After being thoroughly obsessed with @catswrites book We Could Be So Good, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy of her latest. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best and was delighted to receive an ARC.

Eddie O’Leary is star baseball player who is in a slump. He also says dumb things to reporters sometimes, and when he found out he was getting traded, he went on a tirade. Mark Bailey is a writer, who is tasked with ghostwriting columns for Eddie, essentially to make him more likable. They become friends, and more…

Things I loved about this book:
The writing in this novel is SUPERB. I got 5% in and thought to myself “oh no.. I fear I have a new favorite book” and I was right. I immediately was hooked into the story and I lost my marbles watching these two fall for each other.
God, how I loved Eddie. I wanted to, as one woman says, fold him up and put him in my pocket. Not only is he funny in a self deprecating way that I find relatable, but damn it he loves hard. He’s so trusting. I wanted to hug him.
Mark. My angel, my lovely. My grieving man. I was crying with him. I lost it at the scene with the cherries. Literally tears streaming down my face. He was so prickly and grumpy and you just had to root for him.
I loved the team, especially once they forgave Eddie. The manager really turned it around. His honesty and working to get sober? Hell yeah.
The grief in this novel was so well done. SO WELL DONE.
Loved seeing my friends from WCBSG in this one!! Andy and Nick and Lillian and Maureen!!
George. 🥹😭 oh that ending had me crying.
Eddies mother. What a goddamn gem.
The key to the apartment.
The sexy scenes were perfect. Loved that communication and learning each other.
The epilogue!!!!

Y’all I literally highlighted half of the book. Please preorder your copy (from @femmefirebooks for personalized and signed copies and some swag) and enjoy with me. I cannot WAIT to annotate a physical copy.

LOVED this! We Could Be So Good was one of my favorite books of 2023, and I'm so thrilled Cat Sebastian wrote a companion novel with You Should Be So Lucky (please, Cat, give us another one!). I love historical romance, and historical fiction in general, that is set in less-featured periods, and these books so perfectly feature late 50s/1960 New York City and especially newsrooms, baseball, and queer life in the city. I adored grumpy, grieving reporter Mark Bailey who is reluctantly covering the new team, the Robins, and particularly their infamous new player Eddie O'Leary, who badmouthed the team and is now going through a terrible batting slump while he adjusts to his new city and team. I'm also a long suffering Mets fan from a family who has followed them since they were the new team, so I loved watching the Robins and their journey, just as I enjoyed the world of reporters.

Mark and Eddie's early friendship and attraction are built up gently and realistically, and then, like the previous novel, Sebastian expertly depicts a sweet, genuine journey to happiness. While they're both dealing with their own problems - grief, fear, job worries - there is the ongoing pleasant surprise that nothing very bad will happen in these books. There are no arrests or traumatic outings. Instead, Sebastian shows the reality of two people fumbling their way to a future together despite the personal, professional, and societal obstacles to one. Her writing is both so funny and sharp and so heartwarming and touching. I really, really hope there are more books in this series.

Thank you Net Galley and Avon for the ARC! Newspaper columnist Mark Bailey is tasked with creating a new column covering the NY Robin's new Shortstop, Eddie O'Leary, but when opposites attract during the 1960 baseball season, can love hit a home run? Eddie O'Leary's time with the Robin's has been off to a terrible start. His lack of enthusiam for his trade onto the team, coupled with a sudden batting slump, has him feeling isolated and hated by his new home. Though Eddie's been portrayed as a tempermental hotheaded, Mark sees beyond this persona to the lonely young man who was just yanked away from his home and is now facing a career ending slump. As Mark interview's Eddie for a special column, the two quickly bond. Mark is the first person to be understanding of Eddie's situation (as well as simply kind to him), and Eddie's warmth and friendliness melt through Mark's exterior grumpiness to the wounded heart of a man recovering from grief. As friendship turns to love, can Mark and Eddie find a way to be together as society (and celebrity) is structured to keep them apart? With authentic characters and emotion and fascinating setting, Cat Sebastian's You Should Be So Lucky is an engaging historical romance. You Should Be So Lucky is a companion book to We Could Be So Good and features appearances by Andy and Nick.

Cat Sebastian is quickly becoming a favorite author for me. I loved We Could Be So Good and while this was a bit different, I loved this one as well. I really enjoy reading about this time period in historical fiction. Reading about how queer men had to navigate during this time is a refreshing take on a genre that typically focuses on earlier time periods. The discussion on grief and life slumps was handled with care and these were some of my favorite moments of the book. I loved the cameos from some of my favorite characters, and I can’t wait to see more of them in future books.

