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. 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.Phoebe Matthews has always admired Grace’s skill and was star struck to be training alongside her idol. But she quickly finds herself looking at Grace as more than a mere teammate. After one daring kiss, she’s hooked. Grace is everything she has been waiting to find.As the World Cup approaches, and Grace works her way back from injury, the women decide to find a way they can play together instead of vying for the same position. Except, when they are off the field, Grace is worried she’s catching feelings while Phoebe thinks they are dating. As the tension between them grows, will both players realize they care more about their relationship than making the roster?
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This was a cute, sweet, spicy sapphic soccer romance. And I loved it. There was such an easy flow to the book that kept me invested and kept me reading. I enjoyed the two main characters and the differences between them. I've seen it referred to as enemies to lovers, but I don't totally get that vibe.
0I knew going into this book that I would love it as I love Meryl Wilsner's writing. But GOSH, Cleat Cute was so freaking good. Phoebe and Grace were such good characters that were passionate about two things, soccer and each other. This book filled the sapphic whole I had in my heart. This book was so fun and I loved every minute of Grace and Phoebe's story. I loved the grumpy x sunshine in this book, it fit their characters so well. I loved reading about their growth as individuals but also as a couple. Grace and Phoebe learned a lot about themselves and their passions. I appreciated that there were mentions of undiagnosed ADHD and autism in adults, and discussions of the struggles of being diagnosed as adults. I loved the friendships we saw throughout the book, between Grace and Phoebe and the friendships they had with their teammates. I also appreciated the lack of third act breakup, while there were conflicts throughout the book, there wasn't a breakup. It showed how they valued communication in their relationship no matter how hard or uncomfortable it might have been. I really love Meryl Wilsner's writing and their characters. They do such a good job writing characters with great depth to them, while also showing how emotions and seriousness are not bad traits to have in characters. I loved this book so much and will not stop recommending it to anyone that's close to me.
Huge thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
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