Read this at the perfect time since I am 8 weeks pregnant myself. It is unlike other romances I've read since not many authors try to do the pregnancy trope, but I think the author did a good job with this one. I felt like it was an accurate depiction of pregnancy and there was a lot more going with all of the relationships. There was a lot of self-discovery with Eve and I felt like her journey to motherhood would be relatable and I resonated with the first trimester feelings. Shep was the perfect support person and who every pregnant woman needs in her life! I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I have so many feelings.

First of all, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for choosing me to receive an arc of one of my most anticipated reads of the year, despite my dismal ratio. (I swear I won’t let it happen again)

We’ll begin with Shep, my favorite Cara Bastone mmc since Elliot from Sweet Talk. I can’t imagine a more perfect man. He is so genuinely GOOD to his core. He supports Eve unconditionally from the very beginning.

I struggled with both Willa and Ethan’s characters. I hated them both at times, but ultimately accepted their imperfections. (Not everyone can be as perfect as Shep)

Eve’s dynamic with her family was interesting. My eldest sibling is 16 years older than I am. Seeing an even bigger gap was fascinating. There wasn’t much said about her parents, but the subtle glimpses you get tell you enough.

This story is obviously very personal to the author, it was plain to see even before the note at the end of the book.

Things didn’t end exactly how I was hoping, but they ended exactly how they should have. There was no epilogue, so here’s how things go in my head: Shep works from home and takes care of the baby while Eve works/goes to school. Ethan pops over during work breaks and the two dads bond over how awesome their kid is. Because that little girl clearly has three parents who adore her.

*ARC Review* 🔅 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆

Genre: Romance
Pub date: Feb 13, 2024
Rating: 5🌟♾️

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

Thank you @carabastone , @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite novel I’ve read so far this year.

I was literally laughing out loud from page one. Eve is hilarious and sarcastic and EXACTLY my favourite kind of person. I wish she was real because I would want to be friends with her. Her narrative actually made me want to be friends with Cara Bastone. Is that weird?

If you have kids or are currently expecting, you will 100% resonate with this book. Eve talks about all the glamorous (and not-so-glamorous) parts of pregnancy and labour that we don’t normally discuss and makes it so real and relatable. I’ve never cried because of a book before… but I did with this one.

Also, Shep. My goodness. He. Is. Everything. Gosh. Cara says at the end of the acknowledgements that she’s a ‘fangirl for love stories featuring men who aren’t hobbled by their own masculinity’… and same. Shep is kind and thoughtful and intelligent and the best part, is that he isn’t afraid of being those things for Eve. He doesn’t put on this facade of toxic masculinity to make himself feel bigger… he is the guy that any woman SHOULD be looking for in their lives. I finished this book MUCH too quickly because I couldn’t sleep without knowing what happens with Eve and Shep.

I cannot say enough good things about Ready or Not. It is adorable and hilarious and heartwarming and you WILL NOT REGRET picking it up when it’s released.

Tropes:
•friends to lovers
•unexpected pregnancy
•slow burn
•he falls first

Excited to get this book to review but not enamored with it after reading it. Surprise pregnancy, friends to lovers trope, family, ALL about pregnancy changes both physically, emotionally, and mentally. Favorite character was Shep with his kindness and acceptance and unrequited love for Eve. Do you think that the author chose this name as a nod to Eve and temptation? I did love Eve's sarcastic humor, but not her noncommittal and indecisive personality. Cheers to her for finally growing up. But my sympathy lay with her best friend Willa and her fertility struggle while trying to be supportive to her best friend. That was more real than having a one-night stand sperm donor, Ethan, all of a sudden decide to support and participate in the unplanned pregnancy, while constantly saying what an idiot he was. (True). I don't think this is really a rom-com but more like a women's fiction, with some elements of humor. A bit predictable, I felt that this book was just okay. Many thanks to #netgalley, #randomhouse #readyornot #carabastone for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ready or Not is a sweet, cute read! I was INSTANTLY drawn in to the story and characters. While somewhat predictable it hit all of the right "romcom" feels. This was a quick and fun read while also filled with heart. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who needs an uplifting time!

