Looking for a steamy lesbian romance and fantastic relationships? Look no further. Wilsner wastes no time jumping right in to the heat, but what could have been a one dimensional sapphic story quickly delves into developing characters you are almost immediately rooting for. I didn't want the story to end. I'll devour anything Wilsner writes; I only hope I don't have to wait too long for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for me honest review.

I read and enjoyed Meryl Wilsner's debut, so I was excited to get my hands on this book. However I found myself not enjoying it as much as I hoped because I just could not get over the absurdity of a mom sleeping with their daughter's best friend/sleeping with your best friend's mom. However, that will not influence my rating/review since I know that's very much a sexy, off-limits, forbidden romance trope (one that deserves to have some wlw representation). So that issue is very much a me problem, as I think a lot of people will love the book BECAUSE of the forbidden love.

This book does love scenes very well, if you're looking for a spicy romance you will enjoy this. There are multiple steamy scenes, definitely more than your average rom-com. However where this book fell flat for me was the lack of depth to the characters. Don't get me wrong there is really great chemistry between them, I just wish that they were more well rounded on their own. We know that Erin is a doctor, and that Cassie is a physics student with goals of being an aerospace engineer, but otherwise we don't learn very much about their internal motivations. The other thing is that I wish the author had further explored the daughter in all of this. Throughout the book we know that Parker (Erin's daughter/Cassie's best friend) is the main obstacle to the relationship, but her coming to terms with her mom and friend sleeping together happens almost entirely off-page.

Even with that said, this was a fun and steamy romance and I definitely do recommend!

My review is posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Mistakes Were Made. I was excited by the premise but I didn’t realize that one of the MC’s would be so young. I like May-December storylines but I don’t connect as well when the character is so young. I loved the immediate steaminess and the flirty banter.

This book was decidedly not for me. I read romance for the EMOTIONS. The pining, the yearning, the developing FEELINGS. And I didn't get those here, it's more focused on them having sex. Which is absolutely fine, just not my preference.

I also did find the emotional part towards the end to be very rushed. Suddenly they realized they had feelings for each other and I just didn't buy it. Their relationship so far had been in secret as well, so that Parker, Erin's daughter and Cassie's friend, wouldn't find out. Then suddenly we find that she has known all along and has been coming to terms with it privately and is now completely okay with it. That felt like a huge cop out to me and I would have liked to have seen their relationship with Parker play out more too. In the end I feel like I barely emotionally connected to any of the characters, because I just didn't feel like I knew them.

Thank you to St. Martin Press and NetGalley for sending this ARC for me to enjoy and give an honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can we talk about this cover, because it is PERFECT!!! So beautiful!

I really enjoyed reading Mistakes We’re Made but it was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster! I knew from the first chapter that this book would have me intrigued throughout it.

Cassie’s and Erin’s chemistry was off the charts and you could feel that page after page. Even with the age gap I feel like the power balance was evenly shared between the two. I was cheering for them the entire book!

There were definitely some steamy parts of this book 🔥 but it was perfectly balanced throughout with an actual storyline. I loved the character building throughout, even the secondary characters. It never felt like there were too many people being mentioned. But we could have done without Adams chauvinistic self but I understand the pet he played!

I have read both of Wilsners books now and I think she blew this one out of the park! You could not go wrong with this quick read!

Meryl Wilsner’s sophomore book Mistakes Were Made did not deliver the thrilling romance it set out to do. I couldn’t put this book down for all the wrong reasons.

I can’t help but wonder what the true plot of this book was meant to be. I read the summary, I read the book itself, but I cannot pinpoint what I missed along the way. Cassie and Erin had no development outside of their relationships with one another (namely scenes where they interact) and I felt like the story mirrored that lack of development. The progression of the relationship came from the increasingly explicit scenes while the emotional maturity of the two—especially Cassie—was nowhere to be found. None of the characters had significant development, let alone distinct personalities. The reason I ask about the plot is because this book read like a “porn without plot” style of story riddled with miscommunication for minor conflict arcs that did little to aid in any sort of character development.

From the very beginning, I found Cassie’s character almost unbearable. In what seemed like an effort to make her witty and mysterious, her age was highlighted through immature language (i.e. an excessive use of the word “tits” along with other grossly objectifying terms) making it almost impossible for me to believe that Erin would genuinely embark in a romantic relationship with someone of her age. While the age gap itself was not an issue, it was also not something that was ever addressed by either character or plot point. Considering Cassie and Parker’s relationship, I expected the author to ensure Cassie was not only emotionally mature, but that she and Erin would have had a real conversation about the implications of their relationship as two consenting adults with a connection to Parker.

The characters’ never-ending guilt over Cassie being Parker’s friend was equally exhausting. A good 60% of the book is spent reminding the reader of that fact while simultaneously having the women engage in sexual relations over discussing their feelings. The lack of communication and true conflict where we could then see the characters engage in proper conflict resolution made the relationship seem gratuitous on the author’s end, meaning the author wanted to write the explicit scenes but not anything else before or after it.

