I really loved this book! Not only was it such a cute and fun romcom to read, but it had such great representation of adult women with ADHD. It was the first time I really related to a character in a book, and the storyline about ADHD wasn’t in the foreground. It was an important part of the story but it didn’t take over or change the character or her actions. It made me feel super super seen.

I have never read a book from Meryl Wilsner that I am not obsessed with. The characters in this book are real and have amazing development. The romance is perfect. I am not usually one that likes a sport romance but this book is so much more than that! I would recommend it to anyone!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for gifting me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t a fan of this one. The romance itself was just not for me. The nickname “baby girl” was used a LOT, and there was a consistent lack of communication between Phoebe and Grace that was just really angering to read about. There were also aspects of this book that I wish had been explored more, such as Phoebe’s ADHD (which wasn’t addressed until the second half of the book, despite it being a central part of the conflict), Grace’s autism (which was brought up once and never mentioned again), Grace’s struggle with her family’s expectations of her, and the financial gap between Phoebe and Grace. This book barely scratched the surface on these topics, almost as they were secondary to the main plot. The exploration of these topics would have enriched the story - instead, they came off as afterthoughts, like the author was so invested in writing steamy scenes that they’d forgotten to add subplots. Even the soccer tournament itself was glossed over. If you’re looking for a steamy sapphic sports romance with good neurodivergent rep and fleshed-out characters… look elsewhere.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner follows two professional women’s soccer players, Phoebe and Grace, as they navigate the professional sports world, pining, friends with benefits, and figuring out what they want.

What Cleat Cute has:
⚽️ Sports!
👩‍❤️‍👩 Lesbians 🥺
🫠 Friends with benefits (kinda?)
🔱 ADHD rep!!
👀 Some very well written spicy scenes

Cleat Cute is fun, light hearted, romantic and just everything! If you love sapphic books and have been wanted a happy romance book, this novel is for you. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil it! Five stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be out on September 19, 2023.

CW: emesis, panic attack

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When Phoebe Matthews gets the opportunity to try out for the U.S. Women’s World Cup Team after getting drafted in the first round of the AWSA, she feels that her hard work is finally paying off. Meanwhile, U.S. soccer legend Grace Henderson is burnt out over her decade-long career and is grudgingly placed on the sidelines after getting injured. As Phoebe is placed as Grace’s replacement, the two try to work together in order for both of them to make the World Cup and if their relationship can be something more.

I thought Cleat Cute for the most part was okay. This is my first time reading Wilsner’s work and her writing style was good. Along with having an interesting plot, Wilsner’s writing does keep you engaged in the characters, even if you’re not a huge soccer fan. Phoebe and Grace were good MCs and I liked how Wilsner used a third-person dual POV to explore their character development with their own moments for growth.

Personally, as a #ActuallyAutistic book reviewer, I really appreciate the neurodivergent representation in Cleat Cute and it was one of the reasons why I was interested in reading this book. In the book, Phoebe is diagnosed with ADHD and Grace is believed to be Autistic (never really confirmed in the book). I thought that Wilsner did a good job with accurately portraying Grace and Phoebe, and I feel that this book can resonate with neurodivergent readers.

Though I don’t know if I would read this book again, Cleat Cute is a good choice for readers who are looking for a queer sports rom-com with neurodivergent leads.

** Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. **

If you like Sapphic romance and soccer, Cleat Cute is for you!

In Cleat Cute, Meryl Wilsner gives us two strong women, neither of whom want a relationship but who also cannot deny the attraction they have for each other. Grace and Phoebe start off building a friends with benefits relationship, but, soon enough, the real feelings cannot be ignored.

I appreciated the ADHD and Autism representation within this book. The spicy bits were good and the relationship between Grace and Phoebe didn't feel forced. My one complaint was that everything felt repetitive after awhile and the conclusion felt rushed.

I’ve read other books by Meryl before and loved them, and I’ve got to say this one did not disappoint! The main couple is beyond cute and their chemistry in the spicy parts….. I literally have no words! And the side characters were just as fun - Phoebe and her brother’s relationship was super cute and reminded me of my relationship with my younger siblings. 10/10 would recommend this book to anyone who was looking for a cute fun book, but also some spice!

