I love a good relatable mom-com and Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes definitely fits the bill by featuring the decades long friendship between single mom Lauren and influencer Jude. Alexa Martin's choice to primarily focus on the women's friendship as opposed to it playing second fiddle to a romance for one/both of the women was a nice change of pace.

Make no mistake this is not necessarily a light read, it does incorporate more serious issues of racism, custody battles, alcoholism, mental health, toxic relationships and dysfunctional families. I liked both women for various reasons from Lauren's motherhood struggles and Lauren's pursuit of her dreams they each had a distinct voice. I appreciated how their podcast was able to showcase both of their strengths despite being so different on the surface....I'd subscribe to it. (Side note, while it doesn't bother me, just know that Lauren curses like a sailor so if that is a turnoff for you, consider yourself forewarned.)

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a copy to review.

I really loved this beautiful story about female friendship and motherhood. Lauren and Jude have been friends since childhood, and have been there for each other through all kinds of ups and downs. When life finds both of them at a low point, they decide to move in together to help each other get back on track.

Lauren’s daughter Addy was the highlight of the whole book for me. She was witty and goofy, extremely smart and a budding feminist. Even though I don’t yet have children, I imagine the relationship between Lauren and Addy is extremely relatable.

Both main characters exhibited impressive personal growth throughout this book. Many readers will find aspects of their own lives reflected back at them through this story, whether flattering or not.

This is definitely a read I would recommend, and not just for moms!

Unlike Martin's Playbook series, Mom Jeans & Other Mistakes deviates from romance and appeals to the contemporary crowd. That being said, while I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It won't be for everyone, and there are definitely a lot of heavy topics addressed here (please check out the CWs).

From the beginning, I really enjoyed the friendship between Lauren and Jude and the dichotomy between their personalities and life situations. Jude is a spontaneous, carefree, and alcohol indulging hotmess. Lauren is an organized, no-nonsense single mom trying to raise a 5 year old daughter while also staving off her douche of an ex. Both women also deal with complicated family dynamics, even though Jude's mother really made me want to come through the pages and slap her.

Now for the serious stuff, I was a bit apprehensive with Jude's alcohol consumption and it highlighting her dependence BUT, Martin does a phenomenal job of navigating this. I don't want to spoil anything, but Jude's character arc is probably my favorite in the story.

Even though there are a lot of heavy topics in this one, there is still a romance component, and I LOVED the way it unfolds.

I am definitely a solidified Alexa Martin fan, and I can't wait for more.

{Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted review copy}

I have to say, I was initially drawn to this book by the title and book cover, it's just perfection. But what I I didn't expect is that behind this cute cover and clever name would ultimately be SO much more than just an easy contemporary fiction read.

Author Alexa Martin draws you in and introduces you to childhood best friends, Lauren and Jude. Their lives could not be more different but when unforeseen circumstances arise, they decide to enact their childhood dream of moving in together.

They are hoping to be able to help each other out while they both are feeling a bit down on their luck. Lauren is a Black single mom to her five year old daughter Addy and Jude is a social media "influencer", so of course, things don't go exactly as planned, as these friends are each in very different stages of life.

What I loved about this book is the focus on adult female friendship, and how it isn't always smooth sailing. Seeing these two women root for one another, themselves and their relationship together while also traveling the bumpy road of adulthood was relatable and inspiring.

I appreciated that there were elements of love but this this story was also based in reality. Hard topics weren't only tied in but also fully discussed, including, race, child custody, mental health, alcoholism,and motherhood. Both women have empowering parts of their lives and also things they are working through, and I appreciated that so much.

This was my first book by Alexa Martin and certainly won't be my last! I highly recommend this one and think it would maker for a great book club discussion.

I really liked this book! This book is more about female friendships and the bond it has. It isn’t a romance book like her ‘Fumbled’ series, and I love that she went this direction. There are serious issues in this book such as dysfunctional families, custody battle issues, alcoholism, racism, and the effects of social media and the influencing platform. I love how much mental health awareness was included in this book as well!

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes by Alexa Martin was a fun chick lit read about friendship.

When late twenty-something best friends Lauren and Jude both find themselves down on their luck, they decide to move in together, along with Lauren’s daughter Addie.

