Here is the thing, I did not finish this book and its because of me not the book.

The story is well written and I liked Cassie and Erin... I just can't get past the age-gap taboo thing. Like it's so repetitive and I normally don't read age-gap book but it's sapphic and I wanted to give it a shot.

Like I said, me dnfing this book has more to do with me than the story.

If you like a smutty-sapphic-age-gap romance, then read this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc of this book.

what an enjoyable read this was.
We meet Cassie, who doesn't really have much in the way of relationship skills, and Erin, a divorcee trying to continue her life. The two meet up at a bar, have a one-night stand, but then meet up again when Cassie goes with her bestie Parker for Family Day brunch , with Parker's mom, Erin!!
YIKES!!
The two are so drawn to each other, they continue hooking up, but try to keep it secret. Neither wants Parker to find out and be upset.
There are a lot of relationship ups and downs, emotional growth and maturing, and it ends up being just such a satisfying read. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book

This book was so flirty and witty and fun! I love a hush hush, sneaking around plot, and when it’s combined with forced proximity it is even better.

When Cassie buys a drink for the hot older woman, Erin, at the bar, she didn’t expect to end up hooking up in the back of a car soon after. And she certainly didn’t expect to see that same woman the next morning…at breakfast…with her best friend… because of course Erin was her best friend’s mom.

Cassie and Erin agree to never speak a word of their one brief encounter, and obviously it’ll never happen again! But after a handsy intermission during a show, a drunk phone call, and a holiday with no where to go, it seems Cassie and Erin aren’t so good at staying apart. When Cassie ends up spending the holidays with her best friend and her mom (yep, the same best friend’s mom she unknowingly hooked up with), it proves difficult for them to keep their hands to themselves. Obviously, the logical answer is a no strings arrangement, but only for the holidays, and definitely not when anyone else is in the house. Day by day, Cassie and Erin continue to connect on every level. Cassie teaches Erin to live life without such strict order, and Erin sees Cassie in a way no one has before.

And the spice?! I was not expecting it to be so hot tbh. I worried there would be s ton of drama and fighting when everything was finally revealed, but I was so pleasantly surprised at how maturely almost everyone involved handled it. The side characters were all hilarious and added so much to the story! This is definitely one of my favorite romcoms of the year, I already can’t wait to read it again!

DNF. I tried to get into it for literal months and i got to chapter 3 i think. i’m scared by everyone saying it’s a 5 star.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

DNFing at 41%.

I really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner’s Something to Talk About so I was excited to read Mistakes Were Made. On paper I feel like it sounds right up my alley; not to mention how many booksta friends have great things to say about it.

But basically the age gap part of the story doesn’t work for me. It made me feel a little ick TBH.

There are moments where the lines get uncomfortably blurred between this-is-my-BFF’s mom/this-is-my-daughter’s-BFF (with certain types of behaviors expected in those relationships) versus this-is-the-woman-I’m-very-attracted-to, like when Erin buys pajama sets for both her daughter and Cassie at Christmas or when Cassie is embarrassed to realize that she’s cursed in front of Erin. Those moments drew me out of their romance.

In addition, I just had a hard time understanding how casual both MCs were about how potentially devastating this could be for Parker. Cassie’s repeated immature responses about why Parker would be okay with it—or should be okay with it—grated. As did Erin’s willingness to hook up in places her daughter could easily possibly see, as another Goodreads reviewer has noted.

I don’t know. I just couldn’t get past those things, despite the other rewarding parts of the story, like Erin’s thoughts on pursuing dreams instead of approval & white male mediocrity.

Looking at reviews on Goodreads it seems like I’m very much in the minority but the age gap here just doesn’t work for me.

WOOF! Where do I even begin? I've read the author's previous book, and boy does this one knock it out of the water for me. I feel like someone looked into my head and said, "yeah, this is what you're into" and then put it on a page. This book is everything I could ever want out of a sapphic romance--hot sex, cute moments, smart characters with lots of chemistry. Mistakes Were Made was the sweet and spicy read I didn't know I needed in my life. I mean, I knew I needed it enough to request an ARC as soon as I could, but I didn't know just HOW much I needed it.
Cassie is easily one of my favorite characters of the year. Horny little aerospace himbette, my beloved...

Mistakes Were Made combines some great tropes and features: sapphic, age gap, taboo, and steamy.

