This book is amazing, Meryl Wilsner has outdone themselves.

One of my favorite romances I've read in the past few years. I will admit I wasn't sure the author was going to be able to show a meaningful connection between the characters with such a wild premise but these characters were treated with so much care and I found myself fully engrossed in their story.

10/10 would recommend

This book was fun! It was very funny and a romcom staple! I was expecting a slow burn like the author's first book but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually witty the whole way around! I laughed out loud a few times too.

I really liked Cassie as a main character, as well as Erin, the love interest. I was fully bought by their dynamic and the funny situation they found themselves in! Also, a doctor and a STEM student, I haven't read that before and it was GOOD Y'ALL. I want this romance in my life!!!

The one thing I dislike about romance books is poorly executed third act conflicts and unfortunately, this one did not convince me. It fell flat to me and dragged the ending. I really dislike third act conflicts! Some romance books manage to do them well but unfortunately, it really did fall flat for me here.

Overall, Meryl Wilsner has a way to narrate that keeps you engaged and I highly appreciate that! I see this one being picked up many, many times and it's a great follow-up to Something to Talk About! Just the plot is hilarious, so imagine once you read it!

So, I read the MILF book.

Meryl Wilsner has an incredible writing style that gets to the heart of their characters so well. I felt like I could understand the motivations of both Cassie and Erin throughout the whole story. It was funny, it was sexy, and it packed an emotional punch! I do think that the age-gap trope just isn't my thing, but overall an enjoyable read.

I liked certain aspects of this book. It had lots of 🌶, and I liked the chemistry between Erin and Cassie. However, I wish the characters would’ve had a bit more depth to them.

The book everyone’s been talking about: The MILF Book. In “Mistakes Were Made” by Meryl Wilsner, 21-year-old Cassie hooks up with an older woman she met at a bar, only to discover the next morning at breakfast with one of her best friends that she hooked up with said friend’s mom.

I will be the first to admit that this book was out of my comfort zone, and I knew that going into it. Those feelings definitely lingered as I read, but I’m also glad to say that this book surprised me in a good way. I honestly enjoyed a lot of it!

The set up itself is hilarious and led to many great scenes of Cassie and Erin (the MILF) trying to act normal while Erin’s daughter, Parker, is around. It also creates immediate tension and conflict since they have to keep the relationship (initially a one night stand, which soon turns into more) a secret. This made for a very engaging read!

However, this conflict gets dragged out way too long without any developments. Obviously reading a book like this, you’re waiting for Parker to find out. Well that happens very late in the book, and in the meantime, the plot’s main conflict becomes Cassie and Erin developing feelings for one another and navigating their changing relationship. That may be many people’s cup of tea, but I was here for the drama, and there was too little of that in my opinion. When Parker does find out it’s deeply unsatisfying, too.

In terms of the age gap aspect, I didn’t actually have any issue with it, despite not being a big fan of those romances. While ultimately “not good with feelings,” Cassie is pretty experienced in relationships, maybe more so than Erin. I was pretty comfortable with their dynamic due to that and Cassie at least being of legal drinking age. I just could not get over the fact that Erin is Cassie’s friend’s mom. This is a personal bias, but I couldn’t get over that because imagining one of my best friends hooking up with and dating my mom is genuinely awful. And considering I related most to Parker out of these characters, it was hard not to think about it and cringe.

In terms of characters, their relationships, and their development, I thought both Cassie and Erin were quite well written and the progression of their relationship felt very natural. Erin’s struggle to live life on her own terms, as well as her relationship with her daughter having divorced her dad, were well written. It’s just not a plotline I’m very into at this point in my very young adult, college student life. That said, I loved the chapters set at college. I have yet to read many books with a college setting, so as a college student those were really fun.

Acacia, the kids’ other best friend, was a really loveable character. Her and her family’s relationship with Cassie is so sweet, and led to the most heartfelt moments in the book. I do wish Acacia got to have a bit more of her own plotline, besides for being Cassie’s emotional support, but I get that that wasn’t the point of the book. As for Cassie’s own family, I was surprised by the lack of relevance Cassie’s terrible relationship with her own mother had in this story. It’s the milf book! How are Cassie’s probable mommy issues only going to come up once in an argument then not be analyzed further? There’s no way it didn’t have an impact on her relationship with Erin!

