On This Page
Description
Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city's biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can't let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy. Andy Fleming's newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He's barely able to run his life--he's never paid a show more bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he'll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it. Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can't deny. But what feels possible in secret--this fragile, tender thing between them--seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they're willing to fight. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Suddenly, he knows exactly what he’d tell his fourteen-year-old self: You’ll be loved by the best person you know. And that’s—Christ, it’s not enough, but it’s enough to start with.
What you'll find:
Friends to lovers
Bisexual and gay rep
Journalists
Setting: 1950s New York
I thought this was lovely. Andy was the perfect golden retriever to Nick's black cat energy. They didn't start out as love interests for the other and built a really solid foundation of friendship and trust. Andy has repeatedly been left alone by the people in his life that are supposed to love him. Nick is constantly baffled that anyone could know Andy and not want to be around him all the time. I didn't feel like anything was rushed or unrealistic for them show more and the way they unfolded.
I really liked the extended cast of characters and actually fist pumped the air at my desk yesterday when I realized we're getting a second book in this world. show less
What you'll find:
Friends to lovers
Bisexual and gay rep
Journalists
Setting: 1950s New York
I thought this was lovely. Andy was the perfect golden retriever to Nick's black cat energy. They didn't start out as love interests for the other and built a really solid foundation of friendship and trust. Andy has repeatedly been left alone by the people in his life that are supposed to love him. Nick is constantly baffled that anyone could know Andy and not want to be around him all the time. I didn't feel like anything was rushed or unrealistic for them show more and the way they unfolded.
I really liked the extended cast of characters and actually fist pumped the air at my desk yesterday when I realized we're getting a second book in this world. show less
The beauty of Cat Sebastien's work is that she can take a relatively stock plot line (tired and gritty reporter falls for boss's spoiled child) and turn it into the freshest, steamiest, loveliest love affair -- one that perfectly captures the infuriating uncertainties of new love, the heart palpitating anticipation of a slow seduction, and the exceptionally satisfying support of a new community of friends. Sweet, sexy, thrilling and frightening at times (1950's gay love affairs have that edge of fear) -- this is a book I could not put down because she made me love the characters.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Re-read October 2023: Having read this book again during a physically and emotionally exhausting week of moving out of the house I lived in for 30 years, I can confirm that We Could Be So Good is a powerful antidote to stress and anxiety. Take when needed, repeat when necessary.
Original review: Every word of this was perfect. I will have a book hangover for weeks. Sebastian's best work to date is a beautiful, funny, hot and sweet romance between grumpy Nick (his colleagues have a running bet on whether he will smile more than twice a week) and sunshine Andy (ADHD-coded golden retriever of a guy whose idea of swearing is "rats" and maybe even "gosh").
The love story takes place in 1958 New York City, when there is just starting to be show more some hope for queer people's right to be happy together and resistance against being forced to hide who they are. The surprising reactions of the MCs' family-by-blood, and the joy of family-by-choice make the HEA even more satisfying.
Sebastian had me at the first paragraph, in which Nick's gruff catalogue of Andy's faults demonstrates the feelings he can't admit to himself yet.
P.S. The book also introduces the reader to the most incompetent cat in the world who nevertheless manages to illustrate the essence of both MCs and their relationship. show less
Original review: Every word of this was perfect. I will have a book hangover for weeks. Sebastian's best work to date is a beautiful, funny, hot and sweet romance between grumpy Nick (his colleagues have a running bet on whether he will smile more than twice a week) and sunshine Andy (ADHD-coded golden retriever of a guy whose idea of swearing is "rats" and maybe even "gosh").
The love story takes place in 1958 New York City, when there is just starting to be show more some hope for queer people's right to be happy together and resistance against being forced to hide who they are. The surprising reactions of the MCs' family-by-blood, and the joy of family-by-choice make the HEA even more satisfying.
Sebastian had me at the first paragraph, in which Nick's gruff catalogue of Andy's faults demonstrates the feelings he can't admit to himself yet.
Nick Russo could fill the Sunday paper with reasons why he shouldn't be able to stand Andy Fleming. Not only is he the boss's son, but rumor has it he's only slumming it at the New York Chronicle city desk - a job Nick has been hungry for ever since he first held a newspaper in his hands - because his father threatened to cut off his allowance. He can't type. He roots for the Red Sox. He has no idea how to buy subway tokens. He has this stupid habit of biting his nails and then, realizing what he's doing, abruptly stopping and looking around furtively to check if anyone saw him. He blushes approximately five hundred times a day. He has a cluster of tiny freckles at the corner of his mouth shaped like a copy editor's caret and, since Nick can't stop looking at them, those freckles are going to ruin his career.My heart may never recover.
