What a flipping adorable, lovely book. The grumpy/sunshine vibes in this one are immaculate. Mark is grieving, Eddie is struggling with baseball and yet there’s this pull between them they can’t resist. Mark is like a cat and so standoffish and Eddie sees through it and loves him for it. I’m not a sporty girly and I was still very engaged with the story. A well-rounded, interesting cast of characters as well.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a copy of this ARC!

4.5 rounded down to 4

Let me start by saying this: I am probably not uniquely qualified to review this book, but I am 1) gay and 2) a baseball fan since the womb, which I think gives me a leg up on, say, someone who knows nothing about baseball and is also straight.

You Should Be So Lucky feels a little like a love letter to baseball. It feels like watching the A League of Their Own series (and the movie, but in a different way). It's so familiar while telling a fairly unique story - to me, at least. I'll add here that I probably would not have reached for this if it was written by anyone other than Cat Sebastian; I trust Cat with my queer reader life.

The story follows Eddie O'Leary, barely out of a stellar rookie year and now sucking the life out of an already dead team, and Mark Bailey, who really no longer has a life, as far as he's concerned. I won't go into too much detail into their love story, because frankly that was less interesting to me and there are so many other excellent reviews that sing their praises. For me, this is about people falling in love, whether it be for the first time or in a new way, with baseball.

There's a passage later in the book where Mark remembers a conversation he had about a novel where baseball is a metaphor for life and how he complained about it. His partner responds "that nobody has ever written about baseball without it being a metaphor of some kind or another." Everything clicks for Mark in that moment, in that passage, a secret, much needed batting practice, and to me? That's the romance in this book. Mark, falling in love with someone but understanding the love that baseball inspires in others, even a little bit himself; Eddie, falling back in love with baseball after it let him down and makes him feel othered; George Allen, loving something so much he doesn't want to let it go, even as he gets older. Tony Ardolino and Sam Price, fighting for the sport they love to accept others.

And I think Cat Sebastian gets that - there is clearly so much accurate detail in the novel that can only be described as a labor of love. Mentions of the Philadelphia A's, prior to the KC A's, and the quirks of the Polo Grounds really got me good. Like I said, I trust her with my life. She hasn't let me down yet.

If you love baseball as much as I do, see the love story in the long suffering bad seasons and the elation of a playoff run, I think you'd enjoy this book. I know I did.

(Did I take .5 off for erasing the Mets? The world may never know.)

Extremely tender, incredibly romantic. Mark and Eddie have stolen my heart, and frankly they can keep it, right in the little gold box next to that key, knife and pencil.

Who would've thought a story surrounding a baseball player, his team and a journalist could leave a reader so besotted? All the characters, main and supporting, were absolutely lovely. Hats off to Cat Sebastian for writing the perfect historical queer romance. The time and dedication put into the history and statistics of baseball was evident. One thing this novel is proof of: baseball really can be a metaphor for anything in life.

So many heavy topics were explored and handled with care, making this much more than a queer sports romance. The struggles with identity, security, loss and grief—just to name a few—made the characters easy to connect with, and impossible not to root for.

I absolutely adored everything about this book and I have the dried, happy tears to prove it.

This was a very well-written book and Cat Sebastian is a talented author, but I wasn't in love with this book. I can't exactly place what about the book I didn't connect with. It might have been that it's historical fiction (I'm learning that it might not be my preferred genre), that I couldn't connect with the baseball aspect, or that it felt like it was longer or slower than it needed to be.

There are definitely people who will be obsessed with this book, I'm just not one of those people.

I loved Eddie as a MC; he is someone who loves with his whole heart, chest exposed. Sebastian writes beautifully to convey grief and longing all in the same page.

You Should Be So Lucky has me absolutely besotted and in love and so freaking delighted and content. It just made me really, truly happy.

"I don’t think I could have a single feeling about you that’s wasted.”

You Should Be So Lucky is set in the same world as We Could Be So Good, a couple of years later in 1960. It's a slowburn between baseball player Eddie who unexpectedly gets traded to the New York Robins and reporter Mark (who we met in WCBSG) who finds himself on his paper's sports beat, having to do a series on Eddie.

