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The Cabots #2
Peter Cabot Gets Lost
Summer 1960:
After years of scraping by, Caleb Murphy has graduated from college and is finally getting to start a new life. Except he suddenly has no way to get from Boston to Los Angeles. Then, to add to his misery, there's perfect, privileged Peter Cabot offering to drive him. Caleb can't refuse, even though the idea of spending a week in the car with a man whose luggage probably costs more than everything Caleb owns makes him want to scream.
Peter Cabot would do pretty much anything to skip out on his father's presidential campaign, including driving across the country with a classmate who can't stand him. After all, he's had plenty of practice with people not liking him much—his own family, for example. The farther Peter gets from his family's expectations, the more he starts to think about what he really wants, and the more certain he becomes that what he wants is more time with prickly, grumpy Caleb Murphy.
As they put more miles between themselves and their pasts, they both start to imagine a future where they can have things they never thought possible.
After years of scraping by, Caleb Murphy has graduated from college and is finally getting to start a new life. Except he suddenly has no way to get from Boston to Los Angeles. Then, to add to his misery, there's perfect, privileged Peter Cabot offering to drive him. Caleb can't refuse, even though the idea of spending a week in the car with a man whose luggage probably costs more than everything Caleb owns makes him want to scream.
Peter Cabot would do pretty much anything to skip out on his father's presidential campaign, including driving across the country with a classmate who can't stand him. After all, he's had plenty of practice with people not liking him much—his own family, for example. The farther Peter gets from his family's expectations, the more he starts to think about what he really wants, and the more certain he becomes that what he wants is more time with prickly, grumpy Caleb Murphy.
As they put more miles between themselves and their pasts, they both start to imagine a future where they can have things they never thought possible.
217 pages, ebook
First published September 13, 2021
76 people are currently reading
1987 people want to read
About the author
Cat Sebastian
27 books5,149 followersCat Sebastian has written sixteen queer historical romances. Cat’s books have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist.
Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of south. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.
The best way to keep up with Cat’s projects is to subscribe to her newsletter.
Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of south. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.
The best way to keep up with Cat’s projects is to subscribe to her newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 601 reviews
October 4, 2021
oh, this was such a beautiful story. i loved it. one of my fave reads of the year, for sure.
frtc
frtc
June 27, 2023
A really sweet grumpy sunshine romance that takes place in the summer of 1960. After graduating college, Caleb needs a ride to Los Angeles for a new job. When Caleb can't afford the bus ticket, his classmate Peter Cabot offers to give him a ride. At first the two men seem to have nothing in common, but after long days spent together in cars and motel rooms, something more begins to develop.
This short novel was such a breath of fresh air. Grump sunshine dynamic with a dusting of them both being adorably blind at some points, I loved following along with these two on their road trips. Even though they are driving through the south during the 1960's, the car and enclosed motel rooms created safe spaces so these characters could be themselves without fear overwhelming the story. I really enjoyed reading this and now need to read way more of Cat Sebastian's backlist.
This short novel was such a breath of fresh air. Grump sunshine dynamic with a dusting of them both being adorably blind at some points, I loved following along with these two on their road trips. Even though they are driving through the south during the 1960's, the car and enclosed motel rooms created safe spaces so these characters could be themselves without fear overwhelming the story. I really enjoyed reading this and now need to read way more of Cat Sebastian's backlist.
September 14, 2021
Rating- 4 Star
Setting- 1960s, USA
(Cross-country road trip, Strong dislike to friends to lovers, a bit of grumpy- sunshine, Class difference, Character-driven plot)
"He found himself leaning closer, as if to bury his face in Peter’s neck, because he had obviously lost his mind at some point since Oklahoma. His sense of self-preservation was scattered along Highway 66, left in pieces at service stations and motels".
This is the second book in 'The Cabots' series and can be completely read as a standalone but if you want to enjoy it more, feel free to read the novella,Tommy Cabot' was here.
Summary
Peter Cobot, from the great Cabot family, has recently graduated but is still lingering on the campus to avoid going to the family home where everyone is preparing for his father's presidential election campaign. Then Peter sees his classmate Caleb, the guy he has a tiny-winy crush on, crying near the pavement and decides to give him a lift to LA.
90% of the book takes place during their 9 days car journey of 3000 miles from Boston to LA.
Peter Cabot
Peter is from a super-rich, super successful family. His father is a member of the Senate and a Democratic Party nominee for President. But, most of his family members consider him a lost cause. In his father's words, he is 'just mediocre'. He is easy-going, kind-hearted, and a problem-solver who always thinks about others before him. But, In short, there is no love lost between him and his family.
Caleb Murphy
Enters Caleb, who hates Peter on principle. Caleb comes from a poverty-stricken family in Tennessee. He has struggled hard to get his education and has to count every nickel. And, then he sees Peter Cabot, easygoing, and rich who gets through life without any effort. He comes out as snappy, grumpy and always irritated by Peter. Above all, he hates when people show him kindness because he thinks they are trying to do charity. But, it took him just a few days with Peter to know that he is not just a Cabot.
Relationship Development
I know the whole RD within 9 days feels like insta but no it's not. To me, it felt slow and perfectly paced. Peter always admired Caleb for being smart and after spending 4-5 days with him on the road, he could understand Celeb's real motivation-
•For why he likes to share rooms in cheap motels.
• Always split bills and calculate tips accurately up to the fourth decimal place.
• Never talks about feelings.
In turn, Celeb also realized that even though they both come from entirely different backgrounds, there is something common in them, they both are trying to run away from their families, who will never accept them for being themselves.
The book's main focus is relationship development because there is not much plot then travelling in a car, picking food and staying in a motel and occasional sightseeing. But, the intimacy didn't feel forced, it felt natural and sweet.
But, yes the book is angsty, as their relationship comes with an expiry date and Caleb is scared of losing everything he has ever planned for his future.
Read it if you want to feel the 60s vibe and a beautiful realistic love story filled with banter. And, even though my rating is the same for both the books of this series, I liked Peter Cobot much more than the novella.
"He didn’t know if it was possible to fall in love in under a week. He also didn’t care if it was possible to fall in love in under a week. All he knew was that when he looked at Peter, he felt both fond and raw like he had been turned inside out and was glad to have had it happen".
Setting- 1960s, USA
(Cross-country road trip, Strong dislike to friends to lovers, a bit of grumpy- sunshine, Class difference, Character-driven plot)
"He found himself leaning closer, as if to bury his face in Peter’s neck, because he had obviously lost his mind at some point since Oklahoma. His sense of self-preservation was scattered along Highway 66, left in pieces at service stations and motels".
This is the second book in 'The Cabots' series and can be completely read as a standalone but if you want to enjoy it more, feel free to read the novella,Tommy Cabot' was here.
Summary
Peter Cobot, from the great Cabot family, has recently graduated but is still lingering on the campus to avoid going to the family home where everyone is preparing for his father's presidential election campaign. Then Peter sees his classmate Caleb, the guy he has a tiny-winy crush on, crying near the pavement and decides to give him a lift to LA.
90% of the book takes place during their 9 days car journey of 3000 miles from Boston to LA.
Peter Cabot
Peter is from a super-rich, super successful family. His father is a member of the Senate and a Democratic Party nominee for President. But, most of his family members consider him a lost cause. In his father's words, he is 'just mediocre'. He is easy-going, kind-hearted, and a problem-solver who always thinks about others before him. But, In short, there is no love lost between him and his family.
Caleb Murphy
Enters Caleb, who hates Peter on principle. Caleb comes from a poverty-stricken family in Tennessee. He has struggled hard to get his education and has to count every nickel. And, then he sees Peter Cabot, easygoing, and rich who gets through life without any effort. He comes out as snappy, grumpy and always irritated by Peter. Above all, he hates when people show him kindness because he thinks they are trying to do charity. But, it took him just a few days with Peter to know that he is not just a Cabot.
Relationship Development
I know the whole RD within 9 days feels like insta but no it's not. To me, it felt slow and perfectly paced. Peter always admired Caleb for being smart and after spending 4-5 days with him on the road, he could understand Celeb's real motivation-
•For why he likes to share rooms in cheap motels.
