Mistakes Were Made

This book has everything I want from a romance—it’s cute, sexy and emotional in the best way. I read the description and couldn’t imagine it could meet the expectations I set before reading but it did! Cassie and Erin’s story is beautiful and emotional, where the sexy scenes are actually sexy and the emotional scenes hit all the right notes. An excellent read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where to begin? This book is an absolute delight. Wilsner is so talented, smart, funny, and created some really charming and relatable characters in this novel. I really appreciate the sex, and the care Wilsner takes in making these scenes both titillating and significant to the plot. I also appreciate that we have several openly bi main characters, including in a same-sex relationship, which is oddly uncommon in media. This book is an easy, addictive read, as it rotates between the POV of the two main characters and the pacing of the plot is pretty steady. I really, really recommend this book if you're LGBTQ+ but also to anyone, if you want a fun, unique take on the romcom genre.

*FANS SELF FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME*

I don't know what I did to deserve a book fairy who placed one of my most anticipated reads straight into my hands, but I thank them and the sapphic Gods for aligning to make my dreams come true. I knew I had to read it immediately.

"Mistakes Were Made" takes a cringe-worthy concept and turns it into an irresistible read. IT IS STEAMY AF!!! Meryl Wilsner is truly giving the gays everything with this one. If you enjoy forbidden relationships, f/f romances, idiots-to-lovers, smut, found family, fast burns and minimal drama, go preorder this immediately. You don't want to miss out on this sharp and sexy MILF romcom.

Cassie Klein, a college senior, wants to get as far away as she can from her school's Family Weekend, opting to an off-campus bar across town. There, she spots an incredibly hot older woman and decides to go after what she wants. The two instantly connect, engaging in an unforgettable and uncomplicated one-night stand—or at least that's what it should've been. But, the next morning when tagging along for breakfast with her best friend Parker to meet her mom, she is shocked to see Erin, the gorgeous stranger she slept with. Worst of all, their chemistry is impossible to ignore and secretly, they want to hook up again and again. Soon, Cassie and Erin are sneaking around behind Parker's back, needing to decide if what they share together is worth the possible costs of being found out.

This story is a quick and easy read that is equally horny as it is angsty. I LOVED the tension especially because the age gap is a shared power balance so it feels comfortable. The secondary characters, Parker, Acacia and Rachel are all well-rounded and loveable; no one felt unnecessary to the plot. The only thing I would change is the insta-love (and by association exaggerated pining) shared between Cassie and Erin, simply because the trope overshadows character development too often. That said, both protagonists are strong, independent women seeking their own happiness and it's hard to fault them for doing so.

There is something incredibly addictive about "Mistakes Were Made" and it did NOT disappoint. The softness of it all is just so beautiful I could cry. THE COVER IS PERFECT TOO (I'm ashamed I almost forget to mention it!)!!!

I also really appreciated the overall lesson of doing the things you want for yourself simply because you want to. You deserve good things too.

Mistakes Were Made brings the heat and chemistry right away. There are sparks flying from the first time Erin and Cassie meet, and nothing can get in their way. Not even the fact that Cassie's best friend is Erin's daughter. I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. The sex--and there is a LOT of it--is steamy, interesting, and new every time. What's more, it's skillfully written: both hot and able to show the way that Erin and Cassie shift over time. Both the main characters and secondary characters are rounded and intriguing, and so much growth happens over the course of the novel. 20/10, no notes.

When I heard the premise for this book, I thought "I must read this immediately." So as soon as I received the ARC, even though it does not publish until October, I just had to pick it up. And I was not disappointed! I loved Something to Talk About, but this book is even better (and significantly steamier). It really shows Wilsner in their stride, and is reminiscent of favorites like Delilah Green Doesn't Care and Written in the Stars.

When Cassie and Erin meet in a bar, neither of them think it'll be anything more than a one-time hook-up. But when Cassie tags along with her best friend to brunch with her mom who is in town for Family Weekend, Cassie is shocked to see Erin across the table--but not more shocked than Erin. This age-gap forbidden romance works especially well in f/f, as there isn't an uncomfortable power dynamic between the two, which we often get when there's a stronger, larger, older male. Despite the age difference, Cassie and Erin are both two independent, self-sufficient, and high achieving women who just happen to have an undeniable connection. In addition to being downright sexy, this book is also deep, charming, touching, and pretty much everything you could want in a romcom. I have no complaints.

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

I loved every second of reading this book! It was very saucy from start to finish and there was a great underlying tension and believable chemistry. This read was such fun!

ABSOLUTELY A FIVE STAR READ AND FIVE PEPPERS!

