Meryl Wilsner continues to amaze readers with her range, pulling everyone into a romance with an unexpected backdrop of sports in womens soccer. As someone who doesn't know anything about that world, I found myself invested in learning more about the tiers of play, the fandom, and aspirations of the players in the league. The world she paints here is an interesting one for our main characters.

For this story, I felt that it was unbalanced between the two characters, with one just more compelling than the other. The older character's reluctance and struggles are relatable, continuing to show how Wilsner is adept at writing introverted characters in all of their stories. These characters always have an authenticity not always found with less able storytellers, with believable inner thought processes and misunderstandings that they themselves have or cause. With the other character in the pairing, I felt that her struggles are real and the scenes feels right, but I wish she had more scenes where she met failure and adversity through external actions.

This realism benefits Wilsner's romances, where the drama never feels contrived or manufactured by making characters unreasonable. There is a low-key cozyness about it all that makes reading and re-reading Wilsner's stories so enjoyable. That's not to say that the flirtiness isn't cute enough or that the desire isn't passionate enough, because it is. But what captured me are the two magical storybook moments in the novel where the characters meet unexpectedly, one from each point of view, raising my pulse level both times. It tugged at my heart and wouldn't let go until it moved me, making me wish life was that beautiful.

I continue to be a fan of Meryl Wilsner's work, trying to investigate why I enjoy all of the books so much. Writing this, I've finally settled on my reasons. Wilsner is an incredible world-builder, introducing me to a parts of the world I did not know. The thought-processes of the characters are always believable. The drama around the romance feels realistic, but still laced with storybook moments that are moving.

Cleat Cute solidified that for me, so I hope you get a chance to read it. And I can't wait to own this story in paperback to re-read it again and again.

Phoebe Matthews is on her way to her first ever professional soccer camp, where she's going to play with her idol Grace Henderson. And then, once camp is over, they'll both head to New Orleans, to play on the same team. It's everything Phoebe has ever wanted--but now that it's happening, it's somehow even better than she expected. The soccer is amazing. Grace is amazing. The sex with Grace is amazing.
It all started with a bet, one she intended to let Grace out of. But Grace rose to the challenge--surpassed it, actually. And now they're navigating playing on the same team while keeping this thing between them, whatever it is, a secret.
From the beginning, it is very clear that Grace and Phoebe are an autistic/ADHD pairing, and I loved it. They balance each other out really well, and the little moments of friction between them--when Grace pulls away, when Phoebe rushes ahead--are great, and very realistic.

I was hesitant at first, because I was very much not a fan of Mistakes Were Made, but I really, really loved Cleat Cute. It's sweet and swoon worthy and definitely a book I'd recommend.

Y'all. My calves got a workout because all throughout reading this book I was kicking my feet and giggling like a 5 year old at a sleepover. Except, this sleepover was soccer themed and full of the STEAMIEST OF STEAMY SAUNA HOT STEAMY HOT TENSION I have EVER read in my entire life. You see, I'm not a sports person but Meryl Wilsner made me SPORT??? and ENJOY IT??? literally this is what I said AND I QUOTE "I'm not a sports person but good lord locker room tension is my new fave." but y'all, that locker room scene OH MY GOD I AM ON THE FLOOR. I don't know if that's a trope, but im making it a trope. AND- it's my new found soulmate trope. Now the talk her through it trope was also my soulmate trope through this book, but the use of "baby" actually made me cry and my snap story can attest to that I was literally on my floor sobbing over the romance of this book (flashback to my notes: when phoebe said "Just...let me take care of you?" I said: "WHEN IS IT MY TURN DAMN IT."). It was just too cute and the characters really showed a devotion to each other that raised my standards YET AGAIN. All of the characters in this book were funny, and had just such a light and lovely air about them. Fish and H had some of the best side character dynamics I'd ever read about, and just wanted more from them!!! If I could say that one book was the perfect sapphic romance, I'd say it was this book. It was STEAMY (boy was it ever). It was FUNNY. It was LOVABLE. It was just the EVERYTHING BAGEL of sapphic books. I miss the experience of reading this book, and hope Wilsner feeds us with something else with these characters too because I demand a wedding scene or closure or SOMETHING JUST CRUMBS PLEASE. Anyways, this was more of a rant, but I have ultimately found my new favorite sapphic book and couldn't be happier with this read. EVERYONE READ IT OK BYE!!!

