I received Cleat Cute from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, this book was a DNF for me. I made it to page 50 before deciding it wasn't for me. Phoebe and Grace weren't characters that I found myself rooting for. There was a lack of chemistry between them and their relationship moved WAY too quickly for my liking. Within the first 36 pages, P & G were already hooking up. This just felt too rushed for me and I would've liked to get to know the character better first. I found some of the word choices to be immature and the mention of TikTok right off the bat was off-putting. I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately, I won't be picking it up again. The cover was really cute though!

A rivals to lovers sapphic romance with professional soccer players? Say no more. I really enjoyed this. It was fun seeing Grace and Phoebe going from rivals at their first national team camp together to begrudging friends and then friends with benefits. Their opposite personalities added a lot to the interesting dynamic they created.

I enjoyed getting two different perspectives on being a professional soccer player. Grace has been on the national team for 10 years, since she was 16 years old. She has sponsors and fans know who she is. Meanwhile this is Phoebe’s first season on the New Orleans team & national team after playing in college. She has to work an additional job outside of playing soccer in order to make enough money to support herself. I liked the commentary that was included about how women’s sports don’t always pay their professional athletes enough.

The chemistry between Grace and Phoebe was great. Not only just in the sex scenes, but also their chemistry as friends and teammates. It was fun watching how their situation transformed from casual sex to romantic feelings getting involved. I also liked the inclusion of the characters being neurodivergent.

In the beginning of the book I was feeling a bit confused and overwhelmed by how many side characters there were, I found it difficult to remember who was who. Almost immediately the story goes to Phoebe’s first national team camp so there are a bunch of new people there. Then it transfers to her meeting her other team in New Orleans with even more new people. All in all I had a great time reading this. I didn’t love it quite as much as Mistakes Were Made, the other book I’ve read from Meryl Wilsner. But I still highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and steamy sapphic romance.

Romance reviewing isn't my normal mode, but I requested this title when I saw it was women's soccer RPF, essentially. The internal monologues were great - starting with Phoebe's perspective and gradually adding in Grace's was smart and helped keep up the romantic tension. Wilsner's writing around Grace's neuroses / neurodivergence felt really natural as well. I also really enjoyed how it focused on the club team dynamics, especially the pay disparities!! I disagree with the stated blurb though - it's not really about them competing for the national team. I'd absolutely take a sequel with more of that premise though!

This book is simply perfect. If you thought "Mistakes were Made" was a little too forthcoming with the spicy, and then hated the slow-burn of "Something to Talk About," you will enjoy the pacing of this book. As with Mistakes, Wilsner's spicy scenes are... very spicy! But outside of that, I loved the richness of the characters in this book. Both protagonists are relatable as humans and as athletes, and the emotion comes alive through the pages.

I also want to warn anyone who's worried this book might be too much about soccer. It's not, I promise you. Soccer was a main point in the book, yes, but Wilsner does a fantastic job in describing the game. This is perfect for soccer aficionados and soccer newbies alike. I also happen to read this right after the World Cup, when the idea of Women's sports and the rise of the Women's teams was such a prominent part of our discourse. I can see myself talking about this book for years to come, much like I can see myself talking about Wilsner's entire bibliography for years to come.

It's cute, it's funny, it's sad, it's sweet. It's all the things we wish we could see from our favorite athletes and are starting to see more and more each day. PLAY/SUPPORT/WATCH/BUY Women's sports (fiction books included!)

I know nothing about soccer but I still really enjoyed this! This is a Sapphic, grumpy/sunshine and dual POV romance read. This book is really cute and I really enjoyed seeing Grace and Phoebe's romance unfold. The character's development was amazing as well! I also loved the ADHD and Neurodivergent rep in the book! If I did the point system in the ratings it would be a 3.5!

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC!