Omg I was hooked the entire time and was SWOONING so much. I did get a little annoyed with the love triangle-ish vibes , but not enough to lower the rating. I also don't usually care for the unplanned pregnancy trope, but this one was just so sweet and well executed!

DNF

i am not a member of the surprise pregnancy haters club. i love a good best friend's brother/brother's best friend romance.

the problem is i just can't vibe with this one. the main character was too rambly and quirky. i even forgot that her best friend's brother was the love interest because (at least in the beginning) he was just there? they just seemed like good friends to me. it took me a mindless reread of the synopsis to be reminded that he was, in fact, the eventual love interest. he was very caring and supportive though, i love him for that, but sadly wasn't enough for me to continue reading.

if you like the surprise pregnancy, friends to lovers, and best friend's brother tropes, you may want to check this book out.

trigger warning: conceiving issues (side character)

thank you cara bastone and random house for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

huge thank you to Random House/Dial Press Trade and Netgally for this advanced reader copy.

this book. this book my heart melted. i feel like i went on this journey with all the characters. they felt like friends and I was attached to them and their lives.
Eve, Shep, Willa, Ethan felt like the most raw and real group of characters I have ever read.
We follow Eve as she navigates the 9 months of her pregnancy. She learns so much about herself, her friends, motherhood and life itself.
She felt so relatable and a character I would love to be best friends with. The story is told in first person POV and it honestly feels like Eve is writing a letter to you and telling you the reader personally about these 9 months.
The relationship between Eve and Shep made me feel so giddy and emotional. The relationship was so done in such a careful way and the two characters were so gentle with each other.
Shep is the perfect golden retriever and sunshine boyfriend we all want in our lives.
This book made my heart burst, it made my heart ache in the best possible way and had me shedding some tears at the end.
this is for sure a favorite of the year already. i have such a love for these characters and their authentic story about life and learning about ourselves along the way.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

3.5 stars

“Ready or Not” is a 1st person, single POV novel about Eve who becomes unexpectedly pregnant. It follows the course of her pregnancy and her relationships (platonic, familial, romantic) during that time. While there were some great Romance moments throughout, the overall feeling of the book to me was more Women’s Fiction.

I wanted to read this book because Cara Bastone has written two of my favorite contemporary romances in the world! This is not one of them. It was on the better side of fine, and I can see some people absolutely loving it, but I probably wouldn’t have read it if I knew what I was getting into. I laughed and I teared up, but ultimately was disappointed.

In her post-story comments, Bastone shares that she wrote his book during/between pregnancies and that comes through in the story. It’s very “pregnancy/motherhood changes your whole world and makes you a more empathetic person.” Which can be true, but isn’t what I look for in a romance novel — what I thought I was getting into.

To start, I wasn’t satisfied with her reasons for keeping the pregnancy. Did we even get any? I’m glad they acknowledge the option of abortion, but it felt perfunctory rather than serious. It was like “for plot reasons I am keeping this pregnancy and not having an abortion, no I will not elaborate or even innumerate the huge changes to my life this could bring.” We see the changes later, of course, but an early convo felt omitted.

There were some sweet, tender moments with her friend Willa. I liked the story’s openness to a non traditional family set up and the (sometimes tough) scenes involving the baby’s father, Ethan. Nice that he wasn’t villianized and eliminated for the romance element with Shep to (sort of) work. I did not care at all about her job or career interests. The “I love conservation and animals” felt like the least interesting part.

