My Best Friend's Honeymoon

by Meryl Wilsner

Meryl Wilsner's spicy f/nb romance, where two lifelong best friends go on a nonrefundable honeymoon together and discover sometimes to find a happily ever after, you just have to ask.

Elsie Hoffman has been engaged to her college boyfriend for a year and a half. Ginny Holtz has been in love with Elsie for almost a decade and a half.

When Elsie discovers her fiancé already planned their wedding and honeymoon as a surprise and she’s expected to be in a white dress in seven days, she swiftly realizes she’s let herself become too comfortable with a future she never wanted. She breaks things off, and a week later is on a plane to the Caribbean for her non-refundable honeymoon with her best friend Ginny instead.

Ginny thinks it’s high time Elsie learned how to speak up for herself. So, they make a deal with her. For the next week, Elsie can have whatever she wants, wherever, however, and whenever she wants it, as long as she asks. They never expected Elsie to want them.

What starts as choosing activities and taking selfies soon turns to toe-curling kisses and much, much more. But what happens when the honeymoon is over?

Meryl Wilsner’s My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is about not only learning to ask for what you want, but for the happiness you deserve.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 29, 2025

About the author

Meryl Wilsner writes happily ever afters for queer folks who love women. They are the author of SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT and the upcoming MISTAKES WERE MADE. Born in Michigan, Meryl lived in Portland, Oregon and Jackson, Mississippi before returning to settle in the Mitten State. Some of Meryl’s favorite things include: all four seasons, button down shirts, the way giraffes run, and their wife.

Reviews

[michelle j]

i'm seated. the bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because "it's not even out yet" but i'm simply too seated.

[Portia]

I will read anything they write at this point.

[zoë ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to net galley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

interesting concept. i liked it.
but the book? i didn’t.
nbmc (non binary main character) ginny, has been in love with their best friend for as long as they can remember. actually says something about it, best friend turns them down. but they lust over said best friend for the longest time.
elsie, fmc, has no back bone whatsoever. never wanted to marry her fiancé, towards the beginning of the book she can’t even have a conversation with her dad about a job they both know she’s too good for. doesn’t sit right with me.
oh the kicker? she’s in love with them too and doesn’t say anything about it (tw/ flashback bullying) because of an incident that she had when she was in the third grade.
i mean come on. there are TOO many books out there with the miscommunication trope. we HAVE to let it go.
also something else that bothered me was the pacing of the book, the flashbacks weren’t clearly set, and the chapter POV’s either. also the sex. the amount of pages about sex outweighed the amount of pages were they could have solidified a solid romantic connection with each other.

overall, i liked the book. but i thought i would like it a lot more.

ੈ♡˳ tropes
ꕥ (best) friends turned lovers
ꕥ miscommunication
ꕥ third act break up
ꕥ queer romance


ੈ♡˳ fave quotes
“ೃ⁀➷ no quotes as this was an ARC and they are always subject to change!

◡̈ ◡̈ ◡̈

[amarachireads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute but i wanted more substance to the relationship than hooking up. The title is very accurate as one of the main characters calls of their engagement and goes with the other mc who is their best friend. Pretty quickly they start hooking up in the resort and thats all that happens for a good chunk of the book. They don’t talk about feelings until everything blows up with them. I liked the representation and the romance and friendship was cute. Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

[lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first meryl wilsner book!!! i feel like the queer gods just took a deep sigh of relief (or exasperation)

these two bestie pals who were secretly pining for each other their entire friendship into adulthood have gone away on a romantic ass honeymoon…what could go wrong- or right? turns out, not a lot because i feel like they came outta nowhere with their physical relationship, and then because their secret romantic development was all off page, i can’t say i ever truly bought it! 😭

what REALLY put me off though was the third act conflict actually being a 50% conflict, and them spending the entire last half in CONFLICT. that was unbelievable i was so upset we never got more from them. i digress a smidge because what we *did* get was hot as fuck though. i’m talking, dripping down your thighs, slap a wet floor sign down because there’s a flood type hot 😳 the mouth (and fingers, and tongue, and all capable limbs at this point) on these two fools had my ghasts FLABBERED. 10/10 y’all 🥵🥵 soo if youre looking for a quick, easy, and spicy spice romcom this is ABSOLUTELY your girl!

thank you to netgalley and smp for an arc!!

