Cleat Cute

By Meryl Wilsner

* USA TODAY BESTSELLER *

A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.


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.

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Published Sep 19, 2023

336 pages

Average rating: 6.45

67 RATINGS

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BOOK TALK

Community Reviews

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Isle_of_Alexis
10/10 stars
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.
dms
dms
8/10 stars
I feel like you get what you expect with this book. The romance scenes are really well written, and I loved diving into the world of female professional sports. It isn't something I have a lot of knowledge in, but I'll always be down to watch the USWNT every Olympics and World Cup season. I'd actually first added this book to my TBR list when I heard that Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird where going to produce a series based of this book! Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would read from this author again.
T
tcjohnson
6/10 stars
If you like Ted Lasso and lesbians, you'll love this. Pretty basic, easy read. Spicy...
Gias_BookHaven
Gias_BookHaven
8/10 stars
Cleat Cute is officially my first sports center book( I think). It was a fun read; I found my personality most matched Grace's character. And Phoebe's character was lovable. Especially since she was so open and down to earth. 

I liked the ending but felt my rating slipped from 4 stars to 3.75 because of how the discussion of ADHD came out of nowhere around the 80% mark. Yes, I could see it and tell her character had it but it wasn't a big deal in my eyes for it to be a critical aspect of the story.

The star of this book was Grace as he character changed the most as being with Phoebe held ease her out of shell more.   
Shahna
Shahna
6/10 stars
Grace is annoying.
I wouldn't have had the patience.

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