You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
Rating: 5 stars
Steam: 1 chili
Pub date: 5/7

Happy pub day to Cat Sebastian! I can’t believe this is my first book by this author. Not only is You Should Be So Lucky going to make it onto my favorites list for the year, but I’ve also found a new favorite author.

In the midst of the tumultuous 1960 baseball season, we meet Eddie O’Leary, a struggling star shortstop whose life seems to be in a downward spiral. Enter Mark Bailey, a reluctant arts reporter thrust into the world of sports journalism. After a difficult start, their relationship turns into a slow-burning, heartwarming romance that is tender and passionate.

Eddie’s golden retriever-like personality and Mark’s prickly exterior make them the perfect grumpy/sunshine duo, which I love. The way Mark tries to hold it together all the time makes me want to give him a giant hug! (That he would pretend to hate but secretly love). And Eddie couldn’t be sweeter or more down to Earth if he tried. Their witty banter had me laughing out loud, and their quiet, tender moments brought tears to my eyes. I love the way Sebastian brings their relationship to life by showing the vulnerability and deep connection that forms between them.

Sebastian explores themes of identity, grief, and acceptance with grace and sensitivity during a time when society was unaccepting of a love like Mark and Eddie’s. The struggles they faced resonate deeply, making them endearing and relatable characters.

You Should Be So Lucky is a testament to the power of love and the strength of embracing your true self. This book is a true delight and will stay with me for a long time. It’s perfect for fans of heartfelt romance and beautifully crafted characters.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for my advanced copy.

[I received a digital arc for an honest review]

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian is a new MM historical romance. Mark Bailey is a reporter, sort of. He manages to get himself to work everyday and surrounds himself with his close circle of friends. When his friend and boss, Andy, approaches him to write a weekly diary for the new rookie for New York’s extension baseball team, Mark is less than thrilled. Even less thrilled is the rookie himself Eddie O’Leary who has gotten himself into a lot of trouble for talking to the press. The two get off to a rocky start but ease into a comfortable friendship and then more. But it’s not a safe time for Eddie to be getting close to the openly different Mark, even if that’s where Eddie’s heart is headed. The two find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place as emotions start taking over for common sense.

I adored this book and couldn’t put it down. Mark and Eddie were a lovely balance of grumpy/sunshine and unlikely friends turned more. Mark’s story made me so sad at first but seeing him open up to Eddie and even the surly newspaper sports writer, George was exactly what he needed. Eddie was also the partner that Mark needed after his previous long term relationship. It is interesting to see how Mark is written as “openly queer” for the time period and I appreciated that the author continued to include that underlying fear in response to their friendship impacting Eddie’s future. Eddie is a bit of a conundrum where he is presented at first as a dumb athlete who can’t keep his mouth shut but as he grows comfortable with Mark, it’s all a front for the loneliness he feels even while on a team.

I very much enjoyed the world built in We Could be So Good that when I saw another book based on that setting I knew I needed it. This is a slow burn for all the right reasons and is just as much about the characters learning about themselves as it is for them to get to know and learn about each other. Eddie and Mark couldn’t be more different while dealing with the same overpowering loneliness. Their loneliness may have brought them together but their connection is what makes it stick. Historical romances are not for everyone but Cat Sebastian’s take on this 1960’s world is one I never want to leave.

5 stars for Mark and Eddie finding a new love for life and baseball.

It is hard to put into words how much I love this book. This is maybe my favorite book of the year (and it's only May), and definitely a new all-time favorite. It's beautifully written with characters (both Eddie and Mark as well as every side character mentioned including the best dog ever - Lula) that are so fully realized and complex it's hard to believe they exist only on the page, with themes that are historically accurate, serious, and heavy, but still glow with hope and love and promise.

I would never have expected to love a book with such palpable grief, but I need to learn to just trust Cat Sebastian books. The depth of emotions that I felt while reading this book is boggling - the grief, the humor, the hope, the pure love is just so perfect. I am always leery to read historical queer romance because the elephant in the room is that it's not going to be the HEA that they deserve and/or the outing process will be ugly and potentially violent, but again trust Cat Sebastian to make a 1960s queer romance that is somehow completely accurate and delivers a hopeful HEA that feels completely plausible and realistic. I also learned so much about 1950s and 1960s baseball as well as truly getting the love of the game. This book is as much about queer love as it is a love letter to baseball.