• Always split bills and calculate tips accurately up to the fourth decimal place.
• Never talks about feelings.
In turn, Celeb also realized that even though they both come from entirely different backgrounds, there is something common in them, they both are trying to run away from their families, who will never accept them for being themselves.
The book's main focus is relationship development because there is not much plot then travelling in a car, picking food and staying in a motel and occasional sightseeing. But, the intimacy didn't feel forced, it felt natural and sweet.
But, yes the book is angsty, as their relationship comes with an expiry date and Caleb is scared of losing everything he has ever planned for his future.
Read it if you want to feel the 60s vibe and a beautiful realistic love story filled with banter. And, even though my rating is the same for both the books of this series, I liked Peter Cobot much more than the novella.
"He didn’t know if it was possible to fall in love in under a week. He also didn’t care if it was possible to fall in love in under a week. All he knew was that when he looked at Peter, he felt both fond and raw like he had been turned inside out and was glad to have had it happen".
December 27, 2021
4 stars ⭐️ It was really a good read, and I did enjoy it a lot. Caleb and Peter are easy to love but difficult to forget. They both are so lovely and amazing.
I fell in love with the background of how their journey began(cross-road trip), and how they both fell in love despite having a short time to get to know each other.
Caleb was perfect for Peter. I loved how innocent and sweet Peter was every time to Caleb. I loved how Caleb thinks about every little penny he spends on the road. He knew the value of money. I think I loved Caleb a little more than Peter, but I loved them both.
The story was perfectly paced, and you would never feel that Caleb and Peter’s love was instantaneous. But I would have given five stars this story if the epilogue had been expressed 'after one year or two'. (don't mind me. That's my problem 🥲)
I fell in love with the background of how their journey began(cross-road trip), and how they both fell in love despite having a short time to get to know each other.
Caleb was perfect for Peter. I loved how innocent and sweet Peter was every time to Caleb. I loved how Caleb thinks about every little penny he spends on the road. He knew the value of money. I think I loved Caleb a little more than Peter, but I loved them both.
The story was perfectly paced, and you would never feel that Caleb and Peter’s love was instantaneous. But I would have given five stars this story if the epilogue had been expressed 'after one year or two'. (don't mind me. That's my problem 🥲)
October 5, 2021
“His brain felt like it was filled with wet lint, except for when he thought about Peter, and then he was torn between a demented urge to ask if he was warm enough without a sweater and the need to bend him over the nearest piece of furniture.”
Guys and gals this was such a fun and lovely book!
I have yet to read all of Cat Sebastian’s books but this is now my second favorite. (The first being The Ruin of a Rake .) With the first one in this series, I felt a little unsatisfied. It was sweet but a little underwhelming and I also thought it would have been better if it was longer.
Now I wanted this one to be longer too. Or at least a lengthier epilogue. But that may just be me being greedy. As usual. Still, I did find it satisfying overall and enjoyed it immensely.
This series is more modern than her others. I suppose it’s still historical since it’s 1960. But it’s not her more known regency fare. There’s an old fashioned feel to it though should you be averse to that. I wasn’t. It delighted me.
Peter and Caleb captured my heart. The first 10-20 percent I wasn’t sure and kind of felt it might be a like but not love like book one. But then I was smitten and hooked.
Caleb was such a surly little grump. Peter was not a full blown sunshine. More a late afternoon sun. Sunny but not overpowering. Warm and constant. Patient. I loved how Caleb’s defenses slowly melted. His prickles didn’t completely go away but they were soothed. I also liked how he was good for Peter too. How indignant and feisty he got on Peter’s behalf. I was a puddle of feels.
All of this took place within a few weeks. So it could be said that it veered into insta-love territory. And yet it didn’t feel that way. It all was very natural and real.
And ok because I know some of you want to know…there were some smoking hot scenes too. 🔥 Wow.
I’d say it was a medium amount of steam and there were even some parts that had a bit of humor.
Back at the motel, all of Caleb’s restraint disappeared as soon as the door shut behind them. He pushed Peter against the wall. He seemed to have developed a fondness for pushing Peter into things and then kissing him, and Peter at the same time had developed a fondness for getting pushed against things. It seemed amazing, a lucky coincidence of historic proportions, that they fell on opposite sides of the pusher/pushee divide.
I’m going to be thinking of these two for a while and this is for sure one I will reread. Probably soon.
“You are unfair and terrible,” Caleb said, pointing at Peter in a gesture so rude his mother would cry. “You know, you’ve totally lost the ability to insult me and sound like you mean it,” Peter observed cheerfully. “It all comes out like sweet nothings.”
May come back and add some gifs later. 😉
Guys and gals this was such a fun and lovely book!
I have yet to read all of Cat Sebastian’s books but this is now my second favorite. (The first being The Ruin of a Rake .) With the first one in this series, I felt a little unsatisfied. It was sweet but a little underwhelming and I also thought it would have been better if it was longer.
Now I wanted this one to be longer too. Or at least a lengthier epilogue. But that may just be me being greedy. As usual. Still, I did find it satisfying overall and enjoyed it immensely.
This series is more modern than her others. I suppose it’s still historical since it’s 1960. But it’s not her more known regency fare. There’s an old fashioned feel to it though should you be averse to that. I wasn’t. It delighted me.
Peter and Caleb captured my heart. The first 10-20 percent I wasn’t sure and kind of felt it might be a like but not love like book one. But then I was smitten and hooked.
Caleb was such a surly little grump. Peter was not a full blown sunshine. More a late afternoon sun. Sunny but not overpowering. Warm and constant. Patient. I loved how Caleb’s defenses slowly melted. His prickles didn’t completely go away but they were soothed. I also liked how he was good for Peter too. How indignant and feisty he got on Peter’s behalf. I was a puddle of feels.
All of this took place within a few weeks. So it could be said that it veered into insta-love territory. And yet it didn’t feel that way. It all was very natural and real.
And ok because I know some of you want to know…there were some smoking hot scenes too. 🔥 Wow.
I’d say it was a medium amount of steam and there were even some parts that had a bit of humor.
Back at the motel, all of Caleb’s restraint disappeared as soon as the door shut behind them. He pushed Peter against the wall. He seemed to have developed a fondness for pushing Peter into things and then kissing him, and Peter at the same time had developed a fondness for getting pushed against things. It seemed amazing, a lucky coincidence of historic proportions, that they fell on opposite sides of the pusher/pushee divide.
I’m going to be thinking of these two for a while and this is for sure one I will reread. Probably soon.
“You are unfair and terrible,” Caleb said, pointing at Peter in a gesture so rude his mother would cry. “You know, you’ve totally lost the ability to insult me and sound like you mean it,” Peter observed cheerfully. “It all comes out like sweet nothings.”
May come back and add some gifs later. 😉
June 25, 2022
Genuinely some of the best sex scenes I’ve ever read and lovely characters but I didn’t really enjoy this. It can be hard to keep tension and momentum in a road trip story and sometimes it gets a bit repetitive. I’m so happy I did find this series because I adored book one and Cat Sebastian is such an immensely talented writer! I am all about wonderful characters but I needed more plot and more tension because this meandered around and bored me. Beautiful sentiments and I think it could have been a win for me had it been shorter.
September 21, 2021
This is a lovely story about Peter Cabot (the nephew of Tommy in book 1, but it easily stands alone.) Peter's had a secret crush on Caleb, a smart guy in one of his classes, for a while. He also has a powerful political family with a boatload of expectations, whom he is expected to now join in political endeavors. And he desperately doesn't want to step back into those circles, where he's already and always a disappointment, even when they don't know he's gay.
So he hovers around his college town after graduation, putting that return off, until he spots Caleb upset on the street, and next thing, he's offering to drive Caleb across country to Los Angeles. Pretending he's going there anyway. The opposite direction from his family. Which is only one of the charms of this sudden idea.
