I wanted to like this book. A Lesbian soccer romance with mental health rep is right up my alley. Dual POV, very different personalities and spice! It seems like it should have been good. Unfortunately, there was a lack of research and it took away my enjoyment of the story.
The plot. Phoebe Matthews makes a professional soccer team, and gets to play with her soccer hero and crush, Grace Henderson, while continuing with her overall goal of making the World Cup Squad. Grace finds Phoebe annoying and unprofessional and is trying to hide a long term injury from everyone on the team. Cue spending time together exploring New Orleans, some miscommunication and a spicy locker room scene.
The issues I had were: the team had trainers, a chiro, massage therapist and nutrition expert but, no physiotherapist? As a physiotherapist I found this unrealistic and disrespectful. Perhaps that's why Grace had zero management for her injury. Which was my next issue, a hip flexor injury (which is vague as heck) management would not be doing no exercise, no activity and no treatment for 3-6 weeks. I couldn't get around this. It made zero sense. I enjoyed the mental health rep in this book but again, many professional teams now have access to psychologists/therapists (this one did not) and I did not like how Grace basically decided to diagnose Phoebe with ADHD. Absolutely try to get people help but, leave the actual diagnosing to professionals.
Lastly this quote "she tried to major in biology when she first started school but got a C minus in her first class. Switching to a sports medicine major made a lot more sense than struggling through four years when she knew...she wasn't really cut out for academia". I read this so many times and what I am hearing here is that sports medicine is an easy topic to study? Maybe it's different in the States but you still need biology for a sports medicine type degree, a long with other classes such as physiology and anatomy. Not easy. Why do I know this? Before my physical therapy master's I did an undergrad in something very similar.
So, if you don't have the background I do, you might enjoy this. The writing itself was good, it flowed. But I just spent half the book fuming about inaccuracies.

Cleat Cute is for lovers of sapphic romcoms with a lot of spice. Phoebe and Grace are professional soccer player, Phoebe in her rookie year and Grace is a veteran. In fact, despite a 4 year age difference, Phoebe grew up with a poster of Grace over her bed.

However, Phoebe probably never imagined what their relationship would come to be from looking at that poster. From teammates, to practice partners, to friends with benefits, to so much more.

Such a fun and hot read.

Absolutely loved this book! I read it in one day

So much representation, great plot, lovable characters. I also think this is how miscommunication should be used - enough to cause tension and confusion (and interest for the reader) but NOT used as a device for the third act breakup.

So good

Grumpy veteran meets sunshine rookie in this new sapphic sports rom-com from Meryl Wilsner.

Phoebe Matthews is gearing up for her first season of professional soccer. Drafted to play alongside her longtime idol, Phoebe never expects to find friendship in Grace Henderson, let alone romance.
But when a bet at soccer camp leads to a spark of attraction, the romance is inevitable. With the pressure of the World Cup and the uncertainty of injury against them, Phoebe and Grace must do what they can to weather the storm together or end up on opposite sides of the pitch.

This is my third Wilsner book but, unfortunately, might just be my least favorite. This book just needed a lot more refining. The narration style was so heavy of inner monologue/dialogue, I skipped entire paragraphs of text just to keep moving along without getting confused. I wasn't sold on the romance between Grace and Phoebe. Their miscommunication was more frustrating than funny and they had no chemistry. Overall, there were too many background characters to follow, so their importance gets lost in the sheer amount of side storylines. The neurodivergence conversation would have been great had it not come out of nowhere.

I'm pretty disappointed about this one.

✨ PRINCEMAN ARC REVIEW ✨

📝 Phoebe has always loved the game of soccer. When she finally gets called up for the US Women's National Team, it's a dream come true...or the fact that she gets to play with her long term idol & crush Grace Henderson! Grace doesn't know how to deal with Phoebe because she's everything opposite of Grace: loud, talkative and playful. But one kiss changes everything, and it's something neither one of them can ignore.

