💜Some Mistakes We’re Made Review💜

Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for giving me this eARC in return for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood, but after a bad decision changes everything, Ellis is forced to move across the country to live in California with her aunt. After not speaking for a year, Ellis returns home and must finally face Easton and the mistakes they made.

I really enjoyed this book and it gets a solid 4 stars!! I read this pretty quickly especially since I have work and school 😊 I stayed up late reading this beautiful story and struggled to not read it during my classes 😂 I loved the characters and think they really emulate what it means to be a teenager figuring out life. I really loved Sandry she is just such a lovely and forgiving person 💕

One thing I did notice was that little details weren’t talked about for a long time. For example, a car was called a foreign car and I was struggling to imagine it bc most cars in America are. Also, in the beginning, it was mentioned that Ellis’ dad went to prison multiple times, but we never knew what for until later. It felt kinda like the information was forcefully kept from us until a specific point instead of naturally revealed.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the final version 😊

YA fiction story of Ellis, a high school senior sent from her found family in Indiana to California, because of a terrible incident that the reader does not yet know. The story unfolds in flashbacks to when she met Easton, youngest son of the Albrey family, who unofficially adopt her when Ellis' mother and father continually fail to provide any support and stability at their home.

The relationship between Ellis and Easton begins as friendship, but then morphs and twists and turns over the years until this big incident drives a wedge between them that seems insurmountable. Present day in the story, Ellis has returned to Indiana for a milestone birthday party for Sandry Albrey and that means seeing Easton for the first time in a year and facing all of the emotional complications that come with "going home."

I loved the almost mystery quality to this book, because the author doles out tidbits in a slow drip throughout the novel. The reader doesn't know why Ellis is in CA, or what her relationship is with her biological family, or why she moves in with the Albrey's, or what happened between her and Easton. It did make it hard to get into the book at first, and took me until about halfway through before I really felt connected and invested in the characters.

There are multiple interesting side characters, like the other Albrey brothers, that bring more dimension to the main character and help show her in different lights.

The entire story is fraught and jammed full of angst and emotion. Ellis is an outsider, and the author does a great job of capturing all of the turmoil and self-doubt that comes with that. The writing throughout the book is beautiful. Some Mistakes Were Made is a fantastic YA story for teens that also appeals to older readers who will remember the tumultuousness of adolescence friendships and romantic relationships.

Great Lines:

"And I have to be careful because memories are like rain. A harmless drop here and there falling against my mind, then suddenly, I'm standing beneath a flood."

"I'm not even sure I understand all the layers and breaths that are Easton and me."

"His anger fell from him in heavy waves. 'If you're not jealous, then talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking.'
'It's not a big deal, Easton,' I lied to him.
Because I thought that's what he needed.
Because I thought it would make him happy.
Because I thought I would die if I told him the truth."

"I always thought those words would feel heavy, like a stone tied around your neck that pulls you under the surface. Unescapable. But I love you was light. Like a feather. Like a breeze. Like being set free."

"Her eyes were on the ground and I could see the way her feelings sat in a pile at her feet. She was deciding which one to pick up and show me."

A definite page-turner. I felt so closely ingrained in the lives of these two that I couldn’t put it down.

Flashing between past and present helped show the full emotions that Ellis was experiencing as she felt abandoned by the only household that had ever felt like home. I also thought the author did a good job of showing the range of emotions a child/person feels growing up in such a traumatic house… anger but also still loyalty to her birth parents.

I would have enjoyed more depth to the previous generations (Ellis’ dad and Mrs. Albrey) along with their relationship but there was enough there to see that Mr. Albrey was a good man to understand why his wife wanted to help Ellis.

Would love to see more by this author one day!

~ Beautiful, Heart-Wrenching Debut ~

This book gave me so many emotionssss. I was so drawn in and just couldn’t put it down for a minute!! (Hence why I read it in a day)
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Kristin is so talented at writing emotions and I loved how nuanced and realistic the fighting and feelings were. Too often, I feel like the miscommunication / big argument trope is over something petty or something that could be solved with a five minute, honest conversation, so I loved how complex and real this one was!! While I got frustrated with Ellis and Easton it wasn’t because their fight was stupid, I just wanted them to work it out and be happy 🤣.
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The writing was really easy to read and the plot was well-developed. I just loved how family was a chosen thing in this book and how it was portrayed.
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Ellis and Easton were such deep and interesting characters and watching their relationship play out gave me all the feels!!!
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I really only had two complaints and they were: 1. Wishing Sara’s role and part in the story was a little more fleshed out. (I could never tell whether she was supposed to be Easton’s friend or his short time girlfriend or what?? I’m sure it was both at times but I wish we had more clarity) and 2. I think this should have been adult rather than young adult. I don’t think anything beyond a fade to black spice scene should be in a YA (even a YA romance) and this one had two or three… Also the characters in the story were 18 or 19 and the themes were more in line with new adult to adult too so…
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But those two things didn’t detract from the story for me and I would definitely recommend if you like contemporary romance that packs an emotional punch!!! I’m so, so happy to finally see Kristin be a published author (after happily cheering on her friend’s successes) and can’t wait for everyone else to get to read this!!
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CWs - frequent strong language, two-three medium spice scenes
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This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, HarperCollins Children’s’ Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

