My Best Friend's Honeymoon

I did not enjoy this book.

In My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner, childhood best friends Elsie Hoffman and Ginny Holtz go on Elsie’s honeymoon together when she breaks off her engagement. Elsie finally admits that she doesn’t want to marry her fiancé after he plans their wedding and honeymoon without her input. He encourages her to go on the honeymoon, anyway. Ginny tells Elsie to think about what she really wants, and she can have it during the honeymoon. To Ginny’s surprise, it leads to them becoming intimate, something she's never believed possible but has wanted for so long.Wilsner’s active, detailed, and down-to-earth writing, paired with alternating flashbacks from the past and present, vividly explores and develops Ginny and Elsie’s characters and relationship, transitioning their relationship and highlighting the intimacy between them. I love how emotional, intimate, and intensely sexy and steamy Elsie and Ginny’s love scenes are, and how Wilsner uses the characters’ senses to add emotional depth and intensity to their chemistry, interactions, emotional reactions, and inner dialogues/thoughts. Their relationship is filled with longing, nostalgia, steam, heat, humor, friendship, and love.Intelligent, sweet, caring, and loyal, Eloise stands up for her sister, best friend Ginny, and anyone else who needs help, but never for herself and what she wants or needs. She’s not good with change and doesn’t like surprises. Past traumatic experiences keep Elsie from taking chances and being her authentic self. She defines herself by those around her, especially her family, who don’t listen to or respect her attempts to contribute to the family store with suggestions for branding improvements.A plus-sized nonbinary lesbian, Ginny has been in love with Elsie since before she understood what love was throughout their friendship. She loves woodworking, making furniture in her spare time, and fostering dogs, but works a nine-to-five job she hates. After asking Elsie to their sophomore dance and being gently turned down, she’s longed for more. Ginny’s life essentially revolves around Elsie. She’s happy going along with whatever makes Elsie happy. Truthfully, Ginny doesn’t know what her life is without Elsie.I love Ginny and Elsie’s closeness and comfort/ease with one another and how they support, defend, and protect each other. They put each other’s needs above their own. Ginny and Elsie are opposites who balance and help one another feel comfortable being themselves, at peace with their self-identity, and happy. For Ginny, it is easy being with Elsie. Ginny makes Elsie feel more self-assured because she’s Elsie’s safe space.While I didn’t love the reason for the third-act breakup, I could understand that Ginny and Elsie needed to do some self-reflection and growth before they could have a healthy romantic relationship that would last. They especially needed to learn who they are without each other. Still, I would have liked to spend at least a little more time with them growing as a romantic couple.My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is a funny, steamy, introspective, sexy, emotional, and fast-paced romance with a lot of heart recommended for fans of bisexual heroines, pan heroines, lesbian nonbinary characters, pining, honeymoon with for one/with best friend, friends-to-lovers, unrequited crushes, one-bed, LGBTQ, and queer romances. It explores self-discovery, sexual discovery, self-esteem, self-love, friendship, falling in love, learning to ask for what you want, finding happiness, and self-reliance.CN: Misgendering, past bullying, and past forced coming out3.5 starsSt. Martin’s Griffin provided an advanced review copy via Netgalley for review.

Wilsner is an auto buy for me - never disappoints, makes each book hotter and more romantic.The rep is always brilliant - so complex yet just background. Gah the vulnerability of Elsie and Ginny - their childhood experiences, their need for friendship, how to navigate the risk of friends to lovers, sustaining a relationship.Great summer queer beach read.

Soft and steamy best friend’s to lovers bliss.This adorable premise sees best friends, Elsie & Ginny, on a would-be honeymoon together after Elsie’s engagement is suddenly called off.I loved these two… realistic, dynamic, and nuanced characters whose chemistry leapt off the page.The close quarters of the trip enables Elsie to realize the true depth of her feelings for her best friend who, unbeknownst to her, harbored feeling all along. This ignites a passion that burns white-hot and absolutely scorching spice that teems with emotion. Exploration in the bedroom, one filthy mouth, and a visceral connection makes these moments electric.Not everything can be a vacation though and soon life comes crashing back in.What you’ll get:•Best Friends to Lovers•Forced Proximity•Non-Binary Lesbian & Pan MCs•Fat Positivity•Exploration in the bedroom•Dirty Talk•3rd Act Break-up

Good read but probably my least favorite from this author. But still a cute story with a very happy queer ending