What I 🤍:
⚽️ Sports Romance
🤫 Secret Relationship
💕 Opposites Attract
🤝 Teammates & Lovers
🎉 New Orleans Scene
🍴 Foodie References

These characters were EVERYTHING in this book. I fell in love with both of them, and I loved how Grace & Phoebe communicated with one another. Their relationship felt so realistic, especially if you are "sort of" seeing someone you work with. HOLY SMOKES! THE LOCKER ROOM SCENE. 🚿 That may have been one of the spiciest scenes I've ever read, and their attraction to one another can be felt off the page. 🥵

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Passion: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Read if ➡️: You loved Kulti, but make it a spicy, sapphic version!
Read 📅: Soccer Season
CW ⚠️: Jerky Boss, Coming Out, Self-Diagnosis

I really loved this book, and it makes me want to travel to New Orleans for the food scene! My mouth was watering a few times for the beignets! One p[art of this book that felt off for me was the pacing of their relationship. I felt like the climax of the story hit a bit earlier than I anticipated, but it still is one I would recommend highly to others. Additionally, there's a part at the end where a mental diagnosis is made. Without giving it away, I wish that had been fleshed out more throughout the story, rather than at the end. Last, I also want to note that this book highlights the part about athletes being able to come out on their own terms.

🙏 Thank you so much to Meryl Wilsner, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

🌟 Cleat Cute comes out September 19th! 🌟

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

Cleat Cute is an adorable queer sports romance that provides a change of pace from most in the same genre. The book doesn't have a typical "third-act breakup" like other romances (which was AMAZING), and the pacing felt comfortable throughout the story. I only put this book down once after I started it.

I enjoyed the representation in the book, from trans and nonbinary characters to autism and ADHD representation. The characters all felt like they had important parts to play in the story.

I absolutely loved Grace and Phoebe's relationship. The grumpy x sunshine trope is one of my favorites, and Wilsner pulled it off amazingly.

My only complaint is the ending. I felt that it was very rushed and didn't tie up everything as well as it could. That being said, I love this book and think fans of queer romance should check it out!

honestly, i can't fault stories where two people come together to try and better themselves, especially when it centers around mental health and the intention is good. however, the autism representation was just one line when it could've been expanded to explain why a character thinks and communicates in the way they do. plus, there was an offhand line about not kneeling during the national anthem being used against an antagonist, which reminded me that these are definitely white protagonists despite how great the lgbtqia+ representation is.

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5**

Obsessed with the FIFA Women’s World Cup and need somewhere to redirect that energy? Enter Cleat Cute.

In this epic rivals-to-lovers romance, rookie professional soccer player Phoebe Matthews gets invited to train with the USA World Cup Team at January Camp where she meats her idol, veteran soccer player Grace Henderson. Sparks fly at camp, and follow them back to their home team in New Orleans where Grace is team captain of Phoebe’s first professional team. While Phoebe is trying to focus on making her first year a success and Grace is trying to stay on type despite a nagging injury, they can’t seem to shake their attraction to one another. As their relationship grows (although what kind of relationship they have is somewhat up for grabs as a result of an amusing misunderstanding), the two women have to decide what they both want, and ultimately what is most important to them.

Meryl Wilsner’s Mistakes Were Made was one of my favorite books of 2022, and I had big expectations coming into this one. Luckily, Cleat Cute is everything I wanted, and more! Phoebe and Grace’s chemistry literally leaps off the page, and the book was the perfect balance of fun, sexy, and emotional. My heart went out to both characters as they navigated their uncertainties in life and their relationship, and I found myself cheering for Phoebe and Grace to succeed, in both in soccer and in love. A few times I found myself frustrated with both characters and their lack of communication (not always my favorite trope), but their relationship development felt true to their characterization. And did I mention it was sexy? Wilsner sure knows how to write queer intimacy, and I continue to be impressed by their skill in balancing complex social/romantic relationships with steamy scenes. Finally—without giving any spoilers—I felt that the 3rd act conflict was really well done, and didn’t feel unnecessary or out of place unlike in some romance novels.

I would recommend this book to all romance fans, especially fans of sports romance and queer romance. This book falls squarely in a new adult category to me but will be enjoyed by all adult readers. If you’ve been loving sports-themed shows like the recent TV adaptation of A League of their Own, this one’s definitely for you, although non-sports fans will definitely appreciate everything else this book has to offer. Another queer romance to add to my list of recommendations!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

4 stars!!

