This is such a sweet sports rom-com! I will definitely recommend to fans of queer romance, woman's sports, and Megan Rapinoe!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me this early audio copy of Cleat Cute.

This was my second novel from the author, and I was eager to read from them again. The last book had potential, but it wasn’t for me. This book while better, was still disappointing to me.

Cleat cute follows two different POV‘s. We get the perspective from Grace who is the captain of her soccer team. She is very regimented and loves her rules. We also get the perspective of phoebe who is more chaotic, messy kind of shows up whenever she feels like it. The two girls are vastly different, but when Phoebe makes the soccer team that Grace is on the to begin spending more time together, and they find that opposites attract more than they thought.

There is a lot of soccer talk in this book as both of our main characters played on a professional team. I will say that we did get a decent amount of playtime and games within the book so if that something that you’re looking for I think that you would enjoy that aspect of this book. I think that it’s pretty redundant as we’re getting POV‘s from both girls experiencing things differently and for whatever reason that just wasn’t very interesting to me.

This book features a lot of sex scenes. Similar to this authors last novel I felt like it should be in the erotica category with how much we get sex scenes. I don’t mind having smut in the books, but I want more than that. I want to feel these characters love story. Beyond that I don’t love the way that the author refers to the female genitals, but that could definitely just be anything if you’re OK with the C word being used in basically every chapter, then you probably won’t have a problem with it, but I definitely felt that my enjoyment was hindered.

The one redeeming part of this book was the ADHD and ASD rep. However, this doesn’t come into play until the last 20% of the book and it would’ve loved to have more of it dispersed throughout, but I understand why it needed to be something that didn’t happen until towards the end of the book. As always, we get great representation from the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ Which is really great to see, and definitely adds to my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, I think that I am learning that this author just might not be for me the way that they describe certain things, and the fact that most books seem to be more sex based, than plot or relationship based. Again, this is just my honest opinion for my enjoyment but if these things sound like they would be good to you or the sound up your alley I would definitely recommend checking the book out. It does have a lot of great parts to it and I think that the author is doing good work I just think that the author is it for me.

New to me narrators but I had to give them a try because I loved this book!

They were great in bringing the story to life!

Even though this story involved quite a bit of sexual scenes and about halfway through I was concerned about where the story was headed, eventually, I realized it had a lot to do with learning about oneself. It also wrapped up nicely in the end.

Cleat Cute is a playful, funny, spicy, sports romance. I alternated between an E-ARC and ALC because I couldn’t read this book fast enough.

The book alternated between Phoebe and Grace’s point of view. I really enjoyed listening to the audio. The narrators did a great job of embodying the characters. I felt Phoebe’s bubbly energy, and Grace’s calm calculated approach.

grumpy x sunshine sapphic love story about two players on the women's national soccer team (one veteran, one rookie). i so wanted to love this, like i did wilsner's other books, but i just didn't. i honestly just didn't buy the relationship, as neither character was ever on the same page. yes, the steamy scenes were good, and there was some good representation for adhd/asd, as well as some good discussions about what identity can mean to different people, but ultimately the book felt too long for what it was.

*DNF at 45%*

Ugh, I'm so sad to say that this was just: not the book for me. Mistakes Were Made was one of my highly anticipated releases and one of my favorite reads of last year, so I think my hopes were a *tad* too high here. Third-person POV writing is already super confusing for my brain to process but coupled with HEAVY internal dialogue, tons of side characters, multiple soccer team names (that somehow all of the characters were playing on simultaneously?? Huh?? I know I don't know anything about soccer, but even to my uneducated brain, being on multiple teams at once sounds false??? I don't know and I'm too lazy to look it up), and multiple nicknames that get switched every other sentence....it was a lot.

I am nothing if not a raging pessimist 90% of the time so I'm going to lean into that for a second. I have ADHD so I talk a lot too, okay, but Phoebe was really giving me a run for my money. She shut up like maybe twice in the 45% I got through, and neither time was for long enough. Grace seemed way too mean, grumpy, and stubborn. (Like please, I am BEGGING you to lighten up.) She also kept complaining that she was "too old" and I truthfully don't remember if her age was mentioned, but if she was older than 25 I would be shocked. 25 is not old!!!

