Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

CWs: misogyny, toxic relationship, alcoholism, parental estrangement, child neglect mention (not on page), cheating mention (not on page), heavy drinking.
***
File this one under “cute couple, but they’re definitely going to break up.”

I enjoyed many parts of this book. Especially chanting “MILF BOOK, MILF BOOK” when referring to it to anyone for any reason. It was funny, breezy and an overall good time. I need good banter in my romance novels, and this book definitely delivered on that front.

Before I read this, I saw @amivireads on TikTok point out that there are a number of uncomfortable and tokenizing lines about side characters of colour that are completely unnecessary and take away from the plot. Reading it myself, I agree 100% and I was glad to recently read that the author does plan to edit out the lines in the final version of the book.

This is obviously an age-gap romance, and that aspect was actually fleshed out and worked well – the initial relationship was miraculously believable (despite me being firmly in the camp ‘it would never work out long term to be your best friend’s step-mom). I mean the parts where I cringed it was more for funny reasons (TFW THE GEN Z WOMAN TEXTS THE GEN X WOMAN AND SHE IMMEDIATELY CALLS HER BACK LOLLLL). Also when the Gen Z’s are bantering about the 22-year-old being old, and say “were you born in the nineties?” Good lord.

Wilsner is one of my favorite authors. This book was smart, steamy, and a easy, quick read! Great LGBTQ+ representation for the romcom genre.

4.5 ⭐️rounded up
4🌶

OOOHH THIS BOOK!!!

Mistakes Were Made is a cute, incredibly steamy rom-com that made me laugh, swoon, and often fan myself. This is the first book I’ve read by Meryl Wilsner, and I’m excited to see what they write next!!

quick summary:

Needing to escape her college’s Family Weekend, Cassie goes to a bar off-campus and meets an older woman, Erin. After a drink and some flirting, the stranger becomes a one-night stand Cassie expects never to see again. That is until the next morning when her best friend asks her to have breakfast with her mom, who happens to be the same woman from the bar. Will they be able to put their attraction and chemistry aside? What could go wrong if they decide to hookup some more?

thoughts:

I found this book to be an easy read, I couldn’t stop myself from binge-reading the entire book!

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Cassie and Erin!! My favorite doctor and engineer!! They are the cutest. They had AMAZING chemistry between them, which was instantaneous!! The sexual tension, all the steamy talk, and banter were incredible!! I really loved their unexpected relationship, which they hid from Erin’s daughter, Parker. Their secret relationship had me on my toes the entire time! It was so entertaining and I was waiting to see what happened next; I also LOVED how they made time for each other. Their character development throughout the book was something I adored!

Beware, this book brings all the heat! It started from chapter 1, and many, if not most, chapters had spice!

This book had not only the best romance but also the best friendships! Cassie and her friends, Parker and Acacia, were so precious! Honestly, I could read a book just about their friendship! They are best friends and you can really see how much they love each other. Their interactions had me smiling and wishing I was part of their friend group. I did want to see more interactions with Parker towards the end of the book. But, other than that I think that they are fantastic, they are the definition of a found family!

Overall, it’s a spectacular novel! It offers what it promises and way more! One of my favorite reads this year!

If you enjoy contemporary romance novels with amazing friendships, tension, and lots of spice, then this one is for you!!

Read if you like:
→ F/F romance
→ Age gaps (38, 21)
→ Dual POV
→ Instant attraction
→ Steamy romance
→ Forbidden romance (best friend’s mom)
→ Explicit open-door romance
→ Women in STEM


⚠️TW: alcoholic parent, abandonment by a parent, cheating (brought up and off page, not the mc's relationship).

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!! <3

Cassie Klein is in her last year of college. During the annual campus Family Weekend, she tries to escape the hubbub of families on campus by going to a bar a little ways from campus. Cassie can't believe her luck when a gorgeous woman walks in. A little flirting leads to a hook up that night with this sexy stranger. Cassie is shocked to find out the next day that the sexy stranger is Erin, her best friend Parker's mom. They tell themselves that nothing else can happen between the two of them, but their resolve wears thin when they're forced to spend time together.

