I have loved previous books by Cat Sebastian, and I have a particular love for books set in the New York of the early to mid 20th Century - so this was a must read for me. And it's glorious! A romantic retro romp that has a light touch but doesn't avoid the difficult circumstances the characters find themselves in, this is a wonderful, warming read

Cat Sebastian in the past has been hit or miss for me. I adored Seducing The Sedgwicks and The Turners but have been a bit ambivalent about her releases since then. When this book was described as 'Casey McQuiston meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' with Newsies vibes it sounded completely up my alley and I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately I just don't think this book was for me and I didn't get the reading experience I thought I was going to get with it.

We Could Be So Good follows two men, Nick and Andy, who meet at a newspaper that they both work for and subsequently fall in love. I think this book was just too slow for me personally. It felt longer than it needed to be which detracted from my enjoyment. The marketing/blurb for this didn't actually match the story so I'm assuming it was there just to try and draw people in than as a genuine comparison.

The book was very gentle and the love story and the dichotomy between that and the setting (a homophobic 1950s) just didn't seem to match. The pacing as well was a bit all over the place and I couldn't get into the development of the romance from first meet to first kiss.

Ultimately this book wasn't for me but I know plenty of people who loved it. I'll definitely check out Cat Sebastien's future books to see if there's one that works for me better.

An amazing queer historical fiction with realistic story and likeable characters. A romance that doesn’t feel too sappy or silly. This is the best book I’ve read by Cat Sebastian. I loved immersing myself in the mid century New York and getting to know Nick and Andy.

This is a very sweet slow burn love story. But despite the 1950s setting it's low on angst and you don’t need to worry too much about Bad Things Happening to characters just because they’re gay. And you can argue about whether or not that is realistic or not, but I chose to believe that happy endings were possible and I think Cat Sebastian has done a really good job of figuring out a scenario where Nick and Alex can have one

"Sometimes he feels like the fear is crowding out everything else, though. He wants the good things in his life to take up the space they deserve, but he doesn't know how to go about doing that, or even if it's possible."

This was a beautiful and authentic book about two men falling in love in the 1950s where homophobia is the norm and queer people are condemned. I loved the two main characters so much and I loved the slow burn change from platonic to romantic feelings, and the change from best friend to boyfriends, and the fact that they remained best friends and still had the same level of communication and banter even as they were dating was just beautiful. I loved that even though they had their problems ans their difficulties, they always ended up talking it out, making amends and coming to a resolution together. I would absolutely read this book again in a heartbeat !!!

We Could Be So Good is a heart-wrenching and gripping tale, which is set in New York during the 1950s. Nick and Andy have fallen in love with each other, during a time when their love for each other is seen as illegal.

Firstly, I adored our characters. Nick is our poster-perfect man, who has come from a traditional Italian family. I pictured him as being more rough around the edges, a street wise and grumpy soul. Andy is his opposite, and can only be described as a golden retriever- beautiful and sweet, with the potential of being awkward at times. Despite our characters being complete opposites, I felt that they meshed so god damn well. Seeing Nick turn to a complete simp for Andy was just fucking adorable. Their romance was utterly believable, and I was continuously rooting for them. Also, the side characters in the book can only be described as gems.

I felt that the storyline was pretty good. It was interesting to read about Andy and Nicks workplace romance, and how they started off as friends, to ultimately end up as more. I did feel that the ‘angst’ in this book started off well, but I wished it had more of an impact. There was so much that I wished the author could have done, to add more emotion and umph to those moments. Due to this, I just felt slightly bored and emotionless during it.

I also felt that the pace varied during the book, and ultimately the story felt ever so slightly too long. As a result, I’m going to rate this book a 3.5 star. I loved pretty much every element of the story, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is after a feel good, queer romance.