It's very much opposites attract, Mark's a bit of a prickly semi-feral cat and Eddie's more of golden retriever cinnamon roll. They're both sort of assholes though, and they're also both terribly lonely and dealing with grief in different ways but their jagged edges fit together.

They can't seem to stay away from each other, and it's obvious how fond they become of each other really fast. Mark especially isn't great at opening up but Eddie sees him like no one ever has before, he's way more perceptive than most people give him credit for, and Mark does the same for Eddie. It's the horrifying ordeal of being known and being accepted and loved for everything you are.

"He feels like every part of him is wrapped around Eddie, like they’re tangled up in something dangerous and lovely and terribly, terribly precious."

There's such fantastic character development alongside the exquiste relationship build. Their entire relationship is so sweet, and playful, and soft, and they have fantastic banter that made me laugh out loud several times.

Like with WCBSG, the time period makes being queer incredibly difficult, and being out a non-starter as it's illegal. Both Mark and Eddie struggle with issues relating to this and what it means for them in terms of identity, safety, and happiness, and Cat Sebastian does a great job of portraying this.

"It’s not just the burden of continually lying, it’s keeping your existence a secret. When the world has decided that people are supposed to be a certain way, but you’re living proof to the contrary, then hiding your differences is just helping everybody else erase who you are."

You Should Be So Lucky is such a gorgeous book, it makes me giddy just to think Mark and Eddie, and it was an absolutely fantastic read. I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the ARC. You Should Be So Lucky is out May 7

I absolutely love queer romances, but I’m very particular when it comes to historical romances. For me, Cat Sebastian is the pinnacle of queer historical romance novels. I love how this book is set in the 1960s, it makes it stand out in the sea of regency romances. Mark and Eddie are both fully formed characters who have excellent chemistry with one another. Mark writes for the newspaper, but he’s definitely not a sportswriter. When his boss tells him to start covering Eddie, a professional baseball player who’s in a bit of a slump, the two strike up a friendship that slowly morphs into a clandestine romance.

Cat Sebastian’s writing is so strong, everything about the story came to life. The locations, time period, and characters were all gorgeously described. The story, and the characters, acknowledge the hardships they face being queer in 1960. But we also get to see the ways they have community and support.

I loved seeing the small ways that Mark and Eddie started getting closer to one another. Like discussing books or having Eddie walk Mark’s dog. Another thing that stood out to me about the book was the way that Mark’s late partner William was handled. I’ve been annoyed in other romances where a character’s partner has died and that first romance was diminished like “oh I guess I never really loved them since now I know what love is like with you.” Or the new partner being jealous or weird about it. Thankfully none of that happened here. Mark never dismissed what he felt for William and Eddie was supportive of however Mark felt or needed to grieve. It just felt very healthy and refreshing.

Overall I just had a blast reading this book, I absolutely flew through it. I really hope that Cat Sebastian continues writing these mid-1900s queer romances. They’re just so fascinating.

4.5 stars

Another great book from Cat Sebastian set in the same “world” as We Could Be So Good.

Mark is a writer whose partner died of a heart attack over a year ago at a young age. Being that it’s 1960, their relationship was hidden so he has been grieving very privately.

Eddie is a young (22) baseball player recently traded to the newest expansion team in NYC.

Mark meets Eddie when his boss asks him to write Eddie’s weekly “diary” entry for the newspaper so the City can get to know the newest star player.

Other reviewers have noted the book is long and a bit slow in places. I don’t disagree; however, I realized that this book needed time for the story to unfold. It shows how risky their relationship was at that time.

