Another outstanding story from this author. Great neurodivergent representation, spicy, sweet, and funny.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. First I want to say, YAY SPORTS! This book was written for sports fans, if you're not into soccer, you probably won't get it. I'm a huge women's soccer fan, so this book was right up my alley. I giggled and kicked my feet the whole time I read Cleat Cute, I found the book to be the perfect combo of fluffy and spicy. I have already encouraged a handful of patrons and friends to pick up this title.

So cute. I loved this story and was immediately invested in the main love story. I like the dynamics of the contrasting personalities for the two mains, and the conflict of figuring out their relationship personally and professionally.

Sports romances are sort of hit and miss for me, but I was intrigued by the Ted Lasso comparison, so here we are.

I really liked Phoebe and Grace. They're both loyal and loving and passionate about soccer. I enjoyed reading their differences mesh and smooth out as they worked through the chemistry they had. The team is pretty rad and I loved how supportive everyone was.

Plot wise, it was okay. There is a lot of inner monologue and a good amount of telling, not showing. For me, that is a struggle to get through and I did find myself skimming in parts.

Overall, it was a good story and had characters who were easy to root for.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Really cute! Wilsner has a cutting wit, and I enjoyed this break from more serious fantasy books. There was more soccer than I was expecting - I always hope for a Ted Lasso esque amount of sport - just enough to add stakes! But I liked both Grace and Phoebe, so this is already the best romance I've read this month!

A charming and heartwarming sports romance with plenty of chemistry between the main characters. The story balances humor and emotional depth, making it an enjoyable, feel-good read. While it follows familiar romance tropes, the fun dynamics and well-written characters keep it fresh and engaging.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Mistakes Were Made, but it was fun!

Soccer isn’t a sport I know much about, but that didn’t matter here. I enjoyed the ADHD representation, queer representation, and the relationship between the characters. There was some spice and I enjoyed it.

I love grumpy sunshine! Overall enjoyable!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I loved Phoebe and Grace’s story! Sports romances have such a big place in my heart and the dynamics of this was so good. The grumpy/sunshine was perfectly executed and I never once dreaded a third act breakup. I knew from the get-go they would be together and it would be perfect. Meryl Wilsner’s best love story yet!

I really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner’s Mistakes Were Made, but had a hard time accepting the age difference trope (or maybe it was the best friend’s mom piece that really made me uncomfortable). Either way, I struggled with it. So I was excited to jump into another book by her that was a bit more in my comfort zone.

I’m not a huge sports fan, but this book had me so excited about soccer.

This book had a great amount of smut, and was very sexy. Romance-wise, the lack of communication trope is not my favorite. Yes, it ups the tension, but I find it so incredibly frustrating. Overall, great book with some mental and physical health representation.

This was a cute book. I liked the characters and the storyline was intriguing. The neurodivergent rep was nice and I thought the characters had good chemistry. I liked all the soccer too!

I absolutely loved this book!!! A fantastic little sapphic romance! And the LGBTQ+ representation was phenomenal! I’ve honestly not had the chance to read a lot of sapphic romance but this book may have just pushed me into that era!
The only thing I’m sad about is I don’t get to read more of grace and phoebes story!! I also would love to have a chance to know more about teddys story as well!!!

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*

DNF @ 28%

There were so many things that I didn’t connect with in this story. First was the premise - I personally know nothing about soccer nor does it interest me with the explanation of the rules. Second was the two FMCs - two young women (early 20s) talking to each other and having internal monologues using language of someone about 5 years younger than they are. Third was the first make out/sex scene - a little too in depth in description for people who I’ve come to see as little more than children (based on their communications with each other).

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Meryl Wilsner for this arc!

Cleat Cute follows soccer players Phoebe and Grace, beginning when star Grace Henderson is sidelined due to an injury and Phoebe is brought in to take her spot. Phoebe idolizes Grace, but is met with a grumpy player who lives in fear of what this injury means for her future.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book. The characters were fun, the dialog was snappy, and the setting was exciting. The primary issue with this work was the amount of internal monologue and introspection. Personally, I love a character that is able to look inward, but there was a lot of very repetitive monologuing for Phoebe, and Grace's character felt a little inconsistent in the way she would respond to different situations. All of this combined with the miscommunication made it a bit of a hard read. These pieces being cut down, and more soccer scenes being added in would've made the book more compelling and fast-paced.

This book is a fun rivals-to-lovers romcom that's worth a read. 3/5.

Book includes
- professional women's soccer
- drama
- sapphic romance

Our main characters of Grace and Phoebe are characters that are very realistic which was so nice to see in a romance book. No one was perfect and no one just came in and saved the day, instead the romance was real and messy and I loved it because of that. We have Phoebe who is kind of the golden retriever and just full of energy and the life of the party, and then we have Grace who is more serious and does not like to party at all it seems. One of my favorite things about this book is how these two balance each other out and help the other see things that they had missed.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was fun, and a nice romance that had a ton of soccer information that was explained so well. One of my favorite things about this book is how it touched on the fact that just because you love something so much and you've always done it and you've put everything towards it doesn't mean you have to stick with it. If you want to move on and trying something else you can and thats okay. I think thats something important that we all need to remember and hear at times and I'm so glad one of the characters heard that and was able to make a choice about something that she had previously felt stuck in.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last! I loved a good sapphic romance, and Meryl always delivers!

SAPPHIC SPORTS ROMANCE???? Say less. I love Meryl Wilsner and they knocked it out of the park again, the icon they are. The angst, the humour, the FLIRTING ON FIELD I loved it all. I need this exact book but written about two women on the Team Canada hockey team please and thank you I will do anything.

i was really excited for this one, and while it didn't quite meet my expectations, i still enjoyed it for the most part. i have issues with character decisions and actions that delve into spoiler territory, so i won't share those, but it has to do with the portrayal of ADHD (as someone with ADHD) and similar neurodivergent tendencies. the writing was pretty good, and i liked the characters' chemistry for the most part. i'm less inclined to pick up more books by this author, as it was my first experience with her. but i am indeed glad i read this one! yay soccer sapphics!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cleat Cute is the first book I’ve read by Meryl Wilsner and it won’t be the last.

If you’re looking for a spicy and sweet soccer sapphic romance, this book is for you.

Phoebe Matthews is a small town woman whose soccer dreams are all coming true. Grace Henderson is the gruff veteran who enjoys her routines and doesn’t like chaos. Phoebe is pure chaotic good with her energy. Together these two bring the heat.

I really had a hard time with this one! I enjoyed the beginning but really struggled with the rest. I couldn’t connect with either of the characters. The inner monologues were simply too much and too long and I really just did not feel their chemistry.