Meryl Wilsner is my comfort author. I really love them, I love their writing. This book didn’t disappointed me in any way because this book is so great, like the others.
The characters are so interesting and I’m in love with both the MCs! Phoebe is so relatable (I think I have ADHD, but I’m not diagnosed yet), but Clare is really my favorite. She is awkward but in a good way, she is so generous and kind and amazing, I think I have a crush on her.
But the thing I prefer about this book is the slow burn. Sure sure, they are sleeping together from almost the start, but the feelings are so slow burn. The way they passes from fuck buddies to lovers is slow and romantic.
“Are all the sapphics this dumb?” is my favorite line, because YES WE ARE!!!!! We are and it feels like amazing.
I also love the soccer’s environment, it is really interesting, I don’t know much about this sport and this book teaches me a lot of things.
However, it’s a beautiful book, I recommend ANYONE to read this!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC!

First I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this book!

Cleat Cute is a super charming mix between A League of Their Own and Ted Lasso. As you follow the characters through their ups and downs it never feels too dramatic, which I appreciate. Too often do you see the third act conflict be a break-up over something trivial, but not in this novel. Everything just makes sense for these characters. However, I was still not wowed by this book. It was good and fun but didn’t cut deep enough for it to break through as a favorite.
3.5/5

I wonder if anyone else experienced Deja Vu when reading this after mistakes were made since we have the older but more submissive FMC and the very outgoing, sexually aggressive younger love interest? It was especially aggressive in this book, to the point that Grace was trying to be very helpful in explaining how Phoebe has ADHD. In the middle of that she gets so mad at Grace then 5 minutes later, won't let Grace finish her talk before saying shut up and let's have sex, like?? The amount of Phoebe thinking every little conflict will mean their relationship is over was laughable at best, and annoying at worst. I would have liked the neurodivergence for these FMC's, but it was not discussed at all until 90% of the book, which is such a disservice. Especially the way Phoebe acted when Grace assumed she was on meds. Since Phoebe and everyone she knows on the team notices the way she acts isn't normal, she flips out and stops talking to her.
I also am not sure which audience this was for when the author explicitly wrote a sweaty workout routine for these two love birds and made a point to be having explicit sex with their mouths and having to say how salty they tasted; why not after some showers were had? Even to the point they got in the shower and still didn't get wet before doing it again ahhh. I wouldn't normally be this detailed about dirty sex if Meryl hadn't gone out of their way to describe it in that context. Which was not the only time, so it kept sticking with me.

THERE IS SO MUCH TEENAGE INNER MONOLOGUING. It wasn't good. That shouldn't have had that many inner thoughts from both FMCs. I would have liked more side characters' dialogue, and they were all interesting but barely got any screen time. Which was a shame since it highlighted how bad this couple is at talking to each other since Grace called herself single and Phoebe said they've been dating for months. Simple friend talk would have cleared that up (which it did after all the drama).
Overall don't recommend, rant over.

A cute and fun story. I love the atmosphere of the soccer and NOLA setting. However, I could not get past the power imbalance between the two main characters and how it impacted their romance. Ultimately, this book appeals to those who enjoy enemies to lovers and of course soccer fans.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an advanced free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I think Meryl Wisner might be the author that bankrupts me. After finishing Cleat Cute, I realized that she is another addition to my list of auto-buy authors. This story was so cute and it was the perfect romantic read for me as a sapphic soccer fan (can’t wait to see the USWNT hit the field later this month!).

Cleat Cute is a sweet, sexy romance between two soccer lesbians. Phoebe is a young, up-and-coming soccer player excited to make her mark in the professional and international league. A class clown with more energy than a puppy, she is buzzing to get on the pitch and meet the people she has looked up to for years. Grace is a star. She has played with the USWNT for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But she is worried an injury might bench her career for good. It doesn’t help that Phoebe might take her spot. Although they start enemies, they quickly become friends and something more as they prepare for the World Cup. It is a wonderful blend of funny and steamy!

