Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Atmosphere Press, and author Katie Daniels for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

There have been rumors throughout the years of various baseball players being gay. Only three have come out publicly: Glenn Burke, Billy Bean, and TJ House. Burke was known to be gay by his teammates and suspected by fans, and in the 1970s it wasn’t treated as all that big of a deal. Even now, I am sure there are ballplayers who are gay or bi, but are afraid of coming out and having it ruin their careers. Perhaps if the MLB could have built on the experience of Burke in particular, we’d have situations like in the novel A Single Season.

Steve Dixon is a 31-year-old rookie pitcher, called up by the fictional Nashville Notes baseball team. He’s been in the minors for quite some time, partially due to a car accident that killed his wife and messed up his shoulder. He’s walking around the city when he happens upon a hole-in-the-wall-type bar. There, he meets Mason, the bartender. What Steve doesn’t know is that Mason is actually Mason Rollans, a veteran catcher with the Nashville Notes. Mason is very aware of who Steve is, though.

The result is a slow burn of a romance against the backdrop of the second half of the baseball season. If you’re a fan of the game, you’ll know that it takes its toll on catchers in particular. At 38, Mason has made the decision that it’s time to retire. He’d love it if the team could finish the year with the one thing he hasn’t gotten yet: a World Series ring. The two men dance around their feelings as Mason helps draw out the exceptional pitching talent Steve has. Both are bisexual and have been married in the past. Steve thinks if Mason retires, he’ll get back with his ex-wife, so he doesn’t think there’s much hope for a romance.

The relationship developing between the two men is against the backdrop of a pennant race. If you’re a fan of baseball, it’s a great story, although predictable in many ways. If you’re just looking for romance, I think you’ll be disappointed. A Single Season is first and foremost a baseball book, maybe even a baseball fairy tale. What’s developing between Mason and Steve is important, but it’s also secondary. What’s nice is that while both men are conscious of what having an openly gay relationship can do to their careers, it’s met with indifference by their teammates, who believe the two got together long before they actually do.

Knowing that there have been rumors about the sexuality of players for years, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there have been situations like this before in the game. I heard it about both Rusty Staub and Mike Piazza. Are there situations where players might develop feelings for each other beyond just being friends and teammates? If there have been, it’s kept very close to the vest by everyone involved. I do wish the situation in baseball were as it’s depicted here, if not even more open. Mason is insistent on not getting involved with a teammate. He knows it can cause problems down the line, just like any other workplace romance. This has already caused problems as they meet a player that Mason rejected in the World Series, and Mason is targeted for revenge due to that rejection. It’s a complication that would be very hard to deal with were it widespread.

I had a lot of food for thought while reading A Single Season. Being as big of a baseball fan as I am, I thought about the various aspects that players having relationships with each other could bring to the game. I liked that Daniels just presented this as the way it is with no real commentary on whether it was right or wrong, preferring to let readers decide for themselves. At first, I thought it was a bit unrealistic that their relationship would be accepted so easily, but Daniels does a great job bringing in the possibility that being “out” could end their careers. Both Steve and Mason are so darn likable; I can’t imagine anyone not rooting for them, though.

I recommend A Single Season to baseball fans who have an open mind. I think you have to be a fan of the game to appreciate the book. The romance is really secondary. If people can find happiness with each other, who is anyone else to judge them for it?