There’s something to say for how Wilsner fleshes out their characters. You feel like you’ve known them for years. It felt desperately overwhelming to be in Phoebe’s head (as I’m sure was intended) but Grace’s side really resonated with me. Even as someone not interested in sports, I had a really enjoyable time in and out of the game. My only grievance was some of the formatting (switching POVs, texts, etc) which gave me a headache for the first chunk.

Book: Cleat Cute
Author: Meryl Wilsner
Format: Digital
Genre: Romance, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation, LGBTQIA+
Places Featured: New Orleans, Louisiana
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)
Review: Phoebe Matthews is about to have her dreams come true–she’s going to be playing professional soccer in the women’s league, she has a chance at playing on the national team in the upcoming World Cup, and she’s about to meet her idol–the famous soccer player, Grace Henderson. And although she’s focused on her career and being a part of winning teams, Phoebe can’t help but notice that she’s not only impressed with Grace’s soccer skills, but she’s also attracted to her. Grace is a focused team captain struggling with an injury and aging in a field that usually favors youth, but she, too, is attracted to the young new energetic player. Cleat Cute is a story about soccer, friendship, fame, achieving goals, and love. The characters are a little overdone, the story is predictable, and steamy isn’t usually my thing, but it was fun to read about the world of soccer and a sweet romance is always a good thing.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Cleat Cute!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked both of the main characters, Phoebe and Grace. The comparisons to Ted Lasso definitely make sense.

There are a handful of things that happen that seem a bit too unrealistic. Their communication was not great sometimes and felt like they didn’t really work through issues.

Overall, it was cute and would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

At this point, I am convinced Meryl Wilsner writes specifically For Me. I’ve never been a real-life sports fan, but something about sports fiction draws me in, and adding sapphic friends-with-benefits to lovers on top of that? Sign me up, and Cleat Cute did not disappoint!

I will always say this when reviewing a contemporary romance novel: this is not my favorite genre. So I’m just even more pleased with how much I enjoyed this book! Despite their relationship not being a slow burn (another factor that I typically Need to enjoy a contemporary romance), I found myself falling for Phoebe and Grace just as much as they were for each other. Their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses perfectly balanced each other out, and nothing about their relationship felt forced—not the pace of it, not the miscommunications, and not the bumps in the road they encountered as they figured out how they felt about one another amidst their love for and pressures from soccer.

And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Wilsner knows how to write some good spice <333

I also found a lot to enjoy outside of Phoebe & Grace’s developing relationship! Even though it was hard to keep a lot of their teammates’ and family members’ names straight (simply because there were so many), the friendships the two had and the relationships they had with their family were also well-developed and added an extra dimension outside of themselves.

I’m giving it a 4/5 because, well… it’s no Mistakes Were Made (still my favorite romance of all time), and I cannot fully support the use of TikTok as a resource on ADHD, but overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I can’t wait to see what Wilsner has for us next!

I would like to start by saying Meryl Wilsner is my favorite author by far. I loved their first two books and have reread them an embarrassing amount of times. When I found out about this book, I knew I needed to read it, not only because I love the author but because I am also the worlds biggest sports fan — especially soccer. I am in love with the real USWNT and have been since I was a kid. This book is exactly what I have wanted for literal years. And I enjoyed it a fair amount. However, as much as I wanted to love it, there were a few parts of the book that I was slightly disappointed with. As someone who loves this authors work, I have always loved the way they dealt with conflict with minor/outlying characters. So when I started reading this book and one of the MC’s Grace had a past situationship I was PUMPED. I loved the actual plot line for that confrontation but I will admit it fell a bit flat for me. I felt like the conflict had resolved a bit too easily and a bit too cartoony for my personal taste. Did I still love the book? Yes. But overall, I genuinely believe this book could have been improved with more pages. I felt like a lot of my favorite parts of the book got resolved too quickly or were mentioned but never dived into enough. Graces call with her parents, the past situationship, the WC in general were all plot points I adored but think could have been improved with a bit better pacing. That being said, I still love the author and adore their work and maybe upon one of my inevitable rereads I may feel differently. Can’t wait for their next book. Thanks for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc!

