Cleat Cute was a fun sapphic romance centered around soccer. I really liked Grace and Phoebe as characters and enjoyed how it switched perspectives between them. I read Some Mistakes Were Made, by the same author, and enjoyed this one more. I found there was more depth to the characters and I appreciated that they were both working through some mental health and other life obstacles. I don't even like soccer but I appreciated those sections and learning more about the sport, the team, the coaching, etc. and I felt that the other characters are on the team were great supporting, developed characters as well. This has lots of open door scenes so I would not recommend this to anyone other than adults looking for that.

This FF sport romance follows Grace and Phoebe. Grace is the team captain and veteran of the pro soccer team that Phoebe just joined. Off the field, the two are just about as different as they could be, but they start up an unlikely friendship. They graduate to friends with benefits at the same time that Grace is sidelined for an injury which puts her spot on the US National Team in jeopardy. But when they figure out they can work together instead of competing against each other, these two women just might find a connection they never expected. This was such as fun sport romance that was spicier than I initially expected. Grace and Phoebe are such great characters and I loved how different they were from each other. They each had a ton of character development throughout the story. Of course, there's a good amount of on-page soccer playing but I thought it was still really well balanced. We get a variety of soccer scenes that didn't get repetitive. I really liked how Wilsner was able to weave in tension on and off the field and how the two interact with each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Publication date was September 19, 2023

Review is written but will not be posted till St martins press addresses the actions of the the employee spreading harmful messages and misinformation.

Phoebe is beyond excited to be invited to the national women’s soccer team’s camp where she meets her hero, Grace, who after the camp will be her captain on a pro team in New Orleans. The two do not get off on the right foot, but Phoebe leaves her impression on Grace and once they are in New Orleans their attraction can’t be denied and they begin seeing each other. When Grace is injured and Phoebe takes her spot on the national team’s roster, it puts their new relationship to the test.

I played soccer for 9 years and have of course followed the U.S. national team for ages so I was excited for this soccer romance. I liked Grace and Phoebe but they were harder for me to fully get as characters. I can’t tell if this was due to the present tense third person writing or the fact that there was a lot of telling in the form of internal monologues when things should have been shown. I did appreciate that Phoebe’s undiagnosed ADHD and her misconceptions of neurodivergency were handled with care. Also, the steamy scenes were very steamy. I loved that the pair were able to communicate and fight for their relationship, but I found the conflict resolution at the end of the book to be lackluster. Overall I liked Wilsner’s previous books more, but I still enjoyed this one.

I did listen to the audiobook for a lot of the story. I liked that we had dual narration and both readers did a very good job. However, there were numerous moments where I could tell when a different word or phrase from one recording session was spliced into another recording, which is not something I typically find in professionally recorded audiobooks. It didn’t change my impression of the story, but did make me notice the production.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was pretty cute, and as a queer soccer (football) as soon as i saw this one I was in. If you're looking for a fun chill read featuring neurodiverse Sapphic soccer players, you'll probably enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! I loved this book!! The setting , the characters, the plot! It was all chiefs kiss. Phoebe and Grace were amazing character. Each having unique personalities that you could easily fall in love with ! The soccer setting made me so happy because it was something I was passionate about years and throw back for me personally qas great ! The smut was … holy did it get hott in here because WOW !! I was not expecting it but damn did I enjoy it !! A must own for my bookshelf !!

Definitely not my favourite book from this author, but also not a let down. This book was the perfect mix of cheesy rom-com meets sports (football) romance. There were some parts of the story that felt a bit repetitive, and I wasn’t quite fond with the ending, but I still felt that the book as a whole did a good job. I loved the neurodivergent representation, and felt that it was an accurate and nice job well done. This book is definitely a great beach read, and I would recommend it to everyone who just wants to smile and laugh a little.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advance readers copy of the book.

