The description of this book got me interested immediately. Mentioning Ted Lasso is a sure fire way to get a book added to my priority TBR.
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I had a hard time liking the two main characters and didn’t root for them until 80% through the book. The miscommunication between them was frustrating. The inner monologue was a tad painful. I don’t know how many times I read “Grace is my girlfriend!” when she clearly wasn’t but it was too much. I didn’t personally care for how much communication took place during the sex scenes but that’s a personal preference and I could see that being a plus for other readers.
I expected there to be more soccer play but most of the games were skimmed over and that was disappointing. I want more sports in my sport romances. Again this is just a personal preference.

A romcom involving two soccer stars on the US Women's National Team. Grace is a veteran on the team and a name in women's soccer when she gets injured. Phoebe is a young up and coming star in the soccer world. The two meet and soon spark a relationship.

I was just missing the chemistry here. I loved the whole premise but the characters just fell a little flat compared to the synopsis.

This was definitely very cute but the two main characters not being on the same page about the situation going on between them for almost the entire book drove me CRAZY.

I saw a lot of my own characteristics in mainly Grace but also Phoebe. Reading this also made me miss my soccer playing days. If only my body would allow me to run without feeling like I’m dying lol.

I like that the miscommunication was handled with humor rather than an argument, given that it’s cleared up so close to the end. I was very worried it was going to be a bigger deal than it ended up being.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.

3.5 stars.

I absolutely love Meryl Wilsner's last book "Mistakes Were Made," so I was very much looking forward to "Cleat Cute." This book is good, but not as great as her last effort. There are many things to love here. I adored the various different LGBTQIA2S+ representations. I liked the slow-evolving relationship between the main characters, Phoebe and Grace, though I did think some of their interactions felt a little contrived and/or unnatural despite their obvious growing feelings and attractions towards one another. Their grumpy/sunshine, rivals-to-lovers relationship is convincing and engaging. I loved the ADHD/neurodivergent representation, but I hated when Grace made a doctor's appointment for Phoebe without her permission. It felt like an overstep to me! I certainly loooooved the spice and dirty talk. Whoooooweeee, Meryl Wilsner knows how to write a spicy scene! *pantpantpant* And also, the consent element was sooo hot. I love when authors clearly and distinctly lay out consent on the page! That is SO important to me (and to many other reader, I'm sure). Wilsner's writing style includes a lot of fun via a typically fast-moving narrative, though this time around, I felt that the story dragged at times. I zoned out here and there while the soccer practices and games were going on, so I had to back up the audiobook to see if I missed anything critical. I think there could have been more individual character development for both Phoebe and Grace. "Mistakes Were Made" was just *so* scandalous that I couldn't stop reading it. That appears to be attempted here since Grace and Phoebe are soccer teammates who don't want to tell anyone they are hooking up, but it didn't have the same punch to the gut as Wilsner's last book. This is a solid book, one I think most people will really enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Cleat Cute is a fun sapphic, rivals-to-lovers, romcom full of tropes including friends with benefits, forced proximity, and opposites attract. The story follows Pheobe, a rookie to the New Orleans Krewe, and Grace, the captain and star veteran on the soccer team. When Phoebe asks Grace to show her around the city, the two forge a friendship that quickly evolves into more as they get to know each other.
While I enjoyed the plot and premise of this sapphic sports romance, the writing let me down. The whole story was told in third person and had a crazy amount of internal monologue that was often repetitive and left me wanting more. Because of the writing, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and struggled to immerse myself in their relationship. Despite that, I loved learning about soccer and the overall found family vibes from the team! While this book may not be for me, I definitely see the potential and think Cleat Cute would work very well for someone who likes third person and internal monologue.

~Many thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Wilsner for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for an opportunity to read this book!

I am nervous to write this review, but here goes.

I was unfortunately not a fan of this one. I think the concepts were super exciting and I was all here for a fun sapphic rom-com sports novel, but I struggled with the way it was written.

The things I really enjoyed: I do love sapphic stories. I appreciated the neurodivergent characters. I think at times the banter between the two main characters was entertaining and made me chuckle. There were even parts that I just super enjoyed the conversation (i.e. When the term queer was defended as being trans inclusive, I was yelling YASS). Sapphic spice isn't always written well, but this definitely wasn't bad in this book.

The reason for my lower rating: I felt like the writing of this book was so much tell-not-show. The author told us a lot about things that happened but didn't show us what was happening. I felt like it disconnected me from the overall story because I like to read to experience things with the characters and that didn't feel like it happened much here. I think there were times where important conversations were deflected from. I also felt like the inner monologuing of the characters interrupted the flow of the story a lot for me. I think it was difficult for me to stay focused but that is a personal preference.

