I was really excited to pick up this book and overall I enjoyed the read. I did however have some problems with it that I just couldn't get over.

Positives! I really enjoyed Ginny and their character! They are truly devoted to Elsie and their friendship. I am very proud of them for taking the space they needed to establish themself and what they want in life outside of their friendship with Elsie.
I enjoyed the discussion that friendships, just like relationships, take a lot of work from both parties. It is very clear that both of them care deeply for each other.

My issues with the book stem from Elsie and her character. The majority of the book I found it hard to root for her. I did enjoy how her arc wrapped with her family and the store but think she is still a bit immature for my taste. Also the pacing was a lot. It went from 0 to 100 and back to 0 very quickly. I needed a little more yearning and pinning instead of inner monologues about how they never acknowledged/ communicated their feelings.
I wish we got more honeymoon content other than sex honestly. The smut was good but I wanted more time on the island exploring and adventuring together.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alright, alright, alright.

As an iconic actor would say.

Here's how I would classify this read.

Cleat Cute-excellent
Mistakes Were Made-excellent
Something to Talk About and now, My Best Friend's Honeymoon-ok

Author reveal that Ginny pined for Elsie for years is included in the blurb. So, that's no surprise. The author offers up childhood experiences and family dynamic to explain Elsie's inner turmoil over her identity. For me, that was not enough to truly root for her as felt she was too self-involved to give Ginny what they deserved after years of devotion.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Godni love being gay, I love being nonbinary, I love sapphic love so goddamn much, I love a romance that is so hot and can also have me on the brink of tears. I loved Ginny, and Elsie. Meryl Wilsner shot to the top of my favorite authors with Cleat Cute and this did not disappoint at all.

I enjoy every book I read by Meryl Wilsner more than the last. I loved this book, and I honestly think it’s a contender for “perfect romance novel” (at least based on my subjective criteria). It had the ideal blend of sexiness and sweetness, plus well-developed characters with compelling backstories.

Elsie (the best friend to whom the honeymoon belongs) recently broke up with her fiancé Derrick. I was impressed by the author’s ability to demonstrate why Elsie loved him and was willing to stay with him for so long, while simultaneously making it clear why their relationship wouldn’t work. Elsie is proudly pan and Derrick is supportive of her identity no matter what.

Ginger is a fat non-binary lesbian. Ginger is such an amazing character. I was rooting for them the whole time! The book, including all the sex scenes, are body positive.

Speaking of the sex scenes, they were so hot and well-written! Perfection! I also appreciated that the author includes activities that aren’t normally described in romance novels (including but not limited to period sex).

I highly recommend! The only downside to this book is how long we all need to wait before it is published (April 2025).

Highlights:
- friends to lovers
- 🔥 amazing spice 🔥
- tropical vacation
- Pan Woman x Non-Binary Lesbian

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy!

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner is a heartfelt, steamy, and beautifully nuanced exploration of love, friendship, and self-discovery. Wilsner’s signature charm shines in this friends-to-lovers romance, making it a standout, especially with its thoughtful representation of a nonbinary lead.

The story centers on Elsie, who abruptly calls off her engagement after realizing she’s been drifting toward a future she doesn’t want. Enter Ginny, her lifelong best friend and secret admirer, who accompanies Elsie on her nonrefundable honeymoon to the Caribbean. What starts as an idyllic escape and a pact to help Elsie rediscover her voice soon ignites into something far deeper—an undeniable chemistry that neither of them can resist.

Wilsner expertly balances tenderness and tension, delivering swoon-worthy moments and sharp, emotionally resonant dialogue. Elsie’s journey of reclaiming her agency, paired with Ginny’s quiet but steadfast love, creates an achingly beautiful dynamic. The pacing feels natural, with flashpoints of passion giving way to vulnerability, while the lush setting adds an extra layer of escapism.

At its heart, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is about learning to ask for not only what you want but what you deserve. It’s a celebration of love in all its forms—messy, honest, and transformative. Fans of slow-burn romances with spice, complex emotions, and authentic LGBTQ+ representation will devour this book and find themselves rooting for Elsie and Ginny long after the final page.

I thought this book was really silly and fun. I thought the connection between the characters was really genuine. This book was maybe too spicy for my taste, but I know that there is an audience that will LOVE it for that reason.

I’m a fan of Wilsner’s previous works, but I just cannot get into this one. It’s living in this weird middle ground for me that the characters are too realistic, but the concept and story are too unrealistic that it’s not relatable or interesting enough to read as “an escape”. This isn’t really good criticism, more just a personal explanation on why it’s not for me.
The relationship moves really fast. The “it’s always been you” doesn’t really work when you’ve rejected them before and you’ve just gotten out of a three year relationship. Doesn’t matter that you didn’t want to marry him, you’re on the honeymoon.

