You Should Be So Lucky

A Novel

By: Cat Sebastian

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

An emotional, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, queer mid-century romance for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, about grief and found family, between the new star shortstop stuck in a batting slump and the reporter assigned to (reluctantly) cover his first season—set in the same universe as We Could Be So Good.

The 1960 baseball season is shaping up to be the worst year of Eddie O’Leary’s life. He can’t manage to hit the ball, his new teammates hate him, he’s living out of a suitcase, and he’s homesick. When the team’s owner orders him to give a bunch of interviews to some snobby reporter, he’s ready to call it quits. He can barely manage to behave himself for the length of a game, let alone an entire season. But he’s already on thin ice, so he has no choice but to agree.

Mark Bailey is not a sports reporter. He writes for the arts page, and these days he’s barely even managing to do that much. He’s had a rough year and just wants to be left alone in his too-empty apartment, mourning a partner he’d never been able to be public about. The last thing he needs is to spend a season writing about New York’s obnoxious new shortstop in a stunt to get the struggling newspaper more readers.

Isolated together within the crush of an anonymous city, these two lonely souls orbit each other as they slowly give in to the inevitable gravity of their attraction. But Mark has vowed that he’ll never be someone’s secret ever again, and Eddie can’t be out as a professional athlete. It’s just them against the world, and they’ll both have to decide if that’s enough.

©2024 Cat Sebastian (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Would recommend a listen

All in all I got what I was expecting out of this book, I even laughed out load at a couple parts when the two main characters were talking. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way the voice actor made one of the main characters sound but it worked for the character so I can’t complain too much.

A hug in book form

I loved every second of this, and honestly would listen to a hundred more hours of Eddie and Mark’s life together.

The comingling of POVs

I love both characters and I love the bonds the have and the ones they make. I have a feeling there will be another book in the same universe and I love it. I never knew baseball could be so interesting.

Not a romance person, but I loved it

My book club is reading this book right now. I almost skipped it, because I'm not a romance centre person, but decided to give it a shot. I will say that right off the bat, I didn't care for the narrator, but he grew on me over time.

I truly enjoyed the story. The character development is not something I expected in a romance novel, but the author did it. This is a sweet, funny, all around great story, and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you're not a romance person.

Wonderful Author and Narrator!

This is so good! Cat Sebastian and Joel Leslie are a match made in audiobook heaven, I adore them! The contrast of feel good moments and powerful emotion is woven so expertly by Sebastian, and Leslie gives life to the characters, and allows the reader to know them.

sweet

every few books I love a book that is an easy listen. Low angst, characters you root for, a hea all topped with a great narrator.

Beautiful writing

Please read this book it was so beautiful and the characters are so likable I love eddy especially

The perfect mix of everything

I loved this story, this is the first book I’ve listened to by this author and I was already gearing up to find more of her works. This book is great for history lovers, esp people who love queer history. It was the perfectly paced slow-ish burn, with really loving spicy scenes, and tons of laughs. It got me out of my reading slump and I couldn’t stop listening. My only problem was the narrator took some time getting used to.

Lovely mid Century Romance

This was an absolutely lovely mid century New York romance. I did not want it to end. I want my own Eddie. Mark was a grieving man who gradually realized he needed Eddie in his life. Eddie is a baseball player, famous and talented who is struggling in a slump since unexpectedly being traded to the New York team.
Mark is a partially retired writer for a New York newspaper . The New York paper offers/gives Mark the assignment of shadowing Eddie and documenting his new life with the New York baseball team.
Mark is not a sports writer, and he balks at first, But slowly realizes that meeting Eddie, getting to know him and writing this article are giving him back an interest he had lost.
The mid century New York atmosphere was excellently played, and the slow burn romance was lovely .
Of course, Joel Leslie, as the narrator never disappoints .

The character development. The love story. The supporting characters and the dog!

I am sad to let these characters go. As they’re in their twenties, I’d love a sequel with them later in their life together.