Okay. Listen. E.L. Massey’s sweetness. Fan fic vibes. A sports romance including a trans MC. AND Anita Kelly, Casey McQuiston, and Alison Cochrun blurbed it.  What do we want more?
 
If you loved The Breakaway series by E.L. Massey, you definitely should pick up The Prospects. Think of optimism. Positiveness. Sweetness. And so much yearning. Oh, and a service dog.
 
This story is full of baseball, and I don't know anything about it. I played a little softball in high school, and I knew about gloves and bats, but that’s it. So, the games-related parts went a bit over my head. But overall, I loved this story so, so much!
 
I immediately had a soft spot for Luis. Yes, of course, the brooding, quiet one. The odd one out. The not partying one. The one with the service dog who’s so, so sweet for kids. The one battling panic attacks. Slowly opening up to bright and cheerful Gene, who had his own battles to deal with. The stealthily glances. The unexpected touches. The wonderful conversations. They all brought a smile to my face, and constant feathers whirled through my stomach. Anita Kelly, Casey McQuiston, and Alison Cochrun were right. In their words: ‘The Prospects is a heart-stealing romance, doggedly hopeful and endlessly charming, and Gene is the short king of my dreams and Luis the secret cinnamon roll I want to wrap in a warm hug. I couldn’t have said it better!’ Just pick up this one, everyone!

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I have been eagerly anticipating this book from the moment I learned of the premise. It's a sports romance featuring minor league baseball set right here in the Portland area. (I love watching our actual nearby minor league team, the Hillsboro Hops.) And it features the most amazing trans joy with our protagonist, Gene.

Gene is the first openly trans man in minor league baseball. He is the most optimistic, sunshine character. But he also puts limits on his hopes, knowing that he can't move higher than the minor leagues given the transphobia within sports.

Luis is his college teammate who ghosted after being drafted. Now they are playing on the same minor league team and rapidly become competitors for the best position. This is all my favorite rivals-to-lovers, workplace romance, and such forced proximity.

It feels so amazingly sweet and real. I appreciated the authentic representation of both ADHD and panic attacks. I also enjoyed the chapter headings that shared how the baseball season was going and the commentary on the games from local news anchors.

But most of all, I loved the fantastic romance. The open-door steamy scenes were so moving and emotional. This felt like such a joyous space. It had the emotion and depth I would hope for from a strong romance, while also leaning in toward the positive. This is a book we need in this world.

This book was even better than I expected, such a great debut novel. I absolutely loved the message about finding your own path, your own euphoria. Learning to let people go and learning to let people leave because that is part of life. I also I hope in the future more stories like Gene’s can be told and be reality in sports.

As a baseball fan myself I loved every aspect of this book. I loved the baseball details, it was very informative. I loved the found family, their banter and dynamics. But, I think besides Gene and Luis, my absolute favourite part of this book was how diverse it was, and how much representation there was. I’ve never read a book that had representation of someone with down syndrome so I was surprised to see it, but I also appreciated it. I loved the queer representation in this novel, how coming out in your own terms is valid. I also loved Jack and the representation of people who use hearing aids and sign language. All sound I felt very seen through these types of representation.

Also words cannot describe how much I loved Gene and Luis. Their journey was an absolute delight to read. Their chemistry and their growth individually and as a couple was showcased beautifully through out the story. I am not much of a smut person, I don’t mind it, but the sex scenes were written so beautifully? Like you could really tell Gene and Luis loved each other.

I think the only thing I had a problem with was it was just a very wordy book. I felt like I was reading a 500 page book instead of a 300 paged book. I usually don’t mind very descriptive things, but sometimes it would get a bit much and drag on and certain things got very lengthy. I think maybe cause the font on my copy of my ebook was just so small. Overall I absolutely enjoyed this novel and will definitely come back to it again.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this because Anita Kelly recommended it, and I love their books. And this was so great! The writing reminded me of Casey McQuiston's books, and the romance was so so good. I love queer sports romance and it was great to see something other than hockey! And it was especially great to have a trans MC in a sports romance.

This wasn't a full 5 stars for me, but I feel like it might be on a reread - it just took me a while to read this because of my own headspace and I didn't feel as invested as I could have. But I feel like if I reread this at a later time, I will end up enjoying it even more.

