You Should Be So Lucky: A Baseball Rom-Com Between a Star Shortstop and a Reporter in New York City

From the moment I read the blurb, I was intrigued. But I wasn’t expecting how gorgeous and emotional this book is. I couldn’t put it down. The writing is beautiful, and Cat Sebastian has a way of delving deep, getting to the heart of things, and expressing them so poignantly. This slow burn is so satisfying. At the start, Mark is grieving the death of his long-term partner, a man he could only love in secret and now must grieve in private. He’s been in survival mode, locked down, with no plans to open back up again. Eddie O’Leary is younger, seemingly naive, and desperately lonely. He’s in a batting slump he can’t train his way out of, and a sports feature is the last thing he needs. But these two need each other, even if they don’t realize it at first. I am such a huge fan of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House, and the time these two devote to dissecting that novel thrilled me. Late-night conversations, notes written in the margins, and references made throughout. You can learn so much about another person from the books they read. Lula, the dog, stole the show. Let’s be real, she’s the third MC. Her grief over her owner made me tear up, as did her ‘tolerance’ of Mark. Every interaction with Eddie made me do a happy dance, and her judgmental looks made me smile. This is such a beautiful read, and I can’t wait to dive into book one of this series. If you love golden retrievers and prickly kitties who need to be pspsps’d into a relationship, check it out. Overall…

Cat Sebastian is the queen of my heart! I’m a puddle of goo for her midcentury boys, and Mark and Eddie are no exception. We met Mark Bailey in We Could Be So Good, he works at the paper and persisted in gifting Nick with queer literature. When we begin his story, he’s deep in mourning for his late boyfriend - withdrawn from life, he has mostly quit his job but still lurks around the office. One day Andy gets the idea to send him to do a weekly feature on Eddie O’Leary, a baseball player deep in both a PR scandal and a batting slump. Both men are in crisis, and they find unexpected kinship in one another. I adore the unique grumpy x sunshine dynamic these two have! Mark is prickly and biting, but essentially kind. And while Eddie is sunny and easygoing for the most part, he has a hell of a temper. Watching them learn to support and trust one another was completely lovely. The writing is as immersive as always, expertly building this world of dreamers and lovers in a time when to be true to themselves was a jail sentence. As with her other books, these are what I’d call cracked door spice, but the emotional impact is weighty and the tension delicious. Every moment and character carries significance to the story, and I can’t get enough of these journeys. I recommend this for anyone, but fans of sports romance, historical, and/or Cat Sebastian won’t be disappointed! (This one also frequently references one of my favorite authors of all time, Shirley Jackson, so that was a…

It's 1960 in NYC. The Dodgers have bailed in favor of the West Coast. An expansion team arrives to fill the void, bringing with it a collection of worn out vets, odd-balls and a 22-year old phenom who doesn't want to leave his Midwest home. A slightly jaded and grieving journalist is assigned to cover the reluctant team star as the latter struggles with a batting slump and living down public statements he's made about his new home. The pair gradually settles into a relationship that starts asprofessional and gradually becomes friendly and much more. The novel is nicely character-driven, but there is a lot for the reader to learn about professional baseball as well the social environment of the times. As the relationship that is the focus of the story turns romantic, the forced public invisibility of same sex couples hangs heavy of the two men. An intelligent, if somewhat verbose discussion of the dilemma Is a big part of the novel's second half. There is a non-specific, but happy ending to this story that is well-earned and suggests a possible sequel that deals with the inevitable outing of the pair--still some years away from Stonewall.

This was an excellent read. Brilliantly written and researched, great characters, empathy building - you long to know these folx and give them hugs. Beautiful handling of grief, longing and love. Smallest quibble - we do not get to "see" Mark's writing until the end, after he has transformed - I would have liked a couple of acerbic, witty snippets from his "Mark is a knife" days.

Set in the same universe as “We Could Be So Good,” “You Should Be So Lucky” is just as great a read. I put off giving it a chance, despite loving the former book, because this one deals with a baseball player and a sportswriter. Bleh. But while there’s certainly a lot of sports in here, the book is mostly about loss, grief, self-doubt, and starting over. Lots in here about teamwork, whether that’s on the field, behind the scenes, and among friends, especially chosen family. This isn’t the least bit formulaic as a romance. Both MCs and many of the supporting cast feel fully developed right from the start. Many scenes are sweet and painful but never maudlin. I can’t count the number of times I felt a lump in my throat. The characters learn to face life, to face the knowledge that future loss and grief are inevitable, but to embrace love and life anyway. It's a wonderful book, and you’ll be glad you read it.