This book is so sexy, I’m blushing writing the review. The MC’s have C-H-E-M-I-S-T-R-Y! There are a lot of steamy scenes but none felt repetitive or gratuitous. In addition to that, the overarching ethical discussion kept me engaged throughout the book. I was rooting for Cassie and Erin but also wondering if I should be. I wondered how I would feel if Erin had been a man. Wilsner handled these questions masterfully.

The story is dual POV with two very distinct voices and personal issues (I especially liked the exploration of Erin’s relationship with her mother). Both characters’ concerns felt valid, and the age gap was realistic. Often in an age gap romance, the primary tension is the age but I think this book elevated the trope by focusing elsewhere. The age difference was relevant but not everything. The tension felt real, not contrived, and also didn’t rely on miscommunications, which I appreciated. The author avoided a lot of stereotypes I was expecting.

The only critique I had was the repetitive use of and emphasis on “best friends.” But the secondary characters were so vibrant that they deserve to be highlighted.

Overall, it was nice to read about a mature couple overcoming problems that weren’t what I expected but seemed totally realistic with 🔥🔥🔥 all along the way. Put this on your TBR list and count the days til October!

Short Summary: Imagine Cassie’s surprise when her best friend’s mom (Erin) turns out to be the gorgeous woman she had a one-night stand with. The women should definitely leave that night in the back of Erin’s car. They really should. Really really should. Except neither can.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book on NetGalley due to a tiktok recommendation and BOY OH BOY did it deliver. This book was DELICIOUS. Cassie and Erin's tension was DELICIOUS. Loved every word.

I loved the milf book!!!
But there were 2 really weird lines about race that need to be taken out. The one about something being plantion-like and the one about the interracial couple making the town better. Other than that it was a fun read

3.5 rounded up

Okay, so, I'll rip the bandaid off - this book was slightly mediocre. The characters didn't feel super fleshed out (I know almost nothing about anyone who isn't Cassie/Erin). The writing just felt juvenile - there was a lot of dialogue and not a lot of descriptions of... anything... Some of the overall pacing of the book was also strange. I also felt that the overall reveal was a little lackluster - but it was very obvious what was going to happen with the reveal.

I didn't mind the age gap. I thought it was done well and I thought the communication between Cassie and Erin worked. There was no form of coercion, manipulation, or grooming in their relationship, which, not to applaud the bare minimum, but that was very appreciated. I, personally, don't think Parker would consider Cassie a "stepmom" figure, but rather just her mom's girlfriend. I also don't think Parker and Cassie were really all that close (they'd known each other for maximum two months before Cassie met Parker's mom), which definitely plays into the entire dynamic.

Also - as a lil disclaimer for everyone - this book was very smut heavy. I likened it to a "PWP" fanfic, due to the amount of "spice" scenes in it. That said, I didn't mind it. I think we deserved a wlw book that was heavy on the sex scenes. Straight people get smut-heavy books all the time, it was our turn.

This book made me blush, it made me stim, it made me go AHH!, and overall it was a fun, lighthearted, quick read. It definitely won't be for everyone (I can already predict the reviews shaming the book for being smut heavy) and that's okay. I enjoyed it and that's all I can ask for from a book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC of the book.

The premise of this story was great, but parts of the execution of it weren't my favourite. I loved the sapphic romance, age gap and forbidden love. I had a hard time believing Cassie and Parker's friendship though... to me it seemed more as if they were acquaintances and it was so coincidental that Cassie was invited to breakfast the next day and was invited to Erin's house to Spring Break just to have that forced proximity. Overall, it was an easy and enjoyable read.

Earlier this year when I read Ashley Herring Blake's Delilah Green Doesn't Care I thought I would not read a better f/f romance this year. (Yes, I know that the author is following it up with Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail later this year, but I love the first book so much I fear I will be disappointed by its sequel.)

Which is exactly why I was fearful of reading this book. However, I read the plot and it had me at hello. While Something to Talk About had the slowest buildup possible,--it was glacial--this book begins with Cassie and Erin hooking up for what both thought was going to be a one-night stand. Their sexual chemistry is intense, indisputable, and inescapable; and while both are great at coming up with excuses why they should stay away, they are both incapable of resisting their pull.

