Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! This was SO GOOD??? I'm not normally a romance person but I just loved these two characters so much. I enjoyed the pacing and the teammates so much, and I ADORED the ending. The miscommunication trope did it's thing here and I loved it! And as a bonus I got to learn about women's soccer, which was great.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the digital arc!

As a former (and now washed up) soccer player this was a really fun read!

Things I liked:
- soccer soccer soccer!!!!!
- neurodivergent representation
- The sex scenes sure were spicy

Things I didn’t:
- so much internal monologue
- easily guessable

Overall would recommend this fun, fast read!

This was such a fun, sexy, entertaining book. I am not generally a soccer fan (or any sports really), but this book was entertaining in a way I wasn't too sure about and it really kept me engaged during the entire time. Overall this was a great book.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ugh, Meryl Wilsner has become an automatic-buy, skip-the-TBR-shelf author for me after Mistakes were Made; and Cleat Cute just confirmed their status.

Honestly, I am not always the biggest fan of sports romances. Sometimes they are great, but sometimes they care a lot more about the sport than I do as someone who was never involved in athletics. Cleat Cute manages to strike a great balance of making the sport (and its accompanying strategies and even its politics) central to the plot moving forward, while still keeping a nerd like me entertained with its sports talk.

It helped that Phoebe and Grace were so darn cute. Phoebe won me over quickly with her spunk and forthright approach to soccer, life, and love (and sex). I had to warm up to grace over the first chunk of the book, but by the end I think I was rooting for her to be happy even more than Phoebe. It helped for both characters that Meryl is an absolute master of writing sex scenes. Each one was emotional, engaging and above all sexy. I may have bookmarked several them to return to again later.

It was nice that this sexy, fun romance was paired with the recognition and evolution of both Phoebe and Grace thinking about their neuro-divergent nature. As someone with ADHD, I thought it was handled very well for Phoebe as she grew up coping with it herself, and struggled with coming to terms with an actual diagnosis.

Meryl Wilsner does it again, I cannot wait to get this one in print!

Grace Henderson, a star of the US Women’s National Team. Phoebe Matthews, a new player looking for a spot on the team. The last thing Grace wants is this loud, talkative, class clown to take her spot. A bet and a kiss later, and Grace is hooked. So is Phoebe. Grace didn’t want a relationship and Phoebe did. Can they both work out their differences? Will Phoebe make it on the team and play the World Cup?

I think this book is predictable in the sense that it’s a girl meets girl, one doesn’t like the other one, and they spend more time together, and start to like each other. What I think makes this book different is the characters' personalities. Grace is quieter, listens to what others tell her, and is autistic. Phoebe is loud and can be annoying at times, and has ADHD but is undiagnosed.

I’ve read a lot of books that have a similar premise, but I absolutely loved the fact that the relationship between Grace and Phoebe happened earlier in the book. Most books like this, I feel take a long time to get to the romance, flirting, sex, etc. I liked having them start flirting earlier on rather than waiting for something to happen.

I also loved all of the LGBTQ+ representation in this book. There are some people that are straight, but there are lesbians, bisexuals, there are people that are nonbinary, and Phoebe’s brother is trans, and they’re working on saving up for his top surgery. There was representation, but it wasn’t too over-the-top, either. It felt authentic, it didn’t feel like the author was trying too hard.

I just…I really loved this book. I can relate a lot to how Grace acts and feels. There was a good balance of serious, funny, and sexy scenes. The sex scenes were spicy without being too much; it felt authentic. It was a quick read for me because I got so into the plot. I honestly cannot wait to read this book again.

This book will be available for purchase September 19, 2023

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me a free early copy in exchange for an honest review!

The only thing there was more of in this book than steamy sex was internal monologuing ☠️

I'm really on the fence about this one. There were things I really liked about it, there were some mediocre things, and then there was this overall style of storytelling that just blanketed the whole thing, dampening the entire experience. I didn't love this book, I just read it and felt very little about it, to be honest. Consequently, it took forever to finish because I just didn't care 🤷

The things I really liked, maybe even loved? Well, there was a lot of sex and it was good sex. Even if I found some of the specifics of their communication cringey, I liked that they checked in with each other, that they talked, and really got to know what the other person needed. I love that Wilsner chose to depict a sexual relationship that wasn't the standard "I come. You come. We all come. Hooray!" I love that she addressed that some people struggle to reach orgasm because they get stuck in their brains and that sex doesn't have to be about orgasms, it can just be about intimacy and pleasure. That was a nice and healthy perspective to see.