But the theme that really sticks with me is the perseverance and trying again after life just kicks you down - basically the whole final article that Mark writes is something that I want to frame and cross-stitch so I can reference back to it. It's a beautiful message from a beautiful book.

I thought this book did a great job of discussing and showcasing grief in the terms of finding happiness and love after a great loss. I think that it explored grief in new ways as well with Eddie's loss of something that was second nature to him while also showing Mark's loss of his partner bt not being able to show that outwardly with people who didn't know about their relationship. The banter in this book was also fun and I just fell in love with both mark and Eddie, it flowed well and I just had an easy time getting into the storyline.

This was an amazing read and an eye opener. Sometimes we need to look back to the beginning of some of the things we take for granted today.

I enjoyed it. This is my first book from the author and it definitely won’t be the last. There was so much to pack in- baseball, journalism,history, emotions and love. The author writes from the heart.

This is a story of two vulnerable people. Both trying to move on in a world that isn’t ready to accept them. You can’t help but feel the vulnerability and sensitivity of both characters.

As much I enjoyed the slow burn, I felt it was a bit long and could have benefited from some fewer chapters while still making sense.

If love you love slow burn queer romance mixed with some baseball then you will love this.

I loved We Could Be So Good so much--it's my favorite read of the last few years, and my one hesitation before reading YSBSL was whether it would be a letdown. But I needn't have worried. Because prickly Mark Bailey from WCBSG gets his own book and he makes fine use out of it.
Mark is the most feline of men, isolating himself in his grief after his partner, William dies. It's been a while and so the loss isn't so new anymore, but Mark has retreated from work and friends and life outside of his grand apartment and William's dog. He's asked to write a baseball diary for Eddie O'Leary, a recent trade to the woeful Robins. Eddie was a great hitter with his previous team but he's in a major slump and his whole team hates him for the tantrum he threw upon getting traded. He doesn't want a ghostwritten baseball diary. He is, however, desperate to talk to someone as his team is giving him the silent treatment.
One of the things I love best about this series of Sebastian's is that her books always feel rooted in the time--here, 1960--and yet she carves out a happy ending for queer men. And yet that happy ending isn't easy or walled off from the time. Her characters can't be openly queer to the world, but watching them navigate their boundaries and identities is what's so lovely. Here, we shift gears from the newspaper world (though we get a few glimpses of it) and now we get immersed in a New York City expansion baseball. God, it's fun. Eddie, who's has lost his swing, is a delight. He's brash and arrogant and completely endearing.
Nick and Andy were true friends-to-lovers, and while Mark and Eddie are friends first, it's never platonic. Mark never fully lets down his guard like Nick does, but that's okay because we don't expect him to. I finished the book completely satisfied and also mourning the loss of this world (at least until I reread it). I desperately want a story about the Robins' alcoholic coach, Ardolino, who's dating/seeing the female owner of the team. I want more stories of Eddie and Mark out dancing.
I got an ARC from NetGalley but this review is my own.

You Should be So Lucky is the story of Eddie O’Leary, newest and most hated, member of the New York Robins and Mark Bailey, a reporter for the Chronicle (yesssss, that Mark from We Could Be So Good).

Mark and Eddie meet when Mark is assigned a weekly diary project about Eddie by his boss, Andy (yes, that Andy).

As the project progress, Mark and Eddie spend more time together in person and by phone (many many pricey long distance calls from hotel lobby phones booths are involved). Eddie is in a new city playing for a new team, getting the silent treatment (not completely undeserved but he had his reasons, ok), lonely, missing home, and trying desperately to get his swing back. Mark is a very well dressed, respected, infamously harsh reporter lonely and reeling from a tragic loss he must bear almost completely alone because of how secret his relationship was. Mark talks Eddie through his fears, inspires Eddie to make amends, have fun with his team, and keeps Eddie’s sometimes terrifying optimism in check. Eddie makes Mark laugh, he falls in love with Mark’s dog, and deeply respects Mark’s grief while immediately recognizing (and mitigating) his fear of another secret relationship.

Sebastian weaves such special touches into this story. For example: the acceptance and sure support Eddie and Mark get from Eddie’s mother and their mentors is subtle but obvious; Eddie’s respect for Mark’s watch and what it means that he finally punched another hole in the band; a somehow very private love letter from Mark in a newspaper article; and the tea cup.

You Should Be So Lucky is a slow burn feelings festival that’ll make you think about falling in love, making friends, grief, community, family, safety, and loyal pets. I loved it!

Thanks to Sebastian, NetGalley, and Avon for this #arc.

