If ever there was someone looking for a recommendation for a book to read on a vacation or cuddled up in a reading chair with the comfiest blanket, this book is what I’d recommend. I can’t explain the exact reason why, but it just feels like a cozy book in both the literary context and the physical context. Also, the humor is top tier and I ate it up. 🥰

We meet Mark Bailey in We Could Be So Good as one of very small group of queer coworkers at the Chronicle. He’s reclusive and a bit harsh, but he knows who he is and refuses to hide anymore (within reason).

Eddie is a professional baseball player that was recently traded to New York. He made his… displeasure known quite clearly. Due to this, his team and the public essentially shun him. The cherry on top? He can’t seem to hit a ball to save his life (or career).

Bailey gets assigned to ghostwrite a diary column for Eddie and a magazine spread about the team. Over their post-game meetings and interviews, their bond forms into one of the most wholesome relationships I’ve ever read. 🥹

When I say wholesome, I mean Eddie wakes up at 6am to go to Marks house to walk his dog so he can sleep in. Book boyfriend material. 🥹🥹

The two of them are such a fitting pair. They just work. Eddie is such a sweetheart and refuses to let Mark’s insecurities and worries get in between them…mostly.

Even if you didn’t read WCBSG, this book is amazing and beautiful. It is slow and quite long but it’s supposed to be. Fairly low spicy, mostly vague mentions. The slow burn is slow burning. This is a historical romance. It is focused solely on the romance aspect and doesn’t divert too far away 🖤

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley but this is my honest and voluntary review! 🖤

This story is a heart wrenching romance with a whirlwind of emotions, including grief, fear, and insecurity. I am familiar with queer history and struggles however there is something so personal and gripping about reading a story set in these times with details of a queer persons life that I would never have considered. For instance, when we learn that Mark was unaware of Williams death and had to resort to reading the obituaries to find out where his funeral service would be was heartbreaking. It was a disturbing truth that I otherwise would’ve never considered about the level of secrecy gay men and women had to maintain during those times. While Sebastian made no direct mentions of Marks anxiety, I could feel his mental health struggles coming through the page as a result of keeping a major aspect of his life a secret. I thoroughly enjoyed his character arc and the way he balanced what he had to do for Eddie’s career and what he wanted. Overall, I felt like both characters were incredibly written. I found Marks character especially to be very authentic. He is surly and guarded but is caring and understanding. His intelligence is again, never directly mentioned, but comes through in his quick thinking and quips with the other characters. The chemistry between Eddie and Mark is truly what made this book entertaining from cover to cover.

This book was everything I didn't know I needed from a queer historical romance. There was no blushing innocence, instead, different levels of jadedness based on what each character had gone through. This gave homage to the very real struggles of existing as a queer person any time prior to, like, 3 years ago (and that's questionable still) while giving credence to the idea that living as authentically as possible, while keeping yourself somewhat safe, is worthwhile.
Mark and Eddie were not objectively good people. Neither was particularly kind or selfless, with Mark truly being the grumpy cat the author describes him as. They were anti-heroes that one still wants to root for because their struggles are relatable, and they are as selfish as most people one can expect to meet in their lives. They were both dealing with their own brand of grief with neither being particularly good at handling it. I adored that Mark learned to blunt some of his sharp edges without losing himself entirely. Their love was oftentimes fragile and never without risk, but beautiful.

Spice: 2.5/5 - very vague descriptions but more than one scene

Triggers: homophobia, grief from death of partner, death of loved one, heart attack, alcoholism, references to houselessness as teen and abusive parents

I knew coming into this book that I would absolutely love it, because Cat Sebastian can do no wrong. She writes the most beautiful, heartbreaking and rewarding stories and I can never get enough. You Should Be So Lucky took me through about every emotion I can feel, broke me into one-thousand pieces and then carefully put me back together again. Reading how she dealt with grief, not only of a partner, but of a partner that had to be a secret was absolutely heartbreaking. But one thing I loved the most, was seeing how Eddie handled it and cared for Mark in the way that he knew he needed. Could not recommend this book enough.

This book did an excellent job re-creating one of the most difficult eras to be queer in the US. Because of this, it was a bittersweet read. The 1960s was a decade of increased regulation of sexuality, especially in employment. Cat Sebastian captures the trauma of being queer amidst heightened policing of sexuality and gender nicely. The side characters were also all well-developed and added nicely to the plot. This book will be especially good for readers who enjoy historicals and sports romances.