OH MY GOODNESS! Meryl Wilsner has been knocking it out of the park lately and this book is no exception. Grace and Phoebe were absolutely electric together and I loved a harboured crush which I think was executed adorably here, Their dynamic was well-balanced and their chemistry was there. I recommend this for sure. What a lovely, satisfying, sexy read.

Giving Chloe Liese vibes and I love that. Plus the cutesy cover? A goner. I liked the story well enough!

First of all, let me start with the title, which is one of my all time favorite romcom pun titles ever. It just has everything—clever play of words, thematically on point for both romance and soccer, and overall charm—and in that manner, it’s perfect for this book.

Cleat Cute is a joyful, steamy romcom about Phoebe, who is drafted to play soccer for a team in New Orleans, and Grace, a soccer legend who is her teammate on the national team and team captain on her New Orleans team. Phoebe is outgoing, flirty, and loud, and Grace is reserved, serious, and introverted, and naturally, they are a match made in romcom heaven.

I particularly enjoyed the smaller plot line of Phoebe realizing that she has ADHD, and the coding that suggests that Grace is probably autistic. This book did a lovely job of portraying each of the characters as wonderful, multifaceted humans, and I think this representation is going to be important, as will the high heat, zero shaming lesbian romance in this.

It was a delight to read, and it changed my mind about locker room scenes; previously I thought I hated a sexy locker room scene, but it might just be that I needed this particular consenting, thoughtful, and deliciously sapphic locker room scene.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to review!

Before I add anything else I would like to say I was in a small reading slump while reading this. I can definitely see this being some peoples new favorite sapphic romance, but for me it was just mid. There wasn’t anything, besides the crazy good amount of representation, that stood out to me. Was it cute? Yes. Did it have some drama? Yes. Did it involve real life experiences and issues? Yes. Was it hella smutty? Also yes. Do with that what you will.

I love wilsners writing but the internal monologuing through this book was rough to get through. I love Phoebe and grace as a couple, enemies to lovers is always fun.

Cleat Cute was absolutely delightful! I completely devoured the book! Soccer is a passion of mine. The sport is so queer and we deserve more romances set in that world! With the World Cup happening this summer and the Olympics next summer, Cleat Cute is well-timed to hit some of the extra soccer love that crops up. While I wish it was releasing in time for the World Cup, I'll still be hyping up the preorder.

As someone who is autistic, I appreciated how Grace's character was written. Grace is not diagnosed in the book, but starts exploring that identity when researching ADHD for Phoebe. As someone who can struggle with making friends like Grace does, I loved how Phoebe just attached herself to Grace and claimed her. Also, reading about their adventures in New Orleans often made me really hungry. And crave beignets.

Soccer fan or not, I highly recommend Cleat Cute! It does a great job of balancing sports with romance. It also manages some of the difficulties in women's soccer right now (pay for one thing) without going overboard. All around amazing, Cleat Cute is for soccer aficionados and newbies alike!

I absolutely loved this. Sweet, steamy, and as cute as the title, "Cleat Cute" is a delightful romance for those who love professional soccer--or those who, like me, know nothing about it at all and just want a fun sapphic romance. I also loved the disability rep (undiagnosed ADHD and autism). All I wanted to do once I started this was keep reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

After having read and loved Mistakes Were Made, I was hoping to get my hands on an early copy of this next Meryl Wilsner book. I was fortunate enough to score a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This book did not disappoint! I had not read a sports romance before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that the book was fairly evenly split between the romance and the sport, which I appreciated. Fair warning that if you don’t like spice, you may want to stay out of the kitchen on this one!