CLEAT CUTE is a sapphic. dual POV romance centered around 2 soccer players on the same AWSA team. I've read one of Meryl Wilsner's earlier works and I thought it was okay, but this book has gotten a lot of buzz so I was pretty excited and curious to read this one.

If you like miscommunication in romance, this book is for you. While I loved both Phoebe and Grace and their dynamic, the miscommunication between the two of them on their relationship with each other became a little exhausting towards the end. However, their personalities were a lot of fun and they definitely felt fleshed out with real emotion! I was rooting for them the entire time, but often times I wanted to shake one or the other or both and say "just talk it out!!!" But then again, it wouldn't be a miscommunication romance without those times.

I especially enjoyed the neurodivergence representation and how much Grace simply wanted to help make Phoebe's life a little bit easier. I felt like that part of the book was handled very well.

I do think that if you love sports romance, this is a really unique and fun one to read. I don't know ANYTHING about soccer but I was able to follow along easily. I think if you are a fan of Everything for You by Chloe Liese or The Long Game by Elena Armas, you'll enjoy this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a digital ARC - pub date 9/19/2023. This book is a delightful read with sapphic love, inclusion, neurodiversity, hot sex, banter, soccer, and New Orleans food. It's like Meryl Wilsner sat me down and said "quick, name some of your top favorite things." (Okay, so soccer doesn't usually make that list but it is one of the few sports I enjoy watching while being clueless and women soccer teams always kick ass.)

On one hand, you have Grace Henderson - the serious veteran, the one with it all together, the one who everyone else looks to when things are going crazy, the seriously overwhelmed and empty metaphorical cup but don't tell anyone that because she IS SOCCER and what would she be WITHOUT SOCCER? Then, on the other hand, you have Phoebe Matthews - the rookie with more energy than the sun and thus is literaly SUNSHINE to Grace's Grump, the one who gets along with everyone, the one who loves soccer but also loves ladies with an equal passion, the one who keeps a dozen plates spinning but still goes SQUIRREL?! You know where this is going - Grumpy/Sunshine, opposites attract, etc. You would be right and you still should totally read it. Told in alternating POV chapters, you get into both Phoebe and Grace's heads and this gives both of them more depth than the stereotype and helps you understand the dynamic and believe what draws them to each other. There is also an awkward lovely friendship arc that they try out, friends with benefits, and it will make you want to laugh and shake them all at once.

What really makes the book are the characters. The plot itself hums along with some beloved tropes and smart interactions and a clipping pace but there are no huge twists. So what keeps you going (aside from the excellent writing and eagerly waiting for the next smoking hot sex scene) is the banter and interactions. Conversations range from hilarious to serious, revealing to superficial, and everything in between. Then you have such a range of characters; the book is full of the alphabet mafia and respectful of all leanings, both sexual and gender. You have non-binary, trans, straight, queer, etc. Then you also have a range of neurodivergance, presented with the author's respect beneath even the most awkward and poorly chosen character words. AKA you know the author is all good even when the character says something so borderline rude that you know it's not Meryl's words. ADHD, depression, anxiety, autism - they all exist in varying levels even if Grace and Phoebe are almost shockingly oblivious to their own issues until made to think about it. Again, totally in character.

Over all, this is such a fun read and I was barely into when I knew that I HAD to get the title to at least one friend. It's that kind of charmer.

thanks to net galley for sending me the e-arc of this book!

and she strikes again!
meryl wilsner’s novels are truly so fun to read and are a blast to get through.
if at all possible, i liked this book even MORE than i liked mistakes were made. grace and phoebe were so intriguing to read about, and their chemistry was unmatched.
while this book is about two soccer players, and i am not a fan of soccer, i still found the gameplay super interesting and easy to follow (as someone who knows nothing abt it).
this was such a great read and i’m super excited to see physical copies on shelves!

