Reviews with content warning for Classism - Cleat Cute

Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

14 reviews

micaelacccc's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

nyquillll's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Man this hurts to give a low rating. I really wanted to like this book, but for the life of me I couldn’t get into it.

The plot was moving so slowly throughout the whole book it felt. I know that we’re meant to see different aspects of their lives - I did like when the complexities of being a professional soccer player and having injuries was talked about. And also about the implications of coming out. But the pacing of their relationship felt so haphazard, which I guess was the point in a way because they were
friends with benefits
.
What I did enjoy was the themes of coming to terms with your own sexuality and coming out in a way that’s comfortable and authentic to you, the pride multiple characters took in being publicly out, again the pressures of being a professional soccer player and playing at a high level, the balance between the love for the game and the other duties/tasks that are wrapped into being in the public eye, learning to stand up for what you want and believe in (respectfully), I’d say “light” sexism with how rude the coach was on multiple occasions, navigating the dating scene as someone who’s queer and lesbian, some of the aspects of the extroverted/introverted couple pairing, complex feelings toward parents - feeling like we need to achieve something to make them proud but getting burnt out from that pressure, the stress of living up to expectations be them personal or social, coming into adulthood and experiencing life away from your family, being aware of people’s different economic and financial situations, being a professional athlete and still having to take a second job, and learning how to accept love and support your partner in ways that are new or different to you.
- I also enjoyed when the book focused attention on Grace's career as a professional athlete who had been in the spotlight for the past 10 years and the kind of jaded mentality Grace had - or, not jaded, but protective, she wanted to protect her peace and was clear about the boundaries she wanted to put between herself and the public. And I appreciated the support she got from her teammates (and was annoyed when Phoebe kind of pushed back and questioned it - but I do know Phoebe was presented as having a different view toward how much she shares with the public...). I also loved the conversation Grace had with her dad about her career and
  her first time trying to voice the fears she had of thinking of who she was away from soccer, especially with her insecurities around her family only valuing her for her athletic abilities. But for her dad to assuage those fears and reaffirm that hey, as your father, I wanted to talk to you about what you were passionate about. It doesn't matter what that was, I just am interested in what interests you. Amazing convo.
What was harder for me to wrap my head around was the actual romantic relationship. I should preface by saying I believed I was het for most of my life and am now questioning that a bit, I’m also ace and the amount of times the two would be having a conversation that would immediately derail to sex was so confusing to me. I honestly didn’t really see how Phoebe and Grace fit together in practice. Theoretically, I’ve seen books with this pairing - one person more outgoing, unafraid, confident, outspoken, and direct. The other person more introverted, logical, slower to react but thinking through possibilities, reserved, and emotionally repressed a bit. This pairing has worked for me in the past. I think the biggest thing I couldn’t get past were the multiple instances of
Phoebe bulldozing Grace and not respecting her autonomy or wishes? Like telling the coach about the injury - which okay, would’ve been fine in the long run and was, but the resolution to this was so lackluster! There was hardly a conversation about why Grace was hesitant to tell anyone in the first place. Phoebe also just was very impulsive in ways that affected other people around her, and I think it was a disservice to her character to not explore that a bit more and have her grow more conscious of her actions. Not that impulsivity in itself is bad, and she does get that ADHD diagnosis in the end, but some of her behaviors and how she spoke really rubbed me the wrong way and I kept getting frustrated when Grace would just accept it as a quirk that she came to love.
There were just a lot of things that didn’t make sense to me that made it hard for me to believe in their relationship.
Also the whole
“I thought we were already dating” and “I didn’t know we were dating”
- is it because I’ve spent most of my life as het? Is this accurate sapphic representation that I’m just not getting because I’m not in it? To my credit, this is a trope I don’t understand in straight romances either, one that usually infuriates me. But something about how it was done in this book was a bit more heartbreaking given the characters, their flaws and insecurities that they spoke of, and their strengths.
To that last point, maybe my biggest hang up was that the elements of the story that felt the firmest to me, that I could grab onto, felt so flimsy and short lived. Whereas the other elements I wasn’t gelling with as much were drawn out. I wish more attention was focused on really delving into their relationship but having them TALK WITH EACH OTHER about it. I think I would’ve been way more into this book if their internal monologues were actually shared and they could work through it together. Like I like the fact that Phoebe taught Grace to be more unapologetic and to take up space and to focus on the joy of the game, to appreciate and remember how far she’s come. I like how Grace was a level-headed character who taught Phoebe the importance of patience, to think a bit more before acting, to consider the gravity of her actions. They both had things they could teach the other about and I wish it had been explored more in depth - less focus on the sexual aspects of their situation and more on the emotional. That’s what it was - I didn’t believe in their emotional connection, and that’s huge for me.
I also read a couple reviews and agreed about the kind of random inclusion of ADHD and a hint of autism "representation" at the back end of the book. The topics seemed to be just tools to get the main couple back together rather than a deep dive into how it might impact the characters and the implications - like being directly tied to the diagnoses.
Also just overall, I don't think this was the healthiest presentation of a relationship. For more than half the book, the characters seemed to not really complement each other in ways that were beneficial to both of them, and by the end of the book it didn't seem like much personal growth was achieved either. The amount of miscommunication and misunderstanding that occurred between the two - especially given how it seemed to just resolve with them having sex - was just not very productive to them growing as human beings. There was potential, but I think it wasn't developed to the fullest.

Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism

Quotes I highlighted:

"You can't win a championship without gays on your team. It's pretty much never been done before, ever. That's science, right there." - Megan Rapinoe

"Like a dream that you thought made sense, but as you explain it to someone, the surreality unfurls."

"She's never had anyone understand and work with her instead of just resigning themselves to the fact that she won't be on time."

"Oh no, yeah, if that's the criteria, I'm definitely obsessed with you. Your poster is still on my wall, actually, in my room at my parents' house."

"Her sexuality is not entertainment, not something to be consumed."

"So, Phoebe won't flirt, because it doesn't count as flirting when the other party doesn't want it."

"And like, I realize being aro or ace isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Not that you necessarily identify with either of those labels."

"She's the one who texted Grace to meet here, and now she can't even be bothered to focus."

"'Oh,' Grace says. 'That's a good idea. I'm sorry for being rude.'"

"Maybe this isn't a metaphor. Matthews is actually just sharing facts about mushrooms."

"The games when she makes amazing plays are the ones she can't describe afterward - she can't explain what happened or how she did something, she'd just done it."

"Grace has spent her entire life controlling herself. Patience, discipline, responsibility. She's an eldest daughter, a captain, a veteran of any team she is on. A leader. A role model. She knows what she is supposed to do."

"...like she seems to live: as though she has never experienced a moment of self-doubt."

"Phoebe can hardly believe this is her life. For the entire season, she gets to practice and play and win and lose and stretch with this team."

"'How did I not know you're bi?' Phoebe asks. 'Oh, I'm not, I'm just a big supporter.'"

"So, I'm just. Trying to save. But yeah, you can pay. Just also recognize most of your teammates are not in the same boat as you."

"Grace has too much on her plate to add being a role model in that way. It feels wrong, though, to shirk that responsibility, feels like there should be something else she can give up so she can take it on."

"Grace seems to have carefully curated what people are allowed to know about her."

"Yes, you're not saying it very loudly."

"She puts up with so much - captain duties and media responsibilities and meal plans and always being on her best behavior, always a role model - in order to play soccer."

"Grace likes cooking recipes she knows. There's a cadence to it, a rhythm..."

"...there's a difference between knowing who she is and knowing her."

"Are those the only people who are allowed to make sure you're okay?"

"Grace doesn't know what to do with her arms. How do people fall asleep like this?"

"Of course the first thing both of her parents notice is that she's not at practice. Like Grace is a soccer player before she's their daughter."

"Maybe she can spend her time off the field figuring out how to see herself as more than a soccer player."

"I'm not free of you until sHeroes because I'm not calling just as your captain, dumbass."

"This isn't about Phoebe, anyway. It's about Grace, and her stupid lying and even stupider decisions once she got caught."

"...standing with her hands behind her back for the anthem, since US Soccer will punish them if they kneel."

"'Yeah, Grace! Obviously I know you don't want to talk to me! I'm not an idiot!' Phoebe takes a deep breath and lowers her voice. 'But you don't get to decide that.'"

(like hUH???)

