I have enjoyed all of meryl’s previous books but I did not enjoy this one in the end. It became too cheesy. (? I think there’s a better word - trying too hard?) after they return from the honeymoon - which I think the “fight” was a little dramatic. Everything after just seemed too much for what actions they were doing. Both were feeling so much and doing nothing, it was annoying. Also adding in the full chapter of ginny using she/her pronouns was very confusing. The ending seemed kinda left field given how much distance they had.

Overall I liked the idea but it seemed rushed and the constant establishing of how much they were each other’s best friend was annoying.

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with both a digital ARC and a digital ALC in exchange for an honest review. The moment I received the email, I downloaded the book and began reading while listening along.

From the very beginning, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon pulled me in. Elsie’s decision to call off her engagement is a pivotal moment, and her ex’s unexpected gesture of sending her on the nonrefundable honeymoon sets the stage for an emotionally charged, deeply satisfying romance. Ginny, who has harbored feelings for Elsie for over a decade, proposes a simple deal: Elsie can have anything she wants, as long as she asks. What unfolds is an intoxicating mix of trust, passion, and self-discovery.

The spice in this book? Absolutely top-tier. Because of their long-standing friendship, Ginny and Elsie bring a deep sense of trust into every intimate moment, making for some incredibly steamy scenes. The sheer intensity of their chemistry, combined with their willingness to explore and push boundaries together, makes for a honeymoon that is unforgettable in every way. This is not a slow burn—it’s years of pent-up desire exploding in a few passionate, indulgent days.

That being said, I struggled with Elsie as a character. While I could empathize with her journey toward self-discovery, she often felt milquetoast compared to Ginny’s quiet, steadfast devotion. I found myself far more invested in Ginny, likely because I relate to their years of unspoken longing. Both characters, at times, bordered on feeling two-dimensional, but I was willing to forgive that when it came to Ginny. With Elsie, however, I wanted more—more depth, more agency, more personality beyond her indecision.

Experiencing this story through dual narration only enhanced the experience. Each narrator brings their respective character to life, capturing the emotional nuances of their personal struggles—Elsie’s uncertainty and Ginny’s patient but aching love. The performances added layers to their conflicts, making the heartbreak hit harder and the resolution even more rewarding.

Then comes the third-act conflict. Ginny’s secret comes out, Elsie reacts badly, and they break up. Was Elsie overreacting? Absolutely. Was Ginny’s response frustrating? Yes—because it didn’t feel entirely in character. That said, their time apart wasn’t just about moping. Both characters actually grow, and that growth makes their eventual reconciliation feel earned.

Meryl Wilsner has cemented themselves as a must-read author for me. Alongside Ashley Herring Blake, they continue to deliver some of the most engaging sapphic romances out there. While Mistakes Were Made remains a favorite, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is up there, delivering a story full of longing, heat, and well-deserved happiness.

My Best Friend's Honeymoon is about Elsie, whose fiance thinks it's a great idea to surprise her with a wedding (surprise, it's not). The honeymoon is nonrefundable, so Elsie goes with her best friend, Ginny. While Elsie is trying to figure out what she wants in life, will she realize it's her best friend?

I struggled a bit with the pacing of this book. We know they are best friends, but there was little romantic relationship development beyond the physical aspect. I still read it all in a morning. It was a quick and easy read, and it was great to see a non-binary rep! LOTS of spice.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This is a story about Elsie and Ginny. I liked the inclusivity, the representation and the friends to lovers aspect of the book. The author exposed the reality of queer couples which I liked, especially since I don’t read stories about non-binary and pansexual people often. However, I don’t think it has been properly executed because Ginny’s character seemed all on the surface. For me, it seemed like they were there for Elsie’s character development and not their own. All of their thoughts seemed to revolve around Elsie and their feelings for her and I know it’s the point of a romance book to know how the characters feel about each other, but I would have liked some more developed characters. In addition, the miscommunication that created the conflict in the relationship seemed too intense for what it really was.

