Wilsner is a talent, but this is not their strongest book, in my opinion. The third act breakup arc didn't work for me, but the gender identity conversation was really good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!

The title was exactly what you got in this story. The concept was good, I love a good “runaway fiancé” but the story? Was only okay… the main trope was miscommunication and the two MCs spend a good chunk of the story NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY FEELINGS. Instead of talking about feelings, or giving real estate to developing a strong relationship both before/after the main falling out, we spent SO MUCH TIME having sex. It was SO OFTEN. I’m almost certain 45% of the book was just sex. No talking, no feelings, no figuring out anything, just bed.

I loved the representation of a nonbinary MC and queerness, but we missed out on developing deeper characters and building a relationship for fucking on the FMC’s would-be honeymoon. I just wanted a lil more plot/substance to this.

Again, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

4.25/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is a romance between two best friends who end up going on a honeymoon trip together for a cancelled wedding.
This book was wonderfully spicy. I loved the way the smut scenes were used to break down Elsie’s people-pleasing tendencies and learning to put herself first. Also, they were just very well-written.
Elsie did make me want to cry for most of the first half of the book. I wanted to give her a hug and a stern lecture on her self-worth. Luckily, Ginny handled most of that for me.
One thing that was a little annoying throughout the book—though I didn’t mind how it played out in the end—was the fact that these two wouldn’t admit their damn feelings to each other. I get being afraid of rejection from your best friend, but you are literally on a romantic honeymoon having sex 24/7? Just tell her!!
Altogether, I did end up enjoying this. Not my favorite, but it was a much needed queer romance.

CW: sexual content; queerphobia

I am leaving my honest opinion voluntarily.

First, let me say that I love how beautifully the gender fluidity was written; it was seamless and non-confusing from the beginning. There was no need to explain it; it just was, and the world was okay with it, and no one had the awkward coming-out trope, and I loved it.

NOW. The story was what I expected until it wasn't, and it had me gagging and screaming because Meryl... girl... where did you take us?!? This book gave me everything I never knew I needed. The title suggests we will be dealing with relationships, which is no surprise. However, we also get a coming-of-age story, as we follow a childhood friendship and all that entails. We have familial expectations, and a character trying to find their place among a family of amazing individuals. And figuring out who you are on your own, what you stand for, and being bold enough to stand in your truth, all mixed together with uncertainty, miscommunication, and emotional verbal outbursts.

This book is amazing! I wasn't expecting to love this book, but I did!

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, and Meryl Wilsner for the ARC of this beautifully written novel.

“My Best Friend’s Honeymoon” Review

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This book was so much fun! It was the right combination of sweet and spicy. I loved the main characters journeys, both together and as a couple. I appreciated the non-binary rep. Overall, I definitely recommend.

The concept of this plot is amazing: a woman breaks off her wedding and her ex-fiance tells her that she should still go on their honeymoon. She brings her best friend, and you can imagine what happens from there. In reality though, I found the execution to be lacking. Elsie's fiance planned an entire wedding for her without even telling her, something that is farcical. He booked their honeymoon at a queer resort because he wanted to support her queer identity. (That part is cute.) But the pacing of Elsie bringing her best friend Ginny and soon after realizing how she feels about them? It didn't work for me. It felt too insta-lovey, even though they've known each other since childhood. I felt like too much of the plot hinged on miscommunication, including the third act breakup, and it just didn't resonate. This felt like a mostly colored-in drawing that's missing some key pieces.

i don’t know what i was expecting but as far as the smut goes i loved it. i thought the characters were a little bit flat and could use some more work

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

I won't lie; the cover is what drew me to this book. I wish I could live in this cover. This was a good book, but I felt like it went from 0 to 100 quickly and then went back to 0 in the snap of your fingers. There was so much excitement and a lot going on, and then all of a sudden it went a little flat. I understand the author wanting the characters to find themselves, but it felt like something was missing. I would still recommend. This book is definitely spicy! And it's LGBTQIAP+

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked the idea of the premise and the setup of the story but it didn't hit the way I was hoping it would.

Ginny and Elsie have been best friends for a long time. Elsie is a doormat who needs help speaking up for what she wants and Ginny has been in love with her their whole friendship.

I felt like the flashbacks didn't any anything to the story and some of the writing was repetitive. I also felt like the spice was a touch excessive... I know but they could've spent some of that time transitioning from besties to an actual relationship. It felt like we were supposed to rely too heavily on their pre-book established friendship. There was also too much miscommunication and lack of conversations. I feel like the third act conflict could've been avoided had they just SPOKE to each other.

I did like the nonbinary representation from a nonbinary author. I liked the growing they both did in the end.

Overall it was mid for me. I can see how it could really work for others though.

Meryl Wilsner never lets me down!

They know how to write queer stories, and I love that each one is unique (no formulas here). AND they unapologetically write edgy sapphic spice. We need more writers and stories like this!

I loved both main characters. The dual POV and dual timeline format really worked as it pulled together the sweet and vulnerable mutual pining storyline perfectly. Ginny and Elsie have already grown so much together and know each other so well... but in this story they take on a whole new journey together.

There are so many spicy tropes in this one I didn't see coming. I blushed and laughed and swooned and really loved spending time with this couple.

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin's Griffin, and @netgalley for my advanced copy!