Mein Leseerlebnis

In der Liebesgeschichte werden Mitspieler zunächst Freunde und dann später ein Paar. Ein bisschen zweite Chance – nicht im klassischen Sinne – ist auch dabei. So etwas findet man in m/m romances ja durchaus häufiger vor. Doch da enden die Gemeinsamkeiten zu vielen anderen Liebesromanen aus dem Genre auch schon.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist wunderbar ruhig und zugleich intensiv. Genes Stimme ist eine ganz besondere und das liegt nicht nur daran, dass er ein Transmann ist und das auch offen lebt. Ich konnte mich auf den etwas eigenen Schreibstil sofort ganz wunderbar einlassen und habe ihn teils wie eine warme Umarmung empfunden.

Die Geschichten der beiden Helden und auch ihre gemeinsame Liebesgeschichte konnten mich in ihren Bann ziehen und auch berühren. Zudem fand ich es angenehm und spannend, dass der Baseball Sport eine gewichtige Rolle im Buch einnimmt und auf ihn auch regelmäßig eingegangen wird. Ich schätze so etwas in sports romances.

Das letze Drittel erschien mir leider etwas unnötig in die Länge gezogen und ich fand es zudem schade, dass man Luis Sicht auf die Ereignisse teils nur erahnen konnte. Vor allem in den letzten Kapiteln hätte ich Szenen aus seiner Perspektive als Ergänzung und Abrundung der Liebesgeschichte wertvoll gefunden. So blieb Luis in meinen Augen im Vergleich zu Gene als Charakter etwas blass.

Trotzdem kann ich euch die schöne und besondere Liebesgeschichte ans Herz legen, sie ist mir auf jeden Fall eine Buchempfehlung wert.

🖤🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer auf der Suche nach einer ruhig erzählten, besonderen queer Baseball romance ist, dem kann ich das Buch empfehlen. Die Stimme des Helden und auch der Inhalt unterscheiden sich teils wohltuend von dem, was in sports romances so üblich ist.

4 stars!

This book was told only from gene's perspective, which I quite enjoyed since I feel like most books I pick up always have multiple perspectives.

It was a super cute book, I definitely felt giddy over the romance between Gene and Luis.

I've never read a book about baseball or with a trans romance before, I did enjoy both!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

If you love achingly tender romance books and baseball, you *need* to read this book. What a fantastic story, filled with so much queer, trans, and baseball joy. It is so heartfelt, raw, and vulnerable. Hopeful, optimistic. It's about letting yourself not only hope and dream, but WANT. My heart is bursting. I absolutely loved it.

Gene Ionescu is the first openly trans player in professional baseball. He almost has everything he's let himself dream of. He has a team that he loves, and a career he's proud of. Until one day, Luis Estrada, his former teammate and current rival, gets traded to his team, destroying the careful balance Gene has created for himself.

To me, Hoffman hit a no-doubter with this book.

Thank you so much, Random House Publishing, for this ARC!

10/10 I don't know where to start.

First off, this is the first trans romance I've ever read.

I didn't think I will find another book that would give me the vibes, the feelings and the achingly beautiful writing RWARB did and yet here we are because The Prospects by KT Hoffman did just that. AND MORE,

The romance between Gene and Louis is fire but also achingly tender and sweet. It gave me all the feels.

The representation in this book is phenomenal.

Gene, Louis and all the characters will forever be in my heart, and I know that whenever I have an bad day I can pick them right back up and they can give me some hopeless optimism and joy.

This book is soul crushingly optimistic, joyful, a classic contemporary romance in the making! A love letter to baseball and rooting for the underdog against all odds while breathing possibility and hope for the future of trans and LGBTQ + professional athletes everywhere. `WE NEED MORE HAPPY STORIES LIKE THIS ONE!!!

I cried. I cried happy tears and sad tears, because it's hard for your heart not to break when Gene's thoughts of doubt overwhelm you. Doubt because of the world we live in. Doubt that shouldn't be there, because he is amazing and wonderful and so much more.

I can't wait for this book to be out so I can force everyone I know to BUY A PHYSICAL COPY. I can't wait to buy one myself so I can annotate it and hi-light so many amazing quotes. I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS BOOK TO BE OUT IN THE WORLD BECAUSE I AM CERTAIN THAT THE WOLRD WOULD LOVE IT.

And I can't wait for the next KT Hoffman book.

Thank you to Random House and #NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. #THEPROSPECTS is out 4/9/24.

4.5 Stars!

I absolutely loved this and devoured it! I cannot wait until I can buy a couple copies to share with friends and just convince so many people to read this. An amazing story full of queer joy and a love for baseball, and really being comfortable with yourself! (Including lots of queer rep + mental health rep!!! specifically anxiety)

Gene is playing minor league baseball for the Beaverton Beavers, the same team he grew up around when his dad played. In a way this stadium feels like his home - he knows everyone here, has so many memories here, feels comfortable here. He's hopeful, but he doesn't allow himself to want anything. Not even the big leagues.