As a certified Sports Lesbian™️, I have been highly anticipating reading this sapphic soccer romance. It was a fun read and I was definitely routing for the main pairing to get together. The writing is great, quippy and lighthearted but serious where it needs to be. The pacing felt a little off in places where the author decided to explain details about soccer (in general or WeSo specifically) - I get wanting to draw in more readers but sometimes it read as pedantic to me.

Although there are several black and brown supporting characters some of the text itself feels like a whitewashing of the sport and the team (for example, the idea that Grace is the only one who can do “complicated braid styles” in the locker room). On the other hand, the <spoiler> ADHD and autism representation </spoiler> felt very authentic which makes me wonder if the author had sensitivity readers for those specific things but not for racial representation.

I wanted to love this book more - the sex scenes are HOT, the characters endearing and messy in a lovable way, and the soccer was interesting to me. But it was hard for me to push past the seemingly forced way that <spoiler> Grace decided to come out at the end - as if the only way to be true to yourself is to make a public statement. It’s so reductionist of the queer experience and felt completely out of character for Grace </spoiler>. That decision contextualizes the main relationship in a different way for me.

This book was mid for me, so many things I loved and plenty that didn't stand out.

Phoebe and Grace share a beautiful dynamic, and their conversations felt surreal considering their individual personalities. The relationship is definitely opposites attract, executed in a magical way. With an age gap, very different life experiences and completely different takes on life, these characters stood out to me. They both bring so much to their relationship and they're definitely NOT incomplete individuals completed by the other. Their compassion for each other, mutual understanding, and pure love were the highlights of their chemistry for me.

What I absolutely hated-
The third person present tense POV. Maybe that was to make it feel like sports commentary but didn't work out at all. the narration felt dull, long, and clunky, especially with the internal monologues. I can't count how many times I lost the plot because I couldn't follow the story. An example of telling not showing? This is it.

Also, the plot wasn't all that good. This is a completely character driven novel which is great, but the story in itself isn't very happening. The external events keep dragging while the reader is forced to go over and over the characters' thoughts and it's exhausting.

Comparison to Mistakes Were Made-
Cleat Cute is my second book by Meryl Wilsner, and they both are almost opposites in a way. In Cleat Cute, the characters really stand out in their individuality and chemistry, both inside and out of the relationship. Mistakes Were Made didn't stand out in its characterization to me, but the story was faster paced, keeping me hooked on the edge of my seat, with a generous amount of suspense. The narration was dual first POV with two narrators for the audiobook which I enjoyed.

So, if you're diving into this book expecting anything like Mistakes Were Made, think again. And because I loved the characters, I'm giving 3 stars! It's not unbearably horrible but isn't perfect either.

Thank you NetGalley and most importantly Meryl Wilser for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review!

First off, Meryl Wilsner is an auto buy author for me. I don’t like romcoms at all but she can do no wrong with her sapphic romcoms.

Second, tell me why I envisioned Grace Henderson as my Alex Morgan the whole time? I was not a soccer player but I love them!!! Yess yes yess every time yes!

Solid 2.5 🌶️ for spice! And not a single pickle around!

This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I am not sure why I went into this one thinking it would only be a cute somewhat steamy romance. Maybe it was the cover, but either way, it was spicier than I was expecting. My only complaint is that it is written in third person and personally that just isn't my favorite.

If you're looking for a steamy (*cough* shower scene *cough*) sapphic soccer romance (say that ten times fast!) then you need to check out Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner! It's a teammates with benefits situation with some hurt/comfort in there. Phoebe has been a fan of Grace's soccer career and when she ends up as a rookie on the same team she can't help but try and be friends with her. The only problem is Grace has been burned before but she ends up taking sunshine Phoebe under her wing and sorta kinda becomes her unofficial tour guide around New Orleans. When Grace ends up benched because of an injury, Phoebe just wants to take care of her...in more ways than one. While not explicit, Grace is somewhere on the autism spectrum and Phoebe has undiagnosed ADHD. I really enjoyed how they respected each other's boundaries as well. Also, the meddling teammates were my fave!

