Oh wow, where do I start?! I really enjoyed this more than I expected. When I tell you I stayed up until 2 am, crying my eyes out and giggling 🤭 I am not exaggerating.

The main character Eve has a wild turn of events in her life and following her journey was really endearing to follow. AND the slow burn romance in the background of it all, ahh!!!! The pay off is worth it.

All I will say is this is Shep stan account. No apologies. Read this book and you’ll agree. 😌

Overall, this is a solid read, and I think has a different spin than most pregnancy trope books out there. You’ll laugh, and you’ll definitely cry - seriously, make sure tissues are within reach. The only extra cherry on top could have been an epilogue. (translation: more please?)

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ♥️✨

Ready or Not is a new contemporary romance from Cara Bastone with found family, surprise pregnancy, slow burn, best friend’s brother, and finding love in unexpectedly. I have read and loved all of her books so I was so excited to get to this new release!

The story kicks off with Eve finding out she’s pregnant after a one-night stand hookup at a bar. To say she wasn’t expecting or ready for this life-plot twist is putting it mildly. Her own life is a mess and she discovers that others around her have expectations or issues with her newfound pregnancy, and she has to juggle their feelings as well as those of the baby’s father and her own too. We see her relationship with her childhood best friend Willa and Willa’s brother Shep, who is especially doting and sweet.

This was a very sweet, tender story about finding out you’re suddenly pregnant and the highs-and-lows of all of that. It definitely has a found family feel as well and Shep is just the sweetest soul who has been pining for decades. When he gets the bike?! Ahh, so sweet. I also liked seeing the ups-and-downs of Eve and the baby’s father and while it’s complicated, it did have a good outcome as well. Just a very “real” feeling book surrounding pregnancy and a sweet, slow burn, friends to lovers romance!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own. Ready or Not is out February 13, 2024.

First off, the cover is beautiful!! This is so wholesome and everything my empathetic heart desires. Just a book FULL of love. Shep embodies the support of a partner that everyone dreams of. I loved this, it melted me into a puddle.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and The Dial Press for my DRC.

I really enjoyed this rom com! I thought the unplanned pregnancy trope was going to be a little annoying but it was really well done -this book was appropriately emotional & funny and really drew you into the characters. I was rooting for everyone!

A one night stand, an accidental pregnancy and an absolute gem of a novel.

When Eve Hatch finds out she’s pregnant from a one night stand, her reality quickly changes. As she announces her pregnancy to her childhood best friend, she doesn’t expect Willa to withdraw from their friendship. Luckily Willa’s older brother, Shep, seems to become more and more present and supportive of Eve and her pregnancy. The baby’s dad is riding quite the emotional train for most of the pregnancy while seemingly wanting to be a part of the process in one way or another.

Accidental pregnancy has never been a trope I’d seek out but I’m so glad I read this one. I found the story to be approached in the perfect manner with characters that don’t necessarily have it all together but somehow are the perfect balance of humour, introspection and endearment. I appreciated how the pregnancy brought Eve to find clarity on her goals, dreams, career and relationships. And to finish, Shep, he’s perfection.

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖱𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗈𝗆 𝖧𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾, 𝖢𝖺𝗋𝖺 𝖡𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗇𝖾 ＆ 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝖦𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.✵

I am sad. Went from assuming it'd be a 4 star read, to hesitantly choosing a 3 star after the last page, and then finalizing on a 2 star after a headache-inducing week. Gah. The lesson here is to never have expectations or think about books critically. A few notes:

***

What I love about Bastone's writing is that she portrays deep emotional nuance and interiority of characters so carefully. I said as much in my review for FLIRTING WITH FOREVER. Which makes what I'm about to say next so puzzling. Here is approximately a timeline of the first 10% of the book.

1) Eve (heroine) discovers her accidental pregnancy in doctor's office (she already knew from a test, but gets official confirmation). She knows who the father is (a one-night stand with a bartender. They used a condom, which isn't 100% effective).

2) Eve has an internal monologue about her backstory and past relationships. She has *never* even considered parenthood or having kids. Her best friend Willa (who is struggling to conceive) has wanted kids forever. Eve was never the type of person to name her imaginary kids. She's never been in a serious relationship long enough to contemplate the possibility of having children.

