How do I put into words how much I utterly loved this novel? The Prospects by KT Hoffman is an ode to trans queer love and joy, and it purely warmed every ounce of my being. It is by far the most diverse novel I have ever read, in every sense of the word, and I will treasure these characters forever.

Gene is a trans gay man and the first openly trans baseball player. He is boisterous, funny, and adorable, and I quickly found that I would love for him to be my best friend. Luis is a quiet, introverted, gay man who suffers from severe anxiety, and I related to him on such a deep level. While he and Gene began as rivals, they quickly found a connection with one another that was both spicy and compassionate in all of the best ways. Their love was so pure, and my heart swelled with love for them both as the story continued.

Baseball is central to the story, and it was similar to Ted Lasso in humor and the relationships between the characters. However, one does not need to know a lot about baseball to enjoy the story. Hoffman did well at explaining baseball terms and portraying his deep love of the game. I have always loved baseball, but this story made me want to follow the game and gave me a deeper love for this all-American sport.

While there are spicy elements, they aren't over the top. Hoffman did well to portray sex between Gene and Luis in a way that normalized trans and gay sex and expressed the deep connection between the two. It was really beautiful.

The Prospects is groundbreaking and genre-defining in so many ways, and I am so proud of Hoffman for paving the way in trans queer romance. I hope that this novel gets all of the love it deserves, and I can't wait to see where Hoffman goes next!