I know this book has been a huge hit with so many, so I'm absolutely confident it will continue to find its audience. I thought I was the target audience for this based on my interests and favorite genres, but this one just didn't do it for me. Writing anything is always still such an accomplishment and I will absolutely still be reading other books from this author to try them out.

This was a fast and fun read. Excellent ratio of humor and steaminess. Loved the representation and the backdrop of New Orleans.

Soccer, Spice & Swoony Romance! We follow Grace and Phoebe - both soccer superstars who have dreamed of playing professionally since they were little. Now that their dreams have come true things are heating up both on and off the field leading up to the World Cup! Cleat Cute is full of friendship, teamwork, sportsmanship, love, loss, laughter, heartbreak and everything in between! Fun read -though the third person narration took me a bit out of the story. Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy!

I have a major crush on one of Meryl Wilsner's previous characters (hello Erin from Mistakes Were Made!), so I was really looking forward to finding out what the characters were like in Cleat Cute, their newest book.

Let's start here:
Overall, I found myself not fully connecting to this story. Somehow it felt like I was reading the book through a glass of water, and although it was fine, I just didn't love it how I was expecting to. There were some choices Wilsner made stylistically that removed me from the story - more telling than showing – keeping me from fully engaging with the steam and the characters. I also had some issues with the neurodivergent representation and this part of the story didn’t feel completely resolved by the ending.

And finish on a positive note:
Both Grace and Phoebe have such different tones, helping differentiate between both main characters. Dual points of view and audiobook narrators also helped. Grace is more the type-A, no nonsense, all business type; she's determined and strives for perfection and making others happy. Phoebe is the complete opposite. She's fun, bubbly and full of energy; always the class clown and loves making others laugh. Grace is the one to text in full sentences and only use periods where Phoebe is full on abbreviations and emojis. I enjoyed the fun grumpy/sunshine vibes!

Also:
It took me an embarrassing long time to realize just how much I connect and relate with Grace! But once I got to that point, I found myself nodding along with so much of her home-body, routine and structured runaway thoughts!

Finally:
This is a sporty steamy sapphic wrapped in a gorgeous cotton candy cover!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read, listen to and review.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.

While I quite liked both protagonists, there was so, so much telling instead of showing - a lot of feels dumps - and that made it really difficult to invest in their relationship. The narrative is also very tightly focused on these two characters, specifically when they are together, like it's completely uninterested in exploring outside of those moments, but unfortunately that just makes those moments feel shallow and lacking context. Like I said, I liked the protagonists, and spending some time with them apart could've given more depth to the time they were together. I was also super interested in the soccer stuff, and the author clearly knows their ish, but I wanted even more, and their world felt more like a backdrop for their relationship rather than a character in its own right.

This was delightful queer read! Cleat Cute is a fun, tender, sexy romance between two professional soccer lesbians rediscovering their joy on and off the field (with some of the best adult neurodivergence rep we've ever seen!)

ADHD x Autisic pairing | soccer romance | lesbian love | steamy | rivals to lovers | teammate-with-benefits

A lighthearted story about two women who love soccer and maybe each other.

Phoebe is ready to make her professional soccer debut and meet some of her heroes, including Grace. Grace is a veteran player who still loves the game but not everything associated with the fame. Phoebe and Grace make a bet that sets off an entire friends with benefits situation, but both find it's not so easy to keep feelings at bay.

The neurodivergent rep in this story is so wonderful! Phoebe has undiagnosed ADHD, and Grace is probably autistic. The story itself made me laugh a few times, especially towards the end. There is no third-act breakup which is refreshing. It felt like the writing was a little repetitive and not in a way that showed anxiety. I loved how much soccer was actually integrated into the story since it meant so much to both women. This is the third book by this author I've read and definitely my fave of them.

When a hip injury sidelines soccer star Grace from the US Women's National Team, spirited newcomer Phoebe takes her place. The two form an unexpected bond that soon blossoms into romance. But with the World Cup approaching, they must find a way to play together both on and off the field amid their clashing perspectives on relationships.

What a wonderful book! Grace and Phoebe are very different people, and it's their physical attraction that draws them together at first. But they're unfailingly kind and respectful to each other, and their complementary strengths make them a solid couple. This book is a smart, steamy, heartwarming, and entertaining romance.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I throughly enjoyed my entire reading experience with this book. The character development was perfect, I absolutely loved this book and was so sad when it was over because I need more.

**Thank you so much to netgalley for the opportunity to read this**

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I love a good sports romance especially with neurodivergent and queer representation, but this book was such a disappointment.

From the beginning, the writing was incredibly segmented and jilted that it was hard to get immersed. Every time I was getting into the book, the inner monologue started while maintaining a third-person past tense POV and it just felt messy. There also was no point for alternating POV when it's all still third-person and all the inner monologue is tagged as Grace or Phoebe's. The imbalance of monologue and action/dialogue lost me.

