There were many things I enjoyed about this book. First of all, I was able to buy into the romantic connection between them despite the age gap. The issue I have with age-gap romance books is that the characters in such books often read so that I wonder in what real-life scenario these two people would ever be interested in each other because their life experiences are vastly different. However, after getting to know both Cassie's and Erin's characters I was convinced more of their connection. Cassie doesn't read too immaturely relative to the older protagonist in most cases with some exceptions which makes sense given her age. It's also reflected in the way the dialogues between the two characters are written. They're not too cringy or over-the-top and read more like a conversation between romantic partners in a real-life relationship. I've recently read some romance books with an annoying amount of exaggerated language used in the interactions between the MCs and I don't know if I'm being extra cynical around this time of the year but it's been rubbing me the wrong way so this was a nice change of pace.

I also liked how each MC is written on their own separate from their function in the romantic relationship. Each MC has something more nuanced to their characterization than what catches the eyes at a first glance. They do some questionable things in regard to their relationship with each other and others around them which goes to show that they're not perfect humans. They both have insecurities that are tied to their upbringing and I think the author does a good job addressing them. I appreciated the discussions about found family, female friendships and parent-child relations as well. The spicy scenes are written in a way that is tasteful but doesn't take over the plot. Also, part of this book is set around the time between American Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday so there were lots of cozy holiday romance vibes here.

I think one of the things that lowered my enjoyment of this book was that the writing style while having a down-to-earth quality to it wasn't anything I was wowed by. There were some awkward word choices and in some cases, the transitions between a POV's flashback memories and moments in the present day weren't smooth and it made the flow of the writing a little uneven. I also felt like some unsavoury behaviour on both Erin's and Cassie's end wasn't criticized enough for my liking. There were some tropes here that are common in age-gap romance books that I personally don't enjoy reading and this book didn't do anything interesting with those tropes.

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

Published: October 11, 2022
St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 350
Genre: Romantic Comedy
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Meryl Wilsner writes happily ever afters for queer folks who love women. They are the author of Something to Talk About, and Mistakes Were Made. Born in Michigan, Meryl lived in Portland, Oregon, and Jackson, Mississippi, before returning to the Mitten State. Some of Meryl's favorite things include all four seasons, button-down shirts, the way giraffes run, and their wife.

“Right now, I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Cassie is about to graduate college and is feeling restless. Especially when Family Weekend rolls around. So Cassie takes herself to a bar away from campus. The last thing she expected was a beautiful older woman to throw her night off course. Now, the chaos begins.

This was a cute story. I like that it featured a couple that weren’t hetero and that there were other sexualities and identities throughout the book.

I really didn’t buy Erin and Cassie’s love story, and I didn’t think they had chemistry. To me, it seemed like Cassie was looking for someone to validate her as a person, and Erin wanted to be made to feel attractive. At best, it was lust.

The steamy scenes were only okay for me. I think I expected more (not graphically). I didn’t enjoy the constant back and forth between Cassie and Erin regarding their relationship.

If it was so wrong, and they shouldn’t be doing it, either one of them could have stopped it. Neither did. So it was a lot of back and forth without any reason.

My favorite character was Acacia. I loved her personality, her heart, and the fact that she didn’t shy away from saying what needed to be said. Parker grew on me as well; the last several chapters showed so much growth for Parker.

She went from a seemingly spoiled and immature character to a rational and considerate character and friend. I didn’t really care for Cassie or Erin, I tried, but they just made me angry.

Overall, this was a cute story. And the last chapter and epilogue were adorable. The writing style was well done, and the inclusivity was terrific to see.

I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to pick up what has become known as the "MILF" book. This was an entertaining, messy read and it was SO much fun.

You should definitely be aware of the premise before blindly jumping in—During family weekend, college senior Cassie Klein visits an off-campus bar where she unexpectedly has a one-night stand with a woman (Erin) who she later finds out is the mother of her best friend's freshman roommate (Parker). As Parker and Cassie become better friends, Cassie and Erin are drawn closer together, which only leads to complicated situations.

