Meryl Wilsner, the critically acclaimed author of SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT, returns with MISTAKES WERE MADE, a sharp, stylish romantic comedy featuring just about the most ill-advised pairing imaginable.

With a stop-you-in-your-tracks premise, the book kicks off with one of the titular mistakes: a chance meetup in a bar during Keckley College’s family weekend. Loner Cassie knows not to expect her mother (and blessedly whichever creepy boyfriend she’s playing house with now), but even so, being around her schoolmates and their picture-perfect families is a bit depressing. So, like any college senior, she drowns her woes at the local watering hole…and soon makes eyes with a too-good-to-be-true woman across the bar. Neither a girl nor a chick, she is not Cassie’s usual type, but she’s hot enough to transcend any age difference. Before long, she is buying this stranger a drink and making flirty conversation.

All seems to be going well, if a bit safe, until the woman nods in the direction of the bathroom, and Cassie enters the hottest hookup of her life (and probably yours too; Wilsner does not hold back). When the woman, Erin, admits that she’s only in town to see her daughter, it quickly becomes apparent that they have crossed into seriously weird territory. But it’s not like they’ll ever see each other again, right? Wrong. So very, very wrong.

"[T]his book is a necessary and urgent reminder to withhold judgment and celebrate the happiness of others. Because why worry about what you should or shouldn’t do when life is waiting for you to take charge and be happy?"

The next morning, Cassie is dragged along to act as a buffer between her good friend, Parker, and her mother. But when they enter the restaurant, Cassie is shocked to learn that Parker’s mother, Dr. Bennett, is none other than Erin Bennett, who rocked her world only hours earlier. They don their best poker faces, and Parker is none the wiser, but their rapport is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

When they cross paths again at Parker’s a cappella concert, it reaches another breaking point. If you’re feeling creeped out, let me say now that Wilsner knows when she is testing a boundary and when a relationship is full of red flags. But with Cassie nearing graduation and Erin just shy of 40, the age gap is less disturbing than you’d assume, and both are confident, consenting adults. What they aren’t, though, is aware of the effect they have on one another and what it's doing to each of them.

With Cassie dodging “who’s making you smile like that?” questions from her best friends and Erin grappling with how an affair like this would look to everyone around her, neither of them are paying close enough attention to the very real romance blossoming between them. Sure, they’re good in bed (and many other places), but what would you expect from a college-aged girl and a woman in her sexual prime? Despite their crackling chemistry, genuine interest in one another and, of course, terrific banter, neither Cassie nor Erin can see what’s right in front of them: the best relationship either of them has ever had.

But this is a Meryl Wilsner book we’re talking about, so it’s not all steamy sex scenes and swoonworthy romance. Wilsner also delves deep into the roles of women and the labels society is so quick to throw at them. Although Cassie, situated right on the cusp of adulthood, often takes center stage with her many big moments, Erin’s battle to accept herself and let herself be happy is a real heart-tugger, as well as being deeply emotionally resonant and eye-opening.

On top of that, Wilsner uses their disparate ages to examine and lay bare the messiness of coming of age --- whether it’s in your 20s or 40s. The fact of the matter is, we’re all growing and changing and coming into ourselves at every age. Although Cassie and Erin couldn’t have less in common on paper, their journeys of self-discovery align so perfectly that you’ll wonder if you don’t have a 20+ or 20- soulmate out there.

While not exactly a ringing endorsement for embarking on an affair with your best friend’s mom (and certainly not with your daughter’s best friend), this book is a necessary and urgent reminder to withhold judgment and celebrate the happiness of others. Because why worry about what you should or shouldn’t do when life is waiting for you to take charge and be happy? But there is one thing you absolutely should do: pick up MISTAKES WERE MADE (along with SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT) and add Meryl Wilsner to your must-buy list. This boundary-pushing, romance-loving author is not to be missed.