Caleb is prickly and frustrated and raw at having to accept what feels like charity again. He's the poor kid, the scholarship kid, grown up with cast-off clothes and church charity. He has now graduated from college with excellence, he has a job in LA. This should be the moment when he stands on his own two feet and doesn't need anything from anyone. Instead, a medical problem back home means no money to get to his new job. He has to accept the lifeline offer of a ride from wealthy, perfect Peter Cabot. But he doesn't have to like it. Or be gracious about it.
Except, as they cross the country in the car Peter's older brother passed down because it wasn't his preferred model, Caleb begins to realize that under the layers of name and wealth, Peter is kind and smart, and self-deprecating because apparently no one has ever valued those good qualities in him. He's also generous, and sensitive, and empathic enough to spot Caleb's allergy to charity, and to try to work around it. And from the hints Peter drops, it appears his wealthy family has always treated this sweet man like second-best because he doesn't fit their political ambitions.
Oh, and Peter is gay. And so naive he just blurts that out to someone he barely knows. Caleb is, against his will, a bit charmed and a lot protective. Nothing can come of their friendship, of course, but he can at least get Peter to see his own worth and take the sting out of the charity of the ride, as they travel.
Except days together, in a small car and a series of motel rooms, is enough that Peter gets under Caleb's skin. Enough to want more than just getting along all right till they hit the West coast. Especially when Peter seems to want more too.
This is a sweet, lovely, road trip story about two young men who are each exactly what the other needs. They are tentative, and unsure, and touchy, and in Caleb's case grouchy. They've been lost - Caleb far from a home that can't accept him but he still loves, and misses. Peter moving into a future he can't see, except that he knows it must not be the one his family expects. They have a lot to give each other, a lot to learn, and ten days across a nation to figure that out.
I've enjoyed many of this author's historicals, but this is perhaps my favorite yet (other than Hither, Page) - there is room for a lot more drama, particularly with Peter's family, but the decision to keep impacts small and personal fits the low-key, intimate unfolding of this story. Definitely will reread this one when I want a comfort read of two men finding their places in the world and in each other's hearts.
So he hovers around his college town after graduation, putting that return off, until he spots Caleb upset on the street, and next thing, he's offering to drive Caleb across country to Los Angeles. Pretending he's going there anyway. The opposite direction from his family. Which is only one of the charms of this sudden idea.
Caleb is prickly and frustrated and raw at having to accept what feels like charity again. He's the poor kid, the scholarship kid, grown up with cast-off clothes and church charity. He has now graduated from college with excellence, he has a job in LA. This should be the moment when he stands on his own two feet and doesn't need anything from anyone. Instead, a medical problem back home means no money to get to his new job. He has to accept the lifeline offer of a ride from wealthy, perfect Peter Cabot. But he doesn't have to like it. Or be gracious about it.
Except, as they cross the country in the car Peter's older brother passed down because it wasn't his preferred model, Caleb begins to realize that under the layers of name and wealth, Peter is kind and smart, and self-deprecating because apparently no one has ever valued those good qualities in him. He's also generous, and sensitive, and empathic enough to spot Caleb's allergy to charity, and to try to work around it. And from the hints Peter drops, it appears his wealthy family has always treated this sweet man like second-best because he doesn't fit their political ambitions.
Oh, and Peter is gay. And so naive he just blurts that out to someone he barely knows. Caleb is, against his will, a bit charmed and a lot protective. Nothing can come of their friendship, of course, but he can at least get Peter to see his own worth and take the sting out of the charity of the ride, as they travel.
Except days together, in a small car and a series of motel rooms, is enough that Peter gets under Caleb's skin. Enough to want more than just getting along all right till they hit the West coast. Especially when Peter seems to want more too.
This is a sweet, lovely, road trip story about two young men who are each exactly what the other needs. They are tentative, and unsure, and touchy, and in Caleb's case grouchy. They've been lost - Caleb far from a home that can't accept him but he still loves, and misses. Peter moving into a future he can't see, except that he knows it must not be the one his family expects. They have a lot to give each other, a lot to learn, and ten days across a nation to figure that out.
I've enjoyed many of this author's historicals, but this is perhaps my favorite yet (other than Hither, Page) - there is room for a lot more drama, particularly with Peter's family, but the decision to keep impacts small and personal fits the low-key, intimate unfolding of this story. Definitely will reread this one when I want a comfort read of two men finding their places in the world and in each other's hearts.
January 11, 2023
It’s the summer of 1960. After graduation, Peter Cabot wants to escape from his life as the son of Senator Cabot, and decides on a whim to drive to California with Caleb, a fellow Harvard graduate, instead of joining his family in Cape Cod.
Caleb hates Peter and everything he represents: wealth, privilege, nepotism.
On the road, prickly Caleb slowly falls for sweet Peter.
First times. Motels. Old fashioned road trip with a folded map. Boston to Los Angeles. America in 1960. Small towns. Family.
I loved every minute of this book.
Caleb hates Peter and everything he represents: wealth, privilege, nepotism.
On the road, prickly Caleb slowly falls for sweet Peter.
First times. Motels. Old fashioned road trip with a folded map. Boston to Los Angeles. America in 1960. Small towns. Family.
I loved every minute of this book.
January 2, 2026
~3.5~
Cat Sebastian dishes up Americana, 1960s style: diners, pie, ice cream cones (vanilla for Peter, strawberry for Caleb), sky-blue Cadillac convertible, and kicks on Route 66. It's pure nostalgia and the kind of freedom we can only dream of today.
(Unless you were queer, then there was no freedom, none at all.)
I'm not one for road-trip books, but something about Peter and Caleb tugged at my heartstrings. I fell in love with the MCs in Oklahoma, and by Los Angeles I was a goner.
Peter Cabot Gets Lost is far sexier than a typical Sebastian novel (good), but it also contains a shocking amount of typos (bad).
I desperately wanted a REAL epilogue/HEA, but that's not Cat's style. Rounding up for humor, heart, and heat.
Cat Sebastian dishes up Americana, 1960s style: diners, pie, ice cream cones (vanilla for Peter, strawberry for Caleb), sky-blue Cadillac convertible, and kicks on Route 66. It's pure nostalgia and the kind of freedom we can only dream of today.
(Unless you were queer, then there was no freedom, none at all.)
I'm not one for road-trip books, but something about Peter and Caleb tugged at my heartstrings. I fell in love with the MCs in Oklahoma, and by Los Angeles I was a goner.
Peter Cabot Gets Lost is far sexier than a typical Sebastian novel (good), but it also contains a shocking amount of typos (bad).
I desperately wanted a REAL epilogue/HEA, but that's not Cat's style. Rounding up for humor, heart, and heat.
August 16, 2024
This is the story of the grumpiest grump who ever grumped aka Caleb and Peter aka a Ray Sunshine personified, these two boys who are sort of acquaintances in the sense they took some classes together at Harvard end up going on a road trip from coast to coast from Boston to LA, so this is really a case of grumpy-sunshine with a side of forced proximity.
Peter already had a partial list. Filed under "things that please Caleb Murphy" were sandwiches, extra fries, cheap beer, and newspapers. Files under "things that drive Caleb Murphy into a snit" was virtually everything else, as far as Peter could tell.
Peter has a not-perfect family dynamic and is dreading spending time with them so he jumps and takes the first opportunity (excuse) available to postpone it and decides to drive Caleb across the country *because why not*. Caleb on the other side comes from a very different background than Peter and refuses to be seen as a charity case, and considering The Cabots are a very rich family there is some resentment going on.
Obviously, Peter is so good and lovely and nice that after two days Caleb realizes that he cannot resist him and instead of not liking him he recognizes that he in fact likes him a lot.
“You know, you’ve totally lost the ability to insult me and sound like you mean it,” Peter observed cheerfully. “It all comes out like sweet nothings.”
I loved this book and it's not surprising after all it's from Cat Sebastian but also because there is no miscommunication or relationship angst, both boys are very clear about what they want and after a bit of negotiation, they go for it and get their HEA.
So I'm just gonna be here quietly crying because Peter and Caleb are wholesome and this book was beautiful and I can't wait to read the next one.
Peter already had a partial list. Filed under "things that please Caleb Murphy" were sandwiches, extra fries, cheap beer, and newspapers. Files under "things that drive Caleb Murphy into a snit" was virtually everything else, as far as Peter could tell.
