Zoey Moody Character Analysis – Mistakes Were Made by Lucy Score

Overview

Zoey Moody is a thirty‑something New York City literary agent who, after a professional and financial collapse, lands in the small town of Story Lake. Over the course of Mistakes Were Made, she moves from city‑bred resistance to whole‑hearted belonging, while navigating a late diagnosis of ADHD, a slow‑burn romance with Gage Bishop, and the messy re‑parenting that comes from choosing a community over isolation. Lucy Score has stated in the Author’s Note that Zoey’s ADHD journey mirrors her own, lending the character authenticity and depth (see ADHD and Neurodivergence theme page).

Plot Role

Zoey is the protagonist and primary point‑of‑view character for roughly half the novel. Her entry into Story Lake is accidental: she is hiding under a bed at the Story Lake Lodge when she learns her Manhattan apartment building is converting to condos (chapter 2). That financial scare, combined with a series of absurd animal mishaps (a snake dropped on her head by the town eagle, a near‑miss with Gage’s truck), forces her to stay. She accepts a low‑paying job as town publicist, plans a Reader Weekend for her best friend Hazel, and slowly becomes a fixture in the Bishop family ecosystem. Her plot role is that of the reluctant outsider who, through vulnerability and mistakes, becomes a catalyst for other characters’ growth—particularly Gage’s.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Zoey is driven by two core fears: being “too much” and being “not enough.” Her impulsiveness—throwing a drink at her nemesis Jim at a gala, running into traffic to escape a snake—stems from a brain that processes the world faster than she can filter. She admits to Gage that “words just come out of my mouth, and it’s like I have no control over them” (chapter 3). Her motivation to prove her former employers wrong by making Hazel’s book a success (chapter 8) reveals a deep need for professional validation. Yet she also undercuts herself: she insists every intimate encounter with Gage is “just physical” because commitment terrifies her. Her generosity is shown in quiet actions—volunteering to pick up pizza for Laura’s house, adopting a neglected pit bull she names Buttercup during the Reader Weekend sabotage (chapter 45). She is fiercely loyal but equally quick to self‑protect.

Chronological Arc

1. Crisis and Arrival (chapters 1‑4): Zoey learns she has thirty days to vacate her NYC apartment. She arrives in Story Lake, gets hit by Gage’s truck, and reluctantly accepts the publicist job.

2. Resistance and Slow Attraction (chapters 5‑15): She tries to keep Gage at arm’s length while negotiating a six‑month lease for an apartment he renovates for her. Her ADHD is hinted at through her forgetfulness and impulsivity.

3. Diagnosis and Deepening (chapters 20‑29): Zoey reveals she has recently learned she is neurodivergent (likely ADHD) and fears treatment won’t help (chapter 21). She starts medication (chapter 24) and experiences “normalcy” for the first time. Her emotional intimacy with Gage grows, culminating in unprotected sex where she discloses she cannot have children (chapter 29).

4. Peak and Fall (chapters 39‑43): Zoey survives a disastrous birthday lunch with her parents, which Gage crashes to defend her. She agrees to stay in Story Lake after Gage asks her. During the Reader Weekend bonfire, she takes a knife wound defending Audrey from an abusive ex. Gage, terrified, breaks up with her. Zoey resolves to leave.

5. Reconciliation and Belonging (chapters 46‑Epilogue): Gage sends apology emails and confronts her. The town renames the bingo square after her, and Gage declares his love publicly. They reconcile; Zoey’s financial troubles end with Opal’s advance. The epilogue shows them engaged, living on the farm, managing her ADHD with tools and support.

Relationships

• Gage Bishop: The central romance. Gage is the town lawyer/contractor who initially sees Zoey as a threat to his control. Their relationship is built on the “disco” safe‑word (chapter 9), which allows honest confessions. Zoey’s fear of permanence clashes with Gage’s desire for a traditional life. Their arc goes from “definitely not my type” (chapter 8) to engaged, with Gage learning spontaneity (meteor‑shower sex) and Zoey learning trust.

