Lovely book. I always enjoy books set in Australia. Not quite a second chance, more like a continued first chance. Sophia and Ava had a two night stand. Neither of them forgot it. They meet again 8 months later and both are shocked. Loved how they side stepped their first meeting. A lot of emotions in these pages. Ava, especially, had a sad past that had changed her outlook on life. Sophia was a small woman who wanted to make a big impact. She also had a past that she was in the process of overcoming. Love can't be denied. The side characters really helped make the story. Was very pleased with this one.

Ava Harris never imagined herself having a weekend fling but Sofia Juma is just too intelligent, beautiful and engaging to walk away from. Months later, as Ava begins a new job she discovers that Sofia works at her new university and she will now be Sofia’s boss.

O’Beirne creates fascinating characters in Ava and Sofia. Ava’s world crashed down around her ankles just before she meets Sofia. She is in a static state being bashed by emotions strong enough to leave her cocooned in bed. Sofia’s life is far from perfect yet there is a lightness of being surrounding her.

This is a story of coping with the hard stuff and working on possibilities for happiness. The elegance in the telling is what will capture you.

I received an advance review copy from Ylva Publishing through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Two strangers met in a bar and have a one night stand that lasts two nights and two days. Meeting again more than a year later Ava says it was a mistake. Learning to trust and love and respect each other is an emotional and exhausting process. Good book.

This book is a good fit for readers looking for a heartfelt, diverse romance between two women who navigate personal growth, healing, and the complexities of building a meaningful connection.

I received a review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The Best Mistake tells the story of Ava Harris and Sofia Juma who meet at a bar and a one-night stand only to meet again months later when Ava starts working at the same university as Sofia. The story felt incredibly slow for me, especially in the beginning. It was all very repetitive, they always had the same kind of scene without any growth from the previous one. In the beginning, I felt like the transition between the scenes was broken, almost as if some parts were taken off the story. It lacked continuity. At the very end, we see some real development happen, but it feels rushed and implausible due to how quickly Ava changes when her previous behavior doesn't indicate any development. Also, there were enough grammatical errors that they began to call my attention. Overall, the story is good, but a bit too slow for me.

This book follows two women who had a one night stand, and unexpectantly meet again months later when they find themselves working together. While this is a romance, it also deals with other topics such as grief, depression, and healing.

The two women deal with their relationship very differently, and it is mentioned that "awkward Ava becomes uptight Ava". I appreciated the two of them working to figure out how to make their personality dynamic work, and the discussion of one of the women feeling awkward and pushing the other away...but it did feel a little too dragged on, and by the end I was losing interest in the relationship because she had pushed her TOO far away. It wasn't as exciting anymore.

I did appreciate some of the other stories that didn't relate to the relationship such as a new mum dealing with PPD, caring for a disabled parent, dealing with the grief of losing a family member, and rekindling relationships with family members.

"You can fly over an island being hit with a magnitude earthquake and not even know there were people being buried by rubble. It's the same with people. You can't always know what's going on beneath."

I also loved how diverse the cast of side characters were. I love normalising having characters with friends of all different ethnicities. My favourite character was Khadija! She was so fun!

"This was how it should be. People you love should set you steady, give you that soul-deep sense that you are okay, or that it will be."

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

From the blurb, I expected a steamy, second-chance romance. However, when reading The Best Mistake I found myself navigating through a narrative deeply entrenched in themes of grief and loss. This novel presents a rich cultural tapestry, commendable portrayals of friendship, and engaging dialogues. Yet, the story's pace suffers from repetition, and the romantic development between the protagonists feels belated, with meaningful connections forming unexpectedly late in the plot.

The dynamic between the two main characters is complex and often perplexing, marked by a continuous cycle of attraction and repulsion that leaves their relationship muddled. Certain sections of the book seem to serve as mere fillers, adding little substance to the overall storyline. Additionally, I found the way the novel shifted perspectives to be really confusing, which detracted from the story's cohesion.

Ava, one of the protagonists, presents a challenge in terms of relatability. Her actions and motivations, while explained, often fall short of justifying the tumultuous relationship dynamics. This lack of connection made it difficult for me to fully engage with her character and, by extension, the evolving story around her. My detachment from Ava hindered my investment in the unfolding drama.

This is my first read from Emily O'Beirne and although I found it challenging, I will definitely try another in the future.