Peter has a not-perfect family dynamic and is dreading spending time with them so he jumps and takes the first opportunity (excuse) available to postpone it and decides to drive Caleb across the country *because why not*. Caleb on the other side comes from a very different background than Peter and refuses to be seen as a charity case, and considering The Cabots are a very rich family there is some resentment going on.
Obviously, Peter is so good and lovely and nice that after two days Caleb realizes that he cannot resist him and instead of not liking him he recognizes that he in fact likes him a lot.
“You know, you’ve totally lost the ability to insult me and sound like you mean it,” Peter observed cheerfully. “It all comes out like sweet nothings.”
I loved this book and it's not surprising after all it's from Cat Sebastian but also because there is no miscommunication or relationship angst, both boys are very clear about what they want and after a bit of negotiation, they go for it and get their HEA.
So I'm just gonna be here quietly crying because Peter and Caleb are wholesome and this book was beautiful and I can't wait to read the next one.
March 21, 2024
This is the story of Peter Cabot and Caleb Murphy. Two college graduetes who suddenly find themselves on an impromptu roadtrip from Boston to LA. They don't know eachother beforehand but they know of eachover. Peter comes from an rich an influential family while Caleb who doesn't is kind of a prickly a-h. At first. Because as they continue their roadtrip things change. My favourite aunt Patty who makes an appearance is worthy of all the stars and for me this book is 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
September 24, 2021
2021 Fall Bingo (#FallInLoveBingo🍂): Character Description You Love
I am trash for across-class-lines pairings, especially when the primary conflict (for lack of a better word, since this book is not high on conflict) is about navigating expenses (dating, restaurants, lodging). Usually the poorer person in the relationship is determined to always bear the burden of equal cost (hello, Caleb!). I really loved how Peter understood Caleb's motivations to stay financially independent while 1) acknowledging his own rarefied upbringing/wealth privilege and 2) still wanting to show his appreciation/love for Caleb via small financial gestures (buying books, ordering extra food for himself so he can share with Caleb, etc). This book just hit all my soft/gentle/romantic catnip vibes, and I'm so glad I read it.
I'm going to say something controversial, but here it is. YOLO. This is a mid-20th century historical romance novel AND a new adult romance novel. It truly is. I know people associate angsty/sexy contemporaries with new adult, but PETER CABOT GETS LOST fits my interpretation of the new adult requirements so perfectly. Post-college uncertainty, coming-of-age in early 20s, new sexual experiences, realizing that family expectations aren't what you want in life… Is this not new adult?!? I dunno if other historicals can qualify, but this one definitely does. I'm tagging this under my new adult shelf and you can't stop me!
Also: I was under the impression this was a novella but it felt really long! Maybe a short novel. Anyone know what the word count is??
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I’ve interacted with the author, but these are my honest opinions about the book.
I am trash for across-class-lines pairings, especially when the primary conflict (for lack of a better word, since this book is not high on conflict) is about navigating expenses (dating, restaurants, lodging). Usually the poorer person in the relationship is determined to always bear the burden of equal cost (hello, Caleb!). I really loved how Peter understood Caleb's motivations to stay financially independent while 1) acknowledging his own rarefied upbringing/wealth privilege and 2) still wanting to show his appreciation/love for Caleb via small financial gestures (buying books, ordering extra food for himself so he can share with Caleb, etc). This book just hit all my soft/gentle/romantic catnip vibes, and I'm so glad I read it.
I'm going to say something controversial, but here it is. YOLO. This is a mid-20th century historical romance novel AND a new adult romance novel. It truly is. I know people associate angsty/sexy contemporaries with new adult, but PETER CABOT GETS LOST fits my interpretation of the new adult requirements so perfectly. Post-college uncertainty, coming-of-age in early 20s, new sexual experiences, realizing that family expectations aren't what you want in life… Is this not new adult?!? I dunno if other historicals can qualify, but this one definitely does. I'm tagging this under my new adult shelf and you can't stop me!
Also: I was under the impression this was a novella but it felt really long! Maybe a short novel. Anyone know what the word count is??
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I’ve interacted with the author, but these are my honest opinions about the book.
October 9, 2021
Caleb Murphy has done it, he's graduated and has a new, shiny journalist job ready for him in California. He just needs to get there.
When Peter Cabot, the rich yet disappointing son of the political scion Cabots, discovers Caleb trying to figure out how to get to California after Caleb's ride plans fall through, he jumps at a chance to avoid the looming responsibilities of his father's upcoming election.
Determined to avoid "taking a handout" from the wealthy Peter, who Caleb doesn't necessarily hate but who he definitely doesn't trust, Caleb agrees to take the ride Peter is offering, but only if he pays his own way.
Across the country they drive, discovering along the way that perhaps what they are both searching for can be best found, together.
Gosh dang this story. So many vibes, all of them the ones I love. Road trip romance in the 1960s with all the pie and diner coffee please. Seeing Caleb be so irritated with how attracted he is to Peter despite his best attempts to just not be brought under his spell, and Peter being so unaware of how kind he is. Delicious.
When Peter Cabot, the rich yet disappointing son of the political scion Cabots, discovers Caleb trying to figure out how to get to California after Caleb's ride plans fall through, he jumps at a chance to avoid the looming responsibilities of his father's upcoming election.
Determined to avoid "taking a handout" from the wealthy Peter, who Caleb doesn't necessarily hate but who he definitely doesn't trust, Caleb agrees to take the ride Peter is offering, but only if he pays his own way.
Across the country they drive, discovering along the way that perhaps what they are both searching for can be best found, together.
Gosh dang this story. So many vibes, all of them the ones I love. Road trip romance in the 1960s with all the pie and diner coffee please. Seeing Caleb be so irritated with how attracted he is to Peter despite his best attempts to just not be brought under his spell, and Peter being so unaware of how kind he is. Delicious.
October 20, 2024
I'm positively dizzy with affection after reading this book!
"Peter just didn’t know anything at all, because he was a complete nightmare of loveliness and Caleb didn’t know what to do with him."
I'm so fond of Caleb and Peter and their embodiment of grumpy/sunshine.
Their road trip, their banter, their falling in love. My heart feels so full! They might not be perfect but they're perfect for each other ❤️
"Peter just didn’t know anything at all, because he was a complete nightmare of loveliness and Caleb didn’t know what to do with him."
I'm so fond of Caleb and Peter and their embodiment of grumpy/sunshine.
Their road trip, their banter, their falling in love. My heart feels so full! They might not be perfect but they're perfect for each other ❤️
February 27, 2025
I'm a puddle of emotions 🥺
October 23, 2023
Have you ever wanted to jump in a car and go? To leave everything you’ve ever known behind in search of something new? Peter Cabot Gets Lost puts a spotlight on that impulsive, dreamy feeling.
Peter Cabot is a Cabot. The Cabots are a wealthy, politically connected family from Massachusetts. If you’re a Cabot, certain things are expected of you. Things Peter wants nothing to do with. He doesn’t like his family very much and they don’t treat him very well. So, after graduation, Peter decides to get as far away as he can. Caleb Murphy needs to get from Boston to Los Angeles for a job. California! The land of dreams and wanderers. Especially in 1960. So, Peter Cabot asks Caleb if he wants a ride. Which infuriates Caleb! He has no other options though. He must accept kindness from a man he can NOT stand. Caleb is grumpy and prickly and has always turned a cold shoulder to Peter’s smiles and charm. Bet you can already feel the fun, right? Jump on in and get lost too! The sarcasm, smirks, and snorts are aplenty! And so much more. There is so much more to be found on the road with Peter and Caleb.
Road trip! Two little words that evoke instant images and ideas. Don’t they? The wide-open space, wind in your hair, roadside restaurants, and constant movement. It sets my blood a ‘pumping and my smile a ‘shining! Cat Sebastian uses the road trip setting beautifully. The road sets the pace, the level of tension, and fun. Getting away from everything you’ve ever known can somehow clear your head of clutter and routine. You see new directions, possibilities, and fears. Peter discovers all of that. I loved watching him open up. He was scared, but thank goodness he had Caleb by his side to listen, snarl, and soothe that crease of worry from Peter’s brow.
