I really enjoyed this story. Everyone is correct in saying that Alexa Martin knocked it out of the park for her debut novel in this genre.

This story has the perfect mixture of bad ass female empowerment, comedy, and self realization that we are all trying to do the best we can.

I thought the author did a great job with the multiple POVs and allowing each character to develop her own part of the story.

In this book, we follow Jude and Lauren. Two friends from childhood at different tough points in their life. Through a set of circumstances, they start living together, and starting a mom/lifestyle podcast together.
Jude's story was hard for me to get behind. She is an influencer, who has turned to alcohol to deal with her mother, and becoming her doormat. She is clearly becoming an alcoholic and in denial about it. She goes through a really tough journey over the course of this book.
Lauren's story felt a bit more relatable. She gets into a custody battle with her baby daddy, who happens to be a white doctor. She found out he had been rampantly cheating on her while they were engaged, and left. She loves her daughter very much, and only wants to do what is best for her. She turns to her toxic family to help with the custody battle, because she is willing to do anything for her daughter.
This women's fiction book is all about these two women growing and moving forward from their bad situations. This book was very hard to read at times, so please be cautious of the heavy content if you need.
All in all, I think Martin did an amazing job telling their story, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.

I'm a huge Alexa Martin fan and was thrilled to hear there was a new title after the conclusion of her Snapped series. I loved the friendship, mom angle, and slow burn romance. Alexa Martin understands what we want to read and always delivers. Now I'm back to waiting for more!

This is the first book I've read by Alexa Martin and I really enjoyed it! I loved all of the characters and this story made me have all the feels. A great story about how we CAN pick our family and how important it is to trust and communicate with those people. I will be picking up more by this author in the future!

What a fascinating and emotional exploration of the roles women take on in their lives: mother, daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend, etc. I loved the fierce friendship between the main characters and how they helped each other become better versions of themselves through self awareness + healthy boundary setting. This book packed quite the punch and had me laughing, crying, pissed off and all the feels in between. Content warning for themes of: emotional abuse/manipulation, parent issues, gaslighting, alcoholism.

Thank you so much to Berkley + Netgalley for this advanced reader copy.

This was a light hearted read that deals with some heavier topics. I loved both Lauren and Jude and adored 5 year old Addy. There is a sarcastic tone to both characters that I loved, but that also made it hard to know who was talking at times. We see things from both characters POV which I thought worked really well with the plot. There was definitely DRAMA too in this - if you are a fan of the Real Housewives you’ll love the drama and the casual mentions of the show (Jude’s mom was one of the Housewives!) as well as all the Influencer references. I also loved all the women supporting women aspects and that the problems each character was facing was realistic and much deeper than I expected. There were some things that were resolved a tad too easily, but I did love how things ended. This is a witty and fun book that is beautifully written and I think many people will enjoy! 4/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC. Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes will be out September 7

I don’t read much women’s fiction, but when I do, it’s books like this that make it so worth it. Mom Jeans & Other Mistakes was such an emotional read and a really incredible story. Lauren and Jude felt so real and Addie was the brightest light. I just love them all so much.

One of the things I loved about this book was the multiple layers of mother-daughter relationships. The dynamics between Jude and her mom, Lauren and hers and then Lauren as a mom was just so cool to see play out.

This book had me laughing, crying and then full out sobbing. I 100% recommended.

CWs: Alcoholism, child endangerment, toxic parents, custody issues, manipulative ex

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

This book. Just wow. I was a little nervous for Alexa's first foray into Women's Fiction, but I think she knocked it out of the park and I'm excited for what she's going to come out with next.

Jude and Lauren have such an amazing friendship and sisterhood, even though there are definitely some imperfections lurking underneath the surface. I really felt that parts of both of their characters resonated with me in different ways; Jude's reluctance to share and ask for help and Lauren's feelings of insecurity and not being enough are some of the standouts, but there were other, smaller things as well. Addy is an amazing kid; and I absolutely loved the mom and aunt relationships portrayed between the three women in this one. The additional generational relationships with Lauren and Jude's mothers were also tangible and real and added an additional element to the story.

As a testament to Alexa's writing, this book made me FEEL THINGS. And a chunk of those things were anxiety and nerves for how it was all going to work out and how things would resolve. Definitely check the content warnings for this one (alcohol abuse, custody battles, narcism, strained parental relationships) so you're prepared when going in. None of these topics were particularly triggering for me personally, but as an empathetic person who gets very attached to fictional characters very quickly, I wanted to know if and when everything was going to be okay. Again, this just means that Alexa is an amazing writer, because I could not put it down until I got answers. And now that I have my answers, I absolutely know I'll go back and read this one again and again for the journey, the relationships and the messages it contains.

