Got an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.05

I wanted to love this so bad. The book is not at fault for why I didn't enjoy it as much. It's because I'm ace and the POVs about the sexual attraction the main characters have for each other were very hard for me to understand. I tried to, I just don't see the point of it at all. To others, it's appealing and felt spicy and I completely respect that. It survived 3.05 stars because it somehow made me laugh and I like the emotional attraction they eventually had. And the ending was still funny but I love it!

Alright, so that was great. For anyone who read Wilsner's first book, "Something to Talk About" and were disappointed by just how slow of a burn it was, you will not have that problem with this story. It starts off sexy, and stays that way consistently throughout. And I have to say, I really enjoyed it. While the plot didn't necessarily sound like my cup of tea, I like Wilsner's writing, and I'm glad that I trusted that fact. Erin and Cassie were wonderful protagonists, and I enjoyed spending time in their heads. The tension throughout the book was solid and sometimes agonizing, but it managed to avoid stereotypical plot points that I thought it would hit for sure (and I mean that in a good way). Overall this was a sexy queer romance with depth and heart, and I am so glad that I read it.

I really enjoyed this book! Their dynamic was cute, I loved the banter, and it was very sweet and romantic.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Meryl Wisner for the ARC!!
First off I just want to say… FINALLY!! A WLW book with GOOD OLD FASHIONED SMUT! I’ve read so many wlw romances where the smut was lacking and rushed. And woohh this book was spicy 😮‍💨
I loved Cassie and Acacia so much, I loved their friendship and their history. I love how Acacias family took in Cassie. Cassie was such a wholesome character with such a sad back story but she was such a powerful character that I personally look up to. We love a strong bad ass & smart female character. Parker definitely bothered me, and I know she is an only child and definitely suffers only child syndrome but god damn I wanted to so badly jump into the book and tell her sternly to love and appreciate her lol more! I can’t imagine being Cassie seeing your friend with two loving parents when she doesn’t even have one. But thankfully she did get better throughout the book.
I love a good found family troupe and I truly felt that between the three girl besties (more Cassie and acacia but I’m being nice to the added third aka Parker)
The entire time i was reading I was so anxious about Parker catching Cassie and Erin, it was just a giant panic attack building up for me but at least it was an enjoyable sexy one (the shower scene, enough said)
But god damn I did not expect Parker to be okay with it? Of course she wasn’t at first but WOW. 4 stars, I really did enjoy it!

It’s wild because I easily fall victim to secondhand embarrassment, like absolutely frozen in mortification to problems not even related to me. In Mistakes Were Made, Meryl Wilsner makes what should be a mortifying situation something I bought into pretty quickly. I found myself cheering them on despite being STRESSED about their situation. And don’t get me wrong, this book is spicy. Like please don’t read it with your mom in the room spicy but also it’s just CUTE. Cassie and Erin are both so obviously and obliviously /into/ each other and it’s cute. The pacing of their relationship made me fall right into it with them.

And the side characters (minus Adam we hate Adam)! Don’t we all wish we had someone steadfast and loyal like Acacia, someone willing to encourage us to LIVE like Rachel, or just someone as forgiving of our mistakes as Parker? Prioritizing friendship, and those difficult conversations, as much as the romance is not always the case in a lot of contemporary romance so it made me happy to find it here.

The age gap thing was tricky. Of course it’s two consenting adults but college-aged and 40 is… a gap. There were moments that I had to pause reading because I was reminded of the age gap and it took me out of the story a little. (I mean, she can’t even rent a car!!)

All in all, I was entertained. From the spice, to the angsty, holding my breath a little moments, to age gap discussions, I remained entertained and excited to read more which is all I ask for at the end of the day. I’ll be excited to pick this one up from my local bookstore in October. AND I finally get to cross MILF from my 2022 sapphic book bingo card.

Lots of spice and sweetness. Usually not a fan of age gap romance, but Cassie and Erin worked well together!

