Cat Sebastian is one of the greats! Anything from her is an instant favorite for me and she knocked it out of the park with this sweet, heartfelt story about newspapers and friendship and safety and belonging. I loved it.

SO GOOD. This was my first Cat Sebastian set in the "modern" era and it won't be my last. I adored both main characters as well as the secondary cast. I also really loved how effectively Sebastian gives such a strong sense of place and time, I felt wholly pulled into 50s New York and the newspaper scene. There are some aspects of the plot that are stressful as Nick and Andy navigate their relationship at a time when being out was pretty much not an option. But overall I found this story to be relatively low angst despite that. There's also a good exploration of the characters figuring out they are allowed to be loved and cared for and count on each other. This was everything I've come to expect from a Cat Sebastian romance and yet completely blindsided me in how tender it was and how perfectly the setting and the story weave together to transport the reader to that time period. Looking forward to delving into her backlist to read more of her books set in the 20th century. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC I received!

“He feels as if he’s been turned inside out, as if he just learned that a part of his heart is on the outside of his body, in the possession of somebody else entirely.”

I love queer historical romance so much.

Even though I pick up these books knowing that there is going to be a happily ever after for these characters, I can’t help but feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s like a part of my brain expects things to go south somehow the same way that so many bigoted people want them to in real life. But with these books, in particularly with Cat Sebastian’s, I am able to put that worry down. I’m able to bask in queer joy. And We Could Be So Could captures that joy beautifully.

This story about two queer men finding love while working at a newspaper in late 1950s New York has so many layers, and I loved every single one of them. I saw myself in both of them, especially in Andy in both his indecisiveness and in his “let’s repress the bi feelings until they explode out” self. In Nick’s fear and how much it had controlled so many of his choices, so much of his life. Stories like theirs are why I adore the friends to lovers trope, and these two are very much the best of friends. I absolutely loved the found family in this book, and how people found a way to find a safe place with each other. I was captivated by how tender this story felt to read, but also by how inspiring their resolve was. This book takes place over 60 years ago and yet here I was nodding along to how Nick and Andy were approaching life, as if they were right here next to me, telling me that I could do it too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this arc and to Cat Sebastian for such a wonderful story. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

A very sweet story, low in angst and drama, but that still faces some issues that come with being queer when it was a crime and you had to hide who you really were and who you loved. The two MCs face problems linked to their job and to their sexualities. They are fearful, curious but in the end, the love they feel for each other will make them see what's truly important. I liked that the story didn't go the way I thought. One of the MCs, the one who thought he was straight in the beginning, has a whole long love story with a girl, and we have little time jumps that showed us how the relationship proceeded and mirrored with it, we see how it affected the gay MC, the one pining for the other but who still was happy to see him happy. That until forced proximity and a forced roommate situation will open the eyes of both and they saw that there was a future together and that they could be so so good. I really liked it.

Cat Sebastian's books never disappoint . I wasn't sure about the setting or storyline at first, but the characters won me over and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I grabbed this one on a whim. I had heard about others by this author. It was so good. Well Written, engaging.

In true Cat Sebastian fashion, this book will make you smile, cry, swoon, and everything in between. Set in the late 1950's, Nick and Andy have to navigate their relationship in a time when gay marriage is not yet legal. It is heartbreaking and romantic and wonderful. Would highly recommend!

As expected, I loved this book. Cat Sebastian can do no wrong in my eyes. I’ll admit that I was skeptical about the book being set in the 1950s because I’ve preferred her more historical romances, but I found myself so charmed by Nick and Andy. Such a great romance book!! I’ve been recommending it to everyone.

What do you get when you cross 50s reporters + gay romance? A Masterpiece! I loved this book and you will too!

I’m normally not a fan of historical romance, especially regency era - just too sad. But Cat was able to flip the script and write a lovely romance between two mid-20s news reporters from different background and give them a HEA.