Cassie, A senior in college is alone on family weekend. She isn't close to her mom and grew up without a dad. So, Cassie decides what the hell, I'll see what an off campus bar has to offer. That is where she locks eyes with Erin from across the bar and boldly buys her a drink. Erin is at least 18 years Cassie's senior but doesn't look it at all. Flirting ensues and Erin initiates a hot bathroom hook up asking if Cassie wants to get out of here. The two have quick hot sex in the back of Erin's car and then part ways.

The next morning one of Cassie's best friend, a college freshman Parker, asks her if she wants to go to breakfast with her and her mom who is in town. As the two women arrive at the restaurant, Cassie looks up at the table to see Parker waving at her mom, her mom who happens to be the sexy older woman, Erin, she hooked up with at the bar last night.

This taboo, hot sexy love story follows Erin and Cassie has they have a hidden love affair and work out there feelings for each other. All while hiding their hook ups from Erin's daughter.

Mistakes were made was unspeakably hot and romantic all at the same time. I could not put this book down. Meryl Wilsner did not disappoint with their second novel.

cw/tw
Alcoholic Parent
Abandonment by a parent
Alcohol use by minor

Tropes
Age Gap
Idiots to lovers

This was a fun sapphic romance, the romance was so cute and the spice was phenomenal. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year Meryl did such a great job with this story and these characters I loved every single one of them!

This story was absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed Meryl's last book, but this one is even better. Erin and Cassie are immediately likable, their relationship is really fun to watch unfold, and the setting and "challenge" that they are facing is really interesting. This will definitely be a re-read for me, and is a great, quick, fun, read for anyone who enjoys WLW stories.

This book met all of my incredibly high expectations!

Cassie and Erin have a one-night stand in a bar expecting to never see each other again. They did not expect to see each other the next morning when Cassie's best friend drags her to meet her mother for breakfast. When their attraction for one another becomes impossible to ignore they must hide their relationship from those around them.

Wilsner did an amazing job with this book from the interesting characters to the natural relationship development between Cassie and Erin. While also building the anticipation towards the big reveal.

A fantastic read! Can't wait for the release!

From the lilies to the flippers, this book did not disappoint.  It gave me sweet. It gave me spice. It gave me sexy. It gave me happiness. It made me grin. It made me feels.   Wilsner knows how to write an age gap romance without making it uncomfortable. The storyline and the pacing were spot on and I could not put this book down. I really enjoyed the side characters and the relationships that blossomed as the story progressed. It was one of those books that I wish I could reread again for the first time. I can't wait to read more from Wilsner as they have become one of my autobuy authors.

This book was so, so good!!!! Mistakes Were Made is a sapphic age gap romance about a couple that has a one night stand that becomes so much more complicated the next day. It was more than just a romance though. It also was about found family and the true meaning of friendship and love. Just a heads up, this book is SPICY! I thought the very open door sex scenes were well done though.

I really enjoyed reading this book! Cassie and Erin have amazing chemistry and the way they support each other's ambitions was great. I was curious how their relationship would develop after a one-night stand and liked how their relationship unfolded. I admire how Cassie was allowed herself to be vulnerable around Erin and was upfront about what she wanted. Meanwhile Erin wants to resist temptation, but can't help her attraction how thoughtful and caring Cassie is toward her. The sex scenes were well written and the supporting cast of characters were well-rounded. Parker has a complicated relationship with both Cassie and her mom, but I think the messiness in the dynamics makes the story interesting. I especially liked Cassie's other best friend Acacia too. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys wlw stories to read this one!

This book was so sweet!

I'm always a little hesitant to read age gap romances as I've found that the power dynamic can easily become toxic, so I was very happy to read about a healthy one! Also, a GAY ROMANCE! I loved the connection between Cassie and Erin, and it was amazing to watch them fall in love, even when they didn't see it themselves. I loved how much they cared about each other, and it was so sweet how they were always doing little things to make each other happy. Their genuine happiness made me feel giddy inside!

I also appreciated the copious amounts of well-written spice! I've read a lot of queer books where the author shies away from detailed smut, but Wilsner made sure to write a lot and keep it varied, which was awesome.

I loved this book!

This is my first Meryl Wilsner read but it certainly won't be my last! Meryl has the ability to plop the reader right into the story, sketch out a clear, vivid picture of the characters we'll come to care deeply about in about 0.5 seconds, and hook us with the plot. MISTAKES WERE MADE was a beautiful, sexy romance with so many utterly realistic moments of intimacy and heartache that sometimes I had to put my kindle down and take a breath. An effortless 5-star read!

Holy cannoli, I loved this book so much. It starts off with a bang, literally, and only gets spicier from there. But between the spice and will-they-get-caught adrenaline is a growing relationship with such sweet and tender moments that made me swoon. Cassie and Erin were perfect in all of their flaws, and the relationships between friends and mother and daughter were so well written and real. I want to hang out with all of them!