• Hazel Hart: Zoey’s best friend and client. Hazel is a steady, cheerleading presence who pushes Zoey toward Story Lake. Zoey’s move is partly because of their friendship (chapter 13). Hazel’s wedding is the epilogue’s setting.

• Opal: The elderly town fixture who becomes a client (seven‑figure book deal). Opal offers wisdom: “Mistakes were made…but you don’t have to be defined by them” (chapter 47). She buys Zoey expensive noise‑canceling headphones.

• Zoey’s Parents: Emotionally neglectful; they show up for her birthday lunch only to belittle her. Gage confronts them, and the epilogue notes tentative, still‑strained contact.

• The Bishop Family: Gage’s brothers Cam and Levi, his sister Laura, and his parents gradually accept Zoey. Laura lets Zoey stay in her house after Valerie’s charges become public. The family’s loud, intrusive love becomes a substitute for Zoey’s own.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

• ADHD and Neurodivergence: Zoey’s impulsivity, forgetfulness, and difficulty filtering are not flaws but features of her brain. The novel—and Score’s Author’s Note—positions ADHD as something to manage, not cure. The paper calendar and headphones are symbols of accommodation, not failure. (See ADHD theme page.)

• Grief and Forgiveness: Zoey’s own grief over her childhood (the dog bite incident, chapter 8) mirrors the Bishop family’s grief over Miller. Her forgiveness of herself—of her “mistakes”—parallels Laura’s forgiveness of Valerie. (See Grief and Forgiveness theme page.)

• Small‑Town Community: Story Lake itself becomes a character. The town’s gossip, traditions (potatoing, bingo, eagle incidents), and collective defense against rival Dominion are a backdrop against which Zoey shifts from outsider to member. The epilogue cements this: “That’s life in Story Lake: Birds throw snakes at you here!”

• Vulnerability and Commitment: Zoey’s refusal to admit she loves Gage is a defense against being left. Gage’s own fear of failure (his sister Laura’s accident) is overcome through Zoey’s vulnerability. The “disco” safe‑word symbolizes the courage to be honest. (See Vulnerability and Commitment theme page.)

• Control vs. Spontaneity: Gage, who plans everything, learns to embrace spontaneity (meteor‑shower sex, adopting koi). Zoey learns that structure (calendars, body doubling) can coexist with her natural chaos. (See Control vs. Spontaneity theme page.)

Book‑Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does Zoey panic after her one‑night stand with Gage? She wakes up convinced she has made herself too vulnerable. The narrator notes she “panicked” and tried to sneak out, falling off the porch and fracturing her wrist (chapter 22). Her fear is that once Gage sees her real self, he will leave.

2. What is the significance of the “disco” safe‑word? It allows both Zoey and Gage to speak absolute truth without judgment. Zoey’s disco‑ball necklace triggers the conversation about being “broken.” Using the word, Gage admits the driver’s sentencing feels unjust, and Zoey offers a platonic hug (chapter 9).

3. How does Zoey’s ADHD diagnosis change her behavior? On her first day of medication, she remembers tasks, feels “normal,” and successfully pitches ideas to the high school club (chapter 24). However, she also experiences a midafternoon crash. Later, she adopts management strategies like a paper calendar, noise‑canceling headphones, and body doubling with Gage.

4. Why does Gage break up with Zoey after the bonfire incident? He sees Zoey take a knife wound defending Audrey and is overwhelmed by the fear of losing someone he loves—a trauma rooted in his sister Laura’s accident and his brother Miller’s death. He calls her reckless and ends things to protect himself from that grief (chapter 42).

5. What does Zoey’s decision to adopt Buttercup symbolize? The pit bull she bonds with during the animal‑dumping sabotage represents her growing capacity to commit to something messy and needy. Opal adopts two cats; Zoey adopts Buttercup, a dog she later takes on the reconciliation date. It foreshadows her willingness to stay in Story Lake and build a life with Gage.

For deeper discussion of the ending and unresolved threads, see the ending explained page and the questions and answers page.

This analysis is based on published text and chapter outlines; any speculation beyond explicit events is noted as interpretation.