There were a few miscellaneous things that made me uncomfortable besides for the plain fact of Cassie dating her friend’s mom. They have sex while Parker is in the house, there are times were Erin’s treatment of Cassie is way too similar to her treatment of her daughter, and Erin and Parker both call Cassie by the same pet name. Personally, these things just icked me out a lot.

Overall, “Mistakes Were Made” is a well written and interesting book with a premise I just couldn’t get super into. While this book wasn’t for me, many other people will enjoy it, and I genuinely liked the writing. I will absolutely be reading Wilsner’s other novel, “Something to Talk About.”

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of “Mistakes Were Made” in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, I loved this so much! One of my favorite rom-coms I have read this year. Cassie and Erin meet at a bar, both escaping from the parent weekend at the local college. What I loved about this book is that no time was wasted getting to the smut! Things got even steamier when they are re-introduced the next morning at brunch. The hot older woman who hoisted her on to the bathroom counter mere hours ago is none other than her best friends’ mom.

Did it play on Cassie’s mommy issues a tad too much? Sure. Was it cringe? At times but so are all romance novels. I was invested in the couple but Cassie’s friends weren’t just plot fillers. Acacia, Cassie’s other best friend, was black and her personality was pretty well developed. Far too often (especially in this genre) I see so many token black/brown “best friends” written with zero depth or consideration of culture. You can tell the author was trying to write a meaningful friendship and not just seem inclusive.

The angst felt a little drawn out but I think the real issue was a wanted the sex to get increasingly kinkier. It started strong but didn’t progress as much as I wanted it to in that respect. There was so much potential with the sexy MILF vibes. I wanted it to just go a a step further! Maybe that was just me?

I can’t wait to read more of this author. A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this one!

So, after reading Wilsner’s first book, I was expecting this to be something more along those lines - very slow burn, low steam, FTB. Holy light of Lathander, was I ever wrong. This starts off with a sex scene, and from there, the chemistry between Cassie and Erin is almost tangible. On top of that, Cassie and Erin’s friendship has a real depth to it. Between all their dates and conversations and everything they do for each other, it’s really clear that Cassie and Erin aren’t just super compatible sexually, but also in a calm, relaxed life partner sort of way.

On top of that, I love the way this book was plotted and the pacing. By the last 25%, you better believe I was gripping my phone so hard, I was in danger of cracking the screen. It got tense and I was honestly nervous about how it would all resolve. I do like how it the ended. I can’t say too much about it because it’s all *spoilers* but it all came together well. I do think the ending is the weakest link in the chain, but only in comparison to how strong the rest of the book is and none of that is nearly enough for me to knock off so much as half a star.

I have no idea what to expect now of Wilsner, but holy crackers, Batman, I am super in on whatever Wilsner writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe I've just read too many romances lately and they've all been blurring together, but this was a disappointment. It took me ages to get through it and there was no payoff whatsoever. Cassie was super annoying and Erin was just boring (plus I'm still wondering how a doctor has that much time on her hands). Their chemistry wasn't there. The book was way too long and even generally enjoying sex scenes I skipped through at least three of them because there were just too many of them. I really liked Meryl Wilsner's debut but this was not a great follow-up.

MILF BOOK!

This was one of my most anticipated romance reads of the year and it did not disappoint! Mistakes Were Made is a sexy and funny sapphic, forbidden love, age-gap romance featuring a cast of bi women. Meryl Wilsner knocks this book out of the park and I'm already looking forward to whatever they write next.

I loved this book! The best friend's mom trope is smoothly done, and I get a real sense of the connection between the main characters. Plus, hot. Like, really.
The friendships in the story were dynamic, and I felt like I was sitting hanging out with them. Plus, hot. Like, really.
It's a winding road to an HEA, but so worth the trip!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner’s Something to Talk About, so I was ecstatic for Mistakes Were Made, and it did not disappoint!

