The Prospects, KT Hoffman
The Prospects, KT Hoffman
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
Club: $11.25

The Prospects

Author: KT Hoffman

Narrator: Shaan Dasani, KT Hoffman

Unabridged: 11 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2024


Synopsis

“A queer sports romance and a triumphant debut . . . a heartstring-pulling tale of two minor-league baseball rivals who realize they play much better together.”—Elle, The Best (and Most Anticipated) Romance Books of 2024, So Far

“I completely adored it.”—Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White & Royal Blue

AN ELLE AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Minor leagues. Major chemistry.

Hope is familiar territory for Gene Ionescu. He has always loved baseball, a sport made for underdogs and optimists like him. He also loves his team, the minor league Beaverton Beavers, and, for the most part, he loves the career he’s built. As the first openly trans player in professional baseball, Gene has nearly everything he’s ever let himself dream of—that is, until Luis Estrada, Gene’s former teammate and current rival, gets traded to the Beavers, destroying the careful equilibrium of Gene’s life.

Gene and Luis can’t manage a civil conversation off the field or a competent play on it, but in the close confines of dugout benches and roadie buses, they begrudgingly rediscover a comfortable rhythm. As the two grow closer, the tension between them turns electric, and their chemistry spills past the confines of the stadium. For every tight double play they execute, there’s also a glance at summer-tan shoulders or a secret shared, each one a breathless moment of possibility that ignites in Gene the visceral, terrifying kind of desire he’s never allowed himself. Soon, Gene has to reconcile the quiet, minor-league-sized life he used to find fulfilling with the major-league dreams Luis inspires.

This triumphant debut romance reveals what’s possible when we allow ourselves to want something enough to swing for the fences.

About The Author

KT Hoffman is originally from Beaverton, Oregon and currently lives in Brooklyn. He received his bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University. If he isn’t writing about trans hope and gay kissing, he’s probably white-knuckling his way through the ninth inning of a Seattle Mariners game. The Prospects is his debut novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Marieke

Okay. Listen. E.L. Massey’s sweetness. Fan fic vibes. A sports romance including a trans MC. AND Anita Kelly, Casey McQuiston, and Alison Cochrun blurbed it.  What do we want more?   If you loved The Breakaway series by E.L. Massey, you definitely should pick up The Prospects. Think of optimism. Posit......more

Goodreads review by Mai

Trans Rights Readathon This took me nearly a month to read, which is indicative of my feelings about it. While this is very cute, and has tons of trans joy, and I enjoyed Gene, I could not wrap my head around Luis and the dog he takes everywhere. If I were his teammate, had to share a room with him an......more

Goodreads review by Chelsea

my gay, baseball-loving heart is so full!!!!......more

Goodreads review by jess

I'm not quite sure how to write a coherent review because I loved this book so much. From start to finish, this is an absolute joy to read and is full of genuine hope, optimism, and a true love of baseball. (Basically, this was a perfect book to read during the postseason). The Prospects follows Gen......more

average rating: ••••.75 ‘if you give up now, no one else is ever going to get the chance to try.’ it should be a five star book... if the description changes from rivals to lovers to rivals to friends to lovers. but at nonetheless, i enjoy this one. aside from gene and luis's relationship, the way......more


Quotes

“It may come as a shock to learn that this is KT Hoffman’s debut novel since it captures all the perfectly frustrating magic of a great enemies-to-lovers romance.”Marie Claire, “The 25 Best Romance Books of 2024 (So Far)”
 
“Endearing and tender . . . We’re right there with Gene as he struggles with going from almost enough to more than plenty, as he stops letting life happen to him and learns to actually reach for something.”The New York Times Book Review

“Hoffman’s debut is entertaining, sexy and delivers a much-needed joyful tale of queer love.”—USA Today

“In KT Hoffman’s debut The Prospects, [teammates who] haven’t the foggiest idea how to communicate during a game . . . find a surprising amount in common in the dugout—including an attraction neither can ignore.”Paste Magazine

The Prospects is about dreaming big, finding love and blowing the roof off simply by existing. It’s a debut so good it’s in a league of its own.”BookPage, starred review

“Hoffman hits it out of the park with his feel-good queer frenemies-to-lovers debut . . .”Publishers Weekly, starred review

“It’s a joy-filled romance sure to have baseball fans and sport-hating readers cheering wholeheartedly for the Beavers.”Book Riot, “Best Queer Books of 2024”

“This debut romance explores the power of desire and the courage to reach for something more.”BiblioLifestyle

“The queer romcom I’ve been waiting for . . . The Prospects is a love letter to baseball, the Pacific Northwest, and trans joy. I adored every second of it!”—Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive

“This book is optimism and grit, dedication and unbridled joy. I fell in love with baseball, Gene and Luis, and the earnest beauty of KT Hoffman’s writing. An absolute delight.”—Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk

“A gorgeously written tale of queer joy and trans possibility, a heart-stealing romance and a loving tribute to the art of baseball—particularly the beauty, struggle, and camaraderie of the minor leagues . . . ”—Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters

“My heart beat fast, my feelings soared, and then I got tickets to a minor league game.”—Sabrina Imbler, author of How Far the Light Reaches

“KT Hoffman’s debut is, pardon the sports analogy, a homerun. If you liked Ted Lasso, you will love The Prospects.”—John Paul Brammer, author of ¡Hola Papi!
 
“The Prospects is the book I will reread every time I want to go back to a world where I feel safe, and loved, and like big-hearted underdogs can rule the world.”—Alicia Thompson, author of With Love, from Cold World