“Fitz? What’s he got to do with it?” The other shoe apparently dropped, and his eyes widened. “Wait, Fitz is gay too? Holy shit, is everyone gay? How big is that closet?”

jake "fitz" fitzgerald is jaded. he's going through the motions until he can retire two years from now. he's got a routine down and even an arrangement to scratch the itch. that he's a closeted pro baseball player is just one detail about him that he has no interest in turning into his whole personality. so when he's traded back to canada, his home country, and meets the - all grown up now - nico agresta, he's all torn up about how his life is changing. he just had no idea how much more that change was going to go.

nico is 21, just starting his career. he's hot tempered, a perfectionist, a baseball legacy, desperate to prove his worth and hide the biggest secret he has trouble admitting even to himself. there's also something else entirely about himself that he's not aware of, something that jake can give him. the fact that he asks for it without knowing what's he getting himself into just makes it all the better.

“I’m pretty fucking tempted to take you over my knee!”
Nostrils flaring, chest heaving, Nico jutted out his chin. “I dare you.”

Reading the Signs was genuinely better than i thought it was going to be??? i actually felt Big Feelings and was entertained by the smut, something that hadn't happened in a while. honestly, i've read so many sex scenes over the years that unless it's grounded into the story or with solid emotions, i just read it and don't care about it. this book managed to convey both.

also! this book Honest to God made me squeal and gasp and that's like, impressive???