Anyone who knows me knows that there are three things I love most in the world: lesbians, books, and sports. If you put the three together, I’ll be sat every time. It was that premise that led me to pick up Meryl Wilsners rivals-to-lovers sapphic novel, Cleat Cute.
Equal parts swoony and sexy, Cleat Cute follows the growing relationship between Grace Henderson and Phoebe Matthews; two professional soccer players set on making the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team roster. Although the women play for the same team, their similarities end there. Grace is the stern and focused long-time veteran, while Phoebe is the bold and talented newcomer. Despite their ever-clashing personalities, run-ins with injuries, and (less-than) friendly competitions and bets, the two women manage to find common ground in their respective love and passion for playing soccer. As the tension between them grows, their priorities are forced into question. What is more important: making the roster, or falling in love?
This was my first Meryl Wilsner novel, and it was certainly full of both hits and misses. Arguably, the best part of the book was the dynamic between the love interests. It’s a classic case of opposites attract with both women providing balance to certain aspects of the others personality; Phoebe is loud where Grace is quiet, Grace is serious where Phoebe is carefree, etc. They play off each other well, which worked to build a relationship that I had a great time reading about as it evolved. From start to finish, the chemistry between them was palpable. It spilled over very nicely into the sex scenes, which were incredibly well done. Even as someone who prefers less spicy books, I enjoyed those scenes a lot. The focus was on intimacy, emphasizing pleasure and comfortability during sex, which I found very refreshing. Moreover, the individual characterization of both women was something that I really liked. They could have easily become caricatures of an overused rom-com trope, but instead they were given layers. Their lives, struggles, and respective journeys to the USWS team looked different, yet they are both held in the same esteem. They are both fully formed three-dimensional characters with goals, ambition, and importance, outside of their relationship.
I also appreciated the representation that came with the discussion surrounding both ADHD and Autism, although I think it could have been written a bit better: in the latter half of the novel, Grace begins to notice signs of ADHD in Phoebe, and takes it upon herself to make her own diagnosis. Not only did it not go over well in the novel, but I personally found it to be troubling. As far as the discussion of Autism, it was sort of just brushed over, which was a bummer, because I would have loved more.
On the other hand, despite the novel being promoted as a rivals-to-lovers story, I never felt as though there was any sort of strong rivalry between the women. Sure, they were both fighting for a spot on the same roster, but I did not get the sense that it was a situation in which they were going head-to-head. If anything, the rivalry seemed to only exist in Graces head, stemming from insecurities surrounding her injury. Even so, calling it rivals-to-lovers seems a bit presumptuous considering the rivals become friends with benefits fairly quickly into the story. Furthermore, the blurb on the back of the book suggests there is a major miscommunication that occurs between the love interests. I waited for it, and I waited for it, and I kept waiting for it until it finally arrived in the last few chapters of the book. It happens so late that it felt almost secondary to the plot, which left me a bit confused by the narrative structure of the novel. In my opinion, introducing a big miscommunication with only 70 pages left of the book can only lead to rushed resolution and unnecessary plot points (which it did). I should also mention that though I didn’t bother me as much as it did for other readers, there is quite a bit of internal monologuing throughout the story. While I think internal monologue can be important for readers to get into the heads of characters, it reaches a point where I want to be shown, not told.
Overall, I did actually enjoy this book quite a bit. I am a total sucker for a sporty romance, and I love a quick read. If you’re looking for a romance full of sports, spice, and tourism, Cleat Cute should definitely be your next read!
