I'm not quite sure how to write a coherent review because I loved this book so much. From start to finish, this is an absolute joy to read and is full of genuine hope, optimism, and a true love of baseball. (Basically, this was a perfect book to read during the postseason).

The Prospects follows Gene, the first openly transgender player in the minor leagues, and his past and present teammate Luis. They are reunited on the Beaverton Beavers and slowly figure out how to both work together on the field and repair their past friendship. In terms of the tropes, I feel like it's kind of a second chance and an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance all rolled into one? Whatever it is, is great. I loved both characters and the respective journeys they took throughout the baseball season covered in the book. The plot genuinely surprised me and was well structured in a way that provided realistic relationship tension. I fully happy cried through the entire end and was so sad to say goodbye to both MCs as well as the great side characters.

Can't recommend this one enough! Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! The representation of not only queer and LGBTQ+ but also of mental health made me fall in love with the characters even more through the book. At times the story did go a bit slow but I think it did help in the long run to help the plot and the dynamic of the characters.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5/5 stars. Really really cute and well-written. Everything I wanted it to be. A little predictable in the way romance novels are. I liked the characters and thought everything baseball was well-explained, so even if you’re not a sports person, don’t let it deter you from picking this up. Definitely an optimistic view of how the baseball/sports world would handle an openly trans player, which I’m not mad about, but some people might find too unrealistic. As a transmasculine person, I thought the MC was really well done and while the book wasn’t at all about him being trans, I thought the places where his transness and the way he navigates it were brought up felt natural and true to the transmasc experience. I’ll definitely be picking up anything this author writes next and adding this book to my shelves when it comes out in hard copy.

Things I loved:: Sports! Queerness! Mental health normalization! Enemies to Lovers! Lovable characters! Ties to Oregon!

All shouting aside, this book was incredibly sweet. Luis and Gene are such lovable and relatable characters I never wanted to put the book down. KT creates a world that pulls you in and keeps you there—continually cheering on all of the characters. Coming out can be such a traumatic experience for queer and trans folks and it’s really nice to read a book that addresses the stress of it but the outcome isn’t traumatizing; that it holds an important place in the character’s lives and story line but isn’t the whole point of the book.

I also really enjoyed the layout of the book chapters with the month+the team’s wins-losses as a way to mark time.

I can’t wait to see what KT comes up with next—I’ll be sure to read it! I adored this book! I even made the bagels at the end of the book and they turned out great! 😍

This was a sloid romance with great character depth. Not to mention it was actually funny. More stories like this please!

Overall, I loved the idea but the execution didn’t quite work for me. I loved Baker, found Gene endearing most of the time and a bit annoying at points, and was neutral on Luis. I think it’s a good book, just not one personally for me. I will give credit for the focus it puts on sports and the actual game of baseball. It just never clicked enough for me to get into it and took me a long time to get through. It's a book that I am glad exists and hope to give it another shot when it's released.

I am loving this new trend of queer romances with transmasc leads, and I was especially excited to see it within the sports romance trend. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but seeing a lead with a similar experience to myself means so much to me, and for that reason, books like these are already getting a higher rating, as I'm able to relate on a deeper level. This book as a whole was quite strong, but it felt like it just needed some tuneups and more detail in a variety of places. I had a really hard time getting invested in the plot and the characters, which really hurt my enjoyment of this book. There were some funny, sweet, and emotional moments to be sure, but on the whole, it lacked immersion for me. I was so excited when I received an ARC for this book. which I think was just an extra kicker when I found myself not enjoying it.
The biggest aspect that hurt my enjoyment was backstory. Gene and Luis' past is mentioned on a number of occasions, and there are a couple of sentences sprinkled in within describing the context and what sort of thing they got up to, but the way it was mentioned and described felt like this was a sequel in a series and we were supposed to already know. I totally respect that when they knew each other previously Gene wasn't out yet and that this separation could be to further solidify that Gene is Gene, but it really hurt the chemistry and relationship I found. A flashback isn't necessary, but I felt as a whole Luis felt like a vague character, not even flat - he had depth to be certain - but it was murky in a way that's hard to describe. I just needed more basically. It's unfortunate as well because I too struggle with panic and anxiety as a whole, so I know if there was more time spent getting to know him I would have related for sure.
My other gripe was the baseball itself. To be upfront, I don't know a thing about baseball other than vague memories of playing a bit in high school. I don't know any terms (it took me way too long to figure out what a dugout was), nor even how the plays work, which is fine, because let's be real I'm not here for the baseball, I'm here for the trans rep and the queer love. That being said, there was so much terminology used rather than descriptors, 90% of the time I had no idea what was happening, or if the plays they were doing were helping or hindering their score. In a sports romance, it makes sense that there's going to be sports-related lingo, but I think there could have been a better happy medium with things that baseball fans would get and also providing more clarity for those folks like myself who don't know the first thing about the sport. Overall, this is a pretty minor thing, but because I already felt like other areas of the book needed more detail, this just compiled with my frustration.