An emotional roller coaster that’s well worth the ride.

My honest review for receiving an ARC.

I was transported back to my teen years with this heartache of a story between Ellis and Easton. All the miscommunications, self worth, and words unsaid with a sharp honestly pulled my heart to all the feelings and arguments of my teen years. Dwyer’s writing kept me so invested to the story and at times mirrors another favorite author of mine Colleen Hoover, but with her own style.
This debut YA book is not to be missed and a perfect coming of age love story.

W-O-W. This book will put your emotions through the wringer--but in the best possible way. The writing was clean and crisp, in a way that almost makes it appear effortless. The author also does a fantastic job of really making you feel for these characters. I was along with Ellis for the entire ride, feeling every ache that she did. Despite all the heartbreak and angst, I'm happy to report that the ending left me feeling very satisfied. This book is going to be BIG!

Goodness, I loved this book. Some Mistakes Were Made is an emotional rollercoaster, moving from the past to the present through the pain and hurt of a broken relationship. Ellis and Easton are young sweethearts who are separated and once back together are trying to pick up those pieces and repair the relationship. The angst! I mean, SO MUCH ANGST. I could feel the emotions leaping off the page as I read, transported back to junior and senior years of high school and all the moments and feelings that return with that time. Kristin Dwyer is a powerful writer and the narrative is at times funny and serious and painful and yearning and lovely. I read Some Mistakes Were Made fast and want to read it again when it is published and I have the physical book in my hand. I am pretty sure that I will love the second read as much or maybe more than this first one. If you enjoy angsty young person love, I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

Well....this book made me ugly sob into my morning coffee! And I mean that in the best sense!

SMWM is a beautiful, heart-achingly poignant deep dive into the complex nature of first loves, and it transported back to my teenage years for sure! I connected so deeply with all of the characters and found myself wishing I could be a part of the Albrey clan!

I'm nowhere near as poetic as Easton, so my review can't properly convey how much I enjoyed this book, but it really was a wonderful read!

A fantastic debut! I highly recommend!

I WISH I WAS BETTER AT POETRY BECAUSE THIS REVIEW IS NOT GONNA SOUND ELOQUENT. I just have a lot of feelings about Ellis and Easton and literally everyone. And anyone who reads this review is gonna have to deal with that fact.

Guys. GUYS. G U Y S. When I say that the angst in this novel is perfect, I mean it’s just the right balance of asdfghdf and omfggggg. I could be drowning in my feels one chapter, and freaking out and doing that stupid grinning thing in the next chapter. Watching the history of Ellis and Easton was a pleasure. It was painful. it ended me a few times. And by a few times, i mean every few chapters I had a reason to melt into a puddle of limbs and emotions. Which is a gross metaphor, but allow me to refer you back to the part where I’m not poetic by nature.

One of the things I loveeeeed in this novel was how Ellis’s relationship with each of the brothers was different. Dixon is the perfect, protective older brother. Tucker is the best friend that we all wish we had. And Easton. Ugh. Need I say more? Also, as a whole, Kristin fucking nails the messiness of family. They’re rough and nosy and sarcastic and petty and caring and supportive and so completely imperfect.

There’s so much about this book to love. So much to fall for. So many reasons to adore the Albrey brothers. So many reasons to wanna give Ellis a hug.

Some Mistakes Were Made is wonderful. And angsty. And romantic. And fun. And soft. And not soft 👀. And asdfghjfdsasdf. And poetic. SO READ IT.

Okay. Im gonna go soak in my feels.

Before this, I was in a reading slump. Now, I get to have book hangover. In the future, I hope Kristin gives us more books full of angst and kissing.

I have no words. Only tears. This book was beautiful. It was so full of feeling. I immediately felt like I was 17 again.

All of the characters are so full. I felt connected to each one. But Easton and Ellis. Ugh. Their love. Their heartbreak. All the baggage. I can’t. I am wrecked.

I think my favorite quote of the whole book is “One day you will understand home isn’t walls and a roof, it’s a feeling that you get. And you get to pick who lives there.”

