Meryl Wilsner does it again. I have enjoyed two other novels by her ( Mistakes Were Made and Something To Talk About) and this one was just as enjoyable. She always has such great side characters and includes so many variations of the LGBTQ community. As a former soccer player, I loved the inclusions of pressure placed on athletes outside the field obligations and the toll it takes on them. The plot was outstanding. Phoebe and Grace are spectacular and balance each other so well. This wasn’t a complete grumpy/sunshine trope, more like reserved stoic/extroverted puppy. I loved every minute of the novel. I will be rereading this again and again.

I loved Meryl Wilsner’s previous novel MISTAKES WERE MADE. I was thrilled to see this upcoming release - CLEAT CUTE. I’m also a fan of soccer (and Ted Lasso!). The book was a fast and easy read. I wasn’t a fan of all the inner monologues. I felt like that really dominated the entire book. I also couldn’t get invested into the characters - Phoebe and Grace. Wilsner does steamy scenes really well tho! Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

<i> Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of this new novel! </i>

Meryl Wilsner is back back back again with Cleat Cute, an equal parts touching and undeniably sexy story of two gay soccer players falling in love on and off the field. Ted Lasso meets A League of Their Own in this novel that’s final product ends up being something I would’ve killed to see as a Natasha Lyonne led movie in the early 2000s.

If there's anything I absolutely hate it's the miscommunication trope, but the author manages to make me tolerate it and I think that's an impressive feat. While I didn’t love this one quite as much as Wilsner’s previous novel (Mistakes Were Made), they continuously deliver on the chemistry scales with their lead protagonists. I immediately fell in love with Phoebe Matthews, and Grace Henderson’s deadpan attitude warmed on me as her arc grew throughout the read. I also found there were also a lot of important conversations in this novel between characters on different nuances in the LGBTQ+ community that I thought were intriguing, such as the weight of labels and what it means to the individual to define yourself as “queer”. One thing I guess I could criticize is the strong presence of monologuing in the minds of both Phoebe and Grace as narrators, but at the same time - who am I kidding, that’s exactly how my brain works staring back at me on the page.

I’m not really a sports book girlie either, but as an avid Ted Lasso fan I didn’t have too much trouble grasping the soccer aspects of the book, and Wilsner doesn’t make it complicated either! An overall very enjoyable read I would recommend.

3.5 stars

I loved seeing Phoebe and Grace grow together as people, teammates, and romantic partners. There were so many genuine conversations about queerness and I think it is really awesome that both of them identify as lesbians on page—something pretty rare in sapphic romances.

Several aspects of the writing style that have already been mentioned by other reviewers like extensive internal monologue and a third person present tense POV made my personal reading experience slightly frustrating. Just as I was getting immersed into the story, there would be several paragraphs of internal monologuing from one of the characters and I would feel the urge to check how many pages were left in the chapter.

I truly do appreciate how this book contributes to the traditionally published contemporary lesbian romance landscape with its representation of neurodivergence and sexuality, but I do not know if I will ever feel the urge to reread it (an important marker of my personal enjoyment).

Thank you for the ARC!

(Received this as an eARC from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/282116">NetGalley</a> in exchange for an honest review - thanks!)

I was SO excited to get this ARC - I've really enjoyed both of Meryl Wilsner's previous books ([book:Something to Talk About|52915426] and [book:Mistakes Were Made|59808269]) and as a longtime soccer fan, this is Extremely My Sh*t. So I had high expectations, and happily, they were mostly fulfilled! The same chemistry and banter from the earlier books is definitely present here. I loved the setting - both characters are professional soccer players, one a newly-drafted rookie from an obscure college program, and one the team captain and a childhood hero of the rookie. (I guess there's technically an age gap here but it's like ... less than ten years, I'm pretty sure?) You can really tell when reading this that Wilsner is a big soccer fan, which is so refreshing - if I know something about the setting of a novel and the author doesn't get the details right, it irritates me to no end (and sometimes leads me to abandon a book). There was even a shoutout/reference to two amazing women's soccer journalists (I'm pretty sure), which was just a fun little Easter egg for nerds like me, but also shows just how well Wilsner knows her setting, love it!

