Reviews

There is a lot going on in this book, so please be sure to check trigger warnings. Jude and Lauren are bestfriends who decide to move in together after being dealt a garbage hand by life. Jude is a social media influencer with manipulative mom, and Lauren is a single mom with manipulative Ex. Together, they try to rebuild their lives, but things do not go as planned. This book is relatively lighthearted, so it sounds strange when I say it ripped my heart out. The things Lauren is struggling with in regards to her Ex (I would love to punch him in the face!), and has struggled with in the past as a pregnant black woman (My stomach turned and I nearly cried) are so freaking real. Jude's experience with her mom and her reaction is so devastatingly authentic. There is a small romance sub-plot, but the friendship is truly central. Alexa Martin has managed to write a slice of life book that is captivating and meaningful, and is exactly the kind of book I want to write one day.

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kbranfield's review

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4.0

4.5 stars.

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes by Alexa Martin is a wonderful novel of friendship and motherhood.

Lauren Turner is a single Black woman with a precocious five-year-old daughter, Addy. She has never quite gotten over her break-up with Addy’s dad, Ben, and she is not looking for love. Lauren is trying to adjust to Ben’s new interest in fatherhood and she is uneasy about their visitation schedule. Just as she and her best friend, Jude Andrews, move in together, her world is turned upside down by a shocking custody fight. With so many changes and unexpected upheaval in her life, will Jude convince Lauren to give a new man in her life a chance?

Jude is a popular social media influencer who never lets her fans see what her life is really like. In reality, she is a hot mess with a dysfunctional relationship with her actress mother. Jude relies too heavily on alcohol to numb her feelings instead of facing her problems. Despite her issues, she and Lauren have a strong friendship that has survived all of their respective ups and downs over the years. Jude adores Addy so when the custody fight begins, she has the necessary contacts in social media that might give Lauren the edge she needs to win. But will Jude’s issues and her inability to deal with them cause problems between her and Lauren?

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes is a delightfully charming novel with a relatable storyline and likable characters. Lauren is a fantastic mother with a successful career but she does not feel like she lives up to her mother’s strict standards. Jude has a bit of a devil may care attitude, but she feels things deeply. Both women are flawed but Jude’s problems definitely outweigh Lauren’s insecurities and fears. Addy is absolutely adorable and she is quite the scene stealer! With their friendship hanging in the balance, Alexa Martin brings this captivating novel to a very uplifting conclusion.