So we got a bunch of tropes: age difference, friend’s mom, one-night stand to lovers, secret relationship, etc. The age gap makes this a "taboo" romance. Even so, the age difference didn't come across as weird or off-putting. There was undeniable chemistry between Erin and Cassie. I did not always agree with either of their decisions but Wilsner handled the age-gap trope delicately and did a wonderful job of giving them both mature personalities. The BFF's mom dilemma, on the other hand, was awkward at times (as it should be). Yet, Parker's personal relationships with Cassie and Erin didn't feel sufficiently developed for the reader to be concerned about the eventual revelation. And speaking of the revelation, I loved Wilsner's approach to the typical third-act drama.

Also, this book was SPICY. From the premise, this should have been obvious, but considering that Something to Talk About only had one sex scene right at the very end, it was kind of unexpected. I'm a major slow-burn fan so this was a different pace for me. I found myself wanting them to slow down and delve deeper into the actual characters instead of adding more sex scenes, but that's just my personal preference.

To sum up, I definitely had a blast reading it, minor faults and all because a book doesn't have to be perfect in every aspect to be enjoyable lol. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an entertaining, hot, sapphic romance.

This was such and enjoyable and quick read! The characters were well developed, the plot felt fully fleshed out. The steamy scenes were an added bonus. I fell in love with the love story and equally couldn’t wait to see how things turned out and have it go on for longer.

This is my first book written by this author and I can’t wait to explore other offerings! 5 stars!

Here is the thing, I did not finish this book and its because of me not the book.

The story is well written and I liked Cassie and Erin... I just can't get past the age-gap taboo thing. Like it's so repetitive and I normally don't read age-gap book but it's sapphic and I wanted to give it a shot.

Like I said, me dnfing this book has more to do with me than the story.

If you like a smutty-sapphic-age-gap romance, then read this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc of this book.

what an enjoyable read this was.
We meet Cassie, who doesn't really have much in the way of relationship skills, and Erin, a divorcee trying to continue her life. The two meet up at a bar, have a one-night stand, but then meet up again when Cassie goes with her bestie Parker for Family Day brunch , with Parker's mom, Erin!!
YIKES!!
The two are so drawn to each other, they continue hooking up, but try to keep it secret. Neither wants Parker to find out and be upset.
There are a lot of relationship ups and downs, emotional growth and maturing, and it ends up being just such a satisfying read. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book

This book was so flirty and witty and fun! I love a hush hush, sneaking around plot, and when it’s combined with forced proximity it is even better.

When Cassie buys a drink for the hot older woman, Erin, at the bar, she didn’t expect to end up hooking up in the back of a car soon after. And she certainly didn’t expect to see that same woman the next morning…at breakfast…with her best friend… because of course Erin was her best friend’s mom.

Cassie and Erin agree to never speak a word of their one brief encounter, and obviously it’ll never happen again! But after a handsy intermission during a show, a drunk phone call, and a holiday with no where to go, it seems Cassie and Erin aren’t so good at staying apart. When Cassie ends up spending the holidays with her best friend and her mom (yep, the same best friend’s mom she unknowingly hooked up with), it proves difficult for them to keep their hands to themselves. Obviously, the logical answer is a no strings arrangement, but only for the holidays, and definitely not when anyone else is in the house. Day by day, Cassie and Erin continue to connect on every level. Cassie teaches Erin to live life without such strict order, and Erin sees Cassie in a way no one has before.

And the spice?! I was not expecting it to be so hot tbh. I worried there would be s ton of drama and fighting when everything was finally revealed, but I was so pleasantly surprised at how maturely almost everyone involved handled it. The side characters were all hilarious and added so much to the story! This is definitely one of my favorite romcoms of the year, I already can’t wait to read it again!

DNF. I tried to get into it for literal months and i got to chapter 3 i think. i’m scared by everyone saying it’s a 5 star.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

DNFing at 41%.

