A Love(ly) Game On The Field

A melancholy, yet joyful read that will keep you glued to the 400-odd pages of a queer love story set in the 1960s. Bestselling author Cat Sebastian has hit all the perfect shots with her You Should Be So Lucky. The novel reads like a seamless transition from her previous bestseller We Could Be So Good. The two heroes Mark and Eddie have their share of worries in life, but they discover each other professionally by chance and what follows is a beautiful love story that will make you cry and burst into peals of laughter.

Eddie O’Leary’s sports and personal life is in shambles. Despite being an ace rookie baseball player of the year, Eddie is unable to strike the ball. He gets to know about his replacement through national TV. To make matters worse, Eddie makes some uncharitable comments, making him unpopular even among his teammates. Eddie is on thin ice. Mark Bailey, the Art page critic of the Chronicle is mourning the loss of his partner. A year has passed by and Mark is still struggling to write a good report for the newspaper. He is assigned to interview the baseball team and write a sports article. Reluctantly, Mark goes to the locker room and interviews Eddie and his teammates for the article. What starts as a sports interview culminates into extended conversations and sweet-nothings. The two men are like firm anchors for each other. They both have strong feelings for each other, but Eddie is not willing to make their relationship public fearing his sports career and reputation will be at stake. However, having borne the brunt of keeping his previous relationship under wraps, Mark is determined to not make the same mistake again. He wants those who matter to him to know about him and Eddie. The author writes: “Mark has vowed that he’ll never be someone’s secret ever again, and Eddie can’t be out as a professional athlete.”

The author brilliantly captures the 1960s era, the discrimination faced by same-sex couples, and the brewing tension between Eddie and Mark, who love each other unconditionally but are caught in society’s vague moral standards. It should be mentioned here that Mark and Eddie are living in a time where being gay was still a criminal offense. Will Mark and Eddie give love another chance and dare to tell the world about their feelings or will they buckle under societal pressure and break each other’s hearts? You Should Be So Lucky is a beautiful romance story that makes you realise that Love Is Love, irrespective of the person’s gender. A riveting sports love story in which the lead characters and the supporting cast are at the top of their game!