Another slam dunk from Cat Sebastian! I was really charmed by Mark and Eddie's story. I have a huge soft spot for baseball, especially historical baseball, and Sebastian did such a great job with the setting.

Well, oh my heart, this was just so lovely and sincere! I could not wait to jump into this; newly traded baseball player that can't seem to hit the ball, and the assigned, semi retired reporter that is mourning the loss of his partner. I loved the contrast between Eddie and Mark, and how their personalities balanced one another, and the way of connecting and understanding their insecurities. I think we can all agree, we'd like to fold Eddie up and put him in our pocket! This was such an enduring, and beautiful story.

If you liked Andy & Nick in We Could Be So Good, you’ll freaking adore Mark & Eddie in You Should Be So Lucky! Mark finding love after loss had me in literal tears more than once. Eddie finding a place to truly fit in gave me the warm fuzzies. Ugh this book was just so sweet and tender and funny and charming! Cat Sebastian is always a safe bet for a good book, and I truly loved this one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Cat Sebastian has been an author that has been on my radar for a long time, when I saw this title was available I didn't think twice about ordering it, and miraculously I got it.

This historical fiction set in the 1960's baseball season has been a hit, I'm a big fan of this type of story.

Here we meet Eddie a baseball player and Mark a reporter who are thrown together and navigate different challenges each in their respective fields as in common, so their connection deepens which filled me with longing with each passing page.

I had already been told that Cat was excellent at writing characters, but now I can confirm it, so it has been a great trip to New York where we are captivated by this slow burn that takes us to go through time and live closely how hard that era was for LGBTQ+ people and how these relationships developed.

Another point that fascinated me was the detail of the historical sport romance, I don't know if it can be referred to in this way, but it never hurts to mention it.

I highly recommend it to everyone Read Cat!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this amazing advanced copy.

#YouShouldBeSoLucky #NetGalley

Things I liked…gay in the 1960s, baseball, grumpy sunshine, found family(I loved George, he is exactly who I want to be). Things I didn’t like,..how bored I was. I can’t explain it. It had all the elements of a story I would usually love. But I couldn’t connect to the characters or the story or the dog!! I’m chalking it up to a wrong time to read this book. I think for the right audience this will be a real hit. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

Cat Sebastian has delivered another home run romance full of softness, patience, and tenderness. Despite the theme of loss, this book just made me FEEL immensely happy. Watching 2 characters fall in love and achieve a HEA all while the reader is simultaneously falling in love with the characters is a truly special experience.

I thought the book provided an interesting juxtaposition of how Mark is forced to quietly grieve the loss of his long-time partner since they couldn’t live out loud due to safety concerns and Eddie’s public loss. Eddie was forced to deal with the loss of his talent in front of everyone and the constant negative commentary regarding his performance. I am not sure which grief is worse, suffering alone while no one understands the depth of your pain or having to confront your loss everyday in front of your teammates, fans, and news outlets. What do you think? 🤔

Luckily, Eddie and Mark find each other 🤝 Mark and Eddie handle each other with the utmost care, gentle in their interactions and with a strong fondness in their dialogue. They discover that the only way out of their pain is through, together. 🥹

As with any Cat Sebastian, this book gave me all the butterflies and I endlessly adore Eddie and Mark. This book is warm and soft, witty, and thoughtful, engaging, and tender. I am a puddle for a soft romance and this one is the softest.

If you enjoy Queer historical romance or soft, character driven romances, Cat Sebastian needs to be at the top of your TBR!

Thank you so much to Avon Books for the early copy! 💙

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY was an entertaining story of heartbreak, overcoming trauma and grief, and learning how to let people close to you. Cat Sebastian's WE COULD BE SO GOOD was one of my favorite reads of 2023, and YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY was an exquisite sequel, set in the same universe in the 1960s and navigating what it means to be queer while being involved in the sports world during that time.

Mark Bailey and Eddie O'Leary felt tangible, like they were real people who could jump out of the pages at any point. They're flawed but work so hard to help each other get better, without even realizing it, and Sebastian does a fantastic job of recreating the world around the characters. This feels like a fitting closure to the world of WE COULD BE SO GOOD, but I'm not sad about it. YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY works so well to deliver a complete story that it doesn't even make me want more (who am I kidding, I'll always want more of these characters).

