Two men fall in love in 1960s NYC.
I went with this book by Cat Sebastian because I saw it on a few different lists of best books of 2024, so I thought I’d give it a shot.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator had this annoying upper-crust New York accent that really grated on me and made it hard for me to enjoy the book. That’s a shame because, as I think back on it, this book has everything a good romance needs: a believable couple worth rooting for, good banter, and lovable side characters.
Eddie O’Leary is a small-town baseball shortstop who just got recruited to play in the big city. He’s also in need of some serious PR work because he said something less-than-flattering about his new team when he was informed (on air) that he had been traded and would now be playing with people he had never met in a city he had never been to.
So, it’s no surprise that his new teammates don’t exactly welcome him with open arms.
To make matters worse, he’s suffering from a severe batting slump.
Mark Bailey is the journalist assigned to Eddie’s PR rehab, despite not being a sports reporter.
Good thing the assignment isn’t to write about sports. It’s more of a profile of Eddie. Specifically, a fake diary that is allegedly written by Eddie, but is actually written by Mark.
That means the two men have to get to know each other, and you can see where this is going, can’t you?
Complicating things is the fact that Mark is still mourning his partner, who died a little over a year earlier of a heart attack.
To be clear, yes, Mark is older than Eddie, but only by a few years. And, no, his partner wasn’t part of another generation either. He just had the bad luck to die way too young (early 30s) of a heart attack.
So, Mark isn’t looking for another relationship. Now or ever. It was way too painful to lose the love of his life and he doesn’t want to go through that again.
He also had to stay deep in the closet when he was with his partner, who was a big-time lawyer with political potential. His family didn’t know about Mark, so Mark always had to stay home alone for the holidays while his partner went to be with his family.
We don’t know any details about Mark’s family other than that they’re homophobes who are no longer part of his life and Mark is better off that way.
The only silver lining to this very dark cloud is the fact that Mark’s partner was loaded and he left everything he had to Mark.
That’s how Mark is wealthy enough to live in a luxurious, two-bedroom apartment with a doorman and eat out almost every meal despite working as a journalist.
So, not only is Mark afraid to open himself up to be hurt again, he’s also not eager to be anyone else’s deep, dark secret. And if he starts dating a famous baseball star, that’s exactly what will he’ll be.
Eddie’s oblivious.
He comes from a loving family. His dad died when he was young, and his mom adores him. She remarried a few years ago and he gets along well with his stepdad.
Eddie knows he’s gay, but he’s never been in a relationship. It’s not that he doesn’t know about the dangers of being gay in 1960 America, it’s just that he doesn’t seem bothered by it. He’s a happy go-lucky guy, and so far, nothing has happened to change that.
Some of my favorite parts of the book include moments when Eddie does everything but publicly call Mark his boyfriend and Mark shares a look with someone else (sometimes another player on Eddie’s team, at one point Eddie’s mom) who shares a sympathetic look with Mark about the struggles of saving Eddie from himself.
As for the romance itself, I love a good grumpy/sunshine pairing. I found Mark’s objections to the relationship believable, even when I didn’t always agree with them, such as when he occasionally falls into the trap of making decisions for Eddie without consulting him.
I also love that they bonded over books. The Patricia Highsmith was to be expected, but Mark’s notes on The Haunting of Hill House have me thinking I need to reread that one.
I can’t finish this review without talking about the supporting cast. There’s another journalist who acts as a kind of father figure to Mark.
There’s Eddie’s mom, who hasn’t been explicitly told her son is gay, but seems to guess and accept him as he is.
There is also a lesbian couple who don’t get enough page time, but they kept Mark going through the worst of his grief over his partner’s death, and they encourage him to get “back on the horse.”
If I read another Cat Sebastian book, I’ll opt to read it myself and stay away from the audiobook.