Ready or Not was a great read! I love the accuracy in emotions when dealing with a surprise pregnancy. I loved how the serious situation was dotted with humor. I loved the slow burn romance between Eva and Shep. I don't normally enjoy the accidental pregnancy trope but this one hit the mark and was great.

I loved this story full of decent people figuring out how to deal with an unexpected pregnancy. I loved the friendship between Willa and Eve, and Shep and Eve. I appreciated the nuance of how Ethan was developed as a character. This was very much a warm, comforting read and I unhesitatingly recommend it.

This was such a cute, warm, feel good story! It started off pretty slow but quickly turned into a slow burn that I never wanted to end. Shep is easily one of those characters I’ll think about for a long time!

This was such a sweet book. I loved Eve and I loved how her character developed throughout the book. It was a great commentary on pregnancy and early motherhood. I loved that it was more than a love story.

Yup, this had everything I like in a romance novel. Adults telling each other what they want… we love to see it! Bastone did not include any of that ‘tiptoeing around our feelings’ bullshit. This novel was complex in that it centered around Eve’s unexpected pregnancy from a one-night stand. Will the biological father step up to the plate? What about her best friend’s brother, seemingly waiting in the wings to attend to her every need? For someone who hates all things babies and children, surprise!!!! I loved it. A Book of the Month selection that will surely be passed along to my friends and family.

I used to be wary of reading any book with a pregnancy trope but honestly if done correctly, I love them. This was such beautifully written and it felt so real. Many times a pregnancy is sugar coated or written in a way that makes pregnancy sound like rainbows and sunshine. While you are bringing a life into the world, I can imagine how difficult that can truly be. We see the journey of Eve’s full pregnancy and how she navigates it. Shep is just perfect. He is unconditionally supportive of Eve and I think he’s an angel.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this is a lovely, well developed, and page turning romance. Not all of the characters were easy to love, but they were written so well that you will eventually find something redeeming about all of them (I'm looking at you, Ethan!). Shep is a swoon worthy character that ranks right up there with other swoon worthy romance characters, and the friendship between Eve and Willa is wonderful to read (despite the difficulty that Willa initially has with Eve's pregnancy). I'm looking forward to what Cara Bastone writes in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley.

My First experience with Cara Bastone but not my last. This was a great original, creative, sweet romance story that exists and succeeds without any of the fight/breakup tropes and I'm so grateful for it. I love the messaging, I love watching Eve find her way. It was all around a feel good book but not at all cheesy.

I am a fan of Cara Bastone, and this one was another hit! It was real and raw, and sweet and romantic...Eve our heroine is unexpectedly pregnant. Her one-night stand is actually a nice guy but has gone back to his ex-girlfriend by the time Eve has informed him of the pregnancy. He was kind of wishy-washy about what he wanted (and manipulated by girlfriend) for most of the book, but I never hated his character. Shep her best friend's brother was just a dream! If I wasn't a married mother of six, and Shep wasn't a fictional character...lol He was definite book boyfriend material!
Everything about this book was great and it was almost perfect...except, I honestly cringed during the ultrasound and there was a discussion about gender verses sex of the baby...ugh. I wish I could block that whole part out! It was so unnecessary when a simple "I don't want to know..." would have sufficed. Sigh. Thankfully, it was a short-lived topic and I loved everything else!

4.5 stars

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Title: Ready or Not
Author: Cara Bastone
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 13, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Dial Press, a division of Random House Publishing Group, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Heartfelt • Wholesome • Authentic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Eve Hatch lives for surprises! Just kidding. She expects every tomorrow to be pretty much the same as today. She loves her cozy apartment in Brooklyn that’s close to her childhood best friend Willa, and far from her midwestern, traditional family who has never really understood her. While her job is only dream-adjacent, it’s comfortable and steady. She always knows what to expect from her life... until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve’s loyal friendship with Willa is feeling tense, right when she needs her the most. And it’s actually Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help Eve. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is... suddenly kinda hot? Then, as if she needs one more complication, there’s the baby’s father, who is (technically) supportive but (majorly) conflicted.

Up until this point, Eve’s been content to coast through life. Now, though—maybe it’s the hormones, maybe it’s the way Shep’s shoulders look in a T-shirt—Eve starts to wonder if she has been secretly desiring more from every aspect of her life.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Ready or Not was on my radar way before it was announced as a Book of the Month choice because the premise sounded so wholesome and just right up my alley. This is my first time reading Cara Bastone and I was pleasantly surprised with just how much I enjoyed it.

This friends-to-lovers, slow burn romance featuring an unexpected pregnancy was done just right. There were so many real-life obstacles and tender moments between the characters that I felt myself among friends. Each of the characters was so real and endearing. I particularly loved Shep and nurse Louise, even though her role was small. The romance was definitely not the main focus, and yet it felt so organic. The theme of found family was very progressive and important in this day and age.