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first book of Meryls was last year (cleat cute) and i didnt have the best experience reading it, so i was a little hesitant to give this one a shot but i am extremely happy i decided to give this book a try!! the premise of the book got me so good, this was my first f/nb and i was hooked on these two immediately, i mean who doesnt love a good best friends to lovers?!?!

this book was extremely fast paced which i loved, i love that we didnt have to wait through a bunch of inner turmoil for elsie to say fuck it and give things with ginny a try like shes wanted to for so long. the entire honeymoon trip was amazing, the spice?!?! insane!!! 🥵

now for my reasoning for this not being 5 stars, elsie’s major freak out after their trip was mind boggling to me, i think she was totally out of line and honestly kind of mean… i warmed back up to her by the end but for a hot minute there i did not think that i was going to be able to be supportive of them ended up together in the end… HOWEVER, the way ginny handled this was top tier, i am so beyond happy that they were able to move beyond the hurt they felt and go on to discover the things about themselves that was necessary to their growth and finding what they wanted out of life beyond elsie. i felt extremely proud of them through out the entire separation period 🥹

i also felt a lot of happiness by the end for elsie and how she finally was able to get her family to listen to her and her sister and her husband for encouraging elsie that her ideas do matter and that they are great 🥹

all in all i think ginny was the star of this show for me, i really loved them. i loved the love that elsie had for them and that ginny had for elsie <3

this book felt very different for me in the best of ways in the sense that all of the things that these two were and what makes them who they are was never once an issue for the other person (does this make sense? lmao). we are told that ginny is plus size and not once was that fact made into something that felt defined them in anyway, i personally find that the majority of books with plus sized MCs that i have read the author can make it seem like this is something bad, wrong or something to be insecure of and it was really nice to have a book where the plus sized MC but also the other MC didnt feel the need to keep making internal comments or let it justify or define their attraction to them. it just simply was what it was and both ginny and elsie found each other hot as hell and it was just fucking awesome, thats the best way i can explain it lol

i feel like i am starting to ramble a bit so i just want to wrap up quick that this was an amazing read, i think its going to make one hell of a summer read for a lot of people next year and despite any minor issues i had with elsie i still loved both of them immensely and most definitely will be treating myself to a reread of this as soon as i can get my hands on the audio book because i am already so excited to see these two brought to life by narrators 🧡

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off so strong and I was sure I would love it, possibly even more than Cleat Cute. But then it all fizzled out for me really quickly, it was sex scene after sex scene and then a huge conflict that maybe didn't need to be that huge, and I was missing the romance of it all. I don't mind sex scenes in my romance books, but I prefer them to be in service to the romance, and here I felt like they took over the book completely, overshadowing any emotional depth. That made this story start to feel pretty mediocre, and I'm honestly disappointed after such a strong start.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

What do you do when your fiancé decides to surprise you with a wedding? You’ve had no say in the details, invites, or any of the planning.

Obviously the correct answer is you dump him and take your hot plus sized nb bestie to your non refundable honeymoon destination!

This books was cute, fun, perfect for the summer and LORD THAT SPICE!!! Way, WAY spicier than I would have ever expected.

Overall the book was enjoyable, but didn’t wow me at any point.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content warnings: alcohol, d-slur used as a slur and d-slur used nicely (? words are hard), blood, lesbophobia, references to childhood bullying.

Rep: Ginny (MC) is a white, fat enby lesbian. Elsie (MC) is cis, white, Jewish, and pansexual. Side POC and queer characters.


Meryl Wilsner has done it again. I swear I love their writing more and more with each book they write.

Not only do they write the hottest sex scenes ever, but their characters are so wonderfully fleshed out and well written.

Ginny and Elsie's characters were so great, and had me going !! so many times with not only how cute they were - together and separately, but with how much they loved each other.

I loved Ginny's strength - they're physically strong as heck (we LOVE) but their emotional strength also made me want to hug the fuck out of them.

This one was just all kinds of amazing and wonderful and I loved it. And I SINCERELY hope that Afterlight pick this one up as well to do a special edition for because I NEED it.

And seriously - those sex scenes? *fans self* hot damn.

[Lesbereading · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a cute story and an easy read, this is for you. The vacation spot had me wishing I was there. Overall, I liked the book but I felt like there was something missing. I didn’t totally feel the chemistry between the MCs and while there was a lot of spicy in it, I was missing the connection between them. I also struggled a bit, especially later in the book with separating the two characters.

[Mai H.]

