I fully admit pregnancy stories aren’t something I usually pick up, but Dial Press has been putting out such interesting and unique stories I had to read this one. It is so well done and has such great commentary on friendships, family, romance, and motherhood. I actually think it’s a bit more contemporary fiction than romance and it is a bit of a genre blend. I think I would have liked a bit more on the ending (maybe an epilogue?) because it felt rushed, but overall I enjoyed it!

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely LOVED this book!! I am such a sucker for sweet romances, especially when it first starts out as childhood best friends to then realizing they are each others’ soul mates once they’re adults.

I loved every single character - they each had likable & relatable personalities and each served a purpose in the storyline. When Eve gets pregnant, her new life begins and it is such a beautifully written book where I felt right there with her - feeling every emotion, symptom, and pain.

I fell in love with both Ethan and Shep and the ending had me in tears. Highly highly recommend to fans of mushy, gushy romance. 💛

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Eve found herself expecting following a one night stand, and it resulted in a most eye-opening and life changing experience.

I read this book from the perspective of a single mom. I was 21 when I found myself in a similar situation, and I can attest to sharing so many of the feelings Eve experienced. I thought Bastone did a beautiful job conveying and helping me understand Eve's emotional journey. Pregnancy can be scary, amazing, overwhelming, and a million other things, and I felt all of that along with Eve.

This was a story about a life-changing experience, but it was told with so much humor. Eve and her gang were a fun and funny group. I loved spending time with them, and I especially liked how strong their bond was. Though this situation was difficult for Eve's best friend, Willa, who was dealing with fertility issues, Willa was still a pillar of support for Eve. But the most wonderful source of endless kindness and assistance was Shep.

As the best friend's brother, Shep had been part of Eve's life in some capacity for a long time, but she was blind to what an incredible man he was. As I previously mentioned, Eve's pregnancy was eye-opening, and one of the things she began to see was Shep. He was such a beautifully formed cinnamon roll. So thoughtful and sweet, and you had to be oblivious to not see how much he loved and adored Eve.

Bastone put a lot of time and effort into all the relationships in this book. It was interesting to see how each character reacted to Eve's pregnancy, even the way her much older brothers reacted. Their feelings and emotions were a mixed bag, but none more than baby-daddy Ethan. I personally had a very complicated relationship with him. I think that one hit too close to home, but Bastone did provide reasons and allowed his arc to play out in a satisfying way.

The one thing I am struggling with is calling this a romance. The story just seemed to focus so much on Eve, her pregnancy, the way her life was affected, and the things she discovered about herself that it didn't feel like a romance to me. Shep was very present in the story, and Eve's evolving emotions related to him were explored, but I still feel the romance was more of a side plot. To be clear, that by no means diminished my adoration for this book, but I think it's important to set expectations properly.

Overall, I found this to be a touching tale that was filled with humor, snappy banter, heart, emotion, and warmth. I related on quite some level with Eve's personal journey, and therefore, felt so much. It was a pleasure to see Eve grow, evolve, find love and fulfillment, and become a mother.

Eve Hatch meets a guy named Ethan Rise in a bar has a one night stand and gets pregnant. As she tells everyone including her best friend who is married and has been dealing with fertility issues. Her best friend Willa is upset but her brother Shep is so excited for Willa. Eve then tells Ethan the one night stand and he's shocked and tells Eve he has a girlfriend.

Eve decides she's going to keep the baby. Then deals with the pregnancy. Shep is so sweet and is just the best. I ❤️ Shep.

This was a cute heartwarming book. I really enjoyed it. I laughed and cried so many happy tears. Such a fantastic book.

Upon initial cover review, I thought to myself: Juno??? Josh and Gemma Make a Baby? Josie Hale?

Then I thought to myself: What is up with the "J" alliteration and pregnancy stories?

After I spent (too much) time tossing this over in my head, I took the leap and really got into this one! From the friendships to the family dynamics, family drama and ultimately BABY drama ... this book accomplished so much without even feeling like the Jerry Springer show that I had anticipated.

This is a sweet and touching book with strong characters, both in development and in personality. The storyline is JUSt unique enough to keep it fresh but the dynamics between the characters pulled at my heart strings and that is what I loved the most.

I absolutely loved joining her on her journey of an unexpected pregnancy. From the first trimester, it was realistic, relatable. The process and feelings really get you. The love for her best friends brother melted my heart, it took time. It was slow and sweet but just right.

