THIS IS A SPICY BOOK!

Elsie calls her engagement/wedding off, and her ex suggests she still goes on the honeymoon. With her best friend. Her best friend that’s secretly been pining for her their entire friendship.

Read this if you like:

miscommunication trope
high spice
honeymoon/travel vibes
friends to lovers
third act breakup
This is a f/nb romance with some frustrating miscommunication, hella spice, and a fun premise.

Rating: 4/5
I received the audio/book for my honest opinion.

What would you do if you learned that your fiancé has just planned your whole wedding without your input, sadly you start to realize that you might not truly love this man, and you call off your wedding. Then your ex-fiancé tells you that you should go on the honeymoon trip because it's non-refundable. You take your best friend Ginny. However, Elsie starts to realize why things really didn’t work with your fiancé because you have been in love with Ginny your whole life, and you’re worried that it would ruin everything.

Wow, just wow. I found the plot to be good, the characters were fun and exciting. I found the third act conflict to have been drawn out a little too long for me, but I understood why because Elise’s character doesn’t do anything fast, but also, I did enjoy that the characters had great character development during the time away from each other. During the honeymoon, they didn’t talk really about all their feelings, and to be honest the romance felt rushed to me. There wasn’t a buildup or anything, but I can say wow there is some spice in this book and I didn’t expect that. I found that the spice really just overshadowed the emotional side of the romance to really help make it believable for me.

I also received the audio of this book, and I enjoyed the dual narration. I found Blair Baker and Emily Shaw really helped me to connect with the characters. If you’re looking for a great audiobook, I would recommend this.

I want to thank NetGalley, SMP and Macmillian for the opportunity to review this book.

Wilsner knows how to write spicy romances with representation of sexuality spectrum. We have Elise, who breaks her engagement a week before getting married and goes to her non-refundable honeymoon with Ginny, her best friend.

In true Wilsner style, this one is spicy. I had a hard time with how both of them got sexy so quickly when Elsie just broke off her engagement. I needed more romance between the two.

I liked that story is told in both POV and Blair Baker and Emily Shaw did a good job with the narration. Though this wasn't a favorite, I will continue to read what Wilsner writes.

Thank you @youhadmeathea @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book.

Ginny and Elsie have been friends since they were 11 years old. Ginny loves woodworking and fostering dogs. She is not a fan of working her dull 9-to-5 graphic design job. Elsie loves her family and working for her family’s business, but she isn’t a fan of her soon-to-be husband. Things end up not panning out for Elsie and her fiancé, and he insists that she use their honeymoon and take Ginny so she’ll have her best friend there. A romantic getaway for two friends who don’t know they’re in love with each other can’t go wrong, can it?

I was really surprised to see that this book was receiving a lot of mid/bad reviews. A lot of people kept saying they didn’t feel the connection between Ginny and Elsie. IMO there is A LOT of chemistry between the MCs because more times than I can count, it is mentioned that they have pretty much been inseparable since childhood. Then, during the time they’re on Elsie’s honeymoon trip, it’s pretty spicy. Maybe because they’re not professing they’re love for each other at that time, people don’t see the connection. Or maybe because there is still a huge (no pun intended) stigma against plus-sized people. It was refreshing to not only see a plus-sized person on page, but they were also an MC who got the girl.

This was a book I couldn’t put down. Meryl is a known writer of spicy sapphic content, so this is another reason I couldn’t put the book down. There is a lot of fun flirtatious moments between Ginny and Elsie while they’re on the “honeymoon.” There are also some different dynamics used that you don’t usually see in a contemporary romance book.

“A fluke is one of the most common fish in the sea, so if you go fishing for a fluke, chances are, you just might catch one.” - Kevin Malone (The Office).

Read the book and you’ll understand the above quote.

A Meryl Wilsner novel is always cause for excitement. No one writes steam like they do.

A showrunner and her assistant, a college senior and her best friend's mom, two soccer teammates... all three of those pairings really worked for me. MY BEST FREND'S HONEYMOON is about two long-time best friends, one of whom already voiced romantic interest in the other. And this sort of friends to lovers just isn't catnip to me in the way all three of those other pairings were.