Lastly, in an effort to keep this review concise and constructive, I had several issues with the writing. From the overt use of “tits” every other time Cassie spoke to Erin to the racially-coded language, this book missed the mark by miles. Several bits of dialogue were cringey, adding to my feelings of Cassie’s immaturity, time shifts were difficult to follow, and the plot was rushed after the 50% mark. I cannot believe the author not only implied that disabled folks are “vegetables”, perpetuated a stereotype that nail technicians constantly gossip about their clients in their native language, but also said a town was “better” because it had an interracial couple living in it. None of those sentences added anything of substance or quality to the plot so I wonder why they were there to begin with.

I am so disappointed that I did not enjoy the overall execution of Mistakes Were Made but would hope that moving forward, the author focuses more on having three-dimensional characters and strong plots so WLW pairings can have sustainable and believable relationships.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Meryl Wilsner for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book for free via netgalley and in exchange leaving my honest review.

Y'all, my bisexual heart is SCREAMING.
I requested this book when I was far too stoned to be requesting anything haha. But this is so cute 🥰🥰🥰 I love sapphic books with all my heart. The only thing I would honestly change is that it seems like Cassie realizes her feelings way too late in the book. And even that isn't terrible, I just wish she realized sooner, because it was obvious for me!! I love a happy ending, and I was totally wondering if Parker knew as early as I expected her too.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

So, I love a good sapphic novel just as much as the next girl. I just finished Delilah Green and adored it. However, something about the age difference between these two just...turned me off of the novel, unfortunately. The whole concept that she hooked up with her besties' mother and then they...got together? It just was not for me. I thought the writing was good and the dialogue was great. I cared about the characters, but I just did not want to finish the book. I'm not one for age-gap romances, and I should have just not requested this book. Just because it was not for me does not mean that it was not a great book! Many others loved it! Just be prepared for that age gap!

When Cassie and Erin meet at a bar, sparks fly and they hook up. But what was supposed to be a one night thing gets complicated when the next morning, Erin and Cassie meet again only to find out that Erin is Cassie's friend Parker's mom. Erin hooked up with a college girl, her daughter's friend! Cassie slept with Parker's mom! Both women agree that Parker does not need to find out, and they decide to let it go. Erin lives states away and it wasn't a relationship, just a fling.
Except they keep meeting. And sparks keep flying. And no matter how many times they try to end it, they can't help but come back for more.
This book was so steamy and fun! I absolutely loved it and I am not even a romance fan! The writing was good, and the characters each had their own distinct voice. Plot points were solid, and it didn't fall into the usual tropes, like the lovers being found out by someone walking in on them. The women had to decide for themselves what they wanted, how they felt, and what they were willing to risk.

This book is about negotiating the complexities of family, friendship, and romance in a unique way. Cassie has what she thinks is a passionate one night stand with a mature stranger, only to discover the next morning that the stranger is her best friend's mother, Erin. Desperate not to hurt the people they love, but unable to deny the chemistry between them, Erin and Cassie find themselves navigating an increasingly complicated course as the relationship grows despite their best efforts.

This book was well written and engaging, but the romance was just not for me. To be fair, I knew the "best-friend's-mom" piece ahead of time and wasn't sure how I"d feel about it. But since the book was recommended to me, I decided to give it a try. However, I based my rating here on the other aspects of the book (writing, conflict arc, etc) since it would be completely unfair of me to lower the rating based on an aspect of a book I knew in advance I wouldn't like, when I decided to read it anyway.

Thing's I really liked (and why I gave this four stars): portrayals of strong friendships, communication through conflict, found family. I thought the author did an amazing job of making these items the bedrock of Cassie's identity and support structure. I loved that her friends didn't abandon her even when she was doing something they really didn't agree with. I am also so grateful for the way the author showed friendships growing and persisting despite conflict - this is a normal part of family and friendship, and too often it is not talked about which gives us the false impression that arguing or fighting means the end of a relationship.

Thing's I did not like (and why I didn't give this book five stars): there were some plot threads that felt a little unfinished to me- Piper's relationship with her dad and his general misogyny, Piper's relationship (and breakup) with Sam, Rachel's friendship with Erin and opinions of Erin and Cassie. These things all felt like they had potential to add more character depth but ultimately were left undeveloped. I wanted more, especially about Piper since she was so central to the story!

All in all, setting aside my opinion of the romantic pairing, I'd give this book four stars.

This book was absolutely stunning! I was a huge fan of Something To Talk About and was excited when I heard an announcement for Wilsner’s next book. That said, most of the conversations were definitely around how hot it was going to be (which, I mean, it was) and I was really curious about how the romance itself would unfold. Romances with an age gap always make me a little nervous because of the power imbalance that tends to come with an age difference, but holy smokes that was not a concern with this book at ALL once I started reading it.

