Can you believe this is my first Cat Sebastian? I know, I know, I’m shocked too. Queer historical romance is a favorite genre of mine, which makes that factoid absolutely unbelievable. I’ve been eagerly anticipating You Should Be So Lucky (grumpy/sunshine! M/M! Midcentury! Baseball!). It didn’t disappoint in the slightest.
The book follows Mark Bailey, a reporter for the Chronicle, and Eddie O’Leary, a hot-tempered shortstop recently traded from Omaha to New York City. Formerly a rising star in the world of baseball, the recent trade seems to have given Eddie the yips — and Mark is determined to find out why.
You Should Be So Lucky is just a warm, sweet book. I’m reminded of Last Night at the Telegraph Club by way of Newsies (does that comparison even make sense? It does in my head.) Eddie and Mark are absolutely charming leads, and both of them are so charismatic, dynamic, and vibrant. Their relationship feels earned, and it’s a real treat to read a queer historical romance that feels more “realistic” than, say, Bridgerton. It’s a reminder that queer people have always existed, and our stories aren’t always tragedies. Queer people have been carving out happy little lives for ourselves in every place and time throughout history, and we don’t need to hand-wave away the past to be reminded that happy endings existed for us.
If I had one complaint, it’s that the order in which information is presented to the reader feels a bit strange. We learn about Lillian before we learn she’s Mark’s lesbian friend; we learn about William before we learn he’s Mark’s dead ex. Admittedly, some of this works, and certainly feels more nature than a heavy exposition dump in the first few chapters. At the same time, though, there were a few moments when I found myself wondering “wait, did we already know that?” Maybe that’s just a me thing, though. YMMV.
I don’t have very much to say about You Should Be So Lucky. It’s a sweet, charming little book, with incredibly likable characters and a romance to cheer for. Absolutely pick this one up when it comes out.

2.5

I was honestly a little bored with this one. Very predictable. But I did find the relationship between the main characters cute. A lot of this book to me felt very repetitive.

HEADLINE: LOCAL WET CAT ACCIDENTALLY FINDS HIMSELF IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH BARKY BEAGLE.

The wet cat in question is Mark, a reporter at the Chronicle who is still deeply mourning the loss of his lover while the beagle in question is the famous (for mostly the wrong reasons), Eddie O'Leary, a baseball player who talks too much and maybe isn’t that great at playing baseball…(He’s also very lonely, very stubborn, and very loud about all of it. Typical beagle behavior. We should expect nothing less.)

Holy smokes. Cat Sebastian has rendered me speechless yet again.

Going into this book I expected very low stakes and high reward romance but how I FELT for these characters made this very high stakes and let me tell you, I have never read a book labeled as slow burn and been so STRESSED. I was yelling, I was crying (Not the cute kind. The ugly kind.) and I was pleading for these two stubborn characters who were equal parts desperate yearning and careful compassion in their handling of one another.

This entire book felt so fragile to me and even speaking of it I’m compelled to handle it as gently and as patiently as Eddie did Mark’s grief. (The cherries... I’m crying again.)

I could write an entire essay dissecting this book and the way it handles Mark mourning the loss of someone he'd planned his entire life around and the genius of his dog Lula serving as an outward physical manifestation of his inner journey with grief. My inner college English student is begging to be set free but for the sake of this not turning into a 15-page character study, I will contain myself.

All this to say, I would be doing this book a disservice by telling you this story was a romance and that I enjoyed it. And though there was a good amount of joyful foot-kicking to be had while reading, at its core this book felt like a case study in the role that grief and guilt play in accepting love that you once believed you deserved but no longer feel entitled to and the act of loving someone unconditionally without the expectation of reciprocation (even the unpleasant fussy parts that demand Eddie wake up at the crack of dawn to take the dog for a walk).

Long live Lula, the wire-haired reigning queen of every room she enters!

Special thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc of this book! I am leaving this review voluntarily!

I can’t even say how much I loved this book!
I know even the author says it’s all vibes no plot, but for me it definitely wasn’t.
It’s about giving up the old you and creating a new you, trying to find a way to go on after a huge loss, moving forward. That was such a beautiful story, I think I could have marked nearly every second sentence.
The love story was the absolute sweetest slow burn and these two complimented each other so perfectly. They were the golden retriever black cat couple we all deserve.
For a gay romance story taking place in the 1960s this was surprisingly uplifting, happy and domestic.
Cat Sebastian’s style of writing is really something else. I could have gone on reading for 500 pages more, not even getting bored about these two doing house chores.
If you liked We could be so good you’ll definitely love this!
I can’t wait for the audio to do an immediate reread.

