Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
✵FINAL RATINGS: ★★★/5
✵GENRE: ⚔ Romance
✵SERIES: No
✵CHARACTERS: ★★★/5
✵WRITING: ★★★/5
✵PLOT: ★★★/5
✵SMUT: Yes
✵SMUT LEVEL: 🌶🌶🌶/5
✵ROMANCE: ♡ Yes
✵ROMANCE TYPE: F/F

First and foremost, the sex is good. Like, if you’re looking for a lesbian smut book you have found i which is always a positive. Phoebe and Grace always touched base on making sure their partner was comfortable, consent was clear and loud, and it was fun. That being said, the smut is maybe 50-60% of the book in my opinion. Again, that’s not a negative thing if you go into it expecting this.

Personally, I wish I liked this book more but there are some things I just couldn’t overlook. For one, I shouldn’t want more soccer in a soccer romance book… right? Like I know soccer was not really the focus, romance was, but it felt like they went to practice twice the whole book. I know realistically they mentioned going to practice significantly more, but it was always in passing and a lot of the scenes didn’t happen near/on the field which almost defeats the purpose of a soccer romance? It was just a romance and they happened to be soccer players.

Phoebe. I don’t know how to feel about her. One on hand, I love the portrayal of ADHD and I loved how hardworking she was. On the other hand, I’m sorry to say it but she was so annoying. Not only did she cross like every boundary presented to her, but then she goes on to be annoying about them! People are allowed to be upset at your actions girl! Take some responsibility! I also really hated how she tried to veer every serious conversation toward sex. Please take a break FOR FIVE SECONDS.

That being said, I loved Grace. I think she’s a great character and really shows the inner dialogue of introverts. My only issue is there was so much inner dialogue with her that it was kind of boring to read through. I wish she acted more than she thought.

It was a very entertaining book and I read it pretty quickly. I like the team members, how diversity did not feel forced, and how you got to see the relationship between Phoebe and Grace advance. I definitely liked Grace enough to even out my annoyance with Phoebe. Aside from communication issues, I really enjoyed the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meryl Wilsner, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to check out an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Meryl did it again! I absolutely loved Mistakes Were Made so I was so excited to get the chance to read Cleat Cute! I was a bit hesitant only because I'm not a huge sports fan, but I was quickly proven wrong! I love a sapphic book that is just fun. You know when it has all my favorite tropes, rivals to lovers, friends with benefits, and the best forced proximity I am going to eat it up!

Something to keep in mind is it written in 3rd person so if that's not for you just be warned!

We deserve more sapphic books like this! And also am I a soccer fan now??

What can I say except… ✨WOMEN✨

Cleat Cute made me feel SO MANY different things!

The relationships in this book shined so bright and each character felt like they were all one-of-a-kind and were super easy to tell apart, which can sometimes be tough for me.

All the moments of tension between Phoebe and Grace as well as the growth that came from those moments WORK, from beginning to end.

Overall, Cleat Cute was an absolute joy to read. It was fun, sexy, and it brought me to tears in the best ways possible.

This was a really good sapphic romance. I’m pretty sure I’m the target audience, seeing as it features two neurodivergent women who play soccer, and I’m a neurodivergent woman who played soccer when I was younger (never professionally, but still, the interest is there).
I’m going to talk a lot about the autism and ADHD rep in this book, because I have both autism and ADHD, so I had a lot of thoughts. Before I do that, I just want to say: this book has some good spice, and if that’s what you’re looking for after Meryl Wilsner’s previous book, this one won’t disappoint. Also, you don’t really have to know anything about soccer to enjoy the book, but it does add a fun element. I gave this book 4 stars because I did enjoy (most) of it, and I will definitely be returning for a reread. 

Okay. So in regards to the representation: I was really happy with the first half of this book, and then things started to get a little uncomfortable for me by the end. 