The friends-to-lovers was sweet in parts, but it would have been stronger and more satisfying with Shep’s perspective. We don’t get that because the book is about Eve, which is fair, but limited the romance. Shep is very kind and helpful but didn’t feel fully knowable/interesting to me? I never thought I’d ask for a third act breakup, but there’s no conflict between them and the book ends pretty soon after they truly get together. It didn’t leave time for relationship ups and downs. And the whole time Shep is literally just “how can I help Eve” which sounds nice but? Made him feel very two dimensional.

This one didn’t hit for me but I can understand why it may work for someone else! It has that spunky-contemporary-heroine narration (not for me) with lots of little jokes, sarcastic lines, and some fourth wall breaking (if that’s what it’s called?). It balances heavier topics (familial death, fertility issues, unexpected pregnancy obvs, etc.) well with lighter ones. If Bastone goes back to writing straight up Romance I will give her another try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review this ARC.

Ohkkk this is not my typical read - not a fan of accidental pregnancy at all & considering this is basically the entire plot, I was nervous, BUT I adored this book! Eve finds out she's pregnant & what comes is months of growing a baby & self discovery & of course, falling in love with the sweetest man. Put this one on your radar because if you're anything like me, it will surprise you in all the best ways.

cw/tw: hard time TTC/infertility, death of loved ones (past, mentioned)

2 open door intimacy scenes - first one is somewhat short, second one is longer

✨He got my heart pregnant✨

What a sleeper of a book. I mean I knew that I loved pregnancy in books, but I didn’t know I’d end up loving the romance as much as I did. My favorite part was how the hero was written.

I’m not sure what constitutes a spoiler since the summary kind of posits a love triangle? The book isn’t really, but maybe you want to be surprised? Idk your heart and soul so proceed cautiously…

✨

The summary states that this is a best friend’s brother situation, so this isn’t a spoiler, but honestly it feels like a spoiler. Shep was just so unassuming for the first half of the book, like a giant puppy dog. He was cute but neither Eve nor I clocked his swooniness. It wasn’t until about more than halfway through the book when I realized that I was actually fully in love with him???

Shep’s voice at the beginning felt and sounded so different than at the end. I guess it could’ve just been the love goggles, but even then I think the book illustrates perfectly just how much perception changes with love. Suddenly I was attracted to everything about that man!!!

Like it caught me so off guard. The author even let me know this was intentional—and it felt very intentional!!!—and that just makes me so happy on a craft level. It may be too slow burn for some, and I’ve seen others not even classify this as a romance, but I dunno I really appreciated the sneak attack of emotions. It hit all the beats a romance needs to hit for me.

By the time Eve and Shep got together, it was late in the book and super slow burn but I loved it. There were still little flashes of his interest throughout the first half of the book, which kept me engaged on the romance front. And for the rest of the book I was just so invested in Eve’s journey through pregnancy, her friendship with Shep, and her relationship with the baby daddy.

Again, I don’t classify this as a love triangle, but I liked the dynamic between having the baby daddy around (and sometimes not around) and having Shep always be there. Eve has a one-night stand weeks before the book even begins and she’s never really romantically interested in the guy for more than a few chapters at the beginning. I even ended up liking him a lot.

✨

The heroine was definitely a particular brand of quirky which I enjoyed, but probably isn’t for everyone. There were a few times I was like girl, we need to just sit down for a second, but I got used to being in her head pretty quickly. It’s single POV, so you definitely spend a lot of time on her pregnancy—the book spans the full nine months. I also appreciated that abortion was always an option and wasn’t villainized.

Once I reached the end of the book, I was so sad to realize that I was done spending time with these characters. I need more!!! Once Shep and Eve got together, there wasn’t a breakup so we did get to see them be happy together a little before the end. But I need their day-to-day itinerary. I hope there’s another book set in this same world because I just can’t let them go.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️*/5

*I wasn’t quite sure what we were going to get in the bedroom, so I was pleasantly surprised! We got a scene and some change, and I absolutely adored it. It was hot and he was very reverent 😮‍💨


CWs: death of parents (cancer, car accident I think), infertility (not MC), miscarriage (not MC)

a best friend’s brother contemporary where the heroine is pregnant with someone else’s baby

Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary eARC and the publisher for the complimentary hardcopy. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s your current read?