A truly touching and warming blast from the past story! I loved the simplicity of the story and the time period chosen to tell the story.

“What I can tell you is that whatever calamity you're imagining? There's a day after that."
This book had no right being so heartwarming! Loved the characters, the romance, and how it portrayed different types of grief. I think I even liked this one even better than We Could Be So Good. Cat Sebastian just keeps getting better! Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!!

This was such a sweet romance.
lately, I've been looking for something softer and romantic in my books and this was just what I needed.

This was a beautiful story between Eddie our baseball player and Mark our reporter. It has beautiful elements of a slow-burn romance which I LOVE, truly cannot get enough of that trope.

Their chemistry is magnetic and I loved watching their relationship grow and progress as they got to know each other and spend time together. While I loved our main focus on our MMCs I enjoyed the stop-off with some of our secondary characters.

There are elements of baseball, found family, grief, and loss all wrapped up in a bow to create a beautiful sweet love story.

This was my first Cat Sebastian book and i look forward to reading many more!

This was my first foray into Cat Sebastian's books and it's safe to say that I'm now a fan! You Should Be So Lucky has all my favorite things--queer romance, baseball, journalism, Shirley Jackson, midcentury New York--what more can you ask for! I couldn't put this book down; I devoured it in three days and already miss Mark and Eddie. Sebastian writes about loss and hope and grieving so tenderly, but for a book that features these themes so intently, it never feels heavy; instead, reading this feels like a warm hug, or being wrapped up in your favorite sweater (just like Mark). The research and attention to detail is so evident throughout; you can tell that the author truly loves both the subject matter and the world she's created. With a touching love story at its center and a fantastic cast of supporting characters, this is a book you won't want to put down. It's a beautifully written and well-researched story about love and grief and baseball, and I can't wait for more people to have the opportunity to read it!

This was beautiful, and it did make me cry at the end! Sebastian has a gift for writing sweet and slow queer romance, and I love how well she captures the 50s/60s era. Tailored suits! Rampant alcoholism! Restaurant dinners that cost $1.50! The details she chooses paint a rich picture of the time without bogging down the story.

This wasn’t a quick read for me. It’s not a high-drama, page-turning book—the reader watches the relationship blossom at a pace that feels totally realistic, building delicious tension along the way. I really enjoyed watching Eddie and Mark get to know each other and slowly come to realize that they can make a relationship work.

My only complaint is that I wish there was more relationship-based interpersonal conflict between the two main characters. I’m old fashioned in my love for third act breakups, I know, so the lack of one here will probably be a plus for a lot of people. But this was my issue with the first book in this series, too—the characters are just too sweet and gentle with one another! I need some toxicity! I need someone to purposefully cutting and mean! Mark does a little bit of that, but Eddie never rises to the bait, and they never actually fight or hurt each other. For an angst lover like me, it wasn’t enough.

The thing is, there IS angst in spades in this book, it’s just angst due to external factors. The conflict stems from homophobia and the tragic end of Mark’s previous relationship, both of which are extremely heavy topics. While difficult to read about, the homophobia brings the time period to life and makes it all the sweeter when Mark and Eddie choose happiness and each other despite the danger it puts them in. The death of Mark’s partner is just really freaking sad, and while I can’t say I enjoyed that aspect of the book, I thought Sebastian wrote about loss quite wisely and beautifully. I found it a little odd that the death of Eddie’s father didn’t get the same kind of treatment as other losses in the book—it happened when Eddie was 12, which seems pretty major—but it didn’t take away too much from the book for me.

I’ve also noticed an interesting class dynamic in Sebastian’s books. She writes romance novels about queer people in eras that were not friendly to open queerness, and she seems to know that the best way have a happy ending in such circumstances is to have a lot of money. I have pretty neutral feelings about that, but I’ll say that it’s the one part of her books that really feels like a fairy tale.

Overall,this is a lovely, deeply satisfying romance, but it isn’t light or breezy. Keep that in mind going in and enjoy! Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading Cat Sebastian’s work and I’m dazzled. I was so fascinated by the era in which this story about Eddie and Mark takes place—coins for phone booth calls, typewriters, and of course, the importance of absolute discretion for certain relationships are things most people hardly think twice about anymore. This was a heartfelt slow burn with snappy dialogue and lots of likable (and accepting!) characters, and I’m still thinking about it days later.

5/5 stars.

i LOVED this book.

