The critically acclaimed author of “Something to Talk About,” Meryl Wilsner wrote another queer romance story for the shelves. The new book, “Mistakes Were Made” utilizes the “one night stand who you meet the next day in a new setting” trope while avoiding any version of the “bury your gays” trope.
“Mistakes Were Made” follows Cassie Klein and Erin Bennett as they are brought together over and over again, ultimately realizing that what they are feeling is love. When they first meet, Cassie is avoiding Family Weekend at her college and Erin is trying to pass the time while her ex-husband spends the evening with their daughter. Things can only get worse when they meet again — the next morning, at breakfast with Erin’s daughter.
Cassie and Erin’s story is told from both perspectives that helps reader’s see into their thought process as they navigate through the minefield of their relationship. With passion and great one-liner humor, the story itself is able to make light of the uncomfortable situation that they are in.
In the novel, both Erin and Cassie are already fully out of the closet. This made for a nice change because many queer novels have the main conflict as the characters coming to terms with their sexuality. Instead, in “Mistakes Were Made,” the main point of friction seems to be the maternal conflict that Erin has throughout the novel while secretly dating her daughter’s friend.
Though, that is not to say that there were not several points in the story that were hard to read. Perhaps some of the uncomfortableness of a few scenes was intentional given the situation that Cassie and Erin are in, but others felt completely unnecessary. For example, toward the beginning of the novel, the pair have a rendezvous in the bathroom during an event that Erin’s daughter was a part of.
Additionally, the resolution with Erin’s daughter fell pretty flat. While we get somewhat of an explanation of her daughter’s thoughts throughout the entire novel, it all happened at once. In reading, it felt like rushed writing that was left until the last minute.
Despite this, the misunderstandings are resolved in a sweet way and the book is still enjoyable. Friendships and mother/daughter relationships are restored, and we get a queer happy ending.
Overall, “Mistakes Were Made” is a heartwarming, passionate romantic comedy exploring a relationship that seems destined to fail from the beginning. Wilsner writes a story for queer people everywhere to enjoy.
Look for Meryl Wilsner’s “Mistakes Were Made” in stores for $16.99 on Oct. 11. This novel does contain graphic sexual content.
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