And we've reached two of my biggest complaints: the insta-lust and the spice. Grace went from "You're annoying, I don't want you flirting with me at all" to "Let me straddle you" in less than five seconds. HUH??? And look, I love spice. I eat it up. Not to mention, I LOVED the insta-lust and the spicy scenes in Mistakes Were Made, mainly because it was actually believable. But the spice in this book was just...so cringy to me because of the nicknames, Grace's attitude, and the over usage of the word "cunt."

I did read this alongside listening to the ALC, and that's what kept me from DNF'ing sooner. The narrators really held my interest because they did a great job embodying the characters' personalities. The narrator for Grace's character had the exact cadence and sort of monotone style of talking that I envisioned for her character, and Phoebe's narrator was equally as talented at portraying her talkative and aloof nature. But they could only redeem the characters for me for so long.

I look forward to checking out Wilsner's future work! But this book was sadly a huge miss for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/ St. Martin's Griffin, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this eARC and ALC in exchange for my review!

I was excited to read a sapphic soccer tale of opposites attract! It fell a bit flat for me though as it was repetitive in describing the same feelings/thoughts over and over. I was happy about the sexy times as too many sapphic romances either fade to black or don’t progress any further than a kiss. I’ll definitely check out this author’s next book!
*I did enjoy both narrators and appreciated that each character got their own voice!
**Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this review copy.

Cleat Cute is the newest novel by Meryl Wilsner and puts US Women’s soccer on the center stage. It follows a grumpy veteran player named Grace as she collides with a sunshine, up and coming rookie named Phoebe. When Grace is taken out of the game due to an untreated injury, Phoebe gets the chance to take her place on the world cup roster. Even though they are vying for the same spot, their chemistry is undeniable and they start a reluctant friends to a friends with benefits situation. With their new relationship comes complicated career choices and a good amount of sports drama. I enjoyed the ride and what the author was trying to accomplish but it was ultimately middle of the road for me in terms of a romance.

Things I Enjoyed: Whew this book has some amazing steamy scenes. Even though they start pretty early on in the book… boy were they hot. I really loved how Phoebe and Grace approached their sex life and their conversations about pleasure and how sex should just be about feeling good and not for one specific end goal. It was refreshing and really enjoyable to read about.

As Grace and Phoebe navigate their relationship, they also discover they both have some type of neurodivergence, with Phoebe having ADHD and Grace being somewhere on the Autism spectrum. Even though their personalities clashed and their brains worked differently when it came to relationships, they still managed to make their relationship work out in the end and it was sweet. They were just so sweet even though I wanted to shake them both sometimes.

Things I Didn't Enjoy: The pacing of this story is just something I am personally not a big fan of. Grace and Phoebe get together sexually very quickly but don’t actually commit to a relationship until much later on in the book. It was a little frustrating. Because the sex scenes happen so early on in the book, the second half of the book lacked tension. It mostly focused on Grace and Phoebe navigating their careers and attempting to overcome their flaws. It lacked any type of spark for me and that is why I settled on a 3 stars. As some other Goodreads reviewers have pointed out, this one also has so. much. internal. monologuing. It got annoying by the end.

In terms of the audiobook, which is how I read this one, I thought it was okay. I really loved the narrator for Phoebe but Grace's was a little hard to follow because her voice was much softer and harder to hear and distinguish. I don't think the audiobook is essential to read this book but it gets the job done.

I think this cute lesbian soccer romance could work for some people who don’t mind a friends with benefits plot with some seriously hot sex. If you also love romances that shift away from the main couple and go very deep into the characters lives and struggles, I’d recommend this one. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t a new favorite even though I did enjoy some aspects of it.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the Audiobook

This is my first book by Wilsner and man, was it a doozy! Grace and Phoebe are compelling as individual characters (I understand why the book has been compared to Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own!!), but the relationship that blooms between them is even more interesting. While I don’t personally see any real rivals-to-lovers trope in the text, the grumpy X sunshine dynamic was everything for me! Dana Varden and Zim Alvatrades bring the characters' internal and external dialogue to life, with all the snark, sarcasm, and passion each character embodies. I listened to the audiobook when I didn't have time to read by e-book copy, and it was easy to pick up and switch between the two formats.

A few things periodically pulled me out of the story (the miscommunication trope felt extremely overplayed and made me want to shake the characters, and I don’t *love* when characters engage in sex to avoid important conversations/discussing their feelings), but I loved more about it than I disliked! Wilsner makes soccer terminology accessible and not intimidating at all (you don’t have to know anything about the sport to enjoy the book!), and they focus more on the growth of our two main characters than the sport, itself. I only wish we had the opportunity to focus more on exploring Grace and Phoebe’s ADHD and autism diagnoses. It felt like an afterthought subplot by the end of the book, in my opinion.