I really loved the steam in Mistakes Were Made; it was really the best part of the book. The characters were also well-developed and had interesting dialogue. But I found the pacing to be off. Cassie and Erin were so wishy-washy and back and forth and it just.kept.going.

Also they were both kind of terrible at times. Cassie considers Erin’s daughter her best friend, yet how can she keep such a big, taboo secret from her? And likewise, Erin, she’s trying to fix her relationship with her daughter, but is willing to throw that away for a lusty fling?

Regardless of all those flaws, Mistakes Were Made was a fun and enjoyable read. I love having more sapphic representation in publishing and I will do my best to read them all.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the review copy!

My actual review is available on my Tiktok page, however, I did want to send a more professional review regarding this title in a written format. I actually LOVED this book. I read Something To Talk About last week and was super excited to read their next book and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to read the book in advance. I thought that the book was amazing representation wise as often I find a lot of titles in the LGBT romance section focus almost exclusively on homophobia, which is important, of course, but I was super thrilled to read this title and see that the book allowed readers a new kind of angst. I will say I found the ending to be gratifying considering I was dumbfounded on how this book could possibly have a positive ending for the characters. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I must admit, I do wish that the pacing had a few issues for me personally. I wasn’t particularly fond of the pacing when Cassie and Parker were feuding and believe that the issue between them could have been explored more whilst still having their issues with each other remain secret. Then again, that is just a personal preference. I loved this book so much and honestly, cannot wait to read another book from this author if they come out with a new book anytime soon. Thank you again for giving me this opportunity. 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc

DNF @ 5% (i know not very long)
This is a case of it's not you it's me, I just can't get over the amount of times the character's names have been said so far and I just don't think this is going to be for me

MISTAKES WERE MADE was my first Meryl Wilsner read, although I know others love her first novel! I was intrigued by the premise and excited to provide an honest review in exchange for the ARC I received from NetGalley.

MISTAKES WERE MADE is a quick read with a fascinating premise - Erin, a divorced 38-year old mom unknowingly sleeps with (and falls for) one of her daughter's (older) best friends. I really enjoyed the writing and the story overall, but aspects of the novel fell flat for me. Cassie seemed a bit young and immature at times for 21/22- especially in her interactions with her peers. The age gap isn't really addressed - the conflict focuses more on Erin's daughter Parker and how she will feel about the situation. This felt a bit unrealistic - especially given the large, 16-17 year age gap and Cassie being so young. In all, this novel was enjoyable if not entirely my cup of tea. Fans of Wilsner will likely love this story!

I really loved this book and pretty much read it straight through. All the characters (MCs and side characters) were fun. Sex scenes were hot.

The reason I’m not going all the way to five stars is that there was absolutely zero conflict within the couple. There was stress about their situation but no interpersonal conflict whatsoever. This is probably something some readers like, but to me it doesn’t feel real without an occasional annoyance or difference of opinion or moment of impatience. Getting past those moments, not the absence of them, is what love is to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When Cassie buys a drink for a beautiful older woman at a bar and later hooks up with her, she writes it off as a one night stand that she greatly enjoyed. The next morning, her friend Parker drags her to breakfast with her mom, and who is it but Erin, the hot older woman from the night before.

Parker can never know about Cassie and Erin. They know it's wrong - I mean, Erin is Parker's mom! But their chemistry is electric, and there might be something there...

Right off the bat, I appreciated that this was not a painful slow burn (as I found in the author's previous novel). I also really liked all of the main characters from the start - Cassie, Erin, Parker, and their friend Acacia.

I've heard some complaints that the book was a bit too long, but I disagree. I can see why people felt that way, but for me, I enjoyed following everything that happened in the story, whether it was "necessary" or not. The ending felt a bit unrealistic, but it still made an awesome ending, and I really enjoyed this story!

CW: sexual content, strained parental relationships, divorce

<i>“All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation / My hands are shaking from holding back from you” </i>

This is going to be the romance of the fall. Or, it better be. This book was SO GOOD! Cassie and Erin were so perfect.

Another reviewer described this book as “like being in on the most tantalizing secret,” and I completely agree. This felt like reading secret information that I shouldn’t have had access to.
The first two thirds of the book were definitely my favorite. When it came time to wrap things up, it felt a little rushed, and the major looming conflict was almost glossed over. I loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone.

