I was both excited and apprehensive when beginning to read this book, as I have zero soccer knowledge and I was worried this would lean too heavily on "sport" romance...but I was pleasantly surprised on how well done this aspect was! It felt very natural and I felt like I got a good enough understanding of the structure of how teams worked, the different levels, etc without getting bogged down in the details. The stars here are really Phoebe and Grace. What I really loved, is how well Wilsner portrays neurodiversity for the first 90% of the book, without really addressing it. It just - is. I mean this as a compliment. These are fully fleshed out, well rounded characters that are not just rubber-stamped with stereotypical traits. But if you are neurodiverse or know someone closely that is, you will recognize many traits and behaviors. But Wilsner just weaves this is like a natural part of the characters, it is not a focus or the focus of the book really at all, but the representation is done so well. The spiciness level of this book is HIGH, but I loved how Phoebe and Grace used respect and consent in these moments. This is a true romance through and through, but there is also plenty of personal growth. A really great read, highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I’m suing!!!
Someone pulled this out of my sapphic teen athlete fantasies and I deserve compensation. Fortunately, I’m willing to accept compensation in the flavor of this story.
Phoebe and Grace are competitive af and their push and pull is sexual tension at its best!

I never thought I’d be pulled into a sports romance, but here we are. I didn’t follow all the game play, but uh… I wasn’t reading it for that.
The first name/last name switching confused me a little bit it was also kinda spicy? Idk am I into that? (Yes, apparently I’m into that)
The hair braiding caught me off guard and damn… it was cute and hot all at once.

Sweet and fast paced read packed with creative conflict

When this book was announced and hit my kindle, I was super excited to start it. “Cleat Cute” is a sweet, steamy and heartfelt sapphic romance that was a cute read.

Phoebe Matthews has been training for this moment and is finally on the Women’s National Soccer team. Grace Henderson has been the superstar for the last 10 years but is sidelined with an injury. Phoebe is extroverted, funny and outgoing. Grace is kind, introverted and likes her routines. Phoebe has always admired Grace and quickly realizes she’s looking at her more than just a teammate. Grace is focused on getting back on the pitch but even she can’t resist the sunshine that Phoebe is.

I loved these two and enjoyed reading their story. Both are relatable on the struggles they both faced throughout this book. Grace, working through her injury and coming to terms that she is ready to be in a relationship. Phoebe, with finding her way on the team and trying to stand out to make it fully on the team. Opposites attract and I loved how different they were. An extrovert sunshine with an introverted baby grump. The steamy scenes were so good and well written. They were hot for sure and not sleezy at all, which some WLW books can be. The teammates were great and I hope this world gets expanded on and we get more books.

If you follow me, you will know that sports books are very hit and miss for me. This one was okay, I have definitely read other sports books where it overtakes the plot or is so technical I get bored quickly.

I loved the tension and chemistry between Grace and Phoebe as they navigate their personal struggles, the competition on the field, and their relationship.

The blurb says rivals to lovers and that is a great description of the relationship. Enemies to lovers doesn’t fit the dynamic of the couple.

This is a great Sapphic September read!

Cleat Cute" by Meryl Wilsner is a heartwarming journey of self-discovery and love unfolding on the soccer field!

First impressions matter, and Phoebe and Grace's initial encounter was far from perfect. This book beautifully explores the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, with both Grace and Phoebe embracing their true selves.

The undeniable chemistry between Phoebe and Grace adds an electrifying spark to the story, making it a captivating read. I’ll just say locker room scene. Spicy!

Grace's personal growth and quest for identity are utterly captivating. Witnessing her journey of self-discovery and growth was my absolute favorite aspect of this book.

"Cleat Cute" is a heartwarming tale of love, growth, and the power of embracing one's authentic self. A must-read, especially for fans of sports-themed romance novels!

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

My first encounter with this author was Mistakes Were Made. Thinking about that book still makes me blush.

This book didn’t hit as much of a punch for me as MWM, but I still ate up every word! This was a really sweet and endearing romcom featuring two neurodivergent FMCs. I usually hate miscommunication in books, but this author did such a good job filling out these characters which gave reason and deeper meaning to the miscommunication. This was also one of my first romances in the soccer world! Which I really loved! Not to mention I loved reading about a flirty fmc. Just so unabashedly flirtatious. There are not enough characters as flirty as Phoebe Matthews out there!

This book hit every single right note for me! I grew super attached to the main characters, and related to Phoebe a lot. I loved her voice, it was funny and entertaining and endearing. The pacing was great, and it balanced the soccer stuff with the sincere, sweet, and steamy very well. And the steamy scenes were SO GOOD, oohh I was living!! The tension of a sports romance just can not be beat for me. Reading this during the women's world cup, and having the characters remind me of my favorite ship from Ted Lasso, was just the icing on the cake.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner is a pleasant romance set in the world of Women's soccer. Phoebe and Grace appear to be opposites in every way and yet their attraction is real. I enjoyed the setting and the romance but was most drawn to Grace figuring out who she wanted to be and how she wanted to live her life. Grace's character added a level of depth to the story that I've come to expect from Meryl Wilsner.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Cleat Cute in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think this is a great example of rivals to lovers. They barely had any competition and were friends, even if reluctantly, almost immediately.

