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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this read. Oh I so liked the first 85 percent of the book until the got together and then it got a little weird for me. I don’t know. I guess as a mother with children I just found the relations part very odd. I had to skim over that and then get back to the book because that was what just killed it for me. I wanted them to wait. I just............ i mean I really liked this novel until that part.

sobbing. i loved this so much! cara bastone absolutely nailed eve and shep's story. so wonderfully thought out and intentional every step of the way; i fell in love with every character, their flaws and roles in eve's story. bastone masterfully delivers a surprise pregnancy romance filled with so much joy and love while simultaneously highlighting the fears of becoming a parent for the first time.

shep balder is THE standard, so unconditional, kind, and selfless. i could not say one bad thing about this man and the way that he cares for eve. he is her rock throughout this pregnancy, constantly reminding eve how in awe he is of her and her strength, supporting her any way that he can, his patience and kindness shining through every scene that he's in. bastone crafted the perfect human through shep balder and it is a crime he isn't real.

an easy 5 star read and a must add to your TBR list! thank you cara & dial press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 star

Thoughts: After I saw buzz about this book, I had to pick it up! This is a SLOW burn romance but honestly my favorite parts of this book was the realistic depictions of pregnancy and moving into motherhood - the fears, the struggles, family & friend dynamics, all of the emotions and feelings that go into it.

Ugh, this really disappoints me to say but this was just okay. I'm a Cara Bastone fan, but I almost prefer her audiobooks over this and I really can't pinpoint the reason for that. I feel like Ready or Not is not a romance, it's more women's fiction maybe, which isn't really my genre. The book moved super slow. I didn't love Eve, Willa or Ethan, which definitely caused some problems in enjoying the book.

Here are the good things: Great cover (really eye-catching but still calming), Shep (if we could have had more of Shep, this would be a win for me.), and it touches heavily on pregnancy in a way most books don't. If you have had a baby, you will recognize all of the feelings she has throughout the book. It made me feel seen and not alone.

I'm in the minority, but this didn't completely work for me.

This was cute! I loved how sweet Shep’s and Eve’s relationship was. This book was a little on the cheesy side for me, but overall I did enjoy it.

4.5 stars
ARC REVIEW - thanks to the dial press and Netgalley for the ARC!!
pub date : 13 Feb 2024

My heart is so full - CARA ,WHERE IS THE EPILOGUE?????? I telenovela style gasped when I turned the last page and was hit with the acknowledgements. .

Without giving too much, Bastone did a great job of fleshing out the primary and secondary relationships that felt so so real . I loved the introspection and complex relationships between the MC (Eve) and her : best friend , baby daddy and my dear boy Shep. I genuinely got teary eyed -especially towards the end- because the emphasis on community , family, motherhood ,perseverance and just the purest love was written with so much care.

The only reason this is getting a 4.5 from me is because I am clawing my way out of a reading slump which means that I wasn't as engaged as I wanted to be - I will revisit this on audio upon release though!

This book is so different than every other friends to lovers and ONS and accidental pregnancy romance out there.
I loved that the ONS/accidental pregnancy are separate from the friends to lovers.
The story is so beautifully written. It’s about friendship and moving on after loss and how to support people you love when it’s hard. It’s also about a huge unexpected life change and how lives shift to accommodate that.
I loved Shep so much. He is steadfast and loving and just so giving.
There’s a lot in this book that surprised me. It’s a quieter romance but it was excellent.

Wow, I don’t even know where to begin. This book is an absolute treasure. A gem. A cozy warm blanket. I was not expecting to swoon over this story as much as I did. Eve is such a relatable character, I saw so much of myself in her and Shep and all of his sweet perfection completely won me over. I definitely will be purchasing a physical copy of this book. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read it in advance!

I enjoyed this book so much! Eve’s journey of becoming a mom was beautifully written. None of the book felt cliche to me. It felt honest and hopeful and made me think with fondness about my own pregnancies. The depiction of Willa and Eve’s friendship, especially the ways that it changed over time and with the surprise of Eve’s pregnancy, was so raw and honest. It was one of my favorite parts of the book. I also thought that Ethan’s character was perfectly written. It was hard to hate him despite the on-again, off-again nature of his presence -- He was just figuring it out too. And Shep, of course, has my heart. Finally, I wish that every expectant mom had a Nurse Louise in their life -- I wish that I had had a Nurse Louise. I loved her the most.

View my full review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C25bZ3qg1eb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

What a beautiful book! Eve and her friends are a little messy but they are also funny, relatable, hopeful and uplifting.

I usually don’t like romances with a pregnancy trope but this book colours outside the lines enough that it’s an entirely new entity. It felt absolutely real. So powerful. The found family aspect is wonderful.

I love Cara Bastone and this book didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

4.5⭐️

Started off slow and I was not in love with some of the terminology used/joked with. It was cringey and not my style. I was very close to DNFing at about the 20% mark but I pushed through, and I’m very glad I did.

I enjoyed watching Eve’s character development and felt that so much of this story was very realistic.

**Incoming spoiler**

It was also really refreshing to read an accidental pregnancy story where the baby daddy isn’t the love interest, but also stays in the picture. I think this shows a really healthy depiction of what co parenting and non-traditional stories can look like.

I also LOVE a mutual pining story, especially when you see the guy doing small things to show his love without pressuring the girl.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for an early review copy!