Didn't like it, felt unpurposeful and unearned, lacked character development even though the smut scenes were well written. Forgettable and a let down in comparison to their previous book.

I don’t want to yuck my one’s yum, but this was not my yum. The lack of communication drove me insane, the spicy scenes were not my jam. Just not for me.

When Elsie (finally!) calls off her wedding (only after the fiance has planned a surprise wedding, including the honeymoon, for like, next week), the fiance insists she go on the honeymoon anyway with her best friend Ginny (who's non-binary). Ginny, has been in love with Elsie forever, and of course will go with her.

There was a lot I liked here. Constant secret pining for the other? I like that. A super hot vacation? Enjoy. But something didn't work for me. The physical connection is in the middle of the book (hoo boy! Meryl writes some steamy stuff), but then the characters break up and spend most of the last part of the book apart on separate personal journeys. That angle didn't work as well for me. Don't get me wrong - both characters badly needed to go on those journeys to mature, but it throws off the rhythm of the novel for me.

It's a book I enjoyed, but was left feeling... unfulfilled. YMMV.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner 3/5 ⭐️

Book Description:
This book follows lifelong best friends Elsie and Ginny who decide to enjoy a non-refundable honeymoon in the Caribbean, as Elsie recently realized she was unfulfilled and ended things with her fiancé. For Elsie, this trip is the perfect opportunity to figure out what she wants, but what if what she really wants is Ginny?

Review:
I am a lover of all things sapphic and queer, so naturally, I decided to read this book. (I also really enjoyed Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner!)

Overall, this book is fast-paced and fun. It also has great summery vibes that would be perfect for the beach! I really appreciated the care and affection between Ginny and Elsie. They read as real, genuine friends. 🫶🏻

Admittedly, I felt a bit frustrated by the main conflict in the book and Elsie’s reaction. There was a bit too much miscommunication for my taste. However, I did appreciate that both characters grow and change by the end of the book.

I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys (extremely) spicy, sapphic romance.
🌈👙🤍✨

Thank you to NetGalley, Meryl Wilsner and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just really did not enjoy this book overall. One of the main characters, Elsie, reads like she was a teenager instead of a grown adult. The problem with the childhood friends to lover trope is a lot of times you don't get to actually see the relationship forming, you're just told they love each other and have since forever. Which is all well and fine, except in this book the only reason they haven't told each other is because of a bullying incident from elementary school?? That just doesn't seem believable when we are talking about grown adults. Also once the main characters hook up that is pretty much all the book turns into...sex scene after sex scene. I do love a spicy book, but I also want to see the relationship developing and some plot too.

Overall it was a quick read, but I would not honestly recommend it to others.

Ok this could have been so cute! I love the concept. I love that Ginny has been in love with Elsie for years but because Elsie was bullied one time she won’t even entertain acting in her feelings for Ginny. Which doesn’t make sense because what adult lets one incident from middle school influence their entire life. Elsie also works at a job she’s way too good for because she has no ability to stand up for herself to her parents.

I just think this fell flat on execution.

I enjoyed this the setting of this story the most. Maybe it is the cold spring we are having that made me so immersed in this tropical vacation, but the honeymoon setting was my favorite part. This book was spicier than I anticipated so if that is what you are looking for this is a good choice. I thought that the "third act break up" was kind of a underwhelming and over a dumb reason, personally. I was just kind of annoyed at both of these "best friends" for not adding one more sentence of clarification that could have avoided the whole thing. But that's how these books go. I will still continue to read everything from this author.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for this advance copy!

Wilsner is a must read for me. They always manage to write such wonderful, heartfelt stories and oooweee the steam! THE STEAM! This one was so freakin' hot.

Elsie and Ginny have been best friends forever when Elsie backs out of her wedding and takes them on the honeymoon her fiance planned. There Ginny encourages Elsie to say what she wants and put herself first, and wouldn't you know it, Elsie wants Ginny. Which is great because Ginny has basically been in love with Elsie their whole lives. I really appreciated how Wilsner unspooled this situation and the third act "breakup" felt good and appropriate, though I thought they would be appart longer? Maybe that's just me. Anyway, these two are dumb for each other and its so wonderful to have both of them realize what they have and how to make it work. I also really appreciated both the light Jewish rep.