Nick Russo can’t stand the boss’s son Andy for many reasons - but also can’t look away. The two develop an unlikely friendship. Nick knows he’s gay, it’s the 50s so needs to keep it to himself. Falling for his friend is not something he should do.
The ANGST and PINING!! 😱 🥰
Can a HEA exist for two queer men in 50s NYC?

This is my first Cat Sebastian book, but won’t be my last. I liked that the story wasn’t overly complicated or too much of a history lesson - just focused on our MCs and their relationship. Sure they faced some period obstacles, but it wasn’t a sad history lesson - just a pure love story.

Alternative dad joke: What’s multicolored and read all over?! 🌈 📰
Answer: 𝙒𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝘽𝙚 𝙎𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 by Cat Sebastian (2023) ★★★★★ OUT NOW

Thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for a chance to early review this story in exchange for an honest review.

This is my 4th read by this author. The story is told in third person alternating following Nick and Andy in 1950s New York City in five parts. I enjoyed both characters immensely. Nick is a hungry reporter trying to keep up with his byline investigating police corruption and juggling his brother the cop, while Andy is the boss’s son with all the privilege that entails. Nick is realistic and responsible, possibly resigned to his life, while Andy is a bit of a scatterbrained mess. Andy often finds himself in situations that involve Nick rescuing him or taking care of him, however reluctantly.

While both characters have vastly differing backgrounds, there is a surprising relationship that grows between them as the book journeys through the treacherous times for a gay man looking for more than a fleeting encounter. This story really shines in its example of a gradual build of a relationship with friendship in the forefront. There’s both pining and heartbreak, but in the end love will out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

I love Cat Sebastian's mid-1900s Cabot novella series, so I was super excited to try this full-length novel set in similar times. It's wonderful. It's not as frothy and happy-centered as the novellas, but that makes sense of a novel of its heft and length.

5⭐
PG for the tiniest amount of spice

"He can believe that the future they have is worth more than his fear and he can do what it takes to make that future as safe and happy as possible." 🥹

We Could Be So Good.... was literally SO GOOD. This is honestly probably just flew up to the top spot of my favorite romance of the year. I loved this book so much and these characters were so incredibly special. I loved Andy and Nick but I also loved how they fell in love. This was truly the friends to lovers slow burn will-they-or-won't-they "KISS ALREADY!!!" of my dreams.

Set in the 1950s, Andy and Nick already feel the pressure of not being able to be together due to sodomy laws. And so it is a joy to watch these men (one of whom has to have a queer awakening first!) choose to love who they want to love and to build a life together despite the fear and reach their romance HEA.

This was truly a special book. I loved it. In my mind, these two got married in their late seventies when gay marriage was finally legalized. If you enjoyed Last Night at the Telegraph Club but want adults with a happy ending, this book is a must.

My goodness. "We Could Be So Good" felt so incredibly real. Heartwrenching and hopeful in a unique setting that gives so much life to the story. Wonderful.

Easily one of the best books I have read this year and one I am recommending to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Thank you so much Cat Sebastian and NetGalley for this ARC!
Absolutely love this book! This was my first Cat Sebastian book and I must say I am hooked!! I need more of her books ASAP!!
The characters are so easy to love and the storyline was great!!
It was so hard to put down. Such a great easy read. Highly recommend!!

This was my first Cat Sebastian book and while I will give her another chance, I was thoroughly underwhelmed with this one.

The writing was sort of clumsy. It didn’t work for me. This is one of the few times where I think a book could be greatly improved by having the POVs in first person. I think it’s partially the style of writing but also the fact of it being in third person present tense which makes the characters feel so distant. Nick and Andy came off super flat to me. I couldn’t connect with them. There were a lot of side characters and they barely did anything. They were just sort of there. I know what the author was trying to do - big queer found family - but to me, it didn’t feel like she wanted to actually put effort in getting the readers there emotionally to make us care about these characters.

