A review by so_many_books
Batting Style by Louisa Masters

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved this book! It is fun, lighthearted, a bit sweet, and plenty entertaining.

Jordan is a college baseball player and a baby bi/pansexual. His obliviousness at the beginning is endearing, but he quickly accepts his attraction to man.
Balze is a future custom designer who works at a man's wear store to save up enough for the living costs next to an unpaid internship.
Their meet cute? Well, it's more like meet-fiery... Jordan is oblivious about suits, so he goes to get one to the store where Blaze works. One thing leads to another, and they share a hot moment in the dressing room confirming Jordan's attraction to men.

The story basically explores them being friends-with-benefits that accidentally turns into more.

I loved Jordan's personality. He's kinda clueless sometimes, but he's the sweetest, most helpful person. He hypes up his teammates and Blaze all the time, does thoughtful things for his not-boyfriend, and is an overall nice guy.
His family is awesome and supportive and comes to his help whenever he needs.
Blaze is a bit different. He doesn't have an open heart like Jordan because he never had the family support. He's determined to make it on his own and prove he doesn't need help. He also has a soft spot for Jordan.

The friends in this one were awesome, which is almost always the case in Louisa's books. I loved the mixing of the baseball jocks and the artsy people. Different styles, attitudes, and priorities, yet great friends.

The book touches on some relevant issues, like the existence of unpaid internships, how easily palns can go wrong, the importance of family support, especially for queer kids and the extreme hardship of accepting help from a loved one.

As a bookworm, one of the best things included in the book is a book-con and cosplaying book characters. I loved Jordan's involvement in making cosplays as a designer and the author's endless support of another artist.

Overall, this book was so much fun! I really enjoyed it. The audiobook was also great.
And now I need to read the Joy Universe series because I need to know Jordan's dads' story.

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