This was such a cute story! It was the perfect read during the World Cup. It was an easy and fun read to escape from reality. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who wants a fun and sweet sports story.

I truly think Meryl Wilsner gets better and better with every book. Cleat Cute is such a fun romance between two professional athletes, and I had such a great time with it!

Phoebe and Grace were both incredibly relatable and I loved the conversations this book had about being out publicly and parasocial relationships with celebrities and getting neurodivergent diagnoses as an adult. Add in the fun plot and engaging characters and this was a recipe for a great book.

I also appreciated that the thing that’s set up to be the cause of the third act breakup isn’t and the way that whole set of conversations played out. All that being said, I had a great time and I really look forward to reading more from Wilsner.

I cannot overstate how much I loved this book. It was the perfect amounts of Grumpy/Sunshine and self-discovery and I related so much to the ADHD/Autism TikTok spiral. This was so well done, the chemistry was so natural, and my only regret is that I finished it so quickly. It offers important conversations and observations and I will be handselling this every chance I get. I’m so glad it’s our October Book Club pick!!

This book was queer joy at its finest. I loved all the representation of identities and sexualities. I could have done without the miscommunication trope however.

A Sapphic sports romance was the perfect read to go with the women's World Cup this year! I enjoyed this one which was a pleasant surprise since I had mixed feelings about Meryl Wisner's last book. I loved the lack of random drama and the plot was easy to follow and enjoy.

I liked Cleat Cute but didn’t love it. It took me over 2 weeks to read which is a long time for a romance. I’m struggling to figure out exactly what didn’t work for me and I’m not sure. Phoebe and Grace are playing on the same professional women’s soccer team - Grace is a veteran and the coach, Phoebe is a rookie player right out of college. There’s a grump/sunshine dynamic, both characters are neurodiverse, steamy sex - all things I love! I saw some reviews talk about getting bogged down a bit in the internal monologues and that may have been my issue as well. It also feels pretty drawn out and repetitive at times. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner is a F/F contemporary romance featuring soccer star Grace Henderson and rookie Phoebe Matthews. Phoebe is loud, outgoing and star struck. Grace is quiet, private and sees Phoebe as a rival. Grace is sidelined with an injury and before long, the two become friends with benefits. Grace isn't sure how this happened, but is determined to keep it just what it is, no feelings attached. That doesn't last long, feelings get in the way and the two of them are in a full fledged relationship, on and off the field.

The novel was a slow burn for me though, I really struggled to get through the start of it. There is a TON of inner monologuing that is exhausting to get through. If you can get through it you're rewarded with some beautiful, steamy scenes but I almost gave up on it. I appreciated that the characters with neurodivergent, but it was a bit rough to get through at times. Drawn out, repetitive.

3.5 stars

Am I really not allowed to write, "Hi, I loved this book, because I pictured my soccer crush in Grace's shoes and myself in Phoebe's, and it was like a dream come true?" No? Okay.

Phoebe has just gotten her shot, not only has she been called up to her dream football club, but now she has an opportunity to be considered for the US Women's National Team. The spot? Grace Henderson's. The cost? Her heart. From first practice, they really were the least likely to, but Phoebe reminds Grace of her before she gave her life away to the game. As they explore New Orleans, tackle practice, and an injury together it's no time before Grace admits something just might be there. It wouldn't be a sapphic romance without some miscommunication though.

I loved Phoebe, I loved Grace, I loved this book, even when I literally threw it across the room, because neither one knows how to actually communicate properly. Totally classic. Totally real to life. I'm totally too old to appreciate it anymore haha. The two seem to take it slow, but their feelings take a deep dive long before either is ready and it results in the most chaotic explanation of dating of my life. I laughed a lot, I rolled my eyes a lot, I sighed a lot, but boy did I root for them. I ate up their chaotic energy like it was candy and I was truly devastated when I got to the end. Meryl Wilsner literally wrote my fantasy into a book and despite the fact that I am still mad I can't live out this dream, I am totally satisfied with the Cleat Cute version of it in my head now.