4.5 stars

I don’t know what it says about me or the books I read or the movies and tv I watch but almost the entire time I was reading this, I kept expecting something bad to happen… and then it just didn’t. It was honestly refreshing to read a book set in the past, in times where queer people were not even close to being as accepted as they are today, and have those characters just be happy together. Especially when one of those characters is so inherently tied to sports. I had a great time with this!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I will always make an exception to read a sports story if it's queer. What can I say? I'm not a sports girlie, but You Should Be So Lucky hits the spot. It's about an unlikely sports viewer - is this me?? - who is tasked to write about the latest season. Both Mark and Eddie are on edge about their future and still haven't figured out their pasts. For Mark, his story is about grief and the ways love can reinvigorate us. Can convince us there's more to life than survival and loss.

This one didn't quite click for me. I don't know what it was about it though. I did quite like this book, but I just never really got invested in the story. I felt a bit of distance to whatever was happening, and I never really felt that attached to our cast of characters. I really can't explain what it was about this book that made me feel this way though.
I quite like the romance. They were really cute together, and it felt very wholesome. Yes, they both had their issues to work through throughout the novel, but they really were supportive of each other's issues. The developement of their relationship was also really well done. They had a lot of really cute moments together.
I also quite liked the storylines of our two main characters, and their developement throughout the book. I thought the discussions around grief especially were really interesting. Especially in the context of this book. Grieving someone you publicly barely knew must be difficult, and I loved how it was included in this book. Also the discussions around public queerness in a time where that wasn't allowed at all was also really interesting. I'm not a big sports person, but I did also like the baseball side plot as well. I thought it was really well integrated. I also liked the sports journalism angle to this book as well. I don't know, all the moving parts of this book just clicked together really well.

Definitely a case of golden retriever x black cat boyfriend.

I love Eddie and Mark an absurd amount and I’m so glad that Cat decided to continue on with this series so we could meet them.

Cat always crafts her novels in a way that makes them feel like a hug. They’re soft and cozy and tender. They don’t shy away from the ugliness of the world though; there’s sadness and grief too but approached in a way that makes it all feel survivable. Yes, the world sucks but look at how much beauty and love there is in the everyday.

I will always want to read about happy queer domesticity, especially when it’s Cat Sebastian writing it.

3.5stars—YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY is an historical, adult, LGBTQ+ baseball romance set in 1960 focusing on twenty two year old, professional baseball player Eddie O’Leary, and journalist Mark Bailey. YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY is set in the same world as the author’s WE COULD BE SO GOOD.


Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Eddie and Mark), covering approximately nine months, YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY follows journalist Mark Bailey as he is tasked with writing a diary (of a sorts) focusing on professional baseball player Eddie O’Leary, a young man whose career is quickly spiralling out of control. Traded without warning to the New York Robins, Eddie is in a slump, struggling at the plate, and in the proverbial closet when it comes to his sex life and his career. The world has yet to accept the idea of homosexuality, or ‘queers’ in professional sports but Eddie will quickly discover the journalist assigned to write a piece about his career, is a man with more in common than Eddie could have ever imagined. Enter journalist Mark Bailey, a gay man who is battling between head and heart in the wake of losing someone he loved,and his attraction to a man whose career could end if his secret were discovered.


The relationship between Eddie and Mark begins as a professional arrangement in which Mark has been assigned to follow Eddie, and write a weekly journal focusing on the man with whom he will fall in love but Mark’s last relationship had been hidden from view, and Mark refuses to cross the line in the face of discrimination, homophobia, heart break and professional suicide. The $ex scenes fade to black and are mostly implied.


The secondary and supporting characters include a few cameos from reports Nick Russo, and his lover Andy Fleming (We Could Be So Good 1), as well as sports reporter George Allen, and several teammates and management from the New York Robins.

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY is an extremely slow building story of secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The premise is thought-provoking; the slow burn romance is awkward at times; the characters are charismatic yet desperate.



