Meryl Wilsner is one of my favorite writers of sexy Queer Romances, and this one definitely fits that category. Elsie and Ginny have been best friends since childhood, and Ginny has pined for Elsie for years and years. Elsie once turned them down when she was worried that starting something together would hurt their friendship. Fast forward to the both of them being in their twenties, and Elsie on the verge of marriage to a man, While he’s kind and loving, Elsie realizes that she doesn’t want to marry him. When he encourages her to go on their honeymoon with Ginny, Elsie does. My only criticism of this book is that Elsie goes from not ever speaking her mind and saying what she actually wants to very quickly hopping into bed with Ginny. I’m happy for Ginny to get what they have always wanted, but I just don’t see where Elsie’s feelings suddenly came from. There is lots of steamy sex at a lovely resort, so this is definitely the stuff of vacation Romance. If you’re looking for something hot and fun, this book might be for you.

Every book Meryl Wilsner writes is better than their last, and My Best Friend's Honeymoon is such a sweet and spicy sapphic love story between two lifelong best friends who have always loved each other in every way possible and finally let themselves fall in love.

When Elsie's fiancé decides they've been engaged long enough and unilaterally plans their wedding—only one week in advance!—she realizes that she's been putting everyone else's desires ahead of her own and she needs to end her relationship. The all-inclusive honeymoon in the Caribbean her fiancé had booked for them is non-refundable, and he's too sad to go, so he tells Elsie to bring her best friend, Ginny, along with her.

Ginny has loved Elsie for as long as they can remember, but since they asked Elsie to the high school dance and Elsie rejected them, they have always prioritized their friendship and put their feelings to the side. When Elsie asks Ginny to go with her on her honeymoon, Ginny is committed to making sure that Elsie puts what she wants first for once. In the romantic resort environment, Elsie realizes that what she wants most of all is to be with Ginny.

This novel is a beautifully queer friends-to-lovers love story, with supportive given and chosen family, career growth, and deep, committed love. I loved both Elsie and Ginny and their rich friendship, as well as their chemistry and the many, many spicy scenes. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves women and loves love! My only qualm is that the MCs were way too young (23 years old!) and I wish they had been a bit older given their stage in life.

Overall, this was a great read and I am so glad to have been able to read this one early. Thank you to Griffin and Netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.25 stars

I adore Meryl Wilsners books, and when I saw they were releasing one with a non-binary character I was so excited. Alas, this one fell pretty flat for me. I will say the gender representation was fantastic, I related so much to how Ginny described their gender. The issue for me was the pacing of this book. The smut hit out of nowhere, and it felt really random to me. For smut scenes to work for me, I like a lot of build up, tension, yearning, etc., and this book felt pretty lacking in that department. There was some build up starting, but just as it was starting to simmer they were already hooking up. Additionally, the third act break up while making sense for the characters dragged for so long. It felt longer than their time together as a couple. I do wonder if part of that was just a necessary flaw with the concept, as the actual honeymoon trip they were on wasn't very long, which logistically just constrained how much time they could spend together.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with this book, but it was still a Meryl Wilsner and it had some of the elements I come to expect in their books, which made it still a fun time to read, aside from my frustrations. I do think this is a good summer read contendor, the beach tropical vibes are quite good.

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner is such a fun, refreshing read that completely stole my heart! This is my first book by Wilsner, and now I’m hooked — I can’t wait to explore more of her work. This novel is a perfect mix of romance, humor, and personal growth, and I had such a blast reading it.
The story follows Elsie Hoffman, who’s been engaged to her college boyfriend for over a year, but when she discovers that her fiancé has planned their wedding and honeymoon without consulting her, she has a wake-up call. She realizes she’s been living a life that wasn’t really hers. In a moment of self-discovery, she calls off the wedding and decides to go on her honeymoon — with her best friend Ginny, instead.
This is where the magic happens. Ginny, being the supportive (and very wise) friend she is, makes a deal with Elsie — for the next week, Elsie can have whatever she wants, but she has to ask for it. What starts as a carefree vacation filled with activities and selfies quickly escalates into something more — toe-curling kisses and unexpected romantic chemistry. I absolutely loved how their friendship blossomed into something deeper, and watching Elsie figure out who she truly is was such a rewarding experience.
Meryl Wilsner’s writing is super engaging and playful, making this book feel like a perfect, feel-good escape. The chemistry between Elsie and Ginny is off the charts, and I found myself rooting for them from the very first page.
If you’re looking for a romance that’s as much about finding your voice and being true to yourself as it is about love, then My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is definitely the book for you. I can’t wait to see what Meryl Wilsner comes up with next — I’ll be first in line to read it!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the chance of reading the book in advance.