Cassie, a college student, and Erin, a mother of a college student, have a steamy one-night stand when they meet at a bar during parents’ week. Cassie quickly finds out that Erin is her best friends Mother, and they must keep their rendezvous a secret. The chemistry between Cassie and Erin is off the charts, and the supporting characters bring interesting dynamics between the group.

All-in-all this sapphic, age-gap, forbidden love romance was such a treat! From the first page, I was laughing and blushing with delight. I definitely recommend this to those looking for a spicy sapphic romance, that also has some depth to it, plus a happy ending!

Five stars.

This was fabulous. I read Something to Talk About, so I already knew what to expect with Meryl Wilsner's writing, but they still blew me away. I loved everything about this: the premise, Cassie, Erin, the supporting cast. It isn't easy to pull off a new adult novel with a huge age gap and a somewhat major taboo like this, and as I started the book, I was worried about all the ways it might come across as problematic, even predatory. But Mistakes Were Made succeeded at conveying a relationship between two adults with equal power, who have the same goals, and who are good for each other. I loved the tension that the premise created, and this is hands-down the best use of "just FWB who go on dates sometimes." I liked how the climax had an internal focus instead of taking the easy, boring drama of a meltdown from Parker. Basically every paragraph of this book was thoughtful and well-crafted.

I am so happy to find that Meryl Wilsner is going to be a consistently successful writer, because I am beyond excited to see what else they have in store.

** spoiler alert ** Something To Talk About is one of my favorite books that I have read countless times, so needless to say, I have been super excited for Mistakes Were Made, and it definitely did not disappoint!

Something To Talk About is a slow burn with a somewhat chaste sex scene at the end and this is the exact opposite- and I love it! In Mistakes Were Made, Cassie and Erin start off with a back-of-the-rental-car hook up and the heat is maintained throughout the entire book. This book is super steamy but there are some great tender moments as they are building their relationship (I love that they cook together over FaceTime!!).

Wilsner has a great talent for making the reader feel a very strong connection to the characters. You can really feel the pull Cassie and Erin have toward each other as well as their internal conflict about what they're doing. You can also feel the emotional growth that Cassie has to become the person who can be in a long term relationship with Erin.

I thought it was great that there was no "breakup" because the external conflict of the relationship between Erin, Parker, and Cassie was definitely enough. I thought it was even greater that Parker knew almost the entire time! Perhaps the only thing missing is a conversation with Parker about Cassie becoming her stepmom. I was waiting for it and it never happened, however I read an arc so it's possible it might be added in the final version.

This book was amazing and I will be buying physical and audiobook copies!

Thank you so very much to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ebook arc!

I enjoyed this romance immensely. I loved the character’s interactions with each other—their flirting was fun and realistic. They made each other giddy and that made me feel giddy while reading. The sex scenes were 10/10. I also liked the way the conflict with Erin’s daughter was handled. It was different than what I expected with this trope, but in a good way.

Highly recommended picking this book up.

I absolutely adored "Something To Talk About" and "Mistakes Were Made" did not let me down. While, as a teacher, I don't know if I would feel comfortable recommending this book to my students because of the level of steam (not saying they shouldn't be allowed to read it, I just don't think I want to be the person recommending it), this was such a joy to read. I loved how the relationship between Parker and her mother developed throughout the book and the chemistry between Cassie and Erin was truly everything someone who loves a spicy, yet heartfelt, book could hope for.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

the milf book!!! the milf book!!! the milf book!!! i genuinely screamed when i got the email saying i was approved for an arc <3

this book did everything it was supposed to (hot milf + smut). i found myself hooked from the first page and not just because of the steam ;) the characters were so fun and i found myself routing for them outside of the romance. loved the couple growth, the individual growth, and the other relationships mentioned throughout the book. over all, this was a great time and i definitely recommend it!

This book was great! I am so happy and grateful I was approved for an advance copy. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. It was hot as hell and fluffy, but also very emotional without excessive drama.