Highly recommend for fans of this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I adored this book. Mark and Eddie's slow burn romance is one of the best I've read. I love their dynamic and their jobs. As someone who has done sports reporting for baseball, I wished I could have a fun romance like this which made me dive into the book without wanting it to end. The pacing was great and it kept me entertained throughout the whole book. This book single handily took me out of my reading slump and I want to read even more about Mark and Eddie

Eddie O'Leary is a closeted baseball player in the 1960s and has just been traded to New York City. When he arrives, he starts to experience a slump at the plate that all players hope they can avoid. In the midst of his adjustment to a new team, he is asked to be the subject of a weekly diary column writing by Mark Bailey, a newspaper writer who catches his eye immediately.

What follows their introduction and partnership is a mix of happiness and tragedy There is so much love and sadness woven throughout this novel - baseball, relationships, fear of being oneself - that this sports novel on the surface is more a story of overcoming grief and embracing the ability to live openly and honestly.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

I adored this book!

I thought the pacing of the relationship was good and I love how they integrated William into the story in a realistic way.

I also appreciated that they had relationships with people (friends, family, coworkers) outside of the two main characters.

Based on the description, I went in expecting some angst/drama, but that’s not what this story it. It appeared to me that the author took a Schitt’s Creek approach to the story. That’s is not to say that I didn’t love the book, even though it wasn’t what I had expected, I thought the book was excellent.

There were a couple of times where it seemed like there was an error in the timeline ex. Chapter 6: “the phone rings at an ungodly hour on Sunday morning” then two pages later “tomorrow is Saturday” and in the epilogue it seemed like they were discussing an article from the chapter before that was at least a month before the epilogue began. But these were very minor and didn’t cause me any confusion about the story.

It was hard in the epilogue to feel the changing of the seasons, to see how their relationship has developed over the past few months. It seemed like they all could’ve taken place at the same time.

Overall, I thought this book was very cute, and I really liked it!

"You Should Be So Lucky" by Cat Sebastian is an absolute home run of a read! As a baseball enthusiast, I was instantly drawn to the unique backdrop of the sport intertwined with a heartwarming romance. Eddie and Mark's relationship is not just cute, it's positively charming, filled with moments that will make your heart swell. Cat Sebastian has crafted a delightful story that seamlessly blends love, passion, and the thrill of the game. Whether you're a fan of romance or baseball (or both!)

Cat Sebastian has done it again. I read We Could Be So Good last year and fell in love with Cats writing. Getting approved for this ARC was so exciting because the idea of another historical romance written by her especially a baseball romance was such a dream. Cats writing style is so beautiful and this book covers loneliness in different ways between Eddie and Mark.

Eddie is struggling with his trade to a new team while being iced out by his teammates while playing his worst season yet. Mark is struggling with the loss of his longtime partner. They’re both at a point in their life where they feel lost and like they don’t belong anymore and when pushed together (begrudgingly) for a series of articles, they get to rediscover who they are together. And while this does cover loneliness, Cat does it such a way where you really feel it in these little moments throughout the book instead of it being a constant stream in their inner thoughts.

Eddie is the definition of a golden retriever and I absolutely adore him. Mark is quiet and reserved due to years of constant hiding, but they balance each other out and bring out the best in each other. Together we get to see them fall in love with their respective careers again. Cat covers being queer in her historical romances so well because there’s always the undercurrent of people can’t find out, but she hints at these other characters knowing and accepting Eddie and Mark. It’s all about queer love and joy even in times when it wasn’t accepted by the public.

Eddie and Mark have my whole heart and their love is so tender. I put this off from reading just because I knew I would enjoy it so much and that I would never be able to read it for the first time again.

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was lucky enough to read an ARC. It was absolutely AMAZING.
This book has everything I love in Cat Sebastian's books, it's emptional, soft and cozy.
This books follows Mark, a journalist and Eddie a baseball player, through their paths of grief and loneliness, falling in love and healing. It was a beautiful love story and one of my favorites of the year (if not THE favorite) and a new comfort read.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the eArc

This novel is a beautiful love letter to the nuances of grief - the fragility, the hallowed out frozenness, the unexpected little reminders that can stop you in your tracks. The work it takes to just be. It’s the story about what happens after loss, after turmoil, after the worst day of your life. What’s next?