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I've been reading this book for several weeks and I've finally finished. It took ages to finish, not because it was bad. A Cat Sebastian book is never bad. But from the moment I opened this book and began reading I was overcome with emotion. 'You Should Be So Lucky' is a love story yes but it's a love found in grief and the slow recovery of that. I didn't know Cat Sebastian's 'We Could Be So Good' (the partner novel to this) could be surpassed but here we are. There aren't the words to say how wonderful and romantic this book is and how deeply it has affected me. I have 60 kindle highlights. 60!

The scene with the cherries nearly broke me. It's so simple but so true to the grieving. So much of Mark's grief resounded with my own and Eddie's precious, careful understanding was so beautiful and intimate.

Aside from the romance and very realistic portrayal of grief, there's the very real historical part of being gay in 1960. I really think more young people (queer folks especially) need to read books like this, that are happy and end happy but never understate just how quickly that could all change.

Fantastic book, an all time favorite, Cat Sebastian has been an auto-read and auto-buy for years and that will never change!

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

Incredibly sweet and something I didn’t think I could fully appreciate just because of the sports romance aspect but the cover pulled me in and the writing kept me hooked. I thought it was a bit long but there was just something that kept me interested until the very end. Probably one of my favorites and the one I really want to buy a physical copy of!

I requested You Should Be So Lucky sort of on a whim - I've been meaning to read something by Cat Sebastian and intrigued by (but also skeptical of!) all of the baseball romances coming out this year. Within the first few pages, I had dopey grin on my face that remained in place for nearly the entire reading experience.

You Should Be So Lucky features Eddie, an outstanding rookie baseball player who was recently traded and dealing with a slump, and Mark, the journalist who ghostwrites a weekly column about Eddie. A very sweet, tender grumpy/sunshine romance ensues!

Grumpy/sunshine isn't a favorite trope of mine, but everything about it worked for me in You Should Be So Lucky. Eddie was a big, lovable sweetie. "Grumpy" Mark surprised me the most. He was often, and accurately, described as "fussy," which could make for a tough character to root for. Not the case at all - Cat wrote Mark with so much depth that he was as compassionate as he was fussy. I found myself thinking about Eddie and Mark a lot in between reading and I don't think I'll stop any time soon.

4.5 stars. I absolutely adored this book.

Honestly, I was worried the entire time that the story was going to take a bad turn given that the protagonists were two queer men in 1960. It didn’t. It was just a beautiful and sweet grumpy sunshine romance between a star baseball player going through a slump and the reporter hired to write about him.

The author really took the time to flesh out the characters and create a story that felt authentic to the time and was warm and funny. It deals with some heavy subjects like the death of a partner, family rejection, and potential repercussions of being queer in a high visibility career. The romance between the protagonists was great, but I also loved seeing their interactions with others in their lives as they chose to show up more and more as their authentic selves.

This was a really beautiful book. Definitely one of my favorite romance reads so far this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me the ARC of this book to review.

This book was an easy 5-stars for me. Cat Sebastian's mid-century NYC books are just. that. good. I literally cannot think of a single bad thing to say about either one of them.

I absolutely loved getting to know Mark, whom we meet in We Could Be So Good, through this book. He was the absolute grumpiest, but he was also so lovable, and you can't help but root for him as he starts to open up again after the loss of his partner. While you never spent much time getting to know his partner, the devastation of Mark's loss is so keenly felt, and I think the author did a wonderful job of exploring a character learning to live with the grief while also learning to reach out for support from his loved ones.

Eddie was also such a delight to read. He was absolutely adorable, and some of my favorite scenes were those of him bonding with his teammates, despite their rocky start, as he tries to break out of his batting slump. He was the perfect sunshine to Mark's grumpiness, and I enjoyed watching him learn to embrace his team and the new city he has to live in.

Once again, the romance in this book hit all the right notes for me. It was another that was delightfully slow-burn, and yet the connection between Mark and Eddie is very much present from the moment they meet. I adored each and every one of their interactions, from the late-night phone calls to the mornings Eddie would walk Mark's dog just for an excuse to see him. There is also no third-act breakup, which makes for an immediate win in my book.

As with We Could Be So Good, the found family vibes are going strong in this one, from Eddie's teammates to Mark's friends. I would have loved to get more with Mark's friends, especially throwing Eddie into the mix, but that's just because I adore this world and its characters so much. I did really enjoy Mark's friendship with George however (excuse me while I cry), and Eddie's bond with his teammates and coach (specifically Price and Ardolino).

