Cassie and Erin meet at a bar and their attraction is instant. They hook up with the intent to never see each other again. But the next morning when Cassie's best friend Parker insist she comes to breakfast to meet her mom, she's none other than Erin, the woman from the bar night before. What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?

This was my first sapphic romance and it was cute fun. I was intrigued by the hook up turned best friends mom aspect. There was plenty of steam right off the bat, but after a while, I found this a little porny. I also felt the perspective of Cassie was a little unrealistic like the author hasn't been in college for awhile. I was conflicted over how much Parker and Erin are supposed to hate each other, yet every time they're together with Cassie it seems like they get along great within reason. Over the whole story we are expecting a big bomb to drop when Parker finds out and I found the climax of it all a bit lacking. The ending however makes up for it.

This book was pure fun! I'll admit, I was getting uncomfy with the "banging your best friend's mom secretly" situation, but once I decided to not take it took seriously (because, I mean, you can't) I had a ton of fun with it.

If you're looking for a smutty taboo sapphic story for the holiday season, this delivers.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley.

I think this might just be the best sapphic romance I have ever read. This book had the right amount of drama and conflict to keep me hooked, while not turning into one of those toxic, boring romances that are seen so often.

I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book, and I liked how their best and worst moments were shown. I really enjoy when romances explore the less-likeable traits in their characters and I think Mistakes Were Made did this perfectly. I will definitely be picking up anything else that Meryl Wilsner writes and I suggest that everyone else does as well.

My top two words to describe Mistakes Were Made: steamy and electric! I really enjoyed this queer romance - enough that I immediately dove into the author’s backlist with Something to Talk About. Both have strong female characters, great bisexual representation, sexy forbidden romance, and addictive plots that are hard to put down!
Back to Mistakes Were Made. Cassie is a college senior, who grabs a drink at an off-campus bar to avoid parents weekend. She is immediately attracted to Erin, who she meets at the bar and they swiftly hook up, thinking it will be a one time thing. But the next morning Cassie heads to brunch with her friend Parker to meet Parker’s mom… Erin from last night! There are some fun, spicy scenes (spicy enough that I felt awkward reading it in front of my friend’s mom this weekend!), and the age gap is addressed in an appropriate manner. The overall message of being your own independent person, regardless of what others think, and deserving your own happiness strongly resonated with me.
Thanks to St Martin's Press, St Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion - I think readers who are fans of queer romance will really enjoy this one. I definitely did! I’m already excited for what’s coming next from the author - thank you Meryl Wilsner for both of these great books!!

An age gap sapphic romance between a MILF and said MILF's daughter's college best friend. Yeah, you read that right. The premise of this is so fun.

This hits the ground running. The book starts off hot and heavy and the pacing is quite fast. But then things start to slow down at the 25% mark and continue to slow down to a crawl until we ~finally~ reach the end and the couple gets their sweet HEA. The meandering took me out of the story and I think this was a touch too long.

Then there's the characters; I did enjoy the way the characters were depicted. Cassie for her confident swagger and her engineering focus, Erin for her thoughtfulness, that she's a successful doctor who sought out her happiness, and her journey to prioritize herself. These two were hot together, for sure, but I wasn't entirely sold on their romantic relationship if you took lust out of the equation. The two refused to see their arrangement as an actual relationship due to circumstances and labeled it as FWB, so I get why there wasn't much emotion in the first half, but I would've been much more convinced if they actually spent time together or went on date-like outings somewhere somehow, something of the sort. There's a hefty age gap between the two, so they're not exactly on the same walks of life, but show me why these two belong together outside of sex.

I didn't like that Cassie was selfish and a shitty friend. She knew hooking up with Parker's mom behind her back is an asshole move, but she continues to do it anyway, lying to her "best friend" day in and day out. Erin wants to mend her relationship with her daughter after her divorce, but then she hides her relationship with her daughter's friend? These reasons made their relationship shift from sexy to unsavory to some degree.