“Call me at ours.” I NEARLY DIED!

Huge thank you to Avon and netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book from start to finish. I instantly loved these characters even though there were times where I felt like maybe I shouldn’t. Things like Eddie’s obvious temper and the fact that Mark writes snarky reviews, things I don’t generally like, were somehow flaws I didn’t even want to overlook, flaws that made these characters more human and well-rounded. Flaws I liked being addressed in ways, in the end, too.

Eddie is such a damn sweetheart. He’s so easy to root for and therefore it’s so easy to be swept up in this idea that the whole of New York is rooting for him too. I love his story, not only of self-acceptance, but of peer-acceptance too. He really is lonely and he deserves the world and I found genuine joy watching him carve a place for himself where he could be happy and loved.

Mark is the perfect grumpy to Eddie’s sunshine. He’s a cynic, he doesn’t like to be thought of as nice, he’s opinionated and brusque and, most importantly, he’s grieving. His grief is so delicately handled throughout this book. The scene with the cherries in particular got me. He frustrated me, of course he did, this stupid stubborn lovely man, but I adored every moment with him.

The supporting cast in this is great too. All flawed, all interesting, all so different from each other. I especially loved George and his friendship with Mark.

I’ve been sleeping on Cat Sebastian largely due to the limited access to her books here in Australia, but I’m gonna have to try a little harder because this book was just SO good.

Set in 1960, baseball player Eddie O'Leary is having a rough year. An unexpected trade to NY (and away from his much loved mother) and a rant that makes his new team strongly dislike him.

Mark Bailey an arts reporter who recently lost his partner, and in turn his will to write, is assigned to write a "diary" weekly about O'Leary to try and improve his reputation.

This is such a sweet story of two very lonely men who find each other. It's a slow burn but it's so sweet getting there. Things get complicated as Mark had to be a secret with his previous deceased partner and doesn't want to live that life again and Eddie cannot be openly out as professional athlete.

I always love a story where queer people find their own family. And I absolutely love Lula the dog. I love how both these men slowly start a relationship with late night phone calls and dog walks to fully trusting each other. I was rooting for both Eddie and Mark to find their happiness and passion throughout the book.

The story did how love for baseball without being overwhelmed by the sport and focusing on Mark and Eddie. I want to put them both in my pocket and keep them safe.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This started off sooooo good. I was really excited to read this. Overall this was a good story and I really enjoyed the premise of it as a whole. My issue is the drama. Yes, without drama what's left, but there is drama that has actual meaning and purpose to progress the story and character ARC, and then there is drama that is forced to convey feelings and conflict. Now, this story didn't go full blown dramallama, but it was skirting that edge and thankfully pulled back.

Mark is grieving and working through the death of his partner. Eddie is young and trying to adjust to being traded to a new team/city away from his family and friends. Because Eddie said some mean things to a reporter when he found out he was being traded, his new team doesn't treat him nice and are very standoffish. This makes Eddie feel even more alone. When Mark shows up, Eddie doesn't feel so alone.

I began to have issues with how Mark and Eddie's relationship developed, as they grew closer. It was cute and fun at first, but then - I'm not sure how to describe it. It just didn't feel real, like this is how their relationship would legit start. I guess what I'm saying is they were too emotionally mature, lol, because they waited and waited, all the while kind of wooing each other. It was bordering on too much, but not all the way. And then Eddie's reaction to Mark writing the stories about him, I don't know why Eddie cared so much what Mark was writing. He wasn't writing anything mean or bad, but still Mark was worried how Eddie would react, and Eddie wasn't sure how he <i>should</i> react.

Then the fan reaction to Eddie not playing well. I don't follow sports - would fans really be so supportive of a newly traded player not doing well? Eddie couldn't hit the ball to save his life, but the fans were supporting him. I didn't get it. And let's not forget how many people didn't care that Mark was gay, or that Eddie was gay, or that they were a couple. I'm not saying people weren't supportive in the 60's, of course there were allies. But in baseball, in the 60's? For gay men? Athletes still don't come out today. Maybe I'm just thinking too hard on it.

This was a good story and they of course find their HEA. I do recommend it because it's not a bad story, it's nice overall and if you <i>like</i> these types of stories you will be in heaven.

3 stars because not bad, but not great.