I adored this book! I had super high expectations for it considering I loved Mistakes Were Made and this completely exceeded my expectations. If you know anything about me, you know I love a sports romance (especially a sapphic sports romance)!

Cleat Cute follows Phoebe, an energetic redhead rookie, and Grace, a serious and very focused brunette veteran who are on the same team. I loved reading about their season and all the chaos (and swooning/spiciness) that happened during it! I also really liked how complex the characters were. Even though it is a fun and spicy romance, we also get to see the complexities of Phoebe and Grace to understand who they are as individual people and how that affects their relationship. It was so much more than just a fun romance and I think the fact that Meryl really went into these complexities makes it an even better book!

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my opinion**

AWWWW!!!

As someone who is bisexual, I love it when find a great LGBT romance. I wish there had been more FF romances when I was starting to question my sexuality in middle school. Now, there is so much representation in books, which is just wonderful. "Cleat Cute" was an easy, cute read that left me feeling good inside. Of course, the rivals-to-lovers thing was what kept me going. I don't know why, but something about going from people who are against each other to becoming lovers... **squeee!!!**

The best queer romance I’ve read this year! Cleat Cute was absolutely kick-your-feet cute! Phoebe and Grace are your neurodivergent queer girls next door that we’d all love to grab coffee and beignets with! For those who enjoyed Kiss Her Once For Me, this is your next queer couple to root for! There’s friends with benefits, lots of banter, and a slight miscommunication trope… but not the kind that derails the entire story. Such a fun time and can’t wait to read more from Meryl Wilsner!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

First things first, more books should take place in New Orleans. Great scenery, great food, great people—I will definitely advocate for this. But second point? Wow did this book take me by surprise! I thought I knew what to expect from Meryl Wilsner; steamy steamy sapphic storytelling, and a fast paced plot, but I was NOT prepared for how much I loved Phoebe Matthews and Grace Henderson. They may be two of my favorite characters that I’ve read this year and I felt like I intimately knew them while reading Cleat Cute. This is (surprisingly) the second book I’ve read this month with neurodiverse characters and I love how their diversity was revealed as a part of themselves instead of something to overcome.

Phoebe Matthews is a ray of sunshine. She’s the confident but goofy girl that just sets her eyes on something and doesn’t just meet her goals but exceeds them while making it look effortless. I could visualize her smile and her athleticism in the field and I felt that I loved soccer because she loves soccer. Phoebe is new to playing for the New Orleans Krewe and she has also been called up to practice with the National Women’s Soccer League which just happens to be in a World Cup year. It’s through both that she meets Grace Henderson, Team Captain who began playing professionally at age sixteen and is known for her consistency, teamwork, and midfielding. This is a case of opposites attract, and yet Grace snd Phoebe could not be more suited for each other.

Is this book just as hot a Mistakes Were Made? Yes, however I think this is Wilsner writing at their best which means that spiciness is just one aspect of the book. The character development was so well done and the storytelling effortlessly flipped between dual POVs. The more Phoebe eased herself into Grace’s rigid lifestyle, the more I loved reading Grace’s perspective and seeing inside her head. This is such an inclusive book and as I mentioned neurodiversity is a revelation that frees the characters to just be themselves, but maybe with the tiniest bit of help by being diagnosed. And when characters can be themselves then that’s when love can enter. So what initially begins as a friends-with-benefits situation, begins to develop into something neither Grace nor Phoebe ever expected.

I couldn’t talk about this book without also mentioning soccer. It’s the third character in the relationship and this is the first time in a long time that I’ve felt like a sport was integral to the love story. To be honest I am somewhat indifferent to the sport, but seeing it through Matthews eyes as she’s betting everyone she can beat them in a drill, or through Henderson as she manages expectations from having a leadership role on the team made me really excited to discover why they loved the sport. The teammates were hilarious and a support system that I would liken to fans of Ted Lasso. I could find no fault with Cleat Cute and am excited to see what love stories Wilsner writes in the future. I received an advanced copy from the publisher but it did not sway my opinions.

Stop this was such a cute book, I loved every second of it!! I LOVED the main characters!!! One of the best books of the year I would say.

