Meryl Wilsner is and auto read author for me. I was going to read this book whether I had an ARC or not. I am happy to say that it (mostly) met all of my expectations. I really liked how the relationship evolved between Phoebe and Grace. I enjoyed the steamy scenes and how realistic the communication and sexual dynamic felt between the two MCs. I really loved how accurate the neurodiversity was! Phoebe coming to terms with her ADHD and it being an actual faction of the character instead of a throwaway bullet point on a character sheet was everything. My biggest gripe is how much telling there was instead of showing. It felt like we spent more time inside the MCs heads than out of them. I guess I’m just not a big internal monogamy person. I’m also not a big sports fan but I think it made sense to the plot and their characters so it was actually fun to read about the soccer elements. Overall, 4⭐️ all around for another great book from Meryl Wilsner.

This book had so much promise - I was super intrigued by the plot/premise, but the execution just didn't hit the mark for me. DNFd at about 40%. I've heard great things about this author so I'll try other works by them - this one just wasn't for me.

ughhhhhh omg! i was so frustrated with the miscommunication!! i know it was part of the plot and even written in the summary but omg, it was making me feel anxious! but it all ended well. i absolutely recommend this novel. it was a fun read and i loved getting in the world of soccer! also super spicy!

Fun story and deliciously spicy! I loved following Pheobe and Grace as their relationship developed and the steamy scenes were an added bonus.

So this is upsetting…

I found both MCs annoying and hated their romance. This is supposed to be rivals to lovers and yet there was zero rivalry and they were banging 20% into the book. This was a fwb to lovers and frankly, I don’t want that. Grace is 26 years old and is saying her career is coming to an end, that she’s all used up, out to pasture… timeline wise, she would have played with Christie Rampone who literally played in the 2015 World Cup at 40. Not to mention a LOT of soccer stars play well into their 30s. The logic here is… missing. Additionally, the idea that she would not want an injury treated is… not smart. From the time of her injury to World Cup decisions is long. She would have had ample time to recover and come back. There’s no way she isn’t aware of that so her decision making is mind boggling. You’re risking your whole career over something that took a month to take care of????

I had a lot of issues with this book and I am devastated because I was really hoping to get another good f/f soccer romance.

Cleat cute is such a fun, easy, light read if you’re looking for an amazing romance.

The exploration of themes such as bravery, self-discovery, and the power of teamwork adds depth to the story, and the inclusion of sapphic representation in a sports-centric romance is a welcome addition to the genre.

The journey of the main characters going from adversaries to teammates with benefits is both heartwarming and intriguing, as they navigate the complexities of their burgeoning relationship amidst the pressures of the World Cup.

While I had a great time reading the novel, I did find some aspects of the book lacklustre. The conversations between Grace and Phoebe is entertaining, however, it often veers into cringey territory, relying too heavily on popular tropes and predictable outcomes.

Furthermore, the pacing of the novel feels off since certain plot points started to drag and others resolved too hastily.

Overall, this was a very fun read and I definitely recommend if you’re intrigued by the premise!

My thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Griffin for providing me with a digital copy for review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters, Grace and Phoebe. I'm not the biggest fan of soccer so a lot of the finer points of the game eluded me, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. There were quite a few steamy scenes, but it is an adult romance so it's to be expected. I loved the character development and the themes of acceptance. I will definitely read more books by this author and check out the back list as well.

I really liked this one! It was super cute and wonderfully queer. The characters were complex and beautiful and I loved reading their story.

I wish I could say I loved this one but I just don't think I can read sport romances. It's hard for me to sit through any of the descriptions or sport scenes or even the characters talking about what the sport means to them no matter how fun the characters are.

This is a love story between two neurodivergent professional women soccer players.

Grace Henderson is a star on the US Women's National Team. She grew up playing soccer and had the financial means to make it a priority. Her family seems kind of distant, and since a bad breakup Grace seems to distance herself from others in general. While she is only 26, she talks about herself as though she is some old lady. Grace has been pushing through some pain while playing, but eventually her secret gets out and she is benched until her injury heals.

Phoebe Matthews is a new young player that cannot believe she gets to play as the same team as her role model Grace Henderson. Phoebe does not come from money, but she had a supportive family and really wants to take advantage of the opportunities she has to play on a professional team.

While at first Grace tries to avoid the Phoebe at all cost, they end up handing out and becoming friends. The progression was more of enemies (in Grace's eyes), friends, friends with benefits, and then kind of dating (Phoebe thinks they are, Grace thinks they're not), to an actual relationship. It was quite the journey y'all.

As the book goes on we start to see a lot of ADHD traits in Phoebe and autistic traits in Grace. While at the beginning of the book those labels are not present, there are clear signs. Phoebe gets diagnoses during the book, and Grace starts to actively question if she is autistic before the book is over.

