Cassie, a senior in college, is just looking for an escape from the dreaded campus family weekend. And who better to provide that escape than Erin, the sexy older woman standing just across the bar.
Erin is desperate for a distraction after dropping her daughter off with her ex husband for the evening and when young, hot, mysterious Cassie, catches her eye, she can't resist.
When the two reunite at breakfast after a spur of the moment hookup, they must fight to hide their secret affair from one of Cassie's closet friends. Who just so happens to be Erin's daughter.
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner is the new Sapphic rom-com to beat! The sexy love affair between Cassie, a college senior, and Erin, the mom of her closest friend, follows the classic ups and downs of the rom-coms of today without shying away from the taboo.
The most compelling element of my new favorite sapphic read: it's not a coming out story.

I don’t know what possessed my brain to think that requesting a copy of the MILF book was a good idea, but I did it, and I got it a day later, and I read it a couple of days later after that.

Yes, I knew, going into the book, that it was a romance between a college senior and her friend’s mom. And I knew that that there are approximately six to eight sex scenes. And I even knew that some of these sex scenes would take place somewhat in public.

In case you didn’t know: I am aromantic and asexual. While I do read plenty of books with sex scenes in them, I have an upper limit as to how much I can read without getting a little uncomfortable.

And yet, here we are.

Cassie Klein, a senior in college, has an earth-shatteringly good hookup on Parents Weekend with a hot older woman she met in a bar. Come to find out the next day, her hookup was Erin Bennett, her best friend’s roommate’s mother. They’re happy to keep this a one night stand, but as the year goes on, Cassie and Erin can’t seem to stop talking to each other. (Among other things.)

I don’t even know what to say about this book. It was actually incredible. Meryl Wilsner is a fantastic writer, and I applaud their ability to write an entertaining story with a forbidden romance that was not based in racism or homophobia. Pretty much the entire plot hinges on Cassie and Erin trying to keep their relationship a secret from Erin’s daughter, but somehow, it works.

It’s a little ridiculous. It’s very, (very, very) raunchy. It is unabashedly bisexual. As a college student myself, yeah, it was really weird for me to think about someone my age hooking up with and dating a person in their late thirties. But somehow, against all odds, it worked.

“Mistakes Were Made” comes out on Oct. 11, 2022. I received an early copy from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Meryl Wilsner's earlier novel, Something To Talk About, is one of my favourites so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of their new book! This one has all of Wilsner's excellent character development and writing, with a lots of extra spice! Absolutely loved this one. Thank you!

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m so gay. While I take issue with certain plot points and the way certain people of color were referred and used, this books was almost all it was hyped up to be. I want more books like this now.

Either this was the wring book for me or I was the wrong reader for it. I'm giving it three and a half stars, rounded up to four, in an effort to evaluate how it would be for someone who didn't have my particular idiosyncratic issues with it, and I'll let you know what they were and you can see whether they'll affect you or not.

I really, really loved Something to Talk About, Wilsner's previous book, so I was excited to get the ARC for this. What I hadn't counted on was that the premise is a major squick for me. I have teenage (though pre-college) kids myself, and it turns out that a story about a college student's parent having an affair with one of their kid's friends, even a 20-year-old legal adult just hits a little too close to home.

The other thing that got me was that the two of them spend a lengthy portion of the book continuing in their connection even though they think it's the wrong thing to do. I don't really like reading about people who are doing something that's against their ethical judgment. To be clear, it's more that they're keeping the secret from the daughter/friend that feels wrong to them, not the age gap per se.

Other than those two issues, the book is well executed. The writing is crisp and lively, the characters are well-drawn, the sex is plentiful and hot (and lets hear it for 40-ish women having all the hot sex, amirite?) and we definitely get to see some good pining.
.
There was one emotional conflict that got handled off-page and related to the reader after the fact, and I'd like to have seen that hand;ed differently, but except for that, if the age gap and the I-shouldn't-but-I-want-to-and-I-can't-stop-myself thing don't make you want to nope out, I recommend this book. For some people, the characters being so attracted that they can't stop from doing something they think is unwise could even be a draw.

Another 5 Star book by Meryl Wilsner. Mistakes were made starts off with a bang, literally. Cassie meets a beautiful older woman at a bar and takes her “home”, its not until later that she realizes that the same woman she had a mind-blowing night with is her friend’s mom. Wilsner wastes no time, immediately plunging you into the drama that follows sleeping with your best friend’s mother. The taboo relationship sets the groundwork for a book full of drama.

