When I requested this book, I completely glossed over the fact that it was an LGBTQ+ romance. When I realised this, I was looking forward to reading it because it was going to me by first LGBTQ+ romance novel. However, this book was just not for me. There is not a lot positive that I have to say about this book, because for me it was just not an engaging story.

Elsie is engaged to a man who decides to plan her entire wedding without her input, causing Elsie to break off the engagement and go on her "honey-moon" with her best friend Ginny. I thought this was a great concept and was really looking forward to this. But it turns out that Elsie is just an indecisive woman who doesn't know what she wants, and Ginny is her best friend who has been pining after her for decades. Their relationship feels awkward and uncomfortable because Ginny uproots her whole life for Elsie without being open about it. Once their relationship develops romantically, it still doesn't feel convincing. It just feels like Ginny finally got what she wanted, Elsie. And Elsie got something... to jump into a new relationship after the breakdown of her old one. In some parts, it feels like Ginny takes advantage of Elsie being emotionally vulnerable. Ginny does nothing but complain about the ex-fiance in the beginning of the book, claiming that he is "not very bright" and how he is a bad boyfriend because he hasn't surprised her. Despite the fact that Ginny acknowledges Elsie doesn't like surprised, they are still outraged that Derrick never surprised Elsie. Another quote that makes me uncomfortable is "he's like a golden retriever, too simple to be anything but happy." I think the author could've gotten across the point that Derrick wasn't a suitable long term partner for Elsie without berating the man.

Once Ginny and Elsie get into a relationship.. there is nothing but sex. I had to skim through a lot and in the end, I gave up with the book. There was too much sex and not a lot of anything else. And this is the big reason for the relationship between Elsie and Ginny not feeling convincing. They go out and do one thing, have sex, eat one bite of food, have sex. Everything is about sex and it's not great.

I wish I had liked this book, but unfortunately I just found it to be boring and uncomfortable to read.

A cute, spicy friends-to-lovers romance. Quick-paced and easy read that I definitely recommend over summer. Enjoyed the non-binary representation in this and the chemistry was really well written

This was a fun, quick and spicy read. I liked the character development towards the last 25% of the book. Parts of it did feel bit rushed but overall it was good read.

I loved the different queer reps! This was a cute friend's to lovers story, with one pining for years. I appreciated that they took the time to work on themselves. And there's a good chunk of smutty goodness in the middle (including praise, light degradation, and bl**d play).

The descriptions of the island and resort were amazing and made me look up to see if one like it existed. I wish I could go!

---Minor Spoilers---
It does feel a bit shallow, they just start hooking up and get together, and only talk about their feelings after things implode. Realistic? Somewhat, but it's annoying to read. It felt more like a novella, but long enough to be a novel. You don't really get to see them falling in love, because they've been in love for years, and you don't see a relationship either, because as they've described themselves it's a friendship sex where they get to wake up and kiss the other every morning forever.
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It's not bad, and I very much enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a short romancewith an enby MC and butch/femme dynamics. I'm probably not going to read it again though, and it I wasn't very emotionally engaged.

Thank-you NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group | Piatkus for allowing me to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read, and Ginny and Elsie have a cute relationship even tho there was more physical intimacy then I would have liked personally. I felt that the physical romance progressed too quickly and is not the real life situation I would like. I understand that they had been friends for a long time, and secretly harboured feelings for each other, but it’s just not what I wish for it a book

The book was certainly an irresistibly fun and steamy romance with fantastic non-binary representation which I loved as you don’t see many around .
When Elsie calls off her wedding a week before the big day, she never expects to find herself on the nonrefundable honeymoon wouldn’t we all take our bestie in the situation.

Romance - 320 pages
This spicy romance brings together lifelong best friends on an unexpected honeymoon. 🌴💕

I loved the representation in this book, with its focus on a f/nb relationship and the exploration of Ginny's nonbinary identity. The chemistry between Elsie and Ginny is palpable, and the story is filled with steamy, well-written scenes that are integral to their character development. While the pacing felt a bit slow in places, the overall narrative was engaging and heartfelt.

Having enjoyed Meryl Wilsner's previous books, I was super excited for this one. If you're a fan of queer romance with a lot of spice, this is definitely a must-read.

2.4⭐️

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read, and Ginny and Elsie have a cute relationship (although the physical side far outweighed any emotional connection).

However, given the immediately apparent immaturity of the characters, I could see the miscommunication trope coming from a mile away once I started reading, and that is unfortunately my least favourite of the tropes. Just talk to each other?

