was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!

I think this is the first unexpected pregnancy trope I’ve read and I thought I was going to hate that aspect but it was done so well.

Shep is the epitome of a golden retriever boyfriend and I loved him so much! Cara Bastone did such a great job at giving all of the characters in this story really great development throughout.

Overall, this was such a cute and feel good read that gave me the exact feelings I look for in a good romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

I enjoyed reading Eve’s story. She starts as a surface level happy person but after a one night stand leaves her pregnant, she has to reevaluate things as she goes throughout this pregnancy journey. She does this with interactions between the baby daddy, Ethan, and her. Then there’s her relationship with her lifelong best friend, Willa, & Willa’s older brother, Shep. There’s also a bit with her much older brothers (her parents have passed away). I like how the story is split into each trimester and what she learns as the pregnancy progresses. Highly recommend this one to see what she decides she wants and needs out of life.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely.

holy shit. i THOROUGHLY enjoyed this. like, i was hootin and hollerin, CRIED A FEW TIMES, and had overall grand ol’ fun reading this.

i thought the pregnancy bit was gonna be scarier but i actually liked what it added to the story and there was low key a love triangle…but like a solid, realistic one…and that’s all i’ll say on that! 🫣 now go read this asap rocky!!!

Cara Bastone does it again! I always enjoy her wholesome, and well written plot lines, this was no different!

Read if you love:
-Slow Burns
-Unexpected Pregnancies
-Real Life realities
-Best Friend's Brother
-Friends to Lovers

Eve was such a relatable FMC! She is a midwestern girl who is chasing big dreams in New York with her best friend. She is the type of friend you want to have in your life. Unfortunately things aren't going to plan... and she's a bit of a mess. Low and behold.... she's also pregnant! And unfortunately... the baby daddy isn't it. But.... surprisingly someone else is!

Shep is her best friend's brother. He's a reliable golden retriever type who steps up when least expected in Eve's life. I love their dynamic and the slow build of their relationship. It was so heart warming and had me REELING.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! If you are looking for heartfelt romance with minimal spice - this one is for you!

5⭐️

I loved this book so much! Ready or Not follows Eve, a woman living in New York City whose life is turned upside down when she finds out she is pregnant following a one night stand with a stranger. During this difficult time, it is her best friend’s older brother, Shep, who ends up becoming her biggest support. She always saw Shep as a good friend, but she soon starts to see him in a new light. This book was so sweet and heartwarming. While reading this book, I laughed, I cried, and I smiled uncontrollably. I would highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more from Cara Bastone.

Read this book if you like:
▫️Accidental Pregnancy
▫️Best friend’s brother
▫️Friend-to-lovers
▫️Golden retriever MMC
▫️Slow burn

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, was this not the cutest, sweetest book I've read in a while. I absolutely loved this book so much. When Eve finds out she's pregnant by her one night stand, her life is thrown in a completely new direction (as it would for anyone) but I loved the whole journey that Eve goes through in this book. It's the baby daddy that she turns to get her through all these big life changes. It's not even her best friend, or her best friend's brother. It's all her and I loved seeing how much she grew over the course of the entire book.

But of course, the bonus on top of Eve's growth was all the relationships in this book. Willa and her complicated feelings around fertility. At first, I was feeling a bit questioning her friendship with Eve, but as I learned more and more about all these characters, I felt for her so much more. It became so very clear how much Willa loved Eve and wanted to be there for her, but also in a way that wouldn’t hurt her at the same time. I loved seeing the evolution of their friendship. Ethan and his complicated feelings about the pregnancy. It was very interesting and refreshing seeing Eve and Ethan work through how to be co parents together. They had something for one night and I liked that they could acknowledge that but not fall in love with each other at the end of the book. And then Shep. Sweet, sweet Shep, who was always there in the exact right way that Eve needed. I loved his character so much. He was so excited and ready to meet Eve at whatever feeling she was feeling and supported her the best way he could. Their banter was so cute and funny and I was giggling whenever the two of them were on page together.

This book was just so fun and so easy to read, but also equally emotional and had me teary eyed at certain points. Definitely a new favorite for the year!

this was so, so cute. it is definitely more women’s fiction than it is romance, but I absolutely loved the story.

shep was everything!!! how he cared for eve and processed what I’m sure was somewhat devastating news from his starting point in this story made me so emo (in a good way). he was light, he was love, he was every beautiful bit of this story.

my main complaint is really just how open-ended this book finishes. this book really needed an epilogue, especially considering the dynamic that ethan, shep, and eve took on during her labor. how that progresses feels really important to me and this story, so I feel like I missed out.

I also feel like eve was way too forgiving of willa at the start, and I would have also preferred her to be more firm with ethan. a lot just felt like it was floating in the unknown, and it didn’t fully feel settled by the end.

