This was everything I wanted it to be and more. The writing was fun, the characters were superb and it handled heavy subjects with the perfect amount of levity.

My single complaint is that the back blurb is really poorly written and doesn’t properly embody the books themes or tropes well. They’re not truly enemies. Nor does it play out the way the back implies. I think bad marketing in this way is going to give people the wrong impression about a good story.

I very much wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.

I really appreciated the LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent rep. That made me really happy to see. I also know practically nothing about soccer, but I was able to easily keep up with the plot and never got lost.

I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between the two main characters, especially at the beginning. The extended internal monologues also got old very quickly. I also felt like there were too many side characters. I couldn’t keep track of them all, and they all felt more or less the same. I wanted them to have more individual personalities.

I loved this!! I was excited for the premise and the real thing knocked it out of the park. The plot was interesting, the characters were so engaging and real, I loved it. The soccer part was present, but didn’t make me feel dumb for not understanding soccer and it wasn’t the focus. They did give me some secondhand anxiety, from some miscommunication issues, but not much and it was so worth it.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Yall from the first "kiss" Grace and Phoebe shared.. I did not think Wilsner could outdo the heat of her other book I've read, Mistakes Were Made, but she quickly proved me wrong! This was the perfect read for both pride, and to get pumped up for the upcoming women's world cup. Unlike her last book, Wilsner did an excellent job fleshing out her side characters; I loved everyone on the team, especially the goalie, Ash. I immediately latched onto Grace, and I really connected to her autism coding. I loved watching their bond grow and them come to trust and rely on each other more.
Ugh, I cant wait for more sporty rom coms!
5 stars!

Sapphic soccer romance. I did not grow up playing or watching soccer, why do I love soccer romances so much?! And this one has a bit of grumpy/sunshine going on, which is one of my favorite tropes.

Grace and Phoebe are new teammates, and Phoebe is excited to be playing with her idol. But as they get to know each other better on and off the field, they realize they have different views on relationships and Grace has to work through some trust issues.

Also note, this one is steamy!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Cleat Cute to come out September 19, 2023.

I don’t know anything about soccer, but girl, I am living.

Phoebe’s alacrity was as enamoring to read about as Grace’s grumpiness. Their opposite personalities added to their appeal as a couple, but individually, they were compelling characters.

Grace begrudgingly liking Phoebe and Phoebe bullying Grace into a friendship was such a fun dynamic. Sometime after Phoebe and Grace’s first sexual encounter, the story becomes less about their relationship and more about their character journeys. The romance is still very present, but it’s static for a significant potion of the book. Once they get on the same page (near the end, mind you), the chemistry they had in the beginning returns in full force.

Despite the characters having a full—and beautiful—arc, nothing (and somehow a lot) happened plot-wise. It can be boiled down to: Grace and Phoebe were either unsure about where they stood in their relationship or unsure about where they stood on their team.

They would have deep conversations about their hesitations and fears that didn’t communicate any of their insecurities. Their miscommunications made sense with their thought processes, but it was a bit frustrating to read such an in-depth monologue where their explanations were crystal clear only for them to not bother to fully explain where they were coming from. Phoebe and Grace were so understanding that had they just taken time to share their thoughts, they could’ve solved so many of their issues.

Regardless, I was enamored by the characters and constantly rooted for them. Grace getting to a place where she felt comfortable in her life was just as fulfilling as Phoebe finally having an explanation for why some things seem harder for her than they are for others.

Meryl Wilsner’s portrayal of the queer community and of neurodiversity in <i>Cleat Cute</i> offers almost any reader the chance to see themselves represented respectfully and with love.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for this ARC of <i>Cleat Cute</i> by Meryl Wilsner in exchange for an honest review.

Grumpy/sunshine, rivals-to-lovers, sapphic sports romance by the author of Mistakes Were Made? Sign me up. I had high expectations for this, but unfortunately they weren’t quite met. The soccer talk was relatively interesting, and it was spicy, and the cover is so cute. But there was little plot? And little conflict? And honestly little romance? There were just hot people who slept together and didn’t know how to communicate for the first 80+ percent of the book.