Gene played with Luis in college and then Luis was drafted and Gene didn't hear from him again. They were friends, not too close but close enough, and 7 years have passed without an answer as to why he left and went silent. But now he's coming to Beaverton to join the Beavers and Gene has to figure out how to work with him when Luis takes over his position on the field.

A book about allowing yourself to hope and maybe even want, it follows Gene as the only openly trans & gay professional baseball player. He didn't want to be the first, but he was, and he knows that'll follow him. He knows some people won't like it, but he has his team and he has the one thing he's always loved - baseball.

This story just absolutely absorbed me and I didn't want to put it down. Getting to experience the highs and lows with Gene and the team really just had me hanging in. Plus who doesn't love a friends to rivals to friends(?) to lovers arc?

Definitely recommending this to everyone I possibly can! I've been loving sports romances and haven't found many with trans characters, so this book was such a delight! I also loved how yeah, it was a romance, and yeah there was plot outside of that, but we also actually got to see some baseball. It was an important part of the story, not just a background for the rest of the plot.

Beautiful writing and a great debut - I'll definitely be on the lookout for more! I don't think this book will leave my mind for a while!

I usually don't read sports romances because I don't care about sports at all, but I picked this one up because I enjoyed the baseball aspects in "A League of their Own" (2022) and because I really want to read more romances with trans main characters. And "The Prospects" didn't disappoint! It was such a sweet, emotional and super queer romance, and I loved the ADHD and anxiety representation. Definitely read this book if you loved ALOTO!

3.5 stars! KT Hoffman has created an adorable queer rom-com that revolves around baseball players Gene and Luis. Gene is an openly trans player and Luis is his former teammate and rival, but things begin to change as the two share quality time together off the field. It was so nice to see a trans man aim for the major leagues and knock it out of the park in the process. Hoffman makes sports cute.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump for the past few months and it turns out KT Hoffman's The Prospects was just what I needed to break out of it!

I'm giving this one a 4.5/5 stars, but for the sake of NetGalley and Goodreads, I'm rounding up to 5 stars, which I almost never do. Despite not knowing a thing about baseball, I fell completely in love with the world & the characters of this book!

Gene is the first openly trans professional baseball player in the country. Luis was a college teammate of his who has now been traded onto his team. And of course they've both been harboring massive crushes on each other for years! Need I say more??

Hoffman deftly handles the characters' neurodivergency, as well. I found Luis anxiety-fueled spiralling super relatable.

The format of the baseball season also helps to orient the reader in time and gives additional stakes to the story. The romance & the hope that the Beaverton Beavers would win the series made it nearly impossible for me to put the book down! Can't recommend this book enough!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

I don’t know which main character I love more. The indomitable Gene Ionescu or the steadfast Luis Estrada. The Prospects by KT Hoffman is a delightful mix of pining, enviable friendships, and baseball love. I loved watching Gene move through a season that had all of the ups and downs one can expect in any athletic endeavor. But for me, the best part, was how Gene navigated the challenges with grace, charm, and a bit of humor. Add this one to the TBR - it deserves all the love.

I loved this book! The inclusive world of baseball Hoffman created in this book was so hopeful and positive. I loved how much real baseball knowledge was included as well. Great much-needed representation for queer and trans athletes. The steaminess was also top notch. I’m usually not a romance reader but I really enjoyed this one!

Gene is an out, trans man in a minor league baseball club. He’s accepted there, with a gay older player who basically took him under his wing. His high school crush, Luis Estrada, gets traded to the team and it gets interesting - especially when Luis takes Gene’s position.

I think I really liked the idea of this one more than execution. There were some parts that just felt overly long and repetitive, but I did like the intermingling of Twitter commentary and commentary from sports announcers. It gave a little bit of variety in the chapters. Third person can be hard. But it was a sweet romance and nice to see quite a bit if rep here.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The actual joy and happiness this book brought me was unreal. I found my self laughing out loud on multiple occasions, crying, and having to set it down just take in different parts of the story. The characters felt well rounded and really relatable. I often hate romcoms because of how hard it is to understand the reasoning behind the third act break up and it often seems like an excuse to just make the book longer. This book executed it better than most others I have read. It felt real and painful but most importantly understandable. All round this was just such a fun read and something I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review!