Dang! I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. In one of the sexiest and funniest starts I’ve read all year this book begins with hooking up. I liked the author’s debut novel with my main complaint being it it was over 50 percent before the main couple realizes they can be interested in each other. That does not happen here.

Cassie and Erin meet at a bar and share a passionate interlude. Only afterward does Erin realize how much older she is than Cassie. The situation worsens when Erin’s college aged daughter arrives to meet her mom for breakfast with her new best friend Cassie in tow. This is a big age gap romance (38 to 22) which normally would be it in my very icky range but some how author makes it work for me. There is enough humor, great representation (both are bi), and time to develop feelings more than lust. In fact the relationship growth is very sweet with phone calls, texting, and on-line chats spending time cooking and watching movies together.

The side characters and friendships for both Cassie and Erin are well developed and interesting. You even have a couple sessions with Erin and her therapist. Erin and Cassie are realistic and don’t think the situation can last. Cassie in particular sees it more as friends with benefits and is delightfully clueless of how connected the two are. Of course the situation is going to come to a head and the reaction of Parker is going to be a make or break factor. I wasn’t thrilled with the lies and hiding that play into the story because I felt they MC’s had to own up to it.

This is at the very high end of my spice meter. There are multiple intimate interludes and they are sizzling hot. I appreciate that such a steamy f/f romance novel is getting mainstream release. If the age gap is too taboo for you, then don’t read this novel. Cassie isn’t looking for someone to take care of her or to be mothered. She is smart and has been taking care of herself for a long time. The relationship between Erin and Cassie is a fantasy romance and I am cheering for their HEA. I love the epilogue and finished the book happy and satisfied. I can not wait for what Meryl Wilsner will write next.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (4.5 stars)

Meryl Wilsner did an excellent job capturing a healthy 'age-gap' relationship. This book is highly anticipated by my students and mentees, as well as on the social media platforms I use; readers will not be disappointed! This book is well worth the wait. Cassie and Erin's relationship feels optimistically real and attainable. There's very little shame or fear in this book, which is a breath of fresh air from other age gap romances whose plot and tension rest on those themes that leave the reader feeling off after reading. Overall, this book was quick, well-written, flirty, and engaging.

This book was fun! I wasn't sure what to expect when reading this I just knew it would be smutty and milfy. (both definitely were true). It definitely starts off with a BANG! (quite literally), but as the story went on I felt myself rooting for the characters. The angst and tension felt like it came out of fanfic but in a good way. There were definitely moments where the age gap felt...rough to deal with. Especially the comment about "she wasn't even old enough to rent a car". It's tough when a character is your age or a little bit older and all this wild stuff happens. Each character was written well and the author gave just the right amount of info to feel like you knew who they were and how it makes them a person without spending chapters unveiling layers upon layers of an individual character. One big problem I have with a lot of books is that there is all this build-up but then the ending is rushed. I didn't have this problem in Mistakes were made, I think the author provided closure needed without speeding through it, the ending fit with the pace of the entire book rather than being a separate entity. I was extremely happy to have gotten this ARC and look forward to buying it off the shelf in October.
Also PS. Adam sucks (but we knew that)

loved the *milf* book. so fun and it doesnt take itself too seriously just two girls seeing how a relationship would work given their circumstances. a good chunk of this book was soooo donestic i loved it especially when they would cook on facetime together. also loved that there was no third act break up

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner was a unique novel. Cassie, a college senior hooks up with a hot woman she meets in a bar. The next morning, she meets her best friend and roommate, and her mother for breakfast and it turns out the mother is the woman she hooked up with at the bar. Awkward! They really hit it off though and the book is filled with will they or won't they and keeping it from the daughter. Lots of deception really turned me off from this novel.

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Y'all, stop, drop and preorder this dang book!

