This is a terrific baseball romance following two main players through a season in the high minor leagues on a fictional team. Gene (or Nes) is our POV character and is the first trans player to play professional baseball. Luis (or Nada) is Nes’s teammate from college, now traded to NES’s team and taking his spot at shortstop while Nes is moved back to his college position at second base. There’s something really delightful about the shortstop-second baseman pairing. We follow the season, with all the disappointment and the magic it contains, and Nes and Nada are turning back to friends from rivals and then to maybe more than friends. They build IKEA furniture together because Gene’s ADHD prevents him from doing it on his own, and Luis has panic attacks from his anxiety disorder, and it’s a lot of soft vibes à la Cat Sebastian. And then Nes, who has never really let himself want anything, begins to want Nada and also want to play in the majors, which he has always seen as impossible for someone like him, and the conflict becomes, can he have them both. The whole book feels like the beginning of the baseball season, when anything can happen and everyone is optimistic. Nes and Luis are special characters and I wish I could live in their world and be their friend. In the meantime, I’ll go read the book again. This is an incredible debut and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

I have read a lot of books and sports books can sometimes feel over played but honestly, this felt sweet.

I loved all the characters and the plot. I can't wait to buy it but I am so happy I read thus adorable mash of sweetness and love.

have read a fair amount of sports romance novels, and I typically read them more from the romance than for the sports, but this book was just SO GOOD.

I played softball growing up and love minor league baseball as an adult, so a book about minor league baseball was right up my ally, and from the first game in the book I was hooked. I hadn’t read any reviews or the synopsis for the book, so discovering in the early pages that the MMC is both trans and has ADHD elevated this book for me immediately and added even more aspects of the book that I could connect with and learn from.

I really appreciated that the entire book wasn’t fully focused on baseball, just like it wasn’t fully focused on romance, or self-acceptance, or second-chances, or anxiety, or forgiveness. Instead, it was a beautiful mix of all of the above.

This was super sweet and uplifting while dealing with difficult topics at the same time. Gene was such an endearing main character, and his romance was so quiet yet so beautiful! I’ve read a lot of sports romances, but never one surrounding a trans main character so that was super interesting.
The found family in this as with most sports novels was amazing and it felt like a warm hug to see Gene accepted by his teammates. I also loved that this was set in the Pacific Northwest as a PNW girlie, and it definitely made me interested in baseball, which is a HUGE accomplishment.

ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Had you told me a month ago that the easiest 5-star review I would ever give a book would be to a sports romance I would have let out a snort and went on with my day. BUT HERE I AM, GIVING THE PROSPECTS, A SPORTS ROMANCE, 5-STARS. Listen, there’s always room for people to change and this was the book to open my eyes to the power a sports romance can hold over someone.
This book is infused with such a sense of hope, from the characters struggle to even out their playing scores, to Gene’s (our main characters) hope over being the first openly trans baseball player to his love interests Luis’ struggles with what he truly wants in life. All of the characters felt real, like I wanted to join Gene and his team over a celebratory game of beer pong and I also wanted to feed Luis’ service dog, Dodger, some Dennies french fries.
This book was also queer as hell. So many queer characters from different backgrounds and at different points in their lives. WE LOVE TO SEE QUEER PEOPLE BEING HAPPY.
Cassie, you may be asking yourself, you haven’t mentioned the baseball yet? And you know what I was hoping we could skip that part but seeing as it is a huge portion of the book, I have to talk about it. I am not a sports girlie by any stretch of the imagination, so yes the more sports oriented portions of the books confused me. I think the author did a great job at explaining what they could, but I also did not feel as though the explanation was being dumbed down so I could understand it. There were still points in which I had to look terms up, but I was ok with that. Baseball is an important part of the book because it is important to our characters and with Hoffman’s writing, it made those parts enjoyable.
Can I talk about the writing for a sec? I’m new to the world of arc’s and debut authors and book selling in general, but Hoffman did something special here. The writing is exceptional and sort of goes along the lines of: start of sentence, interrupted side tangent that then circles back to the beginning of the sentence. When I first noticed this pattern I thought I would hate it but it actually made the reading experience better.
K.T. Hoffman has put himself solidly on the list of authors I will keep my eye out for in the future - I can’t wait to see what he writes about next!

Okay I adored this book. We have baseball. We have romance. We have mental health rep. And we have LGBTQIA rep. What more could you ask for? Hoffman does a fantastic job at bringing awareness to the faults of our society in a delightful and heartwarming way. This book was such a fun read and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the only thing I would change is how often third person was used . Gene and Luis were totally adorable from beginning to end .

God I just have so many feelings about this book. Hands down I think this will be one of my favorite books of 2024 if not my number one read of the year.