Themes: Sports, Chasing Dreams
Representation: Gay and Trans MC, Gay and Puerto Rican LI, Gay SCs, Lesbian SC, Mental Health
Content Warnings: Slight homophobia and transphobia

PERSONAL COMMENTS
So… it’s been a busy couple of weeks for me and even though I finished this book on September 24th, I haven’t been able to review it until today, October 13th, more than two weeks later!

Anyway, I won’t rant about IB in this book review. And even though it’s been a while, I could still remember how I felt while reading this book even if I might not remember all the nitty gritty details. And I felt pretty warm while reading this book. It’s a hopeful and generally lighthearted read. Like baseball with a Trans and Gay MC? Count me in!

Although, I would say that personally, this book did feel a bit long to me…. But overall, pretty enjoyable!

CHARACTERS
I think the author did an amazing job with the characters. Gene, I felt, was written pretty lovingly. And I could tell that KT Hoffman poured his soul into Gene while writing this. I think he mentioned that he used some of his experiences as a trans man to write Gene’s character. But apart from the great representation, Gene is also a loveable person. He is passionate and really cares about his friends and those he loves. And he grows and follows his dreams throughout the book!

As for Louis, I also loved him as well. I wished I got to know a bit more about him during some parts while reading this book. Especially his backstory and whatever happened with him and Gene in the past when they were “former teammates.” But yeah, overall, a great character. A loving and caring guy. And his mental health is also well-represented.

Oh, and by the way, if smut is something you care about, then this book is for you. There are lots of intense moments between Gene and Luis.

Finally, I also really liked the side characters. I loved Gene’s friendship with Vince and how badass Baker is!

PLOT
The plot of the book did its job, that’s all I have to say about it. There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, but it managed to keep me interested in the story. To be fair, I don’t recall anything specific about the plot other than the sweet sweet sweet and happy ending of the book.

OTHER
For formatting a POV, the book is told in the third person present tense. It is told from one perspective. If you prefer reading romance books told in the first person with dual perspectives, then this might be hard for you to get into. However, if you read a lot of fanfiction or don’t mind the third person, then you’ll find it easier to get into the book.

Anyhow, another cool thing that the author does with the book is that he includes a bunch of extras at the end of the book. I won’t tell you what the extras are but they make this book 1000x better!

RATINGS
Personal Rating: 4/5
Characters: 4.8/5
Plot: 4/5
Formatting: 5/5
Final Rating: 4.5/5 (round to 5 stars)

I learned while reading this book that baseball can be made enjoyable when paired with queer joy, trans joy & two idiot boys learning how to have a little hope, who knew.

An incredible debut novel that had me actively rooting for men with bats who run in circles all day.

The found family, discussion of identity and dreams really was an superb and I cannot wait to read what Hoffman comes up with next.

"He doesn't fully believe yet that a life this big is available to him. But he knows, now, that it's out there. That this feeling exists, and he is capable of feeling it."

I'm not sure that I have adequate words to review this book. But alas, I will try.

THE PROSPECTS is a story about Gene (Nes) and Luis (Nada) who reconnect and ultimately fall in love when Luis is traded to the Beaverton Beavers. But more than that, it's a story of queer hope, of trans joy, and the permission to want. And BASEBALL!

Hoffman gives us a beautiful, tender, and significantly important story, with masterful writing and characters with engaging depth. Also, it's sexy and smartly hilarious. I adored this book.

Read for:

-life-ruining qualities of dimples
-"that's exactly what a person who has a crush on a muppet would say."
-separating out the Sour Patch kids (as a love language)
-reveling in another's noise and joy and differences
-diabolical eyelashes and crooked smiles
-midnight trips to Denny's
-units of flirtation
-caring enough to notice
-world class mutual pining
-alphabet roasts
-finding your people
-"just stupid enough to be sexy"
-an identity that YOU choose, whatever it looks like
-hope as a favorite, familiar feeling
-the joy of being included and remembered
-little gay rebellions
-SOFTNESS
-giving in to wanting, to dreaming
-bodies we've chosen to love
-"Let yourself be happy. ... Let yourself be special."
-being completely, face-split-in-two happy

I really want everyone to know about this book, and love it as much as I do. Thank you so much for this, KT.

A thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE PROSPECTS is out 4/9/24.

Okay so I am definitely obsessed with this book I finished it last night and I can’t stop thinking about it. The representation in it is phenomenal! The characters are so freaking lovable! I just want to keep reading this book and have it never end! This was such an amazing story and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it. I am definitely going to be watching this author and reading anything else he writes.