Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, it was cute! I especially enjoyed the dynamic between the team members in both of the teams involved. I did feel like I learned a little bit about soccer, so there's that. Do I think the love interests should actually be together? Probably not, but that is a matter of my opinion.

3/5. Cute and fun.

This is what Bend it Like Beckham could've been if Jess and Jules got together! I loved this book so much, it felt extra special to have read it during the Women's World Cup.

Cleat Cute is a heartwarming sports romance with neurodivergent lesbians who go from rivals to friends with benefits to lovers with an overall grumpy/sunshine dynamic.

This was a wonderful story centering on lesbians navigating their careers, identity, relationships, and intimacy with an unapologetically queer ensemble of side characters.

Go lesbians in sports!!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute story with lots of spicy scenes. I feel like (for me at least) the inner dialogue and thoughts were a little lengthy and distracted from the story at times.

This was a DNF for me. I didn’t really like the characters that much. The spice was immaculate and I love all things soccer, but I just didn’t find myself caring about the characters’ storylines. In theory, this book sounds perfect for me, but I just did not click with the main characters’ personalities.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this e-arc!

I am fairly new into sapphic romance and this one hits all the spots! I love soccer, I love women, I love New Orleans. This book has it all. I absolutely adore Phoebe and really related to Grace as a character. I am running to read the other books by this author!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’m officially obsessed with Meryl Wilsner and this book. As a former competitive soccer player, this book gave me everything I’ve wanted and needed in an adult romance. My soccer playing heart is so full. This was hot, fun and so dang good. The banter, the opening, their tension and chemistry. All of it was just…chefs kiss. There’s just something so addicting in this book and couldn’t put it down.

If you’re looking for a romance, one that will consume you until you finish, this is definitely the one you need. The fact it’s sapphic just makes it even better. This is absolutely a book you need.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited to read this one but I’m a bit disappointed. I’m new to FF but I have to admit, the sex scenes in this book were a bit cringy. The pillow talk was terrible. I did really liked the main characters. It’s a rivals to lovers story. Much of the story is pretty good. Would have liked this better in dual POV. With that in mind, the author still does a good job at letting you know how the characters are feeling and what they’re thinking. I would recommend this book because I think a lot of people will enjoy it. Just wasn’t for me.

GOD this woman knows how to write a steamy sex scene! And a sapphic one at that, you don’t see this kind of stuff every day.

This is definitely a strong point of the book. The sports element is a bit more of a window dressing: so manage your expectations from “sports anime” levels to “hockey romances” probably. I mean, fair for a romance to be a romance. I didn’t know much about female soccer going into the book, and I can’t say I learnt much after. Another thing I enjoyed was the neurodivergent representation, which is cool. I like to see that happen in my queer romance reads.

What didn’t work out well is the pacing. There was an overwhelming amount of internal monologue, and the progression of the relationship was too fast for me.

But overall, a good time had with the book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I LOVED this book. I finished it in one day which is not always the case for me. I think that the two main female characters (Phoebe and Grace) have great chemistry and compliment each other, one being really introverted and the other being talkative and more expressive.
I’m not a big fan of soccer or sports in general but it didn’t stop me from liking the book. I loved the opposite’s attract trope, the queer representation in many of the characters, the ADHD representation with Phoebe and finally the autism representation with Grace. All these representations was what stood out for me the most. I rate this book 4,5/5 stars because there were a few slow moments in the story but overall really enjoyed the book.

Feel very lucky to have gotten an ARC of this. Wilsner found my softspot for sports romances and nailed it Grace and Phoebe. Loved this romance.

I typically am not one to get hyped about sports romance, but I think reading this during the Women's World Cup helped get me in the mood for this one! It was super easy to follow the soccer storyline and I loved the scenes with the team.

I liked the dual POV but I think the biggest drag for me was the inner monologues of both MCs. It was just a little too long and a little too repetitive, I ended up skimming a few pages.

However, the banter between the two MC's was great, and the (numerous) steamy scenes were a lot of fun. I loved these neurodivergent lesbians and I cannot wait to read more from Wilsner!!

Rising soccer star Phoebe and established veteran Grace play the same position, so they could be rivals. But sparks fly when they meet in the preseason, and soon they're playing together both on and off the field. I have no particular interest in either soccer or sapphic romance, but I loved Cleat Cute!

Phoebe and Grace were well-developed and interesting characters. Although I assumed they'd get a happy ending because it's a romance novel, I found the development of their relationship unpredictable (in a good way). The soccer field provided scenery and interest, but the issues the characters deal with - trust, vulnerability, reconciling internal and external expectation - transcend professional sports. My only quibble was with the side characters, who were entertaining but too numerous (and too often referred to by surnames or nicknames) for me to keep track of.

