As a loyal baseball fan, of course I had to highlight this new release! This book hits so many of my sweet spots: queer rep, mental health rep, romance, and of course, sports! This book is Hoffman’s debut, and he absolutely nailed it and will definitely be an author I follow in the future.

Gene is a shortstop for the Beaverton Beavers, the same minor league team that his dad played for. He also happens to be the first trans man to play professional baseball. Gabe loves his job and dreams of the team making the playoffs - until Luis Estrada gets traded to the Beavers. Luis and Gabe played college ball together, but when Luis gets drafted, he leaves and never looks back. After seven years of silence, Gabe isn’t thrilled to have Luis back in his life, and when he gets moved to second base so Luis can play shortstop, Gabe makes it his mission to make sure Luis plays well enough that he gets called up to the majors and out of Gabe’s life.

There’s just one problem: when Gabe and Luis begrudgingly begin working and practicing together, their on-the-field performance takes off, and the team suddenly starts winning. Suddenly, Gabe’s having a hard time remembering why he wanted Luis gone… and it doesn’t help that he finds Luis attractive. When Luis surprises Gabe by confessing that he’s gay, Gabe has to decide whether he can set aside his feelings and stay focused on the game.

Gabe is an eternal optimist, always trying to see the best in every situation, so his reaction to Luis is out of character (and clearly self preservation). In contrast, Luis is quiet, reserved, stand-offish; he shrinks away from contact and relies on a service dog to manage his anxiety. I couldn’t help but fall for these characters and root for them to find their happiness.

Best of all, this is a sports romance that actually nails the spot. Hoffman is obviously a baseball fan, and he so perfectly captures the nuances of the game. I felt like I was right there on the field!

Trust me - give this book a shot. You won’t regret it.

I love love loved this book! Trans rep, trans joy! So much queer joy! I felt so safe reading this book. Every character was lovingly crafted with their own baggage, personality, place in the world they live, and place in each other's lives. I loved that everyone had a chance to be a human, and that they were forgiven when being human ended up meaning things were messy and sometimes hurtful. I want to shout from the rooftops about this book. I'm going to force all of my friends to read this. More trans people in romance! More trans people in sports romance! More effortless diversity and inclusion in romance and all books! I wish I could go back and read this for the first time again, but I'll have to settle for rereading it over and over.
Thank you to NETgalley for this ARC!

One sentence summary: Everything changes for Gene when his former friend turned rival, Luis, gets trade to his minor league baseball team.

My thoughts: I love Gene and Luis so much! This book was full of heart and hope and honestly was such a joy to read. There were just so many tender and sweet moments in this book that felt like warm hugs.

There is a lot of baseball talk in this one which I can see deterring some, but I thoroughly enjoyed all the baseball. It really made me want to go to a game!

Recommended for baseball fans, romance lovers, and anyone needing some joy and hope in their lives.

The Prospects follows Gene, a minor league baseball player, as he navigates his current baseball season and his feelings for his newly transferred teammate, Luis.

This is a queer rivals to lovers story with some amazing representation. It was interesting to see how the author navigated the role of gender and sexuality within the world of baseball, while providing an uplifting and heartwarming story.

The characters themselves had wonderful chemistry - and a history that impacted and influenced how they were choosing to navigate around each other in the present. I thought that they were believable and well written and had fully realized hopes and aspirations that really came together to create a three dimensional picture of who Gene and Luis are as people.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one - as a former baseball player in my youth, and as a gay man - it was a wonderful story with some amazing representation.

God what a cute little book. I'm a sucker for sports romances and this one was no different. And then make it queer? I was in this book's chokehold from the get-go. This was such a good story and I'm definitely interested in seeing how this author progresses throughout their writing career if this is their debut book.
Look, I won't lie to you. Do I know anything about baseball? Not really, no. But K.T Hoffman did a really good job at making me not care about that. Sure, I didn't always understand the terms, but the vibes were there, and I was just as on the edge of my seat to see if they pulled through as much as the actual characters in the book were. And the romance?? I was SAT. I love me a good little rivals to lovers moment and this book delivered. I thought the relationship between Gene and Luis was pretty cute and I liked seeing them together throughout the novel.
Was this book all about baseball? yeah. But it was also about queer relationships, discovering your identity, carving your own space in the world, and surrounding yourself with the people you love and who love you.
My one issue with this book? so glad you asked. The third act breakup. No, in reality that did affect my rating, but not much, I just don't FEEL like this book was a 5 star read, but, I still really enjoyed it. 4.25 stars.

