I really hate how much I disliked this book, because I adored Cleat Cute. The story started off relatively promising, but it stagnated a bit with almost all of the sex scenes crammed into the book from about 30%-60% through. That being said, they were enjoyable, but felt repetitive or gratuitous at times.

And then the conflict between the characters at around 65% of the way through!!! I generally can tolerate a bit of miscommunication in my romance, because it normally pays off. But I truly could not understand why Elsie got so mad at Ginny, and it drove me up the wall! When she started going off about not knowing if Ginny actually wanted her because they didn't tell her about quitting their job?? WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN? She was simultaneously mad that Ginny was doing too much for her and not enough? And given that the resolution between the two happens at about 93% finished, I mostly had no confidence these two had any capacity to actually communicate enough to be any type of meaningful partners to each other.

I wanted to love this so much, because I've enjoyed Meryl's other writing. But this did not work for me at all.

In My Best Friend’s Honeymoon, I ran into the same criticisms of the last 2 MW books I’ve read. There is too much happening inside the character’s heads and not enough actually talking between the characters. There’s no growth, no matter how much they try and tell us that these characters are different by the end of the book. We don’t actually see any of that growth occurring, we’re just told that it does. The relationship moves entirely too quickly, I don’t even quite believe these two as best friends. I was happy with the spice but that was about it. There was some lovely language it was very well written but the plot and character development was lacking.

Meryl Wilsner is one of the best voices in queer romance, and it was such a privilege to read this newest one.

Ginny and Elsie are so easy to love. 23 year olds who have no clue what to do with their life, other than spend time with their best friend? Hell yeah. Casual realism like stale breath during morning kisses? Absolutely, my favorite kind of thing ever. The third act break-up actually having a purpose, where the characters learn who they are outside of each other? Sign me UP. (Actually I was thrown back by the fast burn, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of this novel took place outside of the honeymoon where the characters could be themselves outside of the fantasy-esque setting in a way many vacation romances neglect).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

PS: I am reviewing this the day after the US President signed an executive order claiming there are only two genders. Fuck THAT. Queer and NB people have always existed and will continue to exist, and this book is pure NB joy.

3/5 ⭐️
This was a very cute read. I was expecting a bit more essence on the MC but overall a very fast read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for this gifted ARC.

Once I saw another book by this author I was very excited! I have enjoyed all of her other books. this book did not disappoint. I always enjoy reading a slow burn and two friends realizing they are in love with each other. At first, I didn't like the character Elsie. Mostly because she couldn't seem to make up her mind or think for herself. This was definitely dealt with throughout the book though and by the end of the book both main characters were very relatable. There was also great banter between the two characters that made this an enjoyable read. I'm already wishing I hadn't read this book so fast.

I've had hits and misses with Meryl Wilsner, and this was a huge miss. The miscommunication trope is the sole driver of the plot, the pacing is jerky, and the spicier scenes are interspersed with uncomfortable metaphors and flashbacks to previous partners that seem completely irrelevant.

For queer romance readers who love 5/5 pepper books with more spice than plot, this is for them. There's lots of exploration of queer intimacy here, which I think will be great for some readers, but without more emotional heft and character development outside of the obvious of learning how to ask for what she wants, I personally found it hard to keep reading and eventually DNF'd.

I was so excited for this book after reading Cleat Cute and Mistakes were made.
I don’t know if my biggest issue was the 3rd person writing which did bother me to no end especially being paired with Ginny being they/them so it was confusing at times. Or if I just expected more from Meryl’s previous writing?

The lack of truthful communication being our two main characters drove me insane. We have people pleaser Ginny and then we have Indecisive Elsie. And these 2 gave me so much anxiety. Did I still enjoy the story line? Yes we love friends to lovers. Especially when it’s been decades of keeping it a secret so they don’t ruin their friendship.
But it just lacked that spark I just wanted more from them. And it was just missing that connection there.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this in advanced in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought the cover of this book was so cute and based off of friends reviews of previous books by this author I was sure I would love it! However, I found the entire story lacking substance. I was really hoping for more information and growth from the main characters, rather than so much focus going into the characters hooking up. The last third of the book seemed expected and forced. The characters were likable though and the story premise was cute and fun!