Still, Elsie and Ginny go to the Caribbean, which was so well written it made me want to go to an island tomorrow. But then Elsie rubs up against coral and says she was attacked by it, to which Ginny points out that she's the one who attacked the coral and Elsie makes a joke about blaming the victim (saying she's the victim, not the coral). That totally took me out of the story - you're not supposed to touch the coral! It can kill them! It's not cute to me that Elsie was too busy pictures to listen to the guide.

Anyway, not a personal fave, but I'm never going to not read something Meryl's written. Looking forward to the next!

Lots of spicy scenes in this book, and while I loved their friendship, I would have loved for us to get more about how their relationship would evolve as they went from best friends to a couple. I am glad that they were both able to take steps to accomplish some of their personal goals finally. Ginny was really passionate about their woodworking and fostering animals—two things which brought them so much joy. Elsie, on the other hand, had to work on being ok asking for what she wanted without giving in to things so easily just because she wanted to be accommodating to others.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

I'm a huge Meryl Wilsner fan, with my two favorites being “Mistakes Were Made” and “Cleat Cute”. I swear I love their writing more and more with each book they write. I have always loved reading Meryl's books because their writing style is amazing. I adored the plot, and I loved reading about Elsie and Ginny's relationship. Not only do they write the hottest sex scenes ever, but their characters are so wonderfully fleshed out and well written. The spice is on fire! Ginny and Elsie have so much chemistry it's palpable! There was smoke coming off of my kindle reading some of these scenes. Ginny and Elsie's characters were so great, and I loved how cute they were - together and separately, but especially how much they loved each other. The friendship between Elsie and Ginny is sweet and adds the perfect first layer to their romance. Watching their friendship evolve into their intimacy was incredible. It was so clear that they were meant to be together. Their deep connection as friends gave them the feeling of safety when their relationship moved to something more physical. It gave them permission for the steamy, no holds barred sex when they finally gave into their chemistry. I loved Ginny's strength, they're physically strong, but their emotional strength also made me want to hug them. I loved that this was a dual POV. We were given great insight into both Ginny and Elsie’s thoughts and feelings, it really made it so easy to see why they loved each other so much. It was interesting to see the pining from both perspectives. They were both pining, but in very different ways. This book is a perfect mix of love, desire, and finding out who you are alone before making a life together with a partner. I wasn't a big fan of the conflict between Elsie and Ginny. The reasoning behind the conflict felt very forced, and after the good communication they had up to that point, it didn't go with what we had previously read about the characters. I understand the underlying issue about why the conflict happened, I didn't think the specific issue warranted such a large reaction, which was acknowledged in the book. It also wasn’t really a 3rd act breakup. It happened about 50% of the way through and Elsie and Ginny were kept apart way too long in my opinion. Because of that, the ending felt rushed, and I really wanted an epilogue to really wrap up the story. Thanks to Meryl Wilsner, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I eagerly await their next book!

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

Ginny and Elsie have been best friends since they were little kids, but both secretly had bigger feelings. When Elsie's engagement is called off, she decides to take Ginny on the nonrefundable honeymoon where those feelings finally come out.

What I liked:
This book explores a lot of nonbinary themes that I haven't seen in many books. I loved how Elsie and Ginny's friendship was portrayed in a way that showed how deeply they cared about and knew each other both before and after starting a romantic relationship. I also loved how both characters worked to explore what they really wanted in their lives before focusing on their relationship.

What I didn't like:
Some parts of the book felt like they dragged on for way too long. The build up to Elsie and Ginny expressing their feelings was supposed to build tension, but honestly got to the point where I just found them annoying. This happened later on in the book too where the disagreement dragged on way too long.

I really wanted to love *My Best Friend’s Honeymoon* because the premise had so much potential: a spontaneous trip, a touch of romance, and the emotional weight of grief and healing. While there were moments of genuine heart and some sweet chemistry, the pacing felt a little uneven, and I struggled to fully connect with the characters. It was a pleasant read overall, just not one that completely swept me away.

Thank you NetGalley and SMP for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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!