What I liked:
-The author obviously did their research (and I suspect drew from personal experience) and showed how ADHD and autism impacted the main characters’ lives WITHOUT turning it into the “oh woe is me I wish I could be normal” thing that usually happens when neurotypical people write disability rep. I related to a lot of it, and it felt true to my own experience. 
-They are both understanding and accommodating of each other, again, WITHOUT making it a big thing. They just treat each other with basic human decency. It actually made me want to cry because I never get treated with that kind of understanding when I let my “mask” slip.

The things I didn’t like:
-Some of Grace’s autism symptoms felt a little plot device-y to me. For example, when she gets upset about something and suddenly hates the texture of her clothes. Sensory issues don’t just pop up when you’re upset. They’re always there (a never ending hell) and are usually something that contributes to a bad mood, rather than something that gets worse BECAUSE of a bad mood.
-The way Grace pushes for Phoebe to get ADHD meds at the end made me really uncomfortable. Especially when Grace had proven that she was capable of accommodating Pheobe’s ADHD. And especially when Phoebe seemed to be really comfortable with herself? I would never tell someone to get off ADHD meds if it works for them, but why would you push someone to get on them if they don’t want or need them? 
-My last and biggest gripe, that almost made me throw the book across the room: pushing Tiktok as a reputable source for learning about ADHD. No one should be learning ANYTHING about their mental health from Tiktok. This is how everyone starts throwing around words like “hyperfixation” and “intrusive thoughts” until they lose all meaning and no one takes neurodivergent people seriously when they talk about those things anymore. 

Soooo. In terms of being a romance novel, this book was good. I’m a little salty about some things at the end, but not enough to ruin how much I enjoyed the rest of it. And obviously, my feelings about the representation are my own, and someone else with ADHD/autism may completely disagree! But I just wanted to put my thoughts out there. And frankly, this IS some of the best rep I’ve seen in a book. It’s just that the bar is, uh, very low. But I do appreciate the things that the author did right.

Women's soccer was a major hyperfixation of mine when I was going through the coming out process in 2014 / 2015 & this book satisfied a craving I didn't even realize I had!

I absolutely love Meryl Wilsner's writing style & I was so interested to see if this one was going to be more of a slow burn or not. I was so happy to find that we got the spice pretty early on! I really appreciated the dichotomy of Grace's character vs. Phoebe's character but how well they actually work together, both as friends & more than friends.

This book had me constantly giggling & kicking my feet like a little school girl. I can't wait to see where Meryl takes us next!

This was such a fun read & I fell in love with the characters. I’m not a huge sports person, but the way the author brought you inside the game using the story, especially the romance was so fun! :)

I need more sapphic sports romances now :)

This book was sexy and spicy while also being heartfelt. I loved the chemistry between the two love interests and Grace's journey as she starts doing things for herself rather than what she should do. Love how the author handled undiagnosed behavior as well as some class privileges commentary sprinkled in.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc! I have read the other two books by Wilsner (I didn't like Something to Talk About and I loved Mistakes Were Made). Some things I liked about this book, and others not so much. I felt that most of Phoebe and Grace's inner monologues were telling me things instead of showing me. Telling me over and over again that a certain character is good at something is tiring - show me how good that character is. Plus Phoebe was annoying.

I think Meryl Wilsner is getting better with every release! I loved Cleat Cute. I enjoyed the professional women's soccer setting. I loved all of the characters - I wouldn't say no to a spin off from some of the side characters! The main relationship was well-built and convincing. The sex scenes were great too. A very, very enjoyable romance.

I was so excited to read this new sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.
I played soccer for years growing up and 4 years of division 1 in college. I couldn’t wait to see how this book related. It was such a fun and entertaining read! The soccer portions were written by someone who clearly understands soccer at a higher level and knows the game and player tactics.
Cleat Cute is a steamy romance between professional soccer teammates, Grace Henderson, and rookie, Phoebe Matthews. Both characters had personalities that were quite different from each other. Grace was very serious and took her career in soccer as if it were her life and Phoebe was new to the professional world of soccer.
This book had me laughing and rooting for both characters. They didn't quite understand each other at first but quickly discovered that they enjoyed each others company. The third person present POV was initially off-putting to me and I had a hard time getting into the book because of it. I will say that I ended up getting used to it by about 20% and was no longer noticing it the longer I read. Overall, such a fun book that also touches on some sensitive and serious topics.

