Phoebe Matthews dreams are coming true when she gets a spot on the US Women’s National Team, but to make things better she gets to play alongside her idol, Grace Henderson. The last thing Grace wants to do is make friends with her new teammate, but Phoebe quickly begins to see her as more than a friend after a kiss turns to hooking up. The feelings and chemistry between them only gets more complicated as they prepare for the World Cup with Grace trying to come back from an injury and Phoebe fighting for a spot on the World Cup team.

I’ve been really into sports romances lately, and this book hit the spot. I loved both Phoebe and Grace and wanted wins in their professional, personal and love lives. This book was so steamy and the chemistry between Grace and Phoebe was on fire. I also loved the soccer/team aspects of the story, as well as the New Orleans setting…the food descriptions left me wanting to book a trip ASAP. Of the books I’ve read by Meryl Wilsner, this is by far my favorite.

The audiobook was narrated by Dana Varden and Zim Avaltrades. Both are new to me narrators, and I really enjoyed how they brought this book and the characters to life. It was an audiobook I wanted to listen to all day. I will definitely be looking for more of their work!

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copies.

- I am of two minds about CLEAT CUTE. On the one hand, omggg sapphic grumpy/sunshine soccer players, was this written for me?! Plus, Grace and Phoebe have great banter and superhot chemistry.
- However, for me, this was so much miscommunication around minor things that could be so easily solved, but every time they started to have a real conversation, they just stopped and slept with each other instead.
- (MINOR SPOILER) Additionally, so much of Grace's half of the plot revolves around her assuming that her injury is about to end her career for good, when the injury is essentially a pulled muscle. This is an objectively ridiculous thing for a pro athlete with 10+ years of experience to think.
- On the other other hand, I am deeply enjoying how each of Wilsner's books is an order of magnitude spicier than the previous book.

Meryl Wilsner has certainly scored with this one! (Pun absolutely intended.)

Rising soccer star, Phoebe, finds herself on a pro team and national feeder team with her idol, Grace. (Grace’s poster still dons Phoebe’s wall at home.) Phoebe and Grace start up a tentative friendship, which then spontaneously combusts, and Grace finds herself questioning all of her choices. These two will certainly charm you into sticking with them as they figure out what is best friend them both.

This is a sweet but steamy love story between two professional athletes. I absolutely loved it! I don’t think I’ve ever read a sports romance with a professional female athlete before, let alone two. It was an interesting perspective, especially since they are in different stages in their careers.

This book had a take on the miscommunication trope that I haven’t seen before. Even if you don’t usually like that trope, I’d still give this book a read because it’s based on the characters and the way they each think and behave so the misunderstanding comes across as very believable (even if I wanted to shake them both a little). I also appreciated this book’s take on neurodiversity.

I’m not sure if this book is a standalone or the start of a series. Personally, I’m hoping for a follow-up book featuring Teddy.

The fact of the matter is that teammates to lovers books are the best kind of workplace romance. With a wonderful lineup of supporting characters and an opposites attract romance between an ambitious rookie and her soccer idol, this book was a lot of fun.

This is my first book from Meryl Wilsner that I have read, but there is something about her writing style that hooked me immediately, and had me flying through the pages and forgetting that I was reading. I loved the deep dive into the world of women's soccer that she gives the reader, and appreciated that the characters actually spent time on the pitch, both in game and practice.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Grace and Phoebe. As the newcomer rookie who is pure sunshine, Phoebe challenges all of Grace's expectations, while Grace helps ground Phoebe. There were so many elements of their story that I loved, and I honestly wish Wilsner built up the tension between the two a bit more, because the moments when they're trying to fight their attraction to each other are pure magic.

The supporting characters in this book really shine. I loved each and every one of the Krewe players, as well as the women from the National team. The dynamic that is created between the women feels like a true found family, and their scenes were some of my favorites from the book.

While there were so many parts of this book I enjoyed, there were also elements that were so hard to get past. I didn't read the synopsis before starting, so that's probably on me, but the miscommunication got to be a bit too much for me. While I am glad that it wasn't used to create a lasting conflict between the characters, it got to be frustrating that the pair had such drastically different ideas of their relationship. I also felt like there were parts of the book that were a bit rushed, and I think that if there were less time spent emphasizing the lack of communication and more time spent on slowing down the end of the story, it would have been a much more satisfying ending.

Overall, this was an enjoyable sports romance, despite the elements that didn't quite click for me, and I'm excited to read more books from this author.

Pros: The tension between Phoebe and Grace is not contrived. They are both great soccer players who play the same position on the same team. Of course there is going to be an underlying feeling of jealousy and competitiveness on the field. I also loved the respect each has for each other so when they have a disagreement or their feelings get hurt, they meet and talk about the issue instead of letting their anger fester, like we see in a lot of romance books. The sex scenes in this book are top notch: hot, intimate, and consensual without being cliche. Phoebe and Grace check in with each other in a way that is realistic without being preachy or halting the action. This book also contains some great neurodivergent representation which is always nice.