One thing I really appreciated about this book is this is the first time I’ve seen a romance with neurodivergent characters. Both Phoebe and Grace have neurodivergent tendencies and it was nice to see people who live and act more like me take center stage in a romance novel! There are so many things I love about this book and highly recommend you get a copy when it comes out September 19th!

Pairs well with a soccer game, kissing in the locker room, and the rush of running on the pitch.

Wow this is my favorite romance of 2023 so far.

This f/f romance book follows Phoebe in her rookie season on the woman’s national soccer team and Grace who has been on the team for several years and is a public figure in the women’s soccer world.

What worked
- [ ] Angst and pining on and off the field
- [ ] Steam
- [ ] Real stakes with both their athletic careers
- [ ] Both MCs were given equal POV time and equally developed arcs
- [ ] Both MCs had both personal and professional growth in addition to their romance storyline

Haven’t rooted for a couple in a romance book this much in a while.

If I had to give one criticism it would be that one of the arguments (instigated by Grace in the last fourth) seemed forced just for the sake of having another argument but it didn’t hinder my overall enjoyment of the book

This is Wilsner’s best book by far. Publishes September 19, 2023.

3.5 rounded down. This is my first read from Meryl and I thought it was a fun sports romance! The spice here is SO GOOD, though it does end up taking quite a bit of screen time when I wish there was a taaad more emotional relationship building. BUT EVEN SO, I just about died when Phoebe took charge and was downright DIRTY in bed. I always love a good grumpy x sunshine romance, but love it even more when the sunshine is the one in control of the pacing of things, as I'm used to the opposite happening. 🥹

But I must admit it took me quite a long while to warm up to Grace because of how brash and kind of rude she is, especially toward Phoebe who is obviously super likeable and adorable. I had to remember that Grace became a professional player as a teen, and definitely is in a unique position compared to Phoebe, who felt more relatable. So I did find this to be great too! It felt realistic because some people are just assholes or socially awkward on the surface, but there's kind of a nuance or reason as to why. And sports players do have really unique lives, so the way Grace is portrayed here stood out to me in that way too. But even with that, I did think that Phoebe was a bit of a stronger character compared to Grace, so that kind of dampened my reading experience. I feel I'm a little tough on Grace, but Phoebe just endeared me a bunch so I was kind of like "Grace, why are you being so mean to Phoebe when she's just trying so hard?" 😅

I also loved how Meryl also touched on some real issues in the league too. I remember when I first heard about how female soccer players needed to have a second job to make ends meet, which was CRAZY to me. The various scenes of practice and games was pretty fun too, as it was sprinkled in. I enjoyed most the side characters, but did wish some of them had a bit more of a presence. Both MC's families were great though.

I didn't quite love Grace and Phoebe's dynamic the whole time as I felt the friends with benefits was a bit too long and I didn't like how there was miscommunication with that, but it didn't hurt as much as other miscommunication plots, hahaha. I also didn't like how the blurb kiiiind of covered the entirety of the book? (Not everything about it at least, so that's nice.) But the trajectories of both characters was pretty decent still, and I did end up reading this all in one day. The ending was pretty cute! I'd try another title by Meryl in the future too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the first third. I found the characters to be compelling and was immediately interested in their stories and how they were going to come together. There was good banter between the characters and I also enjoyed the diverse cast of secondary characters.

However, I found myself losing interest at around the halfway point. There wasn’t enough going on, and I knew where the book was going to go/what the conflict was going to be. It was too predictable and one-dimensional. There should have been more plot lines to keep the story interesting. I also feel that there are things that should have been explored more, as they were mentioned but never expanded on and would have made the story more expansive.

I did enjoy the representation of neurodivergence. It was very obvious to me when I started the book that Phoebe had ADHD and that Grace was autistic, and I was glad that those two things turned out to be (mostly) canonically true. I wish that Grace’s autism was explored and mentioned more than once as an offhand possibility, as it really explains a lot of her character and why she interacts with the world the way she does.