Phoebe Matthews earns a spot on one of the top women’s soccer teams, and immediately becomes enamored with her idol and love interest, Grace Henderson. Phoebe is a hell of a rookie soccer player, who holds back on nothing, including her interest in Grace. She is a breath of fresh air on the team, exuding her sheer love of the game.

Grace is a returning started and captain of the team, who leads a much more reserved life, and one in which she questions what she loves about the sport she has dedicated her life to. She tries at first to ignore her interest in the rookie.

The two eventually begin a romance, with no initial commitment, and that proves too hard to keep up as the story develops. Grace and Phoebe both vie for their rightful spots on the field, as the team advances in the ranks. The question is what will commitment to both soccer and their budding relationship look like?

Overall this book was great, the one area that seemed out of place was the mental health storyline. It felt a little underdeveloped and out of place, but other than than, still very enjoyable!

✨RATING: 4⭐️

✨REVIEW: First and foremost, thank you @netgalley for my advanced reader copy. I’ve been trying to read more LGBT friendly literature and this was the perfect one to put on the list. The story of a soccer player trying to make it pro wasn’t relatable in that sense, however, her journey and experience was. It had spice 🔥 AND plot. Sometimes when stories get too thick into the open door scenes (in this case full chapters), they lost the overall plot. However, this one continued to be enjoyable and I REALLLLY enjoyed the life lesson with Grace 😍 I was in tears of happiness by the end of the book because I had fallen in love with the chapters and was truly invested. It was easy to do and easy to root for each of the characters in their own way. I highly recommend this one!!

✨PROS: relatable, dual POV
👎🏽long chapters

🚨WARNING: Potential triggers include OPEN door 😝 If spice isn’t for you, when you see the door opening, simply skip the end of that chapter and typically the whole next chapter and you’ll be back to your closed door story you enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc in exchange of an honest review.
I liked the beginning of the book very much.
What I liked the most was humor and relationship of Grace and Phoebe.
What I didn't like was the assumption made by grace of Phoebe's ADHD diagnosis. I didn't like Grace's behaviour at that time.

Overall didn't enjoy this book as much as I was expecting, but I can see why a lot of other people would and I would still happily recommend it.

I’m not having a great time with the writing style, I think presently this isn’t the book I want to be reading right now. While I believe it’ll be an incredibly cute, fun romcom, Im just not terribly in the mood. I do however, look forward to seeing this on shelves! Thanks for the opportunity, I do highly recommend people pick it up and give it love anyway!

I bow down to Meryl Wilsner, she has done it again. Cleat Cute is the perfect steamy sapphic romance book. There's tension, there's pining, there's competition, there's jealousy. Whatever makes a good romance book is in Cleat Cute. It was also so raw, it was just a fun romance with soccer players, it delved into living with ADHD and autism and the struggles to get diagnosed or even accept that you need help.

I think if you are a fan of Meryl Wilsner you will probably enjoy this book. It reads very similar to their other books and Cleat Cute is a satisfying enough book to give it a try.

I really enjoyed the soccer-centered plot. It felt new to the genre and I loved seeing Women's soccer getting some recognition. Overall, the story as a whole fell flat in my opinion. There was so much potential for an idea like this to really take off and shine, but in the end, I mostly felt underwhelmed.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy via Netgalley.

Was super excited to read this, but found it only okay.

I think my issue is I didn't particular care for either character, and the whole story was entirely forgettable. I finished it two weeks ago and genuinely can barely remember any of what happened. It wasn't bad, per se, just not anything to write home about.

This was awesome I picked it up and couldn’t stop reading. The characters were lovable and realistic. I loved seeing graces and phoebes relationship develop as well as seeing them fight but then quickly communicate with each other and figure out the issue. It was really cool to see a healthy relationship play out and open exploration of ADHD, without judgement. Overall 5/5 ⭐️

*3.5 stars
I am a miscommunication trope HATER. I liked these characters, but not necessarily how they interacted with one another. The concept was fun, and so was the execution, but it still fell a little short for me. I'm always down for sports romance though, and I enjoyed this. I probably wouldn't read another book by the author because I didn't like the pacing and that seems to be a common thing with the other books from reviews, but I'd read a similar book as I liked the concept.

