I blazed through this book when I received an ARC not putting it down until I finished. My original review is below. Listening to the audio book Narrated by Dana Varden and Zim Avaltrades is entertaining. It got me to slow down and re-experience a really enjoyable story. I’m still blown away by Grace and Phoebe. The careful way Wilsner reveals these characters, especially through their thought processes and reactions is masterful. I think the first time through I was focused on the storyline and keeping nicknames straight. But this time I enjoyed the flirting, nuanced sharing, and the energy they bring to their differing challenges. And of course who doesn’t love a soccer sports romance in a World Cup year. I know I will be reading and/or listening to this again.

I am thrilled to have received an ARC of Cleat Cute written by Meryl Wilsner. Her last book, Mistakes Were Made is one of my favorite books from 2022. Cleat Cute is a workplace/sports romance set in the world of women’s professional soccer. Phoebe Matthews (22) is fresh from her small college and is a first round draft pick for a pro team in New Orleans. Before arriving there she is invited to work out with the US Women’s National Team as they are preparing for a World Cup Season. At the work out she meets her idol and National Team star Grace Henderson. Grace has played for the US National Team for ten years. She is only 26, but started playing professionally at 16. She played previously for Lyons and is currently the captain of the team in New Orleans.

Both Phoebe and Grace love the game and it is where they are their best selves. When Phoebe arrives to New Orleans a week before training begins she gets Grace to work out with her and show her some local sites. These two are delightful opposites. Phoebe is loud, impulsive, joking and flirty. Graces is quiet and careful. And yet they are attracted to each other.

There are major miscommunications as they navigate their relationship. And it doesn’t help that they are vying for similar spots on the team(s). Wilsner carefully shows the reader undiagnosed ADHD and neruodivergent representation. I had a harder time understanding these characters, so it was a slower start for me. But I was drawn into the story and didn’t put my book down till I finished well after 1am. I think the only thing missing for me was a little more exploration of Grace’s discovery and what that means for her. I will add that I’m not fond of the use of “baby girl” as an endearment. But that is a personal preference and I don’t mark down for the usage.

I highly recommend this book. I don’t have the same level of love for it as I do for Mistakes Were Made. But the author delivers a fun romance with memorable main and side characters. Put me down for whatever Wilsner writes next.

📖 🎧 Writing &/or Audio Style : I started off reading this novel in written form. As Soon as I realized it was written in 3rd person I knew that if so wanted to complete the read by release day, than I needed audio, so I switched very quickly. Unfortunately I just read 3rd super slowly. Due to this, I don’t read a ton of 3rd person but another unique feature of this novel was how much people’s names were said. I don’t don’t believe other 3rd person stories I’ve read have been quite like this. The only thing I can think of was because this story is sapphic maybe it’s harder to keep who is thinking what clear when there are two FMCs. Regardless I found it pretty offputting.

👥 Characters & Relationships:
🚨This one section has possible spoilers🚨
Generally speaking I found the characters interesting and I was definitely rooting for them. That said I still find myself hung up Grace. Like were we supposed to know she was autistic? I don’t recall it being mentioned in the plot ever but her “behaviors” as well as promotional “trope” graphics mention autism. I’m SO CONFUSED. I loved the secondary team characters a lot.

⁉️Plot, Intrigue & Logic: I enjoyed the over arching plot, I loved the sports universe we were set into. The past experiences that the characters had that impacted their current behavior. All of that worked for me. That said there is a “lack of communication” that sets off the final 1/3rd of the book and honestly while it DID make for a cute ending, listening to these two interaction in the last 1/3rd of the book was painful.

🏞️Atmosphere & Setting: I loved the sports setting, and atmosphere of that world. The story was further set in New Orleans though I’ve never been and my brain struggled a bit to keep the locale.

🥰Enjoyment: Despite this semi critical review, I really did enjoy this story. Phoebe was great, I just needed a bit more from Grace and I need these two lovesick fools to talk to one another. If you asked me to pick a Meryl Wilsner Novel to recommend, I would probably choose mistakes were made.

🚨 For Reader Awareness: Undiagnosed ADHD and some of the micro aggressive commentary that comes with that.

📣Recommended for fans of: Sapphic romances, especially set in sports environment.

By 10% into this, I wanted to DNF. I held off because I thought it was due to the audio narrator and because I was buddy-reading this with a friend. It was a mistake. I should have DNF'd. Instead, I hate read it in one day.

Cleat Cute is one of the least accurately marketed books I have ever read. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, that makes this book a rivals to lovers. Grace is Pheobe's idol. She has photos of her on her bedroom wall. They are on the same team. Also, if you tell me this is a mix of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, I better get wholesome, witty, and intelligent, with great dialogue. Sadly, I did not get any of this.

