I really enjoyed this book. It was a sweet romance between two rival teammates. I haven't read a book with a trans MC yet so I was excited to get to do that. I've recommended the book to several people/coworkers. My only complaint about the book was how lost I was when it came to the baseball terminology. There were a lot of words I just hadn't heard before and didn't know. If I'd stopped every time I read one to look it up it would have pulled me out of the story too often. I almost quit reading because of it but I powered through and was SO glad I did. I wish there was a way to keep it real in the sports/baseball sense but still help readers who don't understand baseball at all. I've been recommending it to baseball fans. Those in the queer community that aren't baseball fans I've just told them to not get overwhelmed or bogged down with the baseball terminology and keep reading because it's so sweet and an important book.

My full review can be found on goodreads.

This book is the one of the best queer sports romance books that I have ever read! I really hope that there is a series with more books that follow other players because I love the baseball world and community that KT Hoffman has created. The setting of this book in Beaverton OR was perfect. I loved Gene and Luis both as individuals and together. The chemistry between them was very well done and it was a nice touch to get their backstory through out the story but without it feeling like it slowed their present love story down. I also really liked how they communicated and that the conflict wasn't something like miscommunication or jealously between the characters.

I highly recommend this book to sports romance fans and I can't wait to read what KT Hoffman writes next!!

Loved this! Sports romances are becoming a real thing for me and this book was just perfect. Looking forward to what comes next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this wonderful book.

An author friend recommended The Prospects to me, and I was ecstatic to find it waiting for me on NetGalley. It was one of those books I already knew I would love, and of course I absolutely did.

Gene plays baseball for a minor league team in Oregon. He may be a bit of an underdog, but his radical optimism keeps him pushing for bigger and better things. Sometimes, though, he actually GETS the things that he wants, and that can be harder to juggle than he realized. Gene is gay, and a longtime crush comes hurtling back toward him in the form of a teammate and roommate. He is on the verge of becoming a major league player. And, oh yeah, he is trans. I appreciate how this is treated as just one more thing about Gene, one beautiful part of who he is, but far from the whole of him.

The reader sees bits and pieces of his journey, and we are there to cheer him on through innumerable wins and losses as we follow the team through their season. It almost made me want to find a hometown sports team to cheer for. A trans player would certainly make that much more likely. We've come a long way, and I hope we do see more players and people like Gene -- confident, hopeful, and free to be themselves -- in absolutely every aspect of life.

I recommend this book for lovers of romance, baseball, and progress. May Gene's supportive friends, family, coach, and team become the norm.

I remember when I first saw the idea for this book in pitch wars. I thought it was so good and I wanted to read it but I didn’t know if I would ever be able to. After reading it I can say that it was worth all of the waiting because it was so freaking good.

Gene and Luis were teammates in college before Luis got drafted and they never spoke again. Now, Luis has just been traded to Gene’s team and Gene wants nothing more than to get rid of him. They start training together so that Luis can get called up. Through all of this they grow closer and maybe even a little too close?

I’m just joking they could never be too close. Gene and Luis are so in love with each other it’s not even funny. Gene is so insistent that he wants Luis gone but spends most of his free time with him. To be fair to Gene, Luis is very standoffish at first so it makes sense that he didn’t want him around.

Luis slowly starts going over to Gene’s apartment and hanging out all the time. They always ask each other questions to get to know each other more and it’s just so sweet. Gene is never sure if Luis likes him as more than a friend and it’s so funny to watch. There is literally no reason for him to help you unpack your entire apartment and build all of your stuff if he doesn’t like you.

I really liked how the author wrote Gene’s experience of being the first openly trans baseball player. He is generally secure in who he is but you always see his little moments of doubt when he isn’t sure about the people around him. His mantra of only hoping and not wanting was so sad but it made so much sense.

Luis and Gene brought such light to each others lives and they truly make each other better people. They are really bad about hiding their feelings and I loved seeing their teammates lovingly rag on them for it at the end.

It doesn’t come out for a long time but everyone still needs to read it.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I DNF’d this at 8%.

