This is my first time reading a full-length novel by Sebastian, as I've only read novellas of her up until now, so I knew what I was getting into.

Like her novellas, this book was very character-driven. There's some plot elements that force the characters into some situations and discussions, but it is mainly pushed forward by the characters. I think one of Sebastian's main strengths is creating very lovable characters. Much like Nick, I thought I would dislike Andy as well. He's the son of a wealthy newspaper owner, destined to inherit The Chronicle, and he has a hard time working in the office at first. Also like Nick, I ended up falling in love with Andy. 

I'm by no means an expert on NYC in the 1950's, but it's very clear that Sebastian has done her research before writing this book. She tiptoes a bit around some of the big societal issues that plagued 1950's America, like race or sexism, but I also don't think every piece of media set in this time period needs to check every social justice issue off a list, so this didn't bother me too much. Homophobia is of course addressed in this book, and is a big driving force behind the main characters' actions (this is definitely something to keep in mind for readers who might be sensitive to this sort of content).

There were times where I felt like the novel dragged on a bit, like there was some dead air at times, but this wasn't so egregious that I felt like I needed to skip over passages. 

My other critique is something that I've noticed in Cat Sebastian's novellas as well, which is how much the word 'queer' is used. While I can believe that the term was used in this time period, it feels more like it's used as the positive or neutral umbrella term that it is today, when it was more typically used as a pejorative up until the 80's. I wish we could have seen some more historically-accurate terminology from the characters even if they are slightly outdated. 

I'm glad I read up until the end though, as I always love reading queer romances that end in a positive note. 

A lovely, baseball adjacent romance novel between two newspaper queers. While there are tense parts, Andy and Nick work to be together and have a satisfying happily ever after!

I'm a pretty big Cat Sebastian fan so I was excited to read seemingly her first set in the 20th century. I enjoyed Andy and Nick's story and enjoyed Sebastian's use of historical references and clear research, as explained in her author's note, to make their story feel real. 

My greatest criticism is that it could have been a little longer for the audience to really get to see Nick and Andy's friendship grow, I just wanted to understand them a little more. 

This book was much more closed door than I believe any of her others ones are so I find this shift very interesting for her.