Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. This is going to be one of my favorite books of the year and I’m not going to be able to explain why. I really related to phoebe on levels too personal to going into detail about. But aside from that, I liked grace and seeing her finally allow herself to open up to her teammates and friends and phoebe. I loved the flirting and banter. I will be recommending this forever.

Cleat Cute lived up to its title! It was super cute. It was also cringey in that real-life "omg, does she like me or not?" way. And I loved it! I'm a big women's soccer fan, so the incorporation of real player names and real life roster issues made the book even more engaging. Big props on that aspect! Looking forward to more from Meryl.

This book was not for me. I found the characters annoying and the steam factor was lacking. I really enjoyed mistakes were made but this book didn’t reach that bar.

I loved this book! Such a good rom com, the characters are relatable. Would highly recommended! Could not put this book down.

When I read the description of this book, I thought it sounded exactly like something I would love. However, I think I just don’t connect with this author and I’m not sure why. This is the second book I’ve tried and not been able to get through. I didn’t enjoy the characters and I felt like I didn’t really understand their relationship or their draw to each other, but, hey, maybe I didn’t get far enough. I felt like the pacing was way off and moved really slowly. I do feel like the steamy scenes were done well.

I love the idea that this is just Bend it Like Bendham aged up a little and leaning fully into the sapphic-ness of it all. This was a lovely soccer centric Grumpy / Sunshine romance between teammates Grace and Phoebe. A little steam, a little bit of sports, and a lot of golden retriever energy from Phoebe… this is my favorite Wilsner book thus far. My only complaint is that they could have made an excellent photographic cover for this instead of resorting to a cutesy illustrative cover, which while very nice, made me think it was a YA at first.

Imagine your childhood celebrity crush’s hands in your hair, braiding it. Meanwhile, trying to ignore the sexual tension that has been bothering you both since she did something with her mouth on your neck that wasn’t quite a kiss or a hickey but far more thrilling… well Phoebe Matthews knows all about it.

Grace Henderson has been a major league soccer player since she was a teenager. She’s a world renowned player, a prodigy and role-model for countless young girls that dream of playing soccer for real one day just like her. One of those teenage girls was Phoebe Matthews. Now all grown up, Phoebe just graduated college and has been drafted by not just any major league team, but the same as her childhood idol. To make matters more extreme, she’s been recruited to train with women’s national team that Grace happens to apart of as well. Phoebe wants to make a good impression to prove she’s worthy of her spot on the team in New Orleans, but also earn a spot one day with the national team. Grace’s impression of Phoebe is overwhelming loud, late, comical, carefree, yet hardworking, driven, and tall with the most gorgeous red hair she can’t quit looking at… this could be a problem for her. After losing a bet for a kiss, Grace finds herself becoming quickly intimate with the rookie on her team. Although the benefits are fantastic, the friendship that grows is rocky but rewarding. Little feelings easily turn into bigger feelings the more time they spend together. But unchecked feelings and miscommunication stirs trouble between them on and off the field. Injuries, manipulation, recklessness, and the pressure of the game could all spell the end of whatever they share before it ever officially begins. Grace and Phoebe’s hearts and careers are on the line. Neither wants to lose, so they must both play to win.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner is a fabulously sappy and steamy, sapphic romcom! The dual perspective perfectly ingratiated me to both characters. Honestly, there’s always somethings so satisfying about experiencing how two characters view each other as they fall in love with each other. Another lovably quality of this book is the sprinkling of neurodivergence amidst the significantly queer and predominantly female cast of characters. Wilsner celebrates the intersection of these identities

I enjoyed this soccer-themed FF romance, set in New Orleans. It was true to Meryl Wilsner's style - fun banter, lots of steam, and LONG for a romance. I like her books and writing, I just wish they were a little shorter, as I lose steam as I go (pun intended). It was perfect for getting in the mood for the World Cup though!

Solid choice for anyone looking for an extra spicy sapphic romance between athletes.
While I was able to read this quickly, I didn’t feel like the plot ever really took off. Outside of some minor character development for each MC and the romantic plot, very little happened.
On a more personal bias note, I felt like a lot of conflicts in the story were just examples of how to massively overstep in a relationship.

Plot - 3
Writing and Editing - 4
Character Development - 3
Personal Bias - 2
Final Score - 3

Thank you Meryl Wilsner, St. Martin’s Griffen, and NetGalley for my digital ARC. My opinions are my own

Another score by Meryl Wilsner with Cleat Cute! She has written a sweet, sexy, spicy friends with benefits to lovers sapphic romance novel that is truly a must read. The added use of poc, neurodivergent and other secondary characters is absolutely phenomenal. This novel leaves the reader wanting more because of these secondary characters.

Phoebe and Grace are both US National soccer team players, though they are originally vying for the same position after an injury takes Phoebe out. Through a FWB relationship they aim for different roster spots however they may have to decide if romantic love is more important than a position on the field.

Read Cleat Cute to find out what Phoebe and Grace decide. It's well worth the read!

After DNFing Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner earlier this year, I admit I was hesitant to pick up Cleat Cute, but I'm so glad I did. The cover is cute and caught my attention right off the bat.

I enjoyed the romance between Grace and Phoebe. It seemed to develop in a gradual, realistic way. I love the secret relationship trope, and it really worked with this story. And Wilsner really knows how to write spicy scenes! (Though I do admit using c*nt is a peeve of mine).