An adorable, sexy sports romance with a pair of completely useless (in a good way) lesbians at its heart, Cleat Cute has engaging characters with distinctive voices, playful banter, and plenty of sweaty athleticism on display.
Phoebe is the first round draft pick for the New Orleans Krewe, whose captain and star veteran, Grace, she’s idolized since she was 14. Phoebe is determined to shine as brightly as she can, with her sights set on a spot on the national team. Grace can’t help her immediate attraction to her team’s most talkative rookie, despite her reservations about getting involved with anyone, much less a star-struck teammate who can’t manage to be on time to her first day at training.
Cleat Cute has a lot to offer. Phoebe is incredibly endearing when she throws her whole heart into something, which is easily and often. Grace has a powerful need for control in her personal life, and watching her reevaluate her rules in the face of Phoebe’s whirlwind energy is lovely and satisfying. Their chemistry is instant and palpable, and the sex they have is both hot and believable. Cleat Cute is full of explicit consent and occasional awkwardness and missteps that felt absolutely true-to-character, earnest, and real.
What Cleat Cute doesn’t offer is an actual rivalry, believable conflict, or a compelling supporting cast. Grace and Phoebe are never in actual competition with one another— they play the same position on the Krewe, but Phoebe is obviously intended to fill in when Grace moves up to the national team for the World Cup, not replace her before the season’s first game. Most of the conflict in the first half of the relationship stems from Phoebe overstepping dreadfully, and then from both of them misunderstanding the other so badly it honestly felt willful. Both Phoebe and Grace leap to wild conclusions about what is happening and what’s best for the other party over and over again, which I found really frustrating. Grace’s wariness and fear that she’s being used made sense to me, but Phoebe’s constant pushiness about Grace’s injury and her media appearances was just grating to me. Additionally, the rest of the cast felt a little flat to me. The teammates were difficult to keep track of, didn’t have much impact, and felt a little underdeveloped for a team sports focused romance.
What I found most disconcerting about the novel, however, was the complete lack of tension around Grace and Phoebe’s power imbalance. Grace is Phoebe’s team captain, four years older than her and ten years deeper into her career, has considerable sway over the national team’s head coach, and Phoebe still has a poster of Grace in her childhood bedroom. None of this is ever really addressed by either character other than occasionally touching on their differing financial positions, but mostly just to highlight how bad Grace is at understanding the complex social dynamics around money. I would have really liked to see it impact their relationship more!
I was also put off by Grace’s behavior around Phoebe’s ADHD. Without ever asking her about it, Grace assumes that Phoebe has ADHD, is taking medication for it, and that it’s Grace’s place to manage Phoebe’s time for her, all of which seems absolutely wild to me in light of the fact that Grace has a sister with ADHD with whom she is on good terms.
I did, however, really love how Grace course corrected once she realized what she’d messed up, asked for help, and planned out the rest of her big gestures in ways that were thoughtful, sweet, and appropriately dramatic without being invasive.
I also really enjoyed Grace showing Phoebe around the city, and the ways that showcased the strong contrast between the two— every “date” they went on was flavorful, unique, and showed us a new side of the pair. Grace and Phoebe also had really distinct internal voices, which I absolutely love seeing.
While Cleat Cute was a bit of a mixed bag for me, ultimately I really enjoyed it, and the last few chapters absolutely stuck the landing.

Would I recommend Cleat Cute?
YES, if:
“She said she loves me and only wants to be with me and we’ve had sex five times this week and I’ve met her mother but she was probably just being a good friend” is your favorite lesbian romance dynamic.
You love an iconic ADHD 4 Autism pairing.
Explicit consent and soft power exchange is your jam.
NO, if:
You want an actual sports rivalry.
You like to see stark real-world power dynamics play out in your romance novels.
The term “babygirl” makes you gag.