Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

From the critically acclaimed author of Something to Talk About comes Meryl Wilsner's Mistakes Were Made, a sharp and sexy rom-com about a college senior who accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mom. When Cassie Klein goes to an off-campus bar to escape her school’s Family Weekend, she isn’t looking for a hookup—it just happens. Buying a drink for a stranger turns into what should be an uncomplicated, amazing one-night stand. But then the next morning rolls around and her friend drags her along to meet her mom—the hot, older woman Cassie slept with. Erin Bennett came to Family Weekend to get closer to her daughter, not have a one-night stand with a college senior. In her defense, she hadn’t known Cassie was a student when they'd met. To make things worse, Erin’s daughter brings Cassie to breakfast the next morning. And despite Erin's better judgement—how could sleeping with your daughter’s friend be anything but bad?—she and Cassie get along in the day just as well as they did last night. What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?

I guess this is my christmas present for myself? Hahaha.

Anyway, it gets 3.5 stars. I'm not sure what to say. It didn't have much of an impact on me, but the smut was hot as hell!

For the first time in my life, I let loose. It's not a guilty pleasure. If you like it, you like it. What is there to be so embarrassed about?

The story follows the relationship between a high school graduate and her best friend's Mom.
Believable, sexy, feel-good. I deserve such breaks after breaking my head over Dostoevsky and Tolkien.

This as you know/would expect is not great work of literature. I don't presume the author intended it to be. It's refreshing to the read a healthy romance especially in a taboo setting - like everything is okay here, it's perfect; if you can ignore one tiny, small detail. This couple works so well, and the author created their interactions so in sync that nothing feels forced. It flows. And the steamy segments are well, very steamy... visceral. I don't have much to compare, but it was very hot.

Pansexual side character -✅
Genderqueer side character -✅
Bi main characters -✅
Black best friend -✅
Misogynistic ex -✅(named Adam)
All feminist propaganda requirements fulfilled. I have nothing against the feminist ideology, but at times I feel they push little too much. Like this.

I cringe when people use the term ‘best friend', especially people in their 20s. Grow up already; or maybe, I'm just lonely. I guess it will be hard to get around that if I'm considering reading more of this.
‘Hey, I'm your best friend. I love you, you know that, right?
I hate you
no you don't
yeah i dont.

Hate this.
Less talk. Do more.

There is not much of story in here, other than these two hotties navigating their relationship. I'm gonna go find similar books with a little more plot to it and a little less teenage drama.

Dang Near Erotica Level MILF Lesbian* RomCom. Seriously: Read the title of this review. If that type of book isn't for you for any reason at all... save yourself the time and the author the 1* review and just find something else to read. The sex scenes start in Chapter 1 and are fairly frequent throughout the book - and *far* from closed door. XXX "on screen", in fact. And all the sex is between a 40 something woman whose daughter is in college and a 21yo female college senior. Again, if that isn't your thing... just move on. Finally, there are f-bombs and other curse words quite heavily as well (not sailor/ programmer level, but also not Independent Baptist Church level either). So yet again, not your thing... just move on. Please.

For anyone else that is still here... this is a somewhat slow ish angsty romcom, but the resolution comes perhaps a bit too quickly once it finally gets to that point. Still, there actually is a decent amount of drama here, and a seemingly realistic (enough) portrayal of people actually in these types of situations. The comedy part of the "romcom" label is mostly in the initial few scenes between the leading couple, but there are laughs to be had throughout the book and the romance itself picks up when the comedy wanes, so it works. Really the only quibble for those still here is the flash-forward epilogue, which is one of those things your mileage may vary on but which does add a bit of humor to the tail end of the tale.

Overall this was a solid tale well told, and the characters themselves are rare enough that anyone seeking "something different" will find this quite refreshing indeed. Very much recommended.

*Note: While the characterization of the leading couple is *actually* bisexual, according to the text here, and one has even been married and had a kid (and the other had a boyfriend before the events of the book), the only romantic/ sexual relationships actually in the book are all of the sapphic nature, and thus for actual purposes of review would be considered lesbian in at least some circles.