"Ready or Not" by Cara Bastone is a heartwarming and utterly charming romance that snuck up on me like a delightful surprise. Readers are transported to Brooklyn's cozy streets and are met with unexpected twists.

Meet Eve. She’s a woman content with her life. Sure, her romantic history involves two disappointing men with the same name, but at least she knows what to expect. Until an uncharacteristic one-night stand leads to an unplanned pregnancy, cracking open all her relationships.

Meet Shep. He’s her best friend’s older brother and suddenly, he's checking in, ordering surprise lunches, and… kind of hot. Then there's the baby's father, supportive yet conflicted. Will family and unexpected connections sneak up on Eve and challenge her assumptions?

Bastone's writing was the warm hug I needed from a book. She infused humour, heart, and authenticity into the pages. This unexpected love story swept me away and left me appreciating love, in all forms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback of Random House Publishing Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At the start of this novel, main character Eve has just discovered that she is accidentally pregnant from a very uncharacteristic for her one night stand. The rest of her book finds her navigating the pregnancy, along with her relationships with friends, family, her job, and a very sweet slow burn romance.

This was such a cute one, I really enjoyed reading it. The romance was great, but I also loved that the book was about so much more than that, including both the depth of Eve’s friendship with childhood friend Willa, and her struggles to figure out what she wants in life. Eve’s approach to figuring out the logistics of future life with a baby, especially financially, felt a tad unrealistic for someone living in very expensive NYC, but I forgave it because the book was such a fun read. I think this was the first time I’ve ever read the surprise pregnancy trope, but at least in this book it was a good story!

I feel confident this will end up on my Best of 2024 list. This is an absolutely beautiful story told with skill and grace.

The unexpected pregnancy trope generally isn't one I love but here it's done perfectly. It's also done atypically, which I appreciate. The friends to lovers portion is so sweet and there's a lot of caretaking. There's humurous moments throughout the book but also deep feelings and difficult situations. I liked that the story is focused on the pregnancy and the heroine more than on the romance itself.

My only complaint about this novel is that I wanted MORE.

I've listened to several of Cara Bastone's audiobooks but this is the first book I've read by the author. I finished this book in ONE sitting. Very cute and very bingeable. The story takes place over 9-months after the FMC accidentally gets pregnant. A best friend's sibling, friends-to-lovers, accidental pregnancy trope perfect for any romance lover. The MMC made it to my best book boyfriends list - he was so sweet from page one!

Shep, Shep, Shep! That’s how I have to start this review. I fell in LOVE, Bebe! But I’m getting ahead of myself. My favorite discovery lately in books is Friends to Lovers. Cara Bastone knocks this trope out the park with this unexpected pregnancy rom-com. I adored this story, the relationships built, and maybe because I haven’t read much of these tropes, it didn’t feel stereotypical. Shep was the perfect cinnamon roll/golden retriever MMC who was so caring and always put Eve, the FMC first. I fell so hard and when it came to the spicy scenes…my goodness Shep is sexy!

Another thing I enjoyed was the hardship you also witness not only from Eve’s point of view, but also Ethan. You really see how he reacts to the pregnancy, his decisions based on it, and the emotional rolls it takes on his life as well. It’s not as in depth as Eve’s, due to this story being told from her POV, but it does give him justice in this life changing event.

I also truly loved Cara Bastone’s writing. It was comedic and modern, like a friend telling you about something that happened to them that day. It really gave life to Eve. But not only did Bastone write this character well, Alex Finke (the narrator) absolutely KILLED IT! I am a huge fan of her now and how she portrayed Eve made me feel like I knew her. She was animated, had great comedic timing, and did her male voices really well. Big fan!

The only reason why I gave it four stars is because I felt that something was missing from the story and I think it has to do with Ethan. Though he was included well into the story, I wish we had a few chapters from his POV and the problems he was having at home with his girlfriend. It would have made the story feel more complete to me.

All in all, loved this book! I can’t wait to see what else Cara Bastone has in store.

I can’t get over how much this book moved me. I honestly did not think I would enjoy this book as much as I did because pregnancy is not really my thing , but I decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did! This book is so sweet and emotional, and you can just tell that the author poured her heart writing this novel and it shows. It really explained motherhood in a way that makes me appreciate my mom and all my mom friends and makes me understand their viewpoint so much more. It really is a beautiful book.