I cried with Mark, I struggled and rejoiced with Eddie. I felt just like a Robins fan in the stadium bleachers, reading Mark's coverage of an underdog climbing his way back up to the top. I'm thrilled to be able to add this to my bookshelves and to add Mark and Eddie as some of my favorite characters of all time.

I am loving these mid-century, mostly vibes, queer romances from Cat Sebastian.

An arts writer is assigned to write about a baseball player who went from batting something ridiculous to not hitting a ball in three months. Neither is thrilled about the situation. But as they rub along together, they slowly fall into one another in the softest way and are forced to manage living their truth in a world which would pillory a gay baseball player.

It's a slow burn as these two opposites circle each other and find how they fit together. There's no big bad (just, you know, society), the dark moment isn't that dark (just one of them pushing the other away for a little while), and they discover that they have people all around them who will accept them as they are.

I'm fascinated by how Cat Sebastian is writing intimacy in these books. It's sensual and loving, and clear what's going on, but not explicit. The door's not half closed, but maybe we're a bit in soft focus? And I was charmed by Eddie's adoration of Mark's high quality clothing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sebastian is becoming an auto buy and favorite author the more I read from them. This was perfect. No bad notes. Utter perfection. I can't even put into words how much I loved this book. Just read it if you loved We Could Be So Good.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so sweet and adorable! It was such a warm hug and I just wanted to protect both Mark and Eddie! This is a beautiful love story that deals with grief, loss, acceptance, found family, and learning to love yourself and someone else the way they deserve.

The only critique I had with this book is that there were parts that were very slow and seemed to drag on. But that is just a personal preference! I still highly recommend this book!

It’s like this book was made for me. Baseball ✔️ Gay ✔️ Historical ✔️ Grumpy-Sunshine ✔️

I adored Mark and Eddie and loved how their relationship developed. Normally I don’t love slow burn romances but their friendship was a real treat. I appreciated how Sebastian didn’t shy away from how dangerous it was in the 50s to come out as gay and the lengths people went to to keep their true selves a secret. There was just enough sweet mixed in with the spicy and I didn’t want the story to end.

A queer love story that also features professional baseball? Sign me up! Eddie O'Leary plays for the Kansas City Athletics in 1960. Suddenly he learns that he's been traded to the expansion New York Robins, a terrible team in their first year of existence. Eddie, a bit of a hothead, loses his temper and manages to alienate his new teammates, his manager, and the fanbase in a tirade in front of reporters.

Now Eddie's in the worst slump of his young career, his teammates won't talk to him and the fans aren't shy of criticizing him to his face in public. Eddie just wants to be left alone until he meets Mark, a writer for the Cheonicle, assigned to do a Diary of Eddie O'Leary series. Eddie is no doubt attracted to the grumpy reporter who has built a fortress around his heart after a devastating loss. Can these two men who can't see past the dark clouds ahead of them help each other see the light at the end of the tunnel?

This slow burn romance was excellent! I loved all of the main characters and how they grew throughout the book. The author also does a terrific job with portraying the very real fears and repercussions of being outed in 1960 America. The potential loss of Eddie's career, the potential of being jailed. I loved the tenderness and care that Eddie and Mark show each other during their respective trials. You can also tell how much research the author did into baseball and it's history. Highly recommend if you're a fan of MLM slow burn romance!

My thanks to Avon, author Cat Sebastian, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

In "You Should Be So Lucky," Cat Sebastian delivers yet another gem of a romance, this time set against the backdrop of the 1960 baseball season. With her trademark blend of emotional depth and impeccable character development, Sebastian crafts a poignant tale of grief, found family, and forbidden love.

Fans of slow-burn romances will relish the tender dance between Eddie O’Leary, the struggling star shortstop, and Mark Bailey, the reluctant reporter. As they navigate the challenges of their respective worlds and the weight of their own secrets, their connection deepens in a beautifully gradual manner, leaving readers eagerly turning the pages, while longing for more.

Sebastian excels at creating richly layered characters, and Eddie and Mark are no exception. From Eddie’s batting slump and homesickness to Mark’s grief and determination to live authentically, their struggles and vulnerabilities make them utterly compelling. Watching them find solace and strength in each other amidst the chaos of 1960s New York City is a heartwarming journey that will resonate with readers long after they’ve finished the book.

In summary, "You Should Be So Lucky" is a masterfully crafted romance that combines a captivating slow burn with outstanding character development. Cat Sebastian once again proves herself as a gifted storyteller, leaving readers eager for more. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or new to Sebastian’s work, this book is not to be missed.