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: 6.42

60 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

dms
Apr 20, 2026
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.
tcjohnson
Nov 28, 2025
6/10 stars
If you like Ted Lasso and lesbians, you'll love this. Pretty basic, easy read. Spicy...
Gias_BookHaven
Oct 01, 2024
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
Jul 18, 2024
6/10 stars
Grace is annoying.
I wouldn't have had the patience.
brittshank91
Mar 25, 2024
10/10 stars
Predictable, but in a cute way. A good page-turner if you’re needing a quick read that will make your heart warm. The character progression and evolution alone is worth the read.

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