Then we have the representation. I was so excited about a sapphic soccer story then found out they are both neurodivergent coded. I loved the concept of the representation, I feel like the intention was there, but the actual execution needed some help. Both characters felt like caricatures of ADHD and autism while also checking off a box for the author. It was a shame to see how both were handled because it felt careless and insensitive.

The concept was there but the execution on this one missed the spot. This could have been THE book for me, but unfortunately it wasn't.

Grace Henderson is the old-timer, despite being only 26, and recent college grad Phoebe Matthews brings the new player energy to professional women's soccer--the NOLA Krewe, that drafted her, and she hopes the national team, which invited her to camp for the time. Camp is where Phoebe meets her idol, Grace, and sparks fly, but not necessarily in a good way.

When they get back to NOLA, both of them a week before team training starts, the two players also get a fresh start...and sparks fly.

It's a prolonged will-they-or-won't-they, with more sex and less soccer than I anticipated. No cats are injured, but one does get locked out of a bedroom.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and SMP for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After I read 'mistakes were made' by Meryl Wilsner I was so excited to have gotten this ARC because I loved that couple and I was hoping for the same chemistry in Cleat Cute. While I am not a sports person- I can still absolutely enjoy a sports romance. I did love the two characters individually. Phoebe has big time Labrador energy and Grace the poor thing was very clearly autistic but what such a confused little sweetheart in her own way. The recipe for the combo of a emotionally unintelligent love interest is that the other has to have a thorough handle on their feelings. If no one in the relationship knows how to talk about their feelings then you end up being in a month long relationship with only one party of the relationship knowing. Which as a side note- isn't cute. It was concerning.

Grace refused to give anyone the benefit of the doubt and throughout the entire book expected the worst or jumped to the worst conclusion. Honestly it was really hard to read and I ended up hating her parts of the book. With literally no evidence to support whatever claim she was assuming she was still really slow to let those assumptions go and it was really difficult to read through.

The writing was good as we can expect from Wilsner, unfortunately there is no way this couple makes it long term.

Cute!-- just like it says. :)

eARC from NetGalley. Although I was excited to start this as soon as I received it in August, I held off until September so I could use it for the 2023 She Reads Romance September challenge: Sports Romance. I don't read a lot of sports books at all, so the timing was perfect!

I really liked the author's previous book, Something to Talk About. While both the characters in this book are still in their 20s, the age gap is reinforced by their different life experiences (fresh out of college vs. professional player since age 16). The physical aspects of the relationship are front and center, starting early in the story and with on-screen scenes, whereas I remember Something to Talk About being more on the "chaste" side and focusing on the slow burn. Grumpy-sunshine dynamics with an introvert-extrovert pair, both of whom are ND (and only really discovering that about themselves during the book. Hurrah for later-in-life diagnoses! Honorable mentions for the role of social media in helping NDs find validation of their experiences, and how neurodivergencies often look different in AFABs, leading to underdiagnosis and lack of support.).

Recommended for contemporary romance readers who like snappy characters-- readers who liked the Get a Life, Chloe Brown series or books by Casey McQuiston, for example.

This is the second book I’ve ready by Meryl and I was so excited to pick this one up. I really enjoyed this one but did not love it as much as Mistakes Were Made. It was a super fun and spicy sapphic romance with some neurodivergent main characters.

I really connected with Phoebe as someone who also has ADHD. I felt like I lived in her head and all the things she struggled with are things I deal with in my real life. I loved Phoebe and her ability to be herself and live with so much joy towards all things in her life. And I loved how she pulled Grace out of her shell. I really did enjoy Grace’s transformation throughout the story and I loved how they each ended up helping each other in different ways.

I really enjoyed all the friendships and different side characters in this story as well. There is nothing better than friends holding each other up and being for someone unconditionally. I also loved all the representation!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I'm giving this book three and a half stars, but Goodreads doesn't do the half star rating, so whatever.

I'm not really sure what was happening in this book. I feel like so much was happening, while also nothing was happening. There were like three different teams and groups, but it wasn't clear who was on which team. We didn't really get like any development of side characters. I had no idea who half of them were when they would appear.

This was not a very descriptive book. It was a LOT of telling, not showing. I spent so much of it just skimming cause I knew I wasn't going to miss anything. I just don't feel like anything was properly developed cause we were just told everything. We didn't get to see anyone develop and grow.

I don't even really want to get into the ADHD and Austism stuff that was hit in this book. One of the marketing things is that it's rep for neurodivergent folks, but it's not really?? Like we get one throw-away line about Grace's possible Austism, and then it's never mentioned again? And that's like at 85% And Pheobe's ADHD is just so present throughout the whole book that you're expecting her to be diagnosed. Only to find out she isn't, and it's just resolved. Idk not quite what I was expecting.

Overall, I'm not a fan. I'm definitely willing to read other works by this author, but I don't think I'll ever reread this one.