I would recommend this book to people who want to see a representation of themselves in a story, but I have to say this one is not Meryl Wilsner’s best work.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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

DNF at 64% unfortunately. I just couldn’t keep going through whatever kind of third act breakup this was because I didn’t care enough about the characters. I pushed through the sex I didn’t care about hoping to get more emotion and relationship from these two but that fight was my breaking point. These characters just felt like blank, horny slates.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
this ultimately fell flat for me. i loved the premise, but didn’t buy in to either character and it felt shallow because of the story being written in third person. in a romance, specifically a childhood friend to lovers story, i want to be inside the ridges of their brain and i think dual pov would’ve absolutely done that for me. the spice was hot, though, so there’s that. definitely will be reaching for more of this authors writing in the future!

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner started off strong with a fun premise, but it quickly lost the plot. What began as an engaging story turned into something messy and unfocused, making it hard to stay invested. The characters had potential, but their development felt inconsistent, and the romance didn’t fully land for me. While Wilsner’s writing is enjoyable, this one didn’t quite come together in a satisfying way. A decent read, but not as memorable as I’d hoped.

2.75⭐️ This wasn’t for me. I didn’t love the writing style and the characters felt a bit too naive. I didn’t believe the friends to lovers which was hard to get past. I loved the setting and the concept was fun.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“What. The. Fuck. (Complimentary)”

About sums up my feeling for this! Wilsner knows how to write a spicy scene like no one else.

I think there’s part of this book that could have been more fleshed out or added to the depth, but for a beachside summer read I couldn’t ask for anything more. If you go into this thinking it’s a literary expedition, temper your expectations. This book is a spicy friends to lovers queer sapphic romance with great representation and conflict that doesn’t actually center on an element of queer identity (thank god).

4.5/5

I think this book concept is a bit overdone. I was disappointed that the plot was almost entirely summarized by the synopsis. I also felt like the romance was way too rushed and I did not find myself fighting for them. From the interactions they had on the honeymoon, I just didn’t see a romantic connection. love is about way more than just friendship + sexual intimacy, and the author failed to convince me that they were in love.

I am a firm believer that it’s important to take space for yourself after ending a long-term relationship (or engagement…). so it didn’t sit right for me that they both wanted to immediately jump into a new relationship. I also found it very hard to believe that either of them would decide to have sex without talking about how it would affect their friendship (since that was the entire reason they didn’t want to pursue each other). and I found it even harder to believe that they would stop talking entirely over one fight.

I did like the idea of Ginny teaching Elsie to ask for what she wants, but it bugged me that Ginny hadn’t been implementing that same concept in their life. however, I did appreciate that they eventually recognized they needed space to see who they are without Elsie.

I was very excited for this read, but it fell short for me. I was committed to finishing it so I could write a fair review. however, I fear the longer it took me to read, the more it made me dislike it.

DNF @ 33%

This is on me -- I'm not a huge Meryl Wilsner fan, but after Cleat Cute, I thought maybe I could be. My Best Friend's Honeymoon is unfortunately back to what didn't work for me before: the present and past mixed tense, the setup, the ages of the characters...I digress. I was frustrated with Ginny and how simply/over the top her refusal to acknowledge feelings might be there with Elsie. Frustrated with Elsie too, but I could understand her motivations better. Maybe because I have been in the same situation as Ginny before...at some point it just becomes easier to tell them you have feelings. Anyway.

I think Meryl Wilnser fans will eat this one up. It seems just like their other work and that really seems to work for them.

Two long best friends are forced to go on a trip together which is non refundable. Elsie gets cold feet and decides to call off the wedding but doesn't want the honeymoon to go to waste so she goes with her BFF.

When Elsie’s fiancé attempts to surprise her by planning their wedding she realizes she’s been coasting in her relationship. After calling off the engagement, she takes her best friend Ginny with her to the nonrefundable honeymoon getaway. What starts as a fun escape quickly turns into something much more when Ginny challenges Elsie to finally start asking for what she wants. But once the trip is over, will they be brave enough to ask for more?

I flew through this book in five hours! The setting was pure vacation escapism, and I definitely found myself wanting to book a trip to that resort. The friends-to-lovers romance was fun, the spice was well done (no surprise from Meryl Wilsner), and I loved the character growth—especially how Elsie and Ginny worked on how to be themselves without each other to build a stronger relationship.