Thank you to the publisher (Penguin, you never let me down) and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful little book.

This is the perfect romance for springtime as baseball season is kicking off. The Prospects is fast paced and witty, and brings out all the best bits of a day at the ballpark. I felt like I was sitting in the dugout cheering along with the players.

Gene's experiences as a trans athlete add an important layer of representation and authenticity to the story. I loved his stubborn optimism along with his solid friendship with Vince, and how he was able to allow Luis to be open and honest about his own life. There’s also a strong found family element with the team.

Overall a solid romance with some satisfying spice, and by the end of the book you’ll be eager to add some baseball games into your summer schedule.

The rundown: 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. 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.

Am I glad I read it? So, so glad. This book feels like the perfect combination of the tender hopefulness of Cat Sebastian’s midcentury romances and the thoughtful exploration of the baseball setting characteristic of KD Casey’s Unwritten Rules series. And as a lover of both, that is a compliment of the highest order.

Gene’s story feels like it was crafted with such earnest, gentle care and gifted to us, the readers, with equal softness. It’s about the perhaps small but devastating gap between hoping and wanting. It’s about knowing that you’ve done something special, partly because of the illogic of baseball and partly because you’re very good at what you do, but tamping down the desire to want more, bigger, better. It’s about being afraid of disappointment. It’s about the need to be needed, to prove yourself, while nursing a secret hope to be wanted regardless. It’s about finding the courage to reach for those unimaginable dreams, and having faith that you can do it on your own.

PROSPECTS is full of the expected tension about will I be traded? and what will we do when the season ends?, but it also genuinely surprised me in terms of plot, more than once. That’s not to say that it’s twisty or thrilling because it’s not; rather, it’s a testament to how thoughtfully Hoffman plotted the (debut!) novel. For a long time I wasn’t sure whether Gene would make it to the majors or not, and for almost as long I wasn’t sure whether I wanted him to. By the end, though, I was so perfectly pleased with how everything came together.

One last thing it’s driving me bonkers: ignore anything and anyone who tries to tell you this is an enemies-to-lovers book. No no no. That is completely the wrong vibe and, in my extremely humble opinion, a complete lie. It’s barely rivals-to lovers, considering the rivalry is entirely one-sided and lasts approximately 37 seconds.

Rating: 💚 (loved)

Anything else you need to know? TW/CWs for anxiety; on-page panic attacks; explicit seggsy times; transphobia; homophobia; discussion of past car accident & resulting injury, including medical content; situations where MC is forced to go by his dead name (not shown)

Major, MAJOR thanks to @thedialpress and @NetGalley for the review copy! All opinions expressed herein are my own! THE PROSPECTS is out now!

I love a sports romance and what I love even more about a sports romance is when the author loves the sport and the romance almost equally. I definitely think that’s the case with the Prospects—a queer baseball romance I absolutely devoured. Gene and Louis have my whole heart and I am so excited for more people to read their story and fall in love with them like me.

Gene is a trans minor leaguer who won’t even let himself dream of one day playing in the majors. His life becomes even more complicated when an old teammate gets transferred to his team. Sparks fly immediately between Louis and Gene and I loved the way Hoffman uses baseball to draw them closer together. Hoffman clearly loves baseball and the love for the sport seeps into every page. I also want to mention both Louis and Gene are dealing with mental health issues that, as a fellow sufferer of panic attacks, made me relate to them even more.

I adored this book. It was the perfect sports romance. This was an incredible debut. Hoffman has a huge fan in me and I can’t wait to see what he writes next!