I feel this on so many levels. My life is filled with those that I have chosen to be my home. This book is so beautiful, Kristin. Just beautiful. Congratulations.

4.5 stars

WOW. This book is one I'm going to be thinking about for a long time. I finished it in about two sittings because it was impossible to put down. It wrecked me in all the right ways and gripped me to the very end.

The synopsis:

"Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton— into chaos she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.

Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Easton’s mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind... and with the boy she never stopped loving."

Golly, I'm going to be in a book hangover because of SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE. It's one I'm going to be re-reading because of how powerful and captivating it is. Real, gritty characters, FULL of emotion and a raw, rending love story. 4.5 stars!

A thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This book was GUT WRENCHING and so ACHINGLY PAINFUL in the most desirable way possible! It took hold of my heart from page one and kept it in a vice grip until the very last page. It has been a long time since I’ve read a book that has elicited the spectrum of emotions I felt while reading this one.

We all make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes can have life altering consequences. Ellis has not had an easy home life. She is not afforded the same opportunities as others. Then one day Easton walks into her life and her entire world is turned upside down. Some Mistakes Were Made is an emotionally gripping novel about first loves and all the heartache that comes along with it. It explores the impact the people in our lives can have on us, the intricacies of family, finding love and dealing with the loss of it, and how our decisions can change the course of our lives.

This book made me feel everything to such an intense level. The characters were written in such a way that made me really care about every single one of them. They each had a solid presence and a strong voice that was unique. Their emotions felt raw and real; exposed in a way that I felt like I was experiencing all their anguish and love myself.

Truly a masterfully written novel whose words will haunt your memory. One that you will want to go back and read again and again. A definite must-read.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC.

Love isn’t always enough

This is a line that I believe really encapsulates Some Mistakes were Made. It shows that sometimes in a relationship, you need more than love. This book really had an incredible theme and showed a side of love that we don’t generally see. I was either on the verge of laughing or crying while reading this novel. My heart was constantly in my throat and I just wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Ellis and Easton were childhood best friends who went through a tough event and developed some issues that separated them. Neither wanted to admit that they missed the other and some serious miscommunication set in. When Ellis and Easton both come back in, Ellis has to face some history with both her biological family and her found family, including Easton. I normally don’t like the miscommunication trope, but Dwyer wrote it amazingly. It worked for Ellis and Easton and was necessary for their story.

I love seeing their relationship grow first as kids and then grow again when they were a bit older and how it went back and forth between the past and current Reading about their friendship as kids where they would do anything for the other slowly turn into something more made reading about them working out their problems even better.

I also really enjoyed Ellis’s relationship with Tucker and Dixon, Easton’s brothers. Each relationship was unique and they just really accepted her into their family, even as kids. I really hope to eventually get their stories as well.

I already know this is a book I won’t forget, that it will be apart of my heart forever. If you’re a fan of either friends to lovers or enemies to lovers, check this book out. (Don’t ask me how there’s both tropes, you’ll have to read to find out.) If you’re just a fan of some serious character development and growth between two characters, read Some Mistakes we’re Made. I highly recommend it!

this was one of my most anticipated releases for good reason! stunning romance and characters, the plot was engaging and smooth. recommended for fans of kathleen glasgow and nina lacour!

Oh my goodness, did I love this story. Kristin Dwyer broke my heart into a million pieces and put it back together so lovingly. I adored Easton and Ellis' story. I love a second-chance romance and there was just so much righteous anger, so many burned bridges between the two of them, and still so much love. Dwyer paints the story of a protagonist with a tough family life who makes her own family and it was so beautiful and heart-breaking to read in the best possible way.

Can you always go home? That’s the question Ellis was grappling with a year after she was sent to California against her wishes. Going back to Indiana brings her past into her present and forces Ellis to come to terms with the mistakes that were made.

This book put me through the wringer, and I loved every second of it. I swear I experienced the full spectrum of emotions as I learned about Ellis, her family, the Albreys, and what mistakes the title was eluding to.

The story was told alternating between past and present, and the format resulted in a huge payoff for me as a reader. Each chapter made me wonder what happened and how did we get here. With each answer, I also had more questions. The buildup kept me turning those pages, and I was more than pleased with the emotional payoff.

The root of this story was the relationship between Ellis and the Albreys. Ellis came from a home where there was never enough – food, money, love. When Easton Albrey brought Ellis home, she was exposed to a different type of family and a different type of life. It was really touching the way the Albreys embraced Ellis and accepted her as one of their own, but she struggled with it all. Being in this in-between and feeling as though fully accepting the love of the Albrey family would be a betrayal to her own was a big issue for Ellis. Let’s just say I didn’t always agree with her decisions, but I understood them on some level.

