Romances centered around women’s professional soccer are becoming more and more popular among sapphic readers, and I can see why. The appeal lies in the combination of two exciting and thrilling worlds: sports and romance. Cleat Cute nails both in every regard.

The characters presented in this novel are strong, independent women. Phoebe and Grace are passionate about soccer and Wilsner does an excellent job constructing their character arcs. In fact, it’s one of the things that make it shine. Wilsner pays particular attention to their backstories while laying out their personalities. That, along with these ladies’ good-natured grit and spirited determination, works to fuel this romance in engaging ways. Readers will be charmed by the way Phoebe and Grace evolve and grow during the course of this story. It’s enticing, capturing the heart like only a good romance can.

The premise of Cleat Cute is simple: Phoebe and Grace are two professional soccer players who play on the same team and fall in love. Yes, this storyline has been done before in women’s sports, but Wilsner takes care to keep it fresh. Wilsner scripts a narrative that not only navigates the complexities of dating one’s own teammate but explores the struggles of publicly coming out, coping with ADHD and fighting to stay injury free. Soccer is a high-pressured, competitive world to pilot, and Wilsner does a fantastic job of presenting it to the reader, easily absorbing them.

The storyline is alluring, but it doesn’t do the work alone. Wilsner’s cadence and style provide readers with intriguing layers of tension and drama, making this romance more than captivating. Additionally, the love affair between Phoebe and Grace is deliciously sweet with hot bits of steamy woven through it; their passion simply jumps off the page. This, coupled with dialogue that sagaciously flows on the page, creates a narrative that’s passionate as well as intimate. Readers get to know Phoebe and Grace on a deeper level; they understand their wants and needs. Watching their connection grow becomes a page-turning delight for readers, one they don’t want to end.

Cleat Cute is smartly written; it demonstrates Wilsner’s intuitiveness as a writer. It also indicates that Wilsner is one to watch. Wilsner seems to understand the push and pull of romance on the page. Phoebe and Grace are two very different women. In some ways they shouldn’t even work, yet they do. With this Wilsner skillfully demonstrates that they know how to enact change and create coherent conflict between two well-designed characters. Its crafty composition ultimately sparks something that’s irresistible as well as undeniable. Readers can not turn away from it; it’s futile to even try.

Final remarks…

The world of professional women’s soccer is known for its fast-paced action, strategic gameplay, and intense competitive spirit. Wilsner leverages this energy nicely in Cleat Cute, intertwining love and soccer perfectly. The result is a captivating romance that readily resonates with its readers. Phoebe and Grace’s struggles, sacrifices and triumphs both on and off the field feed the romance splendidly, giving readers something that is not only compelling but entertaining as well. Cleat Cute is a solid 4.5 star read; it will not disappoint.

Strengths…

Well-written
Well-told
Well-developed, likable characters
Engaging storyline
Engrossing storyworld

I’m a big USWNT fan so I was super excited about this! I really enjoyed it. The only awkward thing was jt being in third person, but still having train of thought moments from both characters, it just felt weird. That’s really my only complaint though and it’s pretty minor. I loved all the soccer and references to real people in the USWNT world and I liked the characters.

Cleat Cute
3/5
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martines Press and Netgalley!

While I didn’t like this one as much as Wilsners ‘Something To Talk About’ I still quite enjoyed it overall! I love how Wilsner writes all of her characters and gives so much depth (To the side characters as well).

Overall this books was sweet, fun, and a bit spicy ;) if you enjoyed any of Meryl’s other novels this is definitely one to check out!

It's hard for me to write this review, because I don't know how much of it is an actual, objective criticism of the book itself, and how much of it is just me realizing I'm not into romance as much as I thought I was.

Starting off with the good: I'm in love with Phoebe. Like madly, truly, deeply, head over heels obsessed with her. She's the exact kind of lesbian I would let break my heart over and over and over again, and the only person I would have to blame for it is myself. She's so specifically my type that it definitely made, at least the first half of the novel, very entertaining.

I also think the flirting and the spice was really good. Granted, I'm not a regular romance reader, so I don't know what the standard is or what caliber people usually expect out of adult romances, but I enjoyed myself.

However, the flirting and the teasing was kind of the only thing holding the story together, and I ended up getting... kind of bored? I became a lot less motivated to pick it up around the 60% mark and I ended up taking like a week-long break before finally finishing it. I just didn't feel like getting back into it because it felt like it was going to be a lot of the same beats all over again and the whole thing just lost a lot of its charm for me.

I also don't know if I really connected to either of the main characters on any level (although maybe that's my fault for picking up a book about a sport for which I have an active disdain). The parts that made me the most emotional had to do with their families, but those relationships are pretty underdeveloped in the book. Of course, maybe Wilsner just didn't want to focus on that particular part of their lives and that's perfectly fine—as an author, you can do whatever you want with your characters. It's just that, on a personal note, I wasn't invested in the story in any real, substantial way.