A reporter dealing with the grief of losing his partner finds a new spark at romance when he is assigned to cover the baseball season with the new star shortstop who is battling the worst slump ever. A sweet slow burn romance between a grumpy x sunshine and just a lovely read overall. The story follows Mark Bailey, an arts reporter who ends up assigned to cover the new season of baseball centered around the worst player... Eddie O'Leary. Eddie is playing the worst baseball of his life and after finding out he was transferred to a new team on live television and having a fairly bad reaction... he is feeling a bit outcasted by his team. Eddie feels lonely and the fact that he's in a new town and is a queer sports player in 1960 and is also playing the worst baseball of his life... it's definitely not a good time for him. Yet from the moment Mark and Eddie meet, they begin a tentative friendship that begins growing into something more as they go out to meals together, bound over their loneliness, and begin to open up to one another. The story was just a really sweet read and seeing Mark deal with his grief and opening himself up to romance again was sweet. I loved Eddie so much, he was such a sweetheart himbo who adored Mark. Eddie's struggles with trying to adjust to a new city and group of people was so relatable and he really was just trying his best. This book was just a comforting read and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Cat Sebastian is my queen! I love everything she has done and this is no exception.

Mark is a grumpy reporter. Eddie is a baseball player who's struggling a little bit this season after being traded to another team. Together they make the cutest couple. I love how different they are and how they balance each other out.

I loved all of the side characters and precious Lula. It was really nice to get to see some of the friends in We Could Be So Good show up here. The friendships are so strong and seem so real. I'm glad that these characters had each other.

It takes place in New York in the 1960s and the two really have to be cautious of outing themselves, especially Eddie. I love the moments where they just get to be. There were some very sweet and tender moments.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Avon for an ARC of this book.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've read so far this year. As a baseball fan, I of course was drawn to the baseball. Eddie and his struggles with baseball are so human, so raw, and it weaves beautifully with the romance between Mark and Eddie. This book takes on themes of love and loss and grief in a beautiful way, and I'm so grateful for the chance to read an early copy. Cat Sebastian hit a home run with this one.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Cat Sebastian has done it again. Not only am I now fully obsessed with historical baseball, I am also dying for some good old fashioned TLC.

The two men at the heart of this story are impeccable. Their journeys are beautiful and believable and I could not stand them. Crying, screaming, throwing up, the whole nine yards, any metaphor you want.

Cat Sebastian is an auto-buy author for me for a reason and this book only solidified this for me. I don't want to say too much and give away the sweet moments that are built into this story, just know that you will not be disappointed and you may also start googling historical baseball uniforms... for science.

Mark and Eddies story was super cute and the banter between them was amazing. The slow burn was good, I loved the Mid-century vibe. I recommend this book. It was a cute, emotional, grumpy/sunshine queer romance. 3.5 star from me⭐️

There was truly so much to enjoy and adore about this book, the sweet parts and the hard hitting parts. The portrayal of loss of a loved one, and in a way yourself, was done so well in my opinion. You can't help but feel devastated for the character, but every time they take a step towards their new happiness, you're right their with them, cheering them on. The portrayal of being a homosexual in the 60's is done quite well too. It's easy to forget how different things were back then and this novel really made me think about how difficult it must've been to hide to essentially hide who are, not only because of others opinion or prejudice, but for your own safety. Seeing the characters come to grips with this in their own way was incredible and seeing the love that could still blossom despite all this was so heartwarming I couldn't help but fall in love with these characters even more.

To be honest, I went into this book not expecting to enjoy it. I find historical romances to be very hit or miss and of all sports books, baseball is low on my preference list. However, I ate my words almost immediately. This is now my top book of the year so far, and I expect it to be in the top 5 books for the whole year. If I could give this book higher than the standard 5 star scale, I would.

In 1960, Eddie O’Leary has been transferred to the new MLB expansion team, the Robins. After a press snafu, Mark Bailey is asked, by his former paper, to write a series of diary essays for Eddie. Mark has been on sabbatical for the past few years after a devastating loss. A true slow, but not too slow, burn ensues upon first meeting.

This book has a little of everything— a snapshot of life in 1960, life post baseball integration, post McCarthyism politics, living through grief and moving on to new starts. Some of the highlights of the book include a $1.50 spaghetti dinner ($2.25 if you want both wine and ice cream), a cute dog to spice up the pages, and compelling side characters that bring their own struggles.

This is a perfect mix of baseball and journalism with regular mundane life sprinkled in. Thankfully, you don’t have to know much about either to enjoy the book. The book was at times a little idealistic in terms of acceptance of homosexuality, especially in a post-McCarthyism world, but it is a work of fiction. The representation of grief and the little moments that re-trigger that grief and the acceptance that comes with time was poignant and not brushed over for the sake of the romantic development.

If you are looking for a book for Pride Month or just a cozy weekend read, look no further.

#netgalley #youshouldbesolucky #avonbooks

I am so sad to say that this is my first Cat Sebastian book! I was absolutely thrilled to receive this ARC. I pretty much only read queer novels, and I love baseball, so the premise of this book really appealed to me. I was absolutely blown away by this story.

I tend to get really emotional when I think about my queer elders, and this book made me absolutely bawl my eyes out. While it's fiction, I feel like it's likely pretty accurate to how the relationship between Mark and Eddie would have actually played out because of when their story was set. It really made me thankful to those who came before me for paving the way for what we have today.