Ahhh this book. I am swimming in feelings about READY OR NOT by Cara Bastone. My heart is mush; MUSH I TELL YOU.

I am such a fan of best friend’s sibling romance & this book delivers in a major way.

At the beginning of the book, Eve Hatch learns that a one night stand she had weeks ago has resulted in pregnancy.

She wants to keep the baby & as her best friend Willa initially struggles with the pain of her own fertility struggles & how that relates to Eve’s surprise pregnancy, their other bestie, Shep, Willa’s brother, becomes even closer to Eve.

Bastone deals with emotions so beautifully here, showing the various ways people can act to surprising events & how those behaviors & feelings can change over time. The friendships are wonderfully explored, including Eve & Shep’s, which gave me all the freaking feelings.

I mean, this man. He has broad shoulders & a “bony sternum,” & he’s sweetly clumsy, & so smart, & so kind. I love him. The things he does for Eve & her baby in this book! I can’t say more bc of spoilers but oh my goodness.

Eve is such a fantastic heroine, blazing a path while dealing with surprise, & her thoughtfulness & assertiveness (& struggles sometimes to decide things) feel so real & also cheer-worthy.

Not only is this book romantic & 🔥, it’s also poignant. FYI, this book includes a labor scene, & it exacerbated those heart feelings.

This book is so wonderful & I will be dreaming about Shep forevermore.

5 ⭐️. Out 02/13.

CWs: Friend is struggling with fertility. Previous loss of parents & bff’s mom. Labor. The man that Eve conceived with doesn’t 💯 commit to everything at first, because he’s dealing with relationship struggles of his own.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a coral coat, holds the book while standing outside on a snowy day.]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press Trade Paperback for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book knowing virtually nothing about it other than the cover was absolutely stunning and I needed to read it. I’m so glad I did because this turned out to be one of the best romances I have read in such a long time. The candid, raw view of pregnancy and motherhood was beautiful. Especially knowing that the author was going through these stages of life while writing it! So special! (Granted I’m not a mother or even close to one, but I stand by my assessment.) It captured the nuances of friendship and how life just LIFES sometimes and makes things complicated. Bastone captured the complexities of each person in this story, good and bad, in a way I haven’t seen done before. It was hard for me to be angry at someone because she allowed you to understand the motivations and feelings behind every character. And the romance? Show stopping. The slow burn is everything I ever needed and more. (You will cry. You will laugh. You will swoon.)

So if that review isn’t clear enough, I think ueveryone should read this book. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone was such a breath of fresh air. I read this in one sitting and enjoyed my time while reading it. I've listened to a Bastone audiobook before and enjoyed it so I was very excited to get approved for this e-ARC of her new book. It didn't disappoint. It's a unique story of Eve who ends up pregnant after a one-night stand and her journey throughout that pregnancy and falling in love (or realizing she's in love) with her best friend's brother. The whole cast of characters felt flushed out and there was a level of complexity to them all. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

A heartfelt and heartwarming story. I loved the chemistry between Shep and Eve and how Shep steps up to be her strength and someone to lean on.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately I dnf’ed this book. I read like 40% and really pushed myself to continue. I loved the idea of the story that was being told, I think the main character was very charismatic and easy to like and so were the supporting characters however something was missing for me. I am more of a romance reader, which I thought that’s what the focusing points on this book was but it felt more like a personal journey with a hint of romance, which is completely fine! It’s just not what I was in the headspace to read. I will definitely keep the book and maybe finish it at some point this year but for the meantime, I just couldn’t force myself to continue to read it if I wasn’t generally enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f contemporary romance
-friends to lovers
-accidental pregnancy
-best friend's older brother
-pining
-it's always been you
-childhood crush
-golden retreiver
-slloooooow burn

I had heard so many rave reviews about this book and gosh were they spot on. After a one night stand Eve learns she's pregnant, but instead of turning her life into a tailspin, somehow it brings her clairty of what she wants most. From her job, her dreams, her future, and her love life. She was such a great heroine, messy, honest, and just didn't have it all together which I found so incredibly relatable.

