Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because Lauren appeared too weak in my opinion to be a woman of color. She let her ex make her feel less than. I absolutely LOVED Jude.

I honestly didn't think I could love Alexa Martin's books more until I read Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes. It shows tremendous range to be able to write a novel so different from your last series, but still entertain and make the reader feel. This book is not a romance, but it does have hints of it along the way. This book is about friendship, motherhood, and the struggle to be all the things.Lauren and Jude could not be more opposite, yet they are the best of friends, and have been since middle school. Now the pair are down on their luck and moving in together to help each other pick up the pieces of their lives. Single mom Lauren is the rule follower. Social media influencer Jude dances to the beat of her own drummer. But together, they are the definition of what it means to be a friend.Lauren and Jude had such distinct voices. They were both hilarious and extremely relatable. As a mom, I felt Lauren's plights with her daughter Addy, who hands down stole the show for me. I mean seriously, how can kids lose their socks and shoes constantly?!?!?! I easily placed myself in her shoes with the day to day demands of motherhood and wanting to be everything to everyone and still follow the rules along the way.While Lauren's struggles as a mom spoke to my heart, I also found myself relating to Jude's sailor mouth and unapologetic pursuit of her dreams. Jude has a lot on her plate and this leads to a very frank depiction of mental health struggles and alcoholism. I am so glad this was included in the book. At times, Jude's story was hard to read, but it was an accurate depiction of how complicated relationships and outside pressure can ultimately cause people to break.Addy stole the show for me. That 6 year old tiny budding feminist captured my heart from the first pages. Whip smart and extremely funny, she's likely to rule the world one day. The authentic relationship between Jude and Addy is extremely endearing and sweet. I also adored Hudson, Lauren's love interest, who was a true stand up guy. Tender and so completely into Lauren, he had me swooning, but only after his disaster of an opening line, "reproduction is dope."Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes is a must read. It celebrates true friendship and motherhood. It examines life in a digital age, where people have their outward persona that doesn't necessarily match the true state of their life and the toll it takes on a person. It delves into tough topics of mental health and race. It was everything I was expecting and more. GO OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK!!!

OK

Button up those Mom Jeans and settle in for a story! It’s about to get real!**This book, THIS book, is precisely why I adore women’s fiction. It’s about being a mom, not being a mom, parental conflict, friendships, a love interest, and yet still manages to be funny, engaging, and completely enjoyable! Jude and Lauren have been friends since the 3rd grade but currently have nothing in common other than the fact that they live together. Annnnnd Lauren’s 5 year old daughter, Adelaide. Jude is an Instagram influencer who has it all, or at least that’s the imagine she portrays in those perfect little squares every day. Lauren is navigating parenthood with her ex, Ben, who is quite literally the worst human ever. At times I wanted to reach through the pages and just kick him in the back of his knees! Ugh! Anyways, I highly, highly recommend picking this one up! It’s absolutely hilarious!

So, this is the first book I have read by this author, and although I like the concept I felt the execution was poor. You will guess the trajectory of this story immediately, even the manufactured tension in the third act. The main protagonists are Lauren and Jude. As someone else has pointed out, Lauren is a doormat, and it is beyond irritating. You want to shout at her to grow a backbone, and everything in her life feels unearned, like she needs everyone else to create good things for her. As bad as Lauren is though, Jude is the worst. She is so self-centered and obnoxious that it made it hard to really root for her. She is also an alcoholic, which you the reader will realize within the first 25 pages, but for some reason 75% of the book goes by before any in the story mentions it. Like, what? I do feel like this writer has promise, so I will probably try more of her work, but I wouldn’t reread this one. Between the predictable storylines and the infantile characters it just isn’t for me.

Loved this book so much. Such a sweet story and I fell in love with both of these ladies. We need 1 million morebooks about female friendships!!!!

I loved the characters and the story. The book is a lot of fun and you leave it feeling good. If you want a fun and uplifting read, this is the book for you.

I’ve take a month off social media! And this book was a great replacement to Instagram scrolls! I enjoyed it and will definitely pass the book onto a friend who I think will also enjoy it!