Another hit by Meryl Wilsner! I love sapphic sports romances so imagine my delight seeing the author's next book was this. Both characters had great chemistry from the beginning and I love a good friends with benefits to lovers. I also appreciated the lack of unnecessary drama. Instead, the "conflict" was more funny. Plus, the steaminess of the love scenes?! 10/10.

Fans of Meryl Wilsner's previous books will love this too. 5 out of 5 stars.

This book was extremely well plotted. I loved the world of professional women’s soccer, and the city of New Orleans and the details of the city. The romance was very sweet, and spice level was great. I loved this book, couldn’t read it fast enough! Highly recommend to romance lovers and Meryl Wilsner fans. (I will say I’m at a 4.5 rounded up because of the cheesy title- it does not match the tone of the book in my opinion- but hopefully people will read this despite that!)

Setting: New Orleans, Louisiana
Rep: autistic lesbian MC/sapphic MC with ADHD

This was not it. I was so excited after loving Mistakes Were Made - my favourite book of 2022 - but this was a swing and a miss. The pacing was all over the place and I found the writing really clunky. The third person present tense can work really well but not here. It felt unedited - the characters' names were used in almost every sentence even when it was blatantly obvious who is talking/who it's about. I also just ... didn't like the characters. They had no chemistry and I found them annoying - that is nothing to do with their disabilities (Grave is autistic; Phoebe has ADHD) as I have both, I just didn't like them as characters. Also, the end felt really rushed and so did the start then it dragged in the middle. I have previously loved Wilsner's sex scenes but found myself skipping these as I felt no connection between Phoebe and Grace. And I HATED how even during sex, Grace refers to Phoebe by her surname, Matthews, in her head. It made me uncomfortable. All in all, a huge disappointment.

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

I enjoyed this more than "Mistakes Were Made," which I received an arc copy of around this time last year. I think that I was more drawn by the premise this time, which is why I enjoyed "Cleat Cute" more. Phoebe and Grace were grounded characters who actually felt like real people (Grace especially, her character arc was great). I think the discussions of neurodivergency could have come earlier in the book, rather than so close to the end, and essentially being one of the last plotlines, as they then could have been explored more.

(4.5 rounded down)

I don’t even know where to begin! Cleat Cute was such a fun and exciting read. It has the perfect amount of romance, drama, and just enough spice! I absolutely loved Grace and Phoebe, and I especially enjoyed the the secondary characters like Gabby, Madeeha, and Fish. I almost wish Wilsner didn’t write such interesting secondary characters because I just wanted to keep reading about them!

Cleat Cute also has it all if you’re looking for diversity and representation. Wilsner always does an excellent job writing queer and poc characters, and in this book they focused a lot more on neurodivergent characters. It was refreshing to read a book that included all of these characters.

My only problem with this book is that I wish it was longer! We obviously got a lot of Grace and Phoebe interactions throughout the whole story, but I would have loved to read more of them actually together in a relationship. I just didn’t want this story to ever end!

Cleat Cute is not one to miss. It’s Wilsner’s best book by far and I can’t wait for it to come out!

Grumpy/sunshine soccer lesbians for the win! I cannot fully express the sheer joy I felt when I was offered an ARC. It truly has only been eclipsed by my delight while reading the book. It's so freaking good!

Grace and Phoebe start out as rivals who have to learn to work together as part of the team. They have very different personalities and communication styles which lead to some interesting misunderstandings. But even so, both are completely (and reluctantly in Grace's case) drawn to each other from the first moment. I love seeing the beginning of their relationship and their individual personal growth. The way Grace learns to advocate for herself is especially fantastic.

And the team interactions are great! I'd love some more time (bonus novellas, maybe?) starring individual teammates. I love how distinctly written each character was rather than being stock teammate one or two.

The representation is also fantastic! There are trans, non-binary, and bi side characters. Phoebe very clearly has undiagnosed ADHD from the beginning. And as we learn more about Grace, it becomes apparent she is likely on the autism spectrum.

As in Meryl Wilsner's previous two books, there is a power imbalance although much slighter than their usual. There's only a four year age difference, but Grace is much more established in the professional soccer world as well as being the team captain. And Phoebe definitely has some hero worship. Wilsner is just so darn talented at navigating these imbalances. I truly can't wait to read whatever they come up with next!

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Phoebe finally has everything she’s worked for, she’s on a professional soccer team and one of her teammates is her idol Grace. Turns out Grace is also Phoebe’s crush and as they spend more time together, it’s possible Grace likes Phoebe too. Will they be able to get past their differences and work together on and off the team?

This book was so cute and sweet that it was a breeze to read. I like the diversity of characters from lesbians, trans, non-binary as this is a more real look at how our world is now. This is more than just a romance book, it has funny parts and tackles real issues like financial struggles and neurodivergence. The pace was very good and I didn’t feel rushed into the story.