3) Eve nervously informs Willa about her pregnancy (who is taken back and understandably struggling with the news). Willa is like (paraphrasing), "What/when are you going to tell the biological father? And maybe you don't have to tell him?" Eve is like "what do you mean" and Willa says "well, why tell him if you're not going to keep the baby?" Eve then nervously says that she's keeping the baby. Willa (and the reader!!) is shocked but congratulates her.

Okay, WHAT!? I legit thought my audiobook skipped a chapter. Eve went Zero-to-Baby!!!!! in 0.1 seconds. I love accidental pregnancy. I love the angst and the self-doubt and the panic. I know that most romance novels have gross anti-abortion rhetoric, but I still really like the trope. I felt robbed from the decision-making moment. Eve is a) not rich, b) in a low-paying admin job that she's not happy with, c) not in a committed relationship, d) orphaned with siblings far away, and e) living in New York City, one of the most expensive areas in the world. One chapter ago, she had an entire monologue about how she's never even CONSIDERED the possibility of children!! This omission never gets remedied later in the book.

The thing is, there are actually a number of reasonable reasons that can be extrapolated from her backstory: 1) Eve herself was a surprise baby to her older parents and might want to keep a surprise baby of her own, 2) Eve feels lonely as her parents are dead and her older siblings aren't close, 3) Eve comes from a religious background even though she does not subscribe to those beliefs (this is very vaguely hinted at during the Christmas chapter), or 4) Eve considers the possibility of children and decides that she wants to keep the baby. Literally none of these options were spelled out. I mean, I can assume they're all true, but it needs to be ON PAGE. This is such a baffling misstep from an author who I once described as having "the rare ability to create fully realized characters without relying on a one-page bio sheet".

The only explanation I can come up with is that the editor wanted less decisionmaking to not offend pro-life readers. Like, the book or character is not anti-abortion. The book is progressive in other ways; Eve talks about wanting the child to decide its own gender. I can't decide if the decisionmaking omission is better or worse than anti-abortion rhetoric.

I don't have these expectations from all accidental pregnancy books. If I'm reading a kinda problematic Harlequin Presents, I do not expect any nuance or hesitation (those heroines are always 100% pro-baby and horrified at any other option). But I expect nuance from this author and a non-category romance in 2024. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, and this frankly ruined the entire book for me.

***

There's a really weird scene after she tells Ethan (bio dad) about the accidental pregnancy. A couple days later, Ethan says his girlfriend wanted him to ask Eve about her sexual history. Eve thinks that he's asking whether she's a liar and is like (paraphrasing) "You are the only person I've slept with recently. But we can get a DNA test after the baby is born." Then she gets unexpectedly emotional and starts crying, and Ethan is like "I'm sorry!! My girlfriend made me ask you!!" Then they look at the ultrasound and the topic is dropped.

Okay. You don't have to wait until birth for a DNA paternity test. It can be tested safely a couple months in. Furthermore, Ethan doesn't know Eve from, well, Eve (pun intended). Of fucking course it's reasonable for Ethan to ask for a DNA test (frankly, he should've also asked for an STI report). To be fair to the book, there is a scene later when Eve is like (paraphrasing) "DNA testing gets a bad rap and is actually important for child support to help single moms." I 100% agree with you, Eve! So why the heck is there *no* DNA test taken in the book? It literally never comes up again.

This is actually my main irritation with the book. Eve *thinks* about all the important logistics to consider (budgeting for a child, etc) but the consideration doesn't play out meaningfully in the narrative. It's there as window dressing. The entire book feels like this. I am not expecting a spreadsheet of expenses. But what was present is inadequate.

***

Unlike other readers, I actually am not bothered by the fact that this straddles the romance/women's fiction line (probably landing on the latter side). I knew what I was getting into from other reviews and I like WF. So the (relatively lower) amount of Shep (hero) pagetime did not bother me.

What bothered me was that every other secondary character goes through an interesting conflict/development. Willa and her conception troubles (her difficulty in being thrilled for Eve while needing some distance to deal with her own mental shit). Ethan's struggle in deciding his involvement level and his deteriorating relationship with his girlfriend. Heck, even Eve's boss reveals a surprising facet of her personality late in the book.