✨Frankly, I’m amazed you’ve kept your private life secret for as long as you have. I’m telling you, Eddie, when you look at me, it’s obvious.” ✨

To steal a line from my own review of We Could Be So Good…”what do you say about a book that completely rewires how you think and feel about historical romance.” You Should Be So Lucky is a modern marvel. It’s one of those stories that rewrites the very foundation of your soul, so much so that you know it’s changed you on a molecular level. One that becomes an instant favorite and you can’t help but want to devour it again. That is You Should Be So Lucky.

At its core, YSBSL is a story about grief. Both a bone deep mourning over someone you could only love privately, and the very public mourning of an integral part of yourself. Mark Bailey and Eddie O’Leary are deeply lost and lonely - it’s no wonder why they cling to each other so immediately. They are both utter disasters, but somehow they find each other and help one another heal and grow. The friendship, and eventual relationship, that grows between them progresses naturally, full of partial stops and whispered words. Of extreme caution…and of finally choosing one’s happiness over anything. Of being known and accepted for exactly who you are. One of the things I loved most about this story and their relationship was that William’s importance was never minimized. He was a significant part of Mark’s life and their story became part of Mark and Eddie’s future, and I just loved how inclusive it was.

Mark Bailey and Eddie O’Leary are two of the most lovable and endearing characters I’ve ever had the privilege of reading. They’re the black cat/golden retriever, grumpy/sunshine pairing of my dreams and I would die for them. They’re prickly…yet overwhelmingly soft with each other. They fill each other’s cracks and smooth their edges. Outside of Eddie and Mark’s beautiful friendship, are some of the most lovely side characters. Ardolino and Price brought me SO much joy - I think I highlighted half of their conversations. The easy and sly remarks they make to Eddie made me CACKLE. And George Allen. The pseudo-paternal relationship that Mark develops with George is so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Their story arc was perfect and oh-so satisfying.

There is no doubt that this is Cat Sebastian’s best work. Sebastian excels in this time period, naturally, but this one feels different. I knew from the minute I picked it up that I was reading something special. It’s truly a masterpiece - a work of art. Every other line stopped me in my tracks and took my breath away - I don’t think I’ve ever had as many highlights on my kindle as I do with YSBSL (220 - and that’s me being CONSCIOUS to not over highlight). This became an instant favorite before I even finished the book. I turned the last page and wanted to start again on loop. I’ve already purchased a physical copy and preordered the audio so that I can reread it as soon as it’s publicly available.

There is not one aspect of this story that I didn’t love, or thought could be expanded. It’s well-rounded, achingly beautiful, and laugh-out-loud funny. I started crying around the 70% mark and didn’t stop until I finished and had the inklings of a migraine. But, despite the tears, it’s remarkably hopeful in its quest for acceptance.

Maybe it’s because I grew up in a baseball house, going to my local hometown team games every weekend in the summer, rooting on the Braves and the Orioles; Or maybe it’s just because this book is so objectively good, but it hit me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s one that I haven’t stopped thinking about and hope I never do. It’s special in a way that so few books are and I feel so lucky to have experienced it.

Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for the advanced copy. I cannot wait for the world to love this as much as I did.

When I found out there was going to be a sequel to We Could Be So Good, I was so excited. When I found out I was getting an advanced copy, I gasped so loudly it scared people around me. WCBSG was one of my top reads of 2023, and I reread it to prepare myself for this one. I had high hopes, and they were all exceeded!

Nick and Eddie are both cinnamon roles pretending to be grumpy. I love them both. I haven’t read a lot of sports romances, and I am NOT a fan of baseball, but it didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

This book made me feel a lot of feelings, and I loved it. Thank you so much for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - I cannot wait for the special edition I ordered to arrive!

Baseball fan or no, You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian is so sweet and charming that you’ll be rooting for everyone in this book like they’re your hometown team in no time.

Mark and Eddie’s love story starts off rocky, but that made reading how their relationship develops that much more satisfying. It was fun to see how the grumpy vs. sunshine trope would play out in these characters, and eventually see their opposing qualities compliment each other instead of causing them to clash. From the beginning (even if they didn’t want to admit it), Mark and Eddie have great chemistry, and their witty banter and funny inner thoughts made it easy to keep reading. While there are a lot of lighthearted moments in this book, I enjoyed that the story was also serious when it needed to be. Mark and Eddie both experience life-changing challenges and setbacks throughout the book, and it felt realistic how slow or confusing it can be to navigate it all. The theme of second chances is perfect for their story.

