Pregnancy is a miracle. But sometimes it's hard to remember that it is a miracle, if it's unexpected, if you're a single woman, if your best friend's been dealing with infertility, and when your feet are so swollen it hurts to stand. 

Despite the challenges, Cara Bastone's Ready or Not is a love letter to pregnancy, and about discovering love in the midst of the process. Eve Hatch (lots of winking in this name) is a single woman living the best life she can with what she's been granted in life. She dreams of a better job while she works admin at her dream company, her best friends and found family live in the same borough, and she's tailored her apartment just the way she likes. But one fun night on the town and a one night stand later, the cracks begin to show after she discovers she's pregnant. Where will she fit a baby in her perfectly crafted but tiny apartment? How is her pregnancy affecting her relationship with her best friend who has been dealing with infertility for years? Will she take a promotion at work, even if it takes her farther away from her dream job? And will she risk a years-long friendship to see if the overwhelming feelings she has for the most thoughtful man she's ever known could be something?

The struggles of pregnancy, physical and emotional, are portrayed so lovingly yet candidly. Bastone accurately conveys the tornado of confusing emotions that pregnant women experience: desperation, worry, joy, horniness. She also reveals the emotions and struggles of infertility, but also the difficulties of being the friend to infertility. The feelings of uselessness and helplessness, and feeling utterly impotent in what to say and do around someone struggling with it. She also describes well the insecurities of early to mid career women, yearning to succeed but feeling stuck by circumstances, education, bills, lack of time, and/or lack of opportunity. 

So to say this book really spoke my life experiences into existence is an understatement :). A good book doesn't necessarily exactly mirror your life, but you will see reflections of yourself or your life in moments, character traits, and emotions felt by the characters. All this to say, this is a good book.

With the content I would categorize this book more as women's lit than romance, but romance readers will not regret reading this story. The only critique I would have would be an abundance of metaphors that felt forced in some parts. I admired her creativity with some of them, but at times I felt they broke up the flow of the writing too much. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm already a big Cara Bastone fan and have read all her books, including her exceptional Amazon Audible Original stories. I highly recommend you check them out!

Content Warnings: Infertility, talk of pregnancy loss, pregnancy, talk of abortion, birth, grief, parental death

4/5 stars, and thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, Dial Press, and Cara Bastone for the eARC. Ready or Not is on sale February 13, 2024.

Thank you to the publisher for the eArc!

I’ve read Cara Bastone’s audible originals and novels and absolutely adored them, so I was super excited to see a new book from her. I’m also happy to report that this book did not disappoint! It was incredibly sweet and I loved it to bits.

I think that the love interest in this book, Shep, may take the crown for one of the best I’ve read. He is so sweet and caring while still being a grounded character. This was such a good friends to lovers story that didn’t feel too angsty, and instead was all about the slow realization which I LOVED.

When I started this book it took me a bit to get into the writing style. This is partially because it did start off feeling a little bit too quirky. However that feeling didn’t last and I ended up loving it.

Overall, this book felt like such a warm hug. It’s a really strong 4.5 for me and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who wants to swoon over a love interest.

A beautiful book and an incredibly worthwhile read. I haven't been a huge fan of surprise pregnancy when I've come across it before, but this story felt like the trope done right and covered with a massive amount of thought and care, often subverting expectations. The synopsis presents this primarily as a romance, and while it is a major plotline, the tale also effortlessly weaves in friendship, grief and humor as well as featuring not only a strong growth journey arc for main character Eve but also for several secondary characters. The romance between Eve and Shep works splendidly due to there already being so much history between the two of them as they've known each other since they were kids and them being such believable close friends with oodles of easy chemistry at the beginning, and the slow build of Eve's feelings is well done since Shep is willingly present for all her needs throughout the pregnancy, coming through in the clutch. I appreciated the many words of wisdom and honest observations included about both pregnancy and motherhood; it's obvious that this was written by someone who has experienced all of this firsthand, and I was blown away to discover in the Behind the Book section at the end that Bastone wrote it during her two successive pregnancies. I hope many other readers find joy in this wonderful book! Even though it's only February, I can already declare that this will easily be among my favorites of the year.