However, this book does overlap with Something to Talk About in that everyone could tell that the characters were dating/falling for each other/in love before the characters themselves admitted it to themselves.

Mistakes Were Made is frustrating on other levels as well. One thing is a spoiler regarding Parker-Erin's daughter and Cassie's best friend--which I will not go into right now. The most frustrating for me was waiting for the inevitable fight that leads the characters to break up before realizing that they were in love and then getting back together for the happily ever after. All I have to say about it is that Wilsner kept me at the edge of my seat (I was actually in the hammock) with my heart pounding and then gave me something unexpected that showed me their mastery at writing romance novels. Seriously, if the author reads this at some point I am in awe of you right now.

I can't thank the ARC gods enough for granting me access to this one! I just finished the book and have a massive book hangover. The last time I felt this way was when I finished Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle. This time, however, this very hefty woman went over to my wife, sat on her lap, and curled up against her saying I don't want to read another book for a while.

If you have made it this far into the review, I do not want to raise your expectations only to send them crashing down once you actually read the book. Mistakes Were Made is by no means perfect, but I don't even care. I love it too much regardless and already preordered a physical copy of it that I will reread lovingly in October.

This book has everything I want from a romance—it’s cute, sexy and emotional in the best way. I read the description and couldn’t imagine it could meet the expectations I set before reading but it did! Cassie and Erin’s story is beautiful and emotional, where the sexy scenes are actually sexy and the emotional scenes hit all the right notes. An excellent read!

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

I was not prepared for how steamy this book got, but it surely did not disappoint in that area! I really loved the character development, and how much this story made me laugh.

I have to admit that certain plot lines had me re-reading to fully understand the moment. It felt like the plot skipped ahead too far in some places, and drug on in others. For this reason, I'm giving this 4/5 stars.

I enjoyed this book. The spice was SPICY and well written - we love an age gap romance. The end of the conflict however felt a little blah... There was a lot of build up but the resolution came too quickly and too easily. Ending was rather trite, but overall an entertaining read.

Thank you St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own. This review does NOT contain any spoilers. :) Loooooong review ahead!

☆☆☆☆.75 Overall
(Spice: ☆☆☆☆☆)

After reading Wilsner’s debut SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT, I was immediately hooked by their writing style. I read a lot of books, and finding an author that not only keeps you interested throughout, but also that can grip your heart and turn you into putty in their hands emotionally, is an author that I will definitely fall in love with. Suffice to say, MISTAKES WERE MADE was highly anticipated for me, and it surpassed my expectations completely.

From the author’s own description, this book is an idiots to lovers, bisexual disasters, MILF book. And oh, that it is. But it’s also so much more.

Cassie and Erin are two women after my own heart. Random bar hook-up turned out to be your best friend's mom? Sure, it’s a recipe for disaster, but what if it could turn into a beautiful journey of discovery, self acceptance, and wholesome love? Wilsner delivers us not only our main characters, but also our beloved side characters, on a silver platter, and I completely ate them up. From the beginning of the book, the world that the author is able to create and pull us into is complex and wonderful, albeit anxiety-inducing at times.

One of the most important parts of a romance novel to me are characters that are fully developed, and even if I don’t agree with their decisions all of the time, those actions need to make sense for that character. There is nothing that turns me off from a book harder than an MC who meets a love interest or enters a tricky situation, and then they completely abandon the characteristics or motivations that we’ve seen up to that point. In MISTAKES WERE MADE, this doesn’t happen, hence idiots to lovers, and it makes sense, and it’s wonderful, because we are struggling right along with them. However, the growth that we see in Cassie and Erin speaks volumes because it’s not a harsh, uncharacteristic change, rather it’s organic growth that we see from both of their perspectives.

I have read some other reviewer’s comments about this book, and a lot of people have mentioned that they were left feeling like they needed more from the side characters, especially from Parker, in this book. And while I completely understand and agree with that (I am a Parker stan, I think she is an absolute queen and I love her), I don’t feel this way because I feel the book was lacking it - I want more of the side characters because I absolutely love the world that Wilsner has created, and I am greedy for more.