This book has been highly anticipated by me, after reading Wilsner’s debut book “Something to talk about”. I felt “Mistakes were made” took what I loved from that book and improved it. The characters are even more likable, the relationship is just as gratifying, and you aren’t waiting the entire book for something to happen. If you are a fan of age-gap romance or are looking for a fun sapphic book that will have you grinning stupidly in public, then check this book out.

Without delving too far into spoilers, my biggest criticism of the book is the pacing. The book starts off strong, and immediately plunges you into the life of Cassie and Erin, as they struggle to define their relationship, and deal with the implications of such a large age gap in a relationship, not to mention the implications of being romantically involved with someone who is friends with you child. After you are thrown into the deep end, the book slows down a lot, and for a relationship that is so “taboo” there is surprisingly little actual conflict in the book.

I felt Wilsner handled the relationship very well, they don’t shy away from how such a relationship may seem, and really make the couple believable as a pair. I particularly like how Erin being attracted to another woman is handled. The main conflict is not that she is attracted to a younger woman, but simply that she is seeing someone much younger than her. Which is very refreshing to have queer literature that isn’t about coming out. If you want a fun, steamy, and heartfelt story of two woman falling in love check out this book, or if you just like MILFS, also check out this book.

Wow, this book had a lot in terms of romance! I was happily surprised given Something To Talk About was more slow burn. The plot was enticing at first, but then it turned into your average adult romance. This wasn't necessarily a bad for me because I enjoy this genre. I wasn't particularly captured by either of the main characters, but they were interesting enough to keep reading. I would definitely read a second book about Parker's love life! Overall, I recommend this book if the plot sounds interesting to you and you like steamy romance!

I LOVED this book!! I braced myself for a very difficult ending, but I was so pleased with the wrap up. This is the second book I read by Meryl Wilsner and I am a big fan! This book has everything: steam, forbidden romance, and friendship.

I am so thankful to NetGalley for sending an ARC of this book. It was on my list of must reads this year.

What a sexy little read! I go absolutely nuts for two main characters who crackle with so much chemistry that they can't keep their hands off of each other no matter how much they try. This book has layers on layers of angst and drama and it is steamy all over. I was gripped from moment one and absolutely NEEDED to know how it was all gonna work out, what an incredible ride.

This was a good read. I like the premise of it, it was original. I was able to keep with the characters and like the open and honest dialogue they had.

Eeeeee I really liked this one. It was sexy, sweet, and all around a good time. When I heard the concept of the main character hooking up with a woman who turns out to be her friend’s mom, I was hooked. This book was steamy, omg. However, along with the steam, it also had some really cute moments as well. I will say, there were some moments that felt a little repetitive, like I just wanted them to stop tiptoeing around and admit their feelings for each other. But overall I really liked the characters and the story!

I was able to read Meryl Wilsner's Something to Talk About early last year through NetGalley and I thought it was pretty exceptional. When I heard that she was going to drop another book in 2022, I was ecstatic. When I found out that it was about a college student accidentally hooking up with her BEST FRIEND'S MOM...I started legitimately checking NetGalley every single day until it dropped.

Not only did Mistakes Were Made meet my expectations but it *exceeded* them. Cassie Klein is a college senior. She has lofty but attainable goals of being an aerospace engineer. During the first evening of her college's Family Weekend, Cassie ends up hooking up with an attractive older woman fully expecting to never see her again. The following morning, one of Cassie's best friends--Parker--asks her to join her for breakfast with her mom and she is floored to see none other than Dr. Erin Bennett at the table.

Erin is a successful doctor with a strained relationship with her daughter. Parker blames Erin for the divorce that happened between her parents and Erin hasn’t figured out the best way to bridge that gap. When Erin heads to a bar, she goes to one far from campus to avoid something messy happening. (Un)fortunately, love always finds a way.

After their passionate first encounter, Erin and Cassie swear that they will not risk their respective relationships with Parker based on a fiery connection. Will they be able to stay apart? Is what’s between them just sex or the potential for something more?

Y’all. I cannot rave enough about this book. It was phenomenal. This is going to be one that I read and reread because I just love everything about it. Erin and Cassie are both dynamic characters. They are relatable and multi-faceted. The additional characters are beautifully fleshed out to create a fully actualized story. On top of this…it is hot. It is so hot. I kept going back and rereading scenes. Ugh. All of you should read this and hype it up because it is GREAT.

