Following the likes of The Inn at Tansy Falls by Cate Woods and Linda Holmes’s Evie Drake Starts Over, Mistakes Were Made is an example of the small-town romance genre, which idealizes close-knit communities as havens from the anonymity of urban life. Small-town romances often feature idyllic, picturesque settings with a relaxed pace of life, which allows the protagonist—often a recent implant from the city—to slow down and reflect on their own lives, discovering love in the process. Other tropes of the genre include chosen family, allowing the protagonist to create new bonds, gossip, and quirky elements such as quaint book shops, farms, and whimsical but well-meaning neighbors. The narratives typically start with a fish-out-of-water situation, featuring a city-dweller at odds with their rural or semi-urban setting, such as when Zoey initially dismisses Story Lake as “Teeny Hallmarkville” (2).

As Zoey gets to know Gage and Story Lake better, she revises her opinion of Story Lake, finding unexpected depths in the setting. For instance, it is laidback Story Lake—via Opal—rather than professional, efficient Manhattan that helps Zoey get a diagnosis of ADHD, changing her life. Gage, the “good guy” Zoey dismisses as too strait-laced in the beginning, turns out to be more adventurous than she could have imagined. As these examples show, the small-town romance draws its appeal from the promise of surprises in unassuming, cozy settings. In Story of My Life, the first book of the Story Lake series, Hazel, too, is surprised by finding her soulmate, Cam, in the small town. The planned sequel to Mistakes Were Made will focus on a romantic plot involving Levi, the oldest Bishop brother, illustrating how Story Lake provides a happy resolution for all its main characters.