When I saw this book on NetGalley, I leapt in without knowing a thing about it. I went in knowing I loved "We Could Be So Good," and that there was a baseball dude on the cover. And I was not the least bit disappointed. It took me like 2 days and 3 tries to write this, and I still don't think it's enough.

<b> Let's get started with a plot summary [insert sparkles here]: </b>
Former golden-boy and all-star rookie player Eddie O'Leary is struck out on the worst batting slump in baseball history after being transferred to a crappy team he didn't want to join. His media reputation is less than sightly after mouthing off to reporters and trash-talking his new team.

Enter Mark Bailey. Mark Bailey is a reclusive reporter who's hardly done any reporting (or leaving his apartment) since falling into a self-destructive grief spiral over a partner that's already been gone a year. He's not really a reporter anymore, and he's definitely not a sports reporter. But when his editor asks him to ghost-write a diary series on the angry, failing shortstop that's taken public attention? Well, he's back on the case, chasing after obnoxious angry ball players in sweaty decrepit locker rooms.

Eddie sees Mark, and his heart stops. He doesn't think he's ever seen a man so wondrously pretty before. He's headstrong, naive, and comes off totally the wrong way. But he sits down with Mark for the interviews. Mark is shocked when he finds out his charge really isn't who he thought he was going to be. He's struggling to continue his normal standard of scathing, brutally honest reporting, but he just can't help himself. Especially not when everything he writes seems to effect Eddie so intensely.

And then they Keep talking. It's no longer reporting anymore, but he doesn't know quite what to call it. Eddie reads Mark's favorite books and calls him in the middle of the night to talk about it. He watches Eddie's games more for Eddie than for the articles. They eat dinner together every night, and Eddie's made best friends with Mark's dog. Suffice it to say, Mark's terrified.

<i> QUE ANGST. QUE PINING. QUE SWEET MOMENTS THAT HAD ME KICKING MY FEET AND SMILING TO MYSELF </i>

--------

The characters, the pining, the adorable displays of affection, THE WRITING. This book like completely enveloped me and had me wrapped up in the characters and their entire life stories. The characters were more than perfect, they were real. Cat Sebastian managed to write real people, who make mistakes, who aren't perfect, who grieve and mourn in ways that aren't always the best. But, at the end of the day, they're people trying their best to do right by one another, and it was BEAUTIFUL.

The writing is nothing short of utterly captivating. Not just the style, but the language, the pacing, the attention to detail, and the character development. With all masterfulness and prose, Cat Sebastian weaves together this wonderful picture of what these two characters look like, and how they interact with the world as well as one another. The writing is just so vivid that I could literally see what was happening on page. I'm not a super visual person, but without shoving endless details and world-building down our throats, the author painted a wonderful picture of what was happening at literally every moment in the book. And again, for the attention to detail: if I hadn't read the Acknowledgements, I would've just assumed that the author was a professional Baseball Enthusiast. But upon hearing otherwise? Hello?? I respect everything that went into this. All I know about baseball is that dudes wear rather impractical white outfits to roll around in grass and red dirt and catch really hard balls if they manage to somehow hit them with a long metal bat. Oh, and the umpires are grumpy.

When I said earlier that the characters are real people, I truly mean it. They have their own lives, they have their own interests, they have hobbies and friends and unique worldviews. So often romance novels focus only on the relationships between the two love interests, and this was the exact opposite of that.

Cat Sebastian wrote about a baseball team struggling to get their act together, struggling to fully become a team-- but still a group of men that looked out for each other, and valued one's success as <i> their success </i>. I think the team dynamics was one of the reasons I really loved this book. Eddie is originally featured as the team's pariah, but as he works for their forgiveness and he works on himself, they come to love, accept, and protect him for who he is. Mark initially feels isolated and alone, but as he gets to know Eddie, he feels empowered to reach out again to his friends, who were really there all along. He steps out of his comfort zone and does things he never would've considered before, and it was a joy to witness.

I'm confident I've said this before, but the way Cat Sebastian was able to slowly peel all the layers off of her characters, and slowly reveal them to the audience in a way that kept you eagerly picking up all of the pieces the second she dropped them was amazing. And the character development, oh <i>the character development. </i>I feel like so rarely is there like real character development in romance novels nowadays. Like the characters just meet and then their relationship develops, and we're supposed to believe that somehow them falling for each other and admitting their love for each other is the real development? I wasn't disappointed with "We Could Be So Good" and I wasn't disappointed with this one either. This is one of those really, really good books that you read slowly to savor like a fine wine, even though you want nothing more than to experience the full breadth of it all at once. I read WCBSG on a beach and spent time looking dramatically out at the coastline and just replaying it over and over in my head (it was amazing too, you should read it, and then you can see the subtle cameos). I read this in my bedroom, and stared at my bookshelves, wondering how anyone could write something this good, <i>twice. </i>


The biggest thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for supplying me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!💞

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY is such a good sports romance with all the feels. Cat Sebastian does historical fiction really well with beautiful details seamlessly woven into the fabric of the novel. It’s lovely to read a queer historical romance that is not subjected to violence or homophobia as well, because that can be a stressful aspect of reading period pieces featuring queer characters.