P.S. The book also introduces the reader to the most incompetent cat in the world who nevertheless manages to illustrate the essence of both MCs and their relationship. show less
I was SO WORRIED through the latter half of this book, both because it is rarely a good thing when the central couple of a romance gets together so early, and because in realistic historical fiction settings, gay couples frequently wind up dealing with serious societal consequences. I kept desperately reassuring myself that, despite the hints that police were watching with suspicion, the author made a deliberate point of having Nick criticize queer books that always ended in tragedy. Made me very, very glad that it was a promise, of sorts, that the author kept to the reader.
The attention to detail in the book was wonderful, clearly showing how much research went into the writing without ever causing the story to bog down. If I could show more quibble slightly with anything, it would be that I could have used a little more foreshadowing inside Nick’s own head about preferring human interest to hard news, but maybe I just missed it. All told, I did love the story, even if I’m a big chicken who almost let potential heavy angst scare me off. show less
The attention to detail in the book was wonderful, clearly showing how much research went into the writing without ever causing the story to bog down. If I could show more quibble slightly with anything, it would be that I could have used a little more foreshadowing inside Nick’s own head about preferring human interest to hard news, but maybe I just missed it. All told, I did love the story, even if I’m a big chicken who almost let potential heavy angst scare me off. show less
Nick Russo didn’t want to do it, but he couldn’t help but fall hard for Andy Fleming. Andy is the son of a publishing tycoon who own the Chronicle. Andy is from a totally different world of wealth and privilege, and what’s more, he’s engaged to Emily, Nick’s friend. So he’s straight and totally off limits. But Andy is like an adorable puppy that won’t go away and needs constant rescuing so he doesn’t wander out into traffic.Someone has to look out for him in the dangerous world of news reporting.
They strike up an unlikely friendship that Nick is determined will not turn into anything more. Besides, he can have his feelings and no one else ever has to know about them. But when Emily breaks it off and Andy shows up show more heartbroken at Nick’s doorstep, he can’t help but let Andy in.
But what if Andy’s looks and casual closeness mean something more? Can either of them risk what it might mean if this wasn’t just a friendship?
I absolutely loved this story. I couldn’t put it down. Nick is such a damaged but wonderful person and Andy is adorable and sweet and surprisingly sarcastic and funny! He’s fully accepting of Nick’s sexuality, and I really enjoyed watching Andy’s train of thoughts as he explored his own feelings as he allowed himself to wonder what it would be like if he were queer.
There is some on page homophobia, violence, and remember it’s the late 50s, but there is a real feeling of queer community looking out for each other and creating their own families in the spaces they carve out. It didn’t feel bleak and depressing. Nick struggled, and it was handled well.
Their snarky banter back and forth was fantastic, Cat Sebastian has a gift for that kind of thing. I really liked seeing them both grow as individuals and as a couple. Highly recommend this one if you like determined reporters chasing the truth and falling in love with their adorkable friends. show less
They strike up an unlikely friendship that Nick is determined will not turn into anything more. Besides, he can have his feelings and no one else ever has to know about them. But when Emily breaks it off and Andy shows up show more heartbroken at Nick’s doorstep, he can’t help but let Andy in.
But what if Andy’s looks and casual closeness mean something more? Can either of them risk what it might mean if this wasn’t just a friendship?
I absolutely loved this story. I couldn’t put it down. Nick is such a damaged but wonderful person and Andy is adorable and sweet and surprisingly sarcastic and funny! He’s fully accepting of Nick’s sexuality, and I really enjoyed watching Andy’s train of thoughts as he explored his own feelings as he allowed himself to wonder what it would be like if he were queer.
There is some on page homophobia, violence, and remember it’s the late 50s, but there is a real feeling of queer community looking out for each other and creating their own families in the spaces they carve out. It didn’t feel bleak and depressing. Nick struggled, and it was handled well.
Their snarky banter back and forth was fantastic, Cat Sebastian has a gift for that kind of thing. I really liked seeing them both grow as individuals and as a couple. Highly recommend this one if you like determined reporters chasing the truth and falling in love with their adorkable friends. show less
“Families might usually be bonded by blood, but maybe sometimes they’re bonded by shared secrets, by delicate mixture of caution and faith, by the conviction that hiding together is better in every way than hiding alone” (277).
I really loved this historical-fiction romance about two Newsies in the late 1950s. Nick, a churlish loner with a respectable reputation as a journalist, and Andy, the whimsical, waspish news owner’s son, first encounter each other when Andy is brought on—reluctantly—to learn the ropes of his father’s business in order to take over as news mogul owner. While these two appear to be total opposites, their initial reticent, working relationship very quickly morphs into a deeply, loyal and trusting show more friendship—and then to something beyond friendship, something both men are a bit fearful to accept. As these two friends explore the possibility of more, there’s a lot to love about their journey: the backdrop of a 1950s newsroom and news stories, the beatnik found family moments of music and dancing, the reality of what hiding was like for the queer community in the 1950s—the constant fear and isolation and missing out on “normal” things, and how even the smallest bit of progress can bring about the biggest dose of hope.