I was worried that the middle would get repetitive, but I found that the time between the meet-cute and HEA gave plenty of time for personal growth for each of the characters!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for strong female friendships, a confident lady (multiple), 10/10 spice, age-gap, and a little forbidden romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book!! I braced myself for a very difficult ending, but I was so pleased with the wrap up. This is the second book I read by Meryl Wilsner and I am a big fan! This book has everything: steam, forbidden romance, and friendship.

I am so thankful to NetGalley for sending an ARC of this book. It was on my list of must reads this year.

I was so surprised how quickly I was invested in this story. I’ll be totally honest, at first I thought it would be a light, cheesy romance read. But I was so wrong. I became swiftly caught up in Erin and Cassie’s relationship. And the whole time I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the ending had me in the happiest of tears. We need more LGBTQ+ stories with happy endings!

When I say this book was everything I ever wanted, I mean it! Sexy, charming, witty-- I LOVED the characters. Easily one of my favorite books of the year so far.

A funny, spicy WLW story that will keep you invested and rooting for the main characters. This book brings the heat without being cringey, and is definitely not written in the male gaze.

This book was so much fun. I had really high hopes for it and the author really delivered! I thought Cassie had great chemistry with Erin and had fun with all the spice in this book. "Mistakes Were Made" is definitely going to be one of my top recommendations of the fall season!

Ooh this book is spiiiicy, sexy, sapphic and fun!! A very good time, indeed. It starts out with Cassie meeting a hot older woman (Erin)at a bar and hooking up in her car. However, they find out the next day at breakfast that Cassie is good friends with Erin’s daughter, Parker. Things progress with Erin and Cassie from there.

Erin and Cassie were a delightful match not only did they have chemistry but reading you could tell they genuinely had a good time with each other, that grew as the book went along. I honestly had so much fun reading this. It’s steamy and fun and passionate and a good time.

Some other significant characters in this book are Acacia (Parker’s roommate and Cassie’s bff), Parker (Erin’s daughter) and Rachel (Erin’s bff). Acacia was the backbone of Cassie and Parker’s friend group and they definitely owe her a big one for the work she put in to their friendship so it could thrive. Rachel is the bff everyone needs, supportive and there for you but not pushing when she can yell you’re not ready to talk about something, she was an absolute delight of a character.

This was an absolute delight to read; five stars!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Get ready for the ride of your life because Mistakes Were Made is an absolute adventure of a relationship. I loved Something To Talk About by Meryl Wilsner and jumped at the opportunity to read her new book. Spice Lovers, this one’s for you.

Cassie is a college student, not looking to commit to a relationship. Erin is just a gorgeous stranger that she has a one night stand with…until she’s not.. What do you do when you accidentally hook up with the mother of your best friend. You make the best of it!! Mistakes Were Made is a fun romp full of tension and accidental feelings. You will love following Cassie and Erin on their journey of figuring out who they are to each other and what they want out of this relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun take on a rom-com! Nice and steamy and fun to read! I really enjoyed the writing style and the the good balance between the romance and angst . ALSO that cover!! I loveeee! The connection and the chemistry was soo nice to read about. The spicy was there and done in such a great way! I can not wait to read more from this author!

This book starts out with a bang! The author did not hold back the spice at all in this book and I loved every second of it. From the first chapter when Cassie and Erin met all the way to the end I was hooked. I knew before I was halfway through the book that I was going to need to pre-order a copy because I wanted to read it again before it was even over. If you're looking to read a spicy sapphic romance look no further.

This was a great rom com read - the characters are engaging and the author weaves a bunch of relationships together that are believable and fun to follow. You find yourself rooting for Cassie and Erin throughout. I basically couldn't put it down and loved every minute of my reading it.

This was definitely one of the best books I've read! It had everything: a little bit of tension, a whole lot of cute moments, and so much spice! If you like an idiots to lovers book this is for you. It really was just such a good read. It made me feel all happy and warm inside when I finished reading it!

This was SO FUCKING GOOD. Like honestly one of the best wlw I’ve ever read. It’s sapphic and it slaps! Absolutely loved and obsessed with this book. Highly recommend to everyone. The banter across all relationships was phenomenal. And the spice was *chefs kiss*. Definitely my favorite romance of 2022.

I enjoyed Mistakes Were Made even more than Wilsner's last book, Something to Talk About. I read this in one day, and it had everything I could've asked for. Lesbian representation? Check. Spice? Check. Lovable side characters and relationships? Check. I think this is a great romance release, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I couldn't put it down!

Okay this is going on my favorites list. F/f MILF book? Say less. And it was so freaking GOOD. I'm definitely going to go into more depth on GR but whew. Read this one.

Mistakes Were Made is a sizzling romance full of tropes executed in the absolute best way! The chemistry between Cassie and Erin is off the charts, and the friendships between Parker, Acacia, and Cassie really reflect the lives of college students and the bonds that may be tried but cannot be broken!

