Release Review: Unwritten Rules: KD Casey
Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he's always wanted.
The thing is, it could have been everything he ever wanted—if only he'd had the guts to tell his family, tell the club, that he was in love with his teammate Eugenio Morales. Well, ex-teammate now. When Zach wouldn't—couldn't—come out, Eugenio made the devastating choice to move on, demanding a trade away from Oakland. Away from Zach.
Three years and countless regrets later, Zach still can't get Eugenio out of his head. Or his heart. And when they both get selected to play in the league’s All-Star Classic, those feelings and that chemistry come roaring back.
Zach wants a second chance. Eugenio wants a relationship he doesn't have to hide. Maybe it's finally time they both get what they want.
KD CaseyKD Casey is a passionate baseball fan, including of women’s baseball. She primarily writes queer Jewish romance. Her writing has been featured in Baseball Prospectus, the BP Annual, the Hardball Times, and other baseball-writing venues.
Read an excerpt HERE
This is a slow-burn, second-chance, baseball player romance that actually focuses a lot on the actual game, and also a journey of self-acceptance.
Zach Glasser is a closeted, Jewish, youngish veteran catcher that is good at mentoring and reading signs. He lives with a hearing deficit that he has mostly adapted to and is fairly open about it, but he hides the fact that he is gay from everyone.
Eugenio Morales is a new catcher he is assigned to work with at spring training. He is outgoing, likable, and just kind of slides into Zach's life unexpectedly....and stirs up Zach in ways he was not prepared for leading to a secret affair.
These two forge a connection and an attraction. Their romance is told in different timelines starting from spring training and expanding to three years later. Zach is ruled by anxiety and fear of being outed and having to choose between baseball and love. Eugenio is willing to live his truth and deal with consequences even though his family has strong religious ties as well. Living in secret is not something that can be maintained indefinitely especially in their situation.
This is truly Zach's story of handling his career, dealing with fears, figuring out priorities, and deciding what kind of life he truly wants to live. He is not happy for much of the book and stuck in a situation ruled by anxiety and possible consequences. It gradually builds, flips back and forth between timelines, and focuses a lot on him being closeted and also the game itself. Although it is obvious they do share chemistry and a connection, I also felt a bit distanced by it due to the third-person point of view from Zach and also trying to keep the timelines straight. It takes Zach a while to begin to make moves towards real change and it is a slow process. But given the culture of the sport, family expectations, possible media exposure, it is also realistic.
The side characters all added depth to the story. The family dynamics are important. The personal relationships with teammates and others along the way are essential to Zach's journey. It all weaves together and becomes part of the framework of his choices.
By the last part of the book, I was invested in Zach and Eugenio finding a way to really make it work and live more than half-lives. I came to admire Zach for his growth and trying to go through the process to be himself and still keep those things in his life that he loved. I would have liked to see a bit more at the end though in an epilogue since there were a lot of challenges to get there.
The side characters all added depth to the story. The family dynamics are important. The personal relationships with teammates and others along the way are essential to Zach's journey. It all weaves together and becomes part of the framework of his choices.
By the last part of the book, I was invested in Zach and Eugenio finding a way to really make it work and live more than half-lives. I came to admire Zach for his growth and trying to go through the process to be himself and still keep those things in his life that he loved. I would have liked to see a bit more at the end though in an epilogue since there were a lot of challenges to get there.
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