Besides Mark and Eddie, there were a variety of likable side characters, such as colleagues from Mark’s workplace, The Chronicle, Eddie’s teammates and the Robins’ management team, their friends and family, and more. I loved these side characters just as much as I loved Mark and Eddie, and I was invested in their goals and growth as equally as I was for the two main characters. When I finished the book, I realized that I not only missed Mark and Eddie (and Lula), but also Lilian and Maureen, Tony, Sam, Constance, and Eddie’s teammates, George, Eddie’s mom, and everyone else, too. Every character had unique details and perspectives that helped to flesh out the main characters, the storyline, and the historical setting of that time.

I don’t tend to read historical fiction, but surprisingly that aspect was one of the things that I enjoyed the most about this book. The author’s worldbuilding details and context clues made it easy to slip into the past, without it feeling overwhelming or confusing even if I sometimes didn’t recognize brand or store names, or historical figures or events of the time.

I especially enjoyed learning any details about that time period’s queer lives or queer history. As expected, the queer hardships of that time are numerous, but the book successfully balances it with moments of queer joy so that the hardships don’t dominate the narrative. Although the book mainly focused on queer themes and struggles, which makes sense considering the main characters, it didn’t shy away from also including the adversity of women, BIPOC, and the intersectionality of the three in those times. While progress has been made since then, the emotions and some of the struggles that the characters face still resonate today.

You Should Be So Lucky was a homerun for me! This was my first time reading a book by Cat Sebastian, but I’m looking forward to picking up more books by her. Big thank you to NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for sending this book for review consideration! All opinions are my own! 4.25/5 stars.

It's no secret the Cat Sebastian is the champion of queer historical romance and this remains true with You Should Be So Lucky.

Set in the universe of We Could Be So good (one of my all time favorite books) YSBSL is full of soft, endearing and romantic moments while supplying the perfect amount of angst, and queer panic. There are cameos of our favorite characters from WCBSG while still maintaining the ability to be a perfect standalone. YSBSL explores the fear of coming out, the consequences of hiding who you are and finding love where you least expect it.

Eddie and Mark are perfect compliments to each other and that can be seen in how they bring each other comfort and how they push each other to grow. YSBSL has considerably less soup than WCBSL, but still absolutely crushes the caretaking and he hates everyone but him tropes. Watching Mark soften as he grew to care Eddie filled me with the warm and fuzzies and felt incredibly real.

I appreciated the relationship between Eddie's queerness and being a professional baseball player was handled. There was angst, fear, and trauma, but it never crossed the line of catastrophic. <spoiler>I also appreciated that Eddie's queerness was acknowledged by others in a manner that kept him safe, but also let him know he wasn't alone.</spoiler>

The worst part of this is book is that's it's fiction.

One of the most cruelly banal and gloriously affirming things about life is that it keeps on going after we’ve suffered something catastrophic. Cat Sebastian has written a string of dummies in love stories, but this is not that, though she remains strong on atmosphere and feeling. In You Should Be So Lucky, Eddie and Mark are each going through their own catastrophe when they meet. Eddie’s catastrophe is playing out in front of crowds and on TV. Mark’s is so private he can count on one hand the number people who know. They meet when Mark, a reporter, is assigned to write a weekly “diary” for Eddie, a baseball player going through a devastating batting slump.

Eventually they figure out the other is queer. Eventually they become friends. Eventually they become lovers. Their progress from writer and subject, to friends, to lovers, to more is lovely. It has everything you will want from a Cat Sebastian book. In some ways it reminded me a lot of The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes in that it pairs a person with big golden retriever energy with a person with scratchy feral cat energy and makes them deal with grief and other emotions. Eddie has to learn that he is more than his ability to hit a ball with a bat, and Mark has to deal with people knowing AND liking him. The horror!

If you already love Cat Sebastian’s books, this is your next great read. If you haven’t read Cat Sebastian, give this one a try and see what the fuss is about. If you are grieving the recent death of a partner, or in the grip of a calamity, this might not be the right read just yet. But if you are ready to hear about the day after calamity, dive in.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Avon and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

This book was not what I was expecting at all, but in the best possible way. Not familiar with Cat Sebastian's writing, I went into this thinking it was going to be a sweet MM sports romance with a bit of angst thrown in due to the era it is taking place in. What I didn't expect was a heartfelt love story that centers on grief, living unapologetically, and finding family in your friends.

Mark and Eddie are the perfect opposites attract couple. They are the epitome of the grumpy x sunshine trope. Their love is slow, sweet, and so subtle. You don't know exactly when it happens, but you suddenly know that they're deeply in love and it's so satisfying to see them find each other.