As far as the plot, this is an extremely well-done "friends with benefits ... but what if?" plot, with some great sex scenes that also advance the plot/character development. A little bit of a grumpy/sunshine situation as well, though Phoebe (the rookie) is more of an overly-enthusiastic golden retriever, in both a delightful and occasionally exhausting way. Grace (the veteran) is quiet and reserved but comes alive on the soccer field, which leads to complications when she's injured and can't play, especially with the World Cup on the horizon. I didn't really believe the tension over playing time/positions and it never really became an issue. The bigger conflict was these two dopes (affectionate) both catching feelings slowly and being too hesitant/shy to admit their feelings to each other. I loved the resolution and the Grand Gesture at the end - perfect ending! (I did not love one character involving herself in the other's possible mental health situation, but that's a fairly small nit to pick.)

Other things I want to highlight: this book made me crave beignets, the cover is so great, all the side characters/USWNT players are delightful, I wish I could tackle people who were mean to my loved ones. Highly recommend this book, especially in a World Cup year!

(Ripped Bodice 2023 Summer Romance Bingo: we have the same job. Would also work for smells like citrus, alliterative title, and it was supposed to be one night.)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review of Cleat Cute!

When I saw there was a sapphic soccer romance, and it was by an author I already liked a work of, I was more than willing to give it a try. I ended up really liking this one!

Basically, Phoebe makes it to the professional leagues and falls hard for Grace, a veteran of both the Krewe and the US Worlds team. Phoebe has to learn how to balance soccer with her second job and a move to a new city, while Grace is sidelined while having to recover from an injury, and both have to navigate their relationship.

A good set up, and I thought it was done in a fun way. The writing was pretty good and consistent, and I liked that we got to switch between Phoebe and Grace's points of view. It helped flesh out the story a bit more because we saw their relationship develop and I thought they were pretty distinct in the point of views, voice wise. The spice scenes were written well. There were bits where there was miscommunication but it was addressed and not swept under the rug.

One thing that did bug me was the tiktok references right off the bat. It felt very jarring and thrown in, and although it's something very mainstream, I don't think it necessarily incorporates well with many books in general. I do think when it's mentioned later in the book, in small bits here and there, it is a lot less jarring and better incorporated.

The neurodiversity incorporation I thought was pretty good, as someone who is neurodiverse it was really nice to see it being addressed and talked about, *however* I felt like the conversations should have begun earlier at least in inner dialogues. Grace and Phoebe felt like they had autism and ADHD respectively through the whole book character wise, but having little to no mentions of it until more than halfway through the book just made it feel like a third act drama arc. I just wish it was built up more than that.

I'm giving this a four stars because I did enjoy it a lot - a few things weren't my favourite - and it is something that I would recommend at the bookstore, especially for someone's looking for a sports romance. I would definitely give it a read if you want either a sapphic romance, a sports romance, or a sapphic sports romance.

I really enjoyed both the main characters of this book, liked watching them grow personally, professionally, and romantically. They had unique personalities so each stood out well as their own person. I did find other parts of the book challenging, though. I don't know much about soccer and terminology was never explained, there was a lot of inner monologue that went on too long (e.g. pages of Phoebe freaking out that Grace is now her girlfriend, using that word so many times it felt like foreshadowing, only to have that foreshadowing be a minor detail), and I absolutely cringe at the use of Baby Girl as a term of endearment, especially as Grace is older and more mature than Phoebe. Grace's teammates called her Baby Spice, which is cute, but I don't think ever explained, and then the interchanging of first and last names was confusing (Kayla and Sorrell are the same person I think). All in all, a cute read, nice character development, but some issues that took me out of the story too often to find a good rhythm and find it overall enjoyable.

Cleat Cute is a rivals-to-lovers romance novel by Meryl Wilsner. The story follows Grace Henderson, a professional soccer player who is known for her intensity and focus, and Phoebe Baker, a rookie who is full of enthusiasm and joy. When the two players are paired together on the same team, they clash at first, but they soon find themselves drawn to each other.

The characters are well-developed, the romance is heartwarming, and the depiction professional soccer is realistic. I also appreciate the book's representation of neurodiversity, as both Grace and Phoebe are neurodivergent characters.

Cleat Cute is a heartwarming and well-written romance novel that is sure to please fans of the genre. This book is full of humor, heart, and sapphic goodness. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new book to read.

