I spent the weekend giggling, blushing, and kicking my feet like a 14-year-old devouring the latest One Direction fanfic on Wattpad. The culprit? The Open Era by Edward Schmidt. And yes, it’s the latest in a long line of sports romances (not that we’re complaining). The novel follows Austin, a 20-year-old rising tennis star navigating the pressure of the US Open as the first openly gay player on tour while simultaneously falling for the impossibly charming World No 2, Diego Cruz.
Sounds delicious, right? While I initially picked it up for the banter and the electric chemistry between the two leads, what really won me over was the way the novel handles mental health, particularly anxiety, which Austin grapples with throughout the story. Rather than treating it as a secondary subplot, Schmidt places it front and centre, allowing it to shape Austin’s journey both on and off the court.
The writing is genuinely funny and refreshingly; it never feels like the author is trying too hard to mimic how Gen Z speaks. Add to that references to contemporary pop culture—from Schitt’s Creek to 17 Again—and the world of the novel feels all the more relatable.
The Open Era is the perfect pick for anyone still nursing a Heated Rivalry hangover, albeit with considerably less smut. Despite not being marketed as YA, it has that same addictive, feel-good quality that makes you breeze through it. Released during Roland Garros and in the middle of Pride Month, it also felt like the right book arriving at exactly the right time.