There’s some romance in there too, and it’s messy. So much pining, worry, and things not said. This brand of emotional annihilation doesn’t always work for me, but because it was executed so well, I couldn’t help but be fully engrossed and invested. There were times I wasn’t sure my heart would be able to withstand the amount of pain I was feeling, but it did, and it was worth it.

Some Mistakes Were Made was an extremely emotional tale of love, family, and what makes a home. Ellis’ personal journey was gut-wrenching, but it was a journey worth taking. Each tear I shed brought me closer and closer to those happy tears as Ellis made peace with her past and moved forward toward the bright future she deserved.

4 stars

Read this book to witness the start of Kristin Dwyer's long and actively lauded career as a YA writer.

Readers meet Ellis, the m.c., at her high school graduation in San Diego (Southern California) and discover immediately that she has the kind of baggage that gets checked and comes with hefty fees. Through a seamless mixing of present-day events and flashbacks over the past few years, Ellis's circumstances become clearer. Ellis's biological family consists of a mother and father who are both exceptionally troubled, absent, and unreliable, and as a result of her bio parents' challenges, she is left to her own devices often. Fortunately for her, her dad's long-time friend/acquaintance/champion, Sandry, has taken basically the opposite path, and she - along with her husband and three sons - all semi-take in Ellis as a member of their family. Though Ellis has complex relationships with all five of these chosen family members, no one can deny that her best friendship/potentially more relationship with Easton (the youngest son) is one for the ages. It's clear from the start that SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE maybe by but definitely between these two, and the novel is one in-depth look into how we all get to the present moment.

So much works well in this novel, and that is largely a testament to Dwyer's style. Dwyer's writing flows smoothly, is compulsively readable, and importantly for this novel, affords her the opportunity to create a slow burn scenario that doesn't necessarily include many events but DOES include many, many, MANY feelings and thoughts (which readers learn *are not free*). The style alone makes me certain that I'll be enthusiastically reading any future works Dwyer produces.

What worked a little less for me here are two items: (1) some of the details around Ellis and Easton's relationship in its early stages and (2) an aspect of the ending. I detest spoilers, so I'll keep this vague. Ellis and Easton - when they are living in the same location originally - have a particular habit that I found extremely bizarre because it doesn't seem to fit with the kind of parenting that Sandry, especially, reveals throughout. It made me uncomfortable, and I don't think it was necessary. Also, I couldn't believe it would be just fine with the adults in the house...or even other members of the family. It's also no secret that Easton's family exists in a space of immense privilege. However, as LACKING that privilege is a huge part of who Ellis is, the circumstances toward the very end (staying detail-free) bothered me. As a side note, I have no problem with the names Ellis or Easton, but I will always think of this book as the Bret Easton Ellis YA novel and will also wonder if the alternative was to name Ellis Bateman and Easton Patrick.

Very minor gripes aside, any raving about this book is - for me - warranted. Dwyer has a knack for YA contemporary realism. I'll be looking forward to reading a lot more of that from this author and to recommending this one to my students.

I loved the Albrey family in this book! The brothers were so funny in the way that they gave each other such a hard time, but also so real in the way that they stood by each other. And when Ellis came into their lives, they all fell into step to make her a part of the family as well. And the mom in the book was also such a perfect character to this family! The only reason I wouldn't (couldn't) purchase this for my middle school library is the the very descriptive sex scene, and because the characters are mostly adults (other than the flashbacks). But overall, I enjoyed reading it!

Finishing a book at 2 am isn’t always a good idea. I end up forgetting what I want to write for a review.

Starting this book I felt like I was going to hurt and I did, all in the right ways! This book definitely had me really thinking about how other people view each other by where you live and how you act and who you are. Ellis was so hard on herself and what she deserves and what she doesn’t. She holds herself back by the events that happen in her life. The turmoil she goes through is so unnecessary, if there was just some open communication but I think that this was done in such a good way! Sometimes we overthink things and shut down. Sometimes we have to go through rough moments in life to learn and grow from them.

Kristin really captured what it was to be an adolescent and all the emotions we go through. And I definitely cried in all the right moments. I rooted for Easton and Ellis and I was mad at Ellis and Easton and it was amazing! Kristin’s writing is so lyrical and captivating! Reading every word I felt all the love and nurturing she put into this book! I can read this over and over again and I’m sure I’ll cry everytime!

I highly recommend you pick this one up, it’s one that should be read! Thank you Kristin for allowing me to read this early copy for my honest opinion!