Gosh i love a sports romance. This book was funny, heartwarming, and oh so romantic. I loved these characters and the love they shared! The relationship progressed nicely and I felt so immersed in this story. Such a great novel!

A homer of a book! KT Hoffman really hit this one out of the park. Gene will steal your heart as well as he steals bases, Luis is the perfect catch, and you'll root for both of them throughout all nine innings.

Okay, baseball puns aside, this was a heartwarming, intimate, romantic baseball book with the queer and disability rep we all wish we could see represented more often in major sports. There was so much heart that the author put into this story and I really enjoyed it.

My only critique is I think it needs a good edit. There were so many run-on sentences that made it tiring to read (please delete 90% of those em-dashes and commas, readers need to breathe!). But still pretty decent for a debut novel and I'm just endlessly excited for a mainstream queer baseball book.

This book was an absolute delight. Truly amazing. The LGBTQIA+ rep in this was so well written and just very true to the core. While I would've LOVED this even more if it was dual POV, this book didn't leave me feeling like I missed out on something. FINALLY a fucking trans MC, FINAAAALLY. AND it's done right, it's just *chef's kiss*

I finished Cleat Cute before this and it gave me the same vibes. This was just an amazing read and I plan on recommending it to everyone who'll listen.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR! CMQ’S BLURB IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. The writing was so fresh, so smart, so craft-oriented.

What an absolutely incredible debut. I've read a lot of sports romances but there was something different about this one. It was both refreshing and familiar at the same time. Once I started it, I could not put it down. I kept telling myself just one more chapter, which never happened. I finished this book in one sitting, which I think anyone who starts it will have a similar experience.
I loved Gene and Luis' chemistry and watching them go from rivals to lovers. I loved following their story. They, and all the other characters in the Prospect felt realistic. Writing them like that is really what drew me into this book. You can also tell how much KT Hoffman loves baseball and really wanted to write not only a sports romance, but also a book about being a team and achieving your goals.
I can't wait until this book's publication day so my friends can have the oppurtunity to read it!

This was such a fun romp into baseball romance!

The story is told entirely through Gene’s perspective, which isn’t something I see all too often in the world of sports romances but I didn’t mind. Gene was an interesting character and his thoughts did keep me invested. I would have loved to get a glimpse into Luis and his inner dialogue but the way in which Gene experiences him is still nice and leaves his character feeling complete even if not as complex as Gene

Gene and Luis as a duo were cute - I don’t really have much more to say about them. Sometimes you read a romance and the two leads just capture your heart with how real or how sad or how inevitable their romance is and, well, I just didn’t feel that with these two. - part of that could be the wall between us as the reader and Luis as we lacked his own perspective, but I have seen single POV done wonderfully where we can still get insight into the other lead - but I think it might just be the writing style. It was a little flat, which is fine for what this book is, but I’d have loved to see a little more depth.

Being KT Hoffman’s debut novel I am definitely interested in following this author and seeing what they put out in the future.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily!

Thank you to the publisher, Dial Press, and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I liked this and thought it was a fun book, but it didn't scream out at me and I don't imagine it being super memorable. Admittedly I know very very little about baseball, but everything was explained and easy to understand. The romance was sweet and I enjoyed the ensemble cast.

I think the level of representation was really great, however it's not my place to comment on how well the represented groups were portrayed. I enjoyed the insight into the different identities through and definitely think the diversity added to the book.

My one main issue was that I feel like for the first part of the book they were very heavy on the rivals/dislike Gene had for Luis. as the book went on I feel like that was kind of just dropped instead of resolved which feels like an oversight. Maybe I'm just not remembering it, but either it didn't happen or it didn't stand out.

This book! The prose is absolutely ginger ale bubbles, so sweet and delicious and it would be absolutely impossible not to be absolutely in love with Gene from page 1. The tension, the chemistry, the baseball, the triumph, the sweetest characters, all the charm. Not to be cliché but truly, this book was a home run - the nuanced look at gender, the sweet and steamy love story, the perfect HEA.