I don’t want to post any spoilers, but the spice? It is SPICY and delicious. 10/10, some of the best sapphic spicy content I have ever seen in a book. There is a considerable amount of it, so if that isn’t your jam (that’s totally okay!) this may not be completely up your alley. You can definitely skip it if you’d like, but in my opinion, I think there are parts of the book with spice that are important to the story, so that is something to think about as well.

Another note I’ve seen mentioned about this book is the age difference, and I think everyone’s opinions/perspectives on this are completely valid, but I personally don’t think that in this book there is anything wrong or predatory about this age gap. I don’t feel like there was any manipulation, coercion, gaslighting, or a massive power dynamic between Erin and Cassie, which would immediately make me DNF. If the age difference isn’t something you can get past, that is 100% okay, and it’s okay to choose not to consume media that you aren’t comfortable with! I just think we should all keep in mind that that age difference is integral to the story, and if you feel that way, this book may not be the book for you.

This book was absolutely captivating, and I devoured it in one sitting, sans a dinner/screaming break. I was giddy, laying on my stomach, feet swinging in the air, laughing with these characters, crying with them, rooting for them, and trying to problem-solve for them. This book is so close to my heart now, and I truly hope it gets the chance it deserves.

Queer stories by queer authors are so vital, especially in romance. We deserve happy endings, and we deserve to see ourselves represented in accurate, beautiful ways. Meryl Wilsner does an amazing job of this, and I wholeheartedly applaud them for giving us these stories.

3 stars

I was so so excited to read this book, I mean that blurb!! I love an age gap romance already and to add a forbidden to it?? Yes!! All the yeses!! That's why I'm so sad that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought 😭

It's all personal preference and how much you vibe with the characters, just like any other book, so please, don't base your reading this book from my review only because another person is bound to love it, I'm positive on that!

For me personally, I just didn't love the characters and their chemistry, there always felt like a disconnect between them. The best chemistry between the characters was right at the beginning, and the first few chapters were my favourites of the book! When it got more into the story, it just lost my interest.

Again, totally personal preference!! I do love the cover though and I'm sure many if you will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

Mistakes Were Made is truly one of the best books I've ever read. It has so many amazing aspects that I look for in a book, and Meryl Wilsner executed them all perfectly.

Cassie and Erin were drawn to each other from the beginning, even after they'd first hooked up, they wanted there to be a next time, which says a lot, even if they didn't realize it. The relationship between them was a lot of back and forth though, where things were said and there were apologies that didn't seem all too sincere, and it repeated for a bit. The lack of communication between them was frustrating but it continued to pull me in to want to continue reading until the end, the development and backgrounds of the characters were well thought out and the relationship between them truly was a taboo, and we got to see that with how involved Parker and Acacia were in the relationship, even if they weren't actually INVOLVED.

The mother-daughter relationship with Parker and Erin also had me on the edge of my seat for most of the story, I was worried that things could never be fixed, and that Parker would hate her mother, especially after finding out about Cassie and her sleeping together and lying about it. But the way the book was written played it out perfectly, and we get a good understanding of both characters throughout the story. Even though the story consisted of only Cassie and Erin's point of view I felt like I could always tell what the other characters were feeling or thinking, even without actually knowing it because of the communication and interactions between certain characters.

The story consisted of a lot of heartbreak and near-tears for me because I just wanted them to be happy, and I just couldn't put the book down, I had to continue to read from start to finish, it was too addicting. The development in all relationships, mainly Acacia, Cassie and Parker really reminded me of a found family, not just because Cassie considers Acacia family but because they were always supportive and understanding of one another, even if it took a little time. They had their ups and downs but came back stronger and continued to support and love one another, even if there was a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding. So, with all that happened, I generally did enjoy this part of the storyline the most, with lots of sex and the taboo aspects of Cassie and Erin's relationship coming through.