The first chapter opens with Eve at the OB gyns office to get confirmation that she is in fact pregnant after taking a bunch of home pregnancy tests. I really loved her inner thoughts and how relatable her character was during this opening scene. We find out Eve got pregnant after having a one-night stand and see how some of Eve’s friends have various reactions to her pregnancy, which can be a stress test for any friendship. We also see Eve’s emotional struggle she breaks the news to Will, who is the father of her baby and is back together with the woman he had recently broken up when they had gotten together. Which brings to question whether Will was going to be involved with the baby at all.

During all this turmoil, Shep, her best friend’s brother and long-time friend became one of the most adorable characters in the book. This man was a golden retriever of a man and just had me squealing as he became incredibly supportive of Eve without asking for anything in return.

Overall, this book really brought a lot of emotions for me, and I felt that this book has a lot of depth to it. I bet this would be a well-received book if given to a new mom or even a mom to be.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ready or Not is a sweet, friends-to-lovers romance. I wasn't sure what to expect since unplanned pregnancies is not a trope I usually read, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this story. It's told from Eve's POV from the beginning to end of her pregnancy. I felt sorry for her so many times, I can't imagine going through a pregnancy with very little support. Shep is an absolute gem. I loved him from the beginning and desperately wanted him to have his own HEA. I really liked Cara Bastone's Audible Original audiobooks, so I had a feeling I would enjoy this story as well. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a sweet, slow burn, unplanned pregnancy romance. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sending this book for review consideration.

This little book sucked me in quickly and didn’t let go! Read in less than 24 hours which doesn’t happen often. This adorable story is about Eve finding her path in life while thrusted into motherhood with an unplanned pregnancy from a one night stand with a very handsome bartender. Her journey tugged at my heart strings, made me cry, get that excited feeling when the love between two people starts blooming and loving how it all ends.

I couldn't put this book down! It was so sweet and realistic and raw. I've never even been pregnant but I could relate to everything the main character was feeling. I would love to read more by this author!

Ready or Not is a charming read about Eve who gets pregnant during a one night stand. That may not sound like a charming set up but the humanness and goodness of the characters makes for a read where you like the characters and are rooting for them. I also appreciate how no character is perfect —ok Shep is close— and so we get to see characters address the challenges in their own lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Ready or Not is available now.

A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.

The story is about Eve, who after a few bad relationships and a long dry spell, ends up having a one night stand with a handsome bartender. Low and behold she becomes pregnant. This unplanned pregnancy causes some strife with her best friend, Willa, who has been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for years. This puts a huge strain on their friendship as Willa tries to come to terms with it. Also we have Willa's brother, Shep. They have all grown up together and Shep comes back on the scene shortly after Eve finds out. Then there's also the baby Daddy, who has some issues of his own. I loved watching how all of them would navigate this new situation. Who would step up for Eve and support her when she needs it most. Surprise pregnancy tropes can be tricky, but this one was well done. All the characters were fully fleshed out and I enjoyed getting to know them all.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a sweet and complicated love story dealing with the aftermath of an unplanned pregnancy resulting from a one night stand. I loved that it didn’t just glaze over the pregnancy with a pretty filter, but included some of the raw, untold parts as well. The FMC character was a hot mess, but Shep, the best friend’s brother, was EVERYTHING! Sweet and kind, a cinnamon roll with golden vibes and I loved him so much. I won’t spoil it but there’s one part where I just had to set the book down and swoon because omg!!!He’s adorable!💕

Woah. I loved everything about this book💫
🤰🏻I loved the characters.
🤣 I loved the humour.
💘 I loved the slow-burn romance.
📝 I loved the writing style.

Author Cara Bastone tells the story of Eve Hatch, who learns she is pregnant after a steamy one night stand with handsome bar owner, Ethan Rise. With the baby’s father being conflicted about his role in the pregnancy and there after, her best friend Willa who is struggling to be supportive after years or trying for her own child, Eve has an unexpected person to lean on - her childhood friend, Shep. As Shep brings her comfort food at work, stocks her fridge and gives the best foot rubs, Eve starts to wonder if she has been looking for love in all the wrong places. This is a wonderful story about the fears that come with becoming a new parent and learning to trust our inner instincts. I devoured this book, and hope readers love it just as much as I did.