The neurodiversity of the characters was poorly executed, at least in my opinion. There are hints that both main characters are neurodivergent, but it is not the focus until the last third. This subplot lacked cohesiveness.

I didn't have any feelings for either character, resulting in me not caring about their relationship. For two people who discussed their sexual relationship with ease, there was an excessive amount of miscommunication. They never talked about anything real. When things needed to be said, they had sex instead. Usually, at the end of the romcom, I walk away with that Happily Ever After feeling. I did not have that here. I would be shocked if this couple lasted. The inner monologue of both characters is exhausting. The dialogue was cringey and repetitive. The only thing I liked about them was the spice.

As a side note, skip this book if you are repulsed by the C word (See You Next Tuesday). The word doesn't bother me, but I thought it was overused.

I listen to a ton of audiobooks, and I can handle all sorts of narrators. I cannot explain why, but one of the narrators really grated on me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cleat Cute is lighthearted, funny, and heartwarming. I loved how the Grace and Phoebe brought out the best in each other and how they taught one another how to be true to who they are and what they value as individuals. I appreciated the diversity of gender/sexuality and mental illness represented through many characters in this novel, they were all so well written. I wasn’t crazy about the audio narrator for Phoebe at times, but otherwise the audiobook was enjoyable!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen/review!

I’ve read a few of Wilsner’s titles now, and while Mistakes Were Made is still one of my top reads of last year, I struggled with the beginnings of this one and the other. They were tough to get into the storylines and I felt this particular book was too much focused on soccer and not about building up the relationships… at first.

The second half of this book was much better (but the whole way through it was extremely steamy), after the initial days with the soccer team were behind them and it really got into the relationship and the personal struggles they each had to face - then it got very good! I’m glad I stuck with it.

Like the first book of theirs that I read, it was worth sticking to it. The second book was brilliant the entire way through. I had very high hopes for this book because of how incredible the last release was, and the second half lived up to that.. If you can get beyond the first half and stick with it to the very good second half when the real meat of the book starts, you know they (Meryl Wilsner) are an excellent author and you’re in for a great sapphic romance novel! National Team teammates Grace, the team Captain, and rookie Phoebe are a love for the ages!

For the audio - I did have to give up on the audio version and go strictly to the ebook halfway because I couldn’t focus on it - the narration wasn’t holding my attention. This is not a problem I normally have, being a 15-year audio person! It’s not that they weren’t doing a good job, and I appreciate that there were two narrators, but it felt like they were speaking too slow, no matter what speed I made it, and that might have been part of my problem with the first half.

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest feedback.

4 Stars

This was exactly the story I wanted AND NEEDED post Women’s World Cup. The sports romance, the teammate romance, the rookie vs veteran romance, the opposites attract, ugh ITS ALL SO GOOD!

Phoebe is a hurricane of light and fun and enthusiasm. Grace is organized and inspiring yet drowning under the pressure her celebrity requires. You would think they wouldn’t work, yet they do!

What starts out as friends with benefits, turns into a heartwarming g story of growth and learning to trust someone to hold you up through life and I was all about this gorgeously told sapphic soccer romance. All of my Tobin Heath/Christen Press fangirling basically lived for this book. OH AND LET ME TELL YOU, THE SPICE WAS SPICING.

My only complaint? That this story could easily be a series or even a longer standalone. I didn’t want to leave the world and this relationship. It felt as though the ending was too quick and satisfying enough, but I would have loved more.

I highly recommend, especially on audio if you have a chance!

I was really excited for this book. I love sapphic romance and seeing diversity in books. I was looking forward to reading about a character who also has ADHD and possibly being able to relate to her. This did not happen. Before I dive into my review here’s a quick synopsis.
Grace Henderson has been the star of the Women’s national team for 10 years. This title becomes jeopardized after an injury that leaves her benched. To take her place is Phoebe Matthews.
Phoebe is a hyperactive minimally self aware soccer player who just landed her spot in the Women’s national team. Upon moving to the teams location, she meets Grace who she has been idolizing for years. She instantly developed feelings for her. Feelings that take Grace some time to catch up to.
The two have to figure out their relationship as well as their places on the team while staying true to what they actually want from the lives they’re leading.

Review:
Let’s start with the good.
1. there’s a ton of representation and diverse characters.
2. It’s sapphic.
3. There is soccer. (I know nothing about soccer).