Lastly some conflicts in this felt very immature, considering one of the heroines is close to 40 and the other is 22. There's a nail salon scene that rubs me the wrong way and I also dislike the misogynistic ex-husband Adam. He was unnecessary, or at least his depiction unnecessary. I think the story could have worked just as well if the author characterized him as an overall supportive good guy Erin still ultimately divorces for her own happiness and reasons. Her lesson to Parker to pursue a life for herself would still stand. I do enjoy some realism in my stories, but displays of misogyny is not it.

Once secrets are aired out, this book did pick up for me and I adored the ending and epilogue. Unfortunately overall, this book isn't for me.

I won’t lie: I don’t think that I’m the right fit for this book simply because the author’s writing style kind of bugs me in this one. It felt kind of surface level in a way, and it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It may be yours though, so please give it a shot (I’m only raising it because I want my score to be good, but no, I didn’t finish it).

This was such a fun sexy read! I loved Something to Talk About and was excited about this book as soon as I read the blurb. I was not disappointed! This is an age-gap romance involving Erin and her daughter's best friend, Cassie. All the characters were well thought out and their actions and motivations made sense. I'm normally not very into age-gap romances, however, it definitely worked in this case. Meryl Wilsner writes wonderful characters and her books are always perfectly steamy. I highly recommend Mistakes Were Made, even for people who don't normally read age-gap romances. I'm excited to see what she writes next!

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
Contemporary F-F romance. Forbidden love troupe.
Cassie hooks up with a sexy older woman at a bar and finds out the next morning it’s her best friend’s mother. They continue their hidden relationship as their attraction and feelings grow. The main problem: neither is sure where their affair is going or what they want to do about it.

For Cassie, it’s her first long term relationship as she finishes college. For Erin, her daughter is the most important part of her life, But Erin is finding that Cassie is simply making her happy.
A lot of self discovery (for Cassie) between college drinking bouts and building life long friendships. When Cassie says she doesn’t know how to do “feelings”, that’s not an exaggeration.
At the heart, it was fulfilling to read and follow the emotional growth of Cassie, and best friend Parker as their relationship deepens and changes with Erin and their individual connections.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This was a very sweet and spicy FF age gap story. I really loved the dynamic between Erin and Cassie and the confidence and growth they brought out in the other.

“I suppose if I’m gonna be this ridiculously heart eyed over you, I might as well kiss you, right?”

Their connection felt really natural and intense despite all the obstacles surrounding them. It’s swoony and steamy and definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out full-steam ahead, and THEN gives you the slow burn. But once that burn has built up, it's back to some very detail-oriented sex scenes. Wilsner revels in the sex, really, and I am so glad for that!

This book features a fair age gap, but our younger protagonist, Erin, has something very important: financial independence and (without much drama) a good career. She's not depending on the older partner, Cassie, for survival. That's very important! In the real world, their age gap should raise a lot of eyebrows, but for romance, I'll let it slide.

Sharp-eyed readers will catch some background plot, while I liked Misunderstandings make up a huge part of the drama and plot of romance, but they can also be kind of irksome, after a while. Wilsner acknowledges the problems inherent in the romantic setup, but then guides us through a calm solution. What a relief!

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

This books was utter chaos and horniness… and I respect that. I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning these characters make you fall in love with them and honestly I’m so glad I picked this book up! This was my first Meryl Wilsner novel and it won’t be my last time reading their work <3

I maybe should have checked the description before requesting/starting this one 😅 The whole daughter’s best friend thing isn’t really my thing.

However, I thought the writing was great. The tension was good, and the author knows how to write a sex scene 🥵🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥 honestly, I am in awe. Oof. So hot.

So if this book sounds like your cup of tea when you read the blurb, you will not be disappointed. It’s sweet, tender, funny, emotional, and hot

I was on the fence about this book when I first requested it. I am normally not one for age gap books. However I really enjoyed this. There were a few times when fully expected Parker to find out and have the right to yell at her mom and Cassie, however I enjoyed the way things played out. I finished this book in a day. It was a spicy little number that I could not put down.