The ending felt a bit off, almost as though the author was rushing to add extra depth to the characters. It felt kind of yucky that Grace felt the need to publicly come out for Phoebe. But I also haven't been in that kind of a situation, so maybe that's a common wlw gesture?

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I do feel like the spicy scenes could have been dialed back a little. I really enjoyed the scenes where Grace and Phoebe were getting to know each other more as teammates, friends, and (eventual) girlfriends.

best of the best! meryl wilsner doesn't disappoint!!

wilsner continues to write absolute bangers that i cannot get enough of! set in new orleans, there is such a genuine love for the city and with a sport that i am falling more interested in, wilsner writes such great story about phoebe and grace.

told in a dual pov (love that for me), phoebe and grace try to determine what is right for them as new teammates and in different places in their lives (grace as a veteran player and phoebe as a new to the profession player). it's such a wonderful connection between the two who are both so kind to one another and also soooo attracted to each other.

i also loved the adhd and autism rep in the book. where the adhd is discussed a little more in the book and labeled more, grace's autism isn't labeled but is clear that she is autistic (and author confirms it). i think it's just wonderful reading books with different perspectives with different disorders.

wilsner doesn't disappoint with this one and it's probably fighting for my top wilsner novel at the moment.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc in return for an honest review.

What a fun and exciting read! I absolutely loved the steaminess of the scenes and the chemistry between the characcters. I am LIVING for this sapphic sports romance that feels timely and relevant and oh so needed in this world. Meryl Wilsner wrote such a fabulous book and I am so excited to get my hands on a physical copy as soon as possible!

This book was cute, but it just ended up not being for me. This book will work for some people, it ultimately just didn’t work for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

At this point Meryl Wilsner is *THE* author to look out for. Did I ever consider myself a sports romance kinda gal? No, usually I don't glance their way but throw in sapphic romance and Wilsner's signature banters and strong characters and I just couldn't resist.

There's a lot to unpack here, starting with there is a lot of soccer jargon and back and forth going on here. Was it tough to keep up with? I mean, vaguely? I didn't get some of the stuff that I'm sure seasoned lovers of the sport will keep track of but honestly despite just how sport forward this was, the character dynamics and chemistry take the lead. Wilsner has this talent to craft characters that hold such depth and emotion. The struggles and growth feel incredibly human and when paired with such humor and love, the story becomes irresistible.

4.5 stars rounded up. I'm always a sucker for sports books and I liked getting both POVs and knowing what was going on on both sides. I also really liked the way the ADHD and autism representation was done

This was enjoyable! Honestly I loved the grumpy/sunshine with 2 female main characters. I also grew up playing soccer and watching the women's team so this was definitely a fun plot to follow along with!

This was SUCH a cute read! My first Mely Wilsner book but definitely won’t be my last!!
Overall my favorite thing about this book was the representation. Having queer and neurodivergent characters in a story makes readers who identify with these character feel seen and is an amazing way foster empathy.

My biggest struggle with this book was the miscommunication. While at times it felt believable, for the most part I had a hard time connecting with the conflict.

While I love celebrity and sports romances, I’d never read one set in the world of football before. I was immediately excited when I heard this premise, however, especially when I saw it described as for fans of the Roy/Jamie dynamic in Ted Lasso. I definitely understood that as far as the rookie/vet and grumpy/sunshine comparisons go, with the latter being one of my all time favourite tropes. Though I’d describe the Ted Lasso arc as a slow burn with an ending up for interpretation (even though they’re endgame in my mind), Phoebe and Grace comparatively move very quickly from relative strangers to friends with benefits here. I found myself wanting to see some more from the emotional/romantic side of their relationship throughout rather than just the physical though, as this occupied the majority of their alone time from early on in the book and meant that some very necessary conversations would get stopped abruptly or forgotten about. I think we were at times told they had/were developing feelings for each other rather than shown this which ultimately affected my enjoyment as I found there weren’t always actions to back up what we were told about their relationship evolving. I appreciated that the potential power and financial imbalances were addressed early on though and liked that these discussions in particular were featured because of the real-world pay disparity seen in women’s sports. I also liked that the book concluded with Phoebe and Grace closer to understanding more about their ADHD and autism respectively, especially with Grace using Phoebe’s beloved TikTok in the end to help her better communicate.

From reading the blurb of this, I had really hoped the story would make it to the World Cup. These events where you’re on the world’s stage and firmly in the public eye are always my favourites when it comes to celebrity romances, and the added stakes of a competition just make it all the more enjoyable for me. We were told throughout that making it there was this career aspiration and it certainly felt like a major event they were building up to so I was honestly a little disappointed when it ended as soon as they arrived there. Though that element of the story did not play out as I’d hoped, I did appreciate the discussions of Grace’s struggles with her anxiety and the pressures and responsibilities she faced being a team captain while also dealing with aging and injury as a professional sportswoman.

I’m probably too much of a slow burn kind of person to be entirely sold on the romance here, but if you enjoy reading about a quicker/more spicy budding relationship then this could definitely work for you. I personally just found the misunderstandings and lack of communication in favour of the physical intimacy difficult to get on board with.

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book was so gosh darn cute and I loved every minute of it. In fact I immediately bought a physical copy of it to keep on my shelf the day it went on sale. I think this book is definitely for anyone that has been salivating over the relationship drama in the NWSL this year.