I liked seeing their differences in living quarters (Grace nice and organized with fluffy pillows, Phoebe with unpacked boxes and blank walls), their eating habits, and their interactions with their teammates. I think in the end both of them became a support for the other to help them feel more comfortable trying new things.

We see their neurodivergence some in their interactions and a lot in their thoughts. At some points the focus on their thoughts seemed to be a bit much. I understand where the author was going, but it seemed like there could have been a better balance of thoughts and action. I think it slowed down the story at some points and made it unnecessarily longer.

Also, I loved seeing some of that neurodivergence in the intimate scenes. During some of the scenes Grace realizes that she has hit a point and probably won't have the big O (alternative phrasing here to keep review sites happy) but still enjoys the rest of their time. That was something I had not read in a romance before. I understand that feeling, so it was very real to me, and I loved seeing that in a book.

While at some points the book felt a little repetitive and there was A LOT of inter monologuing (I think that's what it would be classified as), I overall really enjoyed the story. The characters were fun to get to know. I loved seeing their relationship with each other and their views on themselves evolve, and I even enjoyed the little background story around the soccer game.

We follow two soccer phenoms Phoebe and Grace, as they deal with injuries, exes, among other things that come up along the way.
I’m not a soccer girlie, so those parts went over my head. I didn’t really believe the romance, due to it not being the main focus.
Overall, it was just an okay read for me.
Love the cover tho, those colours!!

I had been so looking forward to this book's release, and I can't thank the publisher and Netgalley enough for the opportunity to read it! The story follows soccer rivals Phoebe and Grace as they fight their way toward the World Cup, and potentially toward a relationship with one another.

This book was such a fun spin on the rivals-to-lovers arc. It feels very honest not only to the way their relationship progresses, but the struggles that athletes face, especially women, and especially when it comes to sexuality. It was an exploration of what it means to be out as a queer athlete with the world's eyes on you. This is an excellent book within the category of sports romance, and I hope it leads to more sapphic sports romances on the shelves!

I loved reading Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner. This novel is a delightful mix of sapphic romance and hilarious romantic comedy. This book is filled with various tropes like friends with benefits, forced closeness, and the irresistible pull of opposites. The book is written in 3rd person and in the point of views of the two main characters Pheobe and Grace. Pheobe who is a energetic and talkative is a newcomer to the New Orleans Krewe soccer team, and Grace is the team's skilled captain and seasoned player. As Phoebe and Grace start practicing and hanging out together their bond blossoms into a beautiful friendship that gradually transforms into something deeper as they uncover each other's true selves. I highly recommend reading this book and I rated this it 5 stars.

First, I am happy this I let this be my first sapphic book it did not disappoint. Second, I feel like I had high hopes for this because it felt like the female version of Chloe Liese everything for you which I adore.

This book follows a veteran player and the newest recruit on the team and how they navigate that dynamic in addition to their budding friendship. I like that the author never outright says the characters may have any one disability but lets the reader slowly gather that on their own until the end of the book.

With that being said Grace was mean..... Most people just let her be and made excuses for her but for me sometimes the meanest was harsh and off putting and made it hard for me to continue. This book also has lack of communication more than miscommunication which im learning I hate as much as miscommunication. The spice did not disappoint. Overall I enjoyed reading this.

Fun story, I liked the characters. The romance felt real for the age group and I enjoyed the banter.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Once I saw that this book was for fans of Ted Lasso I instantly knew I needed to read it and it did not disappoint! I love the chemistry between Grace and Pheobe as well as their delightfully steamy scenes. It was also so refreshing to read a sports romance that shined a light on queer women in sports!

Overall this was a very good sapphic romance. I personally love the United States Women's National Team so reading a sapphic romance surrounding the soccer world was super cool. I really vibed with this book right away. I liked the dynamic between Grace and Phoebe and their rivalry to friends with benefits storyline. Somewhere in the middle I got a little lost.
There was a lot of miscommunication going on and that is my absolute least favorite trope. It also got to the point where Grace's pity party made me want to rip her French braids out. It was too much internal dialogue and not enough action for me. HOWEVER, the spicy scenes???? Hell yes! There were a lot and each one was written so well. If you're a fan of cute sapphic romances and soccer, l'd recommend for sure!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Meryl Wilsner for this advanced copy of Cleat Cute. Sorry it took me so long to finally write a review.

Cleat Cute tells the story of two polar opposite soccer players who forms a friendship, then a friends with benefitship, to a relationship. I loved Grace’s journey, exploring her own limits and boundaries and going beyond the eldest daughter, team captain role.
The spice was well done, and Phoebe’s character is funny and sweet, while also very obvious in her ADHD.

My real critique here is I hated the third-person perspective. It made the characters feel not connected at times and came across as awkward. Overall a sweet story though.

YESSS This has been one of my favorite sapphic reads so far! This was definitely a fast pace read for me. I can't wait to read more by the author