I also appreciated that both characters were neurodivergent (though that ended up being a double-edged sword in my opinion, which I'll explain later). One character has ADHD and the other is likely somewhere on the spectrum (introverted, overly structured, struggles with social cues, etc). It's always good to see those depicted and having some consequence in the story, not just depicted as an inconsequential personality trait; those who struggle with these sort of things know just how much it can affect your life, so I appreciate when neurodiversities aren't played down in a story.

Additionally, the relationship between the two MCs is cute. I enjoyed the friends-to-lovers-to-FWB-to-more-but-not-quite progression. It was sweet and they both did nice things for each other because they got each other in a really significant way. The misunderstandings were a not altogether annoying plot device as they were caused by their respective neurodivergencies, so no complaints there.

By this point, you may be thinking, "This sounds great, so why 3 stars??" I'm glad you asked...

WOW, the inner monologues. Combine the overabundance of introspection and ridiculously long and frequent paragraphs of rapid-fire thoughts with the third-person present tense...that was just a big old NOPE for me. I get that these sort of thought patterns could be due to their conditions, but for my part, the author took it too far. Why this is especially problematic is that Wilsner really leans into tell-not-show. There are so incredibly many instances of "Grace does this", "Phoebe likes that", "She's always been great at this". Really, please SHUT UP AND SHOW ME!!!

Sadly, that overarching style of storytelling was detrimental to the point of losing an entire star, possibly more. It's hard to say for sure because the near-singular focus on character development (with an uneventful soccer story arc for ambiance) really precluded there being much actually happening in the story. Don't get me wrong, I like a character-centric story as much as the next gal, but not when the author dictates it to me through direct character thoughts.

What to expect?
* Sexy AF in a steamy yet wholesome way
* Cute, endearing characters
* Good neurodivergence rep
* Soccer (though not focal)
* A whole lotta thinking (not you - the characters!!)

I won't recommend it 🤷 based on my review (and be sure to read others's as well), I'm sure you can decide for yourself if it's right for you.

Okay. So, I loved ALMOST everything about this book. The banter was cute, the team dynamics were interesting, the spice was HOT. Overall, this was very close to being a five star read.
BUT.
There was one element that knocked it down to a four for me. One character decides another character needs to be on medication, and it becomes a central plot point. These are elite athletes. To decide your teammate needs to start taking medication, even though they don’t want to and have told you as much? It rubbed me the wrong way.
Still, overall this was an enjoyable read and I would read more from the author!

A wholesome, light-hearted sapphic sports romance with good queer and neurodivergent representation. A story of two teammates finding their ways to each other along a path rife with miscommunication.

I liked how Cleat Cute leaned more into the sports aspect of sports romance than some other sports romances I've read, and that it doesn't take too long to get into the story. The steamy scenes were good and well-paced. However, I did feel like the reader isn't given much info about the background characters that show up a lot, they all seemed to blend together, and that the middle dragged for a bit. The main characters also seemed a bit shallow, fell kind of flat, and I didn't believe their chemistry. There was no plot, just vibes, but I felt like there was unrealized potential for conflict that wasn't just miscommunication, like a terrible coach, a possible injury, or some kind of media incident.

If a light, easy sapphic romance is what you're interested in, I'm sure you'll enjoy Cleat Cute, but I was left wanting more.

3.5 ⭐️
2.5 🌶️

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NEtGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off I loved that this is a sapphic sports romance book. I have read other books from this author and this one was not a favorite. It was enjoyable and I had a lot of fun with it overall.

My issues were:
- the ADHD rep is great but how Grace pushes Phoebe on getting on meds and help bugged me
- the misunderstanding about their relationship fell into miscommunication and irritated me.
- Phoebe is such a sweet sunshine character and sometimes I feel like she forgives too quickly and much without working through it and I wanted more for her.

