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A review by rickireadss
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
2.5
thank you to netgalley the earc!
wow, what a let down. this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and i was so pumped to recieve an ARC - but this just fell so flat for me. warning: there are spoilers in this review, so read it at your own risk. you have been warned.
first, there was WAY too much inner monologue. i wish i knew the inner monologue vs. actions & dialogue breakdown because i just KNOW the inner monologue is way higher.
second, while there was disability rep in this (one fmc with autism, one fmc with ADHD), the way it was handled was just icky to me almost. the way grace just *assumed* phoebe a) had ADHD, b) had a diagnosis, and c) took medicine for it rubbed me VERY VERY wrong. like i had the chills because it felt so wrong. AND THEN, the fact that grace didn't even come around to her diagnosis of autism until the verrrrry end of the book felt like it was just kinda tossed in. like both of their characters felt ADHD- and autistic-coded, but the way it wasn't officially said on page/acknowledged until the end - i just didn't like that.
third, the miscommunication made me want to throw the book SEVERAL times. i am not an absolute hater of the miscommunication trope, but this book overdid it way too much. LIKE JUST TALK DAMN IT, you are f*cking adults.
fourth and final, i could not feel ANY chemistry between phoebe and grace besides the fact that they wanted in each other's pants. like zero, zilch, NADA romantic chemistry, and i just didn't believe they were actually gonna stay or end up together.
honestly, it is a bummer that this one didn't hit like i wanted it to, because i LOVE meryl's other books and their writing style + this one was a SOCCER ROMANCE?!?!!? that's my favorite sport to read romances on ESPECIALLY when it's sapphic. so yeah, i don't recommend, but it may work for you.
⚠️: mental illness, ableism, bullying, alcohol, toxic relationship, panic attacks/disorders, injury/injury detail
wow, what a let down. this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and i was so pumped to recieve an ARC - but this just fell so flat for me. warning: there are spoilers in this review, so read it at your own risk. you have been warned.
first, there was WAY too much inner monologue. i wish i knew the inner monologue vs. actions & dialogue breakdown because i just KNOW the inner monologue is way higher.
second, while there was disability rep in this (one fmc with autism, one fmc with ADHD), the way it was handled was just icky to me almost. the way grace just *assumed* phoebe a) had ADHD, b) had a diagnosis, and c) took medicine for it rubbed me VERY VERY wrong. like i had the chills because it felt so wrong. AND THEN, the fact that grace didn't even come around to her diagnosis of autism until the verrrrry end of the book felt like it was just kinda tossed in. like both of their characters felt ADHD- and autistic-coded, but the way it wasn't officially said on page/acknowledged until the end - i just didn't like that.
third, the miscommunication made me want to throw the book SEVERAL times. i am not an absolute hater of the miscommunication trope, but this book overdid it way too much. LIKE JUST TALK DAMN IT, you are f*cking adults.
fourth and final, i could not feel ANY chemistry between phoebe and grace besides the fact that they wanted in each other's pants. like zero, zilch, NADA romantic chemistry, and i just didn't believe they were actually gonna stay or end up together.
honestly, it is a bummer that this one didn't hit like i wanted it to, because i LOVE meryl's other books and their writing style + this one was a SOCCER ROMANCE?!?!!? that's my favorite sport to read romances on ESPECIALLY when it's sapphic. so yeah, i don't recommend, but it may work for you.
⚠️: mental illness, ableism, bullying, alcohol, toxic relationship, panic attacks/disorders, injury/injury detail
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Bullying
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Mental illness