Usually when I finish a book, I immediately post my little blurb reaction. It's never meant to be a full review, just my gut response. I try to put a little more effort towards coherence when it's an ARC, but otherwise I still just make my little graphic and dump my thoughts in the caption. But for THE PROSPECTS, I literally wrote it in my notes app so I could try to capture everything I want to say about it.

First of all, it is such a beautiful story of optimism, of hoping AND wanting. And joy! Queer joy and trans joy, the joy of baseball and of found family. (I know I literally just said the other day that I'm a casual baseball fan, but what I didn't say is that baseball is also the only sport I even really like, and this is such a love letter to the game.)

And the writing!! The writing is so sharp and funny and beautiful, you'd think the phrases were turned on a lathe. I don't annotate books much, maybe I'll highlight a particularly well-wrought sentence or funny line here or there. I went back and counted, and this one had 30. THIRTY. This is some of the best writing I have read in a while.

Oh, and the end matter! It's so cute!! But I'm not going to tell you what's there so you can experience it fresh. I was already charmed by the book, and then [this stuff] comes along? I never had a chance.

In conclusion, you know that meme that says something like "there are two options when I finish a book, forget everything about it or make it my entire personality for weeks"? Yeah, this is now a THE PROSPECTS stan account. Generally I never tag authors in reviews because reviews are not for them and I never want to accidentally hurt someone's feelings, but I am breaking my own rule so I can tell @squashgoblin how ardently I love and admire this book.

This was one of my most-anticipated titles for 2024; I had been looking forward to it ever since I saw the book deal announcement. Which is why I'm kinda sad that I felt pretty mediocre about it?

First, the positives. There is a trans man main character!!!!!!! I cannot overstate how amazing this is. I really love romance as a genre, but I am starved for trans characters -- this is the first traditionally published romance that I've seen (let alone read) that features a trans man main character. And I loved that aspect as I read -- sure all the professional things that happen to the MC aren't super likely, but having queer trans hope is one of the only ways we get through life sometimes.

Unfortunately, there were also some things that didn't work for me. First, I didn't connect with most of the characters all that much. Gene was great (as you'd hope for a POV character), but I was hoping for a little more from the LI & side characters. I also just didn't feel that much chemistry between the MC & the LI -- they're supposed to have history, but without that being developed more, how am I supposed to get behind an enemies-to-lovers sort of plot?

Also, something that bugged me to no end: there is a HUGE difference between a therapy dog, an emotional support dog, and a service dog. Therapy dogs are there to chill out while you pet them; they don't provide any services. (Luis says he has a therapy dog.) Emotional support dogs are pets that help with mental health, in terms of giving comfort & companionship & a reason to take care of yourself and them; they are not allowed in workplaces. (Luis says taking care of his dog helps manage his anxiety.) Service dogs carry out tasks in order to make their handler's disabilities easier to manage; they are allowed in public spaces and are legally considered a medical device according to the ADA. (Luis has his dog at work, travels with it, etc.) So what's the deal here???? Not only did this frustrate me & take me out of the story every. single. time., but the way this is portrayed will have a real impact on confusing how readers view service dogs. Disabled people already deal with discrimination with their service dogs, this book shouldn't add to it.

Something that frustrated me even more was that the book needed better editing. This is NOT the author's fault, and I barely even blame the worker editing it. Publishing staff are underpaid & overworked, and the books over the past few years have REALLY been suffering for it. I think the combo of this being a debut and it not being edited enough made a huge difference to my level of enjoyment, and whether or not I'll recommend or purchase it. Authors shouldn't be failed by their publishers like this, it sucks.

This book could've been really good, but between my own personal issues and the publisher not following through, it became a book I didn't particularly enjoy. I very much want to read more from this author, because I think they have promise and cool ideas!!! But I didn't love this book nearly as much as I was hoping for.

I heard Ted Lasso and I requested!!! I will say, I don't think the summary entirely accurately gets the vibe of the relationship between these two, but I did enjoy the book. The Ted Lasso bit was mostly that they're in sports and everyone on the team is like family, so I did want a bit more of the action, but we still got lots of good baseball. Gene and Luis were great characters, and they were so fun to read about. Sports romance ftw forever!!!!

This book is everything a sports romance should be: tender, sexy, full of trans joy and the unrelenting hope of baseball. I absolutely adored The Prospects, drinking it down with breathless delight over two sittings, then wishing I had more time with these characters.

It seemed like a book I would like but honestly DNF for me. I could not get passed the third person reading.