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hiddenfallacies's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Putting into words what I liked about this book is difficult. A lot of it is simply to die for - the writing style, the accuracy of the historical setting, the way each character feels like a real human being (flaws and all). This story, in the end, is about having the courage to keep trying even when life goes wrong. It manages to make that message not feel superficial, which is a monumental accomplishment in and of itself.
The only thing holding me back from rating it higher is that I was much more endeared to Mark's POV than I was to Eddie's. Which isn't to say that Eddie's chapters were lacking, exactly, moreso that Mark's journey through grief was more captivating to me than Eddie's slow process of self-discovery.
The only thing holding me back from rating it higher is that I was much more endeared to Mark's POV than I was to Eddie's. Which isn't to say that Eddie's chapters were lacking, exactly, moreso that Mark's journey through grief was more captivating to me than Eddie's slow process of self-discovery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Medical content, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jess_polishedcomma's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, and Homophobia
koistyfishy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 Overpriced Dog Bowl Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to adore it and love the characters and I went into it with the Mindset that I would given how much I have seen a friend gush about how much she loved and adored this book and how much this meant to her... I wanted to take a chance on this one.
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This is a third-person historical romance set in the 1960s that follows Mark Bailey and Eddie O’Leary. Mark is a semi-retired journalist and book reviewer who is dealing with the grief of losing his partner, William. Eddie just cannot catch a break. He is a professional baseball player who has just been traded to a new team that he is not happy about. He has publicly spoken against the team and has tarnished his lovable rookie reputation. It also doesn't help that he cannot seem to hit a ball anymore. To rejuvenate and reframe his image, Mark is tasked with ghostwriting Eddie's diary in the Newspaper he works for. As Mark and Eddie spend more time together, they both realise that there is more to the other than meets the eye. Their acquaintance turns into friendship and soon that friendship develops into something more. However, this has its challenges because being Queer in the 1960s, a time rife with homophobia is super challenging and reputationally dangerous.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
My issue with this is that the book was incredibly boring. I just felt like it was going nowhere SUPER SLOW with the plot moving at such a snail’s pace that was spiralling down, never quite going upwards...
Eddie has this cheerful presence and disposition that makes you smile and want to hug him. You just hope he gets everything he wants because he’s such a cutie, and he deserves love, happiness, and support. I loved his character as he gives off this naive, sweet, almost himbo vibe, but then he says something occasionally profound or delivers a really sweet metaphor about life but he doesn't seem to realise it's profound because he is so innocent. He carried the book for me, and every time he was present in a scene, he made it better.
Mark irritated the living daylights out of me. Like super pissed off... He is not a nice person, and I honestly don’t know what Eddie saw in him. He is overly sarcastic to the point where he is generally mean in what he says and how he acts. He has this aloof "attitude that makes him come across as if he thinks he is "better" than those around him because he happens to have "acquired tastes" and prefers quality. He just came across as snobbish and unlikeable.
The aspects of William’s death were sometimes unnecessary. I understand that Mark is processing his grief, and some moments were heartbreaking and had me on the verge of tears, especially the cherry scene. My issue is that there was a lot more focus on Mark’s grief than on the budding relationship between Eddie and Mark. Because the story was so slow, I lost track of the development of their love. It made me feel multiple times that Mark was being unfaithful to William...
Another aspect that bothered me was I didn’t like how so many aspects were thrown into the plot that went nowhere, an example being Ardolino and his potential romance. They didn't serve a purpose, and they might be "nuggets for the next books" but the developments went nowhere and dragged on not capturing my attention.
NOW despite me not liking things in the book... there were some things I REALLY DID like. The writing was sweet and I appreciated the story. This type of book is not easy to read because of the topics it deals with. Not only the grief aspect but also the historical homophobia and how difficult it would be for a queer couple in that time. The fears of being outed in a society that would ostracise them were portrayed realistically and truthfully. This book did an excellent job showing that even in a time when the world was not as accepting, you could still find a family of people willing to accept you for who you are.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Baseball Romance
▶ ReporterXPlayer
▶ Historical Romance
▶ GrumpyXSunshine (Black Cat and Golden Retriever)
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Age Gap
Overall, it had precious moments, and underneath Mark’s surly behaviour, I do think he cared a lot for Eddie. I’m happy that he had a chance to move on from his grief over William. While slow and having a few issues it was still a sweet grumpy-sunshine dynamic that at times was utterly beautiful. I think if it had been about three hours shorter (Since I listened to the Audio), I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
WHY IS HE TALKING IN A WEIRD TRANSATLANTIC ACCENT???
I am pushing through cause EVERYONE SAYS THIS IS CUTE...
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to adore it and love the characters and I went into it with the Mindset that I would given how much I have seen a friend gush about how much she loved and adored this book and how much this meant to her... I wanted to take a chance on this one.
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This is a third-person historical romance set in the 1960s that follows Mark Bailey and Eddie O’Leary. Mark is a semi-retired journalist and book reviewer who is dealing with the grief of losing his partner, William. Eddie just cannot catch a break. He is a professional baseball player who has just been traded to a new team that he is not happy about. He has publicly spoken against the team and has tarnished his lovable rookie reputation. It also doesn't help that he cannot seem to hit a ball anymore. To rejuvenate and reframe his image, Mark is tasked with ghostwriting Eddie's diary in the Newspaper he works for. As Mark and Eddie spend more time together, they both realise that there is more to the other than meets the eye. Their acquaintance turns into friendship and soon that friendship develops into something more. However, this has its challenges because being Queer in the 1960s, a time rife with homophobia is super challenging and reputationally dangerous.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
My issue with this is that the book was incredibly boring. I just felt like it was going nowhere SUPER SLOW with the plot moving at such a snail’s pace that was spiralling down, never quite going upwards...
Eddie has this cheerful presence and disposition that makes you smile and want to hug him. You just hope he gets everything he wants because he’s such a cutie, and he deserves love, happiness, and support. I loved his character as he gives off this naive, sweet, almost himbo vibe, but then he says something occasionally profound or delivers a really sweet metaphor about life but he doesn't seem to realise it's profound because he is so innocent. He carried the book for me, and every time he was present in a scene, he made it better.
Mark irritated the living daylights out of me. Like super pissed off... He is not a nice person, and I honestly don’t know what Eddie saw in him. He is overly sarcastic to the point where he is generally mean in what he says and how he acts. He has this aloof "attitude that makes him come across as if he thinks he is "better" than those around him because he happens to have "acquired tastes" and prefers quality. He just came across as snobbish and unlikeable.
The aspects of William’s death were sometimes unnecessary. I understand that Mark is processing his grief, and some moments were heartbreaking and had me on the verge of tears, especially the cherry scene. My issue is that there was a lot more focus on Mark’s grief than on the budding relationship between Eddie and Mark. Because the story was so slow, I lost track of the development of their love. It made me feel multiple times that Mark was being unfaithful to William...
Another aspect that bothered me was I didn’t like how so many aspects were thrown into the plot that went nowhere, an example being Ardolino and his potential romance. They didn't serve a purpose, and they might be "nuggets for the next books" but the developments went nowhere and dragged on not capturing my attention.
NOW despite me not liking things in the book... there were some things I REALLY DID like. The writing was sweet and I appreciated the story. This type of book is not easy to read because of the topics it deals with. Not only the grief aspect but also the historical homophobia and how difficult it would be for a queer couple in that time. The fears of being outed in a society that would ostracise them were portrayed realistically and truthfully. This book did an excellent job showing that even in a time when the world was not as accepting, you could still find a family of people willing to accept you for who you are.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Baseball Romance
▶ ReporterXPlayer
▶ Historical Romance
▶ GrumpyXSunshine (Black Cat and Golden Retriever)
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Age Gap
Overall, it had precious moments, and underneath Mark’s surly behaviour, I do think he cared a lot for Eddie. I’m happy that he had a chance to move on from his grief over William. While slow and having a few issues it was still a sweet grumpy-sunshine dynamic that at times was utterly beautiful. I think if it had been about three hours shorter (Since I listened to the Audio), I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
WHY IS HE TALKING IN A WEIRD TRANSATLANTIC ACCENT???
I am pushing through cause EVERYONE SAYS THIS IS CUTE...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
yellephant's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Homophobia
beautiful_articulate's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow wow wow. Didn't expect my first five-star romance read to be a queer baseball romance, but here we are!
I can't recommend this book enough. I had some issues with Cat Sebastian's other novels, but this one was definitely a masterpiece worth reading. I really feel like You Should Be So Lucky improved a lot upon the stage set by the first novel in her Midcentury NYC series, We Could Be So Good. I'm not a diehard baseball fan, more of a casual enjoyer of the sport, but it was so delightful reading about baseball in this novel specifically because Sebastian clearly knows what she's talking about and is passionate about it. I feel like a lot of sports-related media (especially romance) tends to ignore the sports it's built around (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but this is not the case with You Should Be So Lucky. So expect to get out of this book knowing more about baseball in the 1960's, I guess.
I like that she didn't try to whitewash the rampant homophobia of the time period, but that she also wrote a story that feels very hopeful towards its gay characters. I appreciated the theme of finding a balance between being your true self and having to adhere to the social norms of the time, having it be an integral part of Mark and Eddie's relationship. I loved how Sebastian somehow found a way to use baseball and a career in sports as a metaphor for life without being too cheesy or on-the-nose about it, it was very satisfying.
The characters all felt very lovable, even though they seem like they shouldn't be at first. One of the things I think Sebastian did exceedingly well in this novel is introduce Eddie O'Leary as a spoiled rookie with an attitude problem only to develop him into a sweet and compassionate young man that you end up rooting for. The same can be said for Mark, to an extent. He clearly has issues with intimacy and letting people get too close, but the reader does come to really feel for him before the end of the novel. The cast of secondary characters felt very real as well, they compliment the story perfectly and really tied the whole plot together in a satisfying way.
I was trying to think of things I didn't like about this book before writing this review, but honestly I couldn't think of many. Sometimes the characters sound a little too modern for adult men in the 1960's, but those instances were pretty rare and the dialogue is filled with period-accurate references and turns of phrases.
I can't recommend this book enough. I had some issues with Cat Sebastian's other novels, but this one was definitely a masterpiece worth reading. I really feel like You Should Be So Lucky improved a lot upon the stage set by the first novel in her Midcentury NYC series, We Could Be So Good. I'm not a diehard baseball fan, more of a casual enjoyer of the sport, but it was so delightful reading about baseball in this novel specifically because Sebastian clearly knows what she's talking about and is passionate about it. I feel like a lot of sports-related media (especially romance) tends to ignore the sports it's built around (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but this is not the case with You Should Be So Lucky. So expect to get out of this book knowing more about baseball in the 1960's, I guess.
I like that she didn't try to whitewash the rampant homophobia of the time period, but that she also wrote a story that feels very hopeful towards its gay characters. I appreciated the theme of finding a balance between being your true self and having to adhere to the social norms of the time, having it be an integral part of Mark and Eddie's relationship. I loved how Sebastian somehow found a way to use baseball and a career in sports as a metaphor for life without being too cheesy or on-the-nose about it, it was very satisfying.
The characters all felt very lovable, even though they seem like they shouldn't be at first. One of the things I think Sebastian did exceedingly well in this novel is introduce Eddie O'Leary as a spoiled rookie with an attitude problem only to develop him into a sweet and compassionate young man that you end up rooting for. The same can be said for Mark, to an extent. He clearly has issues with intimacy and letting people get too close, but the reader does come to really feel for him before the end of the novel. The cast of secondary characters felt very real as well, they compliment the story perfectly and really tied the whole plot together in a satisfying way.
I was trying to think of things I didn't like about this book before writing this review, but honestly I couldn't think of many. Sometimes the characters sound a little too modern for adult men in the 1960's, but those instances were pretty rare and the dialogue is filled with period-accurate references and turns of phrases.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism
aseel_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was adorable and funny and emotional and sad and sweet and cute and I loved my grumpy X sunshine pair!! I'm also obsessed with Lulu so much 😍😭 I just want to be friends with mark and Eddie so badly!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Racism
maggies's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Boy oh boy do I love romance and baseball and baseball romances. Mark and Eddie made me laugh and cry and fall in love! This is a great example about how in-universe series should work—allowing the previous characters to make an entrance every once in a while but introducing new, interesting characters to steal the spotlight. The Robins baseball team was so cute, and George felt so lovely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
juliana_reads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book 😭 my second gay baseball book of the year and although it was very different than “The Prospects” the love of the game was there on every page. Like a few other historical romances I’ve read this year, it read to me like “literary romance” which I’m not mad about at all.
Also I clocked so fast that the Robins were based on the Mets and when Cat confirmed it in the acknowledgements I was delighted. My favorite team + historical romance? Ugh a perfect book.
Also I clocked so fast that the Robins were based on the Mets and when Cat confirmed it in the acknowledgements I was delighted. My favorite team + historical romance? Ugh a perfect book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
dan_no's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was fantastic, like so incredible I don't even have words. I find it magical to see queer people happy, no matter what time they lived in, even if in this case it's just fiction, queer joy is queer joy not matter what genre. As someone who obsessed a little bit over that time period in queer history (the sixties), I thought that this was realistic and super well done. For real, historical fiction at its finest.
I loved the characters! Obviously Eddie was my favourite, I promise it's not just the name, he's actually really cool. Surprisingly though, Ardolino came in close! His character development was super interesting and he ended up being a lovely character (at first, I really thought he was a gigantic asshole).
I liked the reminder that love doesn't need to be loud for it to be just as meaningful (and beautiful). "I'm just glad you were loved." and "I'm going to keep loving you." are proof of that, in my opinion.
(Also sharing your favourite book with someone definitely count as a love language, me and mark are the presidents of the club.)
I loved the characters! Obviously Eddie was my favourite, I promise it's not just the name, he's actually really cool. Surprisingly though, Ardolino came in close! His character development was super interesting and he ended up being a lovely character (at first, I really thought he was a gigantic asshole).
I liked the reminder that love doesn't need to be loud for it to be just as meaningful (and beautiful). "I'm just glad you were loved." and "I'm going to keep loving you." are proof of that, in my opinion.
(Also sharing your favourite book with someone definitely count as a love language, me and mark are the presidents of the club.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief
Moderate: Death and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
tofuwater's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
incredibly sweet book, filled with challenges and overcoming them or not and just having to learn to not be in control all of the time. the topics of grief and loss and well balanced by the amount of love and sweetness, bringing a theme of “that’s life” together.
cat is a great writer, i find myself always wanting a bit more though. i bit more character building, a bit more romance, a bit more steam. but a lot of the other bits of her writing make up for it. i also enjoy this because it’s ordinary. it’s not a big, grandiose love story that reads as fiction and unobtainable. the mundane, day-to-day pieces and parts that make up lovely relationships.
cat is a great writer, i find myself always wanting a bit more though. i bit more character building, a bit more romance, a bit more steam. but a lot of the other bits of her writing make up for it. i also enjoy this because it’s ordinary. it’s not a big, grandiose love story that reads as fiction and unobtainable. the mundane, day-to-day pieces and parts that make up lovely relationships.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Terminal illness