I love stories where the romantic plot is preceded by a genuine like for each other, and this one truly grounds Andy and Nick’s friendship in a believable and genuinely heartwarming way before they even start admitting they might have feelings that go beyond that. It’s a slow, beautifully written meditation on what it meant to be queer in New York in the late 50s, and is thoroughly grounded in that specific place and time - NYC almost feels like a third character. The research the author did is evident and makes the world even more believable, and both Nick and Andy are loveable, fully fleshed out characters in their own right. A very soft, sweet and low-angst love story. 

I did wish at times that there was a tiny bit more plot - there are several interesting plot lines that are started and then abruptly tied up neatly with not much detail -

the police evidence cover-up, the police stalking them, Nick’s family’s reactions to Andy, Emily’s heart doctor, etc

. This was occasionally frustrating, as was the one angstier section of the book where they both deliberately misunderstood each other’s intentions and I was screaming JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER internally. Still a very worth-while read and beautiful story though! 

I completely underestimated this book!! It is an absolutely wonderful love story, the characters are complelling and lovable. Some parts are completely gut-wrenching, relatable, and hard-hitting. The character development is done extremely thoughtfully and intentionally. Happy queer people in history is a rare find, and absolutely worth a read. 

Ooh, this book gave me the warm fuzzies 🥰 I think Cat Sebastian might be one of my favorite queer romance authors now! 

This checked all the boxes of my romantic fiction requirements: diverse characters, characters being kind to one another, a good balance of external and internal conflict, open-door intimacy, just enough plot to keep things interesting without overshadowing character development, and an interesting setting that was present but also didn't overshadow the characters.

Usually I get impatient with slower burn romances; this one wasn't exactly slow burn because Nick and Andy definitely had desire for each other from the beginning. But something about it did seem a little slower - I think it was the way the internal plot developed. Their need to figure out where their relationship was going was present, but not so urgent that it got in the way of them enjoying each other. 

The little moments of domestic intimacy also really drew me in, and I think that's what made this story really special to me. It combined the excitement and hesitancy of new love with the familiarity of a couple who lives together comfortably (to which I can relate as someone in a very long term LTR).

Finally, I'm no history buff so I wasn't exactly fact checking every little thing, but it seemed evident that the author did their research for this. I felt very present in the time and place while reading. 

Yay for another 5 star read in 2024!

A sweet, light, but slightly predictable queer romcom. It was a fun romp and a lovely palette cleanser between more serious books. I loved that this book was a coming out story without explicitly being a coming out story. This book lacked the “good” conflict for me - I’m used to having that big third act breakup that brings our love birds back together for good, so I was searching for that big moment a bit. That being said, this book does a beautiful job covering queer history and what it was like to be a closeted professional gay man in 1950’s-1960’s NYC. I enjoyed the historical references, and also found the main characters’ discussions about sexuality, race, politics, and class enlightening and thoughtful. Overall a unique and fun look at a gay romcom.

It's still early in the year, but I've got the feeling this is going to be my favorite book of 2024. This story just hit all the right notes for me. It's a perfect blend of so many of the tropes I adore: friends to lovers, roommates to lovers, workplace romance, mutual pining. The execution of the mix was so well done, too: the way their emotional proximity kept growing, how the closer they got the more they felt they had to hide while getting more and more open with each other. How they see certain things about each other so clearly, almost more so than they see certain things about themselves, but get hopelessly tangled with others until they get just the right nudge. How they both make each other not only happier, but better.

The characters are so alive on the page—not just Andy and Nick, but everyone who surrounds them. There was that cool feeling that the main leads were carving this bubble for themselves that was just for them two in many ways, but they wouldn't be able to do it if they weren't surrounded by other people along the way. People like Emily and her friends, but also people like Andy's father or Nick's big complicated family, despite the tumultuous relationships they had, and people like their coworkers, and all the other queer people in New York whose lives touched those only tangentially—through glances exchanged in the streets or articles in the newspapers. I'm an absolute sucker for deeply character-driven stories like this, and so many of Andy's and Nick's experiences and feelings resonated with me so much, too. From Andy's very obvious ADHD to Nick's struggled habit of concealing big parts of his identity, there was always something that made me go, "Yeah, been there."

There was also this very clear sense of place and historical period that I enjoyed a lot. So many scenes and locations were so vividly depicted that I almost felt I was watching a movie, and I'm not a super visual reader. Due to the realities of that time, there is a strong impact of period-appropriate homophobia, but in spite of it, there's a lot of queer joy and thriving to offset the angst, even if it has to happen under wraps. Especially since the wraps are coming down, what with all those small subplots about the articles or the increasing number of queer books reviewed by Nick's colleague—some of them even non-tragic.

If I had to nitpick, I could perhaps note how there were a few instances of the prose not being quite clear, or how maybe in a few places the intersections of character arcs and external plot evens could be tightened up. But I'm not in the mood to nitpick at all—I just loved the entire experience.  Honestly, I could go on and on about so many aspects of the story because it gave me All The Feels. Ultimately, it's a beautiful slice of life with so much heart, and I think I'll re-read it someday, even though there are so many books and so little time.

The heartbreaking side of being gay in the 50s. It was so beautiful to see them find each other and so sad to see them have to hide it for their whole lives. Like I loved it and I hated it. But it’s beautiful and if you can handle it, a wonderful story to enjoy! 

This book makes my heart so full. Their lives in fear of being found out are recognized, but fear doesn't embody everything this story has to offer. Above all else, it's a sweet tale of two men finding themselves and support -- the forever kind -- in each other.