Cons: I wanted to learn more about Phoebe and Grace’s teammates and actually would have liked more soccer? That sounds strange but because a lot of the book is spent listening to the characters' inner dialogue, not a lot of time is spent seeing them playing soccer or interacting with others.

I have been enticed by this cover for what feels like forever. Lesbians+Soccer+Spice= a very happy me!! Couldn’t put this down.

My only gripe is the internal monologuing could get a tad repetitive.

Super fun read!

Thank you to the publisher, the author & to NetGalley for the Arc

This was my first Meryl Wilsner read and it won’t be my last!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5


Grace and Phoebe are total opposites: Grace is the veteran, grumpy, soccer star team captain, and Phoebe is bubbly, ambitious and fresh to the pro world.

While the miscommunication in this book may be frustrating for some, it made complete sense for these two.

I loved the diversity in this book, especially with the main characters. It wasn’t a main focus, but they were both neurodivergent, Phoebe with ADHD (making her chapters a little chaotic) and Grace most likely on the Autism spectrum.

My hesitation giving this 5⭐️ is just small things that bugged me - the nickname “baby girl” just creeps me out, and all the characters (main and sides) had so many nicknames. This was especially confusing since it’s written in 3rd person POV.

As for the audiobook, I enjoyed one narrator and not so much the other one unfortunately.

What you’ll find in Cleat Cute:
⚽️ Opposites attract
⚽️ Sapphic romance (FF)
⚽️ Soccer - Captain & Rookie
⚽️ Friends with benefits
⚽️ Grumpy sunshine
⚽️ LGBTQ+
⚽️ Neurodiverse MCs
⚽️ No 3rd act breakup
⚽️ Dual POV/3rd person

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies to review. All opinions are my own!

I think this book was built up a bit too much for me, so I wasn't as satisfied as I hoped to be. However! Still a fun, quick read. Will be sure to recommend at work.

One thing about me is I love sports gays. I also love New Orleans, so that's two points in Cleat Cute's favor. I know nothing about soccer, but this book made me want to join a rec league. The energy was fun and spicy for the first half of the book. Cleat Cute was well written, and the interpersonal conflict was easy to follow, even for those of us not involved in soccer. I liked the dynamic between Phoebe and Grace, especially earlier in the novel. The more XR scenes were well done. I listened to the audiobook alongside reading the ebook (highly recommend). The dual POV is well done in that Grace and Phoebe's internal monologue is wildly different, clearly defining them as separate narrators. I loved the representation and supportive family and team dynamic in this novel.

While the novel is fun overall, the last half is bogged down with miscommunication and Grace's internal monologue. I also think many of their fights were resolved far too quickly (primarily with sex) for any sake of realism. There were long, pessimistic internal monologues, but when it came to vocalizing those concerns (specifically thinking of the medication/ADHD argument), it was far too quickly resolved. I'm also not a fan of miscommunication as a source of conflict, which rife in the latter half of this novel.

Aside: As someone with ADHD, I took issue with Grace going to TikTok for information on ADHD. While I appreciate her doing additional research, TikTok is the only preliminary source mentioned by name, and the app is rife with misinformation.

I loved reading this book. From the two main characters point of views, to the big life choices they were making, to the whole soccer theme, and the spice - what a great mix! I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press and Meryl Wilsner for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

You had me at Sapphic Ted Lasso! This book was one that I literally couldn't wait to start reading. There is so much to love about this book but I personally am a sucker for grumpy/sunshine romance novels. I love that the characters are flawed and not completely likeable; for instance, Phoebe is consistently late (which is something that would absolutely drive me insane but rarely something I see in books).

Overall, my issues with this book were based on some of the language/writing choices and the pacing. I personally prefer romance books that focus more on slow burn and these two just got together rather quickly and majority of their relationship felt heavily motivated by sex. I feel like Grace would have been more guarded after everything with her last "relationship" and it would have taken her more time to get involved, especially with another teammate.

3.5 for me rounded up.
Loved their relationship, the spice. The soccer!

But the inner monologue was a lot. Being in third person made it much harder to get through I would be content if I never heard the names Grace or Phoebe again, they are said SOO many times in this.

This book was so cute and I loved every second of it. The difference between the two main characters was a great contrast and kept the relationship interesting. Would recommend this to anyone to read!

Cleat Cute has everything you could possibly want from a lesbian sports romcom. Phoebe and Grace have a brilliant dynamic, great energy, and each of their narrations providing something different to the story, while still being equally enjoyable.