When we first meet Phoebe, she’s betting with her brother using M&Ms. Their friendship is really sweet while still being realistic for a brother and sister relationship. The rest of her family didn't really sit right with me. They believed they were just teasing her, but it felt a little closer to bullying to me.

Grace and Phoebe’s relationship also starts off with a lot of betting, teasing, and banter. Those elements continued to play a role in the bedroom as well. The spicy scenes were well written and included wonderful consent. There was a lot of dirty talk and sweet nicknames between the two of them that kept me thoroughly entertained.

I love sports romances, but honestly, I don’t understand most sports. Cleat Cute is not too heavy on the sports, but it's still a sports romance without being overwhelming. I was hesitant in the beginning because of power dynamics and a possible power imbalance. Grace is Phoebe's captain. It is easy to look past, but I believe it’s something people should be aware of.

The beginning of the book was a city tour with plenty of inner monologues. You learn about Phoebe quickly through her thoughts instead of the people around her. I relate a lot to Phoebe, so I loved it, but I understand how that may not be for everyone. Once you meet the team, you see her more through their eyes as well as Grace's.

I would rather not be one of those people who say, Just wait until it gets better, but I'm going to be one of those people. It got so much better when we met the team. The team is made up of a diverse cast. There are neurodivergent, POC, and multiple queer characters. My favorite team member is Ash. Ash is an outgoing, shameless trans character who brings amazing energy to the team.

One last thing that doesn’t bother me, and I think it's for a good reason, but I know it’s a deal breaker for a few people, is that it mentions TikTok many times.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who are looking for a cute sports romance with good banter and a diverse group.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5
🌶/5

Soccer romance? Yes please. This was super cute and had me interested from the romance to the background details. A rookie soccer player makes a professional women’s team and gets her first call up to the USA team the same year of the World Cup. She is confident, herself and falls for the veteran of her team, the same veteran she grew up admiring as her soccer idol. Cute spicy scenes. The soccer descriptions didn’t make me cringe like some sports based rom coms do. The author clearly knows women’s soccer. Overall, a quick, cute read. If you like soccer and romcoms, pick this up to see what happens as Grace and Phoebe take on the World Cup and some spicy fun.

Mode: 📱thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to review and advanced copy e book in exchange for this review.

Obsessed with this book, obsessed with the characters, and I’m so sad that I flew through this book in one sitting - I want more!!

This book was literally perfect, no notes - there was nothing I wanted that it didn’t have. Queer rep, neurodiversity, enemies to friends to lovers, forbidden romance, slow burn but with a lot of spice, basically every single thing I love in a book all wrapped up into one adorable package!

Cleat cute was my personal most anticipated book of the year, and this did NOT disappoint. I loved the way the book handled a lot of serious topics - from neurodiversity to miscommunication to family drama - but in a way that felt more real-life than most books I read. While turning to TikTok to learn more about a ADHD may not be a recommended method, we’ve all been there. You can’t help falling in love with Phoebe and Grace while following their journey of self and together exploration, and I found myself rooting for this couple more than many other recent books I’ve read.

For any fans of Chloe Liese’s Everything for You, or for anyone who couldn’t get enough of the interrelationships of the World Cup, this book is a great next read.

I received Cleat Cute from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, this book was a DNF for me. I made it to page 50 before deciding it wasn't for me. Phoebe and Grace weren't characters that I found myself rooting for. There was a lack of chemistry between them and their relationship moved WAY too quickly for my liking. Within the first 36 pages, P & G were already hooking up. This just felt too rushed for me and I would've liked to get to know the character better first. I found some of the word choices to be immature and the mention of TikTok right off the bat was off-putting. I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately, I won't be picking it up again. The cover was really cute though!

A rivals to lovers sapphic romance with professional soccer players? Say no more. I really enjoyed this. It was fun seeing Grace and Phoebe going from rivals at their first national team camp together to begrudging friends and then friends with benefits. Their opposite personalities added a lot to the interesting dynamic they created.

I enjoyed getting two different perspectives on being a professional soccer player. Grace has been on the national team for 10 years, since she was 16 years old. She has sponsors and fans know who she is. Meanwhile this is Phoebe’s first season on the New Orleans team & national team after playing in college. She has to work an additional job outside of playing soccer in order to make enough money to support herself. I liked the commentary that was included about how women’s sports don’t always pay their professional athletes enough.

The chemistry between Grace and Phoebe was great. Not only just in the sex scenes, but also their chemistry as friends and teammates. It was fun watching how their situation transformed from casual sex to romantic feelings getting involved. I also liked the inclusion of the characters being neurodivergent.