I smiled through most of this book. I mean big, warm, affectionate smiles. Caleb and Peter’s conversations and silences were filled with intelligence, compassion, and humor. And I loved every word. They talked about being gay, being careful, family, futures, fears, and desires. They covered it all! Like every good road trip should. I wish I could capture Caleb in a quote or two, but it’s impossible! He’s hilarious. And he fit wonderfully with Peter Cabot.
Caleb made a noise that Peter couldn’t interpret. “Jesus. Every time I’m nearly mad at you, you have to go and ruin it by being all…” He gestured vaguely in the air. “Good,” he concluded disgustedly.”
“I ruin your attempt to be mad at me by…being good?”
“Yes, exactly, glad we understand one another.”
You have to meet these two. I fell in love. Fell in love right along with them.
My head and heart pocketed many souvenirs from this journey--the warm breeze on my face, the heat on my skin, the joy of maps, newspapers, splitting bills, sharing beds, baskets of warm biscuits, 2 beers!, laundry lessons, and…everything! I loved it all. Peter and Caleb will make your heart smile. I read this book months ago and I’m still smiling.
HIGHLY recommended. Read it!
May 28, 2022
If there was a book version of catnip for me it would be this book. It has a road trip, a couple of dingdongs falling in love along the way, it's short, and it's very sweet with a dash of humor. All of my favorite things! I mean, the book has the main characters saying things like this:
"All it takes is three days, a couple newspapers, and a handsome face, and I lose my principles."
Isn't that cute? This book is just super cute and Cat Sebastian wrote it in a masterful way where no word is wasted. Tightly written historical fluff is something I want more of so I suppose I'll just have to read the other book in the series now.
"All it takes is three days, a couple newspapers, and a handsome face, and I lose my principles."
Isn't that cute? This book is just super cute and Cat Sebastian wrote it in a masterful way where no word is wasted. Tightly written historical fluff is something I want more of so I suppose I'll just have to read the other book in the series now.
November 11, 2025
Reread: this book literally makes me want to cry with happiness. Literally everything is perfect and I love Caleb and Peter with my ENTIRE SOUL.
***
Gossshhhh another absolutely glorious book from the Queen of queer historical fiction, Cat Sebastian. This book was about a road trip, both literal and symbolic. The characters travel across the USA from Boston to Los Angeles, but they also grow as they travel, leaving their old insecurities and fears behind they further they travel from Boston.
I absolutely loved Peter and Caleb; they are another perfect grumpy x sunshine couple (if you’ve read You Should Be So Lucky they’re so similar in vibe to Eddie and Mark 💕) and watching them learning each other’s love languages and supporting each other through their growth and epiphanies was so lovely. Caleb is just so mean to Peter in the beginning and it tickled me to watch Peter not only love this behaviour, but also to work on softening Caleb and break down his caustic barriers.
Peter Cabot is the son of a senator, wealthy, well educated and beautiful; however he is not remotely interested in politics and is a continuing disappointment to his family, topped off by the fact he has come out to them as gay. He can’t imagine anything worse than going to his family’s summer house, so when he sees his college classmate Caleb Murphy needing a ride to Los Angeles, he is more than happy to drop everything to help the prickly, catty man travel to his new job as a journalist. Caleb has always been poor, and therefore hates Peter Cabot on principle, however he is forced to admit that, as he gets to know him, Peter is nothing like what he imagined.
I also enjoyed the cameos from Tommy Cabot and Patricia & Harry from ‘Tommy Cabot Was Here’ 💕
Read ‘Peter Cabot Gets Lost’ for:
✨ Coming of age road trip across the USA
✨ Black Cat x Golden Retriever personalities
✨ Forced proximity
✨ First times
✨ Figuring out what you want from life
�� Making out in a Cadillac
***
Gossshhhh another absolutely glorious book from the Queen of queer historical fiction, Cat Sebastian. This book was about a road trip, both literal and symbolic. The characters travel across the USA from Boston to Los Angeles, but they also grow as they travel, leaving their old insecurities and fears behind they further they travel from Boston.
I absolutely loved Peter and Caleb; they are another perfect grumpy x sunshine couple (if you’ve read You Should Be So Lucky they’re so similar in vibe to Eddie and Mark 💕) and watching them learning each other’s love languages and supporting each other through their growth and epiphanies was so lovely. Caleb is just so mean to Peter in the beginning and it tickled me to watch Peter not only love this behaviour, but also to work on softening Caleb and break down his caustic barriers.
Peter Cabot is the son of a senator, wealthy, well educated and beautiful; however he is not remotely interested in politics and is a continuing disappointment to his family, topped off by the fact he has come out to them as gay. He can’t imagine anything worse than going to his family’s summer house, so when he sees his college classmate Caleb Murphy needing a ride to Los Angeles, he is more than happy to drop everything to help the prickly, catty man travel to his new job as a journalist. Caleb has always been poor, and therefore hates Peter Cabot on principle, however he is forced to admit that, as he gets to know him, Peter is nothing like what he imagined.
I also enjoyed the cameos from Tommy Cabot and Patricia & Harry from ‘Tommy Cabot Was Here’ 💕
Read ‘Peter Cabot Gets Lost’ for:
✨ Coming of age road trip across the USA
✨ Black Cat x Golden Retriever personalities
✨ Forced proximity
✨ First times
✨ Figuring out what you want from life
�� Making out in a Cadillac
May 25, 2025
Ok, right up front: I read this whole series out of order (it doesn’t matter) and I put this particular one off until now because of the whole road trip trope, of which I am not a fan.*
Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed it. It suffers from the usual Cat Sebastian book problems, (uneven writing, poorly differentiated points of view), and too much sex. But despite their indistinguishable narrative voices, there’s something I find quite charming about her characters and I enjoyed spending time with this pair, (though I started skipping the sex scenes once I got a ways into the story). I’m a bit sad I’ve gone through all of Sebastian’s 20th century stories now, I hope there are more coming. I do still own a few of her historicals (he says, not actually considering the 20th century historical) I haven’t read yet, but there I feel like she has more competition, (whose books are typically better edited), so we’ll see if I get to any of them before her next book comes out.
* As someone who has been on more a few road trips and whose nearly every childhood vacation involved being stuck in the back of a station wagon with a squeaky styrofoam ice chest and siblings, let me tell you that anyone who thinks a road trip sounds “fun” is either a fantasist who’s never been on one, or some kind of sick freak who should be shunned.
Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed it. It suffers from the usual Cat Sebastian book problems, (uneven writing, poorly differentiated points of view), and too much sex. But despite their indistinguishable narrative voices, there’s something I find quite charming about her characters and I enjoyed spending time with this pair, (though I started skipping the sex scenes once I got a ways into the story). I’m a bit sad I’ve gone through all of Sebastian’s 20th century stories now, I hope there are more coming. I do still own a few of her historicals (he says, not actually considering the 20th century historical) I haven’t read yet, but there I feel like she has more competition, (whose books are typically better edited), so we’ll see if I get to any of them before her next book comes out.
* As someone who has been on more a few road trips and whose nearly every childhood vacation involved being stuck in the back of a station wagon with a squeaky styrofoam ice chest and siblings, let me tell you that anyone who thinks a road trip sounds “fun” is either a fantasist who’s never been on one, or some kind of sick freak who should be shunned.
September 15, 2021
This is such a lovely, warm, funny, tender, steamy, comforting, and low-angst historical romance for adults, following two college graduates as they find themselves and each other along an unexpected road trip from Boston to Los Angeles in 1960. I snickered at so much of the banter (I, too, believe that maps conspire against me!) and I really adored the characters. While this works perfectly as a standalone (it was my first introduction to this loosely-connected series), I started reading the other book in this series immediately afterwards just because I wanted more of that same feeling.
