You Should Be So Lucky

4.5 stars for this wonderful follow up to my favorite book of 2023, [b:We Could Be So Good 62365905 We Could Be So Good Cat Sebastian https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674685755l/62365905.SX50.jpg 95573575]. Mark Bailey is Nick's former colleague from the Chronicle who frequently handed down queer literature to Nick, despite the latter's objections. We learn that two years after WCBSG, Mark's partner William died suddenly and his life pretty much stopped in its tracks. He quit his job but continues to show up at the office because he doesn't know what else to do. William was a successful attorney who remained deep in the closet, so Mark's grief is compounded by the fact that he was never able to publicly acknowledge their relationship, even in death.Andy (still adorable), the Chronicle's publisher, gives Mark an assignment to ghostwrite the diary of Eddie O'Leary, a baseball player who was recently traded to the New York Robins, a last-place expansion team. Eddie burned a lot of bridges by going on a very public tirade about how much he hates the Robins players, management, and New York in general. His first month of the season has been a disaster; the once-promising young player now can't get a hit to save his life. When Eddie meets Mark there is a spark that is nurtured by their tacit admission of queerness. But Mark is still grieving, living in an apartment that is more mausoleum than a home. He's tired of being someone's dirty little secret, but he knows that Eddie's career is over if anyone finds out about their relationship. Eddie and Mark give off similar sunshine/grouchy vibes to Andy and Nick from WCBSG, although Eddie's innate sweetness is obscured at first by his temper tantrums, and Mark is deeply grieving in addition to being grouchy. Their relationship arc mirrors their own journeys; Eddie is trying to recapture his baseball mojo and Mark is slowly moving past the acute phase of grief. Mark is subtly signaling that he will not hide his queerness anymore by taking small steps like letting his hair grow and dining out with his queer friends. Paradoxically, he is irrationally protective of Eddie, worrying that he will be the cause of Eddie's downfall. For his part, Eddie has always known he was queer, but it was easier to compartmentalize in a smaller city where he wasn't falling in love for the first time. There's very little third act drama - Mark tries to be a martyr but Eddie won't let him. And the HEA is very 1960s appropriate, with the men finding a community of queer friends and allies, even if they are decades away from being able to be out and proud. I would be remiss if I didn't mention two memorable secondary characters. George Allen is an elderly sportswriter and would-be mentor to Mark. His gruff, no fucks given personality is a perfect portrayal of many of that generation's real-life heralded sportswriters like Red Smith and Jimmy Breslin. And Mark's dog Lula has her own character arc, moving beyond “still waiting for William to come home” to “claims ownership of Mark and Eddie (but especially Eddie).” The Robins players and management shine in small roles as they move past their anger at Eddie and start feeling protective of him. YSBSL has a bit more real world angst (grief, fear of being outed) than WCBSG, which accounts for the slightly lower rating. Andy and Nick's appearances are kept to a minimum, which is appropriate even though I wanted to see more of them. I hope Cat Sebastian keeps publishing these 20th century historical fiction novels. They capture the era perfectly and are replete with passages worth underlining. (Eddie, looking at picture of himself from a year ago) The person in that photo is a kid. He had such a simple, uncomplicated life...But it was a life that couldn't grow in any direction. It didn't allow for failure, didn't allow for honesty. He was carefree, but maybe because he didn't know what was worth caring about. Now he knows who he is and what he wants, and he knows exactly how high a price he's willing to pay for those things. He's tired and he's angry, and his contentment is something heavy and sharp, a prize that he fought for. He wouldn't exchange it for anything. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.