Needless to say I did not like this book. I found Phoebe’s ADHD to be over exaggerated to the point where it was her main characteristic. I have never met anyone with ADHD who spoke or behaved like she did (I have many friends with this disorder). She was also just a truly obnoxious character.
I didn’t like Grace either. I found her to be judgmental and her thoughts tended to contradict each other. For example, she would be complaining about how Phoebe is too much for her and basically that she’s annoying, then in the very next sentence she would be saying that Phoebe is the most quirky adorable person ever… you literally just said she’s too much for you and now you want to kiss her? That was confusing and made me not trust Grace as a person.
The sex scenes also felt very stilted. The dirty talk did not feel right and I hated when Phoebe said “baby girl”. Instant ick.
This book was marketed as enemies to lovers but they were never enemies. Grace sort of disliked Phoebe but then got over it in a couple chapters. They hooked up very quickly and started a relationship. That’s not enemies to lovers. Not even a little bit.
One last thing and it’s a spoiler so skip this if you don’t want to know…
Grace made a doctors appointments for Phoebe to get diagnosed for ADHD… without her consent… and Phoebe thought that was romantic and sweet… I hated that so much I cannot properly express it with words. It was an incredibly invasive thing for someone who has known another person for A MONTH to do.
This couple is not it. They don’t mesh well and I think they are more physically attracted to each other than anything else. It’s a hard no for me. *face palms into the next century*

1/5 ⭐️

I won't be rating this audiobook because I couldn't finish it. I am switching to the e-book because the narrator for Pheobe is very hard for me to listen to. I have found myself cringing and wanting to speed up the audiobook during her chapters. To give the book a fair chance, I am switching formats.

📖 Grace Henderson is a soccer star, playing on the US Women's National Team since the age of 16! She's serious, structured, and all business. When newcomer, Pheobe Matthews, gets a spot on the team, it doesn't take long to see she's Grace's complete opposite. She's wild, loud, and a bit all over the place. And Grace is her idol!

After spending more time together and recognizing a mutual attraction, Grace and Pheobe start a FWB relationship, Though as their feelings are becoming stronger, it's all put to the test when Grace is sidelined from an injury and Pheobe takes her spot.

💭 This was a cute, fun, SUUUUPER spicy sapphic romcom with YA vibes. If it weren't for the spice, i would be convinced this was YA due to the writing and characterization. The steamy scenes were hot, and the opposites attract romance was pretty swoony. It also had some great neurodivergent rep and a wonderfully diverse cast. Overall, it was good, but didn't knock my socks off. There was a LOT of inner monologue, and I'm afraid it was mismarketed as a rivals to lovers (the rivalry is very minor). The narration was good, but I felt more drawn to one of the character's narration than the other.

I'd still recommend for folks who crave a YA ish spicy sapphic romcom.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy!

Review will be posted to my IG in the coming days.

Honestly I really wanted to like this but unfortunately I didn't. I almost didn't finish it, but I wanted to be able to give it a chance to maybe pick up in the end. I was wrong. It never got better. I hardly ever leave negative reviews but since this is for an ARC i feel I need to be honest. The writing felt lacking and ultimately fell short. The story idea was good but not well executed. I was drawn into the cover and then read the blurb which sounded nice. But overall it just wasn't a good story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of release in exchange for my opinion.

Title: Cleat Cute 9/19/23, finished 9/16/23

Author: Meryl Wilsner

Format: audiobook

Narrator: Dana Varden, Zim Avaitrades. Both are distinctive and embody the heroines' personalities.

Run time: 10:53

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

🌟Brief Summary: Grace has been on the U.S. Women's National Team for 10 years. Plagued with pain and a leg injury, she is forced to give Phoebe, a talkative class clown and newbie, her spot. As captain she helps her with her game, they work out together, and sparks fly. Grace is not one to live publicly, so can she keep her position and personal life secret?



‼️Rating ‼️: 4/4.5

What I Liked/Loved: Great sapphic romance, age gap, sports romance tropes. Grace and Phoebe, H&M, and Fish are the standout characters for me. With an honorable mention to Harmony, Grace's sister who is a lot like Phoebe.

Things I DIDNT Like: Grace seemed so much older than 26. How she talked slower and just seemed not willing to accept the new world of social media. Phoebe also seemed a dipsy at times and not someone who would interest Grace.


🦸‍♀️ Heroine: Grace Henderson, 26 soccer player for 10 years. Has endorsements, commercials, fame. She's lost joy in playing, a loner.

🦸‍♀️ Heroine: Phoebe Matthews, 22 works at Planet Fitness but gets a chance to join New Orleans roster. Very gregarious and playful.

💭 POV: both h's

🔥 Burn Rate: 4/5

😡/😍 Angst level: 4/5

❤️‍🔥Sexy times & Descriptive sex: yes, multiple scenes.