This book was a very comforting read. Andy and Nick are just so soft to each other and it's a delight to read. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that it felt a little hard to get to know the characters fully, at least Andy, despite the beginning spanning many months. I really did like the fact there wasn't any major drama, as sometimes a book doesn't need that.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to mills & boon for the arc!!

loved loved LOVED this. my god i don't think there has been a book more written for me!!!! newsies is my favourite musical and whilst this isn't exactly lifted from there, it definitely has the vibes that i love from the show. it is set in the late 1950s and follows nick and andy, who both work for the the chronicle newspaper - owned by andy's father.

this book had literally every trope that i love - friends to lovers, clothes sharing, oh my god they were roommates, obliviousness on both parts, MINOR miscommunication - and had just the right level of angst to be enjoyable and not too miserable. i'm going to think on a more in-depth review because there were a few running themes i loved and want the time to digest a bit more, but for now just know that this hit every single spot for me and i will definitely be re-reading.

one thing i will say is that i don't think the colleen hoover comps are fair - i don't think colleen hoover readers are the target audience for this book (also this is just way better in every conceivable way). but i DO think it will hit with anyone who enjoyed evelyn hugo or red white and royal blue.

instagram post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsjW7w-LM4o/?img_index=1

"I want more than we can have... But I want it anyway."

The biggest thank you to Netgalley and Mills & Boon for providing me with an ARC of We Could Be So Good. I'm so honoured to have been able to read this ahead of publication, especially since it's been one of my most anticipated reads.

WCBSG follows the story of newspaper reporters Nick and Andy during the 1950s. When they strike up a friendship, Nick knows that Andy is most certainly not queer. Being gay in New York is a crime and the last thing he wants to do is get Andy arrested. But then things change and the pair develop feelings and Nick is left wondering what the hell he can do to keep them both safe. Meanwhile, Andy is falling in love with Nick and wants him to know that whatever it is between them, he's in it. But Andy is new to the queer community and reality doesn't set in until Nick is threatened by the dirty cops he's investigating, an indirect threat against Andy by proxy. Love can overcome a lot, but fear for the one you love is even more powerful. When loving the person who matters most to you is illegal, deciding to live happily ever after isn't as simple as it would seem.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book from the moment I started reading it. It was just the right touch of heartbreaking, filled with cute romance and humorous scenes that had me cackling. I love the grumpy x sunshine trope, especially when the grumpy one is so soft for the other. Seeing Nick take care of Andy from the moment they met, making him soup when he was sick... it absolutely melted my heart. And then when they reversed roles and Andy started to do things for Nick like buying him flowers to see him smile, it was just too cute.

It is also commendable the level of queer history that Cat Sebastian packs into this book. While her author note at the end explains which parts she had to work around, I was seriously in love with the detail that she managed to write into a romance novel without making it depressing or leaving the reader absolutely devastated. It was beautiful to see these two queer characters become so hopeful for a future where they aren't persecuted for loving each other, an optimism so many have to face currently as society regresses on some levels. Add in the fact that there was lesbian, gay and bisexual representation, I think this was a pretty much perfect book.

Overall, this book is automatically one of my new favourite queer romance novels and I hope it gets all the hype it deserves!

This was a sweet, poignant and lovely story that made me smile, root for the characters and keep turning pages.
I loved it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I hope it isn’t news that I love Cat Sebastian’s books. They’re all some variety of hurt/comfort heavy on the comfort. They’re well researched and show queer joy and happiness in all eras she writes in. This was just joy. Comfy. Soft. Cosy. Pining. Furious domesticity. Tenderness. Cure-all soup. With the backdrop of 1950s New York City in a news room. This is most similar to her Cabots series, which is my favorite of hers. Though they might have just been dethroned.

This was just a joy to read from start to end. The characters have strong engaging voices and there was an ease in sliding into their world. I loved Nick and Andy from the start. Their friendship, despite their very different backgrounds, was natural and easy. The gradual shift as their feelings developed from platonic to romantic was also fluid, and the ways they both worked through their respective feelings. It was a slow, steady fireplace.

I really don't know how else to describe this as a warm bowl of chicken soup. It's full of soft, tender, domesticity in an era where that wasn't being allowed for queer folks. The grumpy one takes care of the sunshine one, and the sunshine one goes headfirst into finagling a way to give them both the life one thought was never in his cards and the other all that he’d ever wanted.

Read this book. Buy it, borrow/request it from a library if you’re able to. I loved this from start to end.

(I also need to now read The Charioteer by Mary Renault!)

Cat Sebastian is one of my go-to queer historical romance authors and she certainly does not disappoint with her latest.

We Could Be So Good is set in 1950s NYC and is about Nick, a newspaper reporter, and Andy, the heir to said newspaper who is trying to find his feet. And whilst Nick should resent Andy, he quickly finds he can't and a friendship (initially!) forms between the two.