Read this if you:
*Enjoy college student hooking up with best friends mom
*Like to literally LOL while reading
*Believe love can transcend societal expectations

Meet the Author: Meryl Wilsner writes happily ever afters for queer folks who love women. Born in Michigan, Meryl lived in Portland, Oregon and Jackson, Mississippi before returning to the MItten State. Some of Meryl’s favorite things to do include: all four seasons, button down shirts, the way giraffes run, and their wife.

Synopsis: “Is being honest about the love they share worth the cost?” Cassie Klein sits at an off campus bar avoiding family weekend on campus. Erin Bennett has come to town to spend family weekend with her daughter Parker. When Cassie sets eyes on Erin she is instantly in love. Buying her a drink leads to a steamy moment in the girls room which then moves to the back seat of the car. A one night stand never hurt anyone, until last night’s one night stand shows up to breakfast with your college aged daughter.

Reader’s Thoughts: This was my first time reading a book written by Meryl Wilsner. I kind of went into this one blind not really knowing what to expect other than the blurb and cover had grabbed my attention. This was definitely not my favorite book read this year. I was extremely turned off by the vulgar language frequently used. Although this book was not for me for many reasons, it would not deter me from recommending this book to others who enjoy this type of genre. The storyline was very well written. The plot and characters were easy to follow and were likable. The reader had my attention the entire time and I felt as if I was along for the journey with Cassie and Erin. Overall it flowed well and the plot was enjoyable.

Trigger Warnings: Vulgar language, alcohol, sexting, sex in public, cheating, alcohol and drug usage

Available Now in Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook
⭐️⭐️⭐

Thank you, @NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

When asked what her current favourite spicy book recommendation was, another Bookstagrammer answered with Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner; so of course I instantly requested this book from NetGalley. And let me tell you - it did not disappoint!

I have been craving romance novels lately, so it was the perfect time for this book to come into my life. This novel is exactly the kind of romance I had been yearning for: hot steamy sex scenes, real to life circumstances, dual POV, cute banter, inside jokes... and... this book did it all very well! And here's the thing, sapphic romances just hit a little differently; they have a part of my heart that no other genre of book touches.

There was action in the first chapter, and then many times throughout the book. There are flirty innuendos!!! My God! And double entendres! Did I mention dual point of view, because my jaw dropped when I got to chapter two and realized this! There are charades and penis jokes that had me LOL-ing. And I learned a new term, "clamjamming", and a new word, "hedonism". Most importantly, there was no "why are they fighting right now" issue that I have with SO many romance books.

I related to Erin because she thinks the way I do, but I also connected with Cassie, who was no slouch either. And honestly, this whole book was full of lovable characters (minus one, but every book needs a villain... Adam I'm looking at you). Also, if you like mature characters, Erin is absolutely a MILF!

When logical reasoning got thrown out the window, for a "fuck should" lifestyle, it got a fist pump from me!

I laughed. And giggled. And blushed. This book was everything good. And steamy.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.

If you, like me, found yourself dying at the achingly slow burn of Wilsner's first book, Something to Talk About, and if you, like me, have returned to that book again and again to relive the sheer perfection of that exquisite torment, then you are in for a helluva surprise with their new book, Mistakes Were Made. Wilsner gets right to the point in this one. Seriously. Like, getting busy with a stranger in the back seat of a car in chapter one. No slow burn here!

Cassie is student at the same college as Erin's daughter. During Family Weekend, the two meet in a bar, hook up, and then go their separate ways. Until the following morning, when Cassie agrees to go to breakfast with her best friend Parker and Parker's mom. And surprise! Parker's mother turns out to be none other that the MILF from her fling the night before.