🌓Push/Pull: they want to keep things casual, friends w/ benefits but both catch feelings.

☠️ OW/OM Drama: Grace's ex Kelsey (another player) was using her to make the team.

🤬 Cheating: no.

⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup: Both spend time w/ their families, Grace has a heart-to-heart w/ her father who gives her permission to be who she is.

Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️: h has ADHD, top surgery mentioned.

🌈Epilogue: yes, Phoebe's 1st World Cup.

🥂HEA: yes, both say I love you

I devoured this one super quickly and though this book was cotton candy sweet, but I think that comparing it to Ted Lasso was a mistake. Ted Lasso has a lot of goofy nuance but centers both the sport and the team. Bend it Like Beckham is a much fairer comparison here because we get a TON of nuance into the minds of our leads, Phoebe (champagne-bubbly and new to playing with the US Women's National team) and Grace (injured veteran star to the team, SUPER in her head about the impact aging has on her body).

There's a grumpy/sunshine element at work here, but it fades pretty fast in favor a super steamy locker room sexy scene and a LOT more sex scenes that follow.

Ultimately, the meat and potatoes of the story focuses on Phoebe's need to prove herself and Grace refusing to acknowledge her own injury and making up reasons not to address it (mostly, what her parents have sacrificed for her to get where she is).

This was a pretty serviceable, cute romance. I did find constantly existing in the heads of these two characters to be pretty agonizing and I don't think there was a TON of plot to sink my teeth into, but I had a lot of fun here. Super fluffy and fun and I went and picked up Meryl Wilsner's other titles after putting this one down!

A sweet, fun, flirty but also sexy sapphic romance! This is my first book by Meryl Wilsner and I can’t wait to read her other books. I just loved all the vibes of this book from the personalities of the characters, to the dynamic of a romance between 2 professional players and all the soccer content throughout it all! Keep in mind this book is written in 3rd person BUT it is dual POV. The audiobook is also a dual narration and is what completely made this whole book so enjoyable for me!! If 3rd person isn’t for you, I highly recommend listening to this one!

⚽️Sapphic Romance
⚽️Sports-Soccer
⚽️Grumpy/Sunshine
⚽️Childhood Idol
⚽️Neurodivergent Rep
⚽️No 3rd act break up
⚽️3rd person
⚽️2/5 for spice

Phoebe and Grace are two professional soccer players who end up on the same team and the chemistry is apparent from the start despite their complete opposite personalities. Grace is a famous soccer star who has been playing professionally since she was a teen while Phoebe is a rookie who is now getting called up to the national team on the same team as her. The build up of their dynamic was so well developed and had me hooked into their characters as they began spending more time together on and off the field. They become a friends with benefits situation and that spice between them was just fantastic!! There are only a few spicy scenes but the ones it had sure had me wishing there was more as Meryl just knows how to write spice in sapphic romance!!

Overall, the relationship between Grace and Phoebe felt so realistic and was also entertaining. It is one of those sports romances that will have you swooning while also making you want to watch soccer!

🎧The audiobook of Cleat Cute is a duel narration and was incredibly well performed! Both Dana Varden & Zim Alaltrades were new to me narrators but had such pleasing voices that fit each of their characters perfectly! Phoebe’s narrator had a higher pitch and upbeat tone which matched her personality in the story while Grace’s voices was a more reserved tone which fit the vibes of her character as well. They both just brought this story to life with the different pitch changes and tones that they displayed with their voices. Overall, even though this book was written in 3rd person, the audiobook completely made me feel like it was in first person due to the dual narration which I LOVED!! Definitely recommend this one on audio!

*Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audibook arc in exchange for an honest review.
I genuinely really loved this book. The miscommunication between main characters could have been such an issue and I was dreading having to sit through yet another miscommunication trope for the sake of not knowing what else to write, but thank goodness this is not that! This book shows what clear communication can do for a relationship!
The spice was 🌶️🔥 really there! Fade to black who? But genuinely, the chemistry between these characters was there and and I could feel it. I definitely blushed a few times.
I know little-to-nothing about soccer but all of the soccer talk was done in a way that made sense and didn’t take me out of the story.

3.5 stars.