I absolutely loved this little book! My first 5 star read of the year (finally!). When Eve is surprised to find out she's pregnant after a one night stand, her life starts to unravel. Every relationship in her life starts to open her eyes, even the one with her best friend Willa's brother, Shep. Eve starts to realize that maybe the relationship between her and him hasn't always been just friendship. Especially when he starts stepping up to the plate when her one-night stand baby daddy is all sorts of complicated hasn't. Eve's character is quirky, and fun loving, and I found myself laughing throughout. The chemistry between her and Shep was top tier, and this book was so executed so well. It was heartfelt and so much fun. Amazing character development throughout many of the characters too. You won't be disappointed!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Cara Bastone so far, so I was very nervous when I saw a lot of people I follow giving her latest, Ready or Not, negative reviews. With criticisms ranging from “this isn’t a capital-R romance” to issues with the pregnancy plotline, I was very uneasy. But while I can see where some of the critiques, especially of the latter are coming from, I actually really liked this book, and feel like given the regressive history of the genre towards pregnancy (if I ever read another contemporary romance that has a “convenient” third-act pregnancy that can’t be CWed again, I will literally blow a gasket), I say some progress is better than none.
A big part of Eve’s arc is that she’s never given parenthood much of a thought, and whether this is something that poses an issue for you will depend on your perspective. But given she never outright said she never wanted kids, it didn’t bother me. And I do think the exploration into her own family dynamics, with her being a “surprise” baby to much-older parents does help to color her perspective. While I’m an oldest, wanted child, both my mom and my much-younger siblings were the result of similar situations as “surprise” babies, so it was fun to read about a character like that, and how that dynamic impacted them. And it was genuinely sweet to see how Eve evolved through the duration of the pregnancy itself.
And while I wanted a little bit more nuance as far as reproductive choice goes, as well as an acknowledgment of Eve’s privileged position, I did appreciate that there was at least some of that as her relationship with her best friend, Willa, hit some challenges in their relationship. Willa is known to have been trying to have children with her husband, and the later revelation of how difficult her journey has been hit hard.
And while I also did have some issues with how things went initially with Eve’s child’s father, especially in terms of his new girlfriend, I also did like how the story highlighted the awkwardness of having a child with someone when you’re not in a relationship, and I liked how they did work things out in the end so they could both be in the child’s life.
And while Shep doesn’t have the biggest presence on the page as far as romantic leads go, with this book being very focused on Eve’s personal journey, I did like what we got of him. I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers, and I find this newer approach to romance of having the romantic arc feel less pronounced mainly works if the characters have history together. I can see why it wouldn’t work if the romantic arc is what you read for, but given Shep doesn’t have an arc of his own, I feel like the book handled it the best it could, given the circumstances.
While I enjoyed this book, and many others seemingly did, I do admit that my jaded nature toward the worst offenders when it comes to the surprise pregnancy trope has led me to be rather lenient. If this is a trope that you’re picky about, I do encourage you to seek out other, more critical reviews as well, for more context. But if this is a trope you enjoy, and you’re okay with the protagonist’s personal journey sometimes overwhelming the romance, I recommend checking this out.

Unexpectedly delightful! "Ready or Not" pleasantly surprised me, considering my aversion to pregnancy tropes. Eve's journey was touching, Shep was adorably endearing, and Willa felt refreshingly authentic. Ethan's tears might've been excessive, but overall, I'm thrilled I gave this a chance. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.. While I might not have chosen it independently, I wholeheartedly recommend it now!

I am one of the few readers who is a fan of the unexpected pregnancy trope, assuming it is written well. While this book does revolve around an unexpected pregnancy it is pretty different than the typical unexpected pregnancy romance.

Eva finds out she is pregnant and has to figure out how her life will change. I enjoyed watching her discover who she wanted to be and how her relationships needed to evolve. I appreciated that Eve, Willa, and Shep all dealt with the curve balls life threw them with maturity. It would have been easy for them to put their own feeling first but they all truly wanted to support each other.

I struggled a little bit to decide if this book should be categorized as a romance. There was definitely a romance that I really enjoyed but the larger plot was about Eve growing up and becoming a parent. I will say I don't think people uninterested in reading about the experience of pregnancy, including descriptions of giving birth, will enjoy this one. It isn't a small part of the plot.

Ready or Not is well written and a beautiful story about what makes a family. The characters were really well written and Step is the perfect cinnamon roll hero. Fans of a slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance will adore this one!

🌶️🌶️🌶️- This is a very slow-burn book, but once we do get to the spice it is pretty descriptive and well written.

Eve Hatch's life is a mess. She works as a lowly admin at her dream conservation organization, her best friend is pulling away, and she winds up unexpectedly pregnant from a one-night stand. The only person who shows up for her is Shep, her best friend's goofy older brother.

I absolutely adored this story. I know not everyone enjoys an accidentally pregnant trope, but I do, especially when it's well done. And Cara Bastone did this trope justice! The pregnancy is a catalyst for changing what's stuck for Eve; her love life, her job, and her relationship with Willa, her best friend. The writing is quirky and engaging while pulling at universal truths; that change is frightening and demanding what you need even more so. Plus the romance is heart-tuggingly sweet. A friends-to-lovers, slow burn, he loved her THE ENTIRE TIME delight.

Words cannot describe how beautiful this story is, and I’m afraid that no amount of compliments will do this novel justice.

Eve is everything you could want in a main character: loyal, vulnerable, and has the most truly human inner monologue (that also made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself a few times). Along with Eve, we get some pretty amazing supporting characters who are written so well and are dynamic in their own right.

Bastone’s writing is absolutely stunning. The connection I had with these characters and their wide range of emotions, from grief to nerves to overwhelming love, was impeccably done. It’s so hard to believe that this rollercoaster was only 400 pages. So much was packed in, and yet nothing felt rushed or left out.