*I received an early copy for review. This is my opinion.*

I did not know what to expect (ha) when starting this book. Pregnancy is a topic I avoid in the media I consume, but since the book begins at the beginning of the pregnancy and it's not used to push our MCs together, I decided to give it a shot.

I am so glad I did.

Eve's pregnancy was so relatable, through her misery at the beginning, to the burst of energy in the second trimester, to the final blackouts during labor. It felt real in a way that was not triggering or traumatizing for a person who has historically felt very squicky about pregnancy. (My own pregnancy was traumatizing in the final trimester, hence my avoidance.)

Shep is exactly the opposite of what you'd expect from a book boyfriend (okay, he's tall and hot with broad shoulders so not *exactly* the opposite). He's awkward and sort of generally floppy and weird (in a cute way) and I LOVE HIM.

Ready or Not weaves a beautifully rich story of family and friends, pregnancy and new beginnings, and is such a heartwarming read. Highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, The Dial Press (Random House) and Cara Bastone for the arc!

I don't know if a book has ever made me laugh out loud, giggle and kick my feet, and sob uncontrollably within such a short period of time.

This book follows Eve as she discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant and has to figure out how to navigate life with this unknown future ahead of her. She deals with baby daddy drama, work problems, a best friend who is less than supportive due to her own personal issues, and trying to figure out what she wants from her life. Her best friend's brother, Shep, steps up to help her with the day-to-day as her pregnancy progresses.

Can I just say Shep might be my favorite book boyfriend ever? He is adorably clumsy, gangly, and a tad awkward. He's also hilarious, thoughtful, and so sweet. Shep deserves EVERYTHING!!!!

One of my favorite parts of this book was how much I genuinely liked all the characters. Eve had me cracking up with her inner monologue, and I was genuinely rooting for her story.

I am so thankful I had the chance to read this book early! It releases February 13, and y'all NEED to read it!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing, NetGalley, and Cara Bastone for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While Cara is an auto-buy author for me, I sadly did not connect as emotionally with this book as I had hoped. I do not know what caused the disconnect but I found myself interested in the side characters more than with Eve. Her support group was so fantastic! I also wish we had more of Shep.

Overall this was a good book, but Cara's past books have been great! I look forward to reading her next.

Huge thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh this cover is just absolutely BEAUTIFUL! This was the perfect valentines day read. This book had beautiful characters, a ton of heartwarming moments and all under the backdrop/location of NYC! I love the found family threads throughout. Just overall, this was wonderful. Thank you so much for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this story and especially Eve, the main character. She (and all the characters) were people you could root for, yet were still working their way through complicated situations. The move story was sweet. Definitely feel good!

This review will be posted to Goodreads on 02/05/2024 and Amazon, once released.

Eve and Shep, a match made in the stars! After a night of reuniting with her childhood friends, Eve finds herself pregnant from a random bartender and lost in her ways — enter Shep to the rescue!
I absolutely loved Eve’s journey to motherhood and figuring it out as she goes, while battling her feelings between Ethan (baby daddy) and Shep (childhood crush). Her feelings and thoughts were so valid and raw, you felt them through the pages and could relate so well. Shep is every boyfriend goal — supportive, loving, and pretty much a mind reader. They’re both working through grief of lost loved ones and keep finding their way back to each other, that’ll make you swoon.
While following Eve and Shep’s story, you also relate to Ethan trying to find his place in their lives and where he fits best in all of this. The book wrapped up so well and you got the happy ending without obstruction!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for this ARC, I can’t wait for everyone to be able to enjoy this book!

this book really did something to my heart.

like wow. for me, this book is more like a character driven story rather than a plot driven story. i always adore this kind of book.

the characters writing in this story is absolutely incredible for me. maybe it's not exactly the same from the usual romance book that i have read but the way this book display each characters are very realistic in my opinion. like, if they are exist in real world, i won't question it.