Even though Grace was able to remove parts of her career that weren’t beneficial to her mental health, so she could continue to play soccer, I was very happy the book emphasized that you are absolutely allowed to quit your dreams, if they are not your dream anymore! So many people fall back on the “oh you’ve done too much to get here, you can’t quit now!” but you can! You absolutely can! And it made me so happy to hear that affirmed to Grace by her dad.

Meryl Wilsner with yet another hit, can’t wait to read more of their work.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.

Ok on its own this book was a great rivals to reluctant friends to lovers story about 2 female soccer players. I immediately loved phoebe and Graces grumpy/sunshine dynamic. I’m a sucker for a golden retriever character and phoebe embodied it perfectly. The way these 2 challenged each other and really saw the other for who they were was really sweet and endearing. I enjoyed the ADHD and introvert rep in this book. As a golden retriever married to an introvert this really hit home for me 🤣

Now onto the spice 🥵🥵🥵 admittedly it’s not why I wanted to read the book but OH. EMMMMM. GEEEEEE did I love it. It was so well written and placed. It was spicy without taking over the book and the way Grace and Phoebe communicated and checked in with each other was everything. I honestly wish more sapphic books had spice in it. It was wonderful to see that aspect of their relationship really explored and depicted.

Overall I loved this books premise and the writing I thought was phenomenal. I’m not a huge fan of third person POV. Especially in a dual POV book it felt like some of the story was harder to connect to for me. But in the end that’s a personal preference for me and nothing to do with the content or talent of this author. Will DEFINITELY check out more books by her!!!

I love a good Sapphic romance, but a SOCCER sapphic romance. Sign me up. I fell in love instantly with Phoebe Matthews and her personality. When she finds herself in the big leagues for women's soccer, she is met with her Idol Grace Henderson. These two could not be more different, and the way Grace pushed Phoebe in the beginning was so heartwarming. I loved their dynamic, and this was not a slow burn at all. The spice was spicy and it came on quick. If you're a fan of spice, this one is for you. I did enjoy that the spice was not the entire plot even though they were "teammates with benefits" for a time. There were strong conversations about relationships, ADHD and neurodivergence, and taking your life into your own hands. I loved this book and I highly recommend to all my sapphic and romance lovers out there!

Soccer is my favorite sport, so I couldn't resist reading Meryl Wilsner's latest novel, Cleat Cute. It's a sapphic rom com featuring two pro soccer teammates, a rookie & a veteran, and it’s everything I hoped it would be and more!

Phoebe Matthews has always wanted to play pro soccer. Her life is chaotic in many ways but soccer is her happy place. When she finally gets called up to play for a pro team, Phoebe feels like she is home & immediately fits in as the lively jokester of the team. Grace Henderson has been the star of the team for ten years. She works hard and isn't overly impressed with Phoebe's class clown-style personality, although she can't deny that Phoebe works just as hard as she plays. She also can't deny that she finds herself drawn to Phoebe every time she sees her...

I loved the dynamic and the chemistry between Grace and Phoebe as they try to navigate their growing feelings for one another as well as whether or not it would even be appropriate for them to date as teammates. I also really enjoyed that more in depth topics were covered including the fact that while Phoebe was "out" as queer, Grace had not yet come out publicly. I loved that Phoebe respected Grace's decision and knew that Grace had to decide that for herself. Another big topic that was covered was undiagnosed ADHD, which it turns out, has been impacting much of Phoebe's life. It's not all serious though as there is plenty of banter and lots of sexy, steamy moments to balance out those more serious topics.

I also loved all of the soccer talk, although I don't think you need to be a huge soccer fan to enjoy this book. I'd recommend Cleat Cute to anyone who enjoys grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract romances.

“Oh yeah, you were absolutely one of those formative celebrities, you know? Like, I didn’t know if I wanted to kiss you or be you. (…) Both, it turned out.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Touches on toxic relationships and friendships. Discusses injuries and bullying. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Cleat Cute” follows Phoebe Matthews, a rookie soccer player who’s just been called in to potentially be part of the national team, and who serendipitously (and flirtatiously) becomes friends with benefits with her biggest rival, but also her biggest role model growing up, her team captain, Grace Henderson. But here’s the thing, Grace wants nothing to do with relationships, and least of all with a team member.

Although it went with a slower start, I absolutely loved this read once the pace picked up. Both Grace and Phoebe were such complex characters, packed with raw emotion and that drive that only competitive sport players have—it was truly inspiring (and oh-so spicy).

I would highly highly recommend this read if you’re looking for a sapphic sports romance with some very well-executed enemies with benefits. 10/10, would not change a single thing about this novel.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 19, 2023

"Cleat Cute" falls into the category of rookie/veteran sports romance, and it doesn't dive too deep into the sports aspect. If you're familiar with Meryl Wilsner's work, you can definitely anticipate some steamy moments. As someone who's a fan of women's soccer, I've encountered this storyline in other books as well.