One nightstands. Unexpected pregnancies.


This novel has the brightest, prettiest color. I would be lying if I said I read the blurb and proceeded to request it as an ARC, but it was the vibrant cover that stole my attention.


I'm glad I did. This sweet rom-com was wholesome and adorable, setting off butterflies in my stomach.


The story starts off with a very pregnant Eve, a usually not impulsive main MC. Her family instantly is supportive, along with many of her friends. Except one man, Shep, her older brothers best friend.


Again, this book was a treat for my soul. I felt like this was a Hallmark movie that was way less cheesy. It was sweet, emotional, steamy, and fun!


This book reset my book palette. This is the kind of novel I would read after a tough, intense High Fantasy where the world is hard to wrap my mind around. I need this light, fun read, and so all the other readers out there 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Confession: I was vehemently against reading this- the pregnancy trope does NOT usually do it for me and I was convinced that it wouldn’t be “believable”. Joke’s on me! From the beginning, I was impressed at how seamless the story was and the chemistry I felt throughout, between all characters, both romantic and platonic. I thought Eve was a great protagonist and loved her “voice”- she was hilarious too. I definitely recommend picking this one up!

This novel presents a complex female friendship when Eve becomes pregnant accidentally, and her best friend Willa, who is TTC, tries to be there for her. Eve ends up leaning on Willa's brother, Shep for support while trying to navigate pregnancy and a connection with the father of her baby, Ethan. This book made me cry and want to hug my friends close to me.

Surprise pregnancy and best friend’s brother are absolutely NOT my preferred tropes, but when I saw the beautiful cover for Ready or Not I decided to give it a chance anyway.

I’m glad I did! This book was so sweet and even though it dealt with a series of tough topics, it still managed to be incredibly cozy. Eve is a bit of a hot mess when the story begins, and I enjoyed watching her grow as her pregnancy advanced. I’m not a mom so I can’t speak to the author’s depictions of pregnancy, but reading through Eve’s milestones did give me the warm and fuzzy feelings. I loved how she didn’t let her pregnancy slow her down and she used this time to figure out what she really wanted out of life.

Shep was such a sweet love interest for Eve. He’s the best friend’s dorky older brother who has always been there in the background. Once Eve learns she’s pregnant and begins to spiral a bit, he’s the one who assures her everything will be ok. The author did a great job of making their relationship feel like one that has lasted decades with the funny, teasing banter.

TW for fertility struggles and pregnancy loss.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a review copy.

THIS BOOK IS BEYOND PERFECT!! if you hate the surprise pregnancy trope i feel this is the book to change your mind. the way the character makes such emotionally mature choices but still has that wiggle room of being a messy human. i just dont have words. i love the main character and omfg SHEP! he is top 10 best book boyfriends. the way this man would literally do anything for this woman. hes so selfless and literally just wants her to be happy and ugh even thinking about it makes me want to cry.

This book has all the good stuff - well developed characters, warm fuzzy feelings, relatable inner dialogue, simmering slow burn chemistry, and a heartwarming happy ending. It's got enough tropes (best friend's brother, childhood friends, unexpected pregnancy) to feel familiar but not like they are the sole propellers of the plot. There are lots of nods to Eve's NYC neighborhood locales and if you're a NYC lover I think it can enhance your enjoyment of the book but it also wasn't so much that I felt the geographical equivalent of "name dropping," which I detest.
I would rec this for people that enjoy Katherine Center, Mhairi McFarlane, as this is solidly romance but definitely crossing over into the Women's Lit category. I read this over the course of a day and a half; I just kept getting drawn back into it. It was a great read.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I'll admit, Cara Bastone was on my radar due to a friend who'd listened to her "Call Me Maybe" series. When I saw this available, I was quick to jump on it and I am. So. Glad. I did!

I can't recommend this book enough. Who would have thought an accidental pregnancy would be the perfect starting point for one of the cutest love stories? With characters that are flawed, but in likeable ways, lots of banter, and touching moments. And a very real look into how awkward it can be to be single and pregnant, and how the world around you reacts.

Cara Bastone has definitely made a spot on my must read shelves!