I absolutely love Meryl Wilsner's last book "Mistakes Were Made," so I was very much looking forward to "Cleat Cute." This book is good, but not as great as her last effort. There are many things to love here. I adored the various different LGBTQIA2S+ representations. I liked the slow-evolving relationship between the main characters, Phoebe and Grace, though I did think some of their interactions felt a little contrived and/or unnatural despite their obvious growing feelings and attractions towards one another. Their grumpy/sunshine, rivals-to-lovers relationship is convincing and engaging. I loved the ADHD/neurodivergent representation, but I hated when Grace made a doctor's appointment for Phoebe without her permission. It felt like an overstep to me! I certainly loooooved the spice and dirty talk. Whoooooweeee, Meryl Wilsner knows how to write a spicy scene! *pantpantpant* And also, the consent element was sooo hot. I love when authors clearly and distinctly lay out consent on the page! That is SO important to me (and to many other reader, I'm sure). Wilsner's writing style includes a lot of fun via a typically fast-moving narrative, though this time around, I felt that the story dragged at times. I zoned out here and there while the soccer practices and games were going on, so I had to back up the audiobook to see if I missed anything critical. I think there could have been more individual character development for both Phoebe and Grace. "Mistakes Were Made" was just *so* scandalous that I couldn't stop reading it. That appears to be attempted here since Grace and Phoebe are soccer teammates who don't want to tell anyone they are hooking up, but it didn't have the same punch to the gut as Wilsner's last book. This is a solid book, one I think most people will really enjoy. I especially loved reading this book on audiobook because Dana Varden and Zim Avaltrades give two terrific voiceover performances and bring these characters to life in an authentic, interesting way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meryl Wilsner, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I adored Grace and Phoebe. Frankly, I enjoyed the side characters a lot too, and I wish I saw more of them sometimes. The miscommunications were so much due to the way each of their brains worked and that they didn't know they had issues that could be supported with therapy and meds. Enjoyable saphhic romcom, extra spice.

Phoebe is new on the national soccer team. She has idolized Grace for years, even having a poster of Grace in her bedroom. Grace has been playing professionally on the national team for ten years and takes her job very seriously, while Phoebe plays soccer for pure joy. Grace and Phoebe decide to become friends with benefits, but can they stay that way, or will they want more?

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book where Phoebe and Grace are just starting to get to know each other. However, as the book went on, I didn’t feel a connection to either Phoebe or Grace as characters, which is disappointing because I loved Wilsner’s character development in “Mistakes Were Made.” I also didn’t like how Phoebe and Grace used intimacy to avoid talking about things in their relationship. However, I did enjoy the neurodivergent representation in the book as well as the sports parts of the book. If you are looking for a spicy sapphic sports romance this one is definitely for you!

Soccer, Spice & Swoony Romance!

We follow Grace and Phoebe - both soccer superstars who have dreamed of playing professionally since they were little. Now that their dreams have come true things are heating up both on and off the field leading up to the World Cup!

Cleat Cute is full of friendship, teamwork, sportsmanship, love, loss, laughter, heartbreak and everything in between!

Fun read -though the third person narration took me a bit out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

I have a major crush on one of Meryl Wilsner's previous characters (hello Erin from Mistakes Were Made!), so I was really looking forward to finding out what the characters were like in Cleat Cute, their newest book.

Let's start here:
Overall, I found myself not fully connecting to this story. Somehow it felt like I was reading the book through a glass of water, and although it was fine, I just didn't love it how I was expecting to. There were some choices Wilsner made stylistically that removed me from the story - more telling than showing – keeping me from fully engaging with the steam and the characters. I also had some issues with the neurodivergent representation and this part of the story didn’t feel completely resolved by the ending.

And finish on a positive note:
Both Grace and Phoebe have such different tones, helping differentiate between both main characters. Dual points of view and audiobook narrators also helped. Grace is more the type-A, no nonsense, all business type; she's determined and strives for perfection and making others happy. Phoebe is the complete opposite. She's fun, bubbly and full of energy; always the class clown and loves making others laugh. Grace is the one to text in full sentences and only use periods where Phoebe is full on abbreviations and emojis. I enjoyed the fun grumpy/sunshine vibes!

Also:
It took me an embarrassing long time to realize just how much I connect and relate with Grace! But once I got to that point, I found myself nodding along with so much of her home-body, routine and structured runaway thoughts!

Finally:
This is a sporty steamy sapphic wrapped in a gorgeous cotton candy cover!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read, listen to and review.

When a hip injury sidelines soccer star Grace from the US Women's National Team, spirited newcomer Phoebe takes her place. The two form an unexpected bond that soon blossoms into romance. But with the World Cup approaching, they must find a way to play together both on and off the field amid their clashing perspectives on relationships.

What a wonderful book! Grace and Phoebe are very different people, and it's their physical attraction that draws them together at first. But they're unfailingly kind and respectful to each other, and their complementary strengths make them a solid couple. This audiobook is a smart, steamy, heartwarming, and entertaining romance, and the narration is well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.