Things I wasn’t a huge fan of are also things I kind of liked, so they aren’t exactly negatives. I wish the discussion of neurodivergence had come sooner in the story as it was so obvious, but not discussed. It was kind of hammered in later on, but it wasn’t clear if one of the main characters was aware of her own situation beyond having “quirks”. The language and the way the characters interacted in the steamy scenes (which were intense and hot), didn’t seem true to their characters. Though the scenes were so, almost pornographic, so they were enjoyable if you were looking for a steamy rom-com. Last was the soccer parts of the story that were kind of specific that I felt kind of lost because I’m not familiar with the terminology.

Overall this book was fun and enjoyable and was well worth the read.

I had a really good time with Cleat Cute! It was a fun, sweet and quick read. I have loved everything I have read by Meryl Wilsner and I’m excited to see what they write next!

The characters were fabulous. I’ll admit that I’m not a sports person but I really loved their passion for the game. Phoebe was unapologetically herself and I adore her for that! Grace was so relatable to me. Her growth was my favorite part of the story. She realizes that she needs to put herself first and do the things that will make her happy.

I do think that the chemistry was a little off at times but I still enjoyed the romance. I loved that Grace & Phoebe were 100% complete opposites! This wasn’t quite as spicy as Mistakes Were Made but still pretty hot!

I cannot wait to have this beautiful book on my shelves!

So charming! I loved spending time with these characters and am only sad our time together is finished. The romance and chemistry are definitely there. Steam level was between Mistakes Were Made and Something to Talk About…Meryl Wilsner knows what they’re doing. One of the best parts was the characters’ love of soccer. The team spirit and friendships were really shine. I also appreciated the way ADHD was handled. There was a lot of miscommunication throughout but it made sense with the characters’ backstories and though at times it could be frustrating it was also endearing. I wanted more from the ending but that’s only because I didn’t want it to be over-once it got going, couldn’t put this one down.

Short summary: Phoebe is about to live her dream as a professional soccer player. The only thing better is training with her idol. After a dare that results in a kiss, Phoebe’s determined to woo Grace, but Grace is too focused to pay attention to the rookie class clown.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Cleat Cute is a rivals-to-lovers, sapphic sports romance that I absolutely devoured! I read it in a single sitting and loved the slow burn relationship between sunshine-y, charismatic newbie Phoebe and Grace, our grumpy and serious team captain. The dynamic between them was just perfect, and this is definitely my favorite Meryl Wilsner yet.

When Phoebe gets called up to play for the US national women’s soccer team, she is absolutely raring to go to prove herself on the field and integrate herself into the team. I loved how confident Phoebe was— both with her soccer skills and her personality. She was funny and sweet, high energy while still taking the time to listen and care for others. Sometimes I find characters that fit into the “grumpy/ sunshine” trope to be a little one dimensional, this definitely wasn’t the case with Cleat Cute. While Phoebe was loud and exuberant, she also took the time to tell Grace when she was hurt by something, or call out injustice where she saw it. I genuinely finished the story feeling like I knew Phoebe personally, and loved the depth to her character.

Grace was so funny to be in her head! She comes across very taciturn and serious, whereas internally she just wants stability and connection like everyone else. I love seeing a character with anxiety learn how to cope with it and thought Grace’s character was a great example of someone who appears tough on the outside but is really a big softie. I would have loved to see more of her dynamic with the team overall, and learn more about her personality underneath the layers of distrust and shyness.

Their relationship was explosive! I loved how respectful they were of each other and really enjoyed the build up to them admitting their feelings. And the spice was truly top tier, as with all Wilsner’s work! I would have really enjoyed seeing *more* interaction between Grace and Phoebe, as by the end it felt a little repetitive with one of them messing up and the other one forgiving them a few hours later. The end of the book felt a little bit rushed, and I wished they would have had a bit more of a solid foundation before the big L word declaration. But overall I really enjoyed Cleat Cute and would definitely recommend it to readers looking a fun, spicy sapphic romance!

Grumpy/sunshine soccer lesbians for the win! I cannot fully express the sheer joy I felt when I was offered an ARC. It truly has only been eclipsed by my delight while reading the book. It's so freaking good!

Grace and Phoebe start out as rivals who have to learn to work together as part of the team. They have very different personalities and communication styles which lead to some interesting misunderstandings. But even so, both are completely (and reluctantly in Grace's case) drawn to each other from the first moment. I love seeing the beginning of their relationship and their individual personal growth. The way Grace learns to advocate for herself is especially fantastic.

And the team interactions are great! I'd love some more time (bonus novellas, maybe?) starring individual teammates. I love how distinctly written each character was rather than being stock teammate one or two.

