I've never read Wilsner before so I figured I'd give this one a chance and I'm very glad I did because this was HOT. I will definitely be reading more in the future!

I'm not interested in yucking someone's yum. I love age gap romance. However, it's so WEIRD that the main character falls in love with her college roommate and best friend's mom. And then they continue to screw around with her in the same house. I was uncomfortable the whole time reading this, I really think there needed to be just one more degree of separation between the characters. It was a no for me JUST for that reason. Take out that variable and I'd be singing a very different tune.

This book is called the “MILF” book for a reason! The fast paced storyline of Erin and Cassie made it so easy to get lost in their world. I’ve always favored the forbidden love trope and this gave me everything I could want and more.

This was just what I needed and then some! I really liked each of the characters and I think that while they did make for a hot couple, the pacing in their respective journeys felt a little inconsistent at times.

Compared to Meryl's other books, this wasn't an immediate favorite of mine. I liked the premise and the concept of the romance. But in execution it fell flat for me and the characters were more grating than lovable. However, if you're looking for a steamy sapphic romance then you will definitely find that here! Especially if you're a fan of age gap couples.

This was a cute no nonsense romance. I loved Erin and Cassie’s connection and they had some steeeeeamy moments 😅 I thought the ages of the characters were appropriately written as well, especially with the 20 year age gap basically. Parker and Acacia were also a great addition to the story! Also, isn’t it most people’s dream to date their best friend’s hot mom??

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

This is a "forbidden romance" book but there's a 17 year age gap, which makes things feel a bit ... wrong?? The characters were well developed, so the writing was well done, but just wasn't exactly my cup of tea! I would still read another book by this author assuming there wasn't a 17 year age gap.

LOVE! Chef's kiss! There's a reason they call this the MILF book - it's hot and inspired me to be a MILF in my next life. Happy I read this before Cleat Cute because I don't think I could have given Meryl a chance had I not devoured this one in one sitting.

Speaking of bangers: MISTAKES WERE MADE (Griffin, 344 pp., paperback, $16.99) is what the author, Meryl Wilsner, describes as their MILF book, a Sapphic age-gap romance where a brash college senior (Cassie) unwittingly hooks up with her best friend’s divorced mom (Erin) before Family Weekend.

And then again during the a cappella concert.

And then while visiting over winter break. And then — well, you get the idea. It’s a sitcom firehose of problems, self-inflicted as sitcom problems often are, awkward and humiliating and verging on dangerous.

There are gentle approaches to fraught tropes, and then there are books that wallow in the mess. This book is mess with a capital M: I chortled when Cassie’s roommate texted in bafflement: “Also wtf just control yourself?” Cassie and Erin’s relationship is a string of small but incredibly unwise choices that inevitably pull them into full-blown disaster.

Which is, of course, what makes it so much fun for the reader. “Oh noooo,” I kept whispering, rapt with secondhand excruciation.

It’s wonderful when a second novel turns out this well. Wilsner’s Hollywood-set debut made me feel a shade more anxiety than I enjoy in my romance, but this one struck just right, with a mix of college-party shenanigans and family-holiday pressure that felt real enough to relate to but escapist enough to enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book! TLDR my rating is a 3.5/5, a perfect book to get you in a sexy mood and for those of us who love a bit of insta romance! I feel like i read a whole lot of sexy scenes and a really cute romance towards the end and i have to say i enjoyed it alot! The entire dynamic between the two MCs was enjoyable for those who love a good insta romance (which I am!) and I liked the gradual building up of feelings between them. I didnt think my brain would get past the age gap but i think the way the romance was written made me forget about the age gap. The writing was good, the sexy scenes were written really well, I had one big criticism of the book which was that I wish there weren’t so many extraneous side characters that didnt add much to the overall plot of the book. One character in particular felt like she was added in as a best friend for the sake of racial diversity but didn’t really add anything else to the book. Overall I had a fun time reading it and it was just a good old romcom!

I am a big fan of Meryl Wilsner's writing and character depictions, and Mistakes Were Made continues that trend. When she tackles an age difference romance in this tale, it's a fun romp with depth.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Cassie and Erin's unexpected encounter at a bar was supposed to be a one-time thing. However, fate has other plans when they run into each other the next day – Erin turns out to be the mother of Parker, whom Cassie is having breakfast with. They both agree not to let things get weird and to forget their encounter. That is until they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other again, whether it's sneaking a kiss at Parker's a cappella concert or getting closer over Christmas at Parker's house.