However, I found myself wanting more emotional and romantic connection between Elsie and Ginny while on the trip to balance out the physical side. I also wasn’t totally sold on Elsie’s response to the whole proposal/wedding/honeymoon situation (or any of her interactions with Derrick, really), and her response to Ginny’s job situation. That said, I really appreciated the pan, lesbian, nonbinary and plus size representation and that cover? Obsessed. Overall, I was entertained and this would be a great read by the pool or at the beach.

It all began with the excitement of planning a surprise wedding and honeymoon. The elaborate plan was set to unfold perfectly, but when the surprise is finally revealed to Elsie, the bride-to-be, everything changes. She’s hit with a harsh reality: she doesn’t want to get married. This isn’t the life she envisioned for herself, nor is it the person she thought she would spend it with. The dream that was supposed to come true now feels like a trap.

With the wedding called off, Elsie is left staring at a non-refundable, all-inclusive honeymoon to a tropical paradise. Rather than let it go to waste, she turns to her best friend, Ginny, to come along. It’s the perfect escape, but Ginny’s hesitant. Who could possibly say no to a trip like that, especially when you’re secretly in love with the woman who’s asking you to go?

As they embark on this romantic getaway, the lines between friendship and something more begin to blur. What starts as an innocent escape quickly reveals that Ginny isn’t the only one harboring deeper feelings. The tension between them builds, and what was once a carefree vacation begins to unravel truths neither of them expected.


This was my first book by Meryl Wilsner and I can confidently say that I am hooked! I truly enjoyed this story from beginning to end. I cannot wait to devour more books by this author.

I would recommend this book if you like the following tropes
- Best Friends to Lovers
- F/NB main characters
- Third Act Break-up
- Vacation Hook-up

Releasing April 29, 2025

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, NetGalley and St. Martian’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved the concept of this book so much, but I’m not sure I loved the execution.
The setting was spectacular; I loved the tropical, luxurious Caribbean resort, it really had me craving summer. And of course, the concept of going on a romantic, amazing honeymoon with your best friend that you’re in love with is such a sexy and intriguing concept.
I think I was missing some of Ginny and Elsie’s connection. The spice was great and I enjoyed how much of it there was, but I think it would have hit so much better if I understood why Ginny is so enamored with Elsie. I think more backstory and more longing would have really pushed this one into 4-5 star category.
Overall, this isn’t one of my favorites by Meryl Wilsner, but I enjoyed it and will continue picking up everything they write.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Elsie and Ginny's relationship, and how it evolved through the book. I also really appreciated that they figured themselves out separately, before coming back together. I think their relationship was very codependent, and both characters were able to evolve independently, and therefore make their relationship better. And the actual honeymoon part was so fun.

So I really do love Meryl’s books, mistakes were made is an all time fav. For some reason I had a hard time following in this book. The spice was great, but something felt a little choppy. I love the representation and the story trope, but missed some of the chemistry for me.

NetGalley ARC Review✨

My Best Friend's Honeymoon
By: Meryl Wilsner
Pub Date: 4/29/25

When her fiance surprises her with a surprise wedding, Elsie calls it off and decides to take her best friend on her would-have-been honeymoon. Elsie and Ginny have been best friends forever. They are inseparable and depend on each other for everything.

Will their vacation activities ruin their friendship? Will they be able to share their feelings and still be friends? Will they both discover what they want for the future?

This book was a cute read about asking for what you want and for what will make you happy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

I enjoyed Wilsner's previous book MISTAKES WERE MADE and was curious about this new book, where Ginny has been in love with their best friend, Elsie, for most of their life. When Elsie cancels her wedding--realizing that she'd become so complacent in the relationship that inertia had pushed her into becoming engaged--Ginny joins her on the nonrefundable honeymoon.

Neither of these characters had a particularly strong personality. Ginny has been quietly sitting on the sidelines for decades and Elsie doesn't ever say what she wants. There was nothing compelling about either character nor the fact that it's simply non-communication that's keeping them apart.