Meryl Wilsner is a killer author. I thought the characters made some really poor decisions all over this book, but whomst amongst us hasn't? I still enjoyed listening to it all the way through!

DNF at 62%.

I could not deal with the age difference between Cassie and Erin. It grossed me out.

It also creeped me out how the voice that the narrator used for Cassie’s friend/Erin’s daughter sounded like a child, further highlighting my discomfort with everyone’s ages in this book.

I guess this book made me realize I’m NOT into MILF romcoms.

Meryl Wilsner can do no wrong! Sexy and funny and so heartfelt. I wasn't sure I'd be into this one initially because sometimes May-December romances give me the ick, but honestly they handled it so well. Can't wait for their next one!

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner is the story of Cassie who goes to a bar to escape her college’s family weekend and ends up hooking up with a hot older woman. The hookup has unforeseen consequences when the woman shows up the next morning at breakfast when Cassie is helping her friend buffer a meal with her mother, Erin. Record scratch. Cassie hooked up with her friend’s mom. Cue an awkward breakfast followed by an extended stay at Erin’s house. Erin and Cassie try to deny their feelings as their sneaking around reveals there might be some real feelings going on but is it possible to find a happy ending where no one gets hurt? This book is full of flirtations, twists and turns, and a sweet love story underneath it all.

Thank you @Netgalley and @MerylWilsner for the ARC.

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t like this book. I completely understand why people do and love that it has found an audience. I personally didn’t like the writing style, pace, and to be honest couldn’t get over the ick from the age gap romance. No judgement to those that liked the age gap; I’m just a similar age to the older FMC and work around people the same age as the younger FMC character which really just dispels any suspension of disbelief. Beyond that I’m helping someone apply to college and the idea of dating someone around that age or someone my age trying to date this person is just ick. Ick ick ick. So unfortunately this book didn’t work for me but I’m glad it was written. I love sapphic romances and want as many out there as possible even if they aren’t for me. The audiobook was great though and I definitely recommend.

MISTAKES WERE MADE begins with a bang, literally. The first chapter had me blushing so hard in my car that I had to skip it entirely. After that point, the romance is cute and sweet and proceeds as expected. But that opening smut scene isn't for the faint of heart!

Looking for an age gap, forbidden, best friend/roommate’s mom ROMANTICAL ADVENTURE?! Then feast your eyes on MISTAKES WERE MADE!
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This book made me go “oooooh girllllll” about fifty-leven times. It was 🔥
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Than you @netgalley @macmillanreads @macmillan.audio @merylwilsner for the advanced audio that 100% sold me on this deliciously sharp read that I’ll absolutely read more than once.

This was quite an enjoyable and rollicking age gap and best friend's mom romance. Two strong women colliding in multiple ways, but realizing how forbidden their fun should be! It kept me on my toes, wondering what is going to happen next and when they are going to realize they are in deeper than they know.

Then with a spin, there is forced proximity and trying to sneak around. This was a lot of fun and all characters were so loveable. I loved the ending and how things came about, it's messy as it should be - but there is such a show of strength in these women!

I liked this book better than Something to Talk About for sure. It was fun to watch Erin let go and do something for herself for once. Her fling with Cassie grows into more and I liked watching them figure out how to make things work. I did not like the daughter in this book. She felt really immature and I honestly don't really think Cassie would be friends with her. However, she did redeem herself in the end and I'm glad she accepted their relationship.

More than anything, I wanted this to be the sloppy, filthy, nasty lesbian story that we deserve. At every moment I was hoping for the shoe to fall. I loved it but I am so disappointed that I didn't get my e-hollywood, messy, nasty drama.

I timed out on this when it was on my list and didn't download it on time, but that was my mistake. I downloaded it on my own. I LOVED this book. it was so incredibly good! As a person who identifies as Bi, this book was so incredible! I loved ever single moment. Highly HIGHLY recommend

This book explores many different types of relationships and that love can be found when you least expect it. This book had well developed characters and an engaging plot. Just a note it had some pretty explicit sex scenes.

When Cassie hooks-up with an older woman, she never expects Erin to be her best friend’s mom. What starts out as a fling soon becomes real - but how can they actually be together?

I enjoyed this, but it wasn’t my favorite. I’m not the biggest fan of age-gap romances - I also think Cassie’s age made it hard for me to connect. The audiobook was well done!

What happens when a college senior accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mom?

I enjoyed Meryl Wilsner's first book (Something to Talk About) and have been excited to read more from them. I still enjoy their writing style and characters, but I found that the age gap and the dynamic of a woman dating her daughter's friend and both of those characters needing to deceive the daughter didn't quite work for me in a full-length romance in the same way that it maybe would've worked in an erotic novella.