I really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner’s Something to Talk About so I was excited to read Mistakes Were Made. On paper I feel like it sounds right up my alley; not to mention how many booksta friends have great things to say about it.

But basically the age gap part of the story doesn’t work for me. It made me feel a little ick TBH.

There are moments where the lines get uncomfortably blurred between this-is-my-BFF’s mom/this-is-my-daughter’s-BFF (with certain types of behaviors expected in those relationships) versus this-is-the-woman-I’m-very-attracted-to, like when Erin buys pajama sets for both her daughter and Cassie at Christmas or when Cassie is embarrassed to realize that she’s cursed in front of Erin. Those moments drew me out of their romance.

In addition, I just had a hard time understanding how casual both MCs were about how potentially devastating this could be for Parker. Cassie’s repeated immature responses about why Parker would be okay with it—or should be okay with it—grated. As did Erin’s willingness to hook up in places her daughter could easily possibly see, as another Goodreads reviewer has noted.

I don’t know. I just couldn’t get past those things, despite the other rewarding parts of the story, like Erin’s thoughts on pursuing dreams instead of approval & white male mediocrity.

Looking at reviews on Goodreads it seems like I’m very much in the minority but the age gap here just doesn’t work for me.

WOOF! Where do I even begin? I've read the author's previous book, and boy does this one knock it out of the water for me. I feel like someone looked into my head and said, "yeah, this is what you're into" and then put it on a page. This book is everything I could ever want out of a sapphic romance--hot sex, cute moments, smart characters with lots of chemistry. Mistakes Were Made was the sweet and spicy read I didn't know I needed in my life. I mean, I knew I needed it enough to request an ARC as soon as I could, but I didn't know just HOW much I needed it.
Cassie is easily one of my favorite characters of the year. Horny little aerospace himbette, my beloved...

Mistakes Were Made combines some great tropes and features: sapphic, age gap, taboo, and steamy.

I really loved the steam in Mistakes Were Made; it was really the best part of the book. The characters were also well-developed and had interesting dialogue. But I found the pacing to be off. Cassie and Erin were so wishy-washy and back and forth and it just.kept.going.

Also they were both kind of terrible at times. Cassie considers Erin’s daughter her best friend, yet how can she keep such a big, taboo secret from her? And likewise, Erin, she’s trying to fix her relationship with her daughter, but is willing to throw that away for a lusty fling?

Regardless of all those flaws, Mistakes Were Made was a fun and enjoyable read. I love having more sapphic representation in publishing and I will do my best to read them all.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the review copy!

My actual review is available on my Tiktok page, however, I did want to send a more professional review regarding this title in a written format. I actually LOVED this book. I read Something To Talk About last week and was super excited to read their next book and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to read the book in advance. I thought that the book was amazing representation wise as often I find a lot of titles in the LGBT romance section focus almost exclusively on homophobia, which is important, of course, but I was super thrilled to read this title and see that the book allowed readers a new kind of angst. I will say I found the ending to be gratifying considering I was dumbfounded on how this book could possibly have a positive ending for the characters. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I must admit, I do wish that the pacing had a few issues for me personally. I wasn’t particularly fond of the pacing when Cassie and Parker were feuding and believe that the issue between them could have been explored more whilst still having their issues with each other remain secret. Then again, that is just a personal preference. I loved this book so much and honestly, cannot wait to read another book from this author if they come out with a new book anytime soon. Thank you again for giving me this opportunity. 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc

DNF @ 5% (i know not very long)
This is a case of it's not you it's me, I just can't get over the amount of times the character's names have been said so far and I just don't think this is going to be for me

MISTAKES WERE MADE was my first Meryl Wilsner read, although I know others love her first novel! I was intrigued by the premise and excited to provide an honest review in exchange for the ARC I received from NetGalley.