**Some Highlights:**
- Cassie and Erin are both painfully obsessed with each other. The book is definitely a lot of them hooking up and/or being cute followed immediately by them being in denial about how much they actually adore each other.
- The conflict has nothing to do with the age gap and everything to do with the fact that Cassie and Parker (Erin’s daughter) are best friends. One of my favorite things about this book was the relationship between Cassie and Parker and how everything unfolds between the two of them. (Also can I just say? PARKER DESERVES A BOOK!!!)
- As previously mentioned, the spice is so so so good. Like there’s a certain bathroom scene that I’m still thinking about a month later and they didn’t even have sex????? The chemistry was just! so! good!

**Some Weirdness:**
So, all of that said, there were a couple of moments that were dropped in that just felt unnecessary and had me scratching my head. Making references to antebellum construction in almost a fond way seemed weird. Also, there’s an interracial couple that Erin acknowledges as making their neighborhood better, and doesn’t explain...why? So it very much feels like “you make the neighborhood better because you bring diversity” which just felt odd. Neither of these moments NEEDED to be in the book, they had no impact on the rest of the story. I really think they could be pulled.

**Review of ARC graciously provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Publication Date: October 11, 2022**

Wow. Mistakes Were Made is a steamy, sexy, thrilling novel about two women in lust and in love, despite the stigmas and taboo surrounding them.

While somewhat predictable at first, the characters deepened and the story became more shocking, in the best way possible, as it went on.

I mean, imagine falling hard for your best friend’s mom and trying to hide it!!!!!

Generally, I don’t go for the sex-scene filled romance novels but this one did me in! I just may be hooked! In the words of Cassie: “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, like what you like…You don’t have to be embarrassed to read [mysteries].”

Make no mistake—read this book as soon as you have the chance!!

This was honestly such a fun read! The key to this book is to not take it too seriously. It's inherently ridiculous and as long as you just let it take you where it wants to, you'll have a good time.

This book had spice, tension, pining, an oblivious main character, a satisfying ending. My biggest concern was how the relationship was gonna be resolved with Parker, the love interest's daughter and main character's best friend, and while I think it was a tad lackluster it was still fulfilled. Overall it wasn't groundbreaking but I'm glad I read it!

There were a few off color-lines in this book, particularly one referring to a plantation and one referring to a hypothetical disabled person as a 'vegetable' that were both simply unnecessary, but at this point I believe the author already addressed and is changing these lines.

This is great!!! I don't really read age-gap romances, but this was done really tastefully, and I think that Erin and Cassie are so cute. Plus, all of the conflict felt natural, and nothing about this was forced. All of the gays are going to love this.

Okay first let me say I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I need more Sapphic Contemporary Romance in my life or would this count as romcom? Either way this is everything i've been asking for in this genre. The Chemistry was *chefs kiss* between Erin and Cassie, the stakes were high and the found family/family aspect made me all warm and fuzzy and don't even get me started on the spice. *instert red face going's out emoji here*

Now, all of that being said there were a few times when i was reading that it seemed like whole sentences were missing, like that was someone's decision to take bc it ~still made sense~. but as a reader i really felt like i was still missing and found myself rereading just to make sure i understood. I also think the end was sort of anticlimactic, yes we love a happy ending but i think parker was weirdly cool about it.

anyway THANK YOU FOR THIS BOOK!! Not only allowing me to read it early but thank you for writing it.

I really enjoyed reading this book! Cassie and Erin have amazing chemistry and the way they support each other's ambitions was great. I was curious how their relationship would develop after a one-night stand and liked how their relationship unfolded. I admire how Cassie was allowed herself to be vulnerable around Erin and was upfront about what she wanted. Meanwhile Erin wants to resist temptation, but can't help her attraction how thoughtful and caring Cassie is toward her. The sex scenes were well written and the supporting cast of characters were well-rounded. Parker has a complicated relationship with both Cassie and her mom, but I think the messiness in the dynamics makes the story interesting. I especially liked Cassie's other best friend Acacia too. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys wlw stories to read this one!

Holy cannoli, I loved this book so much. It starts off with a bang, literally, and only gets spicier from there. But between the spice and will-they-get-caught adrenaline is a growing relationship with such sweet and tender moments that made me swoon. Cassie and Erin were perfect in all of their flaws, and the relationships between friends and mother and daughter were so well written and real. I want to hang out with all of them!

I was worried that the middle would get repetitive, but I found that the time between the meet-cute and HEA gave plenty of time for personal growth for each of the characters!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for strong female friendships, a confident lady (multiple), 10/10 spice, age-gap, and a little forbidden romance.

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

Mistakes Were Made is a largely lighthearted, funny rollercoaster of a romance. Funny, awkward situations abound, and there are plenty of steamy moments for those who want them. The love story of Cassie and Erin might feel like a stretch at times, given the age difference, but the two characters' love for each other drives the story and makes the ending all the more satisfying.

A pleasant enough read but did not rock my world. The characters were interesting, but there really wasn't all that much in the way of plot, just lots of angst. Good lesbian sex scenes, though, if you're into that sort of thing.