Reading this was a good time. I think it does a great job showing realistic thoughts during pregnancy and it was great. It did the typical 'everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow.' I can definitely see a large crowd loving this, but I also know that a good portion of romance readers don't typically veer towards pregnancy romance.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

Thank you Cara Bastone, Random House Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the e-arc. These opinions are my own, and left voluntarily.

Cara Bastone is an auto-buy author for me. I genuinely enjoy everything she puts out - her novels are easy reads, fast paced, and just so cute.

Unpopular opinion, but I LOVE accidental pregnancy tropes. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this book to see that it starts off right away with that (I went in blind).

I enjoyed pretty much everything about this book, except for like 2 things - which i cannot elaborate on because they are spoilers lol.

You would enjoy this book if you like:
-accidental pregnancy
-slight love triangle
-slow burn
-best friends brother
-one night stand
-found family

I think I've found my new favorite author! I loved everything about this book. Everything. I was so vested in Eve's pregnancy and all of the characters. And I fell madly in love with one of the love interests, so much so that I was tempted to read the last page to make sure they ended up together because there was a little love triangle situation. It was funny and sweet with SO MUCH PINING. This was definitely a slow burn but it was worth the wait. Well worth the wait.

I have listened to this author’s audible originals, so I was excited to see a whole by her on Netgalley!

This wouldn’t be the usual type of romance I pick up since it deals with pregnancy. It’s not a topic I steer clear of by any means, but usually when its in a book its a surprise pregnancy that pops up out of nowhere by the end. The reader understands what they are getting into in this one because it starts at the beginning. I thought it was a well done topic and shows what women can go through when they are on their own, but Eve had a great found family who helped her along the way.

I wasn’t sure where the romance would go because it kind of felt like a love triangle could have been brewing. I did figure out which one she would pick from the beginning though. The love interest was alright, but for me he was too perfect. I can’t stand when a character does everything right. It was a slow-burn at least, but they were also friends previously and so there wasn’t much development really. It was kind of a mixed bag.

There is a lot of time jumps to get through the pregnancy, sometimes they made sense and sometimes they didn’t. I was really interested from the beginning, but by the middle I was kind over the book in a way. It felt too long and even though there were a lot of plot lines, some got more page time than others. It felt like some just didn’t need to be included.

Overall, this was good but it also just felt a bit too long.

With a dash of friends to lovers, pining, found family, and the surprise pregnancy trope, Ready or Not is a fun, sweet romance that will have you smiling ear to ear.

After an unexpected one-night stand, Eve finds herself suddenly pregnant. Scared and alone, she leans on her childhood friend and her brother for help and support. As she spends more time with her best friend’s brother, she realizes that maybe there is an undeniable spark that has been there all along.

Overall, this was a sweet, heartfelt story about navigating the unexpected and finding love. I adored Eve and Shep’s relationship and how it grew into a chemistry-filled romance. Shep is such a sweetheart, always there for her and seeing the positive in people. It melted my heart!!

If you’re looking for a new romance that will sweep you off your feet, definitely keep this new read in mind.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

In Brooklyn, Eve Hatch navigates her cozy life until a surprise pregnancy shakes everything up. With her best friend Willa distant and the baby's father conflicted, Eve finds unexpected support from Willa's brother, Shep. As Eve reevaluates her relationships and future, she discovers that love and family can emerge when least expected in this heartfelt tale of self-discovery.

I absolutely adore this author’s style of writing. Though some of the plot points were not super exciting to me (I’m not a fan of the pregnancy trope), the delightful writing tone made me enjoy this book. Her blending of serious moments with cute wit is effortless and comforting. I will definitely be reading the next book by Cara. The MMC is an absolute gem. His consistent kindness and friendship wins award after award for most supportive love interest.

I mostly listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator’s performance! I hope I find her reading other books I’m interested in.

Perfect for you if you like:
Friends to lovers
Sympathetic characters
Found family after death of family members

Similar to:
Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
*these books aren’t similar in trope or plot, but if the tone of these 3 books were combined you’d get the vibe of Ready or Not

⛔️chapters 25 & 27 contain explicit romance scenes (open door)
⚠️explicit language, pregnancy, previous death of parents

TW: Unexpected pregnancy & infertility

Now, I know the pregnancy trope isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but as a mom this felt so incredibly relatable.

This book was laugh out loud funny. There were so many moments where I had to cover my laugh so I wouldn’t wake up my daughter.

On the flip side, there are also some heavy topics that are touched on, such as infertility & the feelings that can come with an unexpected pregnancy. These topics hit really hit close to home for me, and I think that they were covered in a really beautiful, honest, and realistic way. It wasn’t glamorized or idealized, and I truly appreciate that.

What I loved:
💞 Shep. I almost cried at how sweet he is at least 400 times.

💞 It felt like I was living through the book. The writing style makes you feel like you’re there - you’re having Eve’s thoughts. You’re experiencing her feelings. You’re going through everything alongside her.