3.5/5

I’m still willing to give Meryl Wilsner another chance.

SO swoonworthy and the visibility is just chef's KISS! My queer heart is on fire and singing. The perfect beach read with everything you could ever want. Precious MCs, mental health and LGBT+ visibility, a fun and wonderful cast of characters.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this, I think I have to admit that sports romances are not for me. I just find myself so bored of all the sports talk. So, take my review with a grain of salt. I had really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner's Mistakes Were Made and was really excited about her new book. I loved the romance in Cleat Cute as much as Mistakes Were Made, but I wasn't able to sink in and enjoy it as much because of the sports stuff. Overall, this is a great with book with a great romance and great writing. Wilsner knows how to write yearning and I'm here for it! If you like sports romances, I highly recommend Cleat Cute, it just unfortunately didn't hit with me as much as I wanted it to.

This was a super-fun -- and spicy! -- read. The soccer references, the grumpy-sunshine relationship, and the neurodiverse representation: all made it very enjoyable.

I'll certainly be recommending it, not to mention watching for what's coming next from Meryl Wilsner.

So much soccer. So much steam.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥:
Grumpy/Sunshine.
Friends/FWB-to-moreTeen crush realized.
Mental health rep- Phoebe (ADHD) Grace (anxiety).
Sex scenes with consent/communication

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵-𝘴𝘰-𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥:
Distracted by the sheer volume of dialogue. Perhaps some will be edited prior to publication.
The character's inner monologues and dirty talk did not work for me.
Wanted more believable conflict.

💭This is very much a cute grumpy x sunshine, friends/FWB-to-lovers queer story that made me laugh & feel the feels! I’m not sure I would classify this as a romantic comedy (it’s less funny and talks a lot about serious topics more than I expected). * I also want to preface that this genre is out of my comfort zone so I know I’m not the target audience for RomComs!

🌶️: I definitely don’t read enough spice/smutty books to be giving a 🌶️ rating but I would like to announce that this book, indeed, is spicy 😂

What I liked:
- I LOVED all things soccer talk in this one, especially random little things that all women players can relate to (I LOL’d at using pre-wrap as a headband because WOW what a throwback). The seriousness about working hard to get to your dream place in life but also having the #1 thing you love in the world doubling as your job and the pressures it comes with… this was my favorite part of the book.
- The sex scenes were incredible and real and honest. The communication was on point, & also normalizing that sometimes we can get in our heads so the goal of the intercourse is not so much to finish, but just to be intimate and feel good and develop a closeness.
- The initial “misunderstandings” between the two main characters were not annoying or repetitive at all, where as I notice this is a thing I usually dislike about RomComs. Neither was anything so unrealistic or cringey. This made me so happy!
- And without giving too much away, this book very well represented neurodivergent types. Loved it.
- The story is very character driven but there was still a lot going on plot wise to keep you engaged.

What I wasn’t a huge fan of:
- During the spicy scenes, the excessive use of the word cunt turned me off more than on lmao

- Also not completely sure how I feel about the writing: on one hand, I love that it’s simple and the characters speak like I would to my friends (LOL). But at times it’s a little too simple? & I don’t know how to explain this style of writing but it’s written in the third person and kind of follows each character but also has a lot of inner monologues? I’ve never read this style before and I’m still figuring out how I feel about it.

Thank you NetGalley, St-Martin’s Griffin Publishing and Meryl Wilsner for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really, really liked this book. This is the third book I've read by Meryl Wilsner, and each one has been better than the last.

Both of the main characters felt well developed, and the conflicts felt natural. One of my favorite parts was the setting- it made me really want to go to New Orleans and eat all the things.

Also, hot sex. Really well written, enthusiastic, frequent hot sex.

