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justacatandabook 's review for:

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner
3.25
adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Ah, best friends pining away for one another -- a fun saga for my 5th read of Pride Month.

We have Elsie and Ginny, best friends since childhood. Ginny has held a torch for Elsie since high school, but gave up on that dream after they asked their friend to a dance and was turned down. Elsie has been engaged for a while, but once she breaks off her engagement, she asks Ginny to accompany her on her planned tropical honeymoon. There, the two get past their fear of messing up their friendship and hook up. But all the fears and tension come rushing back pretty quickly and things quickly get awkward after their union.

Oh Elsie. Oh Ginny. What a mess. Elsie is a wishy washy gal who has spent her life working at her parents' store, unable to speak up for herself and letting other people take care of her. Meanwhile, Ginny is a pushover who would do anything for Elsie.

But, we all have our flaws, right? The two seem like regular, messed up people. My issue was that the book repeats their thoughts and feelings far too much, giving both a cardboard character feel. You find yourself wanting to scream, "we get it!" I truly wanted them to get together and empathized with each, especially Ginny.

Not a ton happens, but there's more than just the stress of the "honeymoon" drama. Elsie is trying to make a difference and put her business degree to work at her family's business. Meanwhile, Ginny starts their own. And don't worry, there are certainly a couple of spicy honeymoon scenes. Ginny has a fantastic group of queer friends who add some excellent color commentary and humor to the story. (Elsie's ex is also hilariously LGBTQIAP+ friendly, which is a really fun running gag.)

Things have a way of sometimes feeling flat in Wilsner's books and the third act breakup was a bit of a stretch, but this is still a cute, fun read with awesome and diverse representation. I grew to care for Ginny and, yes, Elsie. The ending redeemed a lot. 3.5+stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review