Lauren is used to being a single mom, with her ex and Addie’s father just entering back in to Addie’s life thanks to some prodding from his new girlfriend. Soon, Lauren finds herself in a custody battle. Jude on the other hand is a social influencer, who puts most of her money towards helping her narcissistic mom pay the bills. Both women have a lot going on, but when Jude suggests she and Lauren start a podcast, they’re in for a whole new adventure to help Lauren with her custody battle and help distract Lauren from the drama with her mom.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and loved both main characters. They were relatable and funny and authentic. They both had very different life problems, but they were able to navigate them. And even though they had their struggles, I thought their friendship was beautiful as well.

This would definitely be a book I’d recommend to anyone looking for a light-hearted read about friendship.

This was a very different book than what we've come to expect from an Alexa Martin book, but it had the same heart, depth, and love without being a love story. This is the story of two best friends whose lives are falling apart and how they put them back together.

There was nothing wrong with it, but it was just okay for me.

The title got my attention and the blurs sold me. The story is what made me so glad I stuck around. I love a truly funny story with substance and this checked those boxes for me!

Financially strapped and single, two lifelong friends Lauren and Jude decide to move in together.
Lauren’s ambitions to be a doctor were pushed aside when she fell pregnant with Adelaide, her now five-year-old daughter. Her ex, Ben, wasn’t around much for their daughter’s early years but has become more involved since he started dating Stephanie.
Jude is a wellness influencer – into clean eating and Pilates … and more than a few sneaky drinks. And thanks to her fraught relationship with her former reality TV star mother, she’s also in therapy.
When Ben challenges for custody, Jude suggests they start a podcast on parenting called Mom Jeans and Martinis.
Told in alternating chapters from each woman’s point of view, this story demonstrates the tight bond created between friends who are both dealing with toxic family situations. I found it a really engaging read about the power of gal pals, although I couldn’t understand how airing your life in a podcast could possibly help with a custody case.

This book was so much fun to read/listen to. It had a great blend of humor and lightness among the struggles of real life as a single mom.

If you’re looking for a women’s fiction story that focuses on friendship and growth, look no further than Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes. I liked a lot about this one, especially Lauren.

Lauren is a single mom with a five year old daughter and ever since her fiancé cheated on her and broke up with her she’s struggled. It’s not cheap to live in LA and she’s sick of staying with her parents, so she gets a place with her best friend, Jude.

Jude and Lauren have been best friends since elementary school and couldn’t be more different. Jude is an influencer and has the great idea to do a podcast with Lauren. I loved this part of the book. It was the most fun part for sure. I also loved any chapter with Lauren and her daughter. I’ll be honest, I really struggled with every single Jude chapter. I couldn’t relate to her at all and found myself wishing her chapters would hurry up and be over.

I was happy with how it ended overall, I just wish Jude would have been more likable throughout the story and gotten it together a little early. Still, I liked this one!

Female friendship in all its messy glory…
Jude and Lauren don't have much in common, but maybe that's why they've been best friends since the third grade. Through ups and downs, they've been by each other's sides. But now? They’re broke, single, and do the only thing that makes sense—move in together, just like they talked about when they were teenagers. Except when they were younger, the plan didn't include a five-year-old daughter and more baggage than their new townhouse can hold.

For fans of odd couples, mismatched friendships, and happy-ish endings.

This book, for me, is centralized on the beautiful friendship of social-media-influencer Jude and single-mom Lauren. Their dynamic and support of the other is something I can only aspire to. I didn't need any convincing to pick up this book.
Jude and Lauren move in together, something they planned on years ago but wouldn't believe they'd need at this stage of life. Coincidentally, they both need to exert independence but rely on the other. They band together and create a podcast in order to firm up Lauren's stance in an unexpected custody battle. What was just supposed to help Lauren's cause turns into something more.
If I wasn't sold already on Alexa, this would have done it for me. Alexa's voice is powerful and captivating. I love the way she weaves in the struggles women can face, whether we're single, dating, in a relationship, struggling in the workforce, etc.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This was my first Alexa Martin book and I think I’m about to be a huge fan! This was a great change of pace read for me, and while it has the atmosphere of rom-com, it’s all about female friendships.

Lauren and Jude have been friends their entire live and are now adults with two completely different lives. Lauren has broken up with her fiancé, and brings along her 5 year old daughter to the relationship. Jude on the other hand is an Instagram influencer whose dreams of opening a Pilates studio have been snatched from her. Both of them have hit rock bottom and now they’re roommates. Can their friendship survive?

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve said it in the past but I really enjoy female friendship stories, especially when they’re about women supporting women. More authors should write friendship rom-coms. I loved that what could have turned into moms sniping at other moms, was really more about how moms need to support each other no matter what. As someone who is about to enter motherhood, I really needed the reminder that life is about to get messy, and that’s okay.