I will definitely read more from this author.

Meryl Wilsner does it again. I have not read a Meryl Wisner book that disappointed. Their novels are filled with real flawed characters with issues that we all have, and just enough spice. I know next to nothing about soccer, but this lack of knowledge didn’t make me feel ostracized from the book. Grace and Pheobe are real flawed characters, that learn and grow throughout the book. Cleat Cute is the reason that I finally decided to try NetGalley and I am so happy that I did. I will seek out anything that Wilsner writes and support it, their mastery of presenting real diverse characters to the reader without harping on their differences is the gold standard for me. This is the representation that I am looking for in my reading, making my book world reflect the world around me!

3/5 star's

I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't. This book wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I love sports romance but I wish Meryl were a little heavier on sports.

Phoebe and Grace were relatable at times but I wish the author focused more on their journey as a footballer than the injuries they've been through. Their whole relationship was built on miscommunication and misunderstandings, which is my least favorite trope.


The side characters were very interesting. I wanted the MCs to have more interactions with them. They all seemed like fun and loving people. I really liked Gabby, Kayla, Madeeha, Sarah, Teddy, Fish, and Dallas. I wish we got more interactions between Phoebe and Gabby and Grace and her old teammates.

I like the reps in this book though- ADHD and Autism ( Phoebe has ADHD and Grace is autistic) and the Trans and non-binary rep as well.

I would've loved the book more if it wasn't so bland at times. nonetheless, I enjoyed some parts of this book and would recommend it if you like really spicy books.

This book immediately jumps in to the action, and the MCs meet almost right away. The tension is immediate and so is the plot. I absolutely adore how the MCs interact, though sometimes they seem a little younger than they are. I do wish there was a little more backstory and a little more time spent with each character before they meet, so I could have had a repertoire with them individually first. Otherwise, no complaints. Meryl does it again.

I received an e-arc of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, despite knowing nothing about soccer. Phoebe and Grace have a fun dynamic, and I really appreciated how this book explored both queerness and neurodivergence.

In particular, I liked the conversations where the characters talked about what different aspects of queerness meant to them, as well as the commentary on how coming out is a very personal decision that is never owed to anyone. That this book is diverse in its queerness is also wonderful, featuring lesbians, bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality, as well as a trans man and a couple enbies.

The neurodivergent rep also felt really nuanced and respectful. While Grace's sister and Phoebe are officially diagnosed with ADHD, Grace is only implied to have autism, but I still consider it pretty unambiguous. It's very clear throughout that she stims, doesn't always catch the meaning underlying people's actual words, needs routine, and experiences sensory overload and shutdown. In one scene, she specifically goes nonverbal. I just thought this rep was handled really thoughtfully and the author did an excellent job of showing nerodivegence in these characters before either condition was ever named on page.

I will say that there were elements of this book that I simply did understand due to my complete ignorance about soccer, but I still understood the characters and the core of the story well enough to enjoy it.

As much as I liked this book, however, I did have a few criticisms, hence why it's a 4-star and not a 5-star.

To be brief:
-miscommunication was a central element of the story, and while it made perfect sense in light of Phoebe having ADHD and Grace having autism, it did end up a bit repetitive. It also resulted in a story that didn't feel like it had a climax, since each misunderstanding was resolved after a few chapters.
-this book had 3 or 4 sex scenes. The writing in these scenes was fine, but each scene was also kind of same-y - things like strap-ons, face sitting, and bondage are referenced in narration, but never actually occur in the book. Every on-page scene only involves going down and/or fingering. Also, be aware that the c-word is used repeatedly in sex scenes. It didn't bother me, but I know others might be sensitive to this word choice.
-the minor characters didn't stand out much. I could remember one or two identifying traits of each, but otherwise they kinda blurred together. The POV characters were strong enough that this wasn't a huge detriment to my reading experience, but I still thought it was notable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're interested in Sapphic romance, sports romance, and/or neurodivergent rep.

Thank you St. Martin’s for this e-arc! I will read anything by Meryl Wilsner! Loved this cute, soft, contemporary romance set around soccer. As I read every chapter I could see it play out in my head like a tv show, and I hope one day it can be!