There is a good balance between baseball and romance so you don’t have to be a huge baseball fan to enjoy the story. The characters Mark and Eddie are lovable, as is Lula the dog. The relationship builds organically without relying heavily on tropes. I only wished the book had been a bit steamier. Intimate scenes can be revealing about relationship dynamics and a chance for characters to show vulnerability in a romance novel. As emotional as this book gets, there are themes on grief and coming to terms with one’s sexuality, it didn’t quite punch me in the gut like I’d expected.

Overall, an enjoyable mm romance with a great blend of baseball and historical details.

This was cute! Honestly the fade to black was a little disappointing and there was way too much baseball talk but the romance was really tender and sweet.

Cat Sebastian is really knocking it out of the park (if you'll excuse the pun) with this series of midcentury queer romances. Mark Bailey was such a small, yet colorful character in "We Could Be So Good" and it was so lovely to spend time with him and to meet true golden retriever boy, Eddie O'Leary. I'll never get over the small, everyday moments that Sebastian imbues with so much love and softness that I find myself suddenly crying over a jar of fancy maraschino cherries or a pot of soup.

CW: grief, loss of a loved one (before story), homophobia, fear of homophobic violence, racism, fear of racist violence, sexual content

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

This will very likely be my favorite book of the year. I don't think everyone will love it as much as I do, but I hope they give it a chance. When I picked up the novel I didn't really read the synopsis closely, I only knew it was a romance and also at least a bit about baseball, and that was all I needed to know. I had hoped there would be a bit of baseball talk, but I was so surprised as to how much. It very much is a love letter to the game. This is the aspect of the novel I am not sure everyone will connect with as much as I did, but the love and passion for something is a universal feeling. I also had not realized it was going to be historical - 1960 to be exact, and I thought that really added to the narrative. Some of the internal grappling the character's dealt with are still relevant today, but not to the extent as they are in this historical world.

Ok, well I have gotten ahead of myself a bit. A quick synopsis of the novel is it is about 2 characters in 1960 NYC. Eddie O'Leary is a shortstop (baseball player) who has just been traded to the new expansion team, the New York Robins. He got votes for rookie of the year a year prior and now can't even manage to get a walk, let alone a hit. Mark Bailey is a (barely) reporter for the local newspaper who writes monthly for the arts page and has now been given the task of writing weekly diary entries for Eddie. Neither of them are particularly thrilled with the assignment, but know they need it for their careers to continue. This novel depicts their individual growth in their careers, relationships with other people in their lives, and their relationship together, all while navigating the world in the 1960's, where being gay is a bit more of a risk (in some places) than it is today.

The pacing of the novel is slower than some romances, but for the type of story Sebastian is telling is perfect for me. There is a lot more going on than just a romance. It is people fighting grief and overcoming challenges. Seeing past people's flaws and seeing the struggles other people in their lives may be facing. We get depth to a few side characters as well who made me both laugh and cry. There is a lot of heart and emotion woven throughout the novel that I could not get enough of. Writing this review actually makes me want to start this novel again and re-read it. I cann't wait for it to come out so I can get my hands on a physical copy!

The character work is fantastic. but I also loved how much baseball was in this novel. Not a play by play game play type of stuff, but the struggles and triumphs a player may go through in their career and what it can sometimes take to try and get over a slump. You get glimpses of team dynamics and interactions between the press, manager, and players. I found these sections really dynamic and interesting, and even if baseball isn't your jam, I think there are parts that are relatable. If baseball is your sport, you're going to love it!

Lastly, if you are looking for a quick and spicy romance this won't be the book for you. There is some spice, but it isn't raunchy and in your face - there is on page sex, but it feels more intimate than other romances I read, in a good way. You can feel the love on page. I'm not sure what else I can write to express how much I love this book and want everyone else to love this book - but pick it up, it deserves some love in braoder romance world!