First off, I loved these characters. Nick's a gruff marshmallow and Andy's a well-intended scatterbrain, but they both have a lot of hidden depths to their characters that we explore as the story goes on.

Whilst this story is quite soft and domestic (it's literally 'omg they were roommates'), it also does not shy away from the fears and threats of of being queer at the time.

There was perhaps a little bit too much misunderstanding/miscommunication for my tastes (though I know I have a very low tolerance for it.) It always made sense and didn't feel forced but I did find myself rushing to get through it and to the bit where they made up/ talked things through.

Overall though, an enjoyable story I highly recommend for fans of queer historical romances!

Loved loved loved this one!
I’ve yet to be disappointed by a Cat Sebastian book. The characters are always so easy to fall in love with and the stories so full of love and humour.

Grumpy but sweet Nick and scatterbrained affectionate Andy were such a perfect pairing. Their slow burn, friends to lovers, relationship was just the type of romance story I love to read. It was a funny, sensual and beautiful love story.

Whilst the love story was incredibly heartwarming, the book did try to stay accurate to the time period and showed many of the difficulties of being queer in the 1950s. It’s hard to read about people being in danger and having to live such careful, hidden lives. Yet, it also highlighted the strength of queer people and their ability to create found families, fight for their rights and find love even when society is against them.

Ultimately a very hopeful, uplifting read. 100% recommend if you love queer, historical romance!

This is such a cute and heartwarming romance that perfectly captures Nick and Andy’s relationship changing from strangers to friends to lovers! The characters were amazing, they complimented each other so well, and oh, the obliviousness on both sides…

Also, I didn’t know I needed a 1950s newspaper office setting for a romance until this book - it was perfect! Definitely recommend this one is you are looking for a sweet love story to escape into this summer. And I will have to check out the author's other books immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes cute, sometimes harsh and at times really quite lovely and emotional. I enjoyed the pace of the book and the, sometimes, exaggerated contrasts between the two main characters. A good read for a lazy summer afternoon to capture the spirit of the cut throated business environment with the kind and tender relationships that can be built.

very cute very affirming very nice -- feel like it's hard to find historical romance that doesn't make me grit my teeth but cat sebastian kinda always crushes it? has fun with the aesthetics of the period, questions some class relations, invests in the main characters so that they sing. maybe a little saggy in places but the central relationship felt taut enough that i didn't mind hugely. thumbs up! i welled up!

This was really very sweet, romantic, heartfelt, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable. I actually finished this after waking up at 4am because I wanted more Nick and Andy in my life, and spent the time after that feeling bereft that I would see no more of this pairing of friends, fearful, wanting, and exploring. This is my first Cat Sebastian book, and it certainly won't be my last - I'm off to read Hither, Page as soon as I get home today.

A very nice story of boy meets boy in the 1950s when this would definitely have been frowned upon and they are newspaper journalists so a little bit like newsies the musical. Very good, well written and with historical references too.

There's so much about this one to love! I'm usually not a historical fiction girl but I just couldn't help falling for this one - who would have known a queer love story set in the US journalism world in the 1950s would be so darned good?

Forget grumpy/sunshine and prepare to become obsessed with human with their life together/absolute mess of a person. Andy is a golden retriever of a boy who is constantly losing multiple keys and getting into a range of ridiculous scenarios. And, just like Nick, you can't help falling in love with him for it.

This is a bit of a slow-burn, there will be a bit of screaming at the pages and wishing the characters get a grip. But, you'll fall in love with all of it. In fact, I read the last page reluctantly as I just didn't want to leave this world behind.

This is a brilliant, heart-warming historical romance that will win you over, whether you expected it to or not.

This book is basically a mug of hot chocolate topped up with a generous helping of marshmallows at the end of a brutal working day. It's full of people helplessly fond of each other, queer friendships and communities, wearing down one another's defenses by doggedly recommending them good books -- basically, all sorts of things Cat Sebastian is very good at, the kind of chicken soup that queer millenial souls want.

Nick and Andy are a lovely study of friends to lovers, and I really enjoyed the 50s New York newsrooms and borough communities -- alongside protagonists, they are characters in their own right in the story.

I am really pleased I could read an early copy of #WeCouldBeSoGood -- thanks #NetGalley!