I picked up this book at 5a.m., at the tail end of a sleepless night (due to a really miserable, sniffly cold), and it is SUCH a testament to its comfort-read nature that I was feeling warm and happy by the time I finished it! :)
I picked up this book at 5a.m., at the tail end of a sleepless night (due to a really miserable, sniffly cold), and it is SUCH a testament to its comfort-read nature that I was feeling warm and happy by the time I finished it! :)
April 5, 2024
Extremely pleasant. There was a lot here to like - I think this time period really is Cat Sebastian’s best, and this had some charming MCs, a great story structure and emotional arc structure, and just the exact right level of background detail. There were some places where the tone didn’t quite gel or the setting didn’t quite convince, and I did technically DNF like five pages before the end (hey, I got the gist!), but looking forward to reading another Cabot book soon… very soon, because I’ve already checked out Tommy on Libby haha.
November 15, 2021
4.5 rounded up
I enjoyed the first book in this series but I really adored this one! I think it benefited greatly from the longer length, as the build was a bit slower and we really got to know the characters. I thought their dynamic was wonderful, as was the relationship development, and the smut hit all of my buttons. Honestly just a really enjoyable read!
I enjoyed the first book in this series but I really adored this one! I think it benefited greatly from the longer length, as the build was a bit slower and we really got to know the characters. I thought their dynamic was wonderful, as was the relationship development, and the smut hit all of my buttons. Honestly just a really enjoyable read!
May 26, 2021
A road trip book where almost nothing happens (other than sex) might be the perfect book???
January 1, 2022
This had me smiling like crazy. What a delightful book to start the year with.
December 18, 2024
Now that’s how you do class/wealth disparity! You’d think after my recent fail with Once Upon a Second Chance and it’s questionable rich guy/poor guy portrayal that I’d have been hesitant to pick up another one so soon after but Peter Cabot Gets Lost is Cat Sebastian and I trust Cat. Besides, I loved this book’s predecessor, Tommy Cabot Was Here and wanted more of what Cat delivered there.
I pretty much loved everything about Peter Cabot Gets Lost. I’ll start with the class disparity because I’m a stickler with getting it right and tend toward an eat the rich mentality. Sebastian handles the disparity with depth and nuance. Peter comes from a wealthy, politically famous family and gets all the privilege and entitlement that comes with it. He can’t avoid the perks that come with having the Cabot name but he not only recognizes his privilege, he pushes back on it. He thoughtfully questions the social systems that automatically give him the benefit of doubt and works to find ways to use his privileges and wealth to even the playing field not just for a guy that he finds interesting and attractive, but in general. Even before he offers Caleb a ride, significantly before and wholly unrelated to Caleb or his attraction to him, Peter acknowledges that the Cabot wealth and privilege have turned his family into entitled assholes and works to avoid becoming one himself.
“I only really started worrying about it a year ago.” That was when he had taken a good look at the rest of his family and realized they just didn’t like him and that they were never going to like him—but more importantly, he didn’t like them either. It was a shitty state of affairs to be in with his own family, but the further he got from the idea that he was supposed to like them just because he was related to them, the clearer it was that they were nearly all assholes. Maybe being an asshole was a Cabot trait, like the nose and the hair. Peter decided to hit the brakes before he became one himself. He still wasn’t sure he was getting it right.
Throughout the story, in thoughtful and nuanced ways, Peter works to balance the inherent perks he gets solely due to his birth, name, class and wealth with just being a decent human and respecting Caleb’s limited funds and strong desire to support himself without Peter’s help. He never thinks of himself as a savior or a do-gooder. He’s not trying to rescue Caleb; he offers the ride on a whim, partly because he has a kind heart and partly because he dreads going home and having to deal with his family, a family he doesn’t really even like.
Meanwhile, Caleb is prickly. Other reviewers call him the grumpiest of grumps but I don’t see him as grumpy. Yeah, he’s prickly. He dislikes Peter on principle with a kind of ‘fuck the rich and their entitlement and privilege’ attitude that, honestly, I completely get. Caleb is proud, and while appreciative of the help he’s received throughout his life to climb his way out of poverty, he doesn’t want to rely on others any longer. He wants to stand on his own two feet because he’s worked hard for it. That he finds himself in a position to have to take rich Peter up on his offer to get him to California is a blow to his desire to no longer be reliant on the kindness and generosity of others. It doesn’t take Peter long to figure this out and to wholly respect Caleb’s need.
Ug! I wish I wasn’t so clumsy with expressing myself and my thoughts! There’s just so much depth and nuance to the way Sebastian portrays the complex, thoughtful dynamic between these two based on their class differences.
On to the other things I loved.
The great American road trip aspect resonated deeply. In 1988 I did a similar east coast to west coast scenic road trip and have done many other meandering road trips between coastal Connecticut and Chicago as well as between Virginia Beach and Chicago. Going along for Peter and Caleb’s ride was like coming home, it was incredibly nostalgic for me. At least one of my GR friends found the pace and plot meandering and boring but I was not bored for an instant. I LOVED the parallel between the visual and geographic discoveries along the road and the discoveries Peter and Caleb made about each other. Each was like a budding flower, beautifully blooming.
Anyone who has been friended with me long knows I tend to be more or less ambivalent about physically intimate scenes and often skim them. It’s not that I dislike physical intimacy, it’s more that I’m here for the emotional intimacy and for the queer story in general. Where I tend to feel ambivalent is when I don’t get a strong sense of emotional intimacy during the physically intimate scenes. Sebastian knocked it out of the park for me with the way the emotional intimacy was so deftly interwoven into the physical intimacy. I felt the emotional bonds grow through Peter and Caleb’s touches. I didn’t feel like a voyeur, I felt like a witness to the birth of love.
And that’s a great segue to the ‘insta-love’ aspect. Once again, I tend to be critical and/or disenchanted with stories where the MCs fall desperately in love within days. Here, though the entirety of the story takes place in just under two weeks, it doesn’t come across as insta-love. For one thing, though Peter and Caleb don’t know each other well or ever hang out prior to their road trip, they do know each other through classes together and have friends in common. Peter’s initial crush is based heavily on the things he has learned about Caleb in their shared classes and what Caleb contributes to and says in those classes. Additionally, neither of them acts like they’re desperately in love. In fact, each of them acknowledges multiple times that they’re skeptical that they could fall in love so quickly even while they do feel like they are falling in love. So as I mentioned before, it’s the birth of love, a seed planted and in its infancy and both Peter and Caleb are well aware that it’s just the beginning. And isn’t that how all love starts?
Honestly, I could keep going but I’ve rambled long enough 😳😅 I loved Peter Cabot Gets Lost. It’s a heartwarming, lovely story and while I don’t know if Cat Sebastian is queer, her storytelling feels like it to me. I don’t know if that will make any sense to others but that’s how it feels to me.
4+ stars for the story.
5+ stars for how much I enjoyed it.
5 stars over all.
Very happy to have this one in my permanent library! Well worth the buy.
I pretty much loved everything about Peter Cabot Gets Lost. I’ll start with the class disparity because I’m a stickler with getting it right and tend toward an eat the rich mentality. Sebastian handles the disparity with depth and nuance. Peter comes from a wealthy, politically famous family and gets all the privilege and entitlement that comes with it. He can’t avoid the perks that come with having the Cabot name but he not only recognizes his privilege, he pushes back on it. He thoughtfully questions the social systems that automatically give him the benefit of doubt and works to find ways to use his privileges and wealth to even the playing field not just for a guy that he finds interesting and attractive, but in general. Even before he offers Caleb a ride, significantly before and wholly unrelated to Caleb or his attraction to him, Peter acknowledges that the Cabot wealth and privilege have turned his family into entitled assholes and works to avoid becoming one himself.
“I only really started worrying about it a year ago.” That was when he had taken a good look at the rest of his family and realized they just didn’t like him and that they were never going to like him—but more importantly, he didn’t like them either. It was a shitty state of affairs to be in with his own family, but the further he got from the idea that he was supposed to like them just because he was related to them, the clearer it was that they were nearly all assholes. Maybe being an asshole was a Cabot trait, like the nose and the hair. Peter decided to hit the brakes before he became one himself. He still wasn’t sure he was getting it right.
