”Grace shakes her head. ‘There’s something to be said for the du Monde experience, but Morning Call is the better choice for beignets.’”

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
Pub Date: September 12, 2023
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟(4/5)
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🫑(3.5/5)

Review:

Phoebe Matthews has recently been drafted to the New Orleans Krewe post her college graduation. Now she’s received a call up to the national team practice in a World Cup year. when she arrives she meets her NOLA captain Grace Henderson. Phoebe and grace are only a few years apart but grace has been professional since she was 16. Grace lives and breathes soccer so when an injury surfaces and she has to rest, she becomes restless.

I absolutely adored this book. Meryl Wilsner does it again. A queer soccer story in a real life World Cup year is perfect. Women’s sports are so underrepresented in queer romance and I love to see it. I loved this book. One of my favorite reads in august.

Spoiler coming: I totally pegged grace as autistic pretty fast especially after finding out her sister is ADHD.

If you like:
- Women’s soccer
- Adhd
- New Orleans
- Coming Out Stories

QOTD: where is your favorite beignet from?

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for proving me with an eARC of this novel.


#bookstagram #instabook #igreads #bookish #booksta #bookworm #romance #romancebooks #ireadromance #romcomreads #romcombooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookrec #netgalley #FRC2023 #BackToBooks

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
Release Date: September 19th
4/5 Stars
Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Meryl Wilsner for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Meryl Wilsner is one of my favorite authors, and whenever she has a new book, I buy it. So, of course, I had to read this one given the chance!

Phoebe Matthews has finally made it, she’s been drafted and is now a professional soccer player. Her dreams have come true, especially since she gets to play with her idol, Grace Henderson. What could be better than that? Plus, Grace is hot. Grace is a veteran who’s played all her life and lives for soccer. She doesn’t expect the new rookie to change her routine all that much. But Matthews is just so distracting…These two will have to learn to work together both on and off the field.

I truly enjoyed reading this book; it was a fun and fast read. The chemistry between Phoebe and Grace felt organic, even if I wish they had worked on their lack of communication better. It was understandable with their characters though. Once I let that personal hang up go, I liked what was happening. It was a tight storyline, good characters, and ultra steamy! Definitely would recommend!

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Ted lasso vibes but make it sapphic! I can't wait to get a copy of this for my shelf

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

I wanted to love this but I had a really hard time with the way Grace forced Phoebe into a diagnosis and basically pushed her into doing something I'm not sure she was ready for. I get that it came from a place of wanting to help but it really left a bad impression on me. I also just didn't buy the romance between the two of them at all.

I think Meryl Wilsner is really finding her groove. This was my favorite of her books so far—all the sexy mutual attraction and steamy romance with much less of the scoffingly implausible scenarios of her previous novels I've read. This one was two hot, dedicated, neurodivergent athletes meeting each other at work! Totally believable!

5⭐️

This book had me in my feels and kicking my feet and loving every minute of it.

Both Phoebe and Grace are so relatable to me personally as an AUDHD lesbian. They helped me feel so seen and loved for my differences.

I adored watching them evolve into strangers to friends to more. I would read a whole novel of just fluff about them. Wilsner does such a good job of making her characters and their interactions feel real. All the various representation in the novel feel authentic and not forced at all and that makes me unbelievably happy to see normalized.

*Thank you to NetGalley for a free arc in exchange for a honest review.*

📖 🎧 Writing &/or Audio Style : I started off reading this novel in written form. As Soon as I realized it was written in 3rd person I knew that if so wanted to complete the read by release day, than I needed audio, so I switched very quickly. Unfortunately I just read 3rd super slowly. Due to this, I don’t read a ton of 3rd person but another unique feature of this novel was how much people’s names were said. I don’t don’t believe other 3rd person stories I’ve read have been quite like this. The only thing I can think of was because this story is sapphic maybe it’s harder to keep who is thinking what clear when there are two FMCs. Regardless I found it pretty offputting.

👥 Characters & Relationships:
🚨This one section has possible spoilers🚨
Generally speaking I found the characters interesting and I was definitely rooting for them. That said I still find myself hung up Grace. Like were we supposed to know she was autistic? I don’t recall it being mentioned in the plot ever but her “behaviors” as well as promotional “trope” graphics mention autism. I’m SO CONFUSED. I loved the secondary team characters a lot.