Thank you so much to dial press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

✨in my queer sports romance era✨

I really, really enjoyed reading The Prospects. It doesn't shy away from things that are tough and hard, but ultimately it is so about queer joy and being yourself and loving yourself and it feels like a big gay hug (also, that's what's on the cover).

The Prospects is about Gene Ionescu, a minor league baseball player for the Beaverton Beavers and the first openly trans professional baseball player. I absolutely loved reading about Gene. He loves baseball, and he loves being trans, and he just embodied so much joy and determination. He "decides" what the outcome of the game is going to be, and then that's just how the game goes. But everything gets turned upside down when Luis Estrada, who played with Gene in college until he didn't and they stopped being friends, gets traded to the Beavers. Not to mention the fact that they both play shortstop, but with Luis's trade, Gene gets bumped to second base. Cue them fighting over catching the ball and crashing into each other and missing it.

Gene can't help but stay close to Luis. Luis is closed off and rough, and Gene is the opposite. Not to mention my favorite kind of rivals to lovers, which is where one character (Gene) is mad at the other (Luis), but thinks he's hot, and that makes him even madder. Their coach forces Gene and Luis to start sharing a room on their road trips so they can get over their hatred of one another, and boy do they ever.

The Prospects really is a baseball book. I loved the team dynamic, the way that they play with one another, the hype-ups before the game, the huddles after the game, the excitement after winning, the rough start to the season and the joy when things turn around. It's also really tender -- we get to watch Luis grow to feel comfortable in his own skin, live with his anxiety and all its ups and downs, and we get to watch Gene hold his hand while he does.

I do, of course, wish that there wasn't a third act break-up. But the reunion was sweet and mutual and the happy ending was just what I wanted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for providing me with an eARC of The Prospects in exchange for my honest review.

The Prospects by KT Hoffman is a queer sports romance. This is the story of Gene and Luis.
 
I absolutely love sports romances and I haven’t read any queer ones and therefore I was really excited to read this one. Gene is the first openly trans man in this baseball world. Such a topic can be quite polarizing, but I think it’s important that this representation exists in books and in real life and Gene provided a very unique perspective. And it also shows that everyone can follow their dreams and deserves happiness and love and that’s such an important message.
 
Luis is a longtime rival of Gene, and he ends up being traded to the same team and that causes quite the tension between them and the team as a whole. Slowly Luis and Gene realize that they have a lot in common and they spend more time together off the pitch as well. Their romance was absolutely wholesome and cute. One of my favorite aspects was also the found family trope in this book. The author provided a different approach to baseball romances I normally read, and I really liked it.
 
Overall, The Prospects is such a cozy romance with very important representation. 4 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

Gene is one of my new favorite queer MCs! I loved him so much and thought he was so well developed and thought out. He seemed SO REAL and I'm almost upset he's fictional.

Luis was written with such love and care, I thought he was so vulnerable and sweet.

My only complaint is that the first 1/3 was very hard to get into. It was very baseball-jargon forward and I was concerned I wasn't going to be able to follow along.

Gene Ionescu has always loved baseball and the fact that he's the first openly trans player in professional baseball only makes him love his life more. It's comfortable and everything he's ever let himself want, but the return of a former teammate upends everything he thought he wanted because Luis Estrada was supposed to be in his past and nothing more than the rival he could hate from afar. Luis's trade into Gene's minor league team starts off rocky, but there's undeniable chemistry between them and it's not just on the field.
It's an incredibly optimistic read that feels both like a fantasy and something that is totally achievable. I'm amazed at how much Hoffman made me believe that professional baseball would be even remotely accepting of a transgender player and that's a big reason why I like the book. Gene does face challenges and microaggressions, but his view on life and how he handles things is commendable. Even when he has doubts and makes a dubious decision, he eventually finds the strength to go after what he really wants and let other things fall where they may. It's a story full of great moments and touching scenes and I would recommend it even if it didn't have the super sweet (and hot) romance.
Extra props to Hoffman for the realistic without being triggering representation of panic attacks and all that they entail.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the uplifting read.