Make no mistakes, though, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you like spice and sapphics and miscommunications GALORE, this book is for you! Wilsner delivers a book for romance lovers (and soccer fans, alike) to enjoy!

Cleat Cute is the latest release from Romance author, Meryl Wilsner. I have read all three of Wilsner's releases thus far and this one falls direct middle of the road for me.

In this story, we follow professional female soccer players, Phoebe Matthews and Grace Henderson. Grace is a veteran player, having played professionally since she was just a teen. While Phoebe is the hot new girl in the league, recently being called up after her stellar college career.

As a younger player, Phoebe grew up idolizing Grace Henderson, even hanging a poster of her over her bed. Now she is getting the chance to play with her; in her league. Phoebe can hardly believe this is her life. Moving from Idaho to New Orleans will be a big change for Phoebe, but she knows she can make it work.

Phoebe throws herself into her new life with her signature gregarious style. Grace, of a much more subdued nature, is a bit taken aback by the new girl. The more time she spends with Phoebe though, the more drawn to her she becomes. Over a series of increasingly personal encounters, the two women end up becoming friends. More specifically, friends with very incredibly hot benefits.

You then follow along with these women as they navigate their complicated friendship, as well as their equally complicated careers. Cleat Cute features a well-developed romance, with plenty of miscommunication causing tension and growth, however, for me, my reaction to it throughout was mixed.

There were moments I was completely invested and enjoying the topics that Wilsner was examining. Then something would happen that would turn me off completely. It always took a while after the turn off to become invested again.

Phoebe's character generally drove me a bit batty, but initially I felt like Grace was someone I could really get behind. Then there would be moments, where in order to provide a conflict, or miscommunication, it seemed like Grace's personality would completely change in order to make that feasible.

I just didn't like that aspect. I may be completely off base with this too, but to me it seemed like Grace was experienced and confident and then she would have these interactions with Phoebe that felt like she had never talked to another human before. It was strange. It was like the conflict needed to be there and we were going to make it happen no matter how out of place it seemed.

It was those types of situations that made it feel slightly inconsistent to me. By the end though, the characters had won me over and I was fully behind their new-found open communication and expression of tenderness.

There were also some discussions, particularly with Grace, who was grappling with a hip flexor injury, about where she wanted to go with her career. She was benched for a while during recovery and she had to decide if she wanted to step back into a lesser role when she returned. As a sports person, I enjoyed that, getting the chance to delve more into detail on Grace's thoughts and emotions regarding her career and responsibility to her team.

I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a steamy sapphic romance; extra points if you enjoy a sports romance. The audiobook was well narrated, so definitely recommend that as a format for as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I will continue to pick up Wilsner's new releases.

This book gave me all the feels in the best possible way.

Phoebe is on her way to the big-time in the women's soccer world when she meets her idol, Grace. She clings to her during the national team camp. Once they arrive back in New Orleans Phoebe and Grace open each other's eyes to the world and the reality of their lives.

Why this book is amazing:
~Dual Pov
~Age Gap
~Taking care of yourself
~Letting someone else take care of you
~Honesty
~Sapphic Romance

Thank you so much NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to arc listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a cute book! It tackles love, relationships, financial issues, and even mental health issues. Not only does it address these issues, but they’re covered in a judgement-free way. I love the diverse cast of characters, as well as the LGBT+ rep in not only the main love interests, but in many side characters as well.
The narrators were AMAZING and I loved listening to every second. It feels like the characters are actually real people, which I find rare in certain books. I cannot stress enough how much I recommend this book.
I’m excited to read more of Wisner’s work!

Phoebe Matthews dreams are coming true when she gets a spot on the US Women’s National Team, but to make things better she gets to play alongside her idol, Grace Henderson. The last thing Grace wants to do is make friends with her new teammate, but Phoebe quickly begins to see her as more than a friend after a kiss turns to hooking up. The feelings and chemistry between them only gets more complicated as they prepare for the World Cup with Grace trying to come back from an injury and Phoebe fighting for a spot on the World Cup team.

