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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a cute rom-com set in the minor league world of baseball. The rivalry is between an openly trans man (Gene) and an old friend (Luis) who is traded to his team. I enjoyed the team dynamics between Gene, Luis, and the other players. Gene and Luis each had his own issues to deal with, which gave the novel a bit more depth. I like how they were eventually able to open up to each other for their relationship to sort itself out.
You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book, and the author provides enough context and terminology to follow along with the sports aspect. K.T. Hoffman also seems to handle the trans experience in this book well, too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
It’s a lot of pressure, doing something people don’t want someone who looks like you to do."
Gene is the first openly trans gay man in professional baseball. He plays for a minor league team in Oregon and doesn't let himself to want more than to play in the minors. He's happy with the way his life is, with his friends, with his team. Enter Luis. His college teammate who just got traded to Gene's team. Only, they're sorta rivals now as they both play shortstop, and objectively Luis is a better SS.
Turns out hate is a very similar feeling to love. And as the two have to work together more, the more their relationship and chemistry grows.
⚾Baseball Romance
🏳️⚧️Forced Proximity
⚾Grumpy x Sunshine
🏳️🌈Set in the PNW!
⚾Opposites Attract
🏳️⚧️Rivals to Teammates to Lovers
⚾Queer Main & Side Characters
🏳️🌈Anxiety & ADHD Rep
This was absolutely adorable! I really loved how it wasn't just the two MCs who had to work through somethings and needed to grow, the side characters also all had these big changes going on in their lives. I do wish this was a dual pov, but I always want both povs in my romance books.
Gene is the first openly trans gay man in professional baseball. He plays for a minor league team in Oregon and doesn't let himself to want more than to play in the minors. He's happy with the way his life is, with his friends, with his team. Enter Luis. His college teammate who just got traded to Gene's team. Only, they're sorta rivals now as they both play shortstop, and objectively Luis is a better SS.
Turns out hate is a very similar feeling to love. And as the two have to work together more, the more their relationship and chemistry grows.
⚾Baseball Romance
🏳️⚧️Forced Proximity
⚾Grumpy x Sunshine
🏳️🌈Set in the PNW!
⚾Opposites Attract
🏳️⚧️Rivals to Teammates to Lovers
⚾Queer Main & Side Characters
🏳️🌈Anxiety & ADHD Rep
This was absolutely adorable! I really loved how it wasn't just the two MCs who had to work through somethings and needed to grow, the side characters also all had these big changes going on in their lives. I do wish this was a dual pov, but I always want both povs in my romance books.
DNF @ 64%. I think this author has a lot of potential and would check out future books, but ultimately the pacing was all over the place and there just was not enough plot to keep me interested. I felt a little like the characters were symbolic rather than fleshed out fully, and their personalities were too inconsistently shifting to be convincing.
As a trans person, I was thankful for the trans sex scene, but most of the romance and sex did feel too, immature? young? I think this maybe would’ve been a better YA book, and the authors tone might be better suited for that.
As a trans person, I was thankful for the trans sex scene, but most of the romance and sex did feel too, immature? young? I think this maybe would’ve been a better YA book, and the authors tone might be better suited for that.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
it's just boring and i'm not really interested in the mcs...
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This had a lot of cuteness and sweet moments in it, with two little anxious guys as the leads, playing on a minor league baseball team. A bit cheesy at times, and a bit slow for me but overall, sweet. Appreciated the authors notes at the beginning and end of the story, love when author's add in their own comments and thoughts on the process or connections they had while writing the story.
The ESA dog kind of annoyed me a bit with how Dodger just appeared to be convenient or to be a plot mover and then magically disappeared. Loling at a dog that doesn't have to go outside before bed and doesn't ever wake up anyone in the night or mornings, while also having page time to perform service dog anxiety reducing tasks... Give me all the dog content if he's going to be there!! (not actually a big deal and I imagine there's some hand waving with not including the dog everywhere in the book and explaining away how the dog got to go literally everywhere without people making more comments but it was on my mind as I type up this review and have two of my own dogs demanding attention lol)
This book also couldn't make up it's mind on if it wanted to be a upbeat inspirational baseball book or if it wanted to get into the realities of being a trans sports player and ended up feeling very surface level on both fronts. Throwing out a one liner about the cis people not getting it or throwing out a <i>we're all in this together </i> team moment didn't feel deep enough for me. This could also be more of my continual beef with trad pub not feeling fleshed out enough in general.
While reading this one I kept unintentionally thinking that I wished KD Casey would write another baseball romance, with a trans lead, and that would feel more complete to me. Which isn't fair to this author!
Overall bummed, but I think I've had this book on a pedestal with high hopes with how much my friends have loved it. Wump wump wump
The ESA dog kind of annoyed me a bit with how Dodger just appeared to be convenient or to be a plot mover and then magically disappeared. Loling at a dog that doesn't have to go outside before bed and doesn't ever wake up anyone in the night or mornings, while also having page time to perform service dog anxiety reducing tasks... Give me all the dog content if he's going to be there!! (not actually a big deal and I imagine there's some hand waving with not including the dog everywhere in the book and explaining away how the dog got to go literally everywhere without people making more comments but it was on my mind as I type up this review and have two of my own dogs demanding attention lol)
This book also couldn't make up it's mind on if it wanted to be a upbeat inspirational baseball book or if it wanted to get into the realities of being a trans sports player and ended up feeling very surface level on both fronts. Throwing out a one liner about the cis people not getting it or throwing out a <i>we're all in this together </i> team moment didn't feel deep enough for me. This could also be more of my continual beef with trad pub not feeling fleshed out enough in general.
While reading this one I kept unintentionally thinking that I wished KD Casey would write another baseball romance, with a trans lead, and that would feel more complete to me. Which isn't fair to this author!
Overall bummed, but I think I've had this book on a pedestal with high hopes with how much my friends have loved it. Wump wump wump
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Signs that a romance read is good:
- i shake my head and whisper "these idiots" every five pages
- i giggle out loud and physically kick my feet like a schoolgirl when the characters flirt
- as soon as i finish i flip back to reread my favorite parts
all of which i did when i finished reading this book. this was so unbelievably sweet and tender! biggest strengths of this story are for sure the characters and the pacing of the relationship development, which is exactly what you want from a good romance. loved gene's arc of slowly learning to let himself want things - the distinction he draws between hoping and wanting is so good and tells us so much about his character in one paragraph. also loved everything about luis's character, who is so completely my type when it comes to love interests it's not even funny. and the history between them!! the baggage that slowly melts into friendship that slowly melts into heartstopping romance!!!! those SEX SCENES phewy i was fanning myself and i haven't stopped! what a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read, i tore through it in basically one sitting