Mistakes Were Made is a super sexy sapphic age-gap romance. While I didn't always love the choices that Cassie and Erin made in hiding their developing relationship from Parker, I did love them as a couple and was rooting for them right from the beginning. I highly recommend this book for fans of:
- sapphic romance
- MILFs
- off-the-charts chemistry
- age gaps
- bisexual rep
- steamy, sexy, open-door romance
- secret relationships
- dual POV
- female friendships
- taboo (my-best-friend's-mom) romance
- smart, strong, independent women

Thank you to NetGalley and to St Martin's Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sapphic romance? Check. Bisexual representation? Check. Older woman still hot as hell? CHECK. This steamy, sapphic age-gap romance is a delightful book that has plenty of hot sex interspersed with tender moments, character growth, and youthful shenanigans!

Visiting her daughter for Family Weekend at college, Erin goes to the bar for a pick-me-up while her daughter is at dinner with her father and meets Cassie, a gorgeous younger woman. After a sexy one night stand, Erin never thinks she'll see Cassie again...until she shows up to breakfast the next morning as her daughter's (Parker) good friend! There may be almost two decades separating them, but the two feel a white hot connection that, try as they might, they have trouble resisting when they keep getting thrown together.

This book is all about finding yourself and going after what makes you truly happy in addition to falling in love! Cassie is coming off of a rough breakup and has trouble making deep connections with others, while Erin is trying to figure out what makes her happy and allow herself to have it post-divorce. They both have some growing to do, which helped make this age gap feel more realistic (I am not a huge fan of age gaps where the older character is totally put together, because then whyyyy are you going after a person so much less mature?), and Cassie and Erin seem to fit in more ways than in bed (and the shower, and the car, and....you get the idea).

My one quibble with this book was that the side characters weren't quite as well formed as I would have liked. Parker is a huge part of both Erin and Cassie's life, and yet we never really get to know very much about her even though she is frequently in scenes with the characters. Acacia, Cassie's best friend (and Parker's roommate) is described as Cassie's ride or die, but at parts of the book she seems to kind of disappear and doesn't act quite like the great friend she is supposed to be.

This book will get you hot and bothered while still making you have all the feels in the right places!

CW: alcoholism (off page), misogyny, terrible childhood, alcohol use, sexual content

Generally, i really liked this book. I was hooked from the first chapter and was sweating from just a few pages in. I liked Cassie's friendships with Acacia and Parker and the secrecy of Erin and Cassie's relationship kept me on my toes, however, I had a hard time with the age gap between the two of them. While age gaps don't bother me much, I could never see past the fact that Cassie is practically the same age as Erin's daughter. It's disturbing when men do it and, for me, it's still cringe when women do it, even if it's WLW. When Parker and Cassie were in Nashua for winter break, I was turned off by how much Erin babied Parker and that's when I stopped liking Parker. It took a long time for me to come back around for her and it was the reveal that Parker had actually known about them for months was when I started liking her again. Personally, I didn't like the overuse of the pet name "babe" and it felt weird that Erin and Cassie kept using it, despite their insistence that they were nothing but FWB. I couldn't really connect fully with Cassie or Erin but I did feel that their relationship was genuine. The ending was cute (although I don't think there always needs to be an engagement) and I liked how the reveal to Parker was handled.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I of course was first interested in this book as the "MILF book" discussed on TikTok and it did not disappoint. The writing was excellent, the romance was enthralling, and I really liked both main characters, Cassie and Erin (MILF). In addition, I appreciated the unconventional third act breakup as I do not love when it feels like conflict comes out of nowhere.

Some of my issues with it, though, included the age of Cassie and her relationship with her friend Parker - Erin's daughter. I was expecting Cassie to be in her twenties but was not expecting twenty-two. That felt a bit young to me personally, but it was not too distracting. Though, her being a bad friend to Parker did both me for a while. I understood keeping their relationship secret to start with, but it left a sour taste in my mouth for a while with how long they did not tell Parker anything.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and if you love a sapphic romance, you will also love this.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this!

A feel good romance with plenty of heart and steam, I enjoyed this so much. I don’t usually read age gap romances, so I was pleasantly surprised at how adorable this couple was. Good for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur, would be a great beach read to relax and just get good vibes.