Throughout the story, in thoughtful and nuanced ways, Peter works to balance the inherent perks he gets solely due to his birth, name, class and wealth with just being a decent human and respecting Caleb’s limited funds and strong desire to support himself without Peter’s help. He never thinks of himself as a savior or a do-gooder. He’s not trying to rescue Caleb; he offers the ride on a whim, partly because he has a kind heart and partly because he dreads going home and having to deal with his family, a family he doesn’t really even like.
Meanwhile, Caleb is prickly. Other reviewers call him the grumpiest of grumps but I don’t see him as grumpy. Yeah, he’s prickly. He dislikes Peter on principle with a kind of ‘fuck the rich and their entitlement and privilege’ attitude that, honestly, I completely get. Caleb is proud, and while appreciative of the help he’s received throughout his life to climb his way out of poverty, he doesn’t want to rely on others any longer. He wants to stand on his own two feet because he’s worked hard for it. That he finds himself in a position to have to take rich Peter up on his offer to get him to California is a blow to his desire to no longer be reliant on the kindness and generosity of others. It doesn’t take Peter long to figure this out and to wholly respect Caleb’s need.
Ug! I wish I wasn’t so clumsy with expressing myself and my thoughts! There’s just so much depth and nuance to the way Sebastian portrays the complex, thoughtful dynamic between these two based on their class differences.
On to the other things I loved.
The great American road trip aspect resonated deeply. In 1988 I did a similar east coast to west coast scenic road trip and have done many other meandering road trips between coastal Connecticut and Chicago as well as between Virginia Beach and Chicago. Going along for Peter and Caleb’s ride was like coming home, it was incredibly nostalgic for me. At least one of my GR friends found the pace and plot meandering and boring but I was not bored for an instant. I LOVED the parallel between the visual and geographic discoveries along the road and the discoveries Peter and Caleb made about each other. Each was like a budding flower, beautifully blooming.
Anyone who has been friended with me long knows I tend to be more or less ambivalent about physically intimate scenes and often skim them. It’s not that I dislike physical intimacy, it’s more that I’m here for the emotional intimacy and for the queer story in general. Where I tend to feel ambivalent is when I don’t get a strong sense of emotional intimacy during the physically intimate scenes. Sebastian knocked it out of the park for me with the way the emotional intimacy was so deftly interwoven into the physical intimacy. I felt the emotional bonds grow through Peter and Caleb’s touches. I didn’t feel like a voyeur, I felt like a witness to the birth of love.
And that’s a great segue to the ‘insta-love’ aspect. Once again, I tend to be critical and/or disenchanted with stories where the MCs fall desperately in love within days. Here, though the entirety of the story takes place in just under two weeks, it doesn’t come across as insta-love. For one thing, though Peter and Caleb don’t know each other well or ever hang out prior to their road trip, they do know each other through classes together and have friends in common. Peter’s initial crush is based heavily on the things he has learned about Caleb in their shared classes and what Caleb contributes to and says in those classes. Additionally, neither of them acts like they’re desperately in love. In fact, each of them acknowledges multiple times that they’re skeptical that they could fall in love so quickly even while they do feel like they are falling in love. So as I mentioned before, it’s the birth of love, a seed planted and in its infancy and both Peter and Caleb are well aware that it’s just the beginning. And isn’t that how all love starts?
Honestly, I could keep going but I’ve rambled long enough 😳😅 I loved Peter Cabot Gets Lost. It’s a heartwarming, lovely story and while I don’t know if Cat Sebastian is queer, her storytelling feels like it to me. I don’t know if that will make any sense to others but that’s how it feels to me.
4+ stars for the story.
5+ stars for how much I enjoyed it.
5 stars over all.
Very happy to have this one in my permanent library! Well worth the buy.
June 18, 2025
A- / 4.5 stars rounded up
Read for the June 2025 TBR Challenge prompt - 'Road Trip'
Like Cat Sebastian’s 2023 release, We Could Be So Good , her earlier Peter Cabot Gets Lost is very much a “vibes over plot” story that keeps its focus on the development of the opposites-attract romance between the two leads. It’s funny and charming and utterly captivating, and I loved every minute I spent with the well-to-do Peter Cabot and the prickly, down-at-heel Caleb Murphy during their 3000 mile road-trip across the US.
It’s summer 1960, and both young men have just graduated from Harvard. Going there was a foregone conclusion for Peter, because that’s what Cabot men DO, while Caleb had to rely on scholarships and part-time jobs to get by. But now they have their degrees it’s up to them to work out what comes next. Caleb has a job offer in California (at a newspaper) while Peter only knows that he wants to avoid being swallowed up into the ‘family business’ (politics) and that he absolutely does not want to end up on the campaign trail with his dad and its attendant media circus. In fact, he’s done everything he can think of to delay his departure – he’s helped his professor move offices, helped friends pack, packed and re-packed his own belongings – but he’s out of people to help and things to help with, and it’s time for him to head home.
He’s about to start the car when he hears the sound of a payphone being slammed down and looks up to see his occasional classmate, Caleb Murphy, clearly upset, standing a few car-lengths along the street. Peter can’t just leave him there crying by the side of the road and walks up to him, fully prepared to be rebuffed or yelled at, to ask if he’s okay.
Caleb had been relying on his mother being able to send him the money for his bus ticket to Los Angeles, but she needed the money for medical bills when his sister broke her leg, and now Caleb is stuck. He needs to be in LA soon to start his job and has no idea how he’s going to get there. The last thing he needs is for perfect Peter fucking Cabot to see him like this – angry and crying tears of frustration – but the man can’t take a hint and leave him to cry in peace. Then Cabot does the last thing Caleb expects and says that as he’s driving to California anyway (he wasn’t – but he is now) Caleb is welcome to come with him. Caleb immediately bristles at the idea of being treated like a charity case, but he doesn’t really have any alternative. He figures he can probably stand a week or so stuck in a car with someone he doesn’t much like if it will get him to where he needs to be.
That’s the set up for this lovely, grumpy/sunshine tale of two young men figuring stuff out – working out who they are and who they want to be – while shedding their misconceptions about each other and falling in love. The story takes place over just nine days, but the development of the relationship is perfectly paced and their growing intimacy is completely organic, the privacy and close proximity provided by the long days on the road and the shared evenings and nights in motel rooms giving Peter and Caleb the space to get to know each other and to realise that despite their very different backgrounds, they have more in common than they’d ever have thought.
Peter is a total cinnamon roll. He’s kind and thoughtful and sweet and he likes making people happy – but he knows he’s a disappointment to his family, most of whom either barely tolerate him or don’t even give him a second thought. He’s spent his life doing what he’s told and trying to live up to expectations, but has learned he’s never going to meet them, no matter what he does, and, over the last year in particular, has realised that they don’t like him and never will – and, more importantly, that he doesn’t like them either. He’s noticed Caleb in the classes they shared, and maybe developed a teeny bit of a crush; Caleb is clever, confident, driven and comfortable in his own skin, and Peter envies him that because he has yet to work out who he is and what his future looks like.
Caleb comes from a poor family in rural Tennessee. He’s grown up in cast-off clothes and on church charity and has had to work hard to get his education; he’s used to counting every penny, so it’s not surprising he’s resentful of Peter, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and coasts through life without a care in the world. But as the days and the miles pass, Caleb starts to see that Peter is not at all what he’d expected; he’s generous and funny and smart, and Caleb realises that nobody has ever valued those good qualities in him, that his family think of him as second best because he doesn’t fit the established Cabot mold. Realising this triggers Caleb’s protective instincts, and he becomes determined to help Peter to see his own worth before journey’s end.
I was impressed with the way the author navigates the class/wealth disparity between the two leads. Peter recognises the privilege that comes with the Cabot name and works hard to try to find ways to use his wealth and privilege to benefit others, and to be a decent person. I loved that he so clearly understands and respects Caleb’s need to pay his way on the trip and finds ways to show his affection by making small gestures (ordering extra food, buying books and newspapers). And while Caleb appreciates the help he’s received through his life as he’s worked to pull himself out of poverty, he’s reached a point where he wants to stand on his own two feet and not rely on others any more, which is why having to accept Peter’s help is such a blow.
