The Outfielders by Robert P. Rowe
Review by Lauren
source: copy from publisher; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Tony was waiting until he went away to college to come out to his parents and start his new gay life. Unfortunately, at twenty-four, it doesn’t look like college is going to happen after all. Stuck in a dead-end job in a small town and still living at home, with all the arrested development that entails, he finds escape in playing for the company baseball team and lusting after his straight outfielder crush, Alex. But Tony’s best friend, Jennifer, thinks she’s found a plan in the pages of gay romance novels. All Tony has to do is convince Alex he’s gay for you… or for Tony. It’s easy—just find some excuse to be alone in bed together and let nature take its course. What could possibly go wrong?
Review: I was given a chance to read and review The Outfielders from Dreamspinner Press and while it's not my new favorite LGBT+ novel, it was still really enjoyable. The premise of The Outfielders is that twenty-something Tony is stuck in a dead end job in a dead end town. Oh, and he's gay and nobody knows but his best friend, Jennifer, who most people believe is his girlfriend. He's been crushing on his baseball teammate Alex for years, but Alex is straight, so it's pointless, right?
Having read many m/m romance stories, Jennifer tells Tony about "gay for you" storylines - you know the ones! An otherwise straight guy falls for his best guy friend, making him "gay for you" instead of just gay. Jennifer tries to give Tony tips on how to make Alex fall for him, even telling him to read a book called The Outfielders. Tony refers to the two main characters in this as Book Tony and Book Alex. Don't worry, it's not as confusing as it seems - and the two storylines don't quite match up, so it's not a complete spoiler!
I really liked learning about Tony and his world. He's good at explaining his hometown and the people that populate it. He's not the brightest crayon in the box, which Jennifer is always lovingly telling him. He does mean well though and while he wishes Alex were gay, he's not willing to push the issue and lose him as a friend. The book has some other interconnecting story lines as well which makes the book more than just a romance.
The Outfielders was slow in parts, but I did want to keep reading, and I was satisfied with the ending!