You might like this (I thought it was just fine). The plot of friends to lovers on vacation together is fun.

Meryl Wilsner’s books are possibly not for me. I love to read as many queer books and authors as I can but I guess I can’t love all of them. I think it’s their writing that I just don’t vibe with, the stories are good I just end up annoyed by the POV and structure of the books.

Tries Too Hard To Be 'Edgy'. Having read both Mistakes Were Made and Cleat Cute, it seems that the issues that really seem to have begun in Cleat Cute, where I wrote in my review that "this is one of those stories where there are a LOT of valid issues that people may have with the book, but ultimately pretty well all of them are matters of taste and not something truly concretely objectively *wrong*" have gone even further here, and now there are things that while still arguably not *objectively* wrong, there is a fair amount here that gets much closer to that line, at least in some readers' eyes.

Specifically, while none of the following really get up there to a star deduction on their own, there is enough that I'm about to detail that I felt the star deduction was warranted due to the accumulation. First, there is the more than once yet also not *pervasive* bigotries against anything non-queer, including one character getting quite preachy when a server refers to both characters as "Ladies", even though one of the characters is a female but claims "non-binary". Then there is the oral period sex. Yes, you read that right, and yes, I know it is a (minor) spoiler. But it is one that I feel people will want to be aware of when deciding to read or skip this book, so I feel justified mentioning it here. It is also one that many that decry explicit lack of use of condoms during sex *should* decry as even more unsafe than condomless penetrative sex can ever be, yet I've seen no such condemnations as I write this review less than two weeks before publication. To be fair, I also don't track reviewers who explicitly comment about such things in other books, so it is quite possible that *someone* has in fact called this out and I am simply unaware of it. Then there is the degrading talk during sex, but to be fair to Wilsner this *was* specifically done with a discussion of safe words just before this and explicit instruction to use them if the partner was uncomfortable with such speech. Finally, there are the barely-there and almost caricature level supporting characters - indeed, it almost seems as though the aforementioned server was included specifically so the preaching could be "excused". Even relatives of the characters felt like stereotypes at best, rather than fully (or even really partially) fleshed out and understood characters. As I noted previously in this review, none of this (possibly with the exception of the oral period sex) is objectively *wrong*, but it also all adds up to Wilsner just seeming to try to hard, particularly as the sex scenes take up seemingly 20% of the book - and the entire middle section of it. Thus, the star deduction. If you don't like that I deducted a star for this, maybe read the book and write your own review. Feel free to crucify me when you do, should you feel the need.

Beyond these issues though, Wilsner actually manages to create a plausible enough, if in a "queer Hallmarkie" kind of vibe, story that works well enough. Yes, things happen *fast* in actual shown-time, but at the same time, again in a "queer Hallmarkie" kind of mindset... meh, I for one didn't really have a problem there. Particularly given that these two had known each other for decades before the events of this book, again, meh, plausible enough that one day long-guarded truths are exposed and different paths emerge.

And then there is the titular honeymoon. The Caribbean setting was done well enough, though as it largely takes place inside that middle damn-near-erotica section of the book... maybe it could have been done even better, but that is likely a quibble that some will agree with and others will think it was done quite well indeed. For me, it was absolutely enough to show the beauty of the setting, almost in a Couples Retreat (the 2009 Vince Vaughn movie) way. They're there, they spend quite a bit of time in their mostly private hut over the water (as honeymooning couples would do, obviously, even though this couple isn't actually on their honeymoon and hasn't even admitted their feelings to each other at the time they arrive), but they also get out and explore a decent amount as well (which is where the server scene above happens, among other locations around the resort they explore). Like I said, it works well enough, could arguably have been done a touch better, but nothing really to *actually* complain about there.

Overall this was a book that many won't want to read for many perfectly valid reasons, but also many *will* want to read for equally perfectly valid reasons, and as with Cleat Cute in particular, it absolutely is one Your Mileage May Vary on. If what I've described above is close enough to something that interests you and you don't really have any major issues with those things, this is likely a book you should at least try to read and see if you enjoy. If you're more adamantly opposed to any of the things I describe above, you're likely better off skipping this one and sparing yourself the wasted time and the author the potentially far more harsh review than what I hope I've done a relatively balanced job with here. If you do choose to read it though, please leave a review on Hardcover dot app, BookHype dot com, PageBound dot co, or whatever your preferred book review platform may be.

Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Meryl Wilsner’s My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is another hit by an author that I love. It’s their first book with a nonbinary main character who also happens to be fat (and their name is Ginny which is basically my name when you think about it!). The on page discussion of trans bodies, preferred language, and constant check in for consent gave me so many feelings. Elsie desires Ginny’s body. She wants to touch and kiss them. It’s beautiful!

The concept was really good but I felt like it jumped into romance really fast, not enough chemistry built between the two main characters, I think the pacing was just to fast.

this was spicyyyyyy.

ginny and elsie have been best friends forever. and ginny has been in love with her since then. when elsie breaks off her engagement, she invites ginny to go on her honeymoon with her.

the entirety of their relationship development is spice. I wish we got more of them growing together rather than just hooking up. the third act conflict was so drawn out and I felt like it was also underdeveloped- they go off and figure out their jobs and they’re suddenly ready for a life-long relationship at 23? 🥲.

the vacation aspect and honeymoon vibes were really fun. ginny was so down bad for elsie and it was really cute. I just wish we got a little more.

what to expect
⟢ f x nb queer romance
⟢ best childhood friends to lovers
⟢ love after breakup
⟢ vacation/summer vibes

3 stars

This wasn’t bad by any means but I felt a lot was lacking . The first 1/3 of the book was just ragging on the ex-fiancé calling him dumb and making fun of how supportive he was of Elsie’s queer identity. The second 1/3 of the book was just sex scene after sex scene back to back to back with almost no gaps. And the last 1/3 was them not speaking because of a very blown out of proportion argument. I felt there was next to no yearning like we should get in a friends-to-lovers romance. And the 5 second change from “let’s date” to “I don’t want to talk to you” was intense whiplash.

Also there was no need to Elsie to be rude to that server.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

My Best Friend's Honeymoon missed the mark for me. I was so on board for a nonbinary/queer representation romance and the synospsis had me hooked. The beginning started off strong, the friends-to-lovers trope, secretly pining for the other, was a great start. However, once we got to the spice, it was like we lost all that was built for us. It became all about the physicalness of their relationship and then predictable for the rest of the book. I gave it a three for the strong start and foundation. This story had potential and I look forward to seeing what we get in the future from Wilsner.

I received an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This was a quick, cute best friends-to-lovers romance- I literally read it in less than 12 hours actually. I will say, I wish the break up/conflict hadn't lasted quite as long as it did- it happened around 50% and then didn't resolve until the very end so we didn't get a lot of time seeing them together (apart from the honemoon itself). But overall I enjoyed it. If you're looking for a book to take on vacation with you, this would be a good one.

The tension was absolutely tensioning in this one OMG! Love love love Ginny and Elsie they are now both the loml! This was such a sweet story of friendship and deep love and overcoming the fear of finally taking what you really want and it was just such a good read. I loved the backstory we got throughout of their friendship and ups and downs each of them have faced. Learning about why Elsie moved in elementary school actually broke my heart :(

The pacing was great throughout the whole story and the third act breakup felt necessary for both of their character arcs (thank god bc I hate an unnecessary breakup). Ginny is the selfless icon we all deserve and they were such a constant light in this story, loved watching them come into themselves and take that final leap to make their dreams happen! I also felt so close to Elsie and her struggle in asking for what she wants and I loved her growth as well!

Overall such a fun read that I absolutely blew through and highly recommend!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is a salacious and incredibly fun/funny queer romance about Elsie (f) and Ginny (nb), who have been best friends since childhood but secretly both carry a torch for each other.

After a less than ideal surprise, Elsie ends up breaking off her engagement and is sent on her would-be honeymoon with Ginny instead! …And Ginny is determined that Elsie should get *everything* she wants. 😏 Buckle up, because this book is SMUTTY and SO HOT.

I absolutely LOVED this book and the connection between Elsie and Ginny felt so genuine to me. 4.75⭐️

CW: This book has butt stuff, just in case that’s not your thing. But uh, it’s done really well, because Meryl Wilsner can write butt smut better than any author I know. 🍑 I’ve said it before, but I would read their grocery list.

When Elsie calls off her wedding, she and her best friend, Ginny, end up on the honeymoon trip together. This is a very spicy friend's to lovers story.