I didn’t know what to expect from a book set in the world of professional women’s soccer. I found myself wishing I knew more about the game but it didn’t get in the way of enjoying the story. It was certainly spicy, this one had me blushing a few times. I liked both the main characters, Phoebe and Grace, both for different reasons. Phoebe was wild and joyous and free and it was fun to read things from her perspective although I’m more personally like Grace, quiet and introverted. I could see what both would like about each other and they definitely had chemistry.

There were parts I was unsure about like Grace’s handling of the whole discussion about ADHD and making an appointment for Phoebe without talking to her and after Phoebe had asked her to drop it. Felt like a big overstep in their relationship and was surprised when Phoebe didn’t react poorly to it. I also didn’t love how many times their more serious conversations were sidetracked by more physical intimacy. Would have been better to have built more emotional intimacy by letting those conversations play out before “making up”. I found the third person present narration distracting too. I did enjoy the fact that the chapters switched perspective though. It was nice to see things from both of their perspectives and how differently they were experiencing the same world.

Overall I enjoyed the story and found myself rooting for their team and for Grace and Phoebe to have a happy ever after.

I received an early reader ebook copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks so much for the chance to read this fun and flirty romance.

This book was exactly what I needed following a disappointing USWNT loss in the World Cup. Wilsner has an impeccable talent for making characters complex without making them confusing and endeared every single character she introduced to me. The AuDHD relationship representation between Phoebe and Grace truly warmed my heart and I found myself unable to put the book down in favor of watching their story unfold. This is one of the best representations of miscommunication I've ever seen - rather than hiding things from the other, both parties truly believed their version of reality to be truth. I loved the casual queerness present in this novel, both in Teddy's transness and in the surrounding relationships between teammates. Truly a one-of-a-kind read that I would recommend to fans of soccer, lesbianism, and all things related!

I read a few chapters and I don't vibe with the third person present tense. It's confusing and doesn't read naturally to me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

I've never actually read a book by this author, so I was so excited to see if they lived up to the hype. And I am so glad to say that they did.

While it did take me a little while to get into this book, once I was in I was *IN*. I loved both Pheobe and Grace so much and was just desperate for them to accept their feelings for each other already. I was invested in their story, their insecurities, even the soccer. The smut was good, the dialogue was great. All around great.

This book officially turned me into a Meryl Wilsner fan, I can't wait to read more of their books.

i love a good sports romance, especially one that’s soccer-based and cleat cute was just that! there’s a quality of wilsner’s writing that makes it very easy to read.

the highlight of the novel for me was grace. grace‘s character really resonated with me, specifically her neurodivergence, though it wasn’t a focal point of the story. i thought her relationship with her identity was beautiful, especially the way it progressed through her relationship with phoebe. in terms of phoebe, i unfortunately had a more challenging time connecting with her character. i also felt like even though the romance started off really strong, it fizzled out. despite all this, if you’re looking for a sapphic sports romance with healthy relationships, boundaries, and mature conversations, this is for you.

my thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed Cleat Cute! It was the perfect pairing with the current World Cup happening. The story of Phoebe and Grace felt a little grumpy/sunshine, but also opposites attract. The miscommunication was not your typical miscommunication, it felt more realistic. The representation in this book was so well done. As someone with ADHD, I also have a neurodivergent partner and it felt like they were explaining us. It was a light, medium spicy, romance that I will be recommending to my friends.

THE CUTEST BOOK!!!!! cute and sweet but also steamy? count me in. i'm not a sports enjoyer at all but give me a sapphic sports romance, suddenly i am interested!

i didn't connect with these characters as much as i liked but i still absolutely adored them. we got some info on their backstory but weren't bombarded with everything.

i thought the topic around ADHD was very important and well done. like grace, i also grew up with a sibling with ADHD and just had assumed since phoebe is an adult that she had already been diagnosed. i like how it was handled and how important of a moment that was in their relationship.

one thing that frustrated me was THE MISCOMMUNICATION. it pained me. pained me so much. this book wasn't so much plot based (idk if that's the word) so it was just a lot of them not talking about their thoughts and feelings and just internalizing lots of things or using sex to ignore the issues at hand.

overall i really loved this book and absolutely just needed a good sapphic book. i love reading about queer people and the team just felt like such a safe space. thank you netgalley for this arc <33

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC! Here is my review of Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner.

I love a grumpy x sunshine story and this one did not disappoint. Every character could have their own individual book, and I would give it a go! I really loved the world that was created and seeing our two main characters views (each chapter, as they switch off the POV).
For everything about this book that felt so customized to my reading experience and personal taste, some things within the plot felt too drawn out or predictable (I’m looking at you, last 20%). Overall a fun read and worth 3.5 stars!