A fun slow burn romance

When Ava moves to Melbourne for a university job, Sofia, a woman with whom she slept during a weekend, is the last person she expects to find there. Sofia runs a tutoring program for migrant students and barely recognises Ava when she sees her, because of how different she seems. Forced to work together, the tension between them is rekindled. But sex might be easy, intimacy requires more effort, and Ava isn't ready for that kind of thing yet...

This story was very interesting and inspiring. I liked how the two protagonists were very different but somehow seemed meant to be. The author really managed to make us understand what both women were going through and why it was hard for them to connect on a deeper level immediately. I loved seeing them discover one another more thorougly without losing themselves in the process. The book was a bit slow and long at times, though, because it took some time to them to figure out their issues and be ready to commit. But it was still fascinating to see the journey they make together. I love them both, their passion, their dedication and their honesty. I had a great time reading their story together.

I recommend this slow burn lesbian romance.

"Attraction is an unpredictable thing."

Lovely characters to fall in love with. Who get a second chance at love.
I really enjoyed certain parts of the story where it felt like I was there right in front of the characters.

A sweet, second chance romance with a plot that included some angst. Ava and Sofia meet again after a one night stand. Wouldn’t really consider this a slow burn. I felt the romance/relationship slowly developed. Overall, would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

What should've just been a hot one night stand becomes more when Ava and Sofia meet again unexpectedly after many months.
O'Beirne's romance touches on the difficult topic of depression which is woven into the storyline. Ava and Sofia navigate their feelings slowly with angst, ice walls melting and emotion sharing leading to a pleasing end. Another solid read from the author.

This book was just okay for me, i had some expectations with this book but it kinda let me down. They both met and had one night stand then they met again after some year.It was kind of predictable with lot of confusion. For me it was somewhere between fling to forever and angsty without slow burn

I didn't expect that this book had a cheating part since it's really the thing that I don't like in any stories but since it was barely mentioned and their relationship didn't circle around that, I thought it was okay and continued to read it.

There's a lot to improve in the book, from the plot itself because I was a bit confused with the two characters. It seems like they are pulling and pushing each other. Entirely, their relationship is confusing and a mess. There were parts I think didn't contribute to the story and just a filler part. The switch in POVs is also confusing at times.

The characters are okay but they didn't strike me much. I didn't connect with them. The story itself had so much potential but I hope it was executed better.

There are some books where the MC was hurt by life you spend the book waiting for them to get better. This books is one of them. I liked how the grief topic was brought up, it's subtle, Ava isn't totally numb, she tries to live her life and sometimes the memory just hit and knock her down "grief didn't care about calendars". It felt realistic. Sofia is warm and friendly as a contrast to Ava. O Beirne takes the time to develop each character making readers feel intimate with them.MCs have so much in common and share an undeniable connection but because of the rules of their casual relationship they can't fully embrace it. It was so frustrating! When then finally connect for real, (and O Beirne will make you wait for it!), It's really sweet and satisfying, it felt earned.The love scenes aren't the most explicit, but the book's strength is in the vulnerability of the characters and connection between them. The casting was rich with characters of different ethnicity and I had a bit trouble remember all the name at first, making me having a bit trouble getting in the book at first. But their universe eventually grew on me. Overall I had a really good time reading this book.

This book had so many layers to it I enjoyed! Both of the main characters were so different but so likeable in their own ways, Sofia was truly a breath of fresh air despite her personal troubles and I think she reminded me of my favourite teacher in school who was always so much more than just that. Where as Ava is so complicated, in her anxiety and her grief, i’m so close to my own brother and the thought of losing him and trying to figure life out again feels impossible, watching her go on that journey and realise she was more than her grief and still deserved to be happy with her connection she and Sofia had was so wonderful. I also loved the found families that meshed with existing ones in this book and I wish Idil and Sayid the world they were such good characters. This book is my introduction to Emily’s writing but it certainly won’t be the last I read.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am impressed! Very, very believable characters who totally bring you into their worlds. You feel the broken, spiky bits and the unbridled passion and the fear of loneliness. You understand their heavy obligations and feel their hopes. And you really, really root for the two characters to make their way out of their past mistakes and find in each other what they really need. The world they inhabit has its own character, too - the geographic bubble in which they go about their daily routines comes alive but you don't lose sight of the fact that they are just a smaller part of the larger city of Melbourne. Sometimes with a book that takes place in a large city, it becomes overwhelming as the characters go hither and yon for activities all across the city - but in this book, it feels more real. Most city people tend to inhabit a small portion of the city where they are familiar - the local cafes and bars, where they shop, etc. and these characters are no different. The side characters each have individual personalities and are important to the overall arc of the story but at no point do you feel overwhelmed by either the number of side characters, nor their involvement in the main couple. They are just normal co-workers, friends, and family - but each unique. The sex scenes were not as detailed as I typically prefer, but that's ok. The story makes up for that - some books I read for the steam, some for the storyline. This book falls firmly into the latter category. Well done all around. Minor grammatical errors but I assume these will be edited in the final version.