One of the big standout elements of this book for me was the way that gene so deeply loves his queerness. That connected with me on such a deep level. Loving yourself because of your queerness, not in spite of it is something so powerful. This was really exemplified in the way that he loves his body for being trans. I feel that so often in media we see the ways that trans people hate their body for not being cis, so it’s wonderful to see a character celebrate the beauty of a trans body.

Gene is such a standout as a MC, but the supporting cast is also impeccable. Luis is a dynamic and interesting character. Watching the development of his and Gene’s relationship is what really makes this book stand out to me. Vince and Baker were a delight as the old curmudgeons. And I loved the various side characters popping in to add some great personality and color to the world.

Most of all this book lets the gays win and I just need more of that in my life. Watching a queer person succeed just warms my heart. I cannot wait to read KT’s next book and you need to pick this one up ASAP when it comes out in April.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Incredible! I absolutely loved this one. Such a great book to curl up with. It was hard to pull myself away to do things, but I always looked forward to diving back in. Highly recommend!

The Prospects is the debut novel for KT Hoffman and it centers around Gene, the first openly trans baseball player in the Minors. Gene plays for the Beaverton Beavers (Portland’s triple A team) and truly loves it. He loves his coach, his teammates, and his routine. But then his old college teammate, Luis, gets traded to the Beavers. After Luis was scouted in college, he left without a word to Gene. Although Gene is super annoyed by the trade, his forever optimistic disposition wins out as he attempts to make amends with Luis. But Luis seems quiet, guarded, and much more reserved than Gene remembers and he begins to wonder if there was more to Luis’ sudden departure back in college than Gene thought.

This book made my little baseball-loving heart explode. It’s fair to say that hockey tends to dominate the sports romance market. So when I see a baseball romance, I immediately gobble it up. I also went into this book pretty blindly (other than knowing it was a baseball setting with a trans MC) and holy spice 🔥 Was not expecting it and definitely was not mad about it 😏 If sports romance, rivals to lovers, and domestic fluff is your thing, you’ll definitely want to check this one out!

Thank you to The Dial Press, NetGalley, and Colored Pages Book Tour for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! This story was full of hope, tenderness, and joy. The relationship between Gene & Luis was just so incredible – the understanding, the journey from estranged friends to lovers, the affection. I just loved them so much.
I also really liked KT’s writing style! It was so engaging and fun, and it really drew me into the story!

There was a lot of baseball in this story and, as someone who is not a baseball girlie, bits of it went over my head and really lost me. This didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story that much, but it was a lot of information for someone not familiar with the sport.

I definitely recommend picking this one up when it releases on April 9! Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the eARC of this book!

2SLGBTQIA+ Steamy Romance that finds an openly trans minor league ball-player who finds himself falling for his former teammate and current rival after the man's traded to his team.

5/5 stars: Hoffman's debut 2SLGBTQIA+ Steamy Romance is a great rivals to lovers sports romance that features the first openly trans player in professional baseball who's equilibrium thrown out of whack when his former teammate and current rival gets traded to his minor league team. Hoffman's writing and character work is stellar; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain incredibly likable. Gene's love of baseball, underdogs and their sunny optimism is heartwarming. And Gene and Luis' personal and romantic relationship developments are well written and full of heart. I also love all the side characters, particularly Vince and Coach Baker. And can I just say Luis' dog, Dodger's adorable. Oh and the OPS scenes are deliciously steamy. And for those who love playlists, check out Luis' Running Playlist and don't miss out on Gene's yummy sounding bagel recipe which is also included. While there are plenty of sweet and humorous moments, Hoffman deftly tackles some heavier topics, so take care and check the CWs. I look forward to reading more from this author, highly recommend!


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I picked this one up after starting to see a lot of buzz about this book on Bookstagram, and I am glad I did! The Prospects is a really beautiful story about love and acceptance and doing the thing you love with people you love.

Gene is the first transgender baseball player in the minor leagues and he was born to be on a baseball field. When his college teammate gets traded to Gene’s team, Gene realizes that the connection between him and Luis Estrada is as strong as it ever was. As the minor league Beaverton Beavers make a shot at the playoffs, we get to see the team evolve and both Gene and Luis grow together.

I really loved this story but wanted a little more from it. It’s written in third person present tense which honestly felt a little awkward….almost like listening to a baseball game being announced instead of a novel. The book is also heavy on the baseball - there were definitely details that I couldn’t really appreciate as a casual fan. The development of the romantic relationship between Gene and Luis is superb! It is soft and tender and so so lovely. I also loved the side characters and the levity they brought to the story. This story is overall extremely hopeful.

Content flags include references to trans and homophobia experienced by Gene


I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a romance for lovers of baseball, which happily I am. In addition to a very soft and sweet romance between Gene (the first openly trans and gay player in this fictional world) and Luis, to players in the minors, there are very detailed descriptions of the game. If you love baseball (and romance, obviously) or are interested in learning more about it in a very romantic way, you should definitely read this!

This is easily a new favorite queer romance, for me. I'm not big into sports, but this book has enough heart to ALMOST make me feel like I could be into baseball. Both Gene and Louis are such well fleshed and lovable characters, and I adored their banter. I also loved the relationships between the team mates. Gene is such an excellent main character. He's funny and smart and confident, and I'd love to know someone like him in the real world. Overall, this was such a great read and I very much appreciate having the opportunity to read it!

4/5

I’m gonna be straight up, I know absolutely nothing about baseball and it’s probably one of the sports that interests me the least.
*HOWEVER*
I. Ate. This. Up.
An MM friends to rivals, to rivals to friends, to friends to lovers? Please, I read this in two sittings 😭

The main character, Gene, is the first openly transgender baseball player in the minor leagues, and through him we get glimpses into the sport itself, prejudices still held against the transgender community, and some not-so-talked-about-things that are usually kept under wraps.

I loved Gene from the start, his optimism and “can’t keep me down” attitude. And then we’re introduced to Luis, who compliments him so well as they eventually open up to each other and make that journey to being friends🥹

While reading The Prospects, you’ll find: third person, single POV, slow burn, friends to rivals to friends to lovers (that’s a mouthful), POC, mental health and LGBTQ+ rep!

I finished 'The Prospects' a while ago and I'm still a little awestruck by it - and thus, find it hard to put into words how much I love it. If you asked me to compile a list of my favorite tropes and elements of stories I'd tell you this: found family, neurodivergent rep, trans rep and queer sports - and so, if you've read this, youll know their is little surprise in me loving this story as much as I did because this little book compiles all of this and MORE. Reminding me, really, why I love reading so much.

This story is funny, heartwarming, tender, real and shows you a fierce love both familial and romantic. My favorite part of sports romances is always the team dynamics and this was one of my favourite elements here as well! (And a little rivals to lovers when you need it most). But this story was so so sweet, I love trans joy. Theres helping each other through panic attacks, emotional support dog, diner outings and hard conversations and competing for something you're still not sure you can get.

As a trans person, most of our stories are always tinged with sadness, but this one brings joy from beginning to end - reminding you, that yes, trans people deserve joy and trans people will fight for their joy in whatever way they can. The main character even takes t-shots on page!! hello!!

I love this story, I'm so excited to pick up a physical copy and shout about this in more clarity later on.

This was a hug of a book- I really enjoyed the chemistry and banter between Luis and Gene. The unconditional love Luis had for Gene was so beautifully written- he is new book boyfriend material, that’s for damn sure! This was a wonderful debut novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more from KT in the future!

This was such a great queer enemies to lovers sports romance debut featuring a trans man playing professional ball in the minor leagues and the rival teammate he ends up falling for. I really loved the diverse cast of characters and the focus on the challenges of being queer and out playing professional sports plus the good disability/mental health rep (Gene has ADHD and Luis has an Anxiety disorder).

This was excellent on audio narrated by Shaan Desani with an author's note read by KT Hoffman included at the end. Highly recommended for fans of authors like T. J. Alexander, Markus Harwood-Jones or Anita Kelly. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and @prhaudio for a complimentary digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: open door

Okay I was not prepared for how tender and hopeful this book was going to be 😭 I think this book surprised me, most of all, with the way it showed trans experience, queer love, and optimism among marginalized communities to its readers.

It might just feel dense and slow at times, but I loved the pining and romance. And if I cried in one emotional scene, because one line reminded me of Ed and Stede from OFMD, well... there's nothing I can do about that 😂

This is all I will say for now! Will be posting a full review on my tour stop (Bookstagram + Blog) with Colored Pages Book Tours!

Exact rating: 4 ⭐️

CW: panic attacks, anxiety, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, sexual content

I heard so many things about this book and I’m so happy I requested via Random House NetGalley as an ARC. This was such a fun read!! Definitely recommending to everyone I see on the street.

Without giving too much away I have a few likes and dislikes:

Likes:
Oh almost everything! Unique plot and really admirable and amazing characters. Surprisingly, I think I've only ever seen and read one baseball romance in my life so this was a fresh take. I enjoyed that it was more friends to lovers than enemy to lovers. I also liked the humor in this book!

Dislikes:
No Dual POV - I’ve been very spoiled lately with dual/multiple POVs and I always think they add to the story. I did feel a little cheated without Luis’ POV.
Third person - I personally just have a harder time settling into books with this perspective.
I saw mixed reviews of how people felt about the baseball content, but I wanted a bit more! I also think the ending felt a bit rushed to me.
All in all no major call outs! But this takes it to 4 stars for me instead of 5. Could easily see how this would be a 5 star read for many folks!

Very excited for this author and this book to finally come out!