Wooooooooowheeeeeee!!! Meryl Wilsner brought the fire in this book and I am not mad at her for it! I love it when authors are bold enough to start a book with a hot sex scene. It sets the tone for the wild ride that I know I'm going to have and Wilsner did not disappoint in the steam department. This book had some of the sexiest and steamiest sex scenes I have read!

Now that I have gotten that point out of the way, let's talk about Cassie and Erin's relationship. I am a sucker for age gap romances and this one had all the messiness of age gap romances that I love. Cassie and Erin were seventeen years apart and their relationship was forbidden due to the fact that Erin was Cassie's best friend's mom. It started off as just sex and they both were scratching an itch that they both wanted to move on from. But there was more than just the sexual chemistry between them. There was a magnetism and deep connection that neither of them expected. Wilsner did a fantastic job of developing their emotional connection in this novel. I especially liked Erin's journey of self discovery and how she found the strength to do what she wanted instead of what she should do. I liked the mix of feels and steam in this book - it was the perfect balance.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Cassie's character. I sometimes get annoyed by college-aged characters because they are often written as immature. Cassie was wiser than her years, not trying to get sucked into some of the drama of her friends. She knew what she wanted and wanted to see where this fling took them. I liked that she didn't play games - it was refreshing!

I couldn't put down this steamy and intriguing age gap romance. It's a must-read!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: misogyny, mention of infidelity (not between the main characters)

I want to start off by saying while this book wasn’t my taste I can completely see why so many people loved this book. I definitely wanted to try reading it because I had seen so much hype around preorders and arc reviews for this book. I knew going into reading it there was a change I wouldn’t love it because of the main romance trope but I went in with an open mind. And honestly it really was just the fact that the main trop was best friend’s parent that made me not live the book. Any other type of forbidden romance and I would have absolutely loved to whole book. Besides the love interest being a friend’s parent I thought it was a really good read. I thought the overall plot beyond the trop worked well and I found the characters to be quite likeable. I always love the one-night stand turned into something more storyline, there’s something about it that draws me into the story every time. The conflict got worked out in an excellent way and not to mention the epilogue was beyond adorable. Again, as much as this book wasn’t for me, it’s a book I’d definitely recommend to other readers as I know that so many people will thoroughly enjoy it.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This was such a fun and spicy read, I devoured it in a day. This story falls along the lines of a forbidden/taboo love trope involving a mom (Erin) and her daughter's college best friend (Cassie). The two main characters were both equally interesting, although I think I loved Erin more. I loved the idea of a woman coming to terms with what she wants in life and wanting to make sure her daughter doesn't end up like her.
The only huge issue I had with the book was the age gap between Erin and Cassie. Even though I love a good sneaking around moment, a lot of the fun was overshadowed just because I personally have a distaste for age gaps in the LQBTQ community. I know they're both consenting adults and it's truly not that big of a deal and straight couples do it all the time, but straight couples also have age-appropriate love stories that the LGBTQ community very rarely gets.
Aside from that, I still really liked the book and found the ending adorable.

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
⭐⭐⭐⭐

CW: alcohol consumption, alcoholic parent (mention), cheating partner (past), divorced parents, misogyny, parental neglect, recreational marijuana use, sexual content

I’ve been anticipating Meryl Wilsner’s follow up novel since reading Something to Talk About, and Mistakes Were Made did not disappoint. Who doesn’t want a book about two consenting adults making poor decisions.

Erin and Cassie are lovable and well developed. Wilsner has a wonderful way of creating three dimensional characters that are hard not to empathize with. I appreciated the dual narration of the book and felt equally invested in both Cassie and Erin's individual perspectives and journeys - not only with their relationship, but with Cassie's future career goals after college and Erin's work on developing a free clinic for her work.