Now, I'm not the kind of person that gets mad at the miscommunication trope, and I think that a lot of people's criticisms of it are slightly unjustified. But this was ridiculous, I mean... I skimmed through the last 50 pages or so because it just bothered me so much, I was actually getting mad. And then it somehow ended up not even being that big of a deal?

Which leads me to my final critique: there were so many moments that ended on such an anticlimactic note; it wasn't just unrealistic, it was bordering on the fantastical. The characters made so many mistakes that either a) I consider to be a huge problem that could only be resolved with multiple serious conversations and possibly some couples counseling or b) were deemed to be serious by the book and the characters themselves. So I would be anticipating some huge emotionally charged argument, only for the whole thing to be resolved 10 pages later with a little kiss and some sex. Now listen, I know how powerful those endorphins can be as much as the next lesbian, but dear god please see one conversation all the way through, I'm begging you.

I want to clarify that, as much as the last third of the book bothered me, I really was enjoying myself up until the 60% mark. I think if you regularly read romance novels, you might actually enjoy this. I mean, maybe the flirting and teasing really would be enough to keep you interested the entire way through, and maybe the ease with which the arguments are resolved will be comforting to you, instead of infuriating. Which is why I say it's hard for me to determine how specifically personal this review is. I probably wouldn't recommend it, just because I don't trust myself to know exactly to whom this would appeal, but I could understand why someone would enjoy this—it just wasn't for me.

was it sexy? yes
was it hot? also yes
did I understand any of the soccer jargon? who cares it was hot and sexy and queer and queer people deserve rom coms too!!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

This is a romance about two female soccer players. The story was okay though it focused a lot on the characters and not a lot on plot. At times, I felt like the author had a checklist of all the important queer messages they wanted to impart and then filled the book with them, which seemed a bit soapboxy.

Grace is on the US Women's National Team, and she is now injured. When peppy rookie Phoebe takes her spot, Grace refuses to become teammates with benefits. And Phoebe will not make a move on her idol...
I adored Mistakes Were Made last year, so I had to pounce on this one! It's a grumpy sunshine, rivals to lovers, sports, celebrity crush, sapphic steamy and witty romance. And listen, I do like me a good grumpy sunshine, but Grace was so grumpy it made her unlikeable, and Phoebe was so sunshine and all over the place it made her annoying. I also didn't like how rush and questionable the ending was and how much it came out of nowhere. It would've been nice for such a topic to be sprinkled into the story along the way. It still was a very cute and entertaining read, and Grace did have very good character development. And there was a final grand gesture even if there was no third act break up, which I of course loved.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just reviewed Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner. This was the second book by Meryl that I’ve read and I throughly enjoyed it as well!
4/5 only because I wanted maybe a little bit more from the book. The characters are great, loved the banter between the teammates and the two FMCs, just wanted maybe a little bit more development/interaction with the two mains. Some parts felt a little rushed or skimmed over that I would’ve liked to read a little more about. However, I still really enjoyed this and would for sure recommend! #CleatCute #NetGalley

Not nearly as good a story as Mistakes Were Made. I found this to be a somewhat predictable story with angsty, introspective characters. Not being a particularly big fan of soccer, I felt a lot of assumptions were made pertaining to the reader’s knowledge of the sport. It was still an entertaining read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This writing style didn’t mesh with my reading preferences, but I think this is a book a lot of people will really love. Grumpy/sunshine with some steam and fun dynamics. I really wanted to love this one, but I think this was totally a me problem and not the book. DNF @ 50%

This book was everything I hoped it would be! Absolutely adorable AND steamy! I loved Grace and Phoebe from the start. They are opposites on so many levels and hardly seem to have anything in common except soccer. Grace is reserved and poised, always taking things seriously, and not one to joke around. Phoebe on the other hand is loud and boisterous, always running late, and your typical class clown. But somehow…these two just work. Their playful, flirty banter (that sometimes Grace doesn’t even realize is flirty) had me smiling and laughing out loud.

Grace is Phoebe’s captain. They should definitely not get involved. But after a week of showing Phoebe around New Orleans before the rest of the team arrives, it’s no longer possible for either of them to fight their growing desires. But a relationship is out of the question. So they become friends with benefits. But it’s not hard to see that there’s a lot more going on than just sex. No matter what they say…to each other or themselves.

You can sense their connection from the start. And more than just sense it. 😏Because for all you spice lovers - you don’t have to wait long! And it is HOT AF! 🥵 Their sexual chemistry sparks. But it’s not just about the kind of sex. It’s the way they look at each other, touch each other, react to each other, and basically worship each other. The way Phoebe longs to make Grace feel good. The way Grace allows herself to be vulnerable. It’s hot…but also incredibly beautiful.