I was very drawn to the book because of the cover, queer author, and blurb. I really appreciate the amount of queer rep and mental health rep that the author conveys in the little that I read. I love enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and sports romances. And the thought of rivals becoming teammates becoming lovers had me really excited to dive into this book. In my opinion, it just felt very rushed. The pacing was off. I believe this is part of why I was confused along with the repetitiveness. It’s also written in 3rd person, which is also something that I’m not a fan of. I was not connected to any of the characters. I feel like the lack of chemistry made it hard for me to continue reading. In theory, I should’ve loved this book. But, it missed the mark for me.

If you love any of the following then this book is for you:
-baseball
-rivals to teammates to lovers
-forced proximity
-mental health rep: anxiety, ADHD
-LGBTQIAP+ rep: trans, gay

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The perfect marriage of trans joy & the joy of sports. I couldn’t get enough of the beautiful writing in this book (I don’t know that I’ve ever highlighted an ARC so heavily). It was just perfect.

Just the most wonderfully hopeful love story. I enjoyed it from start to finish! The 2 main characters felt so real and well rounded while also feeling undeniably sweet and heartfelt. This may not seem like your average sports romance, but in all the best ways it really is. Whether you love baseball or not, you can’t help but fall for the optimism and yearning that comes with characters choosing to chase their dreams. And maybe even find some new dreams along the way. So thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to get at this one a little early. Would recommend to any and all lovers of sweet romance.

<i>I received this title as an ARC on Net-galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you Dial Press for the copy!</i>

I don't know much about baseball but I'm excited to read every queer sports romance I can find!

Minor league baseball player Gene has achieved more than he's ever hoped for. He's the league's first transgender player, and he's playing for the league at all. Until his former college teammate and friend Luis is sent down to the minors and onto his team... into his position. The two bash heads at every turn but slowing begin to understand and even love each other.

<b>The Good</b>
I devoured this book. From the moment I started I was drawn into the world of Gene and Luis in a way I couldn't predict. I had to do some googling on baseball terms because I truly don't know anything about the sport and the different leagues but once I go into it I was in.

I loved Gene. I love the theme of hope vs wanting and how we try to protect ourselves from disappointment. He was so bright and optimistic but also so full of fear and insecurity. I loved Luis too. I loved how his anxiety was handled and represented in this book. Gene and Luis's love story was really "rivials" to friends to lovers in a way I really loved. They both cared about and supported each other and I almost cried multiple times even at happy parts.

<b>Tropes:</b>
— Rivials to Lovers
— Trans MMC
— Sports Romance

<b>Horn Level:</b> 3/5🌶️
<b>Format:</b> Ebook

<b>The Rating</b>
I give this book a <b>5/5🌟 rating.</b> I cannot stress how much I loved this book. I cannot believe this is a debt novel! So good!!

Check out my socials <a href="https://beacons.ai/buffyreads"> here</a> for more reviews!

I really enjoyed this book but my only complaint is how much terminology about baseball was used. I think there could have been an easier way to describe what was happening without making it as confusing for someone like me who doesn't know much about baseball. If you are a baseball fan this book is for you!

Thank you to net galley and random house publishing for this ARC!

this was great, a love letter to baseball and a fantasy in which baseball loves us back when it so often doesn’t. delightful i have already recommended it to all my friends.

I have so many thoughts about this book, but none of them are bad. I have absolutely no criticisms. It's one of my top favorites I've read this year. It was so entertaining while also managing to be emotional. I don't even think I could pick a favorite character because they were all sooo good.

Starting with our main characters, Gene is our protagonist. He's just amazing. We watch him through the whole book, just living his life and being fully himself. His friendship with Vince was a strong point, even when they're in a conflict. It really felt like a real little family. I loved following him in this book. His relationship with Luis was so sweet and adorable and I JUST LOVE THEM OKAY?

Luis makes me want to bawl my eyes out. There's something about characters who grow through a book and decide to fully be themselves and rely on those that they love. Luis, in particular, was my favorite in this book. He had some moments in this book that really struck a chord with me. He's lovely and sweet. He deserves the world, okay? I'm protective of these guys.