📖 Thank you to Goodreads and St. Martin's Griffin

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin

[Lauren (lololovesthings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

"My Best Friend's Honeymoon" by Meryl Wilsner is a bit of a mixed bag, though it's mostly good. The story is 100% sold on the chemistry between Ginny and Elsie, which is top-notch. Their banter is delicious, sexy, satisfying, and unapologetically queer. I loved their friendship but wanted to pull my hair out soooo many times because they were so clearly in love with each other that it made me sick to see them futz around with other people (Elsie I am looking a YOU!!!!!!!!). They are both a mess. They are both their own biggest enemies. They constantly stand in their way (both of them!) and, subsequently, in each other's way. That being said, I think the friends-to-lovers aspect works here (which usually isn't the case, in my opinion). The spice in this book is spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicy, y'all, and even a tad k1nky, too! I like how Elsie grew as a character where her s3xuality was concerned, but that stops there. Both of their character growth didn't feel super earned at the end of the day. This is a book that leans waaaay into the physical aspect of the story as opposed to the romantic, emotional one. Ginny and Elsie's characters' relationship is exclusive to a vacation bubble until it's not, and it's obvious what's going to happen when they leave their love nest for the real world. I never felt like their relationship grew on their vacation; I only felt like the physical aspect was explored. Low emotion, high s3xuality. I'm also not sure I loved Ginny and Elsie getting together just two weeks after Elsie broke off her engagement to someone else. I get that they have been lusting after one another for years, but it still felt pretty messed up, considering her ex was a decent, nice dude. Like I said, a bit of a mixed bag! I will say, I loooooved Blair Baker and Emily Shaw's dual audiobook narration. Their voices were perfect for this material. They play off of one another well and kept me engaged throughout the audiobook with their fast-paced, snappy, fun narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meryl Wilsner, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

[juwel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ginny knew they were a lesbian before they knew they were nonbinary. It was before they met Elsie. They don’t have a specific ring-of-keys moment so much as there was never a time in their life they remember not being awed by women... Their alarming devotion to Sally from Cars.

Honestly, about time Sally from Cars got the proper recognition she deserves. This book was super cutesy and the line about Sally roped me in so hard, I cannot fully put it into words. I hope Meryl’s next book shouts out Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2 for being a the gay awakening icon she is. I need a herooooo!

Ok, icons aside, this was cute. Predictable, but cute. Going to try keeping things as spoiler-free as possible here… Because while I enjoyed this, I found both main characters so absolutely frustrating (specifically and especially during the climax of the book). Elsie became so dreadfully unlikeable, intentionally so. But I did have thoughts of DNFing the book. Glad to say that was not the case though!

Overall, very cutesy quick sapphic smutty read. While I had times of disliking the main characters, I was still thoroughly rooting for them both individually and as a couple. This is probs more of a 3.5-3.75 star read for me but rounding to 4!

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

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn't really come together for me. The pacing is a little weird, and I just didn't connect with the characters at all, probably because there isn't much established about them or their circumstances at the beginning of the book. The first sex scene is really abrupt, and the drama is just totally contrived and not particularly interesting or well-formed. There's some plot work that could've made the romance feel less strange and sudden, and could have generated a more compelling conflict than what we're given. It's weird because I've always loved Meryl Wilsner's ability to craft a damning external situation for their characters that makes me wonder how things could possibly work out, but here the conflict is 100% internal and it makes the book pretty weak from a story standpoint. The ending is also confusing--it's not clear what the leads actually want until the last couple of pages.

The three stars are for the fact that no one in mainstream queer romance is doing sex scenes like Meryl. They GO there, and thank God for it. More people need to write sex scenes like this--super long, a little bit niche sometimes, probably not for everybody but absolutely unapologetic. It's so great.

[MrsHarvieReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner is a spicy best friends to lovers queer romance. Friends to lovers is my favorite romance trope and miscommunication and third act breakups are among my least favorite. This novel is packed with miscommunication between best friends Ginny and Elsie. Ginny has been in love with her best friend, Elsie, since childhood. “All the bests in Ginny’s life have Elsie in them.” Elsie is a doormat who doesn’t feel “adult” enough to know what she wants in life. She also has romantic feelings for Ginny, but doesn’t trust Ginny’s feelings for her. “The only way to solve this situation is to ignore it.”
I enjoyed the descriptions of the tropical honeymoon location and wanted to root for Ginny and Elsie’s happy ending, but it was challenging for me to identify with their immaturity and inability to effectively communicate with each other. Queer romance fans may enjoy this book. 2/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. Available 4/29/25

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the concept at the beginning ; it was fun. But romance moved way too quickly for my taste, and I ended up not connected fully with them

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Joce (squibblesreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

was i just traumatized by the irl versions of the exact tropes in this book? yes. five stars.