I was a fan of this author after reading Mistakes Were Made but this book has just secured them a position as an auto-buy author for me. I absolutely adored this novel.

The best part of this novel is not only the characters (who are absolutely phenomenal) but just the way the book is written. There were so many moments of just absolutely brilliant writing where by the end of the scene, I had to look up in wonder at what this author had just done.

I’ll give you a brief example from ~20% into the novel. There is this phenomenal scene where, after a night out, Grace visits Phoebe at the diner she works at. After overthinking the entire evening, Grace came to the conclusion that as the team captain, she should inform Phoebe, in a professional way, that she needs to behave more professionally, even when out on the town. The way this conversation flows however is just so mesmerizing in that, by the end, Grace has lost all control and sway in the conversation and Phoebe has completely turned everything on its head and Grace is at a complete loss as to what to say or do. It changes the game for everyone, but it also was just so seamlessly written.

Additionally, we get these subtle reveals that are hinted at throughout the novel, but remain unconfirmed until they are naturally revealed, but without much fanfare, which makes it all the more engaging; as a reader, you’re hunting for what the author is trying to say. Wilsner doesn’t explicitly tell you what to think until they reveal what’s really going on for the reader to have that “aha” moment and it’s phenomenal.

I love the representation. We have multiple sapphic couples, non-binary characters, women soccer players, ADHD, autism, mental health, therapy, etc. It’s just a lot of really great representation in one novel .

Finally, I just loved the characters. Phoebe and Grace have my whole heart. And yes, this book is spicy!

Whatever Wilsner writes next, I’m reading it.

Let's start with the fact that I don't like sports, yet I loved this book. We meet Grace, a veteran star soccer player, and Phoebe, the new recruit who has looked up to Grace since her youth. I loved both of these main characters equally, which is rare for me. Wilsner builds up their story at a great pace with exactly enough open door spice.

One thing that also stood out to me was Phoebe's confidence in herself and her queerness. While she has some insecurities in relationships for *reasons* (no spoiler here), she is direct and flirty without being arrogant. She's also steady in building her friendship with Grace who is definitely the grumpy character to Phoebe's sunshine.

Grace is struggling with what fame has meant for her and how she shows up in the world. Even though Grace isn't out, there's no shame for either character around their queerness or their feelings for each other.

I lost sleep to finish this book, and I'm ready to reread it already!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and flirty sapphic sports romance! I love these types of stories where someone ends up with their idol. I puts an exciting spin on the story. I enjoyed Phoebe and Grace's journey from fan/idol to teammates to friends to friends with benefits to romantic partners. They found each other when they each were on different precipices in their lives and the pressure of those situations made their romance a bit more difficult.

Meryl Wilsner knows how to write a sex scene! Phoebe and Grace were HOT in the bedroom!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Phoebe Matthews’ dream has come true in being drafter to a profession soccer team, and on top of that, her new captain will be her childhood hero. Grace Henderson is about to have her team and her life shaken up by the exuberant young Phoebe.

If you enjoy sports romance, and Sapphic romance, this book is for you! It is quite spicy, and has opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine vibes. I think it could have focused more on character development, but it was still a fun romance. I enjoyed the soccer and the bonds between their teammates. There was a lot of representation of different facets of the LGBTQ+ community, and that was wonderful to see. And supportive family relationships. I think maybe it took on too much towards the end, when it could have strengthened themes that were already there.

This isn't really a sports romance - while the characters are both soccer players, the actual game is not very central to the book. We don't even get to meet the team besides a couple of very minor characters, there is mention a few times that it's a World Cup year but there is no big championship or anything - it is very not central to the book. Grace and Phoebe also don't really start out at rivals. Phoebe worships Grace as a veteran player, but there's never really the expectation that she would replace her on the roster.