Soccer plays just as big of a role in this story as the characters and romance do. So if you love soccer, you get lots of it in this book! There’s also trans rep (Phoebe’s brother), non-binary rep (a teammate), and neurodivergent rep (Phoebe finding out as an adult she has ADHD). It was great to see all the representation!

I couldn’t put this book down! I was rooting for Grace and Phoebe, both personally and professionally, from page one. I wanted to see them get their own HEA and their HEA’s on the field! I adored this story and highly recommend it!

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I absolutely loved Mistakes Were Made so I was really excited for Cleat Cute. I thought this was such a fun and sweet romance. I really liked Grace and Phoebe’s instant chemistry that grew into friendship and then more. I liked how they looked out for each other on the field and off, especially with Grace’s injury. I thought the pacing was pretty well done and the spicy scenes were, as expected, excellent. I liked how they really dove deep into communication and intimacy. There were a lot of internal monologues and on occasion, they took me out of the scene, but I did enjoy really getting to know both Phoebe and Grace. I did wish the soccer of it all was a bit more high stakes. It was much more of a character driven novel than I was expecting, which was done well, but I did really get excited about the World Cup and it just felt very secondary to everything. Overall, I did enjoy this one! There were just a few things I was ehhh about, but still a big Wilsner fan and will definitely read her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was so cute! With this book I continue to be FIRMLY in my Meryl Wilsner era-their books always make me 😍.

This book gave me some STRONG “Everything For You” vibes which is honestly a HUGE compliment. There was a lot of soccer in this book, and while that was great, this book was about so much more than soccer! The relationship between the MCs is the perfect storm of opposites attract, forced proximity, better together sapphic love story. While I did really love the relationship between the MCs, I think I loved the individual journeys they each went on while together. This story gave us a lot of emotion, and a lot of soul searching. I do feel like it ended too abruptly, but overall I really loved this!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin. All opinions are my own.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was really cute!! I really enjoyed Grace and Phoebe but for some reason I kept getting confused who was who for the first half and I really do not know why. It was also spicer than I imagine it would be. This was a great read coming off World Cup season.

I would recommend!!

This was just okay for me. I loved the soccer element, reading this after watching the World Cup was top tier.

I didn’t believe the relationship with Grace and Phoebe. They lacked chemistry and I was never fully invested in them as a couple.

thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

4.5 rounded up. this cute, spicy, and sporty romp is not something i would normally read, but it absolutely hooked me! wilsner captures the rivalry, tension, and budding love between the fiery Matthews and the reserved Henderson so well and builds that relationship expertly. all the tropes in this book work and make it an endearing read for sports loving gays.

All of my book club friends are absolute Meryl Wilsner STANS so I was overjoyed to get my hands on this one. Read this for an awesome sapphic romance with a sports setting. Hockey romances are so last year, sapphic soccer romances are so this year!

Loved EVERYTHING about this book - the chemistry, the character development, the storyline...AH! Perfect for anyone who wants a quick, easy, feel-good romance read!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Third time's the charm for me with Meryl Wilsner, as while something missed the mark for me with her prior books, Cleat Cute ended up winning me over. Contrary to the cutesy covers, I already knew to expect lots of sex, and Wilsner delivers that here again, but with a dynamic that I felt had a bit more substance behind it.
Grace is a soccer star, and Phoebe’s a new rookie who’s begun training alongside her. There’s a great balance of rivalry due to Grace being somewhat threatened by this new arrival, and admiration, due to Phoebe being a longtime fan of Grace’s, and that makes for an interesting foundation going forward. And while friends-with-benefits can fall flat for me, especially when the two people aren’t necessarily on the same page about what they want, but I liked how their personal tensions collided with their professional goals. One of the personal aspects I really liked was the neurodivergence rep, especially Phoebe’s undiagnosed ADHD, and how that colors their relationship. Grace possibly being autistic is also mentioned, although it’s not as much of a focal point.
I respect Wilsner’s enthusiasm about soccer, but the passion put into the soccer stuff is definitely the one aspect that put me off. While I like when people have lives outside their love interests, the amount of detail put into all the soccer terminology was quite alienating as someone who’s not a fan, and a reason I avoid most sports romance. I had similar feelings about Ted Lasso, which I can’t get into for the life of me, even though it’s been recommended.
Apart from my subjective nitpicks, I more or less enjoyed this one. While it might hit harder if you enjoy soccer or sports in general, I recommend it if you're looking for a sexy sapphic romance.

Mistakes Were Made was one of my favorite rom-coms of 2022 and so I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of Cleat Cute. Meryl Wilsner has confirmed their spot on my list of favorite authors with this one. Cleat Cute is absolutely adorable with two complete opposite but equally endearing characters. I'm not usually into sports romances, but I devoured this one from beginning to end. Steamy, heartfelt, funny, romantic. I loved it!