From an influencer perspective, Martin did such an excellent job of capturing who Jude really is. She didn’t let Jude’s character fall into cliques, and really built depth around and growth around her character.

My biggest compliant about this whole book, is that Lauren is just so dumb when it comes to her ex-fiancee. But that’s intentional, and she also grows a ton! I won’t spoil the ending but ,You go Stepahnie!

I will definitely be reading more from Alexa Martin, and if you’re looking for a fun read than you won’t want to miss this one!

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes is out now. Huge thank you to Berkley Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof_books.

"𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘔𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺'𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴." - Alexa Martin, Mom Jeans, and Other Mistakes.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
-Jude and Lauren have been best friends since third grade. Now in their late 20's and financially strapped, they're roommates, plus Lauren's daughter.

-A quintessential California blonde, Jude, is a free-spirited Social Media Influencer and Pilates instructor.

-Lauren is a single mother of a 5-year-old, Adelaide. Her plans to attend medical school ended after an unplanned pregnancy, and her cheating ex-fiancé left her on her own to raise Adelaide.

-Lauren and Jude have always leaned on each other through thick and thin until a close-call threatens their friendship.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
The title suggests a humorous story of female friendship, and there are plenty of funny moments and a little slow-burn romance sub-plot. This is also a story of lifelong friends who experience what can happen when a nightmarish circumstance stretches that bond beyond its breaking point.

-The complicated topics of racism, alcoholism, mental health, and toxic family relationships were handled in a way that feels authentic and realistic.

-I struggled was with some key plot points. Even with a strained relationship, Lauren didn't seek any counsel from her Attorney mother before child custody became a battle. I also couldn't understand how hosting a podcast would give Lauren an edge with her custody case.

-Overall, a solid story of female friendship and women's empowerment makes this book a worthwhile addition to a TBR shelf.

I have been a fan of Alexa Martin's writing, since her first book. I really enjoyed her sports romance series, but I had no idea what to expect with this book.

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes is the story of Jude and Lauren, best friends since they were young. The two couldn't be more different--Jude is a white, single social media fitness influencer. She loves the party scene and knows just how to present the best image, even if her life is a mess. Lauren is a Black single mother of five-year-old Adelaide. She dropped out of medical school to have her daughter, but she doesn't regret it because Addie is the center of her world. The two friends move in together and become each other's support system. But even the best laid plans sometimes run into trouble.

I did think the ending was a little rushed, but I still completely enjoyed it. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a chance to read an early copy of this book, and for my finished copy that I received. Jude and Lauren are lifelong best friends who are at very different spots in their lives, yet they are also at the same spot. Lauren was engaged to Ben, with whom she shares an adorable little girl with. However, Lauren is newly single. Jude is a pilates instructor who is not married and does not have any kids. Yet, they both decide to move in together with Lauren's little girl. Each woman is kind of navigating their new journey on their own and each has their own struggles and obstacles they must overcome. I really loved how this one explored mother and daughter relationships, both between Lauren and her little girl, as well as Jude and her mom. Martin also doesn't shy away from dealing with other hard topics- such as medical gaslighting, especially within the Black community from white doctors. Lauren is black and Ben is white and a doctor, and although Lauren was also on the track to becoming a doctor, she dropped out of medical school to have and raise their daughter. As the story progresses, Lauren finds herself in a custody war with Ben, and Jude finds herself at the center of her mother's public comeback. Lauren and Jude will stumble and fall, but ultimately find out, sometimes family is what you make it.

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes is a wonderful coming of age book featuring not just one, but two very different heroines! Insta-famous Jude Andrew and her best friend, Lauren Turner decide to move in together along with Lauren's precious little daughter Addy. The character development and growth here is really strong and that is where author Alexa Martin excels. She is also wonderful at putting together scenes in such a way that it seems realistic not to mention funny (or at times painfully sad).

I definitely recommend Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes as it is about our breaking free as women from the past that defines us and the present that tries to control us. It is about little mistakes and big mistakes with the underlying theme of friendship that saves us all.

#MomJeansandOtherMistakes #NetGalley #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #BeritTalks #books

I featured this book as a Book of the Day spotlight and included it in my weekly roundup and monthly post of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

I've read all of Alexa Martin's football themed books and have really enjoyed her straight-talking, full-of-life characters. She writes fun dialogue, and this book is no exception. I enjoy Martin's female powered writing style, however, this one got to be a bit much for me.