Cat Sebastian has a gift. This is the second book I’ve read of hers that had me head over heels for a gay couple from the mid 1900s. Eddie is the definition of a golden retriever. I love a baseball romance. I love the presence of an elderly character guiding the way. This book has it all
Thank you to the publisher, netgalley and the author for the ARC

Cat Sebastian wrote yet another beautifully tender love story where all these little moments add up in a way that never fails to tug at my heartstrings. And I don't say that lightly.

Mark is a prickly reporter for the Arts and Culture section of the Chronicle who somehow gets assigned to do a profile on Eddie O'Leary, Midwestern transplant, once-wunderkind, now in the middle of a months-long batting slump. Eddie is brash and charming and often acts before thinking, but he's so endearing that you can't help but root for him, just like all of New York City, and eventually Mark too.

So, a lot of the book is about Eddie's batting slump, but it isn't the main plot, per say. Cat Sebastian draws these intricate portraits of a handful of characters that give you the sense that these people are a work in progress even when the book is finished— just like people in real life. You really feel the full extent of Mark's loneliness after his partner passed away the year prior, his conflicting feelings about being treated like a dirty secret even as they loved one another, and his inability to mourn openly— Mark's shock when an old mentor at the Chronicle likens Mark's grief to his own when his wife passed is palpable, and that hit me hard.

What I like about Eddie is that he may be quick to jump into a fight or trash talk a team, and he has an almost ridiculous sense of optimism, but he's never portrayed as naive, despite his age (twenty-two!!) and whatever his teammates and even Mark initially assume. He knows his own mind and actually ends up pushing for his and Mark's relationship when Mark is unsure about his own heart, and worried for Eddie's career prospects.

Emotionally, this book feels like a slow-burn because Mark isn't willing to go all-in the way you get the sense Eddie is ready to much sooner. But this is one of those cases where actions speak louder than words and you see it in these little moments of domesticity like when Eddie buys Mark breakfast and they walk the dog together, and how Eddie delights in Mark's fussy perfectionism and Mark is reluctantly charmed by Eddie's sense of hope; basically, they're inevitable even when they don't think so.

I liked that this was a queer romance that wasn't centered around a gay awakening, or the homophobia and bigotry queer people experience. Mark and Eddie are both comfortable with their sexuality, and they never let their worries about being out (or as out as someone could safely be in the sixties) turn inwards into self-loathing. Outside of Mark's queer friends, the vast majority of secondary characters inhibit this middle-ground where some of them know to an extent what's going on between Mark and Eddie, or it's a gamble to come out to them, so Mark and Eddie take risks where it matters, but otherwise don't.

There is something of a third-act break-up, but it's kind of half-hearted because Mark does a hilariously shitty job of the breaking-up part, and Eddie is unwilling to let go. And that's heartening in a way because nothing can separate these two.

The sex:

Super romantic, super tender and the payoff after all their tip-toeing around their feelings is worth it. I will say, while there are multiple open-door sex scenes, the language gets a little more vague when they're having sex, and the writing focuses more on what they're saying and feeling, as opposed to exactly what they're doing. That doesn't mean it's less hot, it's just a little less explicit. There are also a couple instances where there are breaks in the writing between foreplay and post-coital.

Overall:

This is such a soft love story set in a period I don't see often in historical romances, and I adored both Eddie and Mark. I'd absolutely recommend this book to every romance reader out there, and for any reader in particular looking for a romance that slowly but surely packs an emotional punch.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3/5
Publication Date: May 7th

You Should Be So Lucky intertwines queer love and the backdrop of 1960s baseball, offering a charmingly cozy narrative. Through the lens of Eddie and Mark, the book delves into themes of romance, grief, and the challenges of homophobia.

While it excels in character development and atmospheric storytelling, some portions may feel sluggish and repetitive. Additionally, the use of third-person omniscient narration occasionally detracts from the experience.

Despite this, the novel delivers a satisfying resolution, albeit with relatively low stakes given the era's societal constraints. Sebastian's decision to provide a happy ending adds a welcome touch of optimism, even within a historical context where such outcomes might seem improbable. For readers seeking a leisurely-paced, emotionally resonant MM period piece this is guaranteed to be a great choice.

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the arc!

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY is a stunning entry in this historical series about being queer in the late 50s/early 60s in New York. Cat Sebastian is the absolute best at making characters feel so real that you physically ache to know they aren't, but the story is so readable you simply cannot put it down. Once started, a Cat Sebastian book is one that stays in motion and YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY is no exception. Filled with grief, joy, and everything in between, I forgot that I loved baseball romance until I read this—and this is the best of them.