Cleat Cute is a sapphic sports romance centered on the fictional New Orleans women's soccer team. Phoebe is the new player, fresh out of college, and has big dreams of going to the world cup. Grace is the captain of the Nola team and the veteran who's spot is threatened by Phoebe. Grace (grumpy) initially doesn't like Phoebe (sunshine), but quickly caves to Phoebe's charm and flirtation. They soon become secret friends with benefits, but of course someone ends up catching feelings 😌
I really like the authors voice, especially Phoebe's chapters. The first 25% had me giggling and kicking my feet, and the rest is still very cute but also VERY steamy. I was worried for the way the miscommunication trope would play out, but was happily surprised about how it was written. There's mental health rep, and also tons of NOLA recs (I need a local to confirm these recs, please)!
I read this during the world cup (rip 2023 US WNT) and really enjoyed it!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When experienced and austere soccer star Grace Henderson gets an injury, she’s threatened to be replaced on the team by Phoebe, who appears to be her opposite. She’s fun, easygoing, and seemingly more reliant on talent than hard work. But as they begin to train for the World Cup together, their relationship develops into something that neither of them planned for.

This was such a fun, sweet read! It’s everything I wanted from a sapphic romcom: humor, angst, and great chemistry. It has a huge cast of really fun side characters. In the beginning it felt like a lot trying to learn everyone’s names, but as I learned more about each of them I truly enjoyed what each of them brought to the story. Representation of neurodivergence and queerness in this book is so beautiful and comforting that it made me want to read more from Wilsner because we all need more of that in our lives.

Grace and Phoebe’s romance felt funny, sincere, and grounded. I found myself smiling throughout so many of their scenes. Normally the miscommunication trope in romcoms can be frustrating, but in this case it was endearing. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, satisfying sapphic romance!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

3.75⭐️

This was a fun sporty sapphic read! I loved reading about both Phoebe and Grace’s relationship and their love for soccer. Their relationship progresses form teammates to somewhat forced friends to friends with benefits to eventually girlfriends, and that build up was so good. I loved seeing their relationship develop, although I was annoyed at the miscommunication about their relationship, especially as it went on for so long. The individual character development was also well done. I loved seeing Phoebe go from rookie to star player and Grace finding joy and happiness again. This all takes place on and around the soccer field and we do get to see these girls play.

Overall, this was a good sapphic romcom that I do recommend when it comes out!

Read if you like…
•wlw
•opposites attract
•soccer
•🌶️🌶️

An opposites attract, sapphic, spicy, soccer romance! The romance between Grace and Phoebe was very cute to read about, I really enjoyed how it progressed, but it did drag for me a bit in some parts. Overall a good read!

Filled with banter and steaminess, Cleat Cute is a fun sports romance. Phoebe Matthews is about to live her dream: starting her professional soccer career on the same team as her idol Grace Henderson. Grace, though, has been hiding an injury, but as sparks fly between these two, they begin to find what path they really want to be on. This is advertised as a rivals to lovers, but I have to disagree on that—Phoebe is infatuated with Grace from the start; there’s some disdain from Grace towards Phoebe, but not for long and if anything, it’s a grump/sunshine dynamic. Phoebe is a ball of energy, she flies off the page! And Grace is so dynamic; underneath her routines, she’s so vulnerable and is just trying to figure herself out. I felt she was really relatable. I do have some mixed feelings for this book. I loved the grump/sunshine dynamic of these two, and I loved their dates and banter. They just did not communicate. There were a lot of great steamy parts too that were sexy but at the same time so many times those moments were to deflect from a conversation that would’ve cleared things up so much faster. And I loved there was the mental health rep, but that plot point felt unfinished and glazes over. I know too it’s a soccer romance but there was also maybe a little too much soccer; I wanted to know these characters more and I wanted them to get to know each other more too. Even so, this book is a fun read with characters that are likeable and entertaining.

🦇 Cleat Cute Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐

❝ Calling Phoebe loud and obnoxious and gay ignores all her layers and contradictions. That's Grace's issue with fame—people take you at face value. Nobody bothers to look for the person beneath the brand. ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite sport (to watch or play)? ❓

🦇 Phoebe Matthews is ready to take her first season as a professional soccer player by storm. She even gets to play alongside her idol, Grace Henderson; the veteran star of the US Women's National Team. Since they met, there's been a spark of chemistry between them, and Phoebe can't help but flirt with and seduce the woman she's had a poster of since childhood. Though they're on the same page on the pitch, a little miscommunication outside of the game leaves them both mentally spiraling. Are they brave enough to make a move both on and off the field?

