A review by beckyyreadss
The Prospects by KT Hoffman

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.0

This was the book club’s pick of the month for June. We went with an LGBT book for the month with it being Pride month and I enjoyed this book but some of the baseball analogy confused me a bit.  

This book is about Gene Lonescu and he is content to play in the minor leagues. He's seen teammates get their big breaks, but as a gay trans man in the world of competitive baseball, he’s unlikely to share the same destiny. When Gene’s long-time rival, Luis Estrada, is unexpectedly drafted onto Gene’s team, everything changes. Luis is standoffish, talented and inconveniently gorgeous, and – to add insult to injury – his arrival puts Gene’s role on the pitch in jeopardy. This means war. The two men can barely get through a game together and the whole team suffers. But when Luis surprises Gene with a softer side to his haughty demeanour, Gene offers an olive branch. Soon they discover that their chemistry on the pitch might lead them all the way to the playoffs. And their chemistry off the pitch . . . well, that could be enough to change the game forever.  

I thought this book was so sweet. This was the first book I’d read that had trans man and a trans love story and I thought it was a different but interesting read and it was so adorable. I loved the tension between Gene and Luis and how they both managed to communicate their issues. I loved the mental health aspect of it and how sports players and athletics can have anxiety and mental health issues but still be able to play at a top grade level. I am a sports fan, I follow premier league football, darts, rugby league and boxing. But I struggled with the baseball details and all the positions and the games. But I loved the teammates romance and it is very common on a female football team so I would love it to become common on male teams.  

The third-act conflict annoyed me like there was no need for it. I would have loved for this to be dual POV because of Luis’s mental health and his time in Portland, I would have LOVED to hear these thoughts and how he came to the decision to quit baseball. I would have loved to see more of the public reaction to the end chapter because there was some acceptance but was there interviews? Did Gene refuse the interviews? What happened to Baker? I have more questions than answers.  

Overall, I enjoyed this read I think I was just expecting or hoping for more. I might read more of K.T. Hoffman’s work if it’s in a sport I understand like a hockey or a rugby romance. 
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