Erin and Cassie have lots of chemistry and the sex scenes are 🔥
The humour in this book is 👌

I can't wait for Mistakes Were Made to come out so I can buy a physical copy and tab the heck out of it!

My only issue with it was that the transition between scenes weren't always smooth and it was distracting, but nothing that affected my enjoyment of the story.

Meryl Wilsner is definitely becoming one of my favourite sapphic romance authors and I can't wait too see what they come up with next! Highly recommend :)

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

CWs: misogyny, toxic relationship, alcoholism, parental estrangement, child neglect mention (not on page), cheating mention (not on page), heavy drinking.
***
File this one under “cute couple, but they’re definitely going to break up.”

I enjoyed many parts of this book. Especially chanting “MILF BOOK, MILF BOOK” when referring to it to anyone for any reason. It was funny, breezy and an overall good time. I need good banter in my romance novels, and this book definitely delivered on that front.

Before I read this, I saw @amivireads on TikTok point out that there are a number of uncomfortable and tokenizing lines about side characters of colour that are completely unnecessary and take away from the plot. Reading it myself, I agree 100% and I was glad to recently read that the author does plan to edit out the lines in the final version of the book.

This is obviously an age-gap romance, and that aspect was actually fleshed out and worked well – the initial relationship was miraculously believable (despite me being firmly in the camp ‘it would never work out long term to be your best friend’s step-mom). I mean the parts where I cringed it was more for funny reasons (TFW THE GEN Z WOMAN TEXTS THE GEN X WOMAN AND SHE IMMEDIATELY CALLS HER BACK LOLLLL). Also when the Gen Z’s are bantering about the 22-year-old being old, and say “were you born in the nineties?” Good lord.

Wilsner is one of my favorite authors. This book was smart, steamy, and a easy, quick read! Great LGBTQ+ representation for the romcom genre.

4.5 ⭐️rounded up
4🌶

OOOHH THIS BOOK!!!

Mistakes Were Made is a cute, incredibly steamy rom-com that made me laugh, swoon, and often fan myself. This is the first book I’ve read by Meryl Wilsner, and I’m excited to see what they write next!!

quick summary:

Needing to escape her college’s Family Weekend, Cassie goes to a bar off-campus and meets an older woman, Erin. After a drink and some flirting, the stranger becomes a one-night stand Cassie expects never to see again. That is until the next morning when her best friend asks her to have breakfast with her mom, who happens to be the same woman from the bar. Will they be able to put their attraction and chemistry aside? What could go wrong if they decide to hookup some more?

thoughts:

I found this book to be an easy read, I couldn’t stop myself from binge-reading the entire book!

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Cassie and Erin!! My favorite doctor and engineer!! They are the cutest. They had AMAZING chemistry between them, which was instantaneous!! The sexual tension, all the steamy talk, and banter were incredible!! I really loved their unexpected relationship, which they hid from Erin’s daughter, Parker. Their secret relationship had me on my toes the entire time! It was so entertaining and I was waiting to see what happened next; I also LOVED how they made time for each other. Their character development throughout the book was something I adored!

Beware, this book brings all the heat! It started from chapter 1, and many, if not most, chapters had spice!

This book had not only the best romance but also the best friendships! Cassie and her friends, Parker and Acacia, were so precious! Honestly, I could read a book just about their friendship! They are best friends and you can really see how much they love each other. Their interactions had me smiling and wishing I was part of their friend group. I did want to see more interactions with Parker towards the end of the book. But, other than that I think that they are fantastic, they are the definition of a found family!

Overall, it’s a spectacular novel! It offers what it promises and way more! One of my favorite reads this year!

If you enjoy contemporary romance novels with amazing friendships, tension, and lots of spice, then this one is for you!!

Read if you like:
→ F/F romance
→ Age gaps (38, 21)
→ Dual POV
→ Instant attraction
→ Steamy romance
→ Forbidden romance (best friend’s mom)
→ Explicit open-door romance
→ Women in STEM


⚠️TW: alcoholic parent, abandonment by a parent, cheating (brought up and off page, not the mc's relationship).

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!! <3