4.5 stars, rounded down
This is such a lovely rom-com! I am a massive women's soccer fan, so when I saw this pop up on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. And Meryl Wilsner did not disappoint. The characters were interesting and unique, from the protagonists to the side characters. Each one was distinctive and full of personality and charm. I loved Pheobe's optimism and love of the sport and her confidence both on the field and in her personal life. I loved Grace's steadfast determination and loyalty. They're polar opposites, but they fit together like the most perfect of puzzle pieces. I loved how much casual representation there was! So many races, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities were on these pages without it ever coming across as a checklist of diversity points to try and achieve. I can't even count how many different types of people there are.
Beyond the characters, this plot is lovely. As a big fan of the Women's World Cup with many very strong opinions on how players are treated by coaches and themselves, the fact that the story surrounded a woman learning to speak up for herself and her friends in the face of public scrutiny was super cool to read about. Too often women in sports are made to push themselves until they are too injured or exhausted to go on, and it does infinitely more harm than good to both players and the reputation of the sport as a whole. (Shoutout to the USWNT coach, who finally got fired.) And, in a twist that was beyond shocking to me, the miscommunication in this wasn't obnoxious and drawn out but something that added charm and levity to the story and the characters.
The only thing that keeps this from being a perfect 5 stars is that I wish there had been more of a decrescendo from conflict to end. The story wrapped up so fast and I found myself wanting just 20 more pages to give everything a more satisfying and well-paced conclusion. Not a turn-off of the book as a whole, but I am a sucker for a sugary sweet ending to my rom-coms and this didn't quite deliver.

Two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.

Opposites attract and sparks fly from the moment Grace and Phoebe first meet. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the grumpy veteran Grace go from being leery of the enthusiastic, cocky rookie Phoebe to giving in to her attraction. Their journey from friends with benefits to a committed relationship is filled with funny, steamy, heartwarming moments and a few challenges. I also appreciated the focus on these characters' growth as well as their success on and off the field.

This rivals-to-lovers rom-com is a must for sports romance fans, especially those who enjoy having the sports aspects integral to the main story.

Meryl Wilsner's latest book is a sweet love story between teammates Phoebe and Grace. Phoebe's a newcomer to professional soccer and has admired Grace since she was a teenager. This is really a love story with soccer as a backdrop, so no knowledge of soccer is necessary to enjoy the book. It's a book about coming-out, being open to love, and taking risks. A great read!

As someone who grew up playing soccer I wanted to like this book so bad. I saw a tiktok of 2 girls with tension on the field and I imagine that that is what this book was going to be like. I was sadly very disappointed.

Why is Phoebe always horny. And we’re always told this. The same effect can be made if we were shown how horny Phoebe is through her body’s responses. The way it was done was more tell than show and it was jarring to read. Then initial attraction was also rushed. Though I’m reading what the characters are feeling or want to do to each other I don’t feel that. I feel no sparks that warrant instant attraction. And Grace mentions how much she dislikes Phoebe yet she’s insanely attracted to her. It just doesn’t make sense. This book gave off the vibes it should’ve been enemies to lovers. Or rivals to lovers. They get together before the 30% mark which makes this rather insta love-y.

The jump from the camp to the national team was really abrupt. There was no indication of a passage of time. I actually had to go back and reread to figure out what was going on.

I did like the dynamic that Grace is the boss on the field and Phoebe is the boss in the bedroom. Unfortunately that seems to be the only part I did like.

In an attempt to not confuse the reads on what’s happening to who I notice a lack of using pronouns. Instead there were short sentences with the characters names. Grace did this. Phoebe did that. There was an attempt to break it up by Grace calling Phoebe by her last name, Matthews, which I found added to the confusion since Matthew is easily a first name. The writing overall just seemed sloppy. The only thing this book had going for it was the premise. I was so excited to read a sapphic soccer romance. And the execution of it was just subpar.