My biggest pet peeve of Mistakes Were Made was that I felt some of the side characters weren't developed as well as they could have been. Particularly Parker and Rachel. Out of all the side characters I felt Rachel was the most underutilized and I would have liked to see her in the support role Erin references her as. We have so many little scenes of Cassie reaching out to her best friend, Acacia, and seeing the love and support they both give each other, and I wanted that for Erin as well. This critique goes double for Parker, Erin's daughter and Cassie's close friend. Parker felt unexplored outside of the first act of the book. In the first part we get much of her relationship with Cassie and that gets established really well. Then, in the second Act she almost all but disappears and it felt like her journey took place all off page. She is barely even mentioned in Erin's chapters let alone communicating with her. And while this is addressed in ACT three, the fact that she was so underutilized for drama and growth of the story felt like a detriment to the final act's big moment, leaving everything feeling almost underwhelming.

I do want to mention that a previous reviewer on goodreads, Amivi, pointed out several uncomfortable lines about race in the story that have since been edited out prior to receiving this copy of the ARC. Meryl Wilsner seemed to have gone back and revised or edited these out completely.

Overall, Mistakes Were Made was a fun, fast, and enjoyable read about two consenting adults making questionable choices. If that is your jam, do yourself a favor and pick this one up once it releases!

Thank you St Martin Press and NetGalley for an ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This was a sexy romantic lesbian romance with bisexual and gender fluid representation. I really enjoyed this ARC. Cassie’s meets a beautiful women in a bar and hooks up with her on a whim. Come to find out she’s her best friend mother. This steamy read features Cassie, her best friend Parker, and Parker’s mom Erin navigating their way through family and romantic relationships.

f you’re looking for a taboo romance with a secret dating trope, this is the book for you. The novel was spicy, and the chemistry between the main couple is excellent. The secondary characters were as fun and well developed as the main characters. There’s bi rep, and the story normalizes utilizing therapy. The novel did drag a bit because Erin and Cassie are completely oblivious to their situation and well, other people, for most of the story. All in all, I throughly enjoyed this sapphic romance. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This might be the perfect romance. I was utterly charmed by the characters and laughed out loud at points. I will be purchasing a hard copy!

I thought this book was very well written. The two main characters were wuite compelling and the book provided plenty of spice.

I think my new favorite micro trope might be people being mean and then explaining themselves and apologizing almost immediately.

Meryl did an incredible job with these characters. This is an age gap romance known as the MILF book on Twitter and it definitely lives up to its name. The character of Erin is sexy and mature and caring. Cassie feels young but not in a bad way, she doesn’t give herself enough credit for how wonderful and caring she is. And it’s so clear that they’re good for each other. The build up was incredible and Meryl handled the possibly treacherous reveal in an inspired way. I can’t wait to recommend this book to everyone I know!

This is a cute, fun rom-com that's great for a quick, light-hearted but not shallow read!

First of all, I'm gonna just put it out there -- if you like MILFs, you'll like this book. Erin is a great mom, she has a successful career as a doctor, and she's hot. The smut in this book doesn't disappoint, either. I'm not going to go into too much detail...but yes. There is spice. Like, a solid amount. You'll have fun.

I was kind of worried when I read the premise that I wasn't going to vibe with the age gap stuff, since I've never really read anything like it before. But it was so much fun, the sneaking around mixed with a little bit of guilt that always comes with a forbidden relationship. Cassie was super mature for her age, and Erin had her fun, childish moments, so the age gap didn't really feel toxic and with a huge maturity gap. If you like forbidden relationships, you'll definitely enjoy their secret moments in bathrooms and cars (also, if you're still wary like I was, Cassie's 22 and Erin's 38. It's not HUGE).

The only thing I really had a problem with was the pacing. The parts where Cassie was in school zoomed by, and I kind of get it, because she and Erin needed to be together to develop the romance, but it was still jarring. I almost feel like it would've been better if Cassie was just a year older and out of college or in graduate school, maybe, just pacing-wise. The fast pace of the school year really didn't mix well with the long, stretched out holiday scenes. It got better as the book went on, though, and I really couldn't put it down in the second half.