Ready or Not is the easiest 5-stars I’ve ever given, hands down. My only wish is that I could wipe it from my memory to read it again for the first time.

TW: grief, loss of parent, loss of pregnancy, infertility

This was a very good story. Eve has a one night stand with a bartender and gets pregnent. She is shocked but handles better than her BFF Willa. Willa had been trying to get pregnant for quite awhile and was upset that her friend was pregnant before her. It took awhile, but she finally got over it only to freak out at the birthing classes. Eve understood but felt sad anyway. Ethan (the bartender) had just gotten back with his girlfriend, who didn't want him to have anything to do with her. Willa's brother, Shep, was around all the time and they gradually admitted to having feelings for each other. Eve thought it was pregnancy hormones, but it really wasn't. The hospital scene while she was giving birth was great The two guys worked together to get her little bundle delivered.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I love Bastone's writing, it just pulls the emotion right off the page. She does an amazing job of exactly that with this story and handles the difficult pregnancy trope with care. I adored this book.

This was SO GOOD! I usually hate the unexpected pregnancy trope but this one was so well done I couldn't help but love it. The characters were so funny and lovable. The plot was executed perfectly. The ending got me in my feels. I read this book in less than 24 hours, I was so hooked. When this book comes out, I am buying it ASAP!!!

To begin, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for allowing me to read an ARC of Ready or Not by Cara Bastone.

Ready or Not is about Eve, who begins the book with one of the more significant plot twists of her life, she is pregnant from a great, but rare one-night stand. The book follows her on her pregnancy journey, and all the changes this little life pushes Eve to consider and work through, changes that include love, friendship, career, and the meaning of family.

I really, really loved this book. I mean simply put when we are looking at this from a romance angle, the love interest Shep....omg is this man wonderful. He is so full of love and life and joy. I just really loved him. I also really loved in the author's note how the author talked about how a lot of her male characters, Shep included, are inspired by her husband, and that felt so believable to me. I think sometimes really wonderful male romance leads are discussed as being unrelatable and viewed in almost a fantastical sense, and I love that the author took the time to clarify that and remind us that people who would love and treat their partner like Shep does are very real indeed (I am also married to one!). But Eve! I love love loved Eve. She felt messy and real in a way that I loved and as someone who has been through two pregnancies, it felt really relatable to me. Pregnancy is hard, both physically and mentally, and I loved watching her go through that process, especially as it was her first pregnancy, so a lot of what you watch her go through are the huge mental and life changes of being pregnant. It is so weird to wrap your head around the fact that your life is so much more complex, and so much bigger. While my first pregnancy didn't come with as much surprise as Eves did, I was still young and went through a lot of the mental and emotional shifts she did.

Simply put there was a lot to love about this book and I would definitely recommend it!

I could not get into this book. I tried. There were too many rambling thoughts interspersed with dialogue that seemed to have lost its way. Possibly the book gets better further in, but it lost me.

Such a cute and sweet read! Eve ends up pregnant from a one night stand and her whole world changes. Her best friend, Willa, has been struggling with infertility and the pregnancy takes a toll on their friendship. When Eve feels like she’s all alone in this, Willa’s brother, Shep, ends up being the one person who is genuinely happy for her and wants to do anything to help her. After being life long friends, Eve isn’t sure if it’s the hormones from being pregnant or if there might be something with Shep. Meanwhile, baby daddy, Ethan, could give Eve whiplash with his back and forth on if he wants to be involved with the baby and remain in her life, after they had such a connection the night of their one night stand. It’s a really well written book and I adored the characters! Ready or Not will be published February 13, 2024 so make sure you preorder, as it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day!! Thank you so much to The Dial Press (Random House) and NetGalley for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

Thanks @netgalley @thedialpress and @carabastone for the chance to read an ARC of Ready or Not. It releases on February 13, 2024.

When Eve accidentally gets pregnant after a one-night stand, it upends all of the relationships in her life. Her best friend Willa struggles with being supportive while also dealing with her own fertility issues. Ethan, the baby's father, is in a...complicated...situation, which makes it difficult to figure out how involved he will be in her life. And Willa's older brother Shep keeps showing up when Eve needs him, becoming an unexpected support person. Is it the pregnancy hormones that are making her notice how his broad shoulders and fresh bread smell?

Cara writes with realness and humor about what it's like to be pregnant and making peace with the fact your life will never be the same. She has an incredible sense of humor. I love love LOVED her voice and can't wait to read her next books.

Steam: 🔥🔥 (very slow burn)
Tropes: Best friend's brother, accidental pregnancy

3.75 (rounded up)

This was a like not a love for me. I have no problem with the surprise pregnancy trope. That was well done! I think my issue is that the main character, Eve, seemed like a better fit with Ethan (the father of the baby). She didn’t seem to have much in common with Shep besides the fact that he loved her. I just didn’t totally fall for their relationship! It actually read more like women’s fiction to me, which is fine. Just not what I was expecting from what is billed as a “rom com.” It was well written, & there were some moments that I absolutely loved. I look forward to reading other books by this author!