Great book about friendship, motherhood, just life in general and I loved it. This friendship is “goals”. I think many of us have offer fantasized about living with our best girlfriend and raising our kids together. In this story, Jude and Lauren actually do love in together and it is great, until it isn’t anymore. These characters are relatable, timely and fun. Subtle references to racism, white privilege, mental health and elitism are blended in to the story in such a great, realistic manner that you can really get it without a neon sign blasting “racism’s bad”.fantastic storyline and a cute kids- win/ win!

This story follows the friendship of Lauren & Jude and the triumphs and treasures of their lives both individually and collectively. Lauren is a single mother going through a messy custody battle and navigating life with her 5year old and Jude is a famous influencer enjoying her carefree, single life. Together, they test their boundaries of their friendship as they navigate obstacles they are each facing. The writing has the make of a carefree, fun read. Yet, the topics covered are deep and emotional. I found myself flipping between laughing out loud (especially at the oh-so-relatable mom moments) and then my heartstrings being pulled so tight I needed to remind myself to breath. While there is a hint to romance, the love story is really a love letter to ones self and an deniable friendship. The plot had some holes in it from a realistic perspective but it was still a very enjoyable read.
CW: Emotional abuse, custody battle, alcohol abuse, conflict with parent

Thank you Berkley Publishing for my copy. All thoughts are my own.

Alexa Martin does it again. I love her books so much and Mom Jeans and other Mistakes is no exception. This is a book that made me FEEL. I was so angry and frustrated along with the characters, feeling the joy of their ups and the devastation of their downs.

This is a book that grabbed me from the first page and definitely one that is a different vibe from Alexa’s previous books. It’s all about female friendship and the relationship between mothers and daughters.

Synopsis:

“Jude Andrews is famous. Well, at least on Instagram. Her brand is clean eating, good vibes, Pilates, and casually looking like a sun-kissed goddess. In real life, however, she’s a total disaster. She has a strained relationship with her fame-hungry mom and her latest bad decision emptied out her entire savings account.Lauren Turner had a plan: graduate medical school and become the top surgeon in the country. But when she became unexpectedly pregnant, those plans changed. And when her fiancé left her, they changed again. Now navigating the new world of coparenting, mom groups, and dating, she decides to launch a mommy podcast with all the advice she wishes someone had given her.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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Drama—This book is FULL of highs and lows. I loved how high stakes everything felt. It created that “just one more chapter” feeling I crave when reading.

The Characters—Jude, Lauren, and Addy made me so happy. Especially sweet Addy, but I could really related to both Lauren and Jude in how protective they are of their best friend.

The Message—I loved how this book addressed the toxic relationships we can have in our life. Whether that’s from an ex, a parent, a friend or even a substance, the overall message of this book encouraged communication and even therapy. I loved it. It also did a great job in creating healthy relationships between step parents and biological parents.

What Didn’t Work:

Honestly, not much! Maybe some things were resolved a little too easily, but It didn’t bother me much!

Content Warnings:

Custody battle, parental abandonment, toxic parent, toxic ex, alcoholism, child endangerment

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 4.75/5

I was honestly not prepared for how much I would fall in love with Alexa Martin’s new novel Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes. I requested it for review because of the fun title, cute cover, and because I enjoyed my last read from this author, but I’m going to tell you all right now before I break it down any further, this is my new favorite book about female friendships!

The story follows two women, Jude Andrews and Lauren Turner, who have been best friends since the third grade. Jude is a popular social media influencer whose online brand is healthy eating, pilates, and a positive attitude. Her online life, however, doesn’t even remotely resemble her real life, where she has a toxic relationship with her out-of-work celebrity mother and where a bad decision involving the guy she was dating left her with an empty bank account. Lauren isn’t faring much better unfortunately. She had to abandon her dream of becoming a doctor when she unexpectedly got pregnant and even more unexpectedly, when her fiancé decided to dump her and leave her to raise her daughter all alone. Jude and Lauren turn to each other, as they have all their lives, and decide that the solution to their troubles is to move in together and be, as they like to call themselves, “Sister Wives”!

The relationship between Jude and Lauren just really spoke to me. Sure, the book is filled with plenty of laughs and good times, particularly surrounding a fun podcast that Lauren and Jude decide to do together, but at the heart of the story is this truly beautiful friendship. They are each other’s ride-or-die and it shows in everything they do for each other. I especially adored how much their love for each other spilled over to Lauren’s adorable daughter, Addy. Jude would seriously lay down her life for that little girl and it just made me smile from ear to ear every time the two of them interacted.

