhood best friends to lovers dynamic but done in a new way. It takes a bit for the book to pick up but once it does it’s really enjoyable.

Not a bad story. Not a fan of their kink but still a great quick read. A first for me. Overall, definitely a read.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Again, I'm coming back after a long review hiatus, so it's been quite some time since I read this book. I do remember it was a sweet, spicy, friends-to-lovers story with a lush vacation backdrop. Definitely worth a read if any of that sounds appealing to you!

Unfortunately, no warnings as I can't rely on my memory to be accurate.

This was a super cute book! I do wish there was more substance to the relationship as far as it going beyond just hooking up, but I mean, the title says it all! MC calls off engagement, instead takes honeymoon with their best friends. BOOM! I do love a good friends to lover trope. so that makes sense that I enjoyed this book!

Meryl Wilsner writes fabulous dialogue and Elsie and Ginny's relationship sparkles with the feelings of a true friendship with years of history through their conversations. They built references and had fun together throughout the book. I loved the setup of the book too with Elsie realizing her fiance wasn't the one for her with as little drama as that scenario could possibly have, and Ginny being there for support.

Ultimately the degradation kink that popped up about half-way through the book meant this one wasn't for me, even though everything else was on the right track. If that's not something that bothers you (or is something you're into!), I think this one is a ton of fun otherwise.

I love a friends-to-lovers novel! This is the first story I’ve read with a pan FMC and a transgender MC. This is a story of two best friends who go on a luxury vacation together and realize their attraction and love for each other through this forced proximity and one-bed in an off shore cabana. Be forewarned- it’s very spicy! If you are a fan of lengthy spicy scenes, this will be right up your alley!

Meryl Wilsner delivers a heartfelt and spicy romance with "My Best Friend's Honeymoon," a story that flips the classic honeymoon trope on its head. When Elsie calls off her wedding, she finds herself on a non-refundable Caribbean getaway with her lifelong best friend, Ginny—who happens to have been in love with her for over a decade. Cue the mutual pining, steamy revelations, and personal growth we all crave in a queer romance.

The “best friends to lovers” trope is done justice here, with a dash of mutual pining and a sprinkling of miscommunication to keep the tension alive. Elsie’s journey to finding her voice and figuring out what she truly wants is equal parts frustrating and satisfying. Ginny, with their supportive nature and patient love, is undeniably the star of the show. The chemistry between them sizzles, and the spice? Next-level.

While the pacing feels unconventional, it adds a refreshing touch of realism. The third-act breakup is painful but serves as an emotional turning point that allows both characters to grow individually and as a couple. The non-binary representation is beautifully handled, seamlessly woven into the narrative without over-explaining.

This book is a celebration of self-discovery, supportive love, and asking for what you truly deserve. A perfect summer read! 🌈✨

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy of this novel.

My Best Friends Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner has such a beautifully simple premise. The idea of "Close friends engagement falls apart so they invite me on a non-refundable trip that was supposed to be for their honeymoon and then oops we fall in love" is a fairly typical trope for sapphic romance, with my favorite example of that being Chelsea M Cameron's Who We Could Be. Its easy to set up, mostly realistic, and comes built in with its own conflicts that will need to be resolved. It dosent shake the foundations of literature or rebuild what a novel can be. Its simple and easy and perfectly straightforward. I think thats why i enjoyed this book so much.

Meryl Wilsner is a fantastic author. They have a way of telling stories and crafting characters that feel real, feel lived in. Both Ginny and Elsie leap off the pages, demanding to be treated as if you know them personally. Its not perfect however. The strife that they face, the challenges they have to overcome, feels almost mundane at times. The problems they deal with could 1000 percent have been solved with better communication or just a second more of thought. This is a trope that tends to haunt sapphic contemporary romances and usually it is a trope i really dislike. In this book however, and just like the simple premise, Meryl Wilsner uses it as a tool to showcase just how good of an author they are. They dont require a super complex premise, and they can take tropes that are overdone amd overplayed, because while the novel isnt perfect in any way, the writing itself sits on the borderline. It sucks you in and dosent let you go until you finish it all in one sitting. It will make you scream at your pages begging for them to just talk it out, and it will reward you with a beautiful ending that will have your heart full. In other words, its so worth it.

