Elise is engaged but not really into getting married and her best friend Ginny is in love with her and has been forever. When the surprise wedding is cancelled, Elise and Ginny go on the honeymoon together and discover their mutual crushes for each other.

This one was just not for me.

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.

It's been a while since I've read a romance and I am so glad this is the first one I read to get me back into the genre. Wilsner never disappoints when it comes to chemistry between her mcs and this book was no exception. I could see the sparks flying off the page from the first chapter.
I am a nonbianry person who also identifies as a lesbian so I really related to Jen. They also foster dogs and I am a huge dog lover. I was also in love with my best friend so overall I felt like Jen could have been written for me.
Honestly this was just an amazing romance. The spice was spicy and fun. The banter between the mcs felt so real. The chemistry was perfect. I seriously loved this and it definitely got me to get back into romance.

This book didn't captivate me as much as I thought/hoped it would. The premise of the book hooked me, the narrators both did an amazing job, and I loved the inclusion and representation of the characters, but that's about where my enjoyment ends. I have two biggest issues with this book that could have probably been ironed out some: the pacing, and the character development.

Elsie ended her engagement and her ex-fiancé suggests she still go on the honeymoon he had planned and paid for, and even suggests she bring her best friend Ginny. This whole setup flew by and all of a sudden they were on this trip in a beautiful tropical paradise making plans to do and see all they could, so I was expecting a lot of that being the backdrop for their budding romance, but that was not the case. After one day on the trip it seemed like they didn't leave their bedroom again (which like.. go off, love that for you) and there wasn't really much exploring their relationship outside of the sheets? Both main characters were also very emotionally immature as well, and I suppose at around 24 a lot of us aren't very mature in relationships, but that also missed the mark for me.

Sadly, this just wasn't the book I was hoping I would get out of Meryl Wilsner. If you want a spice-heavy romance maybe you'd be more into it? I think I was just hoping for a lot more backstory and character development and things and that's why it felt lacking for me.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for early copy for review*

So this was a great example of platonic soulmates to romantic soulmates. Loved the chemistry between our couple. The witty banter that turned into some great dirty talk. Love to see excellent written spicy scenes that are not cringey.

The only reason this is not a full five stars is because I needed more romantic scenes. For me romance is not spice, but a separate thing all together and because this couple was so deeply bonded already I feel like I missed some romantic scenes between them. I would have loved if this story had been longer and I got to see more moments when they were teenagers and forming their bond. While not romantic, at the time, it would have been a way to show them falling for each other.

Over all this is still a fantastic and queer love story that I enjoyed and I highly recommend it.

This was a childhood best friends to lovers that was filled with queerness, laughs and of course some spice! Wilsner did not disappoint in terms of the saucy moments, but I did feel a little let down with character development and overall plot. I just felt like it was missing something. I really enjoyed Elsie and Ginny’s individual storylines and the challenges they went through and overcame. But I feel like I was told more than shown the mutual pining and so it might the romantic relationship feel like it was missing something for me as well. It definitely had some giggle worthy moments and some funny side characters. It will make for a great beach read!

I listened to the audiobook and found it enjoyable. I just struggled with all the flashbacks as it wasn’t identified.

Friends to lovers will forever be a top trope for me. Meryl has a way of making spicy about more than just spice! You could feel the LOVE! The secret childhood love for each other and packing it deep down for friendship is something so many of us queer folk can relate to and you did us all justice. Thank you for this story 🖤

& Thank you so much for my ARC NetGalley and Macmillan Audio!

Thank you to net galley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review. The storyline of this novel was interesting, but it turned out being pretty predictable. Instead of giving non-binary characters an interesting voice, it read like the same romance with plenty of miscommunicated feelings with some spicy scenes thrown in. Good potential at the start with the broken-off engagement and the 2 best friends going on the honeymoon, but it just didn't land for me.