There was a lot of detail in the story that set up a perfect background/setting for me to imagine everything clearly. But there were times where there was too much, and I couldn't stop myself from checking the progress to see if I was closer to finishing. Sometimes the story dragged on very long in unnecessary parts, and the ending was just too fast and rushed. Even the scenes with Cassie and Erin seemed a little too much, the sex and spice was amazing, but I'd like more interactions with other characters because I believe that could've helped the story move on much faster and smoother.

But with all of that being said, overall, it was an amazing book that was hard for me to put down, even though the parts that seemed too long, I was extremely satisfied with it, and I don't regret reading it at all. I 100% recommend this to anyone who enjoys sapphic books and even taboo relationships.

When I read Meryl Wilsner's debut, Something to Talk About a few years ago it totally charmed me and definitely made me look forward to Wilsner's next book. So I was very happy when I got an ARC for Mistakes Were Made. And Mistakes were Made totally lived up to my expectations, it was a really enjoyable book!

Mistakes Were Made follows Cassie Klein and Erin Bennett. Cassie needs to blow off some steam one day and what better way than picking up an older woman at the bar? But what happens when that older woman turns out to be the mother of your close friend in town visiting her daughter? And for Erin, she wasn't planning on hooking up with anyone on family weekend let alone her daughter's friend, but Cassie's energy just drew her in. But since her daughter is friends with Cassie they keep running into each other and that chemistry is too hard to deny.

And that chemistry was soooo there I was so into the characters. Cassie and Erin were a force to behold. Reading about them was so fun. The "they shouldn't but can't not" is so palpable and fun to read. And this book was hot too! There were a number of sex scenes, to this point where I wondered if this was bordering on erotic fiction.

But it's way more than chemistry and sex, this novel has real heart too. Cassie and Erin both have trauma and demons in their lives and watching them work to overcome them and grow as people was lovely and touching. I also really loved the friendships in this book. Cassie's friends Parker (Erin's daughter) and Acacia was really nice to read too.

My main complaint about the book would be it occasionally had trouble pacing. I was really into the first third and last third of the book but the middle did slow down for me a bit.

This book was lovely. It had so much heart and also a fair bit of steam. I really enjoyed it. 4.5/5

I adored the premise of the book from the description, so I knew I had to request the book from NetGalley. When I picked it up, I loved the meet cute. Of course the two of them know that there's an age difference, but it doesn't stop the chemistry between the two of them. They really hop right to it.

But the awkward meeting when they realize that she's Parker's mom was CLASSIC. The book really hooks you in. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.

Where to begin? This book is an absolute delight. Wilsner is so talented, smart, funny, and created some really charming and relatable characters in this novel. I really appreciate the sex, and the care Wilsner takes in making these scenes both titillating and significant to the plot. I also appreciate that we have several openly bi main characters, including in a same-sex relationship, which is oddly uncommon in media. This book is an easy, addictive read, as it rotates between the POV of the two main characters and the pacing of the plot is pretty steady. I really, really recommend this book if you're LGBTQ+ but also to anyone, if you want a fun, unique take on the romcom genre.

I enjoyed the book, but the conflict resolution fell flat for me. I really expected there to be more there — there was so much build-up with the tension and then it all resolved so easily, it didn’t feel satisfying.

what a fun, spicy romance! Mistakes Were Made definitely delivered on its blurb & it left me on the edge of my seat multiple times! i truly couldn't fathom how this story would end. it was quick and easy to read, and i felt like the world built around Nashua & the college setting felt realistic. i also enjoyed the way that Erin & Cassie treated each other as equals despite their obvious differences in age and place in life.

*side note, I’d like a book about acacia next please!

however, i understand that this is an age-gap taboo romance story, but i did have a hard time with the dismissal of Parker as a whole throughout the story. the mcs mentioned being worried about her here and there, but never stopped long enough to figure out if there could be a resolution, until it all inevitably came to a head late in the third act.

*thank you to netgalley & st. martin’s press for the eARC!

Mistakes Were Made promises a fun MILFy romance story and it definitely delivered, though I was left feeling a tad underwhelmed. I enjoyed the writing quality, and the depth/development the author payed to each character. I thought the world was well written, and provided a great escape. However, I did have some issues with the pacing and the characters weren't.... the most endearing to me at times.