Description: Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. 22-year-old Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way. The last thing Grace expects is to become teammates with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival.

Phoebe Matthews is too focused on her first season as a professional soccer player to think about seducing her longtime idol. But when Grace ends up making the first move, they can’t keep their hands off of each other.

As the World Cup approaches and Grace works her way back from injury, a miscommunication leaves the women with hilariously different perspectives on their relationship. But they’re on the same page on the field, realizing they can play together instead of vying for the same position. With every tackle the tension between them grows, and both players soon have to decide what's more important—being together or making the roster.

The perfect blend of funny and steamy, Meryl Wilsner’s Cleat Cute is about being brave enough to win on and off the field.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
I am always looking for a GOOD sapphic read and this is exactly that! So cute but also very steamy. The perfect blend of spice and plot.
I would definitely read more from this author.

THIS WAS DELIGHTFUL! Sexy, sweet, and emotional. Two world class soccer stars meet and work through their issues together. A bit of miscommunication but there’s a reason for both of them misunderstanding! Also 100000/10 for the name of this book. NO NOTES, A++++.

Cleat Cute is what my queer, soccer loving heart wishes Bend It Like Beckham would've been. This opposites attract story set in the world of soccer is aptly name -- cute beyond belief.

Grace Henderson and Phoebe Matthews are complete opposites. Grace is an introvert, who has slowly become resigned with her role on the team. Phoebe is a talented and talkative rookie who's vying for a position on the national team. Together, they begin a relationship that challenges and changes both their lives.

Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I loved and became so invested in both Grace and Phoebe' stories. Plus, the amazing cast of supporting characters adds to the camaraderie that is so true of sports team. I absolutely loved it.

If you love soccer and romance, then this is the book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I know that every time I read a Meryl Wilsner book I end up saying it's my favorite, but this one is actually my favorite. I didn't think I need a sapphic soccer romance but oh boy was I wrong. This book was truly everything to me. Grace and Phoebe were both exceptional characters, and I love how Wilsner explores both of their flaws. Plus, the dynamic between all the other members of the team really added to the story. The ratio of sweet to spicy was perfect, and really made me fall in love with the friends with benefits to more than friends trope! This book has yet again proven that I will read absolutely anything Meryl Wilsner writes.

Y'ALL!

Okay, first of all, pre-order this book IMMEDIATELY. If you:
- already love Meryl Wilsner, OR
- want a rom-com with substance and themes (think Emily Henry), OR
- have been wanting to get into lesbian fiction but don't know of any adult romances
This book needs to be on your tbr!!

I was honestly pleasantly surprised by this book. Of course, I should know by now not to underestimate Wilsner, but I'd recently read Mistakes were Made, and this seemed so different. I wasn't sure what to expect.

And one thing you should know about me: I don't care much for sports. Like, I'll let myself get dragged to a college football game every once in awhile, and since the SEC energy is so contagious I may enjoy myself. I signed my cat up for March Madness this year because my friend group had a competition for it (he made his bracket based off me setting two treats in front of him for each round and letting him choose. He ended up winning). Those are, like, my only two experiences with sports ever. I definitely have never watched a soccer game, of all things.

Let me tell you - this is an EXCELLENT sports romance. I was actually invested in the games?? I may start watching women's soccer, honestly. So if you're debating picking this up because you're not in sports, I understand, but Wilsner makes it WORK.

And, of course, the romance. I rooted for this couple so hard. I loved Phoebe, and I saw myself in Grace. She hated spooning and was anxious when someone spent the night, especially because it raises relatable questions such as: how long do I have to cuddle after sex? Can I take a shower yet? Would she be offended if I got up and took a shower?

Finally, if you've read Wilsner, you know she writes great sex scenes. I was thrown off a little by the talking - Phoebe is so talkative, and I got kind of annoyed on Grace's behalf LOL. But I was used to it at the end. Speaking of, the end is SO CUTE!! You aren't ready.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Since I read Mistakes Were Made, I've been waiting for this one... and I needed some time to process this book... I mean I loved the characters and I loved the two of them playing soccer and loving it.. it was sweet the way they connected, but I have a trouble with books having miscommunication problems so it was the only thing i didnt enjoy.