"I'm not good at being a girlfriend. I forget anniversaries and prioritize soccer and flirt with other women, even when I don't mean to."

"Given enough downtime, Phoebe's brain can convince her that none of her friends like her, that she only learned to be charming and funny to make up for how annoying she is, and it doesn't even things out..."

"She hadn't expected her leg not to hurt. She hadn't expected Dawn to be right. Grace had been injured. It wasn't her body falling apart."

"She doesn't want to talk to him on the phone. She wants to hug him. She wants him to tell her it will be okay."

"She doesn't even understand why she's this upset - she didn't even know she was this upset."

"These episodes have happened all her life. Grace doesn't always voice her disagreement or discomfort."

"If you quit soccer, I'm sorry to your teammates, but I don't know that I would watch another game."

"It was something I could text you about that wasn't just your dumb old dad texting that he missed you."

"'You're my kid, and I love you, and you've always loved soccer,' her dad says. 'If you loved horses, I would've taken you to the Kentucky Derby.'"

"If you don't love soccer anymore, quit! We'll come up with different conversation topics."

"'It sounds like you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself,' her dad says. The sentence hangs in the silence between them..."

"When you and your sister were kids, we tried to teach you that you could be anything you wanted when you grew up. We never wanted you to think anything was impossible. But maybe we pushed too far in that direction. If all you want to be is Grace, that's enough."

"But there are more rules than that. There are always more rules than anyone admits, unspoken rules..."

"Grace had always thought that was something people did for their significant others, not for their friends with benefits."

"Though I'm pretty sure you're not asking me out, just in case: I'm dating Gabby."

"...but after the conversation with her dad...it's like he gave her permission to imagine what her life could look like without the parts of it she doesn't like."

"You sort of changed my understanding of what being a good captain is."

"And then Grace has to go and basically write poetry about the worst parts of her?"

(Grace only said like three things 😭😭😭)

"'One second, I'm getting another call,' Harmony says. 'Yeah, it's from the weatherman, apparently hell just froze over.'"

"Though ADHD TikTok did lead her to autism TikTok, and that's...something she might look into more when she has some extra time."

"That's me, only a little bit of a dick."

"Any time she gets some vague romantic notion about her feelings, Phoebe really hammers it home that they aren't reciprocated."

"She laughs because that's what he wants, because he thinks he's funny."

"Grace recognizes now the effect pressure can have on a person. The way it can shape them and their lives into something they never wanted."

"'I like this,' Amanda says eventually. 'You speaking up about this. You've always been a bit of a yes-man. I like seeing you stick to your guns.'"

"While Grace is waiting on a text back, she gets a FaceTime call instead. It's Madeeha, which is rude, frankly."

"'Do the two of you pay any attention at all?' Madeeha asks."

"She was staring at me like that?"

"If we were in high school, I'd shove you into a locker."

"I'm proud of you. For setting boundaries to protect your happiness. For going after what makes you happy."

"You really don't ever do anything halfway, do you, Baby Spice?"

"You're confident and unapologetic about the space you take up in the world. The joy you take in playing soccer is infectious, and reminded me that I used to feel like that, too."

"Even if you don't feel the same way, I'm so grateful to know you."

"'I don't think we can officially be dating for a month if I didn't know about it till today,' Grace says. Phoebe doesn't even pretend to consider it. 'I don't know,' she says. 'That sounds like a personal problem.'"

amandaplease50's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I know next to nothing about soccer. Well that’s kind of a lie I know A LOT about ice hockey which sort of translates to soccer so I kind of understand it. But to the point you don’t need to know soccer to read, understand and love this book/story!

The soccer is obviously an important aspect of the story leads to the MCs meeting but it’s not what endear you to the characters. And I don’t think there was a character I didn’t like..well besides the one but y'all who’ve read it know!

There’s a bit of a miscommunication trope but not in the way I usually dislike it. It’s really just because we don’t all get social cues.

Seriously all the characters were super love able and brought a lot to the story!