Starting with the positives, both Cassie and Erin are really well thought out: their motivations always make sense, their choices (even when I didn't agree with them) were consistent, and I felt both their characters were very 3 dimensional. The relationships depicted between not only Cassie and Erin, but also between Cassie and her friends and Erin and Rachel felt vey real, and I loved how there were literally no prominent male characters lmao.

The storyline was generally. lots of fun to read; it was very entertaining, the writing was of good quality, and I flew through the book. This book is one of those books that was os much fun to read, but after I finished it I started thinking about the more noticeable problems that existed.

I didn't think the pacing of this story was amazing--the second act of the story really dragged on, leaving little room for the ending which I found to be underwhelming. This book has a lotttttt of spice (I'm estimating like 6-8 scenes in my head, I'm too lazy to go back and count though lol) what was awesome because I feel there are so few sapphic books that have so much,, porn lol but it was also kinda feeling like too much! At times I felt expanding upon the side characters's plot lines would be more beneficial to moving the story along than another scene of Cassie and Erin fucking without furtherment of their relationship.

This is also, obviously, a taboo forbidden romance and I knew that coming into the novel, which is why I'm not letting this gripe affect my star rating. THAT SAID, I really wasn't a fan of Cassie and Erin at times; I felt they were being a really bad friend/mother to Parker with all their sneaking around. Again, not counting this against the book because obviously thats gonna be A Thing That Happens in taboo romance, but lol I wasn't always a fan.

If you know aaaaanything about me you know this book was my most anticipated book of 2021, and I'm overall satisfied with the book (hence the 4 star rating) though it had its weaknesses mostly pacing related. I had a lot of fun reading this, and would definitely recommend to everyone who enjoys sapphic stories and/or taboo romance lovers. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC!

College senior Cassie hooks up with a stranger she meets in a bar as a way to distance herself from her school’s family weekend, but ends up doing the opposite and discovers the stranger is her friend’s mom! They tell themselves never again, but then Cassie comes to stay for 2 weeks at winter break and I’m sure you can figure out the rest!
God, this was incredible! Such a crazy unique take on the forbidden love/secret relationship trope! I’ve never read anything by Meryl Wilsner before, but this book has convinced me I must read more! I absolutely LOVED these characters, and the changes they go through and the realizations they came to made them all the more relatable-it was perfect! Through the course of the book we see these two MCs go from a purely physical relationship, to denying the relationship is anything but, to admitting it to themselves and finally allowing themselves to have what they want-each other. While I loved the changes the MCs went through, I honestly think I loved Parker’s growth the most. I loved the way the author wrote her and how she finally saw and prioritized her mom’s happiness-so amazing. This book was a gooey RomCom but it was also steamy AF-absolute perfection!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What happens when you take a hot woman home from a bar but then that woman ends up being your best friend's mom?

Mistake Were Made follows Cassie and Erin as they engage in a one night stand gone wrong (or right? Depends on who you ask). After discovering that the woman she hooked up with in her car behind a bar is her friend's mom in town visiting for Family Weekend, Cassie Klein can't get Dr. Erin Bennett out of her mind. And then Parker invites her to spend the holidays with her and her mom. They make a pact that their relationship, however it's defined, is casual and will end when Cassie returns to school. Except that it doesn't.

Meryl Wilsner really took the last 20 pages of their debut novel and said 'you know what? What if I took that energy and made it the entire book?' Truthfully, the steam and spice starts in chapter 1 and that is in no way a bad thing. It starts the tension just right and sets up Cassie and Erin's relationship from the get go. The reader knows that what they have is a fast, hot connection, and over the course of the book the reader gets to see that relationship grow into something neither of the main characters' expected in the best way possible.

I was wary at the beginning of how a happy ending would work for these two, and was dreading a third act break up. But Meryl found a way to keep me rooting for these two even when it seemed like all was lost and love would not prevail. It is a romance after all.

This book is for lovers of rom-coms, people who read a little too much swan queen fan fiction in their formative years, and those looking for a spicy sapphic romance like they've never read before.