Normally, I get confused during romance books with a sports element. Often, I feel that things aren't explained well or there's just so many aspects to it that aren't explained at all. However, this book does a really good job of not making me feel like an idiot for not knowing anything about baseball.

The Prospects is a fun, lighthearted book that also manages to make you want to cry. If that's not great writing, then I don't know what is.

The Prospects by KT Hoffman was really everything I love about a sports romance with added layers of depth that really set it apart. Gene is a queer trans man making a name for himself in the minor leagues. I absolutely loved his character. Gene is so authentically and unapologetically himself while also being loyal, optimistic and earnest. When his former college teammate, Luis, gets traded to the Beavers their long simmering chemistry becomes undeniable.
Outside of the central romance there are so many little details that show how much thought and care KT Hoffman put into this story. My favorite was the character Jack, Gene's best friend's husband and also deaf. When Jack is communicating with sign language the author goes into a level of detail I rarely see. The author describes the hand movements, lip reading, and the emotion behind the signs.
Overall, a spakling debut and I can't wait for more from Hoffman.

title: The Prospects

author: KT Hoffman

publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback

publication date: April 9, 2024

pages: 384

peppers: 2 (on this scale)

warnings: some mentions of transphobia

summary: Gene is a baseball player who's mad that Luis has been traded to his team, but at the same time, Luis is hot and interesting. 

tropes: enemies-to-lovers

what I liked: I never found anything I liked about this book, which is a shame because I like the idea of reading a book about a trans professional baseball player.

what I didn’t like:

way more baseball information than I wanted.
too soap-boxy about trans information
no heat between the two characters
some head-hopping

overall rating:  (of 5 stars) --> I don't feel comfortable rating this book. I could not make myself finish it; however, somebody who likes baseball more than I do might find it compelling. In theory, I like this book. In fact, I DNF-ed it.

*3.75/5
this book was so refreshing, i absolutely loved reading about gene's story, his character, his love for baseball, also his feelings for luis and their love story. i loved the dynamics described between gene and his best friend vince, between gene and the coach and the team. i think the ending was perfect for this book. on the other hand, since i am not a baseball fan and i literally know nothing about the sport, i had a bit of a hard time getting into the book at beginning as the baseball talk and descriptions seemed very competent and detailed but often felt a bit repetitive and confusing to keep up with. it was also a bit confusing to keep up with the mentions of gene and luis's time and relationship in college.

arc provided by netgalley and random house publishing group in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars. This was fun and really refreshing for getting around a lot of the things I normally struggle with in romance books. I felt like Gene had a life outside of his romantic relationship, and I appreciated the fact that his friendships were not orbiting around his relationship either. Especially especially the fact that so often in m/m romance you see female characters there to be hyper competent and supportive. Both Vince and Baker fuck up in ways that feel more human and less supportive side character. Having said that, there's a lovely supportive vibe that this book resonates with overall. I enjoyed Gene and Luis, separately and in their arc together. At no point did I have to just screw my brain off for a moment to buy anyone's actions or feelings.

The one caveat I have is that I think the balance of maintaining a throughline of a theme in a book without making the call backs to it overly repetitive is a delicate one. And, for me, this book erred a little too much on rehashing the theme and could've been edited down a bit more. Since I read an ARC, I plan to get this book when it comes out and see what the final draft actually looks like.
Oh final thing, I did like how the baseball is described. It didn't feel like set dressing, but rather a separate living character. Having said that! I am by no means a sports gay and so I make no promises to people who actually know what baseball is and didn't have to search what a shortstop does.

Trigger Warnings: panic attacks, past car crash, mentioned transphobia, explicit sex scenes

Gene Ionescu, of the Beaverton Beavers minor league baseball team, is the league's first openly trans player. His life is mostly perfect - his team is supportive, he lives with his best friend free of rent, and he gets paid to play the sport he loves. Until his former college teammate and minor league legend Luis Estrada gets traded to the Beavers. To make sure Luis gets called up to the major leagues, thereby leaving Gene alone, the two start training together. But as they start to gel together on the field, they get closer off the field as well.

