On the surface, everything about Mark is impeccable, but when you pay attention, you see the cracks. Eddie doesn’t know what caused the cracks, and he wishes he did.
Mark Bailey isn’t a sports reporter and isn’t thrilled when his boss asks him to follow the Robins’ newly traded shortstop and document his first season. Eddie O’Leary didn’t handle news of his trade very well and as a result, his new teammates hate him. The fact he can no longer seem to hit the ball isn’t helping his case either. He’s in no position to tell his team’s owner that he doesn’t want to do the news piece. Mark isn’t sure what to expect when he meets Eddie but he certainly didn’t expect a man who seems to be as lonely as he is. Surprisingly, they form a fast friendship – that has the potential to blossom into more. But being a professional athlete in 1960 doesn’t allow Eddie to be out and Mark has already spent many years being someone’s secret and isn’t sure he can do it again. Can these two defy the odds and find a way to protect the love they’ve found?
It’s just – been a while since Mark met someone so palpably alone and so eager not to be.
This book. This book was everything I hoped it would be, and a whole lot more. Firstly, returning to the We Could Be So Good universe felt like a warm hug. Secondly, Mark and Eddie were just too adorable and I was grinning like a fool watching this prickly man (Mark) and this golden retriever (Eddie) fall in love. There’s just something about a mid-century queer romance that is special. It’s important to remember this period and the challenges queer people faced and to reflect on how far we’ve come (and how far we have yet to go). And this book did a really good job of portraying that.
“I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“You’re lonely.”
“So are you,” Eddie says, watching Mark wince at the truth of it. “Doesn’t change anything.”
Mark and Eddie were both incredibly lonely but for very different reasons. My heart hurt for both men. Mark had been privately grieving a partner for more than a year, causing him to withdraw from all but the very closest of his friends. Eddie finds himself in a new city, ostracized by his teammates, homesick, and hiding a pretty big secret. It made sense for them to gravitate toward one another. Mark knew it was a bad idea and desperately tried to get Eddie to see that but Eddie was young and idealistic and determined to follow his heart. This was another slow burn but it was such a delicious one and so wholesome, I could just cry.
“And you haven’t acted like it’s a bad idea, not once. You just keep letting me closer. You secretly think it’s a great idea.”
Outside of the sweet-as-pie love story, there were a few other storylines I enjoyed just as much. As a baseball fan, I loved that aspect a lot. I was very invested in the Robins as a team. I loved seeing Mark start to enjoy it too. The other thing was the lens on facing your mortality and how that factors into how you decide to live your life now. There were a few threads that played into this theme and it got me right in the feels – especially George’s storyline. I found myself crying a few times. I love it when a book has lines that stop you in your tracks because they are so insightful. This book made me do that several times.
It’s a beautiful story that’s equal parts hopeful, sweet, sad, and heartwarming. If you’re a fan of queer historical romance, please give this one a try!
He feels like every part of him is wrapped around Eddie, like they’re tangled up in something dangerous and lovely and terribly, terribly precious.
The Book Boyfriend Addict 