**BIG, big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

i was recommended this book by a friend, but i personally think that the best friend's mom is not a trope for me! I also did not like the third person pov. it felt like a wattpad story :/

Wow. I loved this book. Aside from being deliciously MILF-y, the character development was rich and satisfying! I couldn’t help but feel just as intensely for these characters as I was meant to. I highly recommend this book to any sapphic romance lover— I personally am a sucker for Wilsner’s style. I received this book as an ARC, and I am reviewing it because I want to.

This one was super cute! I do have some minor issues, but as a whole, it was a super cute and fun read.

And I don't usually say this, but one of the things that bugged me was the sheer amount of smut. Smut can be great in a book, it's what makes some books. And this one had some great smut. There was just too much of it. I wish we couldve had more conversation/interaction between Parker, Erin, and Cassie instead. It's a personal preference thing, but the constant smut threw me out of the book.

Another thing was the taboo romance. Now, I know, it's literally stated in the synopsis. I can't complain about it. And I can't! I really enjoyed it. I just can't thing too hard about it, or I start getting kinda creeped out. (Age gap is just a bit too wide for my tastes...)

But other than those minor complaints, I really enjoyed this book! The romantic interactions were adorable, the friendships were super sweet, and the plot was addicting. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this author in the future, they have a lot to offer

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

First off thank you St. Martin's Press and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts out with a bang (literally) when the two main characters meet at a bar for the first time and have instant attraction and this book is SPICY! The first quarter of the book was fantastic. Kept me wanting more... but then the book to me took a turn...

You learn right away that the characters are different ages. The description of the book lets you know that the it is a relationship between a mom and her college age daughters friend.. However, the book keeps making the younger character seem younger and younger and it made it very uncomfortable to read. (For example the mom giving her daughter and her lover Christmas pajamas as if they were little girls)

I really had high hopes for this book, but ultimately it made me feel like I was reading a book about an underage relationship.

Pros- There were some good parts to this. The concept itself of a lady in her late 30’s and one in her early 20s is a cool dynamic. I also loved how open the characters were with their sexual orientation. Super great. The love scenes were VERY spicy and unique.

Cons - Relationship seemed like an underage relationship at times. Some odd race comment comments in the book.

I was so surprised how quickly I was invested in this story. I’ll be totally honest, at first I thought it would be a light, cheesy romance read. But I was so wrong. I became swiftly caught up in Erin and Cassie’s relationship. And the whole time I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the ending had me in the happiest of tears. We need more LGBTQ+ stories with happy endings!

This forbidden romance was everything I expected. The spice was *chef's kiss*! The timeline was refreshing! It spans over the course of almost a year instead of events unfolding over days or weeks. The main characters are strong in their strengths but we see their weaknesses and see what they do to work through them, better themselves or overcome them but without being the main focus of their character.

I love that Erin is an older woman, taking control of her life and doing things to make herself happy later in life. I related to her so much. It was a wonderful feeling to actually be able to see myself in a character.

Cassie is intelligent, confident, ambitious and unapologetic, and honestly we need more women like her.

The Bi representation is exactly what I needed in my life!

I thought Parker's role could have been fleshed out a bit more, but as this was Erin and Cassie's story I'm not surprised her character took a bit of a back seat.

I was overall super enthralled by the story. I loved it and will absolutely reread. 5/5 would recommend!

Mistakes Were Made was scorching hot! The sparks between Cassie and Erin were off the charts. The sex scenes were lots of fun, and I also really loved the sweet moments like how they cooked together over FaceTime. Both heroines were also really well-developed characters; I enjoyed getting to know them both, and quickly got invested in cheering them on towards their happily ever after.

I'm not usually a fan of age gap romances, and the best friend's parent trope usually squicks me out. But I found the f/f dynamic actually made these tropes more enjoyable for me here, I guess because there's less (to me) of a power imbalance? It also helped that Parker seemed really young/immature, and Cassie did seem older, so the age gap between Cassie and Erin didn't feel as large. I also liked how Cassie sometimes "mothered" Erin as much as the other way around, like how she helped Erin relax about the holiday party.

My one gripe was with how easily/smoothly the main external conflict was resolved. A lot of the drama around that seemed to have been fixed off-screen. While that was nice in terms of the characters getting their happily ever after, and while the way the author did it was technically believable, to the point that I kinda guessed the way it was heading, it was still a letdown. I wish it had actually played out onscreen, and explored a bit more, because that conflict was too significant for hand-waving.

Still, overall, I really enjoyed this novel, and liked how the author handled the age gap/best friend's parent trope. I'm definitely curious about the other romances she's written!

+

Thanks to St Martin's Press for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

When I say this book was everything I ever wanted, I mean it! Sexy, charming, witty-- I LOVED the characters. Easily one of my favorite books of the year so far.