[Angela Nerderman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, 2.5 stars. I usually love the friends to lovers trope, but this this story was not for me. I did like a few parts of this book. I enjoyed was Ginny, her support of Elsie, and her encouragement to Elsie to finally start asking for what she wants. I also really enjoyed Derrick's reappearance in Chapter 33, that was refreshing to see. Ginny and Elsie's time apart from each other to figure out who they were and what they wanted was so needed and helped them in the long run.

Two best friends who hid their true feelings for each other. I understand Ginny, but Elsie? How do you go from being engage to Derrick and hiding all of her feelings for Ginny to all of a sudden asking Ginny for sex? She missed a few steps there. The honeymoon sex overwhelmed the story. I hated how Elsie reacted to Ginny quitting her job, that was excessive and unnecessary. Parts of this book made me irrationally angry and made me want to yell at Elsie's family, especially her parents.

While this book was not for me, I encourage readers to check it out, you may love it!

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and St.Martin's Press for the advance audiobook and the arc!

 Format: audiobook/ebook

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this novel a lot, although not as much as some others from this author. I would summarize by saying that I loved the overall big picture of this novel but there are some little details I didn’t like. The parts I liked, I liked a lot. The parts that I disliked, were relatively minor. This was an enjoyable read and this author is still an auto-read from me!

Interestingly/strangely, a lot of the things I liked about this novel I also disliked? It was a strange experience that was new to me. Read below and it will make sense I suppose, as a lot of these bullets are paired up.

My Rating: "B+"
GoodReads: 4-stars

Highlights:
-Non-binary representation win! This novel did a great job on this point. The language was consistent and correct and there were a lot of little details thrown in that just worked very well.
-Super spicy, and the spicy parts were hot. This is always a win with this author so it was no surprise.
-I liked how they set up safe words quite quickly, just in case, as they were venturing into unknown territory. Its just good behavior to demonstrate for readers!
-I really liked the conflict between the protagonists. In a big-picture sense this worked very well. This was a great commentary (maybe not the right word but I’m tired) on the nature of their relationship and how despite it being very solid, there were elements that were not perfect. I liked how both characters got to have a personal character arc/journey and get some satisfying character development. This section added a LOT to the overall novel in my opinion.
-The sweetest friendship(?) and such a supportive relationship. They were both adorable and I loved them together.
-I adored the mutual pining in the early sections of this novel. The “miscommunication” (that wasn’t really a miscommunication) made a lot of sense and was very realistic which was a nice change!
-It was nice that there wasn’t any real antagonist, just life in general. The ex wasn’t even toxic or evil, and in fact was somewhat delightful. It was refreshing.
-Unusual pacing, but it worked for me! It was a little strange, how the story progressed, but it was nice to read something that didn’t follow the typical formula. Real life doesn’t follow a rom-com formula!

Nitpicks (reasons why this wasn’t 5-stars, don’t read into how much text is below because I DID like this novel!):
-Is tearing into service workers for using gendered language really needed? It wasn’t malicious. It also didn’t happen just once. I 100% support correcting people, of course, but this was going overboard, and it seemed like something that happened a lot. I support the intent, but this isn’t a productive approach to “education”.
-The transition into spicy content (and a big change in the relationship dynamic) was so incredibly abrupt. Too much in my opinion, it was jarring and didn’t feel realistic. Also, they went into the spicy parts HARD and it just felt somewhat disjointed. The sex was hot, but it was strange to me that they both apparently acted in ways that were entirely unlike themselves and this was never further explored or addressed.
-There was a scene where one of the characters “had a bad reaction to something they were doing”, and I didn’t find it was handled very well. It was mostly glazed over, which felt irresponsible and strange. Maybe a conversation could have been warranted perhaps? I have plenty of guesses about this scene and it makes sense, but it wasn’t really addressed in-text. This whole section felt disjointed.
-The conflict between the protagonists seemed rather forced and out of character. The miscommunication (or rather, jumping to conclusions?) on Elsie’s part didn’t feel realistic to me; I don’t think she would have thought the thoughts about Ginny that she did. Elsie even acknowledged this later, but that revelation didn’t go anywhere. Following the inciting moments, the lack of ability for the characters to communicate properly seemed out of character for long-time best friends who normally talk constantly and know each other as well as they did.
-A central tenant of their friendship was how supportive they were of each other, so it seemed strange that they felt the need to go do things on their own without that support. They were avoiding being controlled or influenced, but generic support wouldn’t have really been much of a problem. I was honestly confused as to what their game plan was when they were not talking, as the characters essentially were just avoiding each other (and thinking about it) without any particular end point.
-They were a bit mean to the ex, mocking him and calling him dumb and whatnot. In reality he didn’t seem to have done anything wrong except being a little emotionally unaware (and he was given zero signs to be honest).
-Honestly….not a lot of romance? Pining, sex, backstory, character development separately…. But not a lot of actual romance. Still liked it though, hah!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for granting me access to the eARC for review purposes.