Content Warnings

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Phoebe gets recruited by the soccer team on which her idol and long-time crush from afar, Grace is captain. After a bad first impression, they quickly end up starting a friends-with-benefits relationship that turns into something more.
I really enjoyed this sapphic rom-com. I think part of the reason is I'm a mix of the Pheobe and Grace. ADHD, introvert, neurospicy. So, their unique and neurospicy relationship was highly relatable. I'm glad those types of characters are finally being written.
From the little I know about soccer; the writer did their research! There was some technical talk of the game and it sounded correct, at least to my untrained ear.
Overall an excellent romance with a good mix of humor and emotional elements. As well as a diverse cast of lovable characters! I'd love to see a sequel with another character from the cast as an MC.

Extra ratings: Fluff- 2/5 Heartfelt- 4/5 Helpful-NA Horror- NA Inspiration- NA Love- 5/5 Mystery-NA Predictability- 4.5/5 Spice- 3.5/5 Suspense- NA Tear 0.5/5 Thrill- NA Humor- 3.5/5

Content Warnings

annahamburger's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

shaipanda's review against another edition

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funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Omgggg I absolutely fucking devoured this book and loved ittt. I will say if the miscommunication trope annoys you this might not be the book for you cause it has a lott of it that got kinda infuriating at times but that was literally my only complaint
I loved the characters, loved the character development, loved the story just ugh omg they were so cuteee

Content Warnings

wilybooklover's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Now that's how you do miscommunication. Grace and Phoebe don't just wilfully misunderstand each other after overhearing two sentences of a conversation without context or straight-up refuse to talk to each other. They just genuinely keep getting their wires crossed and always in a way that makes sense with their personalities and the fact that they're both neurodivergent, but undiagnosed. Speaking of: I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and really enjoyed the ADHD rep in this book. I particularly felt as though the portrayal of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria was just spot on and very true-to-life. I can't speak on the autism portrayal, but I certainly related to Grace's anxious, introverted nature.

I just loved how Grace and Phoebe were so kind and caring to each other, even when they were trying to keep things casual. They fight and disagree but always take care not to be intentionally hurtful. They make space for one another in their lives, support and advocate for each other. And the hair braiding scenes were so sexy! The sports aspect was utilised very well; it's a strong element of the book and important to the characters, but remains as backdrop rather than taking over the plot and requiring the reader to look up details.

It did drag a little in the middle and feel a bit rushed at the end. I always feel a bit shortchanged when the couple reconciles/clears the air in the final chapter without any time to let it settle and let us see them happily together before the epilogue. One more chapter — them out as a couple amongst their teammates or meeting Grace's family, perhaps — would have gone a long way. And I'm just not a fan of the baby girl nickname, even coming from a woman. But these are minor complaints!

Love the cover as well. The thighs on Grace!!

Content Warnings

readers_sea's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Grace and Phoebe were such a treat!

This one was such an easy listen, that I didn't even realize how fast I was getting through it.

Both characters had their personalities that were quite different from each other. Grace was very serious and took her career in soccer as if it were her life and Phoebe was new to the professional world of soccer! Grace was the team captain, while Phoebe was the rookie from a small town that no one had heard of.

At first, it didn't seem like they would fit. They were completely different from each other in all aspects. From how they presented themselves to their humor, it shouldn't have worked but for them it did.

This book truly had me laughing and rooting for them! They didn't quite understand each other at first but quickly discovered that they enjoyed the other's company. Overall, such a fun book that also touches on sensitive and serious topics. There were some topics that I wish we had a bit more closure and answers on, but I still enjoyed it.

Content Warnings

a_rich_read's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews because I don’t like leaving them. Most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book.I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all.

Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not.Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Premise:
-contemporary fictional romcom set in New Orleans, Louisiana (but begins in Indiana)
-dual third-person limited perspectives of main characters
-22-year-old Phoebe Matthews is about to join the New Orleans women's soccer team & it's her first season as a professional soccer player!
-26-year-old US Women's National Team legend Grace Henderson loses a bet during a drills session and has to kiss Phoebe (a penalty thought of by her teammate and secret ex, Kelsey)
-Phoebe struggles with time management, while Grace navigates panic attacks and tries to hide her hip injury and brushes it off as "her body getting older"
-tropes: friends-with-benefits, miscommunication, workplace romance, forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine
-steam: 3.5/5 - Meryl just *knows* how to write delectable steamy scenes
-cw: mental health struggles, ableism, injury, bullying, toxic relationship, panic attacks, classism

Thoughts:
I am absolutely in my sports romance era and this hit the spot!!! Meryl Wilsner strikes AGAIN! They can do no wrong, I said what I said!

