Sigh, I was expecting so much more from this book. I don't know if it's just me but it felt very monotonous and it felt like nothing happened. The characters were likable. I do think it would've helped to be a baseball fan overall. Predictable and mediocre writing.

This book is incredible! As a queer baseball fan, this book gave me everything I wanted.

Gene felt real and like I could have a conversation with him. The love interest, Luis, was some of the best anxiety rep I've seen. I felt their chemistry but saw how real their conflicts were.

This book felt genuine and heartfelt to me.

It was the perfect book for pride month but really any time of the year!

The Prospects by K.T. Hoffman? Oh, it’s everything you want in a feel-good romance that’ll have you kicking your feet like a lovestruck teenager. In a nutshell: a minor league baseball team, old flames, and a rivals-to-lovers story that’ll make your heart do backflips. Yes, it’s as delightful as it sounds.

So, let’s talk about Gene and Luis. They were buddies back in the college baseball days. That is, until Luis decided to pull a Houdini, got scouted for the majors, and left Gene in the dust without so much as a “see ya, pal.” Ouch, right? Fast forward, and now Gene’s doing his thing with the Beaverton Beavers (great team name, BTW), only for Luis—Mr. Big Leagues himself—to come crashing back into his life, traded to the same team. And just like that, Gene’s carefully balanced world? Toast.

Now, if you’re thinking, “Oh, the drama!” You’re absolutely right. But it’s the best kind of drama—the kind that makes you laugh and swoon at the same time. I mean, I was literally giggling and kicking my feet like I was watching a rom-com on a Sunday afternoon. These two? Adorable. The chemistry, the tension, the “will-they-won’t-they”—it’s all there, and it’s glorious.

Gene’s optimism? Honestly, we could all use a bit of that. Even when life throws curveballs (see what I did there?), he just keeps swinging. The relationships in this book—whether it’s Gene and Luis or the whole lovable, quirky team—are like a warm hug. K.T. Hoffman nailed it with characters that feel real, with all their flaws and charm, and there’s representation here for everyone to see a bit of themselves.

And let’s not forget the feels. So many feels. By the end, I wanted to reread the whole thing just to experience the joy all over again. This is one of those rare rom-coms that leaves you with a goofy grin and the overwhelming need to recommend it to literally everyone in your life. So, consider this me doing just that.

Go grab this book, swing for the fences, and thank me later.

This book shines as a diverse and inclusive sports romance, with the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in professional baseball. Gene Ionescu, a trans man, and Luis Estrada, a closeted gay player, navigate their complex frenemies to lovers relationship amidst the high stake pressures of professional sports. I loved the diversity and authentic representation throughout this story.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, & Dial Press Trade Paperback for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this story was so freaking cute!
I honestly haven’t read many baseball romances, so a QUEER baseball romance was an extra special treat. I loved that both MCs were working through their awkwardness and trying to get past issues and misconceptions from their past. I was obsessed with their chemistry and relationship BECAUSE of how genuine and awkward they were. The story was just so freaking sweet!

I was given an ARC from Netgalley and Random House Publishing. All opinions are my own.

Listen, I'm not a sports person. I know nothing about baseball except that there's no crying in baseball. But I don't care, I love this book. It's cute, well-written, and I love me some yearning. We are reading this for my store's November LGBTQIA+ book club pick and I can't wait to talk about it with other readers!

The Prospects is a sports romance about Gene, a trans minor league baseball player who is working hard to work his way to the major leagues. His rival, Luis, ends up getting traded to Gene's team. The two push each other to become stronger athletes and their relationship progresses past baseball. I like a good sports romance and love seeing trans representation in books like this so was excited to read it!

I thought this book was cute and fun! I had a nice time with the story, characters, and taking a detour into the sports world. I don't know anything about sports so always kind of enjoy when I get a new one added to my romance list. There is anxiety representation, which I thought was done okay. I did enjoy the resolutions for both of the main characters.

Overall, this book didn't super grab me, but I enjoyed my time reading it. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

Lately, I have been in a bit of a reading slump due to work being chaotic and working really late hours. The stress was making me not even want to pick up a book because I was just too exhausted to read. This book completely took me out of my slump.