This would be a much, much shorter book if they had tried to talk to each other over the previous fifteen to twenty years of being best friends. But they don't, and that is the only think keeping them apart.

In addition, the book is massive chunks of internal monologue, all dithering and worrying. Even things that could be dialogue and action get sucked into the internal voices. While going over the resort's activities, one of them could have looked at horseback riding and said "Remember how horse crazy were were in 5th grade?" But instead we get a bunch of explained memories on the way to the stables. People don't explain their memories to themselves, so it just reads as fake.

The major dialogue and action is the part where with zero buildup they jump into bed together and don't get out for four days. Or maybe five. I was skimming after several chapters of sex scenes, eager to get back to some plot and character development. I've read sex scenes that did move the romance arc and character arcs forward, but this over-long section brought the book to a screeching halt while they screwed like bunnies.

Then it is back to more internal monologues and moping. Actual romance? None to be found in this book, just self-inflicted angst.

By the time they get together, it was a relief because I could be done with the book. I'd stopped caring about Elsie and Ginny long before.

Meryl Wilsner seems to have an odd/even book thing going. Her first book, [book:Something to Talk About|52915426], was a tense trip through caring deeply about someone at work, but avoiding MeToo, plus discrimination in Hollywood. Then [book:Mistakes Were Made|59808269] was a big pile of red flags about power imbalance, secret guilty hookups, deceiving your daughter, and an unconvincing HEA. It wasn't taboo, rather creepy AF. Then [book:Cleat Cute|65214313] was just fine, balancing the individual, group, and romance in a soccer team. Now we have this book, which isn't bad so much as weak, very weak. So that is two five-star books interleaved with a one-star and a two-star book. At this point, I have no idea what to expect from her.

St. Martin's Griffin was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

I really loved this book.

I loved the relationship. I loved the dual POV (which I don’t always love). I loved watching them grow on their own, before coming together. I also love that no matter what their friendship was the centerpiece of their relationship and they wanted to support the other one’s goals.

The perfect beach read on my beach vacation. Enough spice to enjoy a lot and enough feelings to make it better.

A spicy, sweet romance about two best friends who go on a pre-booked honeymoon and find out that they're in love with each other! I mean it's lovely! I'm a sucker for people who discover their bisexuality late in life!

Totally fun!

3.75 stars

Way too much smut for me. Didn’t love the writing style. Plot kind of fell off and felt repetitive. The smut was also weirdly paced

3.5 stars

Elsie gets the shock of a lifetime when her fiancé surprises her with telling her he's planned their entire wedding without her input - and the wedding is in one week. This causes Elsie to realize she never really wanted to marry him, and so she breaks it off. He insists Elsie goes on the honeymoon he had booked, so she decides to take her best friend Ginny. Ginny has been in love with Elsie since they were younger, but values their friendship more than anything, so has never tried to push it any further (you see where this is going).

I love Wilsner's queer romance novels, and I love the way they write! What didn't work quite as well for me in this novel was the speed at which everything occurred - it felt like Elsie and Ginny were friends one moment, and then something way more the next. Also, the third act breakup was kind of ridiculous. But if you're looking for a steamy f/nb romance definitely check this out, it is worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Elsie and Ginny have been best friends for as long as they can remember. They grew up together, went to college together, and now live in the same town and have lunch every day together. They are inseparable. Elsie has been engaged to Derrick for 2 years, but when it’s finally time to tie the knot Elsie realizes that she can’t marry him. With the perfect island honeymoon already bought and paid for, Elsie decides to take Ginny. Ginny has been in love with Elsie for as long as they can remember but has never told her. Of course it’s perfectly fine for two best friends that have feelings for each other to go on the most romantic and perfect trip their lives without ruining their friendship…right?

I loved Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner and was so excited to read this book. This is a f/nb romance and I love the representation in this book. To best honest, I felt the characters to be a little frustrating at times. Elsie was immature and Ginny was a follower, always putting Elsie above their own feelings. I loved the transformation of both characters, especially Ginny. Overall it was a cute read and I recommend it. Thank you so much to @merylwilsner and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I've read two books by this author before so I had some expectations but I found this novel to be very lacking in plot. I don't love smut and spicy scenes so having known Wilsner's writing style, and that is on me. But reading one sex scene after the other ith barely anything substantial in them, I got tired pretty fast. I thought the storyline was interesting but I was not interested anymore after the smut started maybe halfway through.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Meryl Wilsner's books so I was excited when they announced this one and even more excited that I got an advanced copy. Elsie Hoffman's fiance plans their wedding and honeymoon without their knowledge and this kickstarts her journey of finding who she is and what she wants. After breaking off the engagement she and her longtime best friend Ginny go on the honeymoon that wasn't and a romance ensues.