This was one of my most anticipated books! I’ve read Meryl Wilsner’s books before and they’re always a hit for me, so I was extremely excited to be approved for My Best Friend’s Honeymoon.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devouring it in just over a day. I thought Ginny and Elsie were great characters and were well fleshed out. Their friendship and chemistry was also very believable.

Since I was given this eARC for reviewing purposes, I will get a little nit picky going forward, but don’t be confused, I really liked this book.

My biggest problem with the story was how the POV was handled. Third person is my favorite to read, so I’m no stranger to it, however switching between Ginny’s internal monologue to Elsie’s in the next paragraph with no chapter breaks felt incredibly jarring. This happened throughout the book. If the focus on each character was separated by chapter, or even chapter breaks, it would flow much better.

Another issue I noticed was pronoun usage for Ginny, specifically in chapter 24. Throughout the story Ginny is only referred to with they/them pronouns. Yet in chapter 24, Ginny repeatedly gets referred to by she/her. No where else in the story does Ginny use feminine pronouns. If it had been sprinkled through the novel it wouldn’t be an issue, however it’s only in this specific chapter where it’s used.

My last complaint goes into spoiler territory, and since the book is not out yet, I will save that part of my review for release date

Overall I did still really enjoy this book and I definitely look forward to reading what Wilsner writes next! I can’t wait to recommend this book when it releases in April.

3.75 stars

[Teddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a treat. Friends to lovers is tough to get right but Meryl nailed it. The backstory, the stakes, the what if’s about the friendship, the could be’s, it’s all there with two very sweet MC’s. And it’s a lil kinky so fasten your seatbelts, what happens in the cabana stays in the cabana…or does it?

Short summary: When Elsie learns her fiancé has planned their entire wedding as a surprise, the part that surprises her the most is that she doesn’t actually want to marry him. Cue the pre-paid honeymoon and her best friend as her plus one.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Publishing. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[suonnahbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

My best friend’s honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner
ARC from Macmillan audio
Release date: April 29th 2025
-I feel like I’m besties with Ginny
-Derek had me slapping my forehead who plans a wedding in a week without telling his fiancé 😭
-I love Ginny and Elsie’s friendship
-I love the non-binary rep and learning more about Ginny’s story
-This book had me giddy and dying of laughter
-I feel like I’m going on the honeymoon with them 🥰
-AHHH I LOVE FORCED PROXIMITY
-this makes me want to go on a tropical trip🌴
-I loved that you learn about their backstories, their friendship and more
-THE TENSION ❤️‍🔥
-the spice was breakfast, lunch and dinner 🍲 👀
-naughty talk ouffffff
-AHHH THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING I love Elsie and Ginny so much 🥹😭😩♥️❤️‍🔥
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Mae Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/nb contemporary romance
-friends to lovers
-childhood crush
-mutual pining
-vacaion hookup

Thank you Meryl Wilsner for confirming why friends to lovers is an elite trope. I couldn't put this book down. Elsie breaks up with her fiance, but ends up with a fully paid for honeymoon. And the only perosn she wants to go on it with is Ginny who has definitely been in love with her their entire lives. I adored their dynamic, incredible friends, incredible history, and a real fear of is it worth it to fuck this up. How Ginny and Elsie were just cheering each other on.

The sexual chemistry, the comfort they were to each other. And the sexxxxxxx. A must read.

[Nev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ginny and Elsie, two best friends, go on a honeymoon together after Elsie calls off her engagement. On the trip Ginny encourages Elsie to speak up for what she wants. When over the course of the vacation that turns to the two of them hooking up… will there be a way to turn that into a real relationship once they’re back home? And is it worth risking their years of friendship?

In addition to the romance, both Ginny and Elsie had interesting personal journeys that they went on. I particularly enjoyed seeing Ginny work to realize what they wanted for their life in terms of a job and how Elsie could fit into that. I also liked seeing Elsie learning to stick up for herself more within her family. There were also some great flashbacks to earlier times in Ginny and Elsie’s friendship that helped to flesh out their backgrounds and friendship.