The representation is also fantastic! There are trans, non-binary, and bi side characters. Phoebe very clearly has undiagnosed ADHD from the beginning. And as we learn more about Grace, it becomes apparent she is likely on the autism spectrum.

As in Meryl Wilsner's previous two books, there is a power imbalance although much slighter than their usual. There's only a four year age difference, but Grace is much more established in the professional soccer world as well as being the team captain. And Phoebe definitely has some hero worship. Wilsner is just so darn talented at navigating these imbalances. I truly can't wait to read whatever they come up with next!

This book will be released 9/19/23 and is worth not only preordering but also taking a vacation (or sick) day to dive into!

**Received an eARC via NetGalley**

Meryl Wilsner has really hit their stride. In their third novel and a fantastic follow-up to the stellar Mistakes Were Made, we meet professional soccer rookie Phoebe and veteran player Grace as they join the same New Orleans team and strive for spots on the World Cup team. Grace can't quite decide whether Phoebe's talkative, boisterous nature is annoying or endearing, but she doesn't hate that Phoebe had a poster of her on her childhood bedroom. For Phoebe, Grace isn't only her soccer-playing idol, but the hottest woman she's ever seen, and now she finally gets to meet her in person. But with neither woman interested in a relationship, and an injury Grace has been hiding, it's not all smooth sailing when it comes to their mutual attraction.

Loved the book! Obsessed. Phoebe and Grace were both two such different yet interesting characters that when put together were magic. We don't see many sports romance where the woman, let alone women, are the athlete(s) and I hope we see more. While it's not the first time I've seen the veteran athlete paired with the up-and-coming hot shot, it's the first time I've seen it done in this way. And, the book writes about the game beautifully--it almost makes me want to start playing soccer again. My one--and only--complaint is that this book is on the longer side for a romcom. But it's certainly worth the time to read it!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

As my most anticipated read of the year, I wanted so badly to love this book. It just ended up falling so flat for me. I am a huge fan of women's soccer and the USWNT, even this didn't help me through this book. At times, I thought my Kindle had jumped to an earlier page because many scenarios feel like they repeat throughout the book.

Was this book sexy? Yes. Was this enough to keep me interested? No. This book feels like it's been done before and I've read it in a few different forms.

Overall, an okay read. I love Meryl Wilsner and will read everything she writes no matter what but her combining my two favorite things did nothing for me beyond a cute-ish read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a cute rivals to lover sapphic romance.Phoebe and Grace were such vivid characters, and I loved seeing their personalities clash, and eventually compliment each other, through the course of the book. It was adorable to watch them open up to each other more, despite their differences. This book was endearing, steamy, and fast-paced escape. I will certainly be reading more of Meryl Wilsner’s books in the future, and I recommend everyone read this one as well!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CLEAT CUTE was an absolute joy to read. this sapphic romcom was a hilarious & tender exploration of doing what you love on your own terms, chasing your dreams, and falling for who you least expect.

After absolutely devouring Mistakes Were Made last year, I was so excited to do the same with Cleat Cute. Unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for me.

I really struggled with Grace’s character specifically - she had no personality and was completely overtaken by Phoebe. Grace is definitely on the autism spectrum, which I love seeing representation for, but I would have love for her to leap off the page a little more.

I also struggled with the chemistry between Grace and Phoebe, in that I really didn’t think there was any. Phoebe was so focused on the whole “Grace Henderson” of it all (ie. the celebrity, the childhood admiration) that I couldn’t really buy into her feelings. I loved the steam on Mistakes Were Made, but in this book, I couldn’t feel the tension at all.

I did appreciate Grace’s growth and how she started doing the things she wanted, versus what she thought everyone wanted from her. There was a great conversation with her dad near the end of the book that I loved. I also enjoyed the soccer aspect of it all, as well as the Krewe and national team teammates.

This was such a charming story. I’ve read Wilsner’s previous two novels and enjoyed them as well. But this one was a little different to me. At first I was worried I wouldn’t like the ending. It felt a little off to me but there something funny in the way the autism and adhd coded characters were written that I needed it spelled out to me for me to notice why I wasn’t reading it accordingly before. I saw myself in both characters at various points of the story. It’s what truly endeared me to them and their love story. It’s why I call it charming. It’s sweet and motivating and a bit forthcoming about the pressure of adulthood when dealing with neurodivergence and doing the thing you love.

Phoebe: I loved her. She’s fun and spunky and filled with so much energy. I wished we gotten more of her healing and coming to terms with her diagnosis since we see the many ways it impacted her mental throughout the story. Especially when things became overwhelming with life or family. But I enjoyed seeing how patient and focused she was when getting Grace to open up and trust her and their relationship/dynamic as fwb.