Wilsner is a must read for me, all day every day.

I don't often find myself in books, but I felt so seen with My Best Friend's Honeymoon's Elsie. She's so used to people pleasing, that she doesn't know what she wants nor how to ask for it. She's so afraid to speak up that she's ended up in an engagement she doesn't want and now a honeymoon she didn't plan. Lucky for her, her best friend is there to hold her to her desires, and what better opportunity to do exactly what Elsie wants for once than by joining her on her honeymoon for the cancelled wedding. Nevermind that Ginny's been in love with Elsie since she can remember, she'd rather have her as a friend than lose her. So, mission do whatever Elsie wants is a go, even when the lines get blurry.

I loved Ginny, I loved Elsie, I loved this book. It was cute, it was relatable, and it was super duper sexy. Meryl Wilsner's smut is my favorite smut. I also loved that while Elsie was finding her voice, she was also learning how Ginny too wasn't going after her own wants. While there's classic angst in this, it brings out the greatest character development that I think all readers will relate to. Their friendship is enviable, their dynamic is totally cute, and the way their family and friends push them along on their own journeys is something I think we all could use sometime. While it is a low stakes romance, it's one that is enjoyable to escape into and one that I recommend.

Two big takeaways from this book: (lack of) communication trope is HUGE and frustrating. I just wanted the main characters to talk to each other!!! I understand why they felt like they couldn’t, but it didn’t make it any better. UGH just have an adult (hard) conversation if you’re so sure the friendship will survive all that happens. Second, the sex came on fast and strong. Totally fine with both/either of those happening, but it felt wild (in a bad way) and like too much in this book. I liked previous books by this author, really wanted to like this one, but it didn’t meet the mark for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy.

This is my 3rd Meryl Wilsner book and it focuses on Elsie who is scheduled to be married and Ginny her best friend who has been in love with Elsie since they were kids. When Elsie calls off her wedding her fiance tells her to take Ginny and off they go. I appreciate how both characters are very comfortable in their sexuality and Wilsner's world is one where queer people are normalized. There is a scene with a server around assumptions and gendering people that is quite on point.

I liked both Ginny and Elsie and it was good to see them both find themselves inside and outside of their relationship. I wasn't as wild about their bump in the road, I think they could have skipped that and still made progress as adults. All in all a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars

This was an ARC read for me, and going in, I was really excited by the premise. The concept was fun and fresh—a honeymoon with your best friend? Sign me up! The beginning pulled me in, and I thought the setup had so much potential for both romance and comedy.

Unfortunately, as the story went on, it started to feel a bit too predictable. I found myself anticipating not just the major plot points, but even the dialogue, which took away some of the excitement. I kept hoping for a twist or a deeper emotional moment to surprise me, but it never really came.

That said, there were still things I enjoyed. The character development was fun to watch, and the chemistry between the leads had its sweet moments. There were a few lighthearted, feel-good scenes that gave me a smile, and I appreciated the overall tone of the book—it had that easy, vacation-read vibe.

In the end, I wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t fully deliver for me. It wasn’t bad by any means, just not particularly memorable. A solid, quick read if you’re in the mood for something light and predictable, but it didn’t quite hit the mark I was hoping for.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy.
Wilsner entices us with another spicy queer romance, this time set in the midwest! Elsie has been engaged to her fiance for over a year and a half and finds out he has decided to plan their entire wedding, including their honeymoon, without her. She breaks off the engagement and takes her best friend, Ginny. Only Ginny has been in love with her best friend for years. they head off to what was supposed to be elsie’s honeymoon and come home forever changed.

Another steamy queer romance from Meryl Wilsner! There was a lot I enjoyed about this book, mainly: the friends to lovers trope that was actually done well, immaculate tropical vacation vibes, and complicated family dynamics. I was invested in their relationship and the spicy scenes were top tier! I do wish there had been more time spent on character development with their families/jobs as they made the later storylines a bit shallow but overall a good beach read.

Meryl Wilsner delivers a charming, heartfelt rom-com with a twist in My Best Friend's Honeymoon. When Cass ends up taking her best friend’s place on a honeymoon meant for two, sparks fly between her and the resort concierge, Rowan. What starts as a relaxing getaway quickly turns into something much more romantic and unexpected.