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin & Netgalley for this eARC. This is my honest review.

This was a complicated book for me to read. In the past I've really loved Meryl Wilsner's books, seemingly with increasing furvor. I enjoyed Something to Talk About, loved Mistakes Were Made and flipped for Cleat Cute, but this one...it feels misbalanced.

I really wanted to love it, and certainly loved aspects of it, like the NB/F pairing of the leads, showing that a fat MC could be sexual and hot. And as usual with Meryl, the sex scenes were hot...except...they are all clumped basically in the second quarter of the book. Ginny and Elsie spend basically 50-60ish pages fucking and then...most of the rest of the book they spend apart. And I get, they needed to deal with their shit, but it makes for difficult to feel for romance if the people we're supposed to love together aren't really together for most of it. It was hard top read, and made getting through this a slog.

One aspect I found interesting...both this and the next Ashley Herring Blake Dream On, Ramona Riley, which I also read the ARC for, both features the stoplight model of consent. I know Ashley and Meryl are friends, so I'm sure that came up in conversation between the two, but I can't help but wonder which one talked to the other about it first. Just a ponder.

I'm sure there will be some people who really loved this book, and I hope nothing for the best for them. It wasn't bad per se, but I think this time around it's a miss from me.

Meryl Wilsner has been pretty hit or miss for me in the past, so I was curious which category her new book would fall in. However, this manages to fall in the middle of the scale for me. There were so many aspects of the story that I enjoyed, including: great queer representation, a wonderful vacation, best friends to lovers, and good sex (very explicit queer sex, which was so refreshing, honestly).

On the other hand though, there was a third act break up, storylines that didn't feel wrapped up (I wanted more discussion between Elsie and her dad & another scene with Ginny and their grandpa), and it was off to a slow start. For example, they didn't even make it to the "honeymoon" until 20% in, which felt fairly late considering everything beforehand probably could've been exposition later in the novel.

Like I said, this was right in the middle of the road. I'm happy that I received this arc from NetGalley because the story was enjoyable during most of it.

3 stars

Meryl Wilsner has been one of my favorite authors ever since I got into romance and it's so special to see them write their first romance with a nonbinary lead. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, so needless to say I absolutely adored this book! And the spice is just *chef's kiss*!!

Meryl Wilsner is one of my favorite queer authors and needless to say, I've been so excited to read My Best Friend's Honeymoon! I absolutely loved watching Elsie and Ginny fall in love and it was so special to have a nonbinary lead. Their spice is unmatched as always and I can't wait to share this book with everyone!

I'm a huge fan of Meryl Wilsner's work, I think they write fantastic romances with lovable and flawed characters. They nailed this book, I couldn't put it down once I started! There being a fat, nonbinary main lead made my little heart grow three sizes, and I felt all the characters were just so amazing. I cannot wait to see what else Wilsner publishes, because everything I've read from them has been fantastic!

I really enjoyed this book because one of my favorite tropes is best friends to lovers. They did a great job with all of the representation. They did great with the f/nb rep in my opinion. The fat rep with Ginny was astounding in how it is always in the back of your mind. The only reason it didn't reach the 5 stars it could have reached is because the third act break for me was just weird. To me it was more Elsie's fault for me than anything else. I did like the characters taking space but the rest of it was kinda weird for me. The book was phenomenal in my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

I wasn’t able to like this book as much as I wanted. Maybe I was in a reading slump but the writing didn’t really keep me fully invested in the relationship. I liked how fast paced the book was but just felt like the couple needed more chemistry. There was a lot of spice/physical chemistry which I did not hate, however once again, I wish the chemistry was in all aspects of the book.

A fun, steamy romp! I appreciated the genuine love Elsie and Ginny have for each other, as well as their character journeys on their own & together. And this book had me wishing I were at that resort!

