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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
I can’t believe this is a debut novel. One of the best romance books I’ve ever read. Highest praise: it made me care a little about baseball, a sport I categorically do not like. 👏
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Yes
funny
hopeful
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:
No
This was lovely. My one (1) complaint is the inaccuracies around Portland geography. Tacoma is not 4 hours away!!!
still haven't figured out how this baseball thing works...hockey is way much simpler
inspiring
lighthearted
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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
This book was perfect. If I could give it more stars I would.
Gene is such a loveable main character, always positive even in the face of discouraging obstacles along his life journey. All he wants is to play baseball and spend good times with his loved ones. His almost constant gay panic was a great treat too, poor man and his poor little gay heart had a tough time with the stunning Luis nearby.
The Adhd and anxiety rep in this book was very well done. It wasn't downplayed and efforts to alleviate the other's issues stemming from their respective adhd and anxiety made me think that the main two will definitely be a lasting and loving couple.
I loved the banter and the teasing Luis and Gene had going on, they made me giggle a bunch. Honourable mention:the scene where Gene jokingly told Luis they could have phone sex and Luis kinda being down for it?? Hilarious. Gene will have definitely kept that in mind for when Luis is out of town at uni lol .
There were many difficult moments in this book and yet, with all of Gene's optimism, it didn't feel so heavy.
Seeing Gene and Luis' relationship blossom was just beautiful. I appreciate that even with insta-attraction (Luis is quite the hotty apparently lol) there wasn't insta-love as we see more and more in books. Their relationship took time, they got to know each other and genuinely appreciate the other's presence, which is all I could ask for in a romance book.
Bear in mind, as the author put it, it isn't just a romance but also a sports book, so basically there's good plot to support everything. The characters live their lives, go to work, deal with managers and teammates that are sometimes difficult, and also find time for romance in their lives.
Last thing, it's nice that Gene and Luis are 26 and 28 years old, so many books are fresh out of highschool so sex scenes often feel almost icky? But not here they were very mature and well written (I say mature since sometimes authors will age-up while keeping "younger" attitudes, which is also unpleasant, but no worries, everything was age-appropriate/logical(?)).
Last-last thing, the casual disability rep with the deaf husband of the captain was a big plus. We didn't see him much but I often kept him in mind. His friendship with Gene, with the latter learning sign language for the former, was very fun to read about.
(LGBTQ+ rep: trans man, gay, lesbian)
Gene is such a loveable main character, always positive even in the face of discouraging obstacles along his life journey. All he wants is to play baseball and spend good times with his loved ones. His almost constant gay panic was a great treat too, poor man and his poor little gay heart had a tough time with the stunning Luis nearby.
The Adhd and anxiety rep in this book was very well done. It wasn't downplayed and efforts to alleviate the other's issues stemming from their respective adhd and anxiety made me think that the main two will definitely be a lasting and loving couple.
I loved the banter and the teasing Luis and Gene had going on, they made me giggle a bunch. Honourable mention:
There were many difficult moments in this book and yet, with all of Gene's optimism, it didn't feel so heavy.
Seeing Gene and Luis' relationship blossom was just beautiful. I appreciate that even with insta-attraction (Luis is quite the hotty apparently lol) there wasn't insta-love as we see more and more in books. Their relationship took time, they got to know each other and genuinely appreciate the other's presence, which is all I could ask for in a romance book.
Bear in mind, as the author put it, it isn't just a romance but also a sports book, so basically there's good plot to support everything. The characters live their lives, go to work, deal with managers and teammates that are sometimes difficult, and also find time for romance in their lives.
Last thing, it's nice that Gene and Luis are 26 and 28 years old, so many books are fresh out of highschool so sex scenes often feel almost icky? But not here they were very mature and well written (I say mature since sometimes authors will age-up while keeping "younger" attitudes, which is also unpleasant, but no worries, everything was age-appropriate/logical(?)).
Last-last thing, the casual disability rep with the deaf husband of the captain was a big plus. We didn't see him much but I often kept him in mind. His friendship with Gene, with the latter learning sign language for the former, was very fun to read about.
(LGBTQ+ rep: trans man, gay, lesbian)
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!