This book turns up the heat compared to Wilsner's first novel, offering plenty of steamy scenes. But for those who prefer to focus on the narrative, these scenes are easy to skip without losing the essence of the story. The romance is intensified by the age difference between Cassie and Erin and the 'forbidden' aspect of their relationship, which stems from keeping secrets from Parker, not their bisexuality or age gap. It's a refreshingly heartfelt and engaging romance.

Maybe more sex than plot but a great time honestly. I really enjoy Meryl’s writing and will continue to support their work

An excellent read overall! I found everything I was looking for in a romance even though this is not typically my go to! An excellent read!

I needed to pick up this book as soon as I saw the author describe it as idiots-to-lovers, and I was not disappointed. Meet Cassie: college senior, loveable loner, and future astronaut (ok, actually an aerospace engineer, but that's just semantics). A friendly one-night stand with a hot, older woman could not go more wrong when brunch the next morning reveals a crucial detail-- she's the mom of Cassie's friend. Erin's struggled to put herself out there since the divorce, and a fun night seems like a great way to distract herself from worrying about her freshman daughter. Things only get worse when the two can't stop thinking about each other. And when Erin's daughter begs for her best friend, Cassie, to be able to come stay for the holidays. And when Erin can't say no. Determined that nothing further will happen between them, obviously, things are going to happen.

This book was hilarious and over-the-top in some of the best ways. As our two leading ladies sneak around and worry about not only discovery but the arrival of pesky feelings on the scene (for Erin, anyway-- Cassie is oblivious to her own emotions), they manage to squeeze in a lot of romantic moments. From flowers delivered on Valentine's Day to video chats while cooking to an unexpected pair of scuba fins, it's a sweet, heartfelt love story. The situation presents plenty of tense moments that I expected to see on some level from the premise, but it was the little, domestic moments that surprised me with the force of a welcome hug.

This is a delightful sapphic romance that works in age gap tropes in a way I've never liked quite as much. It's well-considered and plots a strong emotional journey for two protagonists with plenty of baggage to sort through. I love where they end up and getting to come along for the ride. It's also hella spicy, and the threat of getting caught only makes our ladies more creative and daring. For a contemporary romance strong on feelings, humor, and spice, I highly recommend this expertly navigated queer disaster gone right. Thanks to SMP Romance for my copy to read and review!

The chemistry and love between these two were everything! I really enjoyed this one. I love a good age gap and forbidden romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up purely because it had been described as “the MILF book,” and it did not disappoint. When there was a sex scene within the first eight pages of a book, I expected the book to be more spice than plot—which wouldn’t have been a problem for me at all. However, I was pleasantly surprised because Mistakes Were Made struck the perfect balance between spice and plot.

There was such amazing character growth for Cassie and Erin, and the emotional slow-burn of them getting together after their initial meeting was so well done. How Wilsner was able to write such effective mutual pining while the characters were actively hooking up was nothing short of amazing. Their chemistry was off the charts, even when they were separated. I loved the long-distance texting and FaceTime dates; they’re two of my favorite micro-tropes, and there aren’t nearly enough books that do it so effectively.

I loved the found family aspect of this book. It was a little messy, considering Erin was Cassie’s friend’s mother, but that didn’t detract from the tight-knit friend group feel. The messy conflict was also handled really well at the end.

Mistakes Were Made was heartfelt and fun, and I can’t wait to see what Wilsner does next.

the relationship felt a bit oversimplified and i don’t think the story could have progressed without the sex scenes. this was a quick, fun read but i would have loved just a bit more substance.
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What a fun romp of a read. Meryl Wilsner solidifies her ability with this follow up to her debut novel, Something to Talk About.

Didn't realize I was missing out on sapphic age-gap reads until I found this one!
Cassie and Erin's chemistry was on FIRE from the jump though I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed in the end because of it. The writing was great and the development of each of the characters was super well done, but the pacing wasn't always there for me.

Let's get something out of the way real quick - I love spice in books, but I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the story didn't suffer a tiny bit from how many scenes there were. Like I said, I'm not complaining because the market is so saturated with MF smut and there's 100% a need for more out there, spicy sapphic books, but I could have done with a couple less scenes of them hooking up without it necessarily furthering the relationship.

Now, let's talk about the characters - a lot of times I find that characters make certain decisions that are more convenient than true to character just to move the plot along, but that wasn't the case here. I always felt that the motivations were consistent and made sense, and both of our MCs felt like they could be real people (a concept, I know). It was interesting to me that Parker (daughter/best friend) wasn't super prominent in the story, seeing as her relationship to both Erin and Cassie is the main reason this relationship is forbidden (age-gap aside).

Overall I really loved this story and would read other books from this author.