Although the podcast provides plenty of laughs, Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes still has its fair share of more dramatic moments. Jude and Lauren both have personal drama that weighs on them, Lauren in the form of her ex deciding, out of the blue, that he wants full custody of Addy, and Jude in the form of a mom who is little more than a parasite, constantly coming to Jude to beg for money to finance her career comeback. Jude is so used to putting on this happy mask for her social media followers that she tries to do it to Lauren as well, but Lauren sees through her act and forces Jude to stop keeping everything all bottled up.

I really just loved everything about their friendship and about the book as a whole. The book, like Jude and Lauren’s podcast, very realistically explores the ups and downs women, whether they’re moms or not, go through every day and sends the message that we should all support each other. If you’re looking for a book that explores and celebrates the bonds of female friendship and sisterhood, I highly recommend Alexa Martin’s Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes.

Phew! So many emotions in this book. I loved both main characters so much but there were times when I just wanted to shake them! I will say after a certain incident happens, as a mom myself, that would not be the type of ending that would have happened. There is a lot toxicity to wade through but overall I really enjoyed this book and the author did a great job!

Know that this is more serious than you might expect. Lauren and Jude have been friends since Lauren more or less rescued Jude when they were little girls. Now that Lauren's a single mom to the very sweet Adelaide and Jude is struggling in her own orbit, they have pooled their resources and moved in together. Both women have fraught relationships with their mothers but Jude's mom- well she's a real problem. When Addy's father files for custody claiming Jude is unfit in part because she lives with Jude, Jude comes up with the idea of a mommy podcast. The podcast changes Lauren's life in many ways, not the least of which because it brings her a bit out of her shell. Jude, however due to issues with her mother, spirals, badly, down. Some things are resolved too nearly, perhaps, but the clear thread here is the friendship between these two women, even when it blows apart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a really good read that I very much enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Alexa Martin fan and was so excited to read this book, it did not let me down at all.

CW: custody issues, cheating (past relationship), toxic relationship with a parent, death of a parent (past), alcohol abuse, child endangerment, anxiety, discussions of pregnancy complications

This is a fiction with a small romance subplot. But there is romance in the book, it's of a platonic nature. This book is such a beautiful love letter to the many varied relationships that women have with each other. A love letter to female friendships, the relationship of a single mom with her daughter, the relationship women have with their mothers when they're older. There are the caddy women, the women you want to get to know, I loved how the stepmom wasn't a villain but an ally. So many relationships.

Jude and Lauren were both at low points in their lives and needed the other. While Addie was such a sweet child, who sparkled off the page. Lauren's growth throughout the book, gaining her independence after a terrible relationship, her custody battle, finding strength as a parent, and as a woman figuring out the podcast. Even though I'm not a mom I found her so relatable.

And Jude. I completely understood her desire not to burden her friend with her problems and loved the message about how it's not a competition, it's okay to lean on your friends. The importance of therapy, about being authentic as hard as that can be with how social media is. We're all works in progress, we need to set boundaries and take care of ourselves to be better for the people around us.

Alexa Martin continues to be one of my favorite writers and I can't wait to read more from her.

Rating: 5
Steam: 1

First of all, Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Date: September 7th, 2021.

I was not shocked at all that I loved this book after being completely obsessed with Alexa Martin’s sports romance Playbook series (if you haven’t read those please do so ASAP). I was a little hesitant because this is considered a women’s fiction book, and that isn’t my usual genre because sometimes those books can tend to be slow. HOWEVER, Mom's Jeans and Other Mistakes were anything but slow.

The two main characters in this book have been best friends for life and have been through some shit that left them both needing to be roommates, but one is a party girl Instagram influencer and one of them is a med school dropout mother.

There are some crazy antics in this book, but it is mostly just a beautiful story about two best friends that are going through some tough times.

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes will have you laughing up a storm but also emotionally wrecked when things do not go the way you want them to.

Jude Andrews and Lauren Turner are two friends in their late twenties that describe themselves as “sister wives.” They call themselves this endearingly because they have been best friends their entire lives and feel more like sisters. They also share a rented townhouse together and are raising Lauren’s five-year old daughter, Addy. On the surface, Jude and Lauren seem like they would be polar opposites—Jude is a fitness influencer and Lauren is a pragmatic, no nonsense single mother who gave up her ambitions of attending medical school. Despite their differences, their friendship has proven to last, which is how Jude, Lauren, and Addy find themselves living together when they’ve fallen on hard times. But when life seems to get even harder, their friendship is truly put to the test and the women find out just how much stress their relationship can hold.

I loved every minute and every aspect of this book. For me, it had everything: humor, sarcasm, serious topics, a love story, strong female friendships, independence, a sassy five-year old girl wise beyond her years. Literally everything was great—but let me break it down a bit!

