The Prospects

3.75 rounded up

Okay it was SO cute & I was smiling like a dang fool through a lot of it but I think I'm lowkey such a romance hater overall lmao I have to be very specifically in the ~mood~ to read romance & I *was* when I first started the book, but it took me a while to get through thanks to my varied disability issues (exhaustion + pain, mainly) so by the 70% point I was kind of like, pushing myself through to the ending bc the 'mood' had passed 😂😭

Still really liked it, though! Most of the baseball stuff flew right over my head cause I'm not really a baseball girlie, but it wasn't really over the top and was still enjoyable for someone who doesn't know anything about sports.

It had pretty good ADHD/mental health rep, fun friendships, realistic conflict between characters, cute gays doin cute gay things & plenty of Trans joy ofc

(Was also a tad spicier than I was expecting lol not a bad thing, it just surprised me) 🥴

One thing that was kind of odd to me (and I'm just nitpicking here) was how dodger was just casually allowed to go everywhere with Luis. Only mentioning this because he is described as his emotional support dog - which is, legally speaking, different than a service dog.

Overall, I loved the story. I just had an issue with the length and that's on the editors and not the author. Gene and Luis are sweet together. I love the baseball journey. The secondary characters are strong, heartfelt, and funny. I recommend this book with the heads up that it's chewy.

I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

If you're looking for a story that is fun, cozy, and full of trans joy this is for you! 

What I loved

• The found family was amazing
• The banter! 
• The friendships
• Gene's family
• Dodger (Luis's dog) 
• So much trans joy!!!

I also fell like we never got a clear answer as to why Luis stopped talking to Gene? 

Narration: Third person present tense, single POV
Diversity: transmasc MC and author, mlm romance, anxiety, ADHD.

This was such a cuuuute romance! There's rivals to lovers, there's secret dating, there's so much pining! there's mental health discussions, there's washing each other's hair, there's holding while crying...

If I summarized this book in one word it'd be hope. Letting yourself hope, and having the courage to reach for the things you want.

I loved Gene, the MC. He's a ray of positivity for everyone but himself and wants to make sure everyone else is happy, while struggling with letting himself be happy. There were some parts in the book where he talks about the difference between hoping and wanting, and what he will and won't let himself do. It felt so precious and real.

Luis, is a sweetheart of a love interest. He is a bit shy and keeps to himself, especially because of his anxiety. But despite that, it felt like he was a lot more open to love than Gene was. I loved how even though they both cared for one another, Luis felt like he was ready to commit fully from the get go.

And I loved these two together. It's possible it got a bit codependent at times, but like I'm more okay with that in romances? There was just so much love and support between these two. I pointed out a few instances at the very top, but believe me, they're really cute together.

I also thought the third act breakup was done well and made sense within the story. It didn't make me angry at all!

3.5 stars rounded up. Gene “Nes” Ionescu loves baseball. As a gay transgender man, he knows he is lucky to have been signed by a (lesbian) manager to the Portland Lumberjacks' minor league system. Now on the Triple-A Beaverton Beavers roster, he doesn't let himself admit his wildest dreams to someday get called up to “The Show.” Then Luis Estrada is traded to the Beavers and the shit hits the fan. Gene and Luis were college friends and teammates, and Luis' abrupt departure for the draft left Gene feeling hurt. Now that they are (literally) batting for the same team, things start off poorly. Not only does Luis replace Gene as the Beavers' shortstop, relegating him to second base, but his obvious talent signals that Beaverton is just a brief pitstop on the road to a glorious career in the major leagues. Little by little, Gene and Luis become a dynamic duo, on and off the field. But when Gene's manager suggests that their relationship is holding Luis back from his full potential as a major leaguer and reminds Gene that the couple will likely end up separated geographically, Gene has to decide if he should sacrifice the sport that has always made him happy or the man he is starting to love. At times in this promising debut, I felt like I was reading something by [a:Cat Sebastian 15171247 Cat Sebastian https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1487439203p2/15171247.jpg] or [a:Casey McQuiston 17949486 Casey McQuiston https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1608160367p2/17949486.jpg], because the writing was so strong. “I am regretting that choice,” [Luis} says, and Gene almost wants to laugh. Part of the appeal might be that it's at Luis's expense. Still, though, the barest hint of a sense of humor exists in Luis's voice. So faint it's like someone's cologne sticking around in an elevator when they themselves disembarked three floors ago, but it smells so nice that you wish they'd stuck around so you could ask the name of both the cologne and its owner. Unfortunately, at other times the plot lagged, and few of the other characters, including Luis, came alive. But overall I was charmed by the book's inherent optimism, which is sorely lacking these days for the gay and trans communities. Although there is a (mercifully brief) third act separation, the dominant emotion for most of the story is joy - in baseball, in family, and in being queer. Gene is the first openly transgender man in professional baseball, but almost nobody gives him grief about his gender or sexuality. Queer representation extends to many of the secondary characters; in addition to Gene's lesbian manager, his best friend/teammate and two dads are gay. Angst is almost nonexistent, and everyone is emotionally available and supportive. Gene's story may be a fantasy in today's climate, but Hoffman defiantly chooses to present a world in which his protagonist's dreams can come true.N.B. Some “sports romances” use their designated game as window dressing, with most of the action taking place far away from the field/rink/stadium. The Prospects, however, is heavily steeped in baseball. Numerous scenes are set during games, and there are transcripts of the announcers' recap and analysis. I happen to love the sport, but YMMV if you can't tell the difference between a drag bunt and a drag queen.ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.