⁉️Plot, Intrigue & Logic: I enjoyed the over arching plot, I loved the sports universe we were set into. The past experiences that the characters had that impacted their current behavior. All of that worked for me. That said there is a “lack of communication” that sets off the final 1/3rd of the book and honestly while it DID make for a cute ending, listening to these two interaction in the last 1/3rd of the book was painful.

🏞️Atmosphere & Setting: I loved the sports setting, and atmosphere of that world. The story was further set in New Orleans though I’ve never been and my brain struggled a bit to keep the locale.

🥰Enjoyment: Despite this semi critical review, I really did enjoy this story. Phoebe was great, I just needed a bit more from Grace and I need these two lovesick fools to talk to one another. If you asked me to pick a Meryl Wilsner Novel to recommend, I would probably choose mistakes were made.

🚨 For Reader Awareness: Undiagnosed ADHD and some of the micro aggressive commentary that comes with that.

📣Recommended for fans of: Sapphic romances, especially set in sports environment.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

Soccer lesbians! That's literally it, that's the entire review. What more could I possibly say to convince someone to read this book? This was exactly what I was hoping it would be- a cute, steamy sports romance with the grumpy-sunshine trope. (Sidenote- I'm not entirely sure why this is being marketed as rivals-to-lovers. At no point are Phoebe and Grace rivals. At most, they just kind of get off on the wrong foot which is almost immediately resolved. They're even on the same team, so definitely not rivals). Grace is incredibly introverted and serious, while Phoebe is much more gregarious and free-spirited, and I think Meryl Wilsner did a fantastic job writing the dynamic between these two and the way they balance each other out. Phoebe pulls Grace out of her comfort zone and shows her how fun and good life can be when you put yourself out there. Grace grounds Phoebe and helps keep her planted in reality. They really are very cute together. Also, the neurodivergence rep from Phoebe and Grace?? I was not expecting that and it was such a pleasant surprise. I wish it had been explored more- it really only became a clear plot point late in the book, although it was pretty obvious throughout the book that Phoebe has ADHD and Grace has autism. The way the neurodivergence rep and plot played out felt very rushed to me and I wish the author had explored more of what that means for the two of them, their relationship with each other, and how it will affect their own individual lives going forward. I also wish there had been more of an emphasis on the soccer aspect. I know this is a romance first and foremost, but I can't help it, I am such a fan of soccer, and I wish the game itself would have played a bigger role.

Overall, this is a cute, sexy, wholesome soccer romance that really captures the spirit of women's soccer- namely that it is incredibly, incredibly, gay. I adored this book and it was exactly what I was hoping it would be.

By 10% into this, I wanted to DNF. I held off because I was buddy-reading this with a friend. It was a mistake. I should have DNF'd. Instead, I hate read it in one day.

Cleat Cute is one of the least accurately marketed books I have ever read. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, that makes this book a rivals to lovers. Grace is Pheobe's idol. She has photos of her on her bedroom wall. They are on the same team. Also, if you tell me this is a mix of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, I better get wholesome, witty, and intelligent, with great dialogue. Sadly, I did not get any of this.

The neurodiversity of the characters was poorly executed, at least in my opinion. There are hints that both main characters are neurodivergent, but it is not the focus until the last third. This subplot lacked cohesiveness.

I didn't have any feelings for either character, resulting in me not caring about their relationship. For two people who discussed their sexual relationship with ease, there was an excessive amount of miscommunication. They never talked about anything real. When things needed to be said, they had sex instead. Usually, at the end of the romcom, I walk away with that Happily Ever After feeling. I did not have that here. I would be shocked if this couple lasted. The inner monologue of both characters is exhausting. The dialogue was cringey and repetitive. The only thing I liked about them was the spice.

As a side note, skip this book if you are repulsed by the C word (See You Next Tuesday). The word doesn't bother me, but I thought it was overused.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a few of Wilsner’s titles now, and while Mistakes Were Made is still one of my top reads of last year, I struggled with the beginnings of this one and the other. They were tough to get into the storylines and I felt this particular book was too much focused on soccer and not about building up the relationships… at first.

The second half of this book was much better (but the whole way through it was extremely steamy), after the initial days with the soccer team were behind them and it really got into the relationship and the personal struggles they each had to face - then it got very good! I’m glad I stuck with it.