These characters were so sweet and endearing and the whole book was just full of tenderness and adorable moments. The team dynamics were really interesting here as well, not just the relationship with Gene and Luis. The way these two supported each other but were also ok admitting their faults and working through them together was really special to read and it made me feel like I was reading something completely different than a usual romance. I just really loved the characters here and wanted the best for everyone, which is always a sign that the writing is drawing me in. Really delightful and fun read that helped me to break out of my slump!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book! It was a great baseball/sports queer romance. Usually baseball romances are written for the major league team, but it was really nice getting a minor league romance this time. Gene and Luis have a bit of a silent rivalry going on between the grumpy older Luis and the young, happy-go-lucky Gene. Gene slowly chips away at Luis's shell and teaches him to open up and hope for a better future for himself. It was a really sweet read and a great book from a new debut author.

Tropes/tags:
Grumpy/sunshine
Age gap
Sports romance
LGBT romance
Trans MC

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Love sports romance, especially if it’s LGNTQ+ so this really hit it out of the park for me! (Pun intended) It really is incredible!

I don’t pay much attention to sports anymore but I have found that sports romance’s do peak my interest so I was happy to give this book a try. I don’t care much for spice and this had a lot of it so beware of that. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more of the authors works.

Thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for granting me early access to this book! It was a delight to read.

I am not much of a sports person, but the one sport I do appreciate is baseball. I decided to give this book a try after seeing how much representation it has, especially in something like baseball. Gene is a trans man playing minor league baseball and is working towards his dream of moving up. Along comes Luis, the favored player, who messes with Gene's plans. Of course they start falling for each other. The beginning was a big of a slow start for me, but eventually, I got to know the characters and the story picked up for me. This queer romance is spicy, so if spice isn't your thing, this one isn't for you. But otherwise, this one has little conflict, which I personally loved. It can be a drain reading about so much miscommunication, meddling family members, or other high stakes that mess with the story. Sometimes, I just want a cozy happy ending, and you'll get that here. I can't wait for Hoffman's next book!

I would've never guessed that it was going to be a romance book like this what would have me and my dad bond over baseball. This was such a cute read so full of baseball that it had me asking my dad what a pitcher, batter and mid field are, as well as seeing actual games to understand better what was going on in the book. I might say this book got me into baseball and showed me why everyone loves sport romances.

The Prospects follows Gene, the first openly transgender player in the minor leagues, and his past and present teammate Luis and I just loved them so much, going from ex classmate to kind of rivals to friends to lovers this book was full of trans joy, optimism and the love of baseball was palpable.

I loved the dynamics between Gene and Luis and the contrast between their sunshine x shy personalities.

Wow this book is incredible and I can't believe more people aren't shouting from the rooftops about it! KT Hoffman has written one of my favourite baseball romances, possibly ever.

Absolutely exceptional! My favorite read of the year. An achingly sweet rivals to lovers romance featuring two characters who go through a lot of growth as individuals and as a couple. If you're looking for a contemporary trans romance or a sports romance, this is the best of both worlds. I cannot wait to read what KT Hoffman writes next, but whatever it is will be an autobuy for me!

Review: The Prospects by KT Hoffman
Genre: Sports Romance, LGBTQ Romance, Rom Com
[TW: transphobia, fear of coming out]

I absolutely fell into this book and didn't ever want to find my way out. I'll be honest, baseball is absolutely not my favorite sport...I find it boring and want more action...but that was definitely not the case for this funny, sweet, and spicy book. This book has a lot of action, a lot of ups and downs, and ultimately, the happy ending for trans-athletes that I love to see happen.

I was drawn in immediately to the teammates story line and the enemies to lovers trope that came along with it. A team merger can lead to so much stress and tension and adding sexual tension to this type of story line was the cherry on top of the sundae. I loved it. I super appreciated the direct approach that KT Hoffman takes when writing about a trans athlete in the public eye and I really loved that while it was a huge part of the story line...it wasn't the story line.

Final Verdict: I love Gene. Baseball is boring, Gene is not.

this book was pure joy and i'm gonna cry my heart out. it's clear the author put so much of himself in this book and it shows. soft books like these are my krytonite and i just loved this so much i cannot convey it in words. gene ionescu and luis estrada are two characters that are gonna live in my heart forever.

What a joyous book! While admittedly it took me a moment to warm to the characters, once I got further into the book, I became so invested. The romance was so sweet and heartfelt and I loved the immense amount of representation in the book. I’m a fan of sport romances but had never read one centered around baseball before and now I’m definitely going to have to look for more books taking place in the baseball sphere. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone with a penchant for sweet queer romances with a lovable ensemble cast!

I love this book so much! I recommend that everyone reads it! This is a beautiful love letter to not only baseball but the queer and trans community.