I think I had high expectations going into this book because how much I loved the author's previous works, but this one just wasn't my favorite of their works. I liked the main plot of the story and the idea of finding oneself outside of who others think they should be. I just found that some of the more smutty parts of the book were not written for me (which is okay) but at sometimes it just seemed like they had wanted to write about particular acts and so they did (I am trying not to spoil these moments because I am sure others will thoroughly enjoy them). I think its great that these ideas are being normalized, I just wish that it didn't really come out of no where and just very soon in a sexual relationship, especially when the characters basically think about how they had never done things like this before.

All in all I think the book was enjoyable, but just not my favorite by Wilsner. Still excited to see what else they write about in the future though!

This was a super fun, queer romance. I think it would have been a stronger story if it had been structured differently (perhaps more chronological so we could see the friendship between the two MCs develop over time so the pace of the present day narrative felt a little more natural) and I think the big third-act conflict was both extremely predictable and blown way out of proportion. But still, it was still a fun, fast-paced read that I’d recommend to fans of Casey McQuiston and Ashley Herring-Blake. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for a digital ARC. 3.5 rounded down.

As always, Meryl Wilsner delivers a coming-of-queerness romance that is equal parts steam and heart. This childhood friends-to-lovers trope was utilized in a way that allowed so much character growth that never felt forced, only followed. While the narrative lost me a little at the island (which makes sense given the sex haze surrounding the whole section), the ending clinched this one for me. I especially loved the little queer community that grew around the two and supported them as they figured out who they wanted to be. Also! Count me in for a queer-affirming grandad any day - ADORE HIM.

This is my third Meryl Wilsner novel, and it certainly won’t be my last.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon tells the story of two lifelong best friends who take a nonrefundable honeymoon together, only to realize that sometimes finding your happily ever after is as simple as asking for it.

Elsie Hoffman has been engaged to her college boyfriend for a year and a half, while Ginny Holtz has quietly been in love with Elsie for nearly fifteen years.

When Elsie discovers that her fiancé has planned their entire wedding and honeymoon as a surprise—with the ceremony just a week away—she realizes she’s been coasting toward a future she doesn’t truly want. After calling off the engagement (at her ex-fiancé’s urging), Elsie decides to use the nonrefundable honeymoon anyway, bringing Ginny along for the ride.

Ginny sees this as the perfect opportunity for Elsie to finally find her voice and proposes a deal: for the length of the trip, Elsie can have anything she wants—whenever, wherever, and however—as long as she asks for it. What Ginny never expects is for Elsie to want them.

What begins as a week of sightseeing and selfies soon evolves into electrifying kisses and something much deeper. But when the honeymoon ends, will a week of indulgence be enough to build a lifetime of love?

I absolutely loved this book. It’s romantic, steamy, funny, emotional, and even heartbreaking at times. Wilsner delivers a beautifully written sapphic romance that feels fresh, with a well-developed nonbinary character and a vividly captured setting.

I highly recommend picking it up when it releases in April 2025.

A huge thank you to Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I suppose you could call me a Meryl Wilsner stan at this point. After reading “Cleat Cute” last September I was immediately hooked on Meryl’s writing. I went into this book blind to give it an open and honest review. “My Best Friend’s Honeymoon” was an amazing read but it did have its moments where I was left expecting more. The spice scenes—as per usual—were amazing, but at some points felt forced. I also don’t personally feel the chemistry between Elsie and Ginny was fully there, and that was something I felt from chapter one all the way to chapter thirty-four.

I’d still give this book a 4/5 stars because of the excellent nonbinary representation as well as the amazing use of the found family trope. Overall, this was still a fun read and I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I would give this a 3.5 stars. I thoroughly love Meryl's books and the concept of this one intrigued me. Overall, I enjoyed it but it felt like their physical relationship went from zero to 100 very quickly and then immediately back down to zero. I think that was the part I wasn't a huge fan of. I think it was how intense they hook up during that portion of the book. I don't mind the two characters getting together, but it was hard to read when their escapades got so intense. I found myself trying to read more quickly through those chapters. Aside from that part, I loved the friendship/relationship between Elsie and Ginny over the course of the book. You can tell how deeply they cared about each other and how important the other was in their lives. I loved that each character gave the other the space they needed to grow before they got together in the end.