Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down: MY BEST FRIEND'S HONEYMOON.

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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.

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Can any human being ever reach that kind of light: CLEAT CUTE.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for a good sapphic romance and CLEAT CUTE certainly fits the bill. Soccer star Grace Henderson shoulders the pressures of serving as captain of her team plus acting as figurehead of the soccer community ever since she was a teen. She's not out to anyone but her family. Young Phoebe Matthews is a soccer upstart, out and proud. Matthews appears loud and brash, but has a caring, thoughtful side and is focused solely on her soccer career. Phoebe and Grace form an unlikely friendship, which soon becomes friendship with benefits. But as Grace struggles with an injury and Phoebe becomes more and more successful, the two wonder if their friendship and budding relationship can survive.

CUTE is a really fun read, and if you like sapphic and/or sport books, you'll enjoy this one. I personally found it slow to warm up to, but eventually grew to care for the characters, especially Grace. I loved and empathized with this tough woman, who felt the pressures of the world so deeply and found solace in her routines and solitude. The force of life that is Phoebe takes over Grace's world, shocking her out of her regularly scheduled life, and letting her see everything through fresh eyes. This may be exactly what she needs. Watching the two of them be good for each other--that's the beauty of this book. (Okay, their sexual tension and banter isn't exactly so bad, either.)

The hardest part of CUTE is the thinking. Something about the narrative style makes it feel like there's so much rehashing of feelings and introspection. There's a lot of telling and less showing. At times I wasn't in the mood to read it and deal with all the internal chatter.

But, if you can get past that, CUTE is filled with diverse characters and queer relationships. The supporting cast is excellent. It's a sports romance, but you do not need to be a soccer expert to enjoy it (but if you are a sports fan, you'll get into that aspect). It covers the pressures of playing sports, being in the public eye, and neurodivergent personalities.

While this book dragged a bit for me at times, I love having so many books about queer relationships in the world. It's a fun sports romance! 3.5 stars.

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

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All my troubles have gone away here in your arms: MISTAKES WERE MADE.

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassie is trying to escape being alone on Family Weekend by grabbing a drink at an off-campus bar. Erin Bennett is attempting something similar. Neither expected an amazing one-night stand, but, hey, these things happen, right? No harm, no foul, until Cassie's close friend Parker drags her to meet her mom--in town for Family Weekend--and oh yeah, it's Erin. Cassie doesn't want to hurt Parker; Erin certainly doesn't want to damage the tentative relationship she is building with her daughter since her divorce. But neither Cassie nor Erin can deny their chemistry.

This is quite a read--it starts off with a bang and never looks back. There's no slow-burn here: be prepared for plenty of sexy times when it comes to Cassie and Erin. Sometimes it almost feels too much; I would have liked to see a little more character development with these two instead of another stolen moment, but there's no denying this is a hot and heavy read!

The premise is definitely a little weird, and it takes some time to adjust. You cannot help but imagining your own life in this situation--and ICK. Cassie and Erin are a good couple, though, so that helps. The sneaking around and poor decision-making makes it more difficult, but I suppose we wouldn't have the book without it, eh? Erin is grappling with a fairly recent divorce from Parker's father, while Cassie has trouble with commitment. It's fairly easy to frame their decisions based on their overall personality types.

At first, this book feels a little slow (besides the sex) and a little repetitive (a lot of back and forth from both characters about hurting Parker, without actually doing anything about it), but it picks up and becomes more fun. I appreciate that this is lesbian novel with a different, unique premise, interesting characters, and steamy scenes. It's refreshing and much needed in our canon and for those reasons alone, my 3.75 stars are rounded up to 4.

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



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