Overall, this book was okay. It was entertaining enough, but I found myself skimming a lot of the scenes (particularly the spicy ones, as they were quite repetitive) and wishing for more the whole time. That being said, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me access to this e-arc.

For me, this was a cute read. It was enjoyable for light entertainment.

Phoebe is an earnestly enthusiastic rookie and Grace is her serious, rule-following captain. Unlike the description says, they are not rivals. They're teammates on both the US national team and the New Orleans professional team. They're friendly, quickly move into a sexual relationship, then "friends with benefits." Neither of them want a romantic relationship or completely casual sex, so they fall somewhere in between. When they each start to catch feelings, it's pretty comical how it all shakes down with a large -- but thankfully not drawn out too long -- misunderstanding. The most compelling parts of the book to me were right at the end. I would have liked to see more of Phoebe and Grace leaning into their feelings and finally getting to play together in a game.

What worked for me:
- Phoebe's earnest enthusiasm
- Grace's journey toward setting boundaries and shedding what doesn't work for her
- Soccer talk
- Glimpses of other teammates/team dynamics (I wanted more!)
- Hair braiding
- New Orleans location

What didn't work for me (but might work for you):
- Jumping right into sex
- Talk during sex, including "baby girl" endearment
- Not enough interaction with supporting characters/friends
- Wrapped up too quickly

Overall, I liked this and would recommend for a cute, entertaining, light read. I imagine many readers would enjoy this as a palate cleanser. For me, 3 stars means I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As expected, I absolutely adored this story. I was so excited to read this title after loving other books by this author. She did not disappoint in delivering another love story that is full of depth and development between the two characters and is also super hot and steamy. I loved reading the blossoming relationship between Grace and Phoebe and really loved the dynamic of being able to read about two lovely neurodivergent women in love! I have zero interest in soccer and sports, so that plot line was a little.. uninteresting.. to me in particular, but everything else about this book was so wonderful and captivating that I really didn’t mind the spots theme. Will read any book written in the future by Meryl Wilsner! Thanks for giving us another beautiful and hot love story!!!

Did you ever watch Bend It Like Beckham? This sapphic soccer book follows grumpy/sunshine teammates who fall for each other. Cleat Cute is written in third person and I don’t like that because I feel as though it’s impersonal and I can’t get into a characters headspace. The banter between Phoebe and Grace is hilarious because they’re so different but they work. I wish the book was more, it was a cute story.

Cleat Cute was one of most highly anticipated novels for 2023, so I was ecstatic to receive an ARC! Overall, I really enjoyed it, but there were a few things that kept it from being 5 stars for me.

I'll start with things I loved: Obviously good queer rep is expected in a sapphic novel, but Wilsner has done a phenomenal job of representing the vast array of people that make up the queer community. One thing I've found a lot of Lgbtqia+ novels lacking is nonbinary rep, but not Cleat Cute! I also loved that there was even a married sapphic couple with a child. All around, they do a fantastic job with representation. Another thing that was well done was neurodivergent rep, particularly during intimate moments. The spicy scenes felt integral to the plot and character development while also being STEAMY AS HELL. Through Grace's character, Wilsner represented people who often struggle to finish as they become stuck in their heads during sex; I love that they included this aspect of Grace's character and I loved Phoebe's encouragement that it's not about getting to the finish line, but rather feeling good and and taken care of by your partner.

What didn't work for me: At times, the volume of internal monologue made me wish for more showing rather than telling. I think Grace and Phoebe's relationship could have been deepened from more action/conversation than "Grace likes that Phoebe does this" and vice versa. Additionally, as a casual reader that doesn't have more than a surface-level knowledge of soccer, some of the field scenes were hard to follow as I didn't fully grasp what was happening; however, none of the confusion impeded my understand of the plot as a whole.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was cute! I love Meryl Wilsner but this just wasn’t my fave of their books. I don’t know if it is the sports setting that I wasn’t into or the clear neurodivergence that was not actually ever mentioned (which could have opened up so much discussion and dialogue about neurodivergence in the public eye and in sports), I just was a little let down.

Also I really hate the miscommunication trope and that whole thing bothered me so much.