The main plot does revolve around Grace and Phoebe, both neurodivergent characters playing on the New Orleans team, and who end up starting a FWB turned serious relationship during the pre-season. Phoebe (the rookie) is a big ball of ADHD energy and is extremely adorable. Grace (the veteran) is more of an anxious mess, and is written as autistic, though I found her much harder to like as a character. I did love the part where Phoebe decided that they were dating and Grace had no idea because it was never stated explicitly. That's exactly the sort of misunderstanding that I can imagine having with my autistic partner.

The thing that didn't click with me so much is the amount of talking, and the amount of introspection. It was just... a lot. About every little thing. I don't feel like I really needed to know every detail of how Grace likes to wear her hair and how she feels about sports bras, and for me it made the book a bit of a drag. It also felt weird for a third person book to go into so much detail on the thoughts and feelings of the characters. It may have worked better in first person and written in more of the character's own voices.

The other thing that bothered me, but not a deal breaker at all, was that the sex scenes, while very well written, didn't really move the plot forward. They seemed a bit sudden and over the top and actually had a tendency to interrupt moments in the relationship rather than shape them. The parts of the book where they were exploring New Orleans together and "is this a date or not" were pretty cute, I do love NOLA and really enjoyed reading about Phoebe getting to know the city.

Overall it's a cute book, very low angst and did resolve nicely, but had some parts that seemed to drag on and on.

I couldn't stop smiling while listening to that book. It was a straight up grinfest from start to finish and I loved every minute of it. Phoebe and Grace are hopelessly in love, all while circling each other on the pitch. It's a grumpy/sunshine sapphic romance with so much drama and love, both on and off the field. It also discusses adult neurodivergence diagnoses, American healthcare, and going after what you want and what serves you. I would love to see more soccer or sports romances from Meryl Wilsner, especially if we stay with the New Orleans team.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC*

I'm nearly positive that I screamed when I found out about this book (I mean, a sapphic soccer romance??), and it definitely lived up to the hype. Cleat Cute follows Grace Henderson, the 26-year-old veteran of the US women's national team and captain of the New Orleans Krewe, and Phoebe Matthews, the 22-year-old rookie on the Krewe who gets called up to national team camp. Oh, and she grew up idolizing Grace. And also she has a huge crush on her. And also also she has posters of her in her childhood bedroom.

The soccer vibes here are impeccable. (I had big plans to read this while on the train in New Zealand while I was there for the Women's World Cup that were foiled, but it still made an excellent read post-World Cup) Before, during, and after games, the way that players and plays and being on the pitch is described just feels like the most amazing vibes at a women's soccer game. There were a lot of soccer terms used, but I think even if you aren't familiar with them, you should be able to figure out what's going on with context clues (or not, it's really about the vibes anyway).

Phoebe and Grace's relationship also has the best vibes. Over the course of the book, you watch Grace get more comfortable in her own skin and with the idea of letting other people in, and you watch Phoebe figure out what it means in her own life to be an adult. And you get to watch them figure it out together! There are definitely some steamy scenes in here, but there are also sweet scenes, of Phoebe helping Grace start to feel comfortable in her own skin and feel her feelings. There's also last names as foreplay (a personal favorite of mine), sexual tension through hair braiding (thank you Meryl Wilsner for including this in your trope round-up on Instagram), and lots of locker room ~moments~. Oh, and there isn't a third-act break-up! There are a couple of fights, but they are resolved without a dramatic third-act break-up (both by talking it out and by... not talking it out).

The backdrop of the book is New Orleans, which, not to be a broken record, is so good for the vibes. Grace and Phoebe get beignets, go to a Mardi Gras parade, and see other landmark sights around the city. I love New Orleans, and it was so fun to feel transported there. And it made for a great setting for Phoebe's first home away from home -- somewhere she can be independent and walk around and find things everywhere to have fun with.

And I know I'm not here to review the cover, but IT'S SO PERFECT. The way they look at each other, Matthews' name on her jersey, Grace's braid and her muscly legs, Phoebe's red hair. It's just so good.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of Cleat Cute in exchange for my honest review.