“He can believe that the future they have is worth more than his fear, and he can do what it takes to make that future as safe and happy as possible” (343). show less
I really loved this historical-fiction romance about two Newsies in the late 1950s. Nick, a churlish loner with a respectable reputation as a journalist, and Andy, the whimsical, waspish news owner’s son, first encounter each other when Andy is brought on—reluctantly—to learn the ropes of his father’s business in order to take over as news mogul owner. While these two appear to be total opposites, their initial reticent, working relationship very quickly morphs into a deeply, loyal and trusting show more friendship—and then to something beyond friendship, something both men are a bit fearful to accept. As these two friends explore the possibility of more, there’s a lot to love about their journey: the backdrop of a 1950s newsroom and news stories, the beatnik found family moments of music and dancing, the reality of what hiding was like for the queer community in the 1950s—the constant fear and isolation and missing out on “normal” things, and how even the smallest bit of progress can bring about the biggest dose of hope.
“He can believe that the future they have is worth more than his fear, and he can do what it takes to make that future as safe and happy as possible” (343). show less
I love this new "period" of Cat Sebastian's period novels. Nick Russo and Andy Fleming meet in the 1950s at one of 20 daily papers that served NYC at that time.
Nick is a crime beat reporter, and Andy is the son and heir of the owner and is experiencing Nick's corner of the paper as part of a broad education of the business at the behest of his father.
Nick feels an immediate attraction to Andy, which of course is absolutely taboo. He extends friendship to Andy, something the latter has rarely known. A touching very slow burn romance ensues.
"The times" - in terms of what they were like for gays in NYC in the 1950s - now such a long time ago, 70 years - live and breathe as a third MC. Danger and violence for gays lurk in the city's show more fabric.
This was a good read, and memorable because of a setting (1950s) that doesn't get visited often. I loved it, but half a mark down because I kept wishing it had a little more ... was it pizzazz? ... whatever it is that is the Sebastian magic. I think my disgruntlement was a combo of the very slow burn and the very long audiobook (12+ hours), because Sebastian's gift with words was as prominent here as ever.
Of course, part of that downgraded mark is also due to that sheer disappointment I felt the moment I heard Joel Leslie's voice. I know, I know - once I get into the novel, my annoyance at his narration tics does subside.
(Later) Gosh! such great comments below, with many insights I enjoyed, thank you. Was tickled when I saw Unreachableshelf had the same take on this reading experience as me. show less
Nick is a crime beat reporter, and Andy is the son and heir of the owner and is experiencing Nick's corner of the paper as part of a broad education of the business at the behest of his father.
Nick feels an immediate attraction to Andy, which of course is absolutely taboo. He extends friendship to Andy, something the latter has rarely known. A touching very slow burn romance ensues.
"The times" - in terms of what they were like for gays in NYC in the 1950s - now such a long time ago, 70 years - live and breathe as a third MC. Danger and violence for gays lurk in the city's show more fabric.
This was a good read, and memorable because of a setting (1950s) that doesn't get visited often. I loved it, but half a mark down because I kept wishing it had a little more ... was it pizzazz? ... whatever it is that is the Sebastian magic. I think my disgruntlement was a combo of the very slow burn and the very long audiobook (12+ hours), because Sebastian's gift with words was as prominent here as ever.
Of course, part of that downgraded mark is also due to that sheer disappointment I felt the moment I heard Joel Leslie's voice. I know, I know - once I get into the novel, my annoyance at his narration tics does subside.
(Later) Gosh! such great comments below, with many insights I enjoyed, thank you. Was tickled when I saw Unreachableshelf had the same take on this reading experience as me. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Best LGBT Fiction
144 works; 24 members
Good LGBT fiction for LGBT folk and friends
537 works; 54 members
Books Read in 2023
5,547 works; 145 members
Five star books
1,755 works; 108 members
Books Read in 2024
4,623 works; 126 members
Best Audiobooks
240 works; 114 members
Top Five Books of 2024
795 works; 264 members
Author Information
26+ Works 5,709 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- We Could Be So Good
- Original publication date
- 2023-06-06
- People/Characters
- Nick Russo [Midcentury NYC series]; Andrew "Andy" Fleming; Mark Bailey [Midcentury NYC series]; Lilian Corcoran
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA
- Dedication
- For S, a well in the desert
- First words
- March 1958
Nick Russo could fill the Sunday paper with reasons why he shouldn't be able to stand Andy Fleming. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)For now he reaches for Nick's hand.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 460
- Popularity
- 65,813
- Reviews
- 21
- Rating
- (4.18)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 3
