🏳️‍🌈 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🏳️‍🌈

The Open Era by Edward Schmit

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: What was your last 5 star read?

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Thank you so much to Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this one. All thoughts are my own.

Tennis romance is absolutely having a moment this year and this book was no exception. It was brilliant!

I loved the complexities of Austin as a character. He was flawed and imperfect and all those moments when I wanted to shake some sense into him just made me love him all the more. The mental health representation in particular and Austin’s stubbornness about certain things that might help him felt incredibly real and relatable no matter how frustrating he could be. All the characters in this book are complex and layered and it was really brilliantly done.

Official Summary:

Love evens the score between two tennis players in this stunning debut romance. Recently-turned-pro tennis player Austin Hardy has been out since high school and it’s never been a big deal. That is, until he becomes the first openly gay man to compete in a Grand Slam tournament. Suddenly, being gay is a huge deal, with headlines to prove it. Unprepared for this new spotlight, Austin’s anxiety disorder hits a breaking point, and he trips and falls at practice. Right next to the very attractive, very talented, and probably straight Diego Cruz, ranked second in the world. The two professional rivals start a friendship off the court. But between their flirty banter, mixed signals, and looming showdown, Austin is thrown further off his game by Diego. With the eyes of the world on Austin, the weight of history on his shoulders, and Diego across the net, he must decide whether love means nothing or if it means everything as he battles for the trophy during an electric two weeks at the US Open.

My Thoughts:

The Open Era begins with Austin Hardy competing in the US Open against Diego Cruz. There's a tense moment, and then we flashback to see how the two grew close recently and why they now seem at odds.

Austin is openly gay and the first out man to compete at this level. He's also struggling with anxiety that intensifies with more pressure and attention. Diego is one of the most successful tennis players in the world, and a clip of him rushing to help Austin after a fall at practice has just gone viral. The two start a friendship that confuses Austin since Diego sends out some seriously mixed signals.

There are so many things I love about this book. First, the structure felt unique for a romance. As a huge lover of romance books, I never get sick of the standard setups for love stories, but I love it when a book plays out differently than I anticipated. This has everything I want in a romance, but it's a lot more of a character exploration than most.

Another thing I love is the serious focus on mental health. Austin starts seeing a therapist fairly early in the book, and his therapy sessions are a major part of the story. I've read a lot of books featuring characters with anxiety, but I've never read one that delved so deeply into the character's mental state. We see Austin's strengths, his flaws, and the moments in his past that shaped him. He has some major highs and devastating lows, and we are along for the ride the entire time. It left me feeling so protective and attached to him!

The whole book takes place over a few short weeks, so it's a fast-paced story. Somehow, though, the romance doesn't feel rushed. Austin and Diego's chemistry is electric. Their relationship has moments where the pair are intense rivals, but there are plenty of fun and romantic scenes, too. Both men are in their twenties and are still figuring themselves out. Both characters' story arcs have a light coming-of-age vibe.

The story is also filled with several supporting characters who have great dynamics with Austin. Austin's sister, Charlotte, was one of my favorite characters. Perhaps the best relationship in the entire book, though, is between Austin and his coach, Robbie. There are also some great discussions about phone addiction and the negative effects of social media. Plus, there's one conversation about openly queer women athletes being frequently overlooked that feels very timely.

This is a seriously good Summer romance. I recommend this most to romance lovers who enjoy strong, character-focused stories. Readers who love in-depth explorations of mental health should especially appreciate the care that was put into Austin's story. I can't wait to see what Edward Schmit releases next because this is an excellent debut!

My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 (5/5 stars)

Pages: 384 (Kindle Edition)

Tropes/Tags: Queer, Achillean, Romance, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Contains Depictions Of: Anxiety (Including Depictions of Panic Attacks), Homophobia, Grief

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | Pagebound | EdwardSchmit.com

The Open Era will be released on June 2, 2026, and is available for pre-order!

I received an advanced copy of this book for free, thanks to Netgalley, Berkley, and Penguin. The above are my honest feelings about the provided book.