When you cancel your engagement a week before the wedding but the honeymoon is non refundable so you take your best friend who you may or may not have feelings for…

I was seated!

A good friends to lovers will always hit. However a third act conflict that feels underdeveloped & drawn out will really put a wrench in things. Great vacation vibes, a nonbinary main character, spicyyy if you’re into that. Overall enjoyable but nothing super special to me.

While this may not have been for me, I encourage others who may enjoy it to check it out.

I didn't connect with this book. The writing style was great but the content wasn't my cup of tea. I am sure this book will be a great fit for many!!

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

i enjoyed My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner; it's perfect for springtime and for getting the protagonists out of snowy Minnesota. Not only is it a romance, but a rather spicy one at that, so be warned ahead of time if spicy is not to your taste. You've got two best friends, Elsie and Ginny, with quite a long history of friendship, dating back to elementary school, a fiance, Derek, and a Caribbean honeymoon at a very upscaled resort. Who ends up with whom? Who gets what he/she/they asked for? Who got the deserved happiness? A must read for answers.

2.5 stars

This is a classic friends to lovers romance. Elsie is a pansexual cis woman who is best friends with Ginny, who is nonbinary and definitely likes women, but I can't actually remember how their orientation was described--sorry! Anyway, in the beginning of the book we learn that Elsie's fiancé, a well meaning but annoying cis man has planned their entire wedding as a surprise without getting any input from Elsie. She calls off the wedding and he says that she should still go on the honeymoon with her best friend Ginny. They go on it together. You can imagine what happens next. There weren't really any surprises.

This book was not it for me.

I've read other romance by Meryl Wilsner and really enjoyed them, but something about the friends to lovers dynamic in this particular book didn't resonate to me. It seemed very clear that the main characters were friends who discovered they liked to have sex with each other a lot. What was less clear to me was what their romantic connection was, why they were friends, why we should connect with them. They do return from the honeymoon during the course of the book and I felt that we got a tiny bit more during that part, but it still fell flat.

Thank you to McMillan Audio for this advance listening copy for an unbiased review.

I felt like this book started off strong but the story completely lost me about half way through. The spice was spicing but after the miscommunication and the breakup, it just completely fell flat for me - which I was super bummed about. I pushed through because I'm incapable of DNFing a book, but felt the ending and resolution felt rushed and I just couldn't get back into the story.

Thank you to Net Galley, MacMillan Audio, and Meryl Wilsner for an ALC of this book.

NetGalley + Macmillan Audio Review
3 stars — Unexpectedly steamy and slightly rushed, but still glad I gave it a listen.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner had a lot going for it: a fun setup, a solid narrator (shoutout to Macmillan Audio + NetGalley!), and I always love seeing LGBTQ+ representation, especially with a non-binary main character like Ginny.

That said… this one was way spicier than I expected(but that’s totally on me- this was my first Meryl Wilsner book, so I wasn’t aware of the spice level), and that definitely threw me off a bit. I totally get that these characters had been in love for a long time, but the emotional pacing felt a little sudden—especially with Elsie just calling off her wedding. I found myself wishing for more vulnerability and heart-to-heart moments to balance all the physical connection.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a steamy, queer friends-to-lovers story with a fast pace, this could be your vibe! Just know going in: the heat level is high.

This book was a fun setting and followed the expected romance arc and plot points we romance readers expect. The character development fell a bit flat for me outside of their sexual growth. The amount of sex scenes exceeded my personal spice: plot ratio preference but I can see where the story would really speak to an individual grappling with their own romantic and sexual exploration and identity. I appreciate what the book celebrates but wish to have seen more growth outside the proverbial bedroom.

Meryl Wilsner knocked another out of the ballpark. In this dual POV and dual narration, we explore the evolving relationship between Ginny and Elsie. They have been friends since their sophomore year of high school, barely keeping the friendship intact after Ginny asked Elsie out to a school dance, and Elsie declined. In " My Best Friend's Honeymoon, " Wilsner beautifully navigates the relatable quandary of 'I don't want to ruin our friendship with romance.