Meryl just keeps getting spicier and spicier and I’m here for it. I tried to save this one for my beach vacay next week but read the first chapter and then had no choice but to finish the whole book in a day. Hence the pic of my kitchen table instead of a beautiful beach vista.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by @merylwilsner is a love letter/pep talk to people pleasers and a testament to the power of actually voicing what you want. (Did you know you’re allowed to do that?)

Also, cannot emphasize enough how spicy and delicious this book is, add to your TBR and start preparing now for when it comes out April 29.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
👙🔩🪚❄️👊🏼/5

CW: homophobia, accidental misgendering, Minnesota in February, surprisingly challenging hikes, super fruity cocktails

#readromance #bookstagram #bookish #bibliophile #readqueerallyear

This was a very cute story, and I loved the vibe that the resort/vacation gave to the story. I loved the history that Ginny and Elsie had and the fun they had during this vacation. I’m a sucker for the vacation hookup trope! I’m not a huge fan of third act breakups/conflicts though. The love story could’ve been a little bit more developed, I felt a little disconnected from the characters.

I thought the premise of this book was great and it was a pretty quick read which was nice, but unfortunately it had a number of issues that meant I couldn't get invested in it. The MCs have been best friends since childhood, but their relationship felt like a lot of the author telling me they mean everything to each other, instead of showing it. The transition from them being friends to having sex felt very abrupt, and then the book genuinely spends so long on just sex scene after sex scene with barely any breaks in between. I'm not adverse to spice or anything, and maybe it's my fault for not looking into the level of spice before reading, but I just wasn't expecting it and it made the pacing feel weird. After they get home from the trip, I appreciated that they spent some time apart to focus on their own lives and desires separate from each other, but it didn't feel realistic for them to fully grow and "find themselves" in the span of like... 3 weeks. That development felt very rushed, and because I already was annoyed with the MCs most of the book for being immature and refusing to communicate, it didn't feel meaningful to me. I wanted to like this one so bad but it just didn't hit unfortunately :/

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC.

Elise and Ginny were destined they just didn't know it yet. Here's what I dislike about Elise, people are doing everything for her, including think for her, and she's ok with it. Up until she realized she's not ok with the proposal, engagement, and wedding to Derrick. Now, don't get me wrong Derrick is a dork, but a heads over heels in love dork. He planned the wedding thinking it's because Elise is busy, not because she is not interested. When she broke it off, he sent her and her BFF (Ginny) to their awesome honeymoon.

First off, way to go Derrick, not because he's the bigger person and sent the ex with her bff to their would-be honeymoon. It's because the honeymoon is the awesomest for any couple. But that's where it gets interesting. What happens with you put to very angsty, pining people in the romantic bubble? Yours or someone else's? Well, things happens. Ginny, much like Derrick wants Elise to have everything, whatever that is. I do dislike how everyone caters to her and treat her like a porcelain doll, and she's so clueless and self-center. Ginny tries just like Derrick tries.

Anyway, once she realized Ginny is doing so much for her, Elise flipped out. You waited till now to flip out? Turns out yet another if you would just talk and not dance around it, you guys would've figured it out. Luckily all wells then ends well.

I would say, I love Ginny's side of the friends and family, they get her. They understand they were unhappy about their lives, doing things they don't want just for a paycheck. They are supportive and find ways to support them indirectly so that they have space to figure out the quarter-life crisis. I do hate Elsie's parents who are high school sweethearts and therefore think their children should be too, and put alot of pressure and press their agenda on her. But when she speaks, they want to treat her like a toddler.

Overall, the plot is predictable, a good weekend read. This is my first non-binary love story, but do appreciate the representation. Took a little bit getting used to on the pronouns, but once we get going, also appreciated it. Made it easy to separate the feelings and actions. Speaking of actions, the sex scenes are spicy, but after they first get together, the scenes was just felt gratuitous as opposed to moving the story along, which aren't my cup of tea. The pacing started out strong at the beginning but dragged during the characters' cool down period. I know what the author wants us to feel, but it was not connected well. I don't feel the melancholy you wanted me to feel, I get that's the idea, and that thrust both of the MC to the next phrase, but it felt disjointed.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC.