I'm always drawn to Sapphic romances featuring middle-aged women, so Mistakes Were Made immediately caught my attention. While the story was entertaining and lighthearted, I struggled to connect with the characters and fully invest in the central romance. That said, it’s an enjoyable read with some excellent love scenes—perfect for a quick vacation pick.

The plot kicks off with college senior Cassie ducking out of family weekend by hitting a bar off-campus. There, she meets Erin, who's avoiding her ex-husband while he takes their daughter—Cassie’s college freshman best friend—to dinner. What begins as a passionate one-night stand quickly becomes complicated when both women show up to breakfast the next morning and realize their unexpected connection. Despite agreeing a relationship would be a bad idea, the two can't seem to stay away from each other—even across state lines. What follows is a lot of sneaking around and repeated insistence that it’s "just a fling," which any romance reader knows is never the case.

My biggest issues with the book were the lack of emotional depth in the relationship and the age gap dynamic. Beyond the undeniable physical chemistry, I didn’t feel there was much to justify a lasting connection. And while age-gap romances aren’t inherently problematic, Cassie being only 22 made it harder for me to fully buy into the pairing. It helped somewhat that neither character seemed to act their age—Cassie is, of course, mature beyond her years, and Erin doesn’t quite resemble any near-40 doctor I’ve met. Still, if you're into witty banter and extremely steamy scenes, this book offers a fun and escapist ride, ideal for a beach day.

A sexy, funny, and surprisingly tender story about an unexpected romance between a college student and her best friend's mom. The chemistry is sizzling, but the emotional growth and exploration of messy relationships really drive the heart of the book. It's bold, awkward, and refreshingly real. Perfect for fans of character-driven contemporary romance.

This book is a delightful rollercoaster of unexpected romance and complicated relationships. When Cassie Klein’s attempt to dodge Family Weekend leads to a one-night stand with a charming stranger, she never expected that mysterious woman to turn out to be her friend’s mom, Erin Bennett. The awkward breakfast that follows is just the start, as Cassie and Erin find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither anticipated. The chemistry between them is undeniable and watching them navigate their secret rendezvous is incredible. This story tackles the complexities of love with a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, making it a refreshing take on romance that’s hard to put down.

What do we have here? Best friends mom, so there's an age gap!
She didn't know this though!!!
Until the next morning.
Overall I enjoyed this! Would recommend if you're looking for a sapphic romance.

*Mistakes Were Made* by Meryl Wilsner is a fun, steamy sapphic romance with great chemistry and engaging characters. While the writing is strong and the relationship dynamic is compelling, the significant age gap may not work for all readers. Still, it's an entertaining read with plenty of heart and heat.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

While I did not love this entire storyline, the premise was fun, the writing was fresh and we love a MILF romance! I'd love to read more like this for sure.

*Mistakes Were Made* by Meryl Wilsner had a promising premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. The book follows an intriguing setup, where a romance develops under complicated circumstances. While the idea of exploring forbidden attraction and the messy consequences of mistakes was compelling, the execution fell flat for me.

The characters felt one-dimensional at times, and I struggled to connect with them on a deeper level. The chemistry between the leads was supposed to be the driving force, but instead, it felt forced and didn’t have the emotional impact I had hoped for. Additionally, some of the plot twists felt too contrived or out of place, making the story feel less genuine.

The writing style was fine, but there were moments where the pacing dragged, and I found myself losing interest. Overall, *Mistakes Were Made* is a book that has potential, but it didn’t resonate with me the way I’d hoped. I can see others enjoying it, especially if they’re into steamy, flawed love stories, but it just didn’t work for me.

Fun forbidden romance with a good amount of chemistry - but also feels like it could've balanced the story with less smut almost? I wasn't as connected to their relationship.

Giving five stars! Always try sapphic books and this one did not disappoint!! I love love loved this read! Funny and romantic!

This was okay. I really didn’t care for the plot or characters or writing style which was a bummer. Not for me, but others might enjoy and appreciate it!

Wilsner is loved in the WLW reading community. Her characters feel three dimensional and relatable. It's easy to invest in the story and where it's going.

Oh goodness…. I really really really really tried with this one!! I wanted to enjoy it so bad as I previously really enjoyed this author’s other lesbian romance but I could not get on board with this dynamic. I ended up stopping about 60% of the way through because of the situations… I ended up being more uncomfortable and stressed than anything!! Very sad for me honestly

There’s something charming about this book, but it doesn’t fully deliver. The plot has some interesting elements, but it often feels predictable and lacking in originality. The characters are relatable, but their arcs feel too familiar to stand out. It’s an enjoyable book, but it doesn’t quite bring anything new to the table. I would recommend it if you're looking for a light read, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

This book was everything I hoped it would be - steamy and messy, but it still managed to be sweet at the same time. I don’t read many age gap romances, and I think this may be my first with a f/f love story. I liked both of the main characters and while they were a little instalusty, I was still rooting for them to end up together. Also, always here for some bisexual rep!

If you’re looking for a sweet and steamy f/f romance definitely check out Mistakes Were Made!

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for a review copy. This is my third Meryl Wilsner book and I look forward to reading many more!

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner is a fun, slow-burn romance with plenty of tension and heartfelt moments. The story follows two women, Kara and Taylor, who meet under not-so-ideal circumstances. Kara is a college senior, and Taylor is her professor—definitely a tricky situation. The two develop a connection that’s hard to ignore, but navigating their feelings while trying to keep things secret adds a layer of complexity to their relationship.

What I really enjoyed about the book was how real the characters felt. Kara is figuring out who she is and what she wants, while Taylor is dealing with her own personal struggles and the ethical dilemmas of being involved with a student. The romance feels organic, and even though there are some intense moments, it’s balanced with humor and warmth.

The chemistry between Kara and Taylor is undeniable, and the book does a great job of exploring themes like power dynamics, personal growth, and the messiness of relationships. The pacing is steady, with enough drama and emotional depth to keep things interesting without feeling overwhelming.

It's a romance between a 38-year-old, Erin, and a 22-year-old college senior Cassie ... who is good friends with Erin's 18-year-old kid. So cute, they deserved their happy ending. Also like everyone in this book is bisexual! Love it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book,

Unfortunately, I have decided that this wasn’t the book for me and will not finish reading.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read this book and look forward to future ones.

I enjoyed Meryl's previous book and this one sounded interesting.

I liked Cassie and Erin well enough. They're both loving and loyal and they have a lot of chemistry. I loved Cassie's friends and even though some of the group gatherings had way more characters than I could keep track of, it was fun to read everyone interacting.

Plot wise, it was okay. I get that the lust ruled these two, especially with the age difference and distance between them; however, I wanted more of a showing that they were moving into something permanent. The last third of the book quickly ramped up the tension, just to resolve it in a page or two and then the HEA epilogue.

Overall, I was interested enough to see how it was going to play out, but definitely wanted more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

What a fun book! I loved this storyline and I was invested in where Cassie and Erin were going to end up. I did feel it was a bit dragged out, toeing the line between perfect length and a too-long romance. I'm happy I read it and I will for sure be reading more of this author.!