While it’s a fun summer romance vibe, the book also takes on the heavier side of secrets, love, and friendship. This addition makes the characters wholly human, allowing us to see their flaws and root for them anyway.

This story delivers in every category: romance, sex, friendship, and fun!! I would read more about every character and never be bored.

This was GOOD! I had to take literal breaks at times because it got so steamy and hot. I think my cheeks where red the whole time reading this. But I also cried at parts and in the end, it was so so so cute! I love a good happy ending and now want this book to be out into the world to share the love and to be able to read a physical copy. 5 stars ⭐️

An excellent read! Mistakes Were Made is a sweet and sexy sapphic rom-com, I really loved Erin and Cassie's weird relationship, it's not very common that you hook up with your best friend's mom.

Went into this book with high expectations and wow it did NOT disappoint!! Truly cannot wait to reread this book and to have others get their hands on it!

I LOVED Mistakes Were Made so much! I absolutely flew through it. The character development was fantastic—the banter between Cassie and Erin was wonderful and it was actually a realistic story. I was curious how this was going to work when I read the synopsis, but it was perfect. And the steam!!! Omg. What an absolute delight of a book, give me literally anything Meryl Wilsner writes and I will happily accept.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Meryl's book Something's Gotta Give and thought this would be a similar sweet story with very little spice and I was quite enthusiastic to realize rather immediately that this book has quite a bit more chilli peppers than the last book! Not only that, but as a person who doesn't usually read age gap romances this story kept me HOOKED throughout the whole book and ended with me in tears over the love and emotions found within it. Hardcore recommend this one!

I genuinely loved this book so much, it had heart, drama, and enough spice to have me flying through the pages to see what happens next. It made me laugh out loud, tear up, and made me anxious for what would happen to our secret couple. 10/10 would absolutely recommend this book, especially if you enjoy sapphic romance!

THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!! im crying. genuinely on the verge of happy tears. i NEVER read romcoms so it takes a lot to reel me in on one and this one was fucking magnificent!!!! was so hot. but also so romantic and sweet and oh my god. when is it my turn. i absolutely am in love with both cassie and erin and i genuinely cannot tell who i want to be more in their situation. i loved the dual perspectives too it added so much to the book. so honored to have gotten a digital arc of this and hope i get to froth at the mouth with more people come the publishing date

Sexy!! Fun!! A sneaky romance!! What's not to love? I loved this book. Couldn't put it down and have already been recommending it. Fantastic read with just the right balance of wit, spice, heart and honesty. I liked how this book unravelled family, friendship, love, and sex in a way that was so hard to put down. This has been called the MILF book and I stand by that haha. Definitely recommend!

Loved this book! I love a good romance, especially one where the characters are opposites attract. The character builds are good, the conversation and story are current and feel realistic. I loved the relationship and the adult scene's were STEAMY! I would 100% recommend this book. Couldn't put it down.

Loved this book! Great premise, fantastic characters, and a perfect ending. The storyline was well paced and logical, and very enjoyable. Highly recommend

By far the best WLW book I have read thus far. The characters are charming and witty, never failing to be amusing. I caught myself squealing at this book on multiple occasions because I was so excited to see what happened next. This fun and flirty story will keep you turning the pages from beginning to end.

Meryl Wilsner's newest book, Mistakes Were Made, is an absolute must read! This steamy romantic comedy about a girl who accidentally sleeps with one of her best friend's mother's is an absolute binge-read. I read this book in one sitting with a smile on my face the whole time! Cassie and Erin have an undeniable chemistry that scorches the pages. These two are both disasters in their own right but able to make each other inexplicably happy that readers cannot help but root for them. Filled with humor, hope, and steam, fans of Jasmine Guillory and Casey McQuiston will want to grab this one when it hits shelves in October. Both women are incredibly complex characters whose stories readers will instantly be hooked on. I can't wait for this to be published-- special thanks to the publisher for gifting me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

So I guess the best review I can give for this book is by letting y’all know that IMMEDIATELY after I finished reading it, I pre-ordered a physical copy. I loved it SO MUCH. Cassie and Erin are such amazing characters with a wonderful supporting cast of friends and family. The premise is great and, lezbihonest, hot af. So it tracks that the steam in the book is off the charts! 🌶🌶🌶🥵🥵🥵 Most importantly (for me at least, when it comes to rom-coms) they just love each other so much and are so adorable together. I thought I loved Something to Talk About, but Mistakes Were Made blows it out of the water. Meryl Wilsner may become an auto-buy author for me.

I enjoyed every second of this book! I wanted to immediately pick it back up as soon as I'd finished. Wilsner writes such believable and empathetic characters. I was so compelled by the chemistry and tensions of the story. So sexy! So flirty!
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is everything I want from a romance novel.