this book is an "Eve" journey through pregnancy and i feel connected to her also feels what she's going through even though i haven't experienced a pregnancy yet. definitely an emotional roller coaster, when eve sad i'm sad, when eve happy then i'm happy. i cried so many times too because of her story.

at some point maybe some character did annoyed me a little bit but i also understand why they did that because the book showed us that every person has their own struggle to face everyday. this kind of part is what made me cry. especially her connection with her best friend, willa. their friendship has been through a lot and there are a lot of lesson i can learn from them.

shep, our mmc, he is such a ball of sunshine. he is too always happy but still need to face his own struggle. i love how he is VERY supportive to eve, so many small gestures that showed that he cares for her no matter what. such an incredible human being.

there are so many characters in this books that build the story revolving around eve. even the nurse character in this book did have a pretty major important existence to for eve's journey.

there are so many things i can learn from not just eve, but also all the people in this book. the feels after finishing the book is like a warm blanket wrapping around your heart<3

I had not ready any of Cara Bastone's novels, but was intrigued by the cover art and summary. I am so glad I requested the book, as I really liked the story and Bastone's writing. A strong 4 stars for me!

Ready or Not is a lovely and heart-warming read about meaningful relationships and the journey of becoming a parent. Eve, after uncharacteristically having a one-night stand, is (surprise!) pregnant. The entire novel is set over the next 9 months as Eve navigates the issues her unplanned pregnancy creates for her long-term relationships and her floundering career, while also navigating the unknown of whether the father (Ethan) will be involved. Eve leans on her childhood friend Shep, who also happens to be her best friend's brother. Over the course of her pregnancy, Eve's views of the world and perceptions of the people in her life evolve, as she learns to accept help and love from unexpected places.

It was refreshing to read a contemporary romance that felt realistic and raw, and where the romance took a bit of a back seat in the overall story. I found Eve to be so relatable, and Shep was swoon worthy. Bastone's character development made me feel I really knew the characters, and I appreciated that the men in the story were good-guy heroes, even with their faults. Her writing was heartfelt, and she perfectly captured the emotions and mindset of a new mom-to-be, which makes sense given she wrote this while pregnant.

This novel will be released February 13, 2024. If you are a fan of contemporary romances, friends-to-lovers, slow-burns, NYC settings, witty banter, brave female characters, and/or thoughtful yet sexy heroes, I would add this to your TBR list!

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

I loved this book! It was my first read by Cara Bastone and it definitely did not disappoint.
I found the characters loveable and relatable, and the story just got better and better as the chapters went on.
The relationship development among the characters was believable, I was rooting for them throughout the story and was thoroughly delighted with the ending.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this e-ARC!

I loved it! If you love accidental pregnancy and friends to lovers, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Eve Hatch is living her dream. She's (kinda) working what she dreamed of doing and she lives close to her best friend and now her best friends brother.

But now it's been in all kinds of chaos. After a one night stand, she finds out she's pregnant. And that best friend is struggling being a best friend. (Still love Willa tho, she kicks butt). The one night stand is coming with some complications. It's Willas brother Shep who's really stepping up when she needs someone.

Oh you guys, I binged it in a day. I've read (listened to) two of Cara's books before and I really enjoyed both. This book really deep dives into surprise pregnancy and all the feelings that come with it when you're essentially by yourself. The doubts, the loneliness. It was really heartbreaking at times. She also is fluctuating in her job with new opportunities. A lot of change!

And Shep. I loved, loved, loved Shep. He was top tier guy. The way he would put so many before himself? Ain't no guys like that I've ever met!

The book was lovely and that first kiss! Oh that was so dreamy. And such a slow burn.

Ready or Not is my first Cara Bastone book, and I was surprisingly disappointed by it. I have been wanting to read one of her books for a long time, and so I had high expectations that I would like her writing. Part of me now wants to declare her "not for me," but this book is different enough from many of my usual romance novels that I might decide to revisit her writing at some point. I also felt that the author was unreservedly pro-baby and pro-pregnancy, and since I am much more ambivalent on this subject, a different book from her might prove to be a better fit for me.