This is not their best work. I have very much enjoyed Meryl's previous books, but this one struggled to keep my attention. The characters felt flat, and it felt like the plot was lost at points.

I received a free advance review copy through from St Martins Press through NetGalley and my review is voluntary.

Unfortunately, this book let me down! I had high hopes for My Best Friend’s Honeymoon based on the synopsis and the early chapters. The relationship between Elsie and Ginny was promising, as was the set up before we got to the titular ‘honeymoon.’ However, once the two main characters reached paradise, this fell flat for me. So much of the romantic buildup before they acted on anything was from flashbacks, so I wanted more tension before the duo acted on their feelings. Also, there was so, so, so much action (sexual) and so little action (subplot/conversation/anything) on the honeymoon, that the whole story stalled out for me. I finished, but I skimmed a lot of the middle section, which was a bummer considering how excited I had been for this.

On a positive note, I really Ginny as a character and her story development towards the end of this. I was happy to see them get their happy ending, doing what they love, surrounded by friends.

I think I need to accept that Meryl Wilsner’s books are hot and cold for me, as while I loved Mistakes Were Made, their last two books have been misses for my personal tastes.

"My Best Friend's Honeymoon" by Meryl Wilsner is a contemporary romance that explores the transition from friendship to love. The narrative follows Elsie Hoffman, who, just days before her wedding, realizes she's not ready to marry her fiancé, Derrick. Opting to proceed with the non-refundable honeymoon, she invites her lifelong best friend, Ginny. During their tropical getaway, long-held feelings surface, leading them to navigate the complexities of evolving their relationship.

Wilsner's writing is engaging, and the Caribbean setting adds a vibrant backdrop to the unfolding romance. The depiction of Ginny as a fat, nonbinary character offers refreshing representation in the genre. However, some readers felt the pacing was uneven, with certain plot developments, such as the transition from friendship to romance, occurring rapidly. Additionally, the novel employs the miscommunication trope, which, for some, became a source of frustration due to its frequent use.

The story is marked by its steamy scenes, characteristic of Wilsner's style, though opinions vary on their impact. Some readers appreciated the intensity, while others felt it overshadowed the deeper emotional connection between the characters. The internal conflict that drives a wedge between Elsie and Ginny was also a point of contention, with some perceiving it as contrived.

Overall, "My Best Friend's Honeymoon" offers a mix of engaging elements and challenges. It's a suitable pick for readers seeking a quick, steamy romance with diverse representation. However, those who prefer a more gradual development of romantic relationships and less reliance on certain tropes might find aspects of the story less satisfying.

Elsie has been engaged for a year and a half, but has done absolutely no wedding planning, so her fiancé takes the lead. When Elsie finds out that he planned their entire wedding and honeymoon without her, she realizes that she isn't really interested in marrying him. That's how she finds herself on their honeymoon with her best friend Ginny instead of the man she was supposed to marry. Ginny has been (not so) secretly in love with Elsie since they were kids, and now, she might finally have a chance to be Elsie's everything.

I loved the overall premise of this, but wish there was a little more plot/storyline. Elsie was really hard to connect to as a character because she had no idea what she did or didn't want in life. There was a ton of unnecessary miscommunication, and also a ton of spice. So much spice that there were long chunks of the book without anything except for spice. I'm happy that Elise and Ginny finally were able to connect, I just wish we could have gotten more emotional connection from them.

I paired the ebook with the audio. The audio was well done and I enjoyed the duet narration. Both narrators were great and I didn't have any issues distinguishing the characters.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the advance copies!

This spicy LGBTQ+ romantic story will have readers dreaming of tropical destinations and lazy days in bed with a caring partner! Meryl Wilsner keeps the tone light while also bringing up relatable struggles with knowing when to make a move, both in romantic and in everyday life contexts. I enjoyed getting into the minds of both of the main characters and understanding their motivations, reflections, and musings on where they had been and where they were heading in life. A fun read with a good message and some exciting, spicy scenes! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a galley copy of this book.

What I liked: it’s a fast read! Love a vacation romance. Queer representation was excellent, especially the way Elsie defended Ginny

What I didn’t like: there wasn’t enough plot for my taste. The smut was constant, and felt like filler without any story. I didn’t root for them together since Elsie was such a terrible friend and much of the conclusion was how good it was for them to be apart.

I’ve read several of Wilsner’s books and was excited by the description of this book, but felt let down by the execution.