This is a love story of the next. Mark is barely surviving. Stuck in the frozen numbness of a grief he can’t share with the world. Eddie is new to town, isolated and lonely. He sees Mark as both a life raft and someone who needs saving. Their journey is beautiful and heart wrenching and ultimately hopeful.

Cat Sebastian does a brilliant job of exploring the duality of love lost and love found. This is the love story not just of Mark and Eddie, but also of Mark and his lost love William - everything they were and everything they could have been. I connected just as much with Mark’s past relationship as I did with his current one. The love, acceptance, and respect Eddie shows for Mark and William’s relationship made me fall in love with him even more.

All that being said, this book is also hilariously funny. The banter and snarkyness that Cat Sebastian excels at is woven throughout the narrative. I highlighted entire pages for the sarcastic comments and dry observations alone. The supporting characters were top notch and the ever-expanding circle of found family that loves and protects these men is absolute perfection.

This is easy five stars. I loved every second. I cried through a lot of it and found it incredibly cathartic. This book will resonate with anyone who has experienced loss or grief or trauma, but especially those of us who have had a loss that we’ve had to mourn privately.

I can’t recommend this book enough.

I could have let this review percolate for a bit through my synapses, but to be honest, this book doesn't require that kind of overthinking. I LOVED IT. I loved We Could Be So Good a lot, but if I were to choose between the two it would be You Should Be So Lucky for me, hands down. It has all the things to love about Cat Sebastian's best work: two dorks falling in love, more vibes than plot, unrestrained kindness even when dealing with hard subjects. Something here does feel more weighty, more ambitious, though. It's not that Sebastian hasn't tackled serious subjects before--there's just something about the relatability and authenticity to everything in this book that leave me going "wow." I loved watching Eddie and Mark's romance grow through their encounters. They are wonderful, flawed, incredibly real-feeling characters who are only better for the incredible supporting cast. I almost even gave a flying anything about baseball in rooting for the Robins along with everyone else.

So no, this isn't a thoughtful and deliberate review. This is a READ THIS BOOK YOU WON'T REGRET IT review. You're welcome.

A few pages into You Should Be So Lucky I had sunk so deep into this cozy, queer historical romance I’d forgotten I wasn’t reading it just for fun. I fell in love with Mark and Eddie, their book swap turned romance, and the found and fought-for families they each bring to the party.

It’s a book about grief and redemption and finding home, even if it can’t be forever.

Anyway, I’m going to have to go reread The Haunting of Hill House now.

Adored this book just as much as We Could Be So Good. It manages to be so entertaining and so earnest, with real explorations of love and loss, grief and glory. The plot is a little light, but each character is very well developed; their arcs pull you in immediately and keep you on your toes the entire time. A joy to read.

I read the NetGalley ARC, this is my review:

I am not a sports fan. I know just enough about baseball to not be too lost as to what's happening. I am a Cat Sebastian fan; I loved the first book in this series, so I was delighted to get to read this one early.

Boy, what a treat! Smart characters, tough situations, the reporter-ballplayer conflict plus the dangers queer people faced in 1960... It is long enough to do everything justice, and yet it doesn't linger overlong at the end. This is a satisfying novel, funny and thoughtful and sweet. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars*

Cat Sebastian has never disappointed me in the four books of hers I read previously and she didn’t disappoint with “You Should Be So Lucky”.

I’m not a baseball fan by any means, but this isn’t necessarily a sports romance so don’t let that detract you from reading it. This is a story of being queer in the States in the early 60’s, an exploration of grief and mental health, and a sweet love story at the same time.

Mark, a reporter who would rather write a scathing book review than an article about baseball, is forced to work with Eddie, a baseball player who can’t seem to get out of a slump. Their relationship isn’t “enemies to lovers” or even necessarily “forced proximity”, their relationship develops very naturally over the course of the book and feels realistic.

My only complaints? I think this book is pretty long for what it is and the pacing is slow, but there is definitely payoff if you’re looking for a romance novel that has a bit more substance to it. I think if the pacing had been better, this could have been a four star read for me.