Shep remains... Shep. He's been in love with Eve forever but recently got out of a decadelong relationship. He's grieving his mom's death last year. He is a good caretaker to Eve and is her one constant in a time of turbulence. He has an interesting backstory, but all that emotional development occurred off-page and before the events of the book. As a character, he is fairly static on page. I normally wouldn't mind this in a WF-leaning romance, but it's glaring when *two* other secondary characters have more interesting journeys in the book. I don't know... I liked him, but I wasn't feeling the ship at all.

***

I could write more, but I'm tired and cranky and want to move on. I still love Bastone's writing (and there are some genuinely moving scenes), but this is is a rare miss. Read via audio (narrated by Alex Finke).

Disclaimer: I listened to a free audiobook from the publisher (PRH Audio App) in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Eve’s journey throughout the book from discovering she was pregnant to what she wanted out of life, but Shep was an incredible character who deserved better. Maybe Shep got everything he wanted, but you could see how much he loved Eve throughout the books, but I wanted to see Eve and Shep months after the baby as born. I felt like Shep was treated as a consolation prize and he was so much more than that.

This is not a book is not like the usual stories I read, so I was intrigued to give this a try. I enjoyed reading from a perspective of a woman pregnant from a one night stand with a man she doesn't love and going along the pregnancy journey with her. It's such a modern issue, as it's more common in today's society, and is not as stigmatized as it was decades ago, and it's refreshing to explore how she handles the situation with the baby's father, how her friends react, and how her family reacts, and what this could mean for her career, as well as her own feelings of being pregnant, and suddenly realizes that she's about to have a BABY.
In an interesting, although not uncommon twist, the father of the baby just so happens to have a girlfriend, who is not pleased about him about to become a father with another woman. I felt that Ethan's struggles were understandable and realistic, and I loved how he's trying to be civil with Eve and ultimately decides to become a part of the baby's life even if he and Eve are not together. The one thing I wish could have happened is actually meeting Eleni and seeing how that drama unfolds to delve deeper into Ethan and Eve's relationship. What we get instead in the book is a LITTLE watered down, and Ethan's resolve comes to quickly. It would have made a great tense moment too if we read a little more about Eve's feelings for Ethan and got more about what happened THAT NIGHT.
And then there's Shep. Her childhood friend, brother of her best friend, who's harbored a secret crush on her since...FOREVER, but never made it known until he gets more involved with Eve. I thought this was a good concept, and could have been more interesting, but the execution is a little lacking. The chemistry felt forced and awkward in the beginning, and I really wasn't feeling it. Also, Shep himself is sort of boring. Yes, he's nice, yes, he worships the ground Eve walks on, but I didn't really FEEL much else about his personality other than what I'm given from what's said from Willa and Eve. I ended up not being very invested in Eve and Shep's relationship, and when they both reveal what they feel for each other, it was too slow and somewhat anticlimactic, when this could have been much more interesting and fully fleshed out.
I also didn't feel much for the other characters in the story. Yes, they all have their struggles. I felt a lot of sympathy for Willa and her mixed, conflicted feelings of jealousy and wanting to be a good friend for Eve, but even this resolved too quickly and lost steam by the end of the book so she and her husband sort of faded in the background when Shep and Eve took front and center stage. Yes, there's her family and the whole thing about Corinne, but even this side plot I couldn't really get into. Maybe if their scenes were made a little more meaningful instead of just pushing the plot along??
All these problems are where it lost a star, but overall, it was good story and I really loved and melted in the end how Ethan and Shep worked together to surround the baby with love. I wish people got along like this in real life, as it would've made the world a better place (except for how Eleni was portrayed, which was being a toxic, jealous, scorned girlfriend, and I digress, I wish she showed up in the story and MET Eve) but for now, in the story will do.
Thank You Netgalley and Cara Bastone for the opportunity to read this arc.

Cute!

I love friends-to-lovers and a long-game slow burn and this book definitely delivered that, with some tension-building moments that definitely had me SQUEALING (see also: the movie theater scene, The Haircut). I also appreciated that Eve's relationship with the baby's father wasn't black and white -- he wasn't typecast as evil and there was nuance in their relationship that felt authentic.

