Gene Ionescu loves baseball, he loves being a shortstop, and he loves playing for the Beaverton Beavers. Suddenly, his positive outlook is thrown for a loop when Luis Estrada, his long-lost college teammate turned nemesis, is traded to his team. Luis steals his position, and before long Gene is fighting the urge to let him steal his heart.
An ode to both baseball and romance novels, KT Hoffman’s debut is funny, flirty, and brimming with joy. He details everything to perfection from the baseball diamond to the open-door scenes, in an illustrative and witty manner, yet still full of tenderness. The love for baseball rivals the electric chemistry of the romance, and the humorous banter and character growth will have you crying happy tears when it all ends.
{slight spoilers ahead}
What I treasured most about this book was its authenticity. I loved how Gene loves his transness and professional progress yet still discourages himself from dreaming too big, in a veiled effort to avoid disappointment. The way the adoration of Luis allows him to develop. I valued the way anxiety was portrayed as another character itself, looming unexpectedly. Baseball was seemsley integrated into each chapter with the team’s record helping to move the narrative along. I relished the representation of ASL, the blended families, the beauty of queer love, and the commeradie among the teammates. The audio performance is immaculately read and cast. So many wonderful details made everything in this novel come to life.
The Prospects was a true elation to read and KT Hoffman frankly hit it out of the park!
