But here is Andy, laying himself bare, and Nick isn’t sure he’s ever seen anything so brave in his life. This is a man who plays it safe, a man who orders the same sandwich every day for lunch. And now he’s taking a risk, and he’s taking it for Nick.
― Cat Sebastian, We Could Be So Good“I’m not wasting time on things that make me sad.” He learned that lesson with Old Yeller, thank you very much.
“Andy, you publish a newspaper. It’s the saddest thing anyone could want to read.”
― Cat Sebastian, We Could Be So GoodHe opens a can of tuna fish and puts it on the floor, then watches the cat scream bloody murder at the can before realizing that it’s food. Even the company of the world’s least competent cat is better than no company at all.
― Cat Sebastian, We Could Be So Good
I love books by Cat Sebastian. Of the ones I’ve read so far she is three for three. This book is my new gold standard for romance. It is funny and beautiful and heartbreaking.
This is a love story. It is a story about love and acceptance. And, despite what the book’s title implies, it is not a tragic love story.
The book starts out with Nick not liking anything about Andy Fleming. Andy is hapless and sweet and can’t take care of himself. Despite his resentment at what Andy represents – nepotism, money, unearned rewards – Nick has always had a soft spot for helpless creatures.
It is 1958 in New York. Nick is a closeted gay man working at a major newspaper. Against his better judgment, he takes Andy under his wing. Even though they are the same age, Andy is hopeless. Son of the publisher and of a world-renowned war correspondent, big things are expected of Andy. His father is in ill health and wants to retire the following year. Andy joining the city news desk alongside Nick is his way to better understand the business he is set to inherit.
Drinks after work turns into shared assignments turns into parties and interacting with one another on a nearly constant basis.
After Andy experiences a particularly difficult heartbreak, Nick invites Andy to stay with him temporarily, at least until he can pull himself back together.
Andy knows that Nick is gay, but Nick never says anything and Andy, for fear of alienating his best friend, avoids the topic entirely. It is only after a few very drunken nights together does Andy learn a bit about Nick and why he refuses to admit he is gay to another person, let alone to his best friend in the privacy of Nick’s apartment.
Nick has seen what happens when gay bars get raided or when men are arrested by plainclothes police officers. He rarely visits his family in Brooklyn. That way, he doesn’t have to endure his older brother’s insinuations about Nick’s preferences, or fend off the ceaseless questions from his mother and aunts about when he’s going to find a nice girl.
What is obvious to everyone but Nick is that Nick and Andy need each other. Andy is not as hopeless and lost as he seems, and Nick is not as alone as he feels.
So, why did I like this book? This is possibly the sweetest, most romantic story I have ever read. I cannot think of another book that had me making heart eyes the entire time. It is hilarious. It is lovely and heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming. The main characters are broken but hopeful. Aside from the stereotypical crooked cops, everyone else is human, flawed, and relatable. Even Nick’s brother ends up having redeeming qualities in the end.
Plus, this story gets bonus points for the obese orange tabby with a single brain cell and a fear of heights.