Title: The Prospects
Author: K.T. Hoffman
Genre/s and tags: Adult, contemporary, romance, sports fiction, LGBTQ+
Publisher: Dial Press
Publication date: April 9, 2024
Content warnings: transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, panic attacks/anxiety attacks, injuries, sexual content (open door), ageism
Goodreads synopsis:
The pressure cooker of minor league baseball leads to major chemistry in this exhilarating, sexy, and triumphant rivals to lovers debut romance.
Hope is familiar territory for Gene Ionescu. He has always loved baseball, a sport made for underdogs and optimists like him. He also loves his team, the minor league Beaverton Beavers, and, for the most part, he loves the career he’s built. As the first openly trans player in professional baseball, Gene has nearly everything he’s ever let himself dream of—that is, until Luis Estrada, Gene’s former teammate and current rival, gets traded to the Beavers, destroying the careful equilibrium of Gene’s life.
Gene and Luis can’t manage a civil conversation off the field or a competent play on it, but in the close confines of dugout benches and roadie buses, they begrudgingly rediscover a comfortable rhythm. As the two grow closer, the tension between them turns electric, and their chemistry spills past the confines of the stadium. For every tight double play they execute, there’s also a glance at summer-tan shoulders or a secret shared, each one a breathless moment of possibility that ignites in Gene the visceral, terrifying kind of desire he’s never allowed himself. Soon, Gene has to reconcile the quiet, minor-league-sized life he used to find fulfilling with the major-league dreams Luis makes feel possible.
A joyful, heartfelt debut rom-com revealing what’s possible when we allow ourselves to want something enough to swing for the fences.
A big thank you to the publisher and Colored Pages Book Tours for sending
an e-ARC my way in exchange for an honest review!
(This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
Hello book nerds! I’m back with another book review and recommendation. But this time, it’s a queer sports romance! Now, I don’t read a lot of queer sports romance, but somehow I always end up really enjoying the ones I read (*cough*All for the Game, Like Real People Do*cough). This book is no exception! I’m talking about The Prospects!
The Prospects is a tender and wholesome queer sports romance novel that surprised me. It’s about baseball and optimism. It’s also about queer love, and most of all, it’s about hope.
My thoughts on The Prospects
First of all, can I just say that I wasn’t prepared for how tender and hopeful this book was going to be. The Prospects, for me, is a story full of introspection, wholesomeness, and love. This book surprised me, most of all, with the way it showed a different kind of trans experience, queer love, and how optimism can look among marginalized communities.
The writing style is good. There’s a little bit of melancholy and tenderness in it, which I really liked. For me, this says something about Gene’s personality since the book is set from his perspective. I have to say, though, that the writing can get slow sometimes or feel a little dense. That was my problem in the early parts of the book. But after a few chapters, I was enjoying the ride.
I loved Gene as the main character. I really enjoyed reading the story from his point of view. I think I also found a part of myself in Gene, with his worries and anxieties, and his fear of being disappointed once he wants something for himself. I also loved Luis’ character and as the love interest. Throughout the book, he has become a rock for Gene, but we also see Luis deal with struggles of his own, especially with his anxiety and mental health.
As for the minor characters, I loved Vince and Baker, although I guess I was looking forward to more moments with other Beaverton players. Then again, their roster apparently consists of 25 men?! I know it’s going to be hard to write consistent scenes with more of the team. Still, I felt the love and support these baseball players have for each other, and I loved that.
When it comes to the plot, the plot is easy to understand, and yet, as a reader, I can feel the tension with Gene and the story. I like that this story gave me a unique angle on the trans experience. I think I haven’t read a story with a trans and gay baseball player before. The book shows different kinds of transphobia and homophobia that Gene and other queer characters go through, and yet it also doesn’t dwell on these things. Instead, it focuses on finding something to hope for, letting yourself dream about better things, and being optimistic. Without spoiling anything, I think there was a plot hole/question that felt unanswered for me. So that one part felt a bit unfinished. However, the ending overall is something I really liked. I thought it was a nice, gleeful ending for a story so emotive.
Also, I appreciate the fact that I was still able to connect and relate to the story even though this is a baseball sports romance, and I know only little things about baseball. (Did I have to rewatch a particular episode of Steven Universe at some point while reading? Yes. Did I still enjoy it? Yes, I did!) There’s tension with every game, especially when you see their losses and wins in every chapter heading. But that made it more engaging for me and helped me understand the stakes.
Queer love, gender, and queer identity are also discussed in the book, whether it be from Gene’s introspective thoughts or little actions and scenes in the story. I loved Gene and Luis’ journey to each other. There’s something so charming and gentle about their friendship (and later relationship), and seeing them open themselves up because of each other is just delightful. And yep, I did cry at one emotional scene between the two, not going to lie.
Overall, The Prospects is a story of hope and love. It shows the readers what could happen if we just let ourselves want and dare ourselves to hope for something bigger. I know a lot of readers, especially queer people, will relate to Gene and Luis’ journey.
Buy The Prospects
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Enthralled Bookworm 