Long story short, you NEED to read these books. They are the definition of feel-good romance with characters that will undoubtedly steal your heart.

This is the second book in the Midcentury NYC series. While you don’t need to read book 1 in the series, I recommend it because it’s good. This book follows a completely different couple but there are a few appearances by Nick and Andy. The story is told in third person and follows Mark and Eddie in 1960s New York City.

Mark lost his partner last year and has resigned from his position writing for the arts pages at the New York Chronicle but still keeps going to work and keeps somewhat of an office there. Andy asks him to write something different about the new shortstop the New York Robins have acquired who made a bit of a splash in the headlines when he was informed of his trade on national television.

Eddie O’Leary loved his life with the Kansas City Athletics. He was close to his hometown, his mother could come up for games all the time, his teammates had his back, and he knew where to go to stay safe as a closeted player. He’s having a bit of a hard time adjusting to New York City and the new team he insulted in front of everyone is giving him the cold shoulder. It’s effected his game and he’s in the worst slump of his career. The last thing he needs is a reporter all over him, but he also needs someone to talk to since his teammates won’t.

This book was an extremely slow burn. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. And I loved the time period nostalgia, especially all the pay phone calls. I will admit that the first half really dragged for me. The relationship between Mark and Eddie builds slowly into a solid friendship based on communication and trust. Eddie even walks Mark’s dog, Lula, who misses Mark’s partner but never really attaches to him. Mark ends up writing a weekly diary style article from Eddie’s point of view filled with his impressions of the city, his new team and his difficulties and triumphs as the new shortstop. What I found lovely about this book was the portrayal of Eddie’s loneliness and fears about moving to a new city and Mark and Lula’s grief.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

This book is so sweet and heartfelt. I would not have guessed that one of my favorite romances of the year would revolve around baseball in the 1960s, but here we are! The story is so beautifully layered, and the character development was incredible. My heart literally ached for Eddie and Mark as they worked through their own individual issues, and eventually came together. And, my god, how could I not love the dog that is still in mourning, too???
This book was written with such tenderness and care for its queer characters who have to remain mostly closeted due to the time in which they exist, and yet still have an incredible community and love story. I also appreciated how Cat Sebastian portrayed the power of words, by having Mark's articles about Eddie truly change the public's perception of him throughout the story. The secondary characters also really added to this story.
If you're looking for steam, I would suggest something else. That being said, this book was incredible and I can't wait to read more by Cat Sebastian.

Tender in a way that absolutely warms your heart. A love story that feels adult without the need for unecessary, added drama that does little more than move characters from point A to point B. Evocative, and deeply empathetic — You Should Be So Lucky is a profound love story that proves Cat Sebastian’s voice is a necessary one. This world is fully lived in and grounded with rich characters whose individual stories are just as interesting and engaging as the central romance. It’s how they move separate and together throughout the story that make it an absolute must read.

I am slightly obsessed with Sebastian's We Could Be So Good. You Should Be So Good did not quite made me feel that way but it was still so good and swoony.

Let me start with what I didn't like:
• Too much baseball. It is a sport romance so I guess it is expected that there would be a lot of baseball talk.

• The pacing. The slow burn was real slow. I like the progression of their friendship and then the will they/won't they but it felt a tad too long.

What I liked:

•1960s New York setting

• There is depth in this story. Eddie's career struggles. Mark's grief. Mark's baggage.

• There is also added pressure of Eddie's public persona. His career is on the line. He is in the closet. While Mark doesn't want to put Eddie's career in risk, he also wants to live his life as his true self and he doesn't want to hide behind closed doors as he did in his previous relationship.

They have stuff to figure out and man, they do! They talk. They communicate like grown ups.

• The characters are fully formed. Eddie is the ultimate sunsine-golden retriver to Mark's prickly grumpy self. Eddie's mom and George Allen are great side characters.

• I found myself highlighting so many passages. The writing is beautiful.

• Lastly, there is a scene that was so touching that will stay with me. The jars of cocktail cherries... IYKYK. No jealousy, no annoyance. Just a simple "I'm just glad you were loved!" Oh, sweet Eddie.