I did not expect this book to also be such a wonderful story about grief and moving on. Truthfully, I just expected a cute romance between the two leads and thought that would be it. I am honestly ashamed to say that I thought so. I think my problem is that I've been burned by books that have said they're going to talk about a certain subject matter but then barely mentioned it. I feel like everything about how grief was told is so accurate to things I've experienced. It made me connect with the characters so much. I don't want to spoil the scene for anyone who hasn't read the book, so I'll just say that there's a specific scene where Mark breaks down due to his grief. This particular scene really stuck out to me because it was just such a realistic moment. I have personally felt the exact thing he does in that moment. I think that scene - and the portrayal of grief in general - will resonate with readers.

I could seriously go on about "You Should Be So Lucky" for ages. It was absolutely wonderful, and I have been recommending it to everyone in every space I can. I'm already anticipating rereading it and can't wait to get my own copy! I'm also looking forward to reading more books by Cat.

I LOVED this book so much! I’ve never read a Cat Sebastian book before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a tender, romantic mid-century story set amongst the backdrop of a New York City baseball team. Mark and Eddie were such fun, relatable characters with a lot of emotional depth. There were so many swoony moments, but there was a lot of honest discussion about what it meant to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially during that era. I also really enjoyed the baseball parts more than I expected to; it was super relatable as a fan of a baseball team that’s gone through a rough patch only to come out on the other side (let’s go O’s!)

I LOVED THIS!! The dynamic and push and pull of the MMCs was 10/10. MM sports romance is a hard thing to get right, but when it’s done well…. Whew. If you love sports romance and you love MM romance, pick this up.

GUYS. I’m giggling. I have not stopped giggling since I started this book.

I was super nervous to read this because it was my first experience with any of Cat Sebastian’s writing, but my best friend assured me that I would adore Sebastian’s writing style, and BOY, was she right.

When Fellow Travelers was released on Netflix, I binge-watched it, and following the final episode, all I wanted out of media was something as genuinely beautiful as a story told in that part of America’s history where people were more inclined to hide their sexualities due to the state of our government and its beliefs. I have yet to read My Policeman, but I watched the movie and honestly? This queer historical romance, set in a period of time in which the United States was chronically homophobic (not that it isn’t now, but, you know)... I don’t know. I love stories that find snippets of beauty hidden in plain sight, like knowing glances and secret smiles.

Cat Sebastian’s If You Should Be So Lucky did exactly what I needed it to do. Not just wanted I wanted it to do, but exactly what I needed. It reminded me that, even if I don’t get to see it, there have always been queer people begging to let their light burst through the cracks of a society that wants to see them fall. This was fiction, yes, but it was something that warmed me to my very core and made me genuinely giddy.

Eddie and Mark made my heart so unbelievably warm and I think I would give my entire life for Eddie if he needed it, honestly. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this novel. Sebastian is an incredibly talented author. Eddie & Mark are my dads now. And… I can’t wait to read more of Cat’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You Should Be So Lucky was delightful. Cat Sebastian writes great books. I loved Mark Bailey in We Could Be So Good so I was really excited to get to read his story. I’m excited for everyone else to get their hands on this because it’s lovely. Already recommended to a few friends!

Cat Sebastian is an easy sell. She has a gift for making difficult characters loveable and believable, as well as taking complicated points in history and making them realistic without falling into the trap of using hemophobia/hate crimes as a plot point. The stories always feel 'of the times', while still being romantic., and no unbelievable. Sebastian is an insta-buy author for me, personally, and I find myself often recommending her books.

I have said it before and I will say it again - Cat Sebastian can do no wrong, and is an auto-request here on Netgalley! I was so delighted to get approved for an early copy of YSBSL and I was not disappointed.

One thing I love about Cat's works is that she really leans into the tropes, and does it so well! The grumpy/sunshine aspect of this book and the sloooooowest of slow burns had me simultaneously tearing through this book, but also trying to read it slowly so it wouldn't end! The way Eddie & Mark's relationship developed - first professional, then friendly, then something more - and how that coincided with Eddie's slump and subsequent un-slump (and the teamwork that was involved in that, argh, so lovely!) was thrilling and seriously had me kicking my feet with glee at some points. The book isn't just a fluffy sports romance, either ... it deals with grief, familial expectations, and having to confront the fact that something you always thought was a constant in your life can go away in the blink of an eye.

So, if you're in the mood for a sweet, low-angst romance, full of gentle pining, beautiful words, a grizzled sports reporter acting as a father figure, a very cute dog, maraschino cherries, and a little bit of baseball ... I would absolutely recommend this book.

As usual, Cat Sebastian gives us the softest love story. We see Eddie and Mark having to relearn how to function, Mark after the loss of his partner and Eddie after the loss of his swing. They slowly come together and teach each other. Mark is the sweetest prickly man and Eddie is a baby finding his way in the big city.

This series is the one I turn to for a comforting love story. Grateful for Sebastian for creating this pocket of love for us.