First things first: I LOVE TRANS SEXUALITY! Gene is SO proud to be trans and SO proud to be gay and it was so empowering to read since I myself am trans nonbinary. Luis knew Gene before and after his transition but he makes it so clear that he sees Gene as a man. Their romance was so well-developed - though it was a bit insta-lust-y, I loved how the two actually shared their concerns and talked to each other instead of having sex all the time (like I see in some other adult sports romance books). Likewise, the third-act conflict between the two did not feel contrived at all, and instead stemmed from the flaws both characters expressed throughout the book. Instead of making me want to bash my head open like most third-act breakups do, the conflict demonstrated both characters' maturity and willingness to grow.

The plot itself was motivating as well, with Gene grappling with his sudden desire for more than just a minor league baseball career. I'll be honest, I'm not a baseball person, so most of the technical terms were completely lost on me, but I really loved the moments before and after games.

My only criticism would be the side characters. We only really learn about one side character, and that's Gene's best friend, Vince Altman. We don't get much information on the other teammates, though we spend time with several throughout the book. It's always difficult to establish a ton of characters in a book, so it wasn't a huge issue, but it got hard to differentiate between the different teammates after a certain point.

All in all, this was an excellent sports romance that I highly recommend!

Phew. Let me start with the fact that this book feels like home to me. It hits close to home as is; bringing back memories of garlic fries (the best baseball food, sorry gene), sitting in the nosebleeds and cheering for Ichiro (before he got traded), and cold breezy Seattle nights. If I were close enough to being a fan to any major team sport (ie. football, baseball, soccer, hockey, etc), it would definitely be baseball. Do I understand everything about it? No. Do I love all star games? Yes. So this book was a welcome venture into a part of my life I haven't gotten to enjoy in years.

The characters were loveable, but I will always have a soft spot for Luis. Give me a leading man with anxiety and I'm all in. Boasting a diverse cast of characters, however, there's more to love than just Luis. There's my favorite grumpy old man Vince, Dependable, silly Gene, Vince's husband Jack who has sign names for his favorite people. The Kyles, who may or may not be in a relationship together, Ernie, the big broad loveable lug, Dani, unhesitant to call her little brother out, Art and Franklin, dads of the year. With beautiful representation of all kinds all around, there's truly something to love in every facet of this book.

And as much as I enjoyed the main plot, I enjoyed the little moments a bit more, I think. Gene and Vince's joking, Luis' love for the muppets. Dodger!! The way I silently cheered THEY'RE VERSE!!! the soft but sexy spice, Luis and Gene's intangible attraction to each other (rivals my ass). It's safe to say this book has a place in my heart, as do Gene and Luis. I can't wait to get my hands on it and read it time and time again, because, as a trans guy who loves trans rep in any way I can get it, lord knows I will.

You guys- I can not stop swooning over this book. These boys captured my heart and had me kicking my legs for joy, and wiping tears from my eyes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gene is the first openly trans man to play professional baseball. Luis is his former college teammate, turned rival.

At the start of the story Luis gets traded and the two of them become teammates again; forced to play nice for the good of the team.

What follows is legitimately one of the sweetest (with a hint of spice) romances I have ever read.

A few of my favourite things:
⚾️The little details of their relationship had me swooning. The small things they would notice about one another; the winks, the furniture- all of it was just so sweet and heartwarming.
⚾️ The mental health representation in this book was so well done. As someone with both ADHD and Anxiety I saw a lot of myself in these characters.
⚾️ The found family relationships. I always love found family, and this was no exception.

The Prospects will be released April 9th, 2024 and I can not recommend it enough!

Huge thanks to @squashgoblin for writing this beautiful story, and to @netgalley , @thedialpress for allowing me to read this eARC. Ill definitely be needing a physical copy for my trophy shelf!


#theProspects #netgalley #romance #representationmatters #geneandluis @randomhouse

I love baseball. I love romance. I love queer joy. So safe to say I loved this. I vividly remember bawling my eyes out at For the Love of the Game and that movie isn’t all that good.

Gene is the first trans man to play professional baseball, and he might have a big ‘ole crush on the shortstop, Luis. It’s a lot of learning about how it’s ok to want things.

And I cried. Loved it!!!