With Wilsner’s signature warmth, witty dialogue, and queer representation, the story blends humor and emotion seamlessly. It’s a sweet, low-stakes love story perfect for fans of cozy, feel-good romance with just the right amount of spice.

Perfect for: Readers who love slow-burn queer romance, vacation escapism, and a strong emotional core.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of My Best Friend’s Honeymoon. After Elsie’s fiancé springs a planned wedding only a week away, she is forced to decide whether she really wants to marry him. After deciding she’d rather not, he insists that she takes her best friend on their already paid for honeymoon, but Ginny has been crushing on Elsie for a decade.


I was so so excited for this book. Mistakes were Made is one of my favorite books of all time and I adored Cleat Cute in 2023 as well. However, I felt this lacked some of the spark those two had for me. The beginning/set up was interesting and well written and I thought the premise was unique. But the characters lacked a little bit of the chemistry that Wilsner’s other books had and the middle section just got boring and repetitive (like I get it but a little too much banging). Maybe my expectations were just too high after the last two but overall it’s still an entertaining sapphic romance with good non-binary representation.

I never thought I could dislike a Meryl Wilsner book but here we are. I did not believe any connection between our FMCs, even though they were supposed to be best friends their whole life? The beginning premise of holding out on making wedding plans as a way to (sub)consciously avoid the actual marriage?? You lost me there but there was no redemption.

Oh this was so beautiful! I loved the character development, I loved the family dynamics, I loved the love! I appreciated the pronoun preferences and think that was an important element to represent non-binary people. I really liked that they both grew forward separately and also were able to grow as two people who love each other, in whatever way they define that.

I really liked this book! It was nice reading a nb/f romance because you don’t see that often. I also tend to enjoy friends to lovers and this one was done well! I do wish the romance had been expanded upon a bit more - like more *feelings* and whatnot - during the actual trip rather than just sex scene after sex scene, but I think that’s my only complaint tbh!

TW: sexual content, homophobia, transphobia

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my favourite Meryl Wilsner book, hands down! (And I really loved the others!). This book has the heat from "Mistakes Were Made", the spunk from "Cleat Cute", and the swoopy feelings in "Something to Talk About". For real, buy this book!!!!

After "Cleat Cute", I literally said to my spouse, "I loved this book, I love this author. I just wish that they would write something that focuses on a fat, nonbinary person, because they have the lived experience to create such a great character that we don't see often. Why do they keep writing skinny femmes being into each other?" And then enter GINNY!! <3 Let me tell you, dear reader, that I squealed when I found out we have a fat, nonbinary, masc-leaning lead in Ginny, and they DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Kay, y'all, the spice was spiiiiiicin'! What I love about Wilsner is that they write unapologetically queer. They write messy, taboo, and *realistic* intimacy between the characters that I can see myself and my community reflected in. I adored that so much of this book and the theme of recentring your own needs/desires was intertwined with intimacy but also moved beyond that space. It made sense that these characters were banging and also figuring out life things (and how the banging helped them figure out the life things). Incredibly well done; I am, as always, in awe of Meryl Wilsner and their talent for storytelling.

I also love the pacing in this book. Some other reviewers mention being frustrated by the pacing, but I really loved that we didn't follow the traditional movement of a romance book. It made sense to the characters and the story for them to get together earlier in the story, and for the conflict to arise just over halfway through instead of in the 3rd act. I also think the lessons learned in the third act are so vital, that I'm glad we took time to sit with these characters as long as we did before our HEA. This isn't a cookie-cutter book, it leads with a lot of heart and a lot of wisdom that we get in this non-traditional 3rd act. And I'm incredibly pleased that we got to the steamy parts relatively early in the story, lol.

If you're a mood / seasonal reader like me, I recommend you read this book if you're enjoying a Caribbean vacation. It's set in mid-Winter Minnesota (so think cold as hell + snow) and Santa Lupita was the perfect holiday escape destination. I was saving this book to take with me on my own tropical vacation with my spouse, but we had to unfortunately reschedule the vacation. BUT, this book made me feel like I was still on the beach instead of enduring 3rd Winter Canada.

Read this book, and thank me later!! If you're sleeping on this one rn, idk what you're doing... READ IT!