That said, Wilsner does fully bring the heat here and I'm really excited to keep reading what they write and I'd certainly listen to more audiobooks from these narrators!

I do think a lot of romance readers will enjoy this book particularly if you're fans of romances with age gaps, high heat, and secret relationships. If that sounds like your cup of tea, give the audiobook a listen!

“You get to find what’s right for you. You get to make mistakes along the way. It’s your life.”

This book is exceptionally horny. Cassie and Erin are like “omg we can’t have sex” and then they totally do, at least eight times on page. And you know what? Good for them, and good for us. This book is so incredibly sexy and tender at the same time, it’s a win for the entire sapphic community. Age gap romances aren’t typically my thing, but I fell head over heels for this couple: Cassie, the brash and confident college senior who has trouble being vulnerable, and Erin, her best friend’s mom, recently divorced and still learning to put herself first. Their romance builds up slowly over a year of hooking up, sneaking around, texting and calling and stealing moments with each other whenever they can. It felt so goddamn realistic in a way that romance novels often don’t for me, and I loved this all the more for it. Despite the fact that I usually avoid plots that revolve around keeping secrets or lying, I really liked the way Wilsner handled the Parker (daughter/best friend) aspect and how that particular conflict was resolved. It was an absolute delight to watch these two strong, smart women fall in love and finally say yes to what they both truly desire. “She knew what she wanted, and for once in her life, she let herself have it.” YES! “Fuck should. It doesn’t matter what I’ve been trained to think I’m ‘supposed’ to do. What do I want? What makes me feel good? What will make my relationships stronger? Those are the questions that matter. Not what should I do.” HELL YES!!! This is 300+ pages of high-octane sapphic MILF lust inexorably interwoven with true love and emotional growth and I could not get enough. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the review copies. (Also, no major content warnings that I noted.)

Some romance authors just get it, and Meryl Wilsner gets it. A good balance of steamy scenes and actual plot. Reads like a good romcom and I am 100% here for it!!

Phew! This was a steamy, steamy, age gap romance. There's nothing slow burn about it--we jump directly into our two main characters, Cassie and Erin, having an ill-advised hookup. That Cassie is best friends with Erin's daughter is revealed shortly after...and THEN we get to see these two create a really interesting, believable relationship beyond their obvious physical connection.

There's definitely taboo here, but I didn't mind that part. I thought that we got enough of what motivated each character and why this relationship worked for each of them. It's not the deepest, most emotional of stories, but that's okay. It's a hot, fun sapphic romance, and on that level it works really well.

I thought the audio here was solid, with two narrators to reflect the two POVs of the story. I just had to get over the red face at listening to all of this steam in my ear!

I'm not gonna lie. This book stressed me out! Half the time I was worried about their secret romance getting discovered so when it was mostly brushed off at the end, I was almost puzzled by the lack of reaction. I thought it was a huge deal, but apparently no one else did?! Aside from that, this was an enjoyable read. It had way more steam than I expected, but it was a well-written, entertaining romance with likable, multidimensional characters. I'm intrigued to read more from this author.

While listening to this audio, I often felt as if I heard the song, "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel playing in the back of my mind. I have not read anything by the author and did not know what this audio would be about. I was indeed an open slate.

What I found was this is about a hot romance between two consenting adults, Cassie and her friend’s mom, Erin. That one-night stand turned into something more. That won’t be weird, right? I thought, “oh God, not another one of those books.” I am glad to say, I was met with a fun forbidden fruit that was actually interesting. The pacing however is what I had problems with. I felt it was dragged and often found the verbiage to be repetitive, at times.

Pace: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Dialogue: 3/5
Storyline: 3.5/5
Narrator: 4/5 (I listened to it at 1.25X)

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

My rating for this audiobook is solely based on its execution and not on the plot itself.

I was lucky enough to be able to read and listen to Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner prior to its publication. One of my most anticipated releases of 2022, I was truly flattered to be given not one but two opportunities to review it.

As I mentioned in my original review of the book, it was a huge miss for me. I loved Erin so so much, but I found the execution of the romance as a whole to be really poor. I saw the audiobook as an opportunity to reread it through a much less critical lens considering the overwhelming praise it received. Instead, it exacerbated the repetitiveness of the book (every chapter was the same, from the sex to the guilt discussions over Parker not knowing what was happening) and how childish/icky Cassie was when it came to speaking about Erin.

I won’t go into detail about Acacia’s characterization because, again, this review is mostly about the execution of the narration and not the source material.

I was pleasantly surprised by both narrators and they were just as enjoyable to listen to at 2.5x speed.

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillian, and Meryl Wilsner’s team for sharing this audiobook with me in exchange for an honest review!