<b>Things I Didn’t Love: Cassie saying she doesn’t have mommy issues (she <i>definitely</i> does), the major conflict resolution (predictable and too easy)
Things I Loved: Literally everything else</b>

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Goodreads for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had some ups and downs for me, but ultimately it was a book I couldn't put down. I like age gap romances, but at times the gap between Cassie and Erin felt a little too uncomfortabley close to "ick". Any time Cassie interacted with her friends or other college students, there was this juvenile quality to her, despite being 21/22. Getting past that, and some less than quality dialogue, the spicy scenes were top notch. Ultimately, the romance was cute and I like that the author let her characters "go there".

This book was fascinating and breathtaking. The concept and the execution were phenomenal and I am so glad I picked up this book. I picked this book up and finished it on the same day, I could not put it down! If you enjoy WLW relationships and age gap romances, this is definitely a book you should pick up. I can not recommend this book enough.

This was one of my most anticipated fall 2022 reads after really enjoying Meryl’s previous book, Something to Talk About. This one was so different - a lot steamier and very heartwarming. Once I got into the story, I couldn’t put it down.

The premise is pretty straightforward- Cassie hooks up with Erin one night at a bar and the next morning finds out that Erin is Cassie’s friend, Parker’s mother. What follows is a lot of sneaking around and swearing that neither one has caught feelings because they couldn’t imagine how to tell Parker.

I really loved the friendship between Parker, Cassie, and Acacia. All from different backgrounds and with different histories, female friendship during the college years is something so special. Erin and Cassie clearly have feelings and I just wanted them to address the elephant in the room sooner. When the inevitable conflict came, it wasn’t what I expected.

Content warnings: Cassie grew up with absentee parents; Parker is dealing with adjusting to her parent’s divorce

Thanks to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Hottest book of the year?

I admittedly was hesitant for MISTAKES WERE MADE, given that I'm not a huge fan of the age gap trope -- and here, the premise is that 21-year-old Cassie and 38-year-old Erin hit it off at a bar, the night before they find out that Cassie is Erin's daughter's friend. But Meryl Wilsner nailed their chemistry to the extent that I was sold; like, yes, of course these women are turning toward each other again and again.

I wondered if the book were a bit on the long side, but I think that's just what you're in for with a Wilsner romance -- that slow burn is there, even when there's a steamy scene off the bat. I absolutely loved having two bisexual main characters, as well as the theme of navigating between what you feel you "should" do and what you want to. The more I think of this one the more I like it. Rounding up to 5 stars for this wonderful bi rep and because it was just so spicy!

Let me start off by saying HOOOLLLLYYYYYYYYYYY F… This book was soooo much more steamier than I thought. Like wow, I had to take a breather a couple times. I was really, pleasantly surprised.

Now for the plot: this was really interesting, the age gap honestly made me so uncomfortable because like, Cassie COULD BASICALLY BE HER DAUGHTER.. I mean what ?????? That was a hard pill for me to swallow. Aside from that however, their relationship was cute, her and Erin had a lot of chemistry and their banter and flirting was so cute.

I really liked Acacia, she was such a chill character AND she was such a good friend to both Cassie and Parker. I didn’t like Parker for a good chunk of the book though, she was such a spoiled brat, I just couldn’t stomach her. She ended up growing on me though. I also didn’t like Erin and Cassie sneaking around and lying to her for literally the entirety of the book. Which Parker handled PERFECTLY in my opinion, because I don’t know what I would’ve done if that happened to me.

But alls well that ends well. And the epilogue was CUTE AS SHIT.

This was a cute, quick, STEAMY read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up.

Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC.

The premise behind the book is interesting and different. However the execution was a little slow and light on the plot.

I enjoyed the hell out of this book! It was entertaining, sexy, really sweet at times and also really funny (the charades scene had me DYING). There were several spicy scenes and I thought they were all fabulously written. Character wise, I absolutely loved Cassie and Erin. Great chemistry, amazing banter, both great characters on their own as well. Acasia was a delight. Parker, I disliked for about 85% of the book, but she did redeem herself in the end. She was just so bratty and whiny and acted like an eight year old and it was just frustrating for me. I liked the themes of not caring what other people think and doing what makes you happy, especially for Erin with her issues with her mother. And that epilogue! So sweet and clever and funny. This was just a fantastic read and not to mention, great bisexual representation. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!