If you like sweet friendships that feel like a warm hug on a cold night, gorgeous sex scenes that take up about a third of the book, and unrequited love that was actually secretly requited then this is the book for you. My only wish is that we got to see more of the happily ever after

4.75

meryl wilsner has done it again.
my favorite thing about lesbian books is the joy and emanates off of every gay page. I don't read sapphic fiction to find representation; I'm lucky enough to have queer community and family and a loud mouth that lets me feel seen all on my own. I read sapphic fiction for the shared exhilaration of being a lesbian.
last year, I read feast while you can by onjuli datta and mikaella clements. I love every square inch of that book, can call it my top read of 2024 without hesitation. but when I point to my favorite part it's not the prose or the atmosphere or the terrifying monster; it's the conversation between angelina and jagvi about jagvi's gender presentation. it radiates lesbian, and has stuck with me all these months later.
that's how I feel about my best friend's honeymoon. it was funny and sweet and so horny, and I adored every minute of it. it's chock full of tropes - as a die-hard for mutual pining, please know I was well fed - and some of the best dialogue I've read in a while. I look forward to getting my hands on a copy to loan out to all my friends.
I don't read romance often, but I will never say no to a meryl wilsner novel. as february and valentine's day approach, it will be wilsner's words I return to for comfort.

My Best Friend's Honeymoon follows two best friends who have been in love with each other forever-- one is fully aware of it while the other has been in denial. After the latter breaks up with her fiancee, she and her best friend go on the (extremely romantic) honeymoon said fiancee had booked. One thing leads to another, and, well...she can't stay in denial too much longer. I loved the angst, chemistry, and history between the characters. The tropical resort setting was pretty great too! Meryl Wilsner likes to bring the spice, and this book is no exception. Overall it was a very enjoyable read.

My one complaint is the age of the characters-- I would have preferred if they were older than 23, which I know are technically adults, but as a reader in my 30s it feels so young!

I really wanted to love this book and at some moments I did but overall the characters didn’t stick to me. Some moments were so cliche and rushed that it didn’t feel thought out. When the main characters get together it’s so abrupt and out of nowhere I couldn’t help but laugh. After their honeymoon adventure the plot kind of fell off. The outside relationships felt like dialogue fillers which ended up making Ginny fall flat at times where I think they really could have shined more, Elsie too. I loved the difference in characters and the spicy scenes (very hot). They definitely know how to write those. Some scenes people might not be into but I’m not one of them. If you’re really into romance that’s heavy on the spicy side you’ll be a fan but I wouldn’t get your hopes up to fall in love with the characters compared to some of her other books. I want to add I’m still a Wilsner fan it’s just this book didn’t do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Meryl Wilsner for my arc copy. .

US pub date: 4/29/25
Genre: romance (friends-to-lovers, childhood crush, f/nb)
Quick summary: What's a girl to do when she dumps her fiance and is left with a nonrefundable honeymoon trip? Ask her BFF to come along - and then start up a fling with them, of course!

I loved Wilsner's previous books MISTAKES WERE MADE and CLEAT CUTE, so I was really excited for this one. The honeymoon setting was very fun - I could see readers enjoying this one on the beach with a cocktail! I also enjoyed the flashbacks to Elsie and Ginny's childhoods as they added to the depth of their friendship.

Where this book didn't 100% work for me was the steam - it came on very quickly and didn't let up. I wanted a bit more emotion and personal growth instead as their relationship developed. But readers who love steam probably won't have that issue here!

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I love the friends to lovers trope (and the start of this book) but the plot stalled from there. There were a lot of intimate scenes while on the “honeymoon” but they did not move the plot forward or feel emotionally connected to the characters. Most of the emotions felt surface level between the two main characters, as well as what they learned about themselves.

I really loved this book. It felt like a warm hug but also made me think a lot. As much as I hate the miscommunication trope, I really think this book executed it well. And I also like that the characters ACTUALLY took space to make sure they weren’t codependent.

The characters were beautifully written and believable. They each had their flaws and in order for them to be together they had to work through stuff on their own, which is something that I feel doesn’t always happen in sapphic romance books. The characters were so real.