Like the first book of theirs that I read, it was worth sticking to it. The second book was brilliant the entire way through. I had very high hopes for this book because of how incredible the last release was, and the second half lived up to that.. If you can get beyond the first half and stick with it to the very good second half when the real meat of the book starts, you know they (Meryl Wilsner) are an excellent author and you’re in for a great sapphic romance novel! National Team teammates Grace, the team Captain, and rookie Phoebe are a love for the ages!

For the audio - I did have to give up on the audio version and go strictly to the ebook halfway because I couldn’t focus on it - the narration wasn’t holding my attention. This is not a problem I normally have, being a 15-year audio person! It’s not that they weren’t doing a good job, and I appreciate that there were two narrators, but it felt like they were speaking too slow, no matter what speed I made it, and that might have been part of my problem with the first half.

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest feedback.

Tropes:
Sports Romance
Grumpy/Sunshine
Age Gap (7 years)


Meryl Wisner is an auto read for me, and her character development and stories have grown for each book she has writte. Grace and Pheobe have instant chemistry. Each character has a distinct voice and problems. This book is sexy, smart and funny.

This book was so amazing! The spice was good. The story was very intriguing and kept me invested. And the title, “Cleat Cute”, is the most perfect title for it.
I loved the fact that both characters were neurodivergent. It was just the perfect touch.
Grace and Phoebe literally have my whole entire heart. I cannot express how good this book was. I have no words to describe my love for this book. Al I can say is I love this book sooo freaking much!
(I put the link for my Instagram profile but have not yet posted my review on there it should be there tomorrow(9-18) or Tuesday(9-19)!)

To no surprise at all, another great book from Meryl Wilsner! I was so excited to get a chance to read this from NetGalley, and really enjoyed it even though I don’t actually like soccer. Phoebe & Grace reminded me a lot of Ollie & Gavin from Everything for You by Chloe Liese, which I also loved. I think the idea of one of the characters being the idolized childhood crush of the other is such a fun dynamic that sets you up for great chemistry right away! I found Grace to be extra relatable & really enjoyed the representation of ADHD as well. As always with their books, it was hot & steamy in all the right ways, no cheesy third act breakup, and definitely one I’ll recommend! Add this one to your TBR when it comes out on 9/19!

Cleat Cute is another great story by Meryl Wilsner. It’s a Sappic sports romance story and both Grace and Phoebe are great characters individually and their chemistry together is so fun.

Just in time for @SapphicSeptember !!

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner was exactly what the title promised- a cute romance between soccer stars. Grace is the grumpy veteran, Phoebe is the sunshine newbie. Grace has never had a “normal” life due to her soccer talent, Grace grew up in the Midwest with a lower middle class family. Opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, captain/player, new in town/lived here for years, jaded and tired/excited and fresh, oblivious/oblivious… And steamy scenes! Oh! And braiding hair as a love language! Also neurodivergent MCs!

This book had too many extreme differences in MCs for me to LOVE it (they were the oppositest of opposites!!!). However, I did love how miscommunication was handled throughout the book and their shared obliviousness. I also greatly enjoyed learning more about women’s professional soccer. This was a great read and I definitely recommend if you like opposites attract, sports romance, neurodivergent MCs, forced proximity, strong females, braiding hair as a love language.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this Sapphic soccer novel! Phoebe and Grace were amazing. I loved the mental health representation. Phoebe enters the world of her professional soccer career and is on the same team as her soccer idol growing up. Even though Grace is only 4 years older than Phoebe, she entered professional soccer at a younger age. The grumpy/sunshine was so good in this book. Grace being the older wiser teammate pushes Phoebe to be better and of course to fall more in love with her idol. Until they snap! Then sparks fly!! The miscommunication trope does show in the 3rd act but it’s critical to the story. Not usually a fan of it but in this story it works.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Cleat Cute to review!
4.5 stars
This ADORABLE sapphic romance between two women on the US Women's National Soccer Team had me obsessed. Grace Henderson is a veteran on the team that started playing professionally when she way 16 and quickly got pushed into the spotlight of professional sports. She's 26 now and the charm of playing soccer has begun to wear off. Enter Phoebe Matthews, an energetic 22 year-old fresh out of playing for her college team. They meet at practice and although to Grace, Phoebe seems like the living embodiment of everything she's trying to avoid (a class clown who is always late to everything and is used to making friends with everyone), Phoebe still persistently edges her way into Grace's life. This super cute romance has the perfect balance of soccer and romance, it was a lovable story that is absolutely worth the read!