💞 I feel like Eve’s brain goes a mile a minute like mine does. It didn’t feel like she was having these elegant, perfect thoughts surrounding her life.. and it felt so real.

💞 Eve’s internal dialogue is laugh out loud funny & so relatable.

💞 How they touched on the guilt that someone can
feel when they unexpectedly become pregnant when everyone around them has been yearning for a child.

💞 Finding the joy of becoming a parent.

💞 Yearning for her child to feel truly and completely wanted & chosen.

Favorite Quotes:
🍋 “If you could have been happy for me, you would have been. The fact that you couldn’t… that just shows how much pain you were in. And that’s means that you’ve been doing a lot of work to get comfortable for me. And … I love you.”

🍋 “You’re here because we all love you so much.” I’m rambling and maybe it makes sense, but sometimes the truth doesn’t make sense and that’s all right.”

🍋 “Does anyone ever get tired of being wanted? Does anyone ever get tired of wanting in return?”

🍋 “There is only one reason that anyone would ever endure something like this and it’s for the person who has yet to make an entrance. The person I’m about to meet. If I can just find the strength.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC!

This was nothing short of delightful!! A cute slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance with a surprise pregnancy that turns everyone's life around for the better.

It was so slice of life and beautifully mundane and the author really captured the day-to-day life of this woman who finds out she's pregnant from a one-night stand, while also juggling her growing feelings for her childhood best friend.

Eve and Shep had such an incredible dynamic and their blossoming relationship was so wonderful to experience. They have each other's best interests at heart always and any man that goes to the ends that Shep goes for eve just to make her happy, gets a swoon-worthy hero title from me!!

Eve's journey accepting her pregnancy and watching her avoidant attitude turn into excitement and love was so beautiful and the author depicted it in a such a real way. Surprises are alarming and jarring and exciting but it doesn't mean that anyone's journey is the same. Eve had to go through a lot of inner reflections and it was nice to see a reluctant parent turn into an all-in parent.

The only part of this book that left me feeling a little sad was Eve and Willa's best friendship. It didn't feel like a BEST FRIEND dynamic and Willa's decisions about how to navigate Eve's pregnancy was a little bittersweet.

Overall I loved this story and it had me smiling the entire time!

Thank you Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC, it comes out 2/13!

Wow, wow wow! What a heartwarmingly beautiful story with the most unique premise! This is a slow burn, accidental pregnancy contemporary romance - yup you read that right! The writing was so well done and the characters were extremely realistic and well-developed - I need Cara Bastone to immediately come out with 3 more books pronto (preferably about Willa and Isamu!) Shep stole my heart and I was rooting for Eve as she came into her own as a new mother. This was a pleasure to read and I especially loved Cara’s afterword about her own pregnancy journeys. 5/5 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 - One of my biggest issues with a lot of romance books is insta love, when the characters meet and are immediately head over heels lusting after each other with no real development. That was absolutely not the case in this book. The romantic development was slow and genuine and it crept up on me in the best way possible! By the end, I was rooting so hard for the two main characters and thought they were perfect together. Besides the romance, there were a few other subplots, which I appreciated but at certain points I felt like there was too much going on which took away from the overall experience. I also wished there were a few more chapters or an epilogue, because it felt like the entire book was building up to a certain point and not being able to see the characters beyond that made me finish the book feeling a little unsatisfied.

3.5 stars from me and with a warning note that I struggle with the accidental pregnancy trope. That said, BECAUSE it was basically on the 1st page, it didn't feel like the trope was in play as some romances do...the entire book really is about the growth of the baby at the same time as the growth of Eve.

Here's what I loved:
the cover, the growth and honestly everything about Shep. He was meticulously characterized in my opinion. His faults, his charm and the dorkiness that speaks to my heart. I love found family as well, as this was so evident in the relationship between Eve, Shep and Willa.
I also loved the connection that Eve had with Willa and Shep's mom Connie. It reminded me so much of my MIL and I.

So then why not 5 stars you ask....because it just didn't feel deep. I felt like Shep had depth but Ethan and Eve were not deep at all. I love my romances with reliability and a deep connection and this felt like it skimmed the surface.
I also feel like I had read a bunch of other contemporary romances similar so maybe it's just a "me thing".

That said, the writing flowed, it was easy to get into, and i still liked it. It just wasn't a favourite for me.

This one pleasantly surprised me. I was not expecting to get into a book where the main character is pregnant, considering pregnancy is something I’ve always known I wanted nothing to do with. But the second we met Shep, I didn’t care about anything but rooting for him. Protect that man at all costs. So good..
will be sharing review to Instagram on 2/13 and will update this with link.

This book was a very pleasant surprise for me. It's funny and cute while also being emotional and reflective, and I loved following Eve's story as she realized what she wants out of life and how to finally go get it. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!