Cleat Cute

Product Information

all in all at the end of the day there doesnt seem to be an actual plot to this book, its more bad fan fiction than anything?

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. ** 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. 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. Phoebe hurls herself into the plastic chair beside her brother and looks at her phone. It’s a Chicago number.

Because of the book’s focus on the internal worlds of these two women, there is little in the way of external obstacles or conflict when it comes to the plot. Grace and Phoebe mainly struggle with their own self-doubts and existential turmoil, issues many readers can relate to. Though set in the exciting world of women’s soccer, the characters' journeys are fairly ordinary, and surprisingly moving. Both Phoebe and Grace set out from nearly right at the beginning that they’re going to be friends with benefits. I felt like the “rivals” part was missing mostly. I also felt like they got together so fast for something marketed as “rivals.” 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 love how this book is quite spicy, and even though Phoebe and Grace don’t officially get together right away, their relationship heats up right from the get-go. I typically prefer slow-burn romances, but I discovered that I love Wilsner’s fast-burns with “Mistakes Were Made”, and I’m here for the ride. Please write and publish these books faster! 🥺

I absolutely adore their writing style. The book is told in close third person, and some of the author’s thoughts and ways of saying things are downright hilarious–even when the scene itself isn’t meant to be funny. Over a series of increasingly personal encounters, the two women end up becoming friends. More specifically, friends with very incredibly hot benefits. As usual, Wilsner juggles a variety of identities and life circumstances with ease, flowing them naturally into the plot and characterization of the main cast and supporting characters. The world feels well-rounded and fully descriptive. And the sex scenes--scorching, unsurprisingly, as well as touching and enlightening. The conversation around ADHD happened a lot later than I expected—because like Grace, I definitely thought Phoebe was already diagnosed—but I really liked it and how the conversation helped their relationship grow as well. Grace’s potential autism diagnosis also wasn’t really discussed, besides a throwaway comment about learning more about it later (which we never witnessed). I’m more interested in both of these things than soccer, so I would’ve liked the story to develop them deeper. Even though they have this arrangement and are friends and teammates, this book is RIDDLED with miscommunication. At every possible turn, the two of them use sex to distract each other for forming a deeper connection. At one point one of them thought they were in an exclusive relationship, and the other didn’t even know 🤦🏻‍♀️

Featured Reviews

Grace Henderson made her first appearance for the US national team when she was 16. At 18 she was playing for Leon in France one of the top women’s soccer (football) teams in the world. Now at 26 she is the face of the US national team, captain of her club team in New Orleans and one of the most famous soccer players in the world. She is also starting to get a little tired of all of the uproar, and when not playing prefers to spend her time on the front porch of her house, alone, except for her cat. She likes things quiet, peaceful and steady. She hasn’t dated regularly in 4 years.

These two very different women are on a collision course that will make both of their lives interesting and a lot more enjoyable. Mistakes Were Made is an absolute delight, both undeniably sexy and incredibly sweet. The story overflows with warmth, friendship, and humor, and Wilsner skillfully ensures that even when Cassie and Erin make their mistakes - big ones - those mistakes are human and understandable. I was rooting for their happy ending the whole time, and when it arrived, I cried happy tears. I think readers will adore this story, and for good reason." - Olivia Dade, author of Spoiler Alert It’s because it’s an equal bet,” Phoebe says, then admits, “Or, well, it can be because of two things.” 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.

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I would recommend this for any romance reader that likes a bit of sports and teamwork in a story. And passion, because that’s included as well as an hea. 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. 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. 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 friends with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival.

Moving on. This book is a mess because I could not tell you the time frame that it takes place over. They start out in a training camp and then then they're in New Orleans and then they're starting for one team but then there's so many discussions of playing world cup or nationals or whatever and as someone who is not a sportsball person, I was so confused the entire time because there's no underlying explanation of the fact that these are different teams. There are people that are in the training camp that are not in New Orleans and then there are people that are in the Nationals that are not in either and then some are in all of them and without a freaking flow chart of which teammate belongs to which team and where each team is located I was lost. The teammates also all blend together. I know that there's a couple with the baby, there's the asshole ex-girlfriend, and there's a non-binary goalie but that's it. I couldn't tell you what their names are or what they look like or anything about them. All of the teammates could have been either not existent or replaced and it wouldn't have made a difference. That's how little character development there is. Wilsner is such a fun author to follow, because their debut was the slowest of the slow burns, and then bam, their followup was the spiciest of the spicy (within trad pub contemporary romance), and so Cleat Cute really could’ve gone either way… and gives a great compromise by making you think it’s gonna be the former and then. Whew. You will know it when you see it, and you will like it." - Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, "September 2023 Queer Romances"

Meryl Wilsner

this book is literally repetitive internal monologue, soccer, miscommunication and sex (which this is arguably the only likable thing about this book). All right all right all right let me set the scene. We have Phoebe Matthews who is a rookie and has just been drafted for some level of professional soccer playing. Do I understand what level? Absolutely not because they switch between code names for these different teams so many times and have so many teammates but that's a different section. Phoebe starts and she is overeager and chaotic and loud and oh yeah, she absolutely idolizes one of her teammates Grace. Grace despite only being 26 has been playing professionally for 10 years and Phoebe has a massive crush on her. Grace finds Phoebe annoying to start with but she doesn't dislike her. She respects her skills and even though she wishes she would be on time and that she would shut up every once in awhile, there's no active dislike. Even knowing that they play the same position and Phoebe could replace Grace, that's never an actual serious contender of a situation for it to qualify as a rival situation.