However, the book didn’t totally work for me. While I did think that Ginny and Elsie had great chemistry, I felt like the structure of how the romance developed made the book feel a little lopsided. I love a good steamy scene, but once the characters started sleeping together it was just back to back to back scenes that it started to feel a little repetitive. Then the conflict felt so out of the blue and completely blown out of proportion. Part of that is called out within the story, but it still didn’t make for the most satisfying reading experience.

This was a quick, steamy, queer read with plenty of aspects that I enjoyed, even if it didn’t become a new favorite.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Best Friend's Honeymoon had all the ingredients for a great friends-to-lovers romance—years of pining, forced proximity in a romantic setting, and undeniable chemistry—but it didn’t fully deliver for me. The miscommunication trope was overused to the point of frustration, with both Ginny and Elsie making assumptions instead of having actual conversations. Elsie’s lack of backbone, especially in major life decisions, made her a difficult character to root for at times, and the reason behind her reluctance to acknowledge her feelings for Ginny felt weak.

The pacing was another issue. The flashbacks and POV shifts weren’t clearly marked, making the timeline feel disjointed. The biggest problem, though, was the structure of the book—what should have been a third-act conflict happened at the 50% mark, keeping the leads apart for way too long. For a romance novel, I wanted more on-page emotional connection between Ginny and Elsie to balance out the heavy physical side of their relationship. Instead, the spicy scenes took up so much space that the romance itself felt underdeveloped.

That said, if you’re looking for a quick, steamy read with some scorching-hot tension, this book delivers on that front. The honeymoon setting and years of buried feelings made for a solid premise, but I just needed more depth to the love story to fully buy into their relationship. A fun, sexy romcom, but not quite as satisfying as I’d hoped.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Eden]

DNF @50%

This was a bizarre read because these 2 had no chemistry-friendly or romantic. The writing was extremely pedestrian. I am actually shocked by how little I felt for either of these characters or the plot. I didn’t care one bit about anything in this book. We're in both of the characters' heads, but I didn't understand why they loved one another other than they were friends and both queer. It was just understood that they loved one another. I also didn't like their dynamic--Ginny did whatever Elsie said and cared for Elsie like a child. I understand wanting to be there for her based on the (very little) plot of the book, but it still felt over the top. This felt like I was reading someone's diary of what they wanted a relationship to be rather than a book with fleshed-out characters and plot.

Also, the writing is so wordy. Okay. That's all.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Dana Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for the earc copy of My Best Friends Honeymoon. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book that I’ve read by Meryl Wilsner and let me just say, she can write some spice!!
I have never read a f/nb book before this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the genre but it was so good!! The spice was well written and definitely SPICY. Then characters were entertaining and relatable (hello Elise- the chronic people pleaser). The book moved at a fast pace but I actually enjoyed that. It never felt dull or boring. This was a quick read for me and I really enjoyed it.

I’m looking forward to reading more books from this author.

[Maddie :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️
Thank you to Edelweiss+ for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book so early! A vague (but not 100% spoiler free! Scroll on with caution!!) review below!

This was a very good nblw romance!!! But I feel like the romance was rushed when it happened, and the ending was VERY rushed. The characters spent almost as much time apart as they did together on page, and the so called “third act breakup” (which I am known to loathe) happened in the middle of the second act. I think to have the love interests stay apart for as long as they were is unfortunate because it left me wanting for more! Though I enjoyed seeing them both grow as people! Overall a lovely read with enough spice to make me blush. I can’t wait to read the final product!!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started off strong but felt the connection to the characters dwindled as the book continued. Pacing of the book after the first few chapter was way too quick.

Goodreads winner (St. Martin's Press) and received ARC copy.

[Kie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose you could call me a Meryl Wilsner stan at this point. After reading “Cleat Cute” last September I was immediately hooked on Meryl’s writing. I went into this book blind to give it an open and honest review. “My Best Friend’s Honeymoon” was an amazing read but it did have its moments where I was left expecting more.

The spice scenes—as per usual—were amazing, but at some points felt forced. I also don’t personally feel the chemistry between Elsie and Ginny was fully there, and that was something I felt from chapter one all the way to chapter thirty-four.

I’d still give this book a 4/5 stars because of the excellent nonbinary representation as well as the amazing use of the found family trope.

Overall, this was still a fun read and I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!