Even though this one did not dazzle me as much as the first book in the series, I found this story very sweet and swoony. Cannot wait to read more queer romances from Cat Sebastian.

*4.5

I’m so so in love with Cat Sebastian writing. She’s so good! She’s a extraordinary writer and her books are an autobuy for me. In fact I requested the arcs only because I cannot wait to read this beauty!
I really love Mark and Eddie love story. It’s beautiful and sweet with the characteristic optimism that I love in those type of stories. Yes, in those years the world was scary for us queers, BUT there was hope. And we deserve hope, even today.
I also enjoyed the set. Sport romance are not my favorite thing in the world but I enjoy it and in this case I enjoy it a lot because it feels so real. The atmosphere is insane, I was totally captivated and I though I was there too.
This book is so good and I’m really happy to have read it.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the arc.

3.75 stars

Objectively, this is a great book, and I really love what was being done here. I just didn't quite vibe with this book for some reason. I really liked how the author addresses grief, and especially in this setting. How during this time, Mark didn't feel safe or comfortable being open about who he was grieving for. Mark and Eddie are amazing characters. They are both very complex and have a lot of depth. They feel very real and believable. The writing is great, and even the side characters are more than just mannequins in this story. I struggle to put my finger on what it is exactly that just didn't click in my brain. I think it just felt like the story dragged on a bit at times. This is a great story that just isn't for me.

After reading 'We Could Be So Good' last year and falling in love with Cat Sebastian's writing - I knew I would love this one. There's just something about the way this author writes these grumps very stubbornly falling in love that pulls at my heartstrings. These characters are just so fleshed out and so incredible, I love them so much. Historical queer romance such a special place in my heart <3

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This isn't really a book about baseball. Though I definitely am more interested in watching a game after reading it. Instead, this is a book about life and love after loss, living in the 1960s as two queer men, being a gay baseball player, finding friends you can rely on, a sassy little spoiled dog and the grown men who love her, sharing book recommendations, finding your community, and finding what you want to love out of life.

I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised that this book is about so much more than baseball. Cat Sebastian can do no wrong. They gave us We Could Be So Good and we said, I love this queer little love story in the 50s!" Then they said, "Oh yah? Just wait!" And gave us You Should Be So Lucky as if we dared them to do better and they took that challenge head on.

It's sweet and full of tender moments that made my heart twist with pain and flutter at the same time. It's not overly sad, but instead focuses on the how we continue to live. This is book is SO GORGEOUS with how it handles hard topics that I just don't know if anything else could top it. Favorite book of 2024.

I was gifted this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review by NetGalley.

I am honestly so torn by this read. I absolutely love the concept and I loved the two characters and the premise and saved various lines to look back on, but the pacing and flow was driving me crazy and I can’t even pinpoint why. It’s baseball season and it’s the perfect timing to pick up this read, an early/mid-1900s story about a professional baseball player in a slump and a journalist grieving a previous relationship who are both queer and have found each other through a story assignment. Their personalities differ so much, but I love the joy and beauty they find in each other and I love how they’re both trying to overcome their own personal strifes to better themselves and to possibly be with each other but there were parts that I felt were filler or just unnecessary that took away from the strength of the characters with extraneous details that made me want to put down the book or skip ahead to more substance. I loved the allusions to literary references like Hill House and the appreciation of queer literary folks who have helped us all discover who we are and that we’re not alone.

(3.5 rounded down)

4.5⭐️
I enjoyed this, grumpy sunshine is a favorite of mine and this author has a lovely take on the trope. I also enjoyed the 1960s setting, I don’t read much historical romance but this really adds so much to Mark and Eddie’s story. I enjoyed the backstory, reporter Mark’s job provides the reader with a wonderful behind the scenes feel. Getting to live the slump and seeing how hard being traded is for Eddie added such weight to the story. The author writes with such charm and skill, perfectly capturing how much Eddie and March chafe under life in 1960, how absolutely frustrating it is for them to have a kind of half life. I will say it felt too long at times but these characters are so wonderfully brought to life, their connection absolutely lovely I can’t mind too much. This was wonderful, I loved the setting, the couple, all the baseball, and especially the excellent writing.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.