Still, the pro-baby/pregnancy theme niggled away at me throughout the entire book and left me feeling a little soured and confused for the entire read. For one thing, Eve is a low-wage office worker in a seemingly dead-end job for the early parts of the book, living a carefree life in Brooklyn, enjoying good times with friends, especially her best friend Willa, until she finds herself in the surprising state of pregnancy from a one-night stand with a stranger. We find out in the course of the book that Eve is not a terribly reflective person, but instead, drifts through life without having yet made many important decisions or goals. She even spends all of her paycheck frivolously decorating her shoebox of an apartment to create the perfect vibe. I mean, she sounds like lots of us in our twenties, and I'm fine with that. However, when she finds out that she is pregnant, she forges ahead without reflection on having a baby. That plot decision from the author filled me with so much anxiety because I cannot imagine having a baby in my twenties as a single person with no family around and no way to financially support, and having it with a stranger who is undecided on what role, if any, he wants to play, without at least some doubts about having it. Honestly, Ethan, the biological father made more sense to me as a developed character because he has a story arc filled with reflection and contradictions and complexity. Eve, by contrast, is pro baby from the start, and that just did not feel realistic. There is no back story where Eve explains that she has secretly always wanted a child. On the contrary, she acknowledges that having a baby was never something she gave thought to doing. So I'm left with a feeling that the author is pro-baby and shows readers that having a baby will in the end bring joy and completion to a person's life. That is essentially the plot of Eve's story.

The romance falls prey to the same lack of introspection and reflection as the baby narrative. Shep is the brother of Eve's best friend, and he has been in love with Eve forever. He exists in the story to support Eve. He has few layers, and as a result, he feels completely unrealistic or interesting to me as a romance hero.

This is a story where just about all problems are neatly wrapped up by the end in a pretty heavy handed sentimental account of how Baby is the answer. I think though this book could have been a far more interesting story of the joys of parenthood if more complexity and nuance had been allowed.

[arc review]
Thank you to Random House Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Ready or Not releases February 13, 2024

3.5

<i>Ready or Not</I> follows the course of Eve’s pregnancy from the moment she finds out she’s expecting up until her the birth of her child.
It explores many types of relationships:
- stepping into motherhood
- navigating co-parenting with the one-night stand that got you pregnant
- falling in love with your childhood friend
- the highs and lows of sharing the experience with your best friend who has been trying to get pregnant for years and finds it a difficult time/sore spot
- strengthening sibling bonds

This was well written for sure, but lacked a little something for me that I can’t quite pinpoint.

Shep was so perfect… maybe too perfect? That man was an all around good guy and literally had no faults; I wanted so badly for him to have his own main character moment.
It took Shep and Eve so long to realize their feelings when it was painfully obvious to me — the slow burn was SLOW.

Ethan was such a weak doormat for the most part. I mean, he got there in the end, but if you’re going to hit on another woman and sleep with them while you’re on a break in your relationship, be a man and own up to it! I wanted him to be more sure of himself instead of being afraid of his girlfriend.

I also wanted a bit more from Willa. There was some progress made when they started to have a conversation about how hard it was seeing Eve pregnant, but then it started to feel unresolved again when she ghosted Eve at her birthing class.

And lastly, Nurse Louise was such an underrated character! Her and Shep really carried the book.

This was a sweet novel. I have nothing bad to say about it but couldn't give it a full five stars due to the subject matter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Slow burn
- Best friend’s brother
- Friends to lovers

I’m not going to lie, going in to the book I was super hesitant because the tropes were definitely not my favorites 🫣 but if any book is going to make me enjoy a unplanned pregnancy, friends to lovers it’s going to be this one! This story was so witty and full of love 💖 I truly loved the characters in this book, especially Shep. Shep is the definition of golden retriever boyfriend! Just the kindest soul and just so supportive of Eve during her journey for whatever she needs! As for Eve, she was so funny and I enjoyed her character becoming more sure of herself throughout her pregnancy. Each character in this book felt very authentic as they each processed the news of Eve’s pregnancy differently. This is one of those stories that feels so “real” and the author did an amazing job making you feel as if you are going along on this journey with Eve.


Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this e-ARC! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 🌟 I really loved this book, it was just the sweetest romance. Shep is such a golden retriever and I loved every second of it. Ethan pissed me off but then once he figured out what he wanted I really loved him too.

REVIEW
cw: pregnancy, childbirth, fertility issues, mentions of miscarriage, controlling behaviour, grief, and bereavement
When Eve discovers she's pregnant after a one-night stand, the friendships she thought she knew start to change.
I had to squeal for several minutes after I finished this story because it was just SO adorable. From the start I loved Eve. She had a hilariously awkward, yet relatable sense of humour both verbally and in her inner monologues. That first appointment at the OBGYN cracked me up so much, but I also desperately wanted to hug Eve. I found the development of her thoughts, from finding out she was pregnant, to what that actually meant especially relatable. The parts with Ethan were SO well written and painfully common for many women. The scene where she told Ethan (and he revealed his own news) were so realistically awkward, and though he wasn’t anywhere near as useful as he could have been early on, I really grew to love him. His journey was refreshingly sincere. I especially loved his conversation with Shep, and I would LOVE him to get his own story (hints). I really loved Dustin, Eve's brother, and the reveal about his past relationship broke my heart. Eve's changing friendship with her best friend Willa was poignant, and I imagine relatable to so many people who have struggled with their fertility. I was so relieved when they finally opened up to each other and my respect for Willa only grew.
Willa's brother, Shep, was SUCH a sweetheart. I don't have enough words to describe how much I absolutely ADORED this man. My heart broke for him when he spoke about his own grief, and chapter nine was so beautifully written. Strike that. Every. Single. Scene between him and Eve was perfect. The haircut? The cinema? The apartment? The bike? All of the little arrows? My heart grew bigger with every scene he was in. I can't help but wonder if Cara Bastone intentionally gave Shep a traditional dog name because he was such a golden retriever boyfriend. He was such a good boy. Seriously. The GOODEST boy (I know this will sound weird to those who haven't read the book yet, but trust me on this). He was such a faithful companion, and friend, and always knew exactly how to calm Eve. I particularly loved the gentle evolution of their friendship, the lack of drama, and how calming Shep was with Eve. These things only made the intimacy between them more adorable, more hilarious, and yet also incendiary.
There were just so many beautiful and poignant moments in this story, but at the heart of it was love, friendship, and found family, in all their various guises. I realise this is a big statement, but this was quite possibly one of my favorite books. Ever. It's definitely going to be hard to beat for my favourite book of 2024.
Utterly gorgeous, and left me grinning through happy tears.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. Ready or Not is released on 6th February in the UK*

Favourite Quotes:

Don’t worry, Eve, your body is taking care of you.

“I listen when you talk, Eve.”

"Thank you,” I whisper down to my belly.
“Thank you.”
Thank you for kicking in the first place and thank you for kicking when I was flat up against someone who loves me. Thank you for letting someone else remember this moment, treasure it with a hand against my body.

This here is a man who knows me. And I feel known.

"...you being comfortable in my house is pretty much the only criteria I’m currently using for picking a place.”

“Eve, for as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be as close as possible to you.”

"I truly can’t take it. I want to use you like a cat scratch pole.”

“Falling asleep with you like that, it’s the closest I’ve ever felt to someone. And it was a door, that moment. Don’t you think? We opened that door and then all the other moments cascaded in..."

"For me, it took my mom passing. For you, it took a monumental change like pregnancy. But we got here.”
“We’re here now,” I agree.
“Finally,” he whispers. And I love that word.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. I loved it so incredibly much. It just kept getting better and better and better.

My heartstrings were pulled in so many directions. My heart felt full. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I was overjoyed. It was just all so so amazing. I loved the journey of friendships and the romance as well as the personal one Eve goes on. It just such a beautiful book.

It has such a delicious slow burn that just builds and builds and is so satisfying when something happens my heart just wanted to burst.

This book was real and raw and one of the best surprise/accidental pregnancy I’ve read tbh. So if you love this trope then I highly highly recommend.