I ate this story up and left no crumbs. Everything about it I adored I have no complaints. I loved the duel-POV and I loved both Grace and Phoebe as characters. I also loved all the other teammates that they played alongside on both teams. This was such a fun cast of characters that there was not one character that I had an issue with. I tend to have issues with Phoebe's character-type because it is oftentimes difficult to write that character as a little bit obnoxious without being overly obnoxious but I thought it was done really well in this book. I loved the soccer scenes and the New Orleans scenes. For someone that couldn't care less about sports this book did a great job balancing the romance with the other parts of the story. In a sense this book also literally made me a US Women's National Soccer Team fan, even though I don't like soccer I was still fully invested in the soccer aspects of the book. I thought the story was witty and funny and also really endearing and sweet at the same time. I loved both of the character's character growth and I loved watching Grace determine what she really wanted and cared about in the end. Additionally, I thought it was very interesting how the 3rd Act break-up in this book was different from anything else I've read. I was expecting the whole (one member of the relationship thinks they're dating but the other one doesn't) thing to blow up in their faces and that would be the 3rd Act break-up but it just wasn't instead. The ending was so seamless (and not annoying) while also still keeping the reader engaged, I loved it. The ending was unexpecting in the sense that it DIDN'T do the thing I've seen done over and over and over. Overall, honestly no complaints over here. In my opinion this book absolutely accomplished what it set out to do, I'm so glad I read it.

Meryl Wilsner is definitely becoming a leading name in sapphic, wlw romances. This was a cute book and I’m glad I read it. I’m glad it’s an option for readers because good wlw is still harder to find than other queer couplings. This was not my favorite of her books but a 3.5 star for sure.

The inner monologues got a bit much and took away from being in the actual story. But the spice was good, the characters weren’t annoying, and it was an overall fun read.

I wanted to love this book so much, but it sadly missed the mark for me. My biggest issue was the writing style - I just do not enjoy reading {close} third person narration. It probably didn’t help that the main character with whom I least identified is also named Grace 🙃

Additionally, I’m generally not a fan of the friends-with-benefits trope, so the majority of their relationship dynamic wasn’t enjoyable to me.

I appreciate the neurodivergent representation, but I wish some of those conversations were more developed or happened a bit earlier in the story. They just felt like more of an afterthought than I’d prefer.

Things I liked:

📖 The title & cover art - 10/10

⚽️ Soccer talk - soccer is my favorite sport & I loved that this book was, at its core, about women’s soccer. I think the author did a decent job explaining certain positions & drills without getting too detailed.

🌈LGBTQIA+ representation - I firmly believe in the importance of reading from authors in the LGBTQIA+ community & stories with characters of all identities & orientations. I believe it encourages respect & empathy.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

I was very excited when I was approved for this ARC, Sports romance featuring soccer! Sign me up :)

Phoebe gets the chance to play alongside her soccer idol Grace Henderson when called up for the US National Team camp and also being drafted to the same team in New Orleans. During national camp, Phoebe makes a bet that she can beat Grace (who always wins) during the beep test. The bet? If Phoebe wins, Grace owes her a kiss. Well, Grace loses the bet and things heat up from there. Phoebe and Grace are complete opposites. But we all know the saying opposites attract ;) They become friends with benefits.

This was a cute read. Unfortunately, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. There were some laugh out loud moments and some good spicy scenes. I’m a sucker for locker scenes ;)

Grace’s inner monologues were annoying, in my opinion. After finishing the book I understand why her inner monologues were that way but by the time it was addressed around the 80% mark I felt it was too late. If it was addressed earlier I probably would have different opinion on Grace. And because of this, I struggled with reading Grace’s POV.

There were a some spicy scenes that had a good build up but then when it went to the next chapter it was just over. So it was like a fade to black in my opinion. One scene specifically, the make up sex after one of their fights, we had one POV and then the next chapter it started with “The next morning..” NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Another thing that bothered me was the POVs, specifically when we flipped POVs. When we started a new POV, it wasn’t written whose POV we were reading. For me, I prefer the chapter to say whose POV we are getting. I’m not sure if this is changed in the final copy or not.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.