So given that, why was this book so long? Almost nothing happened. The plot was a bunch of half formed ideas that went nowhere. I do enjoy stories that are purely about the relationship of the characters, and if I hadn’t thought Nick and Andy were unbearably boring, I could have waved the useless “plot” parts of the book off.

Anyway, I will give Cat Sebastian another shot, mostly because I already have 2 of her other books on my kindle, but I will know to go in with adjusted expectations.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon for an e-arc of this book!

This book was fantastic! I loved every minute of it! I absolutely loved this book! The friends to lovers / forbidden love type vibe🤌🏻 It was a bit of a slow burn but the pining was so good omg🫠 Nick & Andy are adorable together! I love them so much! I definitely need to read more books by this author now!

Affectionate and immersive, having read M/M romance from Cat Sebastian prior (The Lawrence Browne Affair is a personal fav), We Could Be So Good is a welcoming switch of time and place (1950s New York City), yet still retains her expertise at crafting characters and building scenes one can't help but fall head over heels for—a must pick up for romance readers looking for a love story set during a less depicted time in the genre.

We Could Be So Good has a slow build (the story didn't fully clicked for me until around the 20% mark), which is partly due to its setting: being neither contemporary nor the Regency period, Cat Sebastian took her time to really visualize the late 50s America. Despite its gradual start, I come to appreciate all the historical factoids throughout, such as the general sentiment on homosexuals at the time, as well as the incorporation of one of the earliest novels featuring same-sex romance. The well-researched presentation makes the world feels lived-in, and not just a superficial window dressing.

When it comes to the romance, it is absolutely top-notch; one can't help but falls deeply for these flawed, yet lovable characters. Nothing overly revolutionary, but the sexual tension, banter, and desire are assembled with such sleek precision, one can't really ask for more. One thing I may add, however, as someone who typically prefer a plot-driven story, We Could Be So Good feels a little padded out in some spots—especially noticeable when catching flu is turned into a multi-chapter story arc (laugh). I wish there's a little bit more involving drama regarding the newspaper publishing, as well as being a reporter during that period (the elements are present, but are definitely on the peripheral).

We Could Be So Good is another strong effort from Cat Sebastian, definitely prompts me to return to her backlist and pick up more of her books (I'm eyeing the Page & Sommers series).

Really enjoyed this historical romance set during a time not often seen in the genre. Cat Sebastian is a master of queer romance and this one is no exception. Highly recommend for fans of historical romance and the New York setting was incredibly well done and fun to read as well.

How does Cat Sebastian do it?? I tabbed this book so much. I considered posting my favorite quotes but honestly there were too many of them to do that.

There was gay pining/gay angst/gay panic. There was hurt/comfort. There was grumpy sunshine. There was forbidden love. There was a mangy stray cat. There were walls built and walls coming down. There were forehead kisses.

There was not, to my surprise, steam. This book is not exactly fade-to-black (thank goodness, because there is a lot of post-coital cuteness), but undetailed in what exactly is happening, not graphic in the least. How do I love a book without steam this much?

On a serious note, I think a lot about our queer elders, about the people since the beginning of time who have fought and suffered in the hopes of being able to exist in the ways that I often take for granted now. It hit especially hard with Nick, because of all the ways I have been embraced for who I am both in my family and at my workplace. This book made me sad again for all of them and the lives I wish they could have had. I hope, in some universe, Andy and Nick are happy and safe and together. (Though that last part is definitely happening. This is not a couple I think will break up after the epilogue. They will be old and gray on a fire escape, drinking their coffee. Not taking questions about that ever, thank you.)

While it was a little long in parts and honestly generally plotless, it felt like a slice of life, watching this pair navigate their connection and settle gently into their life together. I loved it so much. It’s a warm hug with a little grief for all the ways queer people have had to adjust their hopes for their future.

This was SO good, one of Sebastian's best yet in my opinion. She deftly navigates challenging subject and setting to build a story that is so filled with sweetness and vulnerability. is it a rosy look at the time? sure. but it's also a great reminder that there have always been good people, and people finding love and joy in the teeth of adversity.