Meryl wrote Grace's character and arc so perfectly. I know SO MANY people like Grace, who do not prioritize themselves, and constantly brush off their pain or deem their situations as easy to work around, when all it's doing is inadvertently causing them harm. The worst part is that they don't even recognize that they're not being kind to themselves? It's sad and it's exhausting to watch someone treat themselves this way.

I loved that Grace had to re-examine what prioritizing her emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing meant. So many millennials experience occupational existential angst, because many of us tied our self-worth to our career trajectories, and once the curtain dropped, we were left with having to re-learn who we were WITHOUT that job/career/degree. Grace has to rediscover what she actually enjoys about her job, and then how to enforce boundaries around that. GO OFF BABYYY!

Another piece of this book that was handled with so much care was Phoebe's journey with her undiagnosed neurodivergence! From the very beginning, Meryl gives us subtle hints and glimpses, and I think it worked really well! I also just adored the general spunkiness and initiative that Phoebe had with exploring a brand new city. Sure, she was perceived by her teammates as a wide-eyed ingenue, but her curiosity and enthusiasm was genuine and refreshing to see. She wasn't too cool for anything, and since she hadn't traveled much before, she was framing living somewhere new as an opportunity to explore and learn.

Overall, this has become another favorite by Meryl for me and I simply adore the way they flesh out characters' motivations, backstories, and fears. And omgoodness do they know how to write swoon-worthy romance!!!

Quotations that stood out to me:

But being a public figure is hard enough. A celebrity. A role model. She gives so much of herself to her fans, and gives all of herself to her teams. Her identity is hers alone.

She hopes Grace will show tomorrow. She can’t get enough of her. That smooth skin and those angry eyes—or not angry, exactly, but alert. Wary. That’s what Grace Henderson is: wary. Phoebe loves winning people over. That’s why she enjoys being around Grace so much. Phoebe likes to succeed, but it’s always more fun with a challenge.

Grace tries to come off so prickly—like, that nickname is probably supposed to be rude and patronizing, but how could Grace Henderson giving her a nickname be anything but amazing? And Grace is paying attention. She cares enough to figure this out.

Phoebe has always had a lot of game. Not in the soccer sense—or not just in soccer sense—but in the flirting sense. It’s one of her favorite hobbies. It’s fun to figure out how to flirt with different people. Phoebe can woo someone with compliments or by laughing at their jokes or even by pretending to be a damsel in distress.

“For someone who claims they’re not a local, you’re pretty uppity about your NOLA restaurant opinions.”

Grace is jealous and doesn’t want to admit it or maybe doesn’t even know and Phoebe absolutely wants to make fun of her for it.

Matthews kisses like she flirts, like she plays, like she seems to live: as though she has never experienced a moment of self-doubt.

Phoebe just doesn’t want to fuck things up with her. She doesn’t wanna fuck things up with anyone on the team, but especially not the captain, and especially not the captain she had excellent sex with a week ago.

He isn’t wrong, but she wishes he saw her as more than a soccer player. Maybe she can spend her time off the field figuring out how to see herself as more than a soccer player.

Grace takes care of everyone. She checks in with everyone, every practice. And she certainly doesn’t have to do this for Phoebe. She does a lot for Phoebe she doesn’t have to do—shows her around the city, buys her meals even when they haven’t bet on them, tells her the wrong time for a workout so Phoebe won’t be late. It makes Phoebe want to take care of Grace, too.

Grace always acts like she’s ancient instead of simply admitting people get injured sometimes. It’s like she’s decided that and refuses to change her mind, no matter what Phoebe or Dawn or anyone else says.

It just makes me mad that you act like you being hurt doesn’t matter. You matter.

But for the first time in a long time, Phoebe wants to try.

“It’s not bad to feel things with your whole heart or do things you want to do.

It’s very hard to stay mad at someone while they quite literally yell at you about how much they love the things you hate about yourself.

She’s still herself—particular and introverted—but something’s different. Like she used to have an exoskeleton but she grew out of it, and now there’s nothing to protect her.

Content Warnings

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