Peter Cabot Gets Lost is, put simply, a comfort blanket in book form. The author perfectly captures the flavour of 1960s America – paper maps, no phones, newspapers at 3 cents a piece – and of the various places Peter and Caleb visit along the way; their chemistry sizzles as their mutual attraction grows, and the banter and the sweetness of their relationship is a delight from start to finish.
Read for the June 2025 TBR Challenge prompt - 'Road Trip'
Like Cat Sebastian’s 2023 release, We Could Be So Good , her earlier Peter Cabot Gets Lost is very much a “vibes over plot” story that keeps its focus on the development of the opposites-attract romance between the two leads. It’s funny and charming and utterly captivating, and I loved every minute I spent with the well-to-do Peter Cabot and the prickly, down-at-heel Caleb Murphy during their 3000 mile road-trip across the US.
It’s summer 1960, and both young men have just graduated from Harvard. Going there was a foregone conclusion for Peter, because that’s what Cabot men DO, while Caleb had to rely on scholarships and part-time jobs to get by. But now they have their degrees it’s up to them to work out what comes next. Caleb has a job offer in California (at a newspaper) while Peter only knows that he wants to avoid being swallowed up into the ‘family business’ (politics) and that he absolutely does not want to end up on the campaign trail with his dad and its attendant media circus. In fact, he’s done everything he can think of to delay his departure – he’s helped his professor move offices, helped friends pack, packed and re-packed his own belongings – but he’s out of people to help and things to help with, and it’s time for him to head home.
He’s about to start the car when he hears the sound of a payphone being slammed down and looks up to see his occasional classmate, Caleb Murphy, clearly upset, standing a few car-lengths along the street. Peter can’t just leave him there crying by the side of the road and walks up to him, fully prepared to be rebuffed or yelled at, to ask if he’s okay.
Caleb had been relying on his mother being able to send him the money for his bus ticket to Los Angeles, but she needed the money for medical bills when his sister broke her leg, and now Caleb is stuck. He needs to be in LA soon to start his job and has no idea how he’s going to get there. The last thing he needs is for perfect Peter fucking Cabot to see him like this – angry and crying tears of frustration – but the man can’t take a hint and leave him to cry in peace. Then Cabot does the last thing Caleb expects and says that as he’s driving to California anyway (he wasn’t – but he is now) Caleb is welcome to come with him. Caleb immediately bristles at the idea of being treated like a charity case, but he doesn’t really have any alternative. He figures he can probably stand a week or so stuck in a car with someone he doesn’t much like if it will get him to where he needs to be.
That’s the set up for this lovely, grumpy/sunshine tale of two young men figuring stuff out – working out who they are and who they want to be – while shedding their misconceptions about each other and falling in love. The story takes place over just nine days, but the development of the relationship is perfectly paced and their growing intimacy is completely organic, the privacy and close proximity provided by the long days on the road and the shared evenings and nights in motel rooms giving Peter and Caleb the space to get to know each other and to realise that despite their very different backgrounds, they have more in common than they’d ever have thought.
Peter is a total cinnamon roll. He’s kind and thoughtful and sweet and he likes making people happy – but he knows he’s a disappointment to his family, most of whom either barely tolerate him or don’t even give him a second thought. He’s spent his life doing what he’s told and trying to live up to expectations, but has learned he’s never going to meet them, no matter what he does, and, over the last year in particular, has realised that they don’t like him and never will – and, more importantly, that he doesn’t like them either. He’s noticed Caleb in the classes they shared, and maybe developed a teeny bit of a crush; Caleb is clever, confident, driven and comfortable in his own skin, and Peter envies him that because he has yet to work out who he is and what his future looks like.
Caleb comes from a poor family in rural Tennessee. He’s grown up in cast-off clothes and on church charity and has had to work hard to get his education; he’s used to counting every penny, so it’s not surprising he’s resentful of Peter, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and coasts through life without a care in the world. But as the days and the miles pass, Caleb starts to see that Peter is not at all what he’d expected; he’s generous and funny and smart, and Caleb realises that nobody has ever valued those good qualities in him, that his family think of him as second best because he doesn’t fit the established Cabot mold. Realising this triggers Caleb’s protective instincts, and he becomes determined to help Peter to see his own worth before journey’s end.
I was impressed with the way the author navigates the class/wealth disparity between the two leads. Peter recognises the privilege that comes with the Cabot name and works hard to try to find ways to use his wealth and privilege to benefit others, and to be a decent person. I loved that he so clearly understands and respects Caleb’s need to pay his way on the trip and finds ways to show his affection by making small gestures (ordering extra food, buying books and newspapers). And while Caleb appreciates the help he’s received through his life as he’s worked to pull himself out of poverty, he’s reached a point where he wants to stand on his own two feet and not rely on others any more, which is why having to accept Peter’s help is such a blow.
Peter Cabot Gets Lost is, put simply, a comfort blanket in book form. The author perfectly captures the flavour of 1960s America – paper maps, no phones, newspapers at 3 cents a piece – and of the various places Peter and Caleb visit along the way; their chemistry sizzles as their mutual attraction grows, and the banter and the sweetness of their relationship is a delight from start to finish.
January 18, 2025
"you're so good, peter. i've never felt anything like this, sweetheart. you're lovely."
cat sebastian brutally murdered me with this one
cat sebastian brutally murdered me with this one
December 8, 2022
A 1960s road trip romance that was good for my soul. Peter and Caleb had such a fun grumpy-sunshine dynamic. Peter didn’t get everything but he was so sweet and understanding of Caleb and Caleb was fierce on his behalf, which Peter sorely needed after his terrible family. They were such a good pair. I’m glad Sebastian decided to turn this into a series.
Characters: Peter is a 22 year old gay white college graduate and a virgin. He occasionally stutters, Caleb is a 21 year old gay white college graduate about to start as a reporter at the LA Times. This is set in 1960 and starts out in Cambridge, MA and ends in LA.
Content notes: panic attack, brief suicidal ideation, toxic family, closeted MCs (no forced outing), homophobia, MC with occasional stutter, minor car accident, class differences, poverty, past food poverty, past death of Caleb’s father, divorced secondary character, on page sex, rimming, alcohol, hangover, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
Characters: Peter is a 22 year old gay white college graduate and a virgin. He occasionally stutters, Caleb is a 21 year old gay white college graduate about to start as a reporter at the LA Times. This is set in 1960 and starts out in Cambridge, MA and ends in LA.
Content notes: panic attack, brief suicidal ideation, toxic family, closeted MCs (no forced outing), homophobia, MC with occasional stutter, minor car accident, class differences, poverty, past food poverty, past death of Caleb’s father, divorced secondary character, on page sex, rimming, alcohol, hangover, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
October 24, 2023
Definitely a vibey road trip with a himbo and a prickly MC. There was so much bickering on classism in this, but it didn't feel like much was said somehow? Nothing was changed, the MC's both had valid reasoning behind how they viewed and used money. There was a lot of emphasis on it, and like most of my complaints with Cat Sebastian's reads - Get this dang plot out of my vibe read!! (/joking)
Hearing about Flagstaff made me a bit nostalgic and want to move back to AZ. I loved the himbo energy.
Hearing about Flagstaff made me a bit nostalgic and want to move back to AZ. I loved the himbo energy.
January 29, 2023
It was a fun read for a Sunday.
Peter Cabot is perfect! He's sporty, clever, and son to potentially the next president of the United States, yet he doesn't quite fit in at home.
So, on a whim, he agrees to drive someone he knows from college from Boston to Los Angeles to avoid returning home. What he doesn't anticipate is that Caleb is not the moody passenger he expected, and their are going to change their lives forever.
I loved the wit of Peter paired with the cynicism of Caleb it made reading the story fun and following their journey a delight :)
Peter Cabot is perfect! He's sporty, clever, and son to potentially the next president of the United States, yet he doesn't quite fit in at home.
So, on a whim, he agrees to drive someone he knows from college from Boston to Los Angeles to avoid returning home. What he doesn't anticipate is that Caleb is not the moody passenger he expected, and their are going to change their lives forever.
I loved the wit of Peter paired with the cynicism of Caleb it made reading the story fun and following their journey a delight :)
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