The characters—Jude, Lauren, Addy—stand out in this novel because of the unique voices Martin gives them. Each chapter alternates between Lauren and Jude’s perspectives, which Martin did very well. It’s clear who is talking and what point of the story the character is narrating. This is bolstered by the fact that each character has a consistent, individual personality that Martin makes very clear through the writing style. In Jude’s narration the reader can expect to find more casual phrasing punctuated with slang (I know some people don’t like reading slang or contemporary phrases, but it really worked here and wasn’t distracting at all); in Lauren’s narration, true to character, the tone feels more formal and reserved than Jude’s. These discrete voices and perspectives really put Martin’s exceptional writing on display.

Because the narration alternates between Jude and Lauren, the story has a very quick pace. But the story itself is another reason why this book read so fast. It reads on the lighter side, and light reads tend to read quicker, but Martin includes very real, serious topics that add a bit of an edge to the story that really worked for me in the way that I kept wanting to know how the characters would react next.

Above all, what shines in this novel is the strength of female friendships. The friendship that Jude and Lauren share is, in my opinion, very realistic—they bicker, they annoy each other, they have their breaking points, but at the end of the day they’re undoubtedly there for each other, lift each other up, and make each other a better person. Jude and Lauren are definitely friendship goals, and it was a treat to get a glimpse into such a modern, supportive relationship.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for an endearing read that you’ll look back on fondly. I hardly ever re-read books, but I would seriously consider picking this one up again as it was truly an enjoyable read.

Lauren and Jude are best friends and now they are also roommates. Jude is an Instagram influencer who loves Pilates and a little wine. Lauren is a single mom, who’s ex-fiancé decided to be a dad all of sudden.

Jude and Lauren are navigating this transition together. Jude is dealing with issues with her mom and acceptance despite her large following. How can she be one thing on line and something else. She is always there for Lauren though, but can she let Lauren be there for her?

Larue has to deal with mom groups, play dates, and taking care of her little girl. Throw in a custody battle where she fears she will loose her daughter to her ex who only recently decided to be involved and he wants full custody.

Lauren and Jude start a podcast together. They preach women empowerment and it doesn’t matter if you are a mom, child free, young, old, work, or don’t work. Women still have so much more in common than they think. It’s important to have that friend you can rely on and navigate womanhood together.

Despite what they preach there is something going on with Jude, but will Lauren be able to help her before it’s too late?

This pivot out of romance into contemporary fiction focused on a deep friendship is a definite success for Alexa Martin! Lauren and Jude are dealing with a lot of hard things that life is throwing at them. They are so supportive of each other, and so tight- but there are certain things that are beyond their ability to fix. There's a lot of fun scenes of LA living, but there are also a lot of complicated and emotional scenes dealing with family issues, custody issues, legal issues, and more.

After reading Alexa's Playbook series and getting to know her as a person during a series readathon I hosted on instagram, I just KNEW I had to read this book. While it is a completely different genre, what I love most about Alexa's writing style is her voice, and to me this book was an absolute GEM. As a mom, as someone who values friendship in books just as much as the romance, this book was everything I was expecting from Alexa's incredible writing style and MORE.

I laughed, I cried, I had ALL of the emotions during this read, all while cheering on the author as a friend, but mostly just because I knew how much of this book was HER heart, and everything I love about reading and connecting with authors + readers alike. This book reminded me why I LOVE reading, because no matter what the book is about, one that makes me think, that helps me connect with myself, or relate to a character's issues is a five star read in my opinion, and I just didn't want this one to end.

Jude and Lauren as characters were so REAL and relatable, full of quirks and mistakes that made them beautifully flawed characters that I found enjoyable to read about. It was like finding friends in the book, who joked about

As a mom, I connected with Jude on such a personal level, which came as no surprise because I always feel like Alexa's voice in books is one I would have for myself but in this book especially, it was like she was here in my house, reporting on my life as a mom -- the feelings, the moments of sass from the daughter, how hard being a single mom can be, how crazy even family relationships can be. It's rare to feel like I can be seen in a book character as mom and older millennial as much as I did in this book, and I was totally here for every 90s reference, every struggle.

The character growth in Lauren was something I couldn't get enough of. How hard it can be to struggle while also taking on the weight of others expectations of you, was something I felt SO many readers could identify with, even if their reactions and whys weren't anything like hers as a character. This book just covered so much and I LOVED it. I need more books, especially in women's fiction that I feel like I can be immersed in, that I can imagine the characters being friends, that leaving me feeling hopeful and that others are just as much of a mess as me.

THANK YOU Alexa, for being the absolute gem you are. For writing amazing stories that it is SO clear to me that you wrote, that they're a part of you, and for letting me be lucky enough to read them. I am SO thankful I was given an eARC of this book to read from Berkley Books, and that I was able to host it as a read for @loveARCtually with @_emthebooknerd