K.T. Hoffman's debut is a heartwarming, sweet story full of representation and baseball drama. Gene, a transgender baseball player in the minor leagues, is forced to play with his former rival from his college team, Luis, when he is traded to his team. These two go from former friends/ teammates to enemies/teammates, to friends, to lovers. It's a long process!

I loved the representation of queer characters, a character hard of hearing, and characters with ADHD and anxiety. Luis even has a service dog, Dodger. All the characters slowly become more developed and fleshed out, especially Gene and Luis. Everyone had something to do, and I appreciated seeing the guys worth their families. It was also fun to see baseball as the backdrop, even though sometimes I got totally lost in the stats and jargon.

I have to admit, though, in the beginning, the story was progressing slowly and took me quite a while to get into and feel invested. But honestly, I loved the MCs so much that I wanted to eventually see them happy, so I kept going. And I have to say I'm glad I did! After the romance started and we could finally feel the chemistry between Gene and Luis, I was all in. There were happy tears as well that made me so glad that I read until the end.
If you enjoy sports drama, romance full of queer joy, and nuanced characters you love, then I totally recommend this one.
Thank you to Dial Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

The Prospects by KT Hoffman was such a fantastic queer sports romance and a cute debut.
A well crafted story with the most wonderfully written characters ever!
The characters were authentic and flawed, funny and vulnerable.
I thought the writing was done very well and I’m looking forward to reading more from Hoffman in the future!

Thank You NetGalley and Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

*Received an ARC for an honest review* I have to admit that I almost DNF’d this book. I had a really hard time with the writing style. It didn’t feel smooth. It felt kind of choppy and disconnected. Especially given all the themes in this story really wanted to feel connected to the main character and the rest of the characters. I continued with it because curiosity mainly wanted to see how it played out. I got the sense of found family with this story which is one of my favorite themes. But at the end of it all, I just didn’t connect with the book like I hoped.

DNF at 17%.

This book sounded so fun but I really struggled to connect with the characters. I don’t know what it was about the writing style but it made it difficult for me to engage with the story and made me DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Note: I do not review books on socials that I DNF.

Ugh. I just loved this so much.

I love the man characters of Gene and Luis. They are just too stinking cute, I can't even deal. But not even just them, all of the secondary characters are just all great.

I like baseball anyway, but you definitely don't have to be a fan of the sport to still enjoy the book. You will be rooting not only for our main couple, but also for the Beaverton Beavers.

Plus, anytime you throw in a dog, I'm in. Dodger <3

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Books about trans athletes are literally the light of my life, and I don’t know if I can put into words how much THE PROSPECTS means to me. This book will be in my heart forever, I’m so serious. I reread the first chapter multiple times over before I could move on—unusual, I’m aware—because I was too excited for what I was about to read. If I could make a checklist of my ideal book, it checks every line. I can’t wait to see what KT Hoffman will do next, whenever it may be, I’ll be ready.

Thank you so so much to Katy Nishimoto at The Dial Press for providing an advanced copy.

The Prospects was a cute romance against a baseball backdrop. The representation was good, with trans main character and his male love interest, as well as other queer supporting characters and a deaf character. The romance was believable and had me rooting for them. The issues with the book were more pacing related - it dragged in the middle, and had so much sports jargon that a regular reader who isn’t familiar with the sport would have an extremely hard time following it.

I absolutely loved this book. This is the first book I've read with a trans character, and I loved the representation and how it was handled. Gene's character isn't defined by his trans or sexual identities -his story is about so much more than that.

I loved the mental health representation as well, covering anxiety and ADHD.

I loved that the characters seem pretty simple at the beginning but slowly unravel into real multidimensional people as their faced with real-world challenges and disappointments.

The banter had me laughing out loud and some of the plot had be tearing up.

My one small issue with the story was all the baseball "lingo" - though I'm familiar with the general rules, it went into very specific and niche terms that I felt a little lost at times. It doesn't really detract from the story as a whole though.