I loved the 1950's NY baseball setting because it sets the background so perfectly for what's socially acceptable and what isn't and how queer individuals were viewed at the time. The secondary characters are well-fleshed out, I'd love to see more of their lives, specifically the manager. Definitely a big fan of Cat Sebastian now.

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian was just like other Cat Sebastian books, which is to say, they were perfect! I thought the romance was so cute and I loved, loved, loved these characters. They're not perfect but they're totally lovable. I love that these stories take place in the 50s and yet it manages to express queer acceptance in a time where that wasn't the easiest thing to do. Days after finishing it, I still thought of Mark and Eddie and all the incredibly sweet characters from this book. It was sweet, it was funny and it was memorable. I will be recommending this book to everyone and anyone.

Thanks to the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore everything Cat Sebastian writes, and this was no exception. The world of 1960's baseball was so much fun to live in, and Eddie and Mark were a well-matched complimentary pair. Mark is a part-time newspaper writer putting his life back together after the loss of his long-time partner, and he gets assigned to ghostwrite weekly columns ostensibly from the perspective of the newest baseball player in town.

Eddie is the sweetest golden retriever hero, a young baseball player trying to put himself back together after an unexpected trade takes him away from his home, family and friends. He's naive and at times immature, but also sensitive and thoughtful. Mark, along with a cast of characters from his new team, help Eddie figure out how to get his game working again.

One thing I love about this series is the way the author explores spaces of queer acceptance in historical New York - obviously queer people have always existed but it's lovely to see the characters find spaces where they feel safe and belong. I also enjoy that there's no third act breakup, we just get to see the characters grow and be happy together.

I think this was a really solid release by Cat, but I don't know if it was a release for me. I wanted to like this, I really did! I almost worry that maybe I overhyped it for myself because how much I loved We Could Be So Good and I compared them too much to each other when it should have been treated as its own entity.

You Should Be So Lucky follows Eddie, a professional baseball player who has been traded off to a new baseball team in NYC and Mark, the journalist who has been tasked with writing about Eddie's less than stellar transition. Mark has been in a fog for the last year, grieving a partner who he has not been open about since the beginning. Through spending time together, Eddie and Mark learn a lot about grief, friendship, and trying to live an authentic queer life in the 1960s.

While I loved both Mark and Eddie as characters and I much cherished the scenes of domesticity they had together (my queen Lula!!), I struggled with this book and I think it's because it's very much a character driven story instead of plot driven. And yes, I know how silly it sounds since this is a book about a BASEBALL PLAYER, I think there was just too much baseball? There were too many scenes about Mark and Eddie's seperate lives and I wanted more of the two of them together. I didn't connect with this book and had to put it down a couple of times instead of binge reading it like I expected.

This book is still a stellar release from Cat Sebastian and I think if you're a fan of her previous works, you'll really enjoy this!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

I had high expectations for this because of how well-loved it is by so many others, but it didn’t really hit for me. I have a hard time getting into stories that aren’t set in the present era and that might’ve been a big part of the issue. I also just didn’t find myself identifying well with these characters. The plot was good though and I loved the baseball.

Another Cat Sebastian classic! In 'You Should Be So Lucky,' acerbic and prickly reporter Mark Bailey (whom we met in 'We Could Be So Good') flounders after the death of his longtime partner. He reluctantly takes an assignment reporting on Eddie O'Leary, a winsome, heart-on-his-sleeve baseball player who was just traded to one of New York's new (fictional) expansion teams in 1960. Eddie's going through a record-setting slump, and the precise borders of Mark and Eddie's different griefs and loneliness catch edges and entangle. The love story follows a familiar shape for Sebastian: opposites attract and appreciate, feelings grow, emotions are simple and swelling and overwhelming. Cat Sebastian's novels always make my heart pound, my eyes well, and laughter bubble up regularly. 'You Should Be So Lucky' is no exception.

Many thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the eARC.

What I was expecting was a cute MM romance set around 1950s baseball but what I got was a beautiful story about love, grief and obviously baseball.

This was the perfect slow burn romance that kept the tension building between the grumpy reporter and eventually happy carefree baseball player. I loved watching them discover more and more people who respected them and were understanding and supportive.

When mark realizes he has a found family and that’s his team, it brought a tear to my eye as I reflected on my own found family. The reminder to live a full life was a great way to end the book.

I don't know what it is about baseball that makes it the perfect backdrop to a story but I really appreciate it. This story was one I wasn't sure I would be so into in the beginning, but the more I read the more I loved it. I need to check out more of Cat's books in the future.