There were some really funny and sweet moments, but for me, the voice in the writing was overdone and it became a bit obnoxious to read. I think it might have been a mix of the MC breaking the fourth wall and the overly-jokey narration that grated on me and took me out of the story. I also found evidences of "telling, not showing" and I think I would have liked a more natural writing style.

A book I enjoyed, but likely will not re-read.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. READY OR NOT is out 02/13/24.

“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.”

First let’s just appreciate the stunning cover!

This book was everything I could have wanted for my first read of the year. There were times some of the characters had me wanting to scream but seeing the growth throughout the story was everything I needed. Although at times you can predict where the story is going, it did not make the read any less enjoyable to me. I FLEW through this one and it will absolutely be something I will be recommending.

I am so thankful to Net-galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

The pregnancy angle to this slow burn friends-to-lovers arc was unique enough to stand apart from the usual romcom, but it quickly surprised me with its dorky-meets-witty sense of humor and good characterization.

I did kind of get the sense that a lot of plot details were crafted to fend off potential pearl clutchers (oh no no no, don't <i>worry</i>, this character doesn't <i>usually</i> have casual sex and <i>of course</i> there were multiple forms of birth control that just happened to fail and the baby's father certainly wasn't <i>cheating</i> because we worked out the timing of his on-again-off-again-girlfriend to fall in just the right spot that you can't possibly find any fault with the unfortunately necessary sex that resulted in this pregnancy.)

The broader trappings of mama-to-be's life are a bit weaker and there's some personal character development that gets crammed into a chapter or two that I didn't feel was set up by the rest of the book. But the central romance unfolds pretty naturally and is easy to root for. Despite the many details I apparently have to pick at, my overall impression is of a cute, sweet book.

This one was an adorable, swoon-worthy, romance that had me giggling and kicking my feet. this also showcased an incredible story about motherhood and becoming a mother. Absolutely loved!

I absolutely adored this book! Such a lovely, sweet, tender romance, but also a beautiful story of Eve's journey through pregnancy and becoming a mother. Shep and Eve know each other and value each other in such a deeply romantic way, I felt mushy inside every time they interacted. The burn of the romance was so deliciously slow and satisfying to read, they had me antsy I was rooting for them to hurry up and just get together so hard. Also just such a great cast of characters, I loved all of the side characters, friends, family, and otherwise. This was honestly just very touching and emotional in so many ways I wasn't expecting. A joy from beginning to end!

Thank you @thedialpress @prhaudio for this book. Ian not a fan of surprise pregnancy trope but I love Cara Baston's books so I had to read it and I am so glad I did. I loved everything about this book, all the characters were so complex and full of emotions. I adore the friendship between Eve and Willa. The friendship felt so real with Eve's feelings on her infertility while her friend is pregnant. Shep is now one of my favorite character. An unassuming older brother to Willa, he was so thoughtful to helping Eve. I loved how Ethan and his role in this story and his own feelings on being the baby daddy.

Karissa Vacker did a phenomenal job on this narration. She brought out all the emotions making me laugh and cry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶️

Cara Bastone is an absolute gem of a writer. Her banter and dialogue make her characters witty and lovable. She continues her streak in her latest novel, Ready or Not.

Eve is stuck in a job going no where, living in her all too perfectly curated apartment, and dancing around the edges of everything she wants in life. Wait, what DOES she even want? However, an accidental pregnancy from a one night stand with an adorable, sensitive bartender pushes her straight from the sidelines of her own life onto the center of the dance floor. However, her life is anything but a solo performance. Bolstered by her childhood best friend Willa and her brother Shep, Eve has more love and support than most could ever imagine when confronted with an unexpected pregnancy as a single twenty something. Bastone explores the intimate ebbs and flows of the ballet that is life long relationships. She tackles the changes over 3 trimesters pregnant people experience both internally and externally as they grapple with parenthood. She also touches upon loss and grief and the complications that come along with them.

Featuring a lovable, golden retriever love interest, plenty of tear jerking conversations, and the pleasant and funny inner dialogue of Eve, I was laughing out loud, crying, and curling my toes in anticipation of the sweetness that is new and old love. While the accidental pregnancy trope is not for everyone, I would urge you to give this a chance because the way Bastone covers it is perfect. Ready or Not is the perfect romance to pick up when you need to escape into someone else’s life and receive a warm hug.