This is definitely the steamiest of Wilsner's books, but even if you don't like that aspect, the romance is absolutely charming. Wilsner's voice is an absolute delight to read and Elsie and Ginny are so lovable and I adored this friends-to-lovers romance with its outstanding character development. I also appreciated the cultural Jewish rep - this is the second time their rep has made me feel seen in that respect. I continue to be a Merly Wilsner fan!

Being in love with your engaged best friend is hard but going on vacation with freshly single said best friend... specifically going on the honeymoon she was supposed to go on with her fiancee is going to definitely be harder because feelings are bound to get out. Ginny has been in love with their best friend since forever but has always put their friendship first. Ginny was determined to keep their feelings hidden ever since Elsie got engaged to her boyfriend after graduating... but a year later and when Elsie's boyfriend plans a surprise wedding that Elsie calls off, he insists that Elsie and Ginny go on the honeymoon he was supposed to go on with Elsie. Yet together at a resort... things get out of hand and it turns out Ginny wasn't the only one pining for their best friend. I have to say I just did not connect with this book unfortunately. I adored Mistakes were Made and Cleat Cute, but this one just didn't feel well flushed out to me. Yes it was spicy but it just didn't feel like there was a real connection, was a real romance at the center of it. I felt like Ginny and Elsie were so one dimensional while the whole fall out/break up with Elsie's ex fiancee was so bland and not an issue at all. The book just didn't feel like a really interesting story or one that would have me invested. I wish I did like this, I wish I could, but it just felt so not for me and so not well executed that it was a miss. I do think that maybe some other people who love a friends to lovers story would have fun reading it or if anyone who is looking for a non-binary love interest, definitely give it a go.

Release Date: April 29, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately I DNFd halfway through - I've really like Meryl Wilsner's previous books so I was excited for this one. It honestly feels like a different author wrote it. The writing is incredibly juvenile and tells me everything I need to know. I don't feel connected to th characters and I don't believe they want more than physical stuff from each other. So I knew it was time to stop. Hopefully it finds its audience! It's hurt not me.

2.5 stars

I enjoyed the beginning of this and the great representation but once they got on the "honeymoon" it was simply about them hooking up. They barely talked, they didn't discuss any issues, their feelings, plans for the future, what was going on. Which of course lead to a ton of issues when they got home. I did enjoy the way it was resolved, in a way, however it still felt like nothing was discussed.

Thank you to St. Martins Griffin, St. Martins Early Readers and Netgalley for access to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up. When one woman can't decide if she's in her relationship for the right reasons, she ends up breaking off her engagement. However everything has already been pre=planned including the honeymoon that is non-refundable. So she finds herself going to the honeymoon with her best friend and from there feelings come to light including the desire to feel and want whatever she wants at the moment. She has never crossed the line with her best friend as she's been terrified of ruining the friendship but once the lines are crossed there's no going back from the unknown. I appreciate Wilsner's usage of queer characters especially in the place of having a non-binary love interest! The dynamic was freshing and so fun to read and the spice scenes did not fail to deliver as always!

This wasn’t my favorite of Meryl Wilsner’s books. I had a hard time with how quickly the friends became lovers—there was no real buildup, just the flip of a switch. It was too much of a foregone conclusion for the trope to really be believable for me. One mc who’s hopelessly obsessed with the other mc, who is wildly immature and has ended a years-long relationship “all of a sudden?” I just couldn’t buy in. It also really bothered me that the pronouns for the nonbinary main character were so inconsistent. I get that their pronouns are they/she, but it was confusing and at times hard to follow.

Thank you net galley, St Martin's Publishing Group, and Meryl Wilsner for gifting me an arc of My Best Friend's Honeymoon.

I love Meryl Wilsner and when they said this would be their spiciest book, they DID NOT LIE!
The spice might have been spicing, but it just didn’t hit right for me. I wanted to see more of Ginny and Elsie together in the real world. I felt like there was no substance to their relationship outside of them both saying, “they’re my best friend” over and over again.

This book didn’t wow me at any point but it was a fun and quick read.

Goodreads.com/bhambooksandcoffee

Wilsner excels at crafting characters with rich inner lives, and both Elsie and Ginny feel fully realized. Elsie's journey—from passivity to empowerment—is especially compelling, and readers will root for her as she begins to voice her desires, both big and small. Ginny is a patient and quietly passionate counterpart, offering steady support while also carrying her own emotional complexity.

The pacing is deliberate, leaning into emotional intimacy and character development over dramatic twists, which may feel slower to readers craving high-stakes tension. But the payoff comes in the form of earned, believable emotional growth and a romance that simmers rather than explodes.

Wilsner’s prose is breezy and heartfelt, making even the quietest moments feel significant. The Caribbean setting adds an escapist charm, but the real beauty lies in the nuanced emotional landscape between two people who’ve known each other forever—and are finally seeing each other clearly.

In all, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is a touching, character-driven romance that celebrates love, agency, and the kind of bravery it takes to rewrite your future. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers stories with emotional depth and a satisfying, well-earned HEA. I really enjoyed My Best Friend's Honeymoon.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book and interested to see how things played out. I enjoyed the storyline and thought the book was fun overall, but I feel like the characters (particularly Elsie) lacked depth. She seemed very surface/one-note to me. Did I like the book overall? Yes. Would it be something I choose to re-read down the road? Probably not.

This was my fist Meryl Wilsner book and my first non-binary MC book. And I absolutely adored it! The level of spice was off the charts! Ginny and Elise had so much chemistry that I felt like I was invading their privacy while reading their story. I absolutely loved their love story, and I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book!