Also, the pacing was off, and I felt that the physical romance progressed too quickly. I understand that they had been friends for a long time, and secretly harboured feelings for each other, but it still felt a bit too rushed to me.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is an irresistibly fun and steamy romance with fantastic non-binary representation. When Elsie calls off her wedding a week before the big day, she never expects to find herself on the nonrefundable honeymoon—let alone with her best friend, Ginny. Their chemistry is undeniable, and once the spark ignites, there’s no stopping it. But just as everything seems perfect, a shocking twist flips their story upside down. Heartfelt, sizzling, and full of surprises, this is a romance you won’t want to put down!

I love Meryl Wilsner's previous books so was SUPER excited to receive an aARC for their latest, My Best Friend's Honeymoon. Thank you Little Brown Books and NetGalley.

I related so much to both Ginny and Elsie, particularly when I was their age. Both seem to be waiting for their lives to 'start'--the right job, the right partner, the right decisions to fall into their laps, without realising those decisions shouldn't be made for them.

| love a friends-to-lovers trope but often feel like part of the process in that transition is missing. But this was perfect! Using a honeymoon setting to finally let both people express their feelings is fantastic.

I also appreciated the journey both Ginny and Elsie go through to understand, ultimately, that they want to be together and how to do that in a healthy, non-codepedent way.

The perfect level of spice, fluff and character-development! *chef's kiss*

This was such a cute and quick read. It’s my first time reading a non binary romance and it was so seamlessly written. I loved the dynamic between Elsie and Ginny when they were together. To have such a strong friendship to lovers is always tricky to write well, and the author has done this brilliantly.

My actual favourite part was the self discovery and realising that they were co-dependent and Ginny realising she had to figure out her own stuff before jumping back into the friendship with Elsie.

I really enjoyed this, we see Elsie who always sticks up for everyone else but never herself. Ginny would do anything for her best friend Elsie who she may or may not of been in love with for years. Elsie is going about life, engaged and brushing off planning the wedding when her Fiancé decides he will help her out and just plan the whole thing. This gives Elsie the wake up she needs, she has been openly pansexual but also has deep routed trauma from an incident in school where she admitted she had a crush on a girl. When Elsie asks Ginny to go on the honeymoon with her after ending her relationship she does, both find this forced proximity harder than expected and it turns into a holiday of wants and desires. Only to go away with Elsie, Ginny has been keeping a secret and when this comes out things turn sour. In this time we see both characters working on themselves, managing their wants and needs before trying to repair on a relationship.

“I took it all off your plate, baby,” Derrick says. “The venue, the caterer, the photographer, the honeymoon. […] You don’t have to do a single thing but get a dress.”

i was so excited for this as it sounded like so much fun but unfortunately it really missed the mark for me.

elsie, thanks to her inability to speak up for herself, was a selfish character. being only 23 i get that she was young and therefore unsure of exactly what (or most importantly, WHO) she wanted, but i am sure she must have had ample opportunity to make a change over the years. then we have ginny who had no backbone or personality outside of being madly in love with their best friend.

starting with the premise of “whatever you want, just say it and i’ll make it happen” certainly has incredible steam potential, but i didn’t believe their chemistry. now speaking of steam, i want to say straight up that while i don’t read romance for the smutty scenes, i am also not anti-smut in any way. that being said, as soon as the first sex scene happened this book devolved from a romance book to an erotica, and unfortunately i didn’t even enjoy the way the sex scenes were written.

“What if I want something that could ruin our friendship?”

i thought the third act conflict was also blown completely out of proportion, especially when you consider these two are meant to have been besties for over a decade at this point. it was then resolved very quickly as well, which part of me was glad for but it just wasn’t very realistic.

that was a lot of negativity, so to round my thoughts out i will say i really did enjoy having some diversity in the main couple. don’t get me wrong, i love my femme x femme romances, but to have a romance between a pan femme and a fat, non binary butch lesbian was a pleasant change of pace.

while i really didn’t love this, i did absolutely fly through it so would definitely recommend if you were wanting a quick beach read. the resort setting had me wishing i was on a beach on a balmy summers evening, but alas i was in my flat on a gloomy first day of spring.

ultimately, i just felt sorry for derrick.

thank you to netgalley and little brown for the arc.

Loved, loved, loved this book. I absolutely sped through this book as I was completing hooked. The characters are so lovely and I really enjoyed the story.

This was a fun and cute romance story. It has every element of a romance story you would enjoy without it being too overwhelming.

Some parts however, are not to my liking but I can see that this would be objective. But still worth mentioning.

However, this story was just absolutely beautiful and a classic. Something you should read if you’re looking to pass the time but have a good read