The first time a game of soccer is played is at the 60% mark and it was a one off sentence basically saying “a game of soccer was played”. If you are going to write a sports book at least have the players play the sport competitively. Going to practise and locker room dynamics just doesn’t cut it. I wanted the tension on the field and I didn’t want to wait until the end to finally get it. Almost every game is a fade to black. Does Meryl Wilsner even know how to play soccer? This book makes me think that they don’t.

Overall this book is a skip for me. Even if you are really into soccer there isn’t enough of it in the book to keep you entertained. I’ve DNF’d at 84%. I might go back and finish but it’ll be no time soon.

I was able to download the audiobook and that actually helped me immensely when it came to focusing on the story and on our main characters, Grace and Phoebe.

The connection between Grace and Phoebe is definitely more grumpy/sunshine and opposites attract rather than rivals to lovers like it was advertised, but I still enjoyed it. And as someone who grew up with other girls braiding and playing with my hair, I should've known I was a little bit gay back then. It all makes sense now...

Anyway, I really enjoyed the dynamics between our two FMCs and the team members, but found myself not paying too close attention during some parts, but still understood what was going on. Each of the FMCs both irked me in their own ways, especially with the miscommunication and misleading of their relationship. The ending also felt a little anti-climatic and wished there was more developing of Grace and Phoebe's relationship throughout the book.

I thought this was a cute book, but don't let that cute cover fool you cause this had some GREAT spice. I blushed multiple times on the drive to and from work. Overall, this was a good book but I think it could have been a bit better.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending an e-arc for my honest opinions and review!

I absolutely love the growing genre of sports lesbian romances and really enjoyed this book. I always love a grumpy sunshine trope and thought it was really well done in this book. The characters were endearing and the soccer terminology/knowledge was well done. Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Such a cute queer/lesbian sports romance story. I enjoyed this from the beginning to the end. My first read by this author.

-You had the kind of grumpy captain. To her self but also i under the reason for that wall. Grace acting like she’s a million years old lol.
-Then the rookie, phoebe, is so bubbly, hyper, & making friends.
-Phoebe helping their brother with money to get top surgery was so heart warming.
-The talk between Grace and her father was innocent and touching.
-The magazine issue with Grace was so beautiful. She did it her way and told her truth.
-It’s nothing wrong with taking a step back. You have to enjoy what you do.
-I loved all the people on the soccer team. Definitely like a second family.
-The spice was hot.
-ADHD representation. Grace noticing that and waiting to help. 10s across the board.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is being left on my own.

There is a major amount of sports romance out there but what attracted me to this book was that it was (1) sapphic and (2) soccer. We don’t see a lot of female sports romance OR soccer romances so I was looking forward to this. Phoebe and Grace were great together. The spice was yummy.

But I had issues with the long spans of internal monologues, and the third person point of view. The internal monologuing would go on to the point you’d forget what was actually happening in the story. I prefer stories with more dialogue and communication. Descriptions of what’s going on.

If you don’t have an issue with the 3rd person POV or the monologuing, then you shouldn’t have a problem with this book! Otherwise, it just wasn’t for me.

4.5 Stars
This was such a fun sports romance! It has the perfect amount of romance, drama and spice! I really liked both main characters (even though both frustrated me at different points). This book has some great neurodivergent representation, specifically ADHD. As someone who has ADHD I really appreciate the discussion of ADHD in this book especially how it presents differently in women. This book has great diversity and representation overall. I would have loved more of Phoebe and Grace in a relationship and wanted a little more at the end. This book is funny and tender and the whole package wrapped in a sports romance. Both narrators in the audiobook were great!

Meryl Wilsner is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine, with two out of three slam dunk novels (Cleat Cute included). As a lesbian from Louisiana, having a story set in New Orleans was exactly my speed, and I genuinely appreciated the care with which she treated the setting. I don't know if she's just good with her research, or if she's lived there, but either way, she did splendidly. The romance was sweet, if lacking a lot of communication for most of the book, and I loved both characters almost instantly. Having them competing for similar positions added an extra layer of drama, and I enjoyed learning more about the world of soccer through their eyes.

Five out of five, would read again.