Trigger warnings: infertility, accidental pregnancy, talk of abortion, birth, parental death, miscarriage, and drinking.

A huge thank you to Cara Bastone NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the Advanced Readers Copy of Ready or Not in exchange for my honest review.

I have went back and forth on how I feel about this one. At its core, it was a sweet story but there were other elements and details that just aren’t my preference. I don’t want to judge a book too harshly on my personal preferences so I’m landing at a 3.

I think based on other reviews and the description I expected more of a fractured relationship between Willa and Eve. Honestly, Willa reacted pretty reasonably for someone in her situation, apologized quickly, and their friendship didn’t seem to suffer. On that same note, I felt I was expecting Shep to be a lot more involved earlier on. I think the actual book not matching expectations from the description threw me.

For people who seem pretty against religion, Jesus’s name sure was used a lot. I’ve never understood that.

I’m probably being really generous with my 3 stars but it is what it is. I married a “Shep” so I guess I’m just feeling benevolent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

I did think that I hated pregnancy in romcoms, just as a person who never wants to be pregnant. But between this and Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young, I guess I really enjoy it?

I do want to say that I don't think this is a very straightforward romance novel, it's probably better classified as general women's fiction because the main event here is really Eve's pregnancy and the way it impacts her life and relationships. But that's not to say that there's a lack of romance, because listen, Shep is IT.

Shep is the sweetest boy in the whole wide world, I can barely handle it. I think Bastone did a really great job contextualizing why Eve was not romantically interested in him previously, which I think is a common complaint in the friends-to-lovers sphere. The relationship development is extremely subtle and lovely. So while I don't actually think the romance is THE main plot here, this relationship was so deeply romantic.

I also appreciated the complexity given to the secondary characters. The friendship between Willa and Eve is so foundational for both of them, but Willa really struggled with Eve's pregnancy and genuinely handled everything Not Well. So while it was a hurdle for them, it just felt realistic and human. I feel very similarly about the baby's father -- he very obviously sucked, but he sucked with nuance! He was not an objectively bad person, but I think the way he handles the pregnancy is so illustrative of the way men and women do not have the same options in this situation.

Sooooo …. This book took me totally by surprise. It’s witty, poignant, hilarious, heartfelt, and delightful all rolled up into one big, smile inducing novel. I clearly was not ready for Ready or Not. Thank you, Cara Bastone, for this absolute gem of a novel.

Eve is a people pleaser. She’s just going through life not making waves and keeping her expectations small until an unplanned pregnancy makes her re-examine every aspect of her existence. The pregnancy is the result of a one night stand with Ethan and his future role is a big question mark. Eve’s best friend, Willa, is battling infertility and her conflicted emotions leave Eve feeling confused and abandoned. A big age gap and physical distance mean Eve’s bothers are not much help. Enter Shep, Willa’s brother and Eve’s close friend since childhood. Shep is there for her; stepping up to be a one-man support network. He’s thoughtful, considerate, unselfish, and present. (The world needs more Sheps.)

Eve evolves during the course of this story. Her feelings about becoming a mom, how her life will change, and what she wants that life to look like are played out with brutal honesty and hilarious dialogue. I was enchanted from the very first page. The only thing missing from this book is an epilogue - I desperately want to know what happens next. Sequel maybe?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Oh how I loved this book!

I honestly wasn't so sure about it because pregnancy romance tropes can turn cringe pretty quick, but not this one.

I loved the characters and their dynamic. Shep immediately stole my heart. I loved that the third act tension wasn't between the love interests but with the baby daddy instead. We don't always need a third act breakup/conflict to make a romance work.

Also, her birthing scene brought me to tears because of how realistic and filled with love and happiness it was. Made me relive the births of my babies.

I was sad when I was done because I needed to know how the characters are. I will miss them!

irst off, I want to say I really did have a good time with this book. I thought it was a unique take on an accidental pregnancy romance. I ADORE shep. I adore their relationship and how it built over time. There are so many deeply romantic quotes and moments and EXCELLENT banter. I also think eve was absolutely hilarious, but I wish this book had dual pov and I think it suffered alot in terms of pacing because of that. I also wish there was an epilogue because I don't like abrupt endings. Overall, I love cara's writing and I am so excited to see what she does next! I'll give this a 3.75 rating.