If I had a criticism (and ultimately I enjoyed this book a whole lot!!) it would be that I saw a lot of other early reviews talking about ADHD and autistic representation in a way that made me think it would be a more significant part of the story. While I think the text did a great job of establishing how the characters lives are impacted by their neurodiversity, it ultimately wasn't a huge focus. So definitely not a criticism of the story, but a heads-up for anyone else who came in really excited for an autistic main character.

Very grateful to Netgalley for the eARC.

Having enjoyed Mistakes Were Made despite not liking the tropes used (age gap and milf) I knew I was going to love this book and was right! It's a fun sapphic romance and I loved the representation of autism and adhd in the main characters

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Meryl Wilsner has done it again. Bow down to our ruler, we are not worthy.

This delightfully queer soccer romance gave off the very best Ted Lasso-esque vibes with a healthy dose of everything that I love in a romance. We had solid emotional foundations, chemistry, spice, and a very satisfying ending. The writing, as always, was top notch. Grace and Phoebe stole my heart from page one, and I already know I'm going to be thinking about this book every day until it comes out. 5 of the easiest stars I've ever given to a book!

I'm not usually a sports romance person, but I absolutely loved this book! Meryl Wilsner is such a gifted writer and they create characters that always feel so real. This was an enjoyable, lovely romance and I can't wait to read Wilsner's next book!

In all honesty. It was my first time reading a soccer romance. That's all that made it hard for me. I had to search some stuff up but other than that it was cute. Made sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to voluntarily read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cleat Cute is a banter-filled romance between Phoebe and Grace. Phoebe is the newbie on the New Orleans Women’s Soccer Team, and she is also being scouted for the US Women’s National Team. Grace Henderson is Phoebe’s idol—soccer star of the US Women’s National Team and captain of the New Orleans team. Phoebe’s loud personality quickly gets under Grace’s skin—but over time it doesn’t annoy her as much as she thought it would. As Phoebe and Grace spend more time together, Grace’s guard starts to come down and a lovely friendship (sometimes with benefits) develops.

I loved this book. I really enjoyed the rookie/seasoned player dynamic. It’s similar to Roy Kent/Jaime Tartt in Ted Lasso and Gavin/Oliver in Everything for You by Chloe Liese. If you enjoy a sports romance—I highly recommend checking this out!

4/5 stars
3.5/5 spice

One thing I looked for in this book was the autism representation and how it was reflected on the page. Wilsner made a post sharing that one of the women is autistic. It’s so important that representation does not stick to cliches, nor for it to be made into a central part of a person’s whole identity. Thankfully, neither of these was the case. The same can be said for the other girl who has ADHD.

I also loved the diversity of the players and other characters in CLEAT CUTE. There are nonbinary people, POC, and aro-ace side characters, and this diversity was integrated in such a way that no one was weirdly introduced (like how some white authors use foods as comparisons for POC skin complexions). There are other books I’ve read that have so much representation that they can come off as overly neo-liberal and politically correct, but this isn’t the case in CLEAT CUTE either.

There is miscommunication in this book though, which I normally hate, but since both characters are neurodivergent, I didn’t mind since miscommunication can be common depending on how/if social cues are picked up.

The banter? Incredible. Spicy scenes? Very well written. If you liked the MISTAKES WERE MADE spice, you’ll enjoy this as well.

Thank you so much for letting me read this in advance!

As a HUGE Meryl Wilsner fan and a HUGE women’s football fan and a HUGE lesbian…this is the sapphic soccer story of my dreams. I love that these two main characters meet each other where they are, in their personal and professional spheres. They communicate (most of the time)! They care about each other! And they have great sex! Wilsner writes the best sex scenes and I really appreciate that this dynamic focused on how sex isn’t just about making sure all parties involved have an orgasm. Love the team dynamics and the diverse cast of friends and family. And I really love that these two neurodivergent characters are fully crafted on the page. There is a lot of care in the writing and it really shows. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc!