Rising soccer star Phoebe and established veteran Grace play the same position, so they could be rivals. But sparks fly when they meet in the preseason, and soon they're playing together both on and off the field. I have no particular interest in either soccer or sapphic romance, but I loved Cleat Cute!

Phoebe and Grace were well-developed and interesting characters. Although I assumed they'd get a happy ending because it's a romance novel, I found the development of their relationship unpredictable (in a good way). The soccer field provided scenery and interest, but the issues the characters deal with - trust, vulnerability, reconciling internal and external expectation - transcend professional sports. My only quibble was with the side characters, who were entertaining but too numerous (and too often referred to by surnames or nicknames) for me to keep track of.

I didn’t know what to expect from a book set in the world of professional women’s soccer. I found myself wishing I knew more about the game but it didn’t get in the way of enjoying the story. It was certainly spicy, this one had me blushing a few times. I liked both the main characters, Phoebe and Grace, both for different reasons. Phoebe was wild and joyous and free and it was fun to read things from her perspective although I’m more personally like Grace, quiet and introverted. I could see what both would like about each other and they definitely had chemistry.

There were parts I was unsure about like Grace’s handling of the whole discussion about ADHD and making an appointment for Phoebe without talking to her and after Phoebe had asked her to drop it. Felt like a big overstep in their relationship and was surprised when Phoebe didn’t react poorly to it. I also didn’t love how many times their more serious conversations were sidetracked by more physical intimacy. Would have been better to have built more emotional intimacy by letting those conversations play out before “making up”. I found the third person present narration distracting too. I did enjoy the fact that the chapters switched perspective though. It was nice to see things from both of their perspectives and how differently they were experiencing the same world.

Overall I enjoyed the story and found myself rooting for their team and for Grace and Phoebe to have a happy ever after.

I received an early reader ebook copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks so much for the chance to read this fun and flirty romance.

This book was exactly what I needed following a disappointing USWNT loss in the World Cup. Wilsner has an impeccable talent for making characters complex without making them confusing and endeared every single character she introduced to me. The AuDHD relationship representation between Phoebe and Grace truly warmed my heart and I found myself unable to put the book down in favor of watching their story unfold. This is one of the best representations of miscommunication I've ever seen - rather than hiding things from the other, both parties truly believed their version of reality to be truth. I loved the casual queerness present in this novel, both in Teddy's transness and in the surrounding relationships between teammates. Truly a one-of-a-kind read that I would recommend to fans of soccer, lesbianism, and all things related!

I read a few chapters and I don't vibe with the third person present tense. It's confusing and doesn't read naturally to me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

I've never actually read a book by this author, so I was so excited to see if they lived up to the hype. And I am so glad to say that they did.

While it did take me a little while to get into this book, once I was in I was *IN*. I loved both Pheobe and Grace so much and was just desperate for them to accept their feelings for each other already. I was invested in their story, their insecurities, even the soccer. The smut was good, the dialogue was great. All around great.

This book officially turned me into a Meryl Wilsner fan, I can't wait to read more of their books.

i love a good sports romance, especially one that’s soccer-based and cleat cute was just that! there’s a quality of wilsner’s writing that makes it very easy to read.

the highlight of the novel for me was grace. grace‘s character really resonated with me, specifically her neurodivergence, though it wasn’t a focal point of the story. i thought her relationship with her identity was beautiful, especially the way it progressed through her relationship with phoebe. in terms of phoebe, i unfortunately had a more challenging time connecting with her character. i also felt like even though the romance started off really strong, it fizzled out. despite all this, if you’re looking for a sapphic sports romance with healthy relationships, boundaries, and mature conversations, this is for you.

my thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed Cleat Cute! It was the perfect pairing with the current World Cup happening. The story of Phoebe and Grace felt a little grumpy/sunshine, but also opposites attract. The miscommunication was not your typical miscommunication, it felt more realistic. The representation in this book was so well done. As someone with ADHD, I also have a neurodivergent partner and it felt like they were explaining us. It was a light, medium spicy, romance that I will be recommending to my friends.

THE CUTEST BOOK!!!!! cute and sweet but also steamy? count me in. i'm not a sports enjoyer at all but give me a sapphic sports romance, suddenly i am interested!

i didn't connect with these characters as much as i liked but i still absolutely adored them. we got some info on their backstory but weren't bombarded with everything.

i thought the topic around ADHD was very important and well done. like grace, i also grew up with a sibling with ADHD and just had assumed since phoebe is an adult that she had already been diagnosed. i like how it was handled and how important of a moment that was in their relationship.

one thing that frustrated me was THE MISCOMMUNICATION. it pained me. pained me so much. this book wasn't so much plot based (idk if that's the word) so it was just a lot of them not talking about their thoughts and feelings and just internalizing lots of things or using sex to ignore the issues at hand.

overall i really loved this book and absolutely just needed a good sapphic book. i love reading about queer people and the team just felt like such a safe space. thank you netgalley for this arc <33

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC! Here is my review of Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner.

I love a grumpy x sunshine story and this one did not disappoint. Every character could have their own individual book, and I would give it a go! I really loved the world that was created and seeing our two main characters views (each chapter, as they switch off the POV).
For everything about this book that felt so customized to my reading experience and personal taste, some things within the plot felt too drawn out or predictable (I’m looking at you, last 20%). Overall a fun read and worth 3.5 stars!

Cleat Cute was a perfect read as the World Cup was happening. Luckily this book has a lot of sapphic romance with plenty of steam to make us forget the US 2023 World Cup performance. Our main characters come from very different backgrounds on many levels. Lots of innuendos and miscommunications left me smirking and looking forward to what happens next.

Looking forward to reading previous novels that they have written.

Thank you to Meryl Wilsner and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this delightful book.

This was unfortunately not the book for me. The premise is so cute and I was looking forward to a sweet sapphic romance but the writing is so juvenile and it's not intentional. Its reads very generic and as if the author is attempting to "write younger".

I had some serious issues with the constant use of dashes ( - ) interrupting the flow of the sentences in order to toss in little commentary from the main character. If the author wanted to give insight into the main character's point of view this should've just been written in first person rather than continuing to create run on sentences and interrupting the flow of the story.

A lot of the descriptors were also just unnecessary, for example: "but Phoebe's head is filled with the sound of blood rushing through her veins or static or the Lake Michigan waves at Indian Dunes State Park. Her heart thumps against her sternum." This is too much. The editor should've suggested cutting back a lot of sentences like this.

I think if you're just looking for a book that you can breeze through and not pay attention and you don't mind this kind of writing, it's an "okay" enough story. But for me I just couldn't get into the story.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. The premise was soooo up my alley – sapphic dislike-to-lovers playing soccer, like yet please. And I enjoyed the strong contrast between Grace and Phoebe and how diverse the soccer teams were. But there were things that fell short for me.

I loved the tension between Phoebe and Grace in the beginning. Phoebe was the newbie with lots of energy, a big smile, dreams, and a flirty attitude. meanwhile grace is a grumpy, recluse veteran who doesn't wanna deal with her attraction to the newbie.

The whole 'will they won't they' was awesome and tension-filled. I liked that Grace had this layered conflict with messing around with teammates but also that she almost seemed inexperienced with sexy romance. I also like that Phoebe was so considerate too when she thought Grace didn't want her, and just how sweet the teammates were. There was also a lot of great steamy sex!

I think the issues for me were the inner monologues, the at times cringey dialogue, and the way these two finally got together.

1. There was just too much detail being put into the inner monologues. I didn't need half of it and it dragged some situations and scenes that didn't need it.

2. Some of the dialogue made me physically ill. Like certain ways Phoebe talked and the way Grace responded just was not cute and simply cringe.

3. I HATED how they eventually got together. I'm sorry. After everything that happened, the way it happened was honestly annoying. The second Phoebe started calling Grace her 'girlfriend' i knew how it was gonna go and already hated it. They deserved better – actually, Phoebe deserved better regardless of her nonchalance.

Overall, even with my issues, it was a fun read and I'd recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Phoebe Matthews has just graduated college and signed with the pro team the New Orleans Krewe and has just gotten her first call up to the national team. Grace Henderson debuted at 16 and is a USWNT staple, as well as the captain of the Krewe. It’s a World Cup year and Phoebe is determined to make the final squad, meanwhile Grace is hiding an injury she’s had since the fall, and when the two meet they cannot help but to be wildly attracted to each other.

Soccer is my favorite sport, and sometimes it can be hard to turn my brain off when it comes to thinking about accuracy and the suspension of disbelief, but I didn’t have that problem here. I liked that soccer had a meaningful purpose in the novel and that it was central to Phoebe and Grace’s identities but did not overshadow the fact that this is about their romance. I also liked that, apart from a few allusions and references to former USWNT players, the USWNT in Cleat Cute was entirely fictional, as was the domestic league. I also thought it was nice that Wilson included tidbits that made it feel real to women’s soccer in the US—talks about needing second jobs and having low wages and national team bonuses and differences in salaries are true to conversations happening now, and it helped me buy into the setting.

I thought that Grace and Phoebe’s relationship was fun and realistic, and while I don’t think the secondary characters were as well-developed as the two leads, I still really liked them. I enjoyed the interiority of this novel and I thought that Wilson did a good job with the miscommunication aspect—a lot of it is based on who they are as people and how they processed the information, and I didn’t find it frustrating to read since I felt like I understood how each character drew their conclusions (and also, they do talk it out and get on the same page). I liked Grace and Phoebe’s chemistry and there’s something about Wilsner’s writing that makes it very easy for me to understand the progression of a relationship—I usually prefer a slow burn but I totally bought into the attraction at first(ish) sight.

Cleat Cute is such a delight, which I’m super pleased about because I generally really enjoy Wilsner’s work and I loved their prior book, Mistakes Were Made. Wilsner has the ability to write tropes and romances I normally don’t gravitate towards and have them work really well for me, so I was excited to see a sports romance from them, especially a soccer one. I’m so pleased it worked out for me and the timing of reading this ARC was perfect (happy World Cup season to all who celebrate!!!). Another hit for me from Wilsner!

In this grumpy x sunshine ff sports romance, Phoebe is a rookie on Grace’s pro soccer team. Phoebe is loud and flirtatious and talkative. Grace is secretive and introverted. But Phoebe is determined to push the envelope with Grace, loving nothing more than a challenge.

Loved the back drop of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. What a vibe.

This. This. This. This is what I’ve been waiting to read in a ff romance. All the others have been so terrible that the bar was on the floor. But this gave me what I’ve been craving in a sapphic love story. Dynamic characters. HOT AS FUCK spice. This author nails it.

The sexual tension between these two when Grace is doing Phoebe’s hair is phenomenal.

The third act conflict is actually one of the best I’ve ever read in a romance and I love it.

“‘Lesbian is important to me… the world likes to act like it’s a porn category, not an identity. It took me a while to realize it wasn’t. I want other girls like me to know it’s a beautiful word.’”

Medium burn with biting.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual Third

Not for me. I didn’t really feel a romance between the main characters. The writing was bad. I would pass on this.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cleat Cute was on my list to read this month and it did not disappoint. I read Mistakes Were Made and enjoyed it, but I found the third person POV hard to get into. Cleat Cute is also written in third person, but the POVs go between Grace and Phoebe, the two FMCs. What I loved about this one is that Grace and Phoebe were so different and so developed as characters that this book - even though written in 3rd person - came across like it was written in 1st.

Phoebe is one of my favorite FMCs that I've read this year. She is unapologetically herself at all times and I love that about her. I saw so much of myself in her that I couldn't help but relate. The way her relationship formed and changed with Grace was so natural and fluid, I loved it. Grace is the complete opposite of Phoebe, but it was easy to relate to her too. I tend to want to please everyone around me without taking the time to consider what is best for ME, and so I definitely related to Grace.

Meryl Wilsner absolutely NAILED the spice in this book. It was overflowing and so hot. Whew. But she also included some great representation, which I appreciated. Not only do we have the sapphic mains, but we have a trans side character, autism rep, ADHD rep, and a cast of queer characters which just warmed my heart. I really fell in love with this book and I'm so glad I had an opportunity to read it!

I really enjoyed this steamy sapphic romance set between two professional soccer players! Their internal monologues, both about soccer and mostly each other, were so fun to read! I loved how the main characters really loved spending time with each other as their relationship grew, but soccer was still their main focus and love throughout the book. Neither one of them was willing to give up their goals (bad pun, I know) for the other, but they fully supported each other as Phoebe worked towards making the USWNT, and Grace learned how to love soccer again. I do wish that the book had shown more of the side characters. They were so fun for the few scenes they were shown and had their own romance side plots, but none of it was shown. But I did love how the book discussed neurodivergence through the main characters' experiences (ADHD and most likely autism) without stigma. This is another amazing Meryl Wilsner romance, and I can't wait to see what they write next!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was everything!!!! I have been on the hunt for this exact book. An adult Sapphic sports romcom? hello? this book was written for me. I adored the characters and was so grateful for the realistic dialogue and internal monologue. The writing really left all the annoying and unrealistic factors behind that we sometimes see in adult romcoms. I can't wait to go and read Wilsner's other novels as well!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the eARC!

CLEAT CUTE is a sapphic romance novel about a rookie soccer player and a veteran soccer star. I appreciated the neurodivergent rep in this story, the discussions about the difficulties women athletes face, and (without spoiling anything) the conclusions Grace draws in the end of the story about how to live life on her own terms. I liked the soccer scenes too and the scenes with the rest of the team, and I wish we'd seen some more of that!

Great story, and great romance. I loved the opposites-attract main characters, both totally different personality wise, but both totally dedicated to professional soccer. I loved watching the relationship between these two bloom, and loved the world of women's soccer we got to see. Good amount of steam all the way through, but still got to see a development of their relationship throughout. My favorite by this author.