TL:DR: Believable characters, strong story, well done. 4.5 stars

Lovely!

Ava and Sofia meet one night and have a bit of a fling. Fate brings them back into one another’s live when Ava takes a new job and runs into Sofia again. At first, tensions are high between them until Ava can’t help but falling for Sofia’s charms.

I really enjoyed this story. The tension between Ava and Sofia, during their initial meeting and then again when Ava turned up at Sofia’s workplace was great. It really set the premise that Ava’s emotional state and need to have her guard up was going to add complications to Sofia winning her over. Sofia was so charismatic though, and she’d achieved it once, so I had every faith she’d manage it again where Ava was concerned.

For Ava I had so much admiration though. She hesitated at some things, and was cautious, which when we learned about her story was completely understandable, but alongside that she was so independent and determined to succeed. She really was passionate about her career and doing the right thing, but along the way that caused issues between her and Ava, which turned up the drama between them again every time they settled into a bit more of a comfortable relationship with one another.

The story was a lot of fun, filled with great moments, ones of deep connection that meant we were really getting to know all of Ava and Sofia’s flaws and quirks. From the moment they met again, I really had faith in believing in second chances, and was rooting for them to get everything they both wanted.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fun book

the weekend that ava experienced was something she would never experience again, a long weekend of pure unadulterated pleasure, a weekend when she didnt have to be herself but a sexual being enjoying someones body and their time... she could be anyone she wanted to be and she was.... and then she got on a plane to reality

sofia was busy busy busy not only was she running a tutoring program for migrant students, she was also trying to finish her own course work and look after her mother but her memories of a hot weekend were what kept her going

so imagine her surprise when asked to take some people around and the first person she sees is ava from that very same hot weekend.... though ava gives off vibes of the not friendly sort

sofia gets the message.. and so begins the slow thaw of ava... as sofia breaks down all of ava;s barriers but not before a lot of hurt and misunderstandings happen....

an interesting read that kept me entertained

This is a story about Sofia who has moved in with her mother who has suffered a major accident. Sofia is trying to work on her masters degree while working as a study hall coordinator for immigrant high school kids. Ava works as a university administrator overseeing grants for work study programs. They meet in a bar and have a one night stand weekend. Eight months later they find themselves working together.

Ava suffers from depression over the death of her brother and is filled with self doubt. Sofia is totally into Ava and wants to continue their relationship. Ava wants no part of a relationship but with Sofia always around her at work, she finds she can’t resist having occasional sex with Sofia.

These two have a connection right from the start but Ava is so depressed and afraid of a relationship that there is constant angst throughout the book.

I liked the deep emotions and feelings that O’Beirne wrote. And could appreciate Ava’s feelings of sadness over her brother’s tragic death. And I enjoyed the setting in Melbourne Australia And several interesting and well developed side characters helped lighten up the heavy tone of this book.

If you are looking for a slow burn romance with lots of emotion, this is the book for you. I will definitely read more of O’Beirne’s Books in the future.

Thanks to Ylva Publishing and Net Galley for a chance to review this book. BTW I think Ylva always puts out a quality book from its authors.

The premise of this book was nice. In fact, the blurb was the reason I got interested in reading it. I loved that not everything was revealed at the beginning. That both me, the reader, and the MCs had something to look forward to as the story went on. The character development of Ava was a relief! (ha!) and there were solid supporting characters as well especially on Sophia’s side (always appreciated whenever I read any story).

There was a bit of angst and I’m a sucker for that, but for some reason I reached a point where the will-they-won’t-they felt a bit… prolonged. I got a tad frustrated with Sophia for just letting Ava treat her like that for so long. Not a deal breaker, but both are the reasons for the rating I am giving this book.

Overall, a nice read. I had a good time with it.

Thank you for providing me with an ARC.