In the beginning of the book I was feeling a bit confused and overwhelmed by how many side characters there were, I found it difficult to remember who was who. Almost immediately the story goes to Phoebe’s first national team camp so there are a bunch of new people there. Then it transfers to her meeting her other team in New Orleans with even more new people. All in all I had a great time reading this. I didn’t love it quite as much as Mistakes Were Made, the other book I’ve read from Meryl Wilsner. But I still highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and steamy sapphic romance.

Romance reviewing isn't my normal mode, but I requested this title when I saw it was women's soccer RPF, essentially. The internal monologues were great - starting with Phoebe's perspective and gradually adding in Grace's was smart and helped keep up the romantic tension. Wilsner's writing around Grace's neuroses / neurodivergence felt really natural as well. I also really enjoyed how it focused on the club team dynamics, especially the pay disparities!! I disagree with the stated blurb though - it's not really about them competing for the national team. I'd absolutely take a sequel with more of that premise though!

This book is simply perfect. If you thought "Mistakes were Made" was a little too forthcoming with the spicy, and then hated the slow-burn of "Something to Talk About," you will enjoy the pacing of this book. As with Mistakes, Wilsner's spicy scenes are... very spicy! But outside of that, I loved the richness of the characters in this book. Both protagonists are relatable as humans and as athletes, and the emotion comes alive through the pages.

I also want to warn anyone who's worried this book might be too much about soccer. It's not, I promise you. Soccer was a main point in the book, yes, but Wilsner does a fantastic job in describing the game. This is perfect for soccer aficionados and soccer newbies alike. I also happen to read this right after the World Cup, when the idea of Women's sports and the rise of the Women's teams was such a prominent part of our discourse. I can see myself talking about this book for years to come, much like I can see myself talking about Wilsner's entire bibliography for years to come.

It's cute, it's funny, it's sad, it's sweet. It's all the things we wish we could see from our favorite athletes and are starting to see more and more each day. PLAY/SUPPORT/WATCH/BUY Women's sports (fiction books included!)

I know nothing about soccer but I still really enjoyed this! This is a Sapphic, grumpy/sunshine and dual POV romance read. This book is really cute and I really enjoyed seeing Grace and Phoebe's romance unfold. The character's development was amazing as well! I also loved the ADHD and Neurodivergent rep in the book! If I did the point system in the ratings it would be a 3.5!

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC!

There’s something to say for how Wilsner fleshes out their characters. You feel like you’ve known them for years. It felt desperately overwhelming to be in Phoebe’s head (as I’m sure was intended) but Grace’s side really resonated with me. Even as someone not interested in sports, I had a really enjoyable time in and out of the game. My only grievance was some of the formatting (switching POVs, texts, etc) which gave me a headache for the first chunk.

Book: Cleat Cute
Author: Meryl Wilsner
Format: Digital
Genre: Romance, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation, LGBTQIA+
Places Featured: New Orleans, Louisiana
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)
Review: Phoebe Matthews is about to have her dreams come true–she’s going to be playing professional soccer in the women’s league, she has a chance at playing on the national team in the upcoming World Cup, and she’s about to meet her idol–the famous soccer player, Grace Henderson. And although she’s focused on her career and being a part of winning teams, Phoebe can’t help but notice that she’s not only impressed with Grace’s soccer skills, but she’s also attracted to her. Grace is a focused team captain struggling with an injury and aging in a field that usually favors youth, but she, too, is attracted to the young new energetic player. Cleat Cute is a story about soccer, friendship, fame, achieving goals, and love. The characters are a little overdone, the story is predictable, and steamy isn’t usually my thing, but it was fun to read about the world of soccer and a sweet romance is always a good thing.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Cleat Cute!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked both of the main characters, Phoebe and Grace. The comparisons to Ted Lasso definitely make sense.

There are a handful of things that happen that seem a bit too unrealistic. Their communication was not great sometimes and felt like they didn’t really work through issues.

Overall, it was cute and would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

At this point, I am convinced Meryl Wilsner writes specifically For Me. I’ve never been a real-life sports fan, but something about sports fiction draws me in, and adding sapphic friends-with-benefits to lovers on top of that? Sign me up, and Cleat Cute did not disappoint!

I will always say this when reviewing a contemporary romance novel: this is not my favorite genre. So I’m just even more pleased with how much I enjoyed this book! Despite their relationship not being a slow burn (another factor that I typically Need to enjoy a contemporary romance), I found myself falling for Phoebe and Grace just as much as they were for each other. Their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses perfectly balanced each other out, and nothing about their relationship felt forced—not the pace of it, not the miscommunications, and not the bumps in the road they encountered as they figured out how they felt about one another amidst their love for and pressures from soccer.

And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Wilsner knows how to write some good spice <333

I also found a lot to enjoy outside of Phoebe & Grace’s developing relationship! Even though it was hard to keep a lot of their teammates’ and family members’ names straight (simply because there were so many), the friendships the two had and the relationships they had with their family were also well-developed and added an extra dimension outside of themselves.

I’m giving it a 4/5 because, well… it’s no Mistakes Were Made (still my favorite romance of all time), and I cannot fully support the use of TikTok as a resource on ADHD, but overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I can’t wait to see what Wilsner has for us next!