At this stage in life, Elsie has just graduated from college and is engaged to her college boyfriend. She is in for a massive surprise when he arranges their wedding and honeymoon without her input or knowledge. It's no surprise that his attempt goes over like a lead balloon.

While it is also not surprising that Elsie decides to bring her best friend, Ginny, on the honeymoon, the sparks they make as they allow Elsie to make all her own decisions for the week are nothing short of surprising for both individuals.

Wilsner touches on so many things in her stories, and this one was no different. We see Ginny, a non-binary person with a best friend, the biggest LGBTQ+ ally ever - Elsie. Elsie is a femme, a self-described pansexual. Elsie's fiance, while a bit of a doofus, is the biggest supporter of his fiance and her best friend, and you can't help but fall in love with his constant attempts at inclusivity and tenderness. We also have the journey of self-discovery and balancing self-love and love for another - boundary-keeping.

The honeymoon that was intended for Elsie and her now estranged fiance becomes a testing ground of sexual fantasy between Elsie and Ginny both. Even though it is a "first" for Elsie with a woman, there are many "firsts" for both partners. Wilsner touches on sexual activities that may be considered taboo in a very thoughtful and lovely way.

Emily Shaw and Blair Barker both narrated this story and did a stupendous job. I was especially touched by Elsie's "daintiness" mixed with self-assuredness and strength—a real powerhouse of emotions. This was evident in the narration and grew as the story continued.

I am not sure that there is a Wilsner book I haven't recommended, and I won't start with this one; that's for certain. I am in love with both Ginny and Elsie, and I hope they continue to live happily ever after.

My first book by this author. This one is a spicy queer romance in the Caribbean! I love a tropical setting. This one was a best-friends to lovers story line. Apparently these best friends have crushed on each other for awhile. Elsie who is engaged breaks things off and a week later is on a plane to the Caribbean for her non-refundable honeymoon with her best friend Ginny. On this honeymoon, you get lots of spice from Ginny and Elsie who dive right into their relationship. In the end, I'm not sure I was totally there for their journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved that Jenny was them they and her pronouns were respected throughout the book. I did not see them being in love with their best friend coming so that was a great plot twist. The storyline was great. The sessions and scenes were blazing in the best way as possible. One scene was a little much, but the rest was great. I was sad when they were not together overall the book was great. I would absolutely listen to this one again. The narrator was good and kept me engaged.

Meryl Wilsner’s My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is a spicy queer romance that follows lifelong best friends Elsie and Ginny as they embark on a non-refundable honeymoon after Elsie calls off her engagement. With Ginny in love with Elsie for years, the trip quickly becomes an opportunity for both to explore their feelings in a tropical paradise. What starts as a fun getaway takes a steamy turn as they engage in passionate encounters, drenching each other in desire.
While the romantic chemistry between the two is undeniably hot—think steamy, thigh-clenching moments—there's a glaring lack of substance in their emotional development. The narrative rushes into physical intimacy, but it takes a backseat to genuine conversations about their feelings until a third-act conflict arises, which feels stretched and somewhat unbelievable. The story's pacing suffers due to this, leaving readers yearning for a deeper exploration of their relationship beyond just hooking up.
Despite these concerns, Wilsner evokes strong representation through Ginny, a non-binary main character, and captures the complexities of friendship and desire. However, Elsie’s indecisiveness and lack of backbone left me frustrated, as did the reliance on miscommunication tropes. Coupled with unclear flashbacks and shifting POVs, the pacing kept me from fully embracing the narrative.
Overall, while My Best Friend’s Honeymoon offers an enjoyable and fiery jaunt into queer romance, it falls short of delivering the emotional depth I was hoping for. If you’re looking for a light, spicy rom-com with adorable characters, this book may still hit the spot; just don't expect it to dive deeply into the relationship's richness.