But gosh Shep. if you know me, you know I am trash for a best friend's older brother, and also a childhood crush. This book was one of my favorite executions of that dynamic, weaving these tropes expertly. Shep was just the golden retreiver hero we all deserve. All he wants is to be there for Eve in whatever way she'll allow because he adores her and wants her to be happy. I love how this book just softly reveals Shep to the reader as Eve sees him in a new light. The dynamics in this book, the secondary characters, how family is what you make of it, blood and found, and ooof. This book has so many layers and I'm so glad to have read it. While my first Cara Bastone book it certainly won't be my last.

Stop right now because this is going to be a perfect Valentine’s Day read.

This is my first book by Cara Bastone and I really wasn’t prepared for the wit and heart in this story. Ready or Not is the story of an unexpected pregnancy being the catalyst of change in our MC’s life.

There’s an amazing cast of characters, a ton of heartwarming moments, and self-realization that made this story so relatable and real. Also, who doesn’t love a good rom-com set in NYC. It’s a classic.

Read this if if you love slow burn, friends to lovers romances with a solid heaping of found family. Honestly, Ready of Not was wonderful and I am so pleasantly surprised!

Ready or Not might end up being my favorite book of 2024. Honestly, I almost passed this one up because the accidental pregnancy trope isn’t one I enjoy reading about. I’d read and loved other books by the author though and decided to give it a try. Holy moly I’m so glad I did!

This book was heartfelt, touching, emotional, and at times heartbreaking. I felt so many emotions while reading this and had a goofy smile on my face for so much of the book. Every character was relatable and so real to me. I could understand their fears, hopes, motivations, and complicated reactions.

Quick thoughts on (some of) the Characters:

Eve was such a wonderful heroine. Yes, she was kind of clueless at times, but her character arc was very satisfying and I loved how she grew and changed through the novel. Her inner monologue had me laughing out loud so many times!

Willa was also fantastic and I found her especially relatable. Her fertility struggles were so honest and raw and my heart broke for her as she struggled with her conflicted feelings about Eve and her pregnancy.

Ethan was another character that I felt had such genuine and honest reactions (for better and for worse). He was a complicated character, but I can imagine stumbling and struggling the way he did. At his core, he’s a lovable good guy.

Speaking of good guys, I don’t think I have ever fallen head over heels for a hero as quickly as I did with Shep. He’s one million percent in my book boyfriend hall of fame. He checked every single box I had and tons more that I didn’t even know about. He was so incredibly sweet, thoughtful, and steadfast. His actions (THE BIKE!!!) and declarations made my heart burst with happiness. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of steam. It’s not overly descriptive, but was written so intimately. Cara Bastone writes THE BEST heroes.

I wish there had been an epilogue (I want to be with these characters forever!), but I also think it ended exactly as it should have. It’s hopeful and doesn’t have a clear path forward or all the answers, but it does have love and I think that’s the point.

I read a majority of the book via audiobook and I absolutely loved the narration by Alex Finke. Her performance was so enthusiastic and she captured Eve so well. I need to now listen to other titles that she narrates.

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5+++ stars
Story 5 stars

Please Note: The discussions about motherhood, pregnancy, and parenthood might feel aggressive to some readers and may possibly come across as preachy. Some parts of the story may also be difficult for those who are on their own fertility journey.

CW: one night stand resulting in accidental pregnancy, death of parents (past), discussions about miscarriage and pregnancy, toxic/manipulative romantic relationship, grief, on page descriptions of childbirth and labor, mentions of abortion

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*