I’ve been really into sports romances lately, and this book hit the spot. I loved both Phoebe and Grace and wanted wins in their professional, personal and love lives. This book was so steamy and the chemistry between Grace and Phoebe was on fire. I also loved the soccer/team aspects of the story, as well as the New Orleans setting…the food descriptions left me wanting to book a trip ASAP. Of the books I’ve read by Meryl Wilsner, this is by far my favorite.

The audiobook was narrated by Dana Varden and Zim Avaltrades. Both are new to me narrators, and I really enjoyed how they brought this book and the characters to life. It was an audiobook I wanted to listen to all day. I will definitely be looking for more of their work!

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copies.

This was such a fun book. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the soccer team and the whole soccer world aspect, it was well done. Was it my favorite, no, sometimes did not feel right to me or just didn't do it for me. It was a cute story but the miscommunication was what threw it off for me. Also, the third person narration for me just didn't work as much in this book.

I really did enjoy the characters especially Phoebe, she was so fun, extravagant, loud and just super lovable. Grace on the other hand I didn't have much affection for, she fell really flat to me next to Phoebe. The spice was definitely nice between the two, but the love to me didn't feel realistic enough.

Overall, it was definitely a fun book to listen to and I was hooked, wanted to know what would happen. Just some aspects didn't hit it for me personally. I felt the narrator was also off sometimes and hard to follow.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio for my free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The characters in this book are great! I found Grace and Phoebe and their respective quirks very relatable. Their teammates and families were all simply fabulous. I especially liked Fish, Dallas, Teddy, and Grace’s dad. The little speech he gave her over the phone had me tearing up.

The audiobook is narrated by Dana Varden and Zim Avaltrades. I love that they had different narrators for Grace and Phoebe’s POV chapters. It added an extra layer to the listening experience. I especially appreciated the way Phoebe’s chaotic rambles were performed. The audiobook’s intro and exit music has sports new vibes. I thought it set the tone well.

Meryl Wilsner does it again. I have enjoyed two other novels by her ( Mistakes Were Made and Something To Talk About) and this one was just as enjoyable. She always has such great side characters and includes so many variations of the LGBTQ community. As a former soccer player, I loved the inclusions of pressure placed on athletes outside the field obligations and the toll it takes on them. The plot was outstanding. Phoebe and Grace are spectacular and balance each other so well. This wasn’t a complete grumpy/sunshine trope, more like reserved stoic/extroverted puppy. I loved every minute of the novel. I will be rereading this again and again.

I really struggled with this one...

In some ways, I did enjoy this - I always love a good sports romance and I enjoyed the premise of this book, but honestly, that was about it? The steam was good, too, but honestly I just didn't feel the chemistry between our two FMCs and the plot veered quite a bit at the halfway mark that just didn't make sense to me. I enjoyed the neurodivergent rep, but the introduction of this just seemed really out of left field. I also didn't really like either of our main characters? Idk, sadly this just wasn't for me :(

Rating: 2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this badass audio ARC.

Here we go on review #100!!!!

I loved this story! I adored Phoebe and Grace. Phoebe is truly a force to be reckon with. The narrators, Dana Varden and Zim Avaltrades were a delight in their storytelling.

My only grievance is “good girl, baby girl”. Grown ass women do NOT need to be referred to as girl. How about “wow woman” and “sexy lady”?

This was my first Meryl Wilsner read and it won’t be my last!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

Grace and Phoebe are total opposites: Grace is the veteran, grumpy, soccer star team captain, and Phoebe is bubbly, ambitious and fresh to the pro world.

While the miscommunication in this book may be frustrating for some, it made complete sense for these two.

I loved the diversity in this book, especially with the main characters. It wasn’t a main focus, but they were both neurodivergent, Phoebe with ADHD (making her chapters a little chaotic) and Grace most likely on the Autism spectrum.

My hesitation giving this 5⭐️ is just small things that bugged me - the nickname “baby girl” just creeps me out, and all the characters (main and sides) had so many nicknames. This was especially confusing since it’s written in 3rd person POV.

As for the audiobook, I enjoyed one narrator and not so much the other one unfortunately.

What you’ll find in Cleat Cute:
⚽️ Opposites attract
⚽️ Sapphic romance (FF)
⚽️ Soccer - Captain & Rookie
⚽️ Friends with benefits
⚽️ Grumpy sunshine
⚽️ LGBTQ+
⚽️ Neurodiverse MCs
⚽️ No 3rd act breakup
⚽️ Dual POV/3rd person

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies to review. All opinions are my own!