There were some laugh-out-loud moments and it was definitely interesting getting Eve's internal monologue. The character's reactions (even Eve's) to the pregnancy were varied and genuine. Despite covering a shorter period of time (nine months), the pacing and writing style was spot on.

Overall, Ready or Not was an enjoyable read. The realistic relationships and characters development were definitely the strength. I would definitely be willing to explore more of Cara Bastone's work, and there is a little part of me hoping these characters might return in a follow-up or even a series.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the friends-to-lovers trope
• readers who like endearing characters

⚠️ CW: pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, medical content, sexual content, death, death of parent, cancer, grief, vomit, abortion, cursing, toxic relationship

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Sometimes the good news hurts more than the bad."

"Sometimes the bad feels better than the good."

YES YES YES YES!!!! This story hit me right in my feels and I honestly just don't want to read romance books without babies ever again. This is an incredibly heart-warming story of Eve, who becomes pregnant during a one night stand. Her childhood friend, Shep, stands in to help her along the way. And I'm sure you know what happens next.

For lovers of Hannah Bonam Young's Out on a Limb!

A perfect balance of spice, plot, lightheartedness, deep feeling and the right timing.
Eve has an unplanned pregnancy. Through the process she learns to finally say what she wants instead of just letting life happen and pass by. The author’s descriptive writing brought me right into her NYC neighborhood, especially the bar “Good Boy” and her adorable, pathetic (and not baby proof) apartment. I want Willa as a bestie on the dance floor and to straighten me out when I’m being dumb. I can’t say too much about Shep without spoiling anything, but can tell you I’m a big fan.

I have a new book boyfriend and his name is Shep.

“….there are a select few who are other-centered. And when things happen around them, they ask themselves, What does this mean for everybody? And that sounds like Shep. It doesn’t surprise me that you’ve come to have a crush on someone who considers you.”

Eve Hatch after a one night stand finds herself pregnant. The baby’s father is conflicted about what that means for him and how involved he wants to be.

However Eve has found support in her best friend’s brother Shep. While her best friend Willa has her own personal struggles with the news she does come around to be there for her.

Shep was the shining star in this book. In all the little ways he showed up for Eve. Down to the extra pickle when she mentioned it, buying groceries and keeping her company. He was ultimate golden retriever energy and he melted my heart.

This wasn’t just a love story though. It also was about friendships and how they can change over time, and career aspirations and how they can change. Expectations that we have of ourselves and others.

Normally I’ve done audiobooks of Cara Bastone books that I’ve loved but I really loved reading this one too.

This book is definitely making it into my top of the year. Wow this was truly excellent! It made me wonder why I sit through books that don’t make me forget I’m reading, that don’t have excellent craft and character work, books that dont give me a new perspective on life. Thank you to @thedialpress for the ARC!

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This is the first book I’ve read by Cara Bastone and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it if you enjoy this type of book.

This is a super sweet love story. If you like happy endings this is the book for you. This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to more. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I am picky about romance books, and tend to avoid books about pregnancy because of my personal experiences with infertility. However, I do love a good best-friend’s-brother trope so I decided to give it a chance. I was surprised to find that it dealt with the topic of infertility in a very relatable way. It made the pregnancy aspect of the book less upsetting for me, and I ended up really loving the relationship between Eve and Shep, and how Ethan fit into the picture. Shep may be a new favorite book boyfriend for me!

I loved this book! Pregnancy tropes are usually a no but I gave this book a chance because I really love Cara's stories. No surprise that this book is well-written, thoughtful, and pampered with swoony worthy moments. I liked the complexity of everyone's relationship and the ability for people and their perspectives to change. Don't let the pregnancy trope scare you from the amazing rom-com!

The author's voice is so funny, right from the start. The story flows in 3 parts: each trimester. Also, the cover art really pulled me in.

Eve gets pregnant after a one night stand. The story starts up during her first doctor visit, confirming the pregnancy. Her bestie is being weird about it, the father is practically a stranger, and her parents died years ago. Eve feels very alone, but her bestie’s brother Shep steps up to be there for Eve. A true golden retriever.

We get to watch the everyday life of Eve, as she navigates her unconventional pregnancy. She also slowly comes to learn that while she’s the center of her own world, she’s not the center of everyone’s. She’s one of many people, all going through their own problems.

Who am I to say if this is realistic or not. To me, I was surprised that for someone not actively looking to have kids, Eve didn’t think for a moment about not keeping it? Especially because she’s not happy about the pregnancy. Her friend did though, and made sure to bring up finances. Possibly the one realistic reaction.

Again, who am I to say? How many men from a one night stand would be supportive? How many non-profit office administrators can afford to live along in a Brooklyn brownstone? Not many, but somehow it works.

Overall, this was a beautiful story!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!