💜 The few factors that drove me to finish reading this book were the focus on fame, personal identity, and neurodiversity; NOT the relationship between Grace and Phoebe. The story touches on Grace's preference not to reveal too much about who she is outside of soccer, in an effort to protect her privacy, until soccer becomes her entire identity; both to the outside world, and herself. From the beginning, it's also obvious that both MCs are neurodivergent. Phoebe is diagnosed with ADHD by the epilogue, and though Grace isn't diagnosed with autism, it's mentioned as a possibility. Though their neurodiversity is obvious from the first two chapters, the topic isn't discussed in any way that MATTERS to the story. There's so much going on under the surface of these characters that would have made the story BEAUTIFULLY important if they were the focus, rather than a subtle plot point that's slipped into the end of the book.

🦇 I almost DNF this book many, many times; it takes a one-star read for me to give up on a book, rather than give it the benefit of the doubt. Though I did finish it, I dragged my feet every step of the way. The most obvious issue with this novel is the POV. A third-person objective point of view is cold and distant. It leaves readers disconnected from the characters and the story. Though it's not confirmed by the end of the story, it's possible Grace has autism, in which case, this POV makes sense for her. For Phoebe, however—passionate, energetic, a thousand thoughts a second Phoebe—we're cut off from what she's really feeling. Beyond that, this POV is choppy, ESPECIALLY for a story that primarily involves women. Unfortunately, the objective POV means the entire story is TELL; we're not shown through actions or imagery or any form of creative writing. The tension between them doesn't last long enough to keep readers enthralled, either; once the smut is introduced, that's apparently all that matters.

⚽ Every other sentence starts with a name to avoid referring to too many "she's" within a single thought. The writing also lacks descriptive language, even though the story is set in vibrant New Orleans. For all the scenes focused on food, we never smell, taste, or experience a moment with the characters. Even during gameplay, there's no sweat, heat, or the sound of screaming fans in our ears. The readers are kept at arm's length at all times. Perhaps worse: the smut reads like fanfiction—a first-time writer's fanfiction. Instead of steamy, the word choice makes it awkward and offputting. "Baby girl?" Really?

🦇 Recommended for fans of workplace romances, Ted Lasso, or A League of Their Own. You're going to get serious "Ted Lasso but make it sapphic" vibes from this, I promise; Phoebe and Grace are very much Jamie and Roy. If you're in your sporty romance era, give this a try!

✨ The Vibes ✨
⚽ WLW Romance
⚽ Neurodiversity / ADHD and Autism Rep
⚽ Sports Romance
⚽ Secret Dating
⚽ Workplace Romance
⚽ Miscommunication

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #CleatCute #NetGalley #MerylWilsner

Cleat cute

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

Opposites attract + sapphic + neurodivergent rep + sports+ queer side characters + not third act breakup

I loved these two so much. Not going to lie the way Grace treated Phoebe in the beginning rubbed me the wrong way but as their dynamic shifts her character grows a lot. Both women are white, cis and lesbian discussed on page. Phoebe has ADHD which is undiagnosed and pointed out by Grace which causes a minor conflict between the two. While researching ADHD to better support phoebe, grace has a self realization of potentially being autistic and decides to look into that in the future. The actually ADHD diagnosis and process of phoebe getting on meds isn’t talked about on page, it’s mentioned in the epilogue that started medication. While i would’ve like it to expand further on this it wasn’t necessary for the development of the story. The miscommunication between them is pretty frustrating but not unrealistic. I appreciated how the conflicts they had were handled maturely even if they needed to work on communication more. They had great chemistry and I loved that this wasn’t a slow burn. I loved the queer and bipoc rep with side characters, and the community/family they built with their teammates.

If you liked Everything for you by Chloe Liese then you will LOVE this. seriously Grace gives some major Gavin vibes while Phoebe and Oliver have the biggest golden retriever energy around.