Grace: I don’t have the words for how I’d like to describe her at the moment outside of— wonderful. She’s heavily coded that a lot about her characters feels like reading about myself. The injury being the sign she needed to stop and take stock of her life and priorities….. teaches a lot about learning balance and how even tho you love it, losing yourself to just one thing can be harmful too. That routines aren’t always as helpful as they feel. Phoebe also being her complete opposite rounds out the opposites attract trope that’s always fun. Her not realizing they’d been dating for a whole month was really familiar and funny to me. Her fear of getting older and essentially being discarded as a result was also a great show of imposter syndrome that looks different from phoebe’s own.

TikTok: it feels silly to mention this app because of my general view on it but I enjoyed Grace’s use of the app to become more informed on adhd and even autism in order to help Phoebe and even herself going forward. It has been a very vital source of info on neurodivergence’s for those struggling to get diagnosed and it’s accessibility makes it such a good place to go.

The story is based on two pro soccer players but it’s not really about the soccer. It’s about the relationships the women have with each other, themselves, and the sport.

I plan to reread before fully processing but these are my first thoughts after my first completed read of the ARC. I’d like to thank St. Martins Press and NetGalley for inviting me to check out the arc. I hope to refine these thoughts after a reread and fully digesting it. But I had fun with this story and can’t wait to read future works after this.

I finished Cleat Cute in a day so even if it was not a book I loved, it was at least captivating. I think if it wasn’t an author I was familiar with and whose books I’ve liked before, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. It follows two soccer players: Phoebe, a recent grad who was drafted to the same team as Grace, a twenty-six year old veteran who has been a professional player since she left high school.

The book reads like everyone is trying to get a good grade in therapy and are constantly online, like there’s a gigantic fear of if they don’t explicitly explain the details of every thought they have, someone is going to assume they’re a horrible person. I found some of the dialogue to feel forced, closer to lectures than actual conversation. It’s one of those books where everyone thinks the same way, like there is only one correct answer to everything. It isn’t the kind of book I personally prefer, I like there to be more tension and more disagreements that make me think, instead of everyone caving immediately to agree with each other. It's difficult to get invested in a story when every thought, action, and feeling is explained. It leaves little room to engage with the story and maybe I want too much from a romance novel, but I think there can be a bit more trust to readers to not assume the worst of a character.

My main issue with the book is how unrealistic the dynamics and world of professional sports was. The beginning of their relationship is a bet that felt out of place in the context of the story. I know it is unfair to expect realism from a romance novel, but I think the setting of the story has to influence the plot in some way, and here, it was impossible for me to buy into this happening on the USWNT. Little things built up – I cannot believe that a player constantly being late for team workouts and events wouldn’t be an actual problem on a professional team, let alone the USWNT is one example– and I don’t think it’d take away from the story for someone who doesn’t care for sports, but for me it was distracting.

The set-up of a rookie and vet can be a really fun dynamic, but so many aspects of Phoebe and Grace’s relationship confused me. Grace acts a lot older than she is in terms of where she is in her career, twenty-six is within the peak athlete’s physicality, and I think she had a lot of interesting thoughts about what players owe fans and how much of their life should be public, but nothing went further than a surface level comment. Phoebe’s backstory offered a lot and I thought was an honest look at some of the realities women’s athletes can face, but it was always buffered. I never bought into their chemistry, but I think I was thrown off by how quickly their relationship moves when I was expecting a slower “enemies” to lovers type of story. Sometimes, their interactions felt like they went too far and I didn’t understand why they even wanted to be friends, let alone partners. The entire story line about Phoebe’s ADHD and Grace’s injury was uncomfortable. I don’t think I’d ever trust Tik Tok enough to use it as a diagnosing tool or feel comfortable with what happened between them on both occasions. However, I’m sure a lot of people will find it thoughtful and romantic.

A Lot of this comes down to personal preference. I really think Wilsner is an incredible writer and would love to read more of their future books,. Even if the soccer setting and some of the small details really didn’t work for me, I believe a lot of people will love it.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

A perfect amalgamation of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, this sapphic sports romance is officially one of my favourite books of the year. I was thrilled to see that in addition to it being a queer romance, it also took on the topics of neurodivergence, specifically ADHD and autism in a way that was loving and tender. Grace and Phoebe are such wonderfully lovable characters and the sense of humour throughout this book just adds to the impeccable writing.

My one critique is that a waitress is described as having “terra cotta” skin. She’s not a major character, she doesn’t even have a name. I don’t think terra cotta needs to be the term used for a POC. Brown or tan will do just fine. POC aren’t food or earthenware or dirt or anything. Skin is skin, just call it a color that isn’t weird.

I’m a big fan of Wilsner’s writing ever since I read Mistakes Were Made and I really, really liked Cleat Cute.

Phoebe and Grace are such opposites that I loved reading how they would fit together. It was a whole ride and I really enjoyed it!