I am officially a part of the @merylwilsner fan club. Their storytelling had me by the heartstrings from page one and I, quite literally, could not put this one down. I read this beauty during every prep and free period of time for two days straight.

Friends, let me tell you what I loved:

🍷Chapter one, OMG ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! The STEAM 🥵🥵🥵 I wasn't kidding about being hooked from page one
🍷 Beautifully told "taboo" romance between a girl and her best friend's mom. Their relationship grew so authentically through the story. Every text, phone call, visit, and dare I say sexcapade built in a way that you couldn't help but root for these two characters. The cooking of meals together over facetime and the flowers had me aww'ing out loud. I might actually look for more books with this premise now!
🍷I adore wildly intelligent MCs and this book nails it on both fronts. Cassie is a freaking aspiring rocket scientist and Erin is a passionate doctor. Yes and hell yes.
🍷 The banter between Cassie and Erin is stellar! Every text thread had me giggling.
🍷 I loved the female friendships throughout this story. Their relationships felt real, and solid. All of the (expected) ups and downs of their relationships due to the nature of Erin and Cassie's relationship were handled in both real and healthy ways. Shout-out to Parker for being the real MVP at the end of this story.
🍷 Having an MC (Cassie) with a found family and trauma, but not having her portayed as broken or less than was so great to see. It informed her as a character but by no means made her a charity case, or someone to pity.
🍷🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 This book is HOT y'all. Like, oh my God I need a shower hot. That shower scene btw, truly inspired 😉
🍷 No spoilers, but the epilogue had me deceased with cuteness 😍

I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR. Read queer a year, but especially this pride month, let's go folks!

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

3.5 stars, rounded down

i’m not completely sure how i felt about this book. it was one of my most anticipated romances of the year, but unfortunately it just wasn’t really my thing. i enjoyed the writing in it, and i thought that the story was good, the character motivations and actions made sense, but i just couldn’t connect to the characters, and the book felt somewhat underwhelming. i didn’t love erin and cassie, and their POVs felt a bit similar and difficult to tell apart at times. it was a bit too steamy for me, but that’s just personal preference; it just felt a bit redundant as it went on. i did, however, really like the epilogue and the ending, and how everything was wrapped up.

Pub date: 10/11/22
Genre: romcom, queer fiction
In one sentence: Cassie and Erin hit it off at a local bar - but their one-night stand gets a lot more complicated when they learn that Erin is Cassie's best friend's mom.

I read this book in one sitting on a plane, and it was just what I needed! If you enjoy awkward situations, forbidden love, and lots of steam, this is the book for you! Both Cassie and Erin were so fun to get to know - and watching them sneak around was hilarious. The only downside to reading this one on a plane - blushing as things got super steamy. Call the fire department - this prudish reader had to skim a bit, but steam fans will love it!

I loved the representation in the story - both Cassie and Erin are bisexual, and I enjoyed hearing their discussions about sexuality. Cassie is a woman in STEM (yay!), and seeing her go after her dream STEM career was inspiring.

If you love romcoms, this is a great one to pick up! I'm glad I got to read it during Pride month.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mistakes Were Made is a spicy, age gap sapphic romance about Cassie, who ends up falling for her best friend’s mom after a one-night stand.

This book had been a highly anticipated read of mine since I first saw it announced on the author’s Twitter a few months back, and oh my goodness, I loved it! The chapters were a little long at times, but I really enjoyed getting to read from both Cassie and Erin’s perspectives as they navigated their feelings and secret relationship. The only thing I would have loved to see more of is specific details on their careers; both are so passionate about what they do, but I just felt like everything regarding their jobs was pretty vague. Other than that though, I truly did enjoy this one. I teared up at the end because I had gotten so attached to both Cassie and Erin as well as the side characters. Mistakes Were Made was also super spicy, which I’m personally always a huge fan of. This was such a fun and heartwarming romance!

CW for sexual content, divorce, cheating (not between MCs).

A huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Mistakes Were Made
by Meryl Wilsner!

Now I recognize I am very well outside the target audience for this book. I knew what I was getting into. There were so many spice scenes, and overall horny throughout most of the book.

Here are the things I liked. The writing style itself was clearly refined and overall the writer gave off the impression of talent and confidence. The dialogue felt real. and the characters felt realistic. In part, they felt realistic because I know people like this in real life (maybe not age gap but hyper sexual) and usually I am on the Acacia side of being done with their drama. And even though I may be asexual, even the spice was well written and there was consistent communication, consent, and discussion of boundaries.

However as someone on the asexual spectrum and definitely not the person this book was written for, it tainted my reading experience. I honestly could only root for the relationship for the dialogue and non sexual gestures they did for one another. I got genuinely bored at points reading it and it took me an exceptionally long time to read through. Regardless of the spice (again, coming from an asexual person), I didn't feel excited to go back to this book. For that it wasn't an experience that I personally enjoyed.

That being said I think some people will really like this book. This book is for those interested in age gap relationships, those that are hyper sexual or even just enjoy reading spice. While I didn't enjoy this book, I can see it being a favorite for some. And if any of the pros seem to catch your eyes, check our this book when it comes out October 11.

I LOVED THIS. I do want to preface this by saying that, honestly, even if it sucked I was still going to like it (as long as it wasn't weirdly homophobic like so many queer romance novels are, lol). It's well written, deliciously steamy, and the romance is really compelling. It does fall into some standard romance novel tropes, but that doesn't detract from the experience imo. Some of the plot falls a bit flat and some characterizations feel weird at times, but overall this was a really enjoyable read!

Oh. My. God. I have been following Meryl Wilsner since the release of Something to Talk About, so I have been looking forward to reading the infamous “MILF book” for months. Getting the arc was a dream and I absolutely devoured this book.

The book gripped me from the first chapter, which I was not expecting to almost immediately contain smut, but wow what an introduction to this little world. Cassie is a college student who does not want to be reminded that she has not seen her mother in years during Family Weekend at her university. She goes to a far away bar, so she would not know anyone. There she sees a beautiful woman across the bar and there is an instant connection. Turns out, her one-night stand, Erin, is the mother of her new friend, Parker, and she is introduced at breakfast the next morning. And from here, chaos ensues.

Not only was the relationship between Erin and Cassie well written, but the side friendships and connections were interesting to read as well. There was not a second within reading this book where I wanted to put it down. Erin and Cassie have a very steamy secret relationship, which they both refuse to put a label on because then it would be real, and how do you explain to your best friend you are banging her mom? It’s fun and flirty and just an altogether great read. I love a messy sapphic relationship and this gave me everything I could ever want: sex, romance, angst, friendship, MILFS, and a happy ending for all!

Special thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. I cannot recommend reading it enough!

This book was provided to me as a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for my honest review.

Mistakes Were Made is a steamy sapphic romance novel in which Cassie hooks up with an attractive older woman at a bar, only to later find out that the woman was the mother of her best friend. The two women can’t seem to stay away from each other and try to navigate how they feel for one another while also not wanting to hurt the person who connects them.

This book was a 3.5 for me but I’ve rounded up to a four. I was all for the book from the start, it’s faced paced and you can’t help but root for Cassie and Erin. The book approaches the “taboo” topic of dating your best friends mom in such a way that you really want it to work out for them!

Then the book has three moments that I found to be incredibly toxic behaviour which isn’t really addressed and made me uncomfortable with the progression of their relationship. There’s a moment with Cassie that NEVER gets brought up again, which made me suddenly feel like she was too immature and probably needed therapy rather than a relationship with her best friends mom.

That, combined with the shift in pace really made the book go downhill for me. Which was a huge disappointment because I really enjoyed the first portion of the book!

Book was amazing. Strong plot, as well as strong character development. Couldn't put this book down once I started it.