MISTAKES WERE MADE is a quick read with a fascinating premise - Erin, a divorced 38-year old mom unknowingly sleeps with (and falls for) one of her daughter's (older) best friends. I really enjoyed the writing and the story overall, but aspects of the novel fell flat for me. Cassie seemed a bit young and immature at times for 21/22- especially in her interactions with her peers. The age gap isn't really addressed - the conflict focuses more on Erin's daughter Parker and how she will feel about the situation. This felt a bit unrealistic - especially given the large, 16-17 year age gap and Cassie being so young. In all, this novel was enjoyable if not entirely my cup of tea. Fans of Wilsner will likely love this story!

I really loved this book and pretty much read it straight through. All the characters (MCs and side characters) were fun. Sex scenes were hot.

The reason I’m not going all the way to five stars is that there was absolutely zero conflict within the couple. There was stress about their situation but no interpersonal conflict whatsoever. This is probably something some readers like, but to me it doesn’t feel real without an occasional annoyance or difference of opinion or moment of impatience. Getting past those moments, not the absence of them, is what love is to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When Cassie buys a drink for a beautiful older woman at a bar and later hooks up with her, she writes it off as a one night stand that she greatly enjoyed. The next morning, her friend Parker drags her to breakfast with her mom, and who is it but Erin, the hot older woman from the night before.

Parker can never know about Cassie and Erin. They know it's wrong - I mean, Erin is Parker's mom! But their chemistry is electric, and there might be something there...

Right off the bat, I appreciated that this was not a painful slow burn (as I found in the author's previous novel). I also really liked all of the main characters from the start - Cassie, Erin, Parker, and their friend Acacia.

I've heard some complaints that the book was a bit too long, but I disagree. I can see why people felt that way, but for me, I enjoyed following everything that happened in the story, whether it was "necessary" or not. The ending felt a bit unrealistic, but it still made an awesome ending, and I really enjoyed this story!

CW: sexual content, strained parental relationships, divorce

<i>“All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation / My hands are shaking from holding back from you” </i>

This is going to be the romance of the fall. Or, it better be. This book was SO GOOD! Cassie and Erin were so perfect.

Another reviewer described this book as “like being in on the most tantalizing secret,” and I completely agree. This felt like reading secret information that I shouldn’t have had access to.
The first two thirds of the book were definitely my favorite. When it came time to wrap things up, it felt a little rushed, and the major looming conflict was almost glossed over. I loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone.

<b>Things I Didn’t Love: Cassie saying she doesn’t have mommy issues (she <i>definitely</i> does), the major conflict resolution (predictable and too easy)
Things I Loved: Literally everything else</b>

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Goodreads for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had some ups and downs for me, but ultimately it was a book I couldn't put down. I like age gap romances, but at times the gap between Cassie and Erin felt a little too uncomfortabley close to "ick". Any time Cassie interacted with her friends or other college students, there was this juvenile quality to her, despite being 21/22. Getting past that, and some less than quality dialogue, the spicy scenes were top notch. Ultimately, the romance was cute and I like that the author let her characters "go there".

This book was fascinating and breathtaking. The concept and the execution were phenomenal and I am so glad I picked up this book. I picked this book up and finished it on the same day, I could not put it down! If you enjoy WLW relationships and age gap romances, this is definitely a book you should pick up. I can not recommend this book enough.

This was one of my most anticipated fall 2022 reads after really enjoying Meryl’s previous book, Something to Talk About. This one was so different - a lot steamier and very heartwarming. Once I got into the story, I couldn’t put it down.

The premise is pretty straightforward- Cassie hooks up with Erin one night at a bar and the next morning finds out that Erin is Cassie’s friend, Parker’s mother. What follows is a lot of sneaking around and swearing that neither one has caught feelings because they couldn’t imagine how to tell Parker.

I really loved the friendship between Parker, Cassie, and Acacia. All from different backgrounds and with different histories, female friendship during the college years is something so special. Erin and Cassie clearly have feelings and I just wanted them to address the elephant in the room sooner. When the inevitable conflict came, it wasn’t what I expected.

Content warnings: Cassie grew up with absentee parents; Parker is dealing with adjusting to her parent’s divorce

Thanks to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.