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an eARC of Cleat Cute in exchange for my honest review!

I've already got lots of love for Meryl Wilsner's previous romances, Something to Talk About and Mistakes Were Made, so I was already excited to dive into Cleat Cute. And as it turns out, Wilsner is now going three for three here, because I had a great time with Grace and Phoebe's rivals-to-lovers dynamic. They're an adorable pair to follow as they get to know each other with all their little quirks and pressures. There's some opposites-attracts chemistry going on here, too, which I appreciated. The ways in which the MCs ran into miscommunication bumps are handled well, feeling convincing rather than contrived. The sex scenes are just as good, balancing the intimacy and believability with all the steam. Though I think the neurodivergence rep could have been fleshed out in the third act, it was still fulfilling to read about, adding layers to Grace and Phoebe's relationship and the perception they each have of it. Plus, I was able to enjoy this as someone who doesn't actively play or watch soccer (maybe it does help that I used to play soccer as a kid and I'm a huge Ted Lasso fan).

Overall, I'm officially rating Cleat Cute 4.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 4 stars on Goodreads, and I'm continuing to look forward to more romances from Wilsner (my favorite remains Something to Talk About so far).

I really loved this book! Not only was it such a cute and fun romcom to read, but it had such great representation of adult women with ADHD. It was the first time I really related to a character in a book, and the storyline about ADHD wasn’t in the foreground. It was an important part of the story but it didn’t take over or change the character or her actions. It made me feel super super seen.

I have never read a book from Meryl Wilsner that I am not obsessed with. The characters in this book are real and have amazing development. The romance is perfect. I am not usually one that likes a sport romance but this book is so much more than that! I would recommend it to anyone!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for gifting me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t a fan of this one. The romance itself was just not for me. The nickname “baby girl” was used a LOT, and there was a consistent lack of communication between Phoebe and Grace that was just really angering to read about. There were also aspects of this book that I wish had been explored more, such as Phoebe’s ADHD (which wasn’t addressed until the second half of the book, despite it being a central part of the conflict), Grace’s autism (which was brought up once and never mentioned again), Grace’s struggle with her family’s expectations of her, and the financial gap between Phoebe and Grace. This book barely scratched the surface on these topics, almost as they were secondary to the main plot. The exploration of these topics would have enriched the story - instead, they came off as afterthoughts, like the author was so invested in writing steamy scenes that they’d forgotten to add subplots. Even the soccer tournament itself was glossed over. If you’re looking for a steamy sapphic sports romance with good neurodivergent rep and fleshed-out characters… look elsewhere.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner follows two professional women’s soccer players, Phoebe and Grace, as they navigate the professional sports world, pining, friends with benefits, and figuring out what they want.

What Cleat Cute has:
⚽️ Sports!
👩‍❤️‍👩 Lesbians 🥺
🫠 Friends with benefits (kinda?)
🔱 ADHD rep!!
👀 Some very well written spicy scenes

Cleat Cute is fun, light hearted, romantic and just everything! If you love sapphic books and have been wanted a happy romance book, this novel is for you. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil it! Five stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be out on September 19, 2023.

CW: emesis, panic attack

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When Phoebe Matthews gets the opportunity to try out for the U.S. Women’s World Cup Team after getting drafted in the first round of the AWSA, she feels that her hard work is finally paying off. Meanwhile, U.S. soccer legend Grace Henderson is burnt out over her decade-long career and is grudgingly placed on the sidelines after getting injured. As Phoebe is placed as Grace’s replacement, the two try to work together in order for both of them to make the World Cup and if their relationship can be something more.

I thought Cleat Cute for the most part was okay. This is my first time reading Wilsner’s work and her writing style was good. Along with having an interesting plot, Wilsner’s writing does keep you engaged in the characters, even if you’re not a huge soccer fan. Phoebe and Grace were good MCs and I liked how Wilsner used a third-person dual POV to explore their character development with their own moments for growth.

Personally, as a #ActuallyAutistic book reviewer, I really appreciate the neurodivergent representation in Cleat Cute and it was one of the reasons why I was interested in reading this book. In the book, Phoebe is diagnosed with ADHD and Grace is believed to be Autistic (never really confirmed in the book). I thought that Wilsner did a good job with accurately portraying Grace and Phoebe, and I feel that this book can resonate with neurodivergent readers.