Also, I know some were concerned about the racially-insensitive paragraph floating around TikTok (if you don't know what I'm talking about, just ignore this). I didn't see it in the book at all, so I'm 99% sure the publisher listened to reviewers concerns and took it out! Yay!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

'Mistakes Were Made' explores the unexpected relationship between Cassie and Erin. After meeting at a bar, college student Cassie learns that Erin is the mother of her friend Parker. As the title suggests, mistakes were made but there is no denying the spark between the two women.

This book was entertaining with plenty of chemistry and emotion developing over the course of the story. I tend to stay away from steamier books, however Meryl Wilsner portrays a captivating sexual relationship between Cassie and Erin. My only criticism is that the POVs were similar at times which made me second guess whether I was reading Cassie or Erin's POV.

Definitely recommend this book if you are looking for an engaging, fast-paced romance. Thank you NetGalley for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have been waiting anxiously for this book since I read Meryl Wilsner's debut novel and it did not disappoint. What happens if you go out on family weekend at your college and accidentally sleep with your friend's mom? What happens if it is more than just a great time in the back seat of a car? What happens when said best friend invites you to spend two weeks living in her mom's house at Christmas? I read this roller coaster of emotions and spice in one sitting, that alone gets it 5 stars. I do think that the daughter character, Parker, was underutilized, and at some point the pacing was less than ideal, but none of that made this book any less enjoyable to read.

This book starts off steamy and only continues to build!

It’s family weekend at the college and both women are seeking an escape at a bar across town. Cassie from all the happy families at her school, Erin from her ex-husband who has the night with her daughter.

What ensues has all the hallmarks of a classic one night stand - they meet in the bar, she sends her a drink, sultry eye contact is made, things get hot and heavy. As the night comes to a close Erin realizes that Cassie attends the same school as her daughter (shocking!). Through some bravado Cassie convinces Erin to give her a ride back to campus. Both are thankful it’s a one night thing… that is until they run into each other the next morning when Cassie walks into breakfast that Erin planned with her daughter, Parker. Turns out Cassie, a senior, is very close with Parker, a freshman, through Parker’s roommate, Acacia, a childhood best friend of Cassie’s.

Guess we’re not going the one night stand route after all…

What we get instead is some hot and steamy forbidden romance between Cassie and Erin. Not only are there about 17 years between the two women, but then there’s Parker in the mix. As the story unfolds we get to hear from both women and how they’re navigating the inner turmoil of being attracted to the other woman and struggling with self-doubt about the whole thing. We get to see each woman grow as an individual, become more confident in who they are and what they want from the world.

It’s such a treat! I finished this in one day, I couldn’t get enough of the sexy, steamy story.

MISTAKES WERE MADE was a steamy, funny, and heartfelt novel all at once. told in dual perspectives, meryl wilsner’s sophmore novel had well-written lead characters, each with their own unique voice, motivations, and backgrounds. the side characters were unique too, and added to the world of the novel. the romance was compelling to read from beginning to end, and i loved the message of going after your own happiness, regardless of other’s expectations.

the representation sapphics deserve!!! I loved this so much, it was spicy as hell and really fun to read. I think the ending was resolved too quickly, I wish we would’ve gotten some of Parker’s point of view and a little more conflict but it was still a great ending, i love a cheesy rom-com.

Mistakes were made exceeded my expectations! It gave me everything i wanted and more. I am excited to purchase future books from this author. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this sapphic romance novel.

I have been dying to get my hands on this book for a long time now, and Meryl did not disappoint at all. This book had so much development compared to other WLW books, especially when it came to the age gap aspect of the plot. Even with the spicy scenes, there was still a story to tell throughout the entire book. It was genuinely one of the best feel good romance’s I have read to date.