Though I don’t know if I would read this book again, Cleat Cute is a good choice for readers who are looking for a queer sports rom-com with neurodivergent leads.

** Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. **

If you like Sapphic romance and soccer, Cleat Cute is for you!

In Cleat Cute, Meryl Wilsner gives us two strong women, neither of whom want a relationship but who also cannot deny the attraction they have for each other. Grace and Phoebe start off building a friends with benefits relationship, but, soon enough, the real feelings cannot be ignored.

I appreciated the ADHD and Autism representation within this book. The spicy bits were good and the relationship between Grace and Phoebe didn't feel forced. My one complaint was that everything felt repetitive after awhile and the conclusion felt rushed.

I’ve read other books by Meryl before and loved them, and I’ve got to say this one did not disappoint! The main couple is beyond cute and their chemistry in the spicy parts….. I literally have no words! And the side characters were just as fun - Phoebe and her brother’s relationship was super cute and reminded me of my relationship with my younger siblings. 10/10 would recommend this book to anyone who was looking for a cute fun book, but also some spice!

Meryl Wilsner is my comfort author. I really love them, I love their writing. This book didn’t disappointed me in any way because this book is so great, like the others.
The characters are so interesting and I’m in love with both the MCs! Phoebe is so relatable (I think I have ADHD, but I’m not diagnosed yet), but Clare is really my favorite. She is awkward but in a good way, she is so generous and kind and amazing, I think I have a crush on her.
But the thing I prefer about this book is the slow burn. Sure sure, they are sleeping together from almost the start, but the feelings are so slow burn. The way they passes from fuck buddies to lovers is slow and romantic.
“Are all the sapphics this dumb?” is my favorite line, because YES WE ARE!!!!! We are and it feels like amazing.
I also love the soccer’s environment, it is really interesting, I don’t know much about this sport and this book teaches me a lot of things.
However, it’s a beautiful book, I recommend ANYONE to read this!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC!

First I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this book!

Cleat Cute is a super charming mix between A League of Their Own and Ted Lasso. As you follow the characters through their ups and downs it never feels too dramatic, which I appreciate. Too often do you see the third act conflict be a break-up over something trivial, but not in this novel. Everything just makes sense for these characters. However, I was still not wowed by this book. It was good and fun but didn’t cut deep enough for it to break through as a favorite.
3.5/5

I wonder if anyone else experienced Deja Vu when reading this after mistakes were made since we have the older but more submissive FMC and the very outgoing, sexually aggressive younger love interest? It was especially aggressive in this book, to the point that Grace was trying to be very helpful in explaining how Phoebe has ADHD. In the middle of that she gets so mad at Grace then 5 minutes later, won't let Grace finish her talk before saying shut up and let's have sex, like?? The amount of Phoebe thinking every little conflict will mean their relationship is over was laughable at best, and annoying at worst. I would have liked the neurodivergence for these FMC's, but it was not discussed at all until 90% of the book, which is such a disservice. Especially the way Phoebe acted when Grace assumed she was on meds. Since Phoebe and everyone she knows on the team notices the way she acts isn't normal, she flips out and stops talking to her.
I also am not sure which audience this was for when the author explicitly wrote a sweaty workout routine for these two love birds and made a point to be having explicit sex with their mouths and having to say how salty they tasted; why not after some showers were had? Even to the point they got in the shower and still didn't get wet before doing it again ahhh. I wouldn't normally be this detailed about dirty sex if Meryl hadn't gone out of their way to describe it in that context. Which was not the only time, so it kept sticking with me.

THERE IS SO MUCH TEENAGE INNER MONOLOGUING. It wasn't good. That shouldn't have had that many inner thoughts from both FMCs. I would have liked more side characters' dialogue, and they were all interesting but barely got any screen time. Which was a shame since it highlighted how bad this couple is at talking to each other since Grace called herself single and Phoebe said they've been dating for months. Simple friend talk would have cleared that up (which it did after all the drama).
Overall don't recommend, rant over.

A cute and fun story. I love the atmosphere of the soccer and NOLA setting. However, I could not get past the power imbalance between the two main characters and how it impacted their romance. Ultimately, this book appeals to those who enjoy enemies to lovers and of course soccer fans.