Thank you Cara Bastone for writing a book about an accidental pregnancy that feels realistic. This is, like most romance readers, not my favorite trope - but Bastone wrote it in a way that was real, and raw, and relatable and I couldn't put it down. My husband and I are currently in talks about having another baby, and this whole story just really highlighted how beautiful that journey is - I think all mothers will get a kick out of this one.

It's funny, it's heartfelt, and it really showcases the journey you go through as a mother from conception to birth.

rating: 4.5 STARS
genre: romance
format: ebook
release date: 2/13/2024

Other things I liked:
- This book reads like you're talking to a friend rather than reading a novel Which is always one of my favorite tones/voices in romance books.
- The banter between the FMC and the MMC is just delightful. You can feel their chemistry even in the smallest of text messages or gestures.
- I cannot say enough how much I loved this portrayal of pregnancy. You really see Eve's growth and changes through the trimesters, and it's so relatable (I feel).
- There's no. third. act. breakup. I mean, COME ON. The best.

If you're usually hesitant to read the accidental pregnancy trope, I highly suggest giving this one a try. I think you'll appreciate the way it all shakes out. Highly recommend.

3.5 Stars (rounded up for the author’s note)
One Liner: An entertaining read but slow

Eve Hatch has a cozy life in Brooklyn with her steady job and best friend Willa (and her brother Shep). An unexpected one-night stand leads to a surprise pregnancy, and Eve doesn’t know what to do. The baby’s father is conflicted and not sure what to do. Willa is battling her own issues and isn’t that helpful when Eve needs her the most.
However, Shep turns out to be a blessing. He is there by her side, helping her throughout. It doesn’t take long for Eve to see him as something more than a friend. But things are complicated, and she needs time to figure it out. Maybe her family can grow in unexpected ways!
The story comes in Eve’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I admit I requested it mainly for the cover. The story is lighthearted enough yet deals with some serious themes.
Eve’s first-person narration borders on talking to the readers. It doesn’t break the fourth wall but comes close to it. This aspect is okay, but it took me a while to get used to her POV. She initially seems all over the place. Luckily, things get better as other characters support from the sides. She does grow through the book.
The pregnancy parts seem quite realistic without making it all goody and easy. The delivery part is frantic and vaguely detailed, just as how someone in that position might share her experience.
There are funny moments, so the ‘com’ of romcom is justified. The romance is a slow burn, which makes 100% sense considering the situation (even if I don’t get the vibes much).
I rather like Willa. She is a force and super confident but has her vulnerabilities. She balances Eve well (no wonder they are besties from childhood). Her conversation with Eve in the last quarter is a highlight.
Shep (I hate that name, and how do you pronounce it?) is this adorable gangly guy who is happy to see others (Eve) happy. I’d have loved his POV. Even otherwise, his emotions are easy to interpret. Ethan is much like Eve (possibly why they got attracted to each other). His character grows, too, which is good to see. I like how all of them managed to find common ground and appreciate the importance of their changing relationships.
The bond between Willa and her brother Shep is so good. They don’t have many conversations on-page, but we see how they are always there for each other and will do what it takes to protect their sibling.
The family relationships are done well without getting overly dramatic. Eve is dramatic, but it suits her personality. However, I don’t know why the book has to be 400 pages long and slow. That’s 50 pages extra. Maybe if we cut down some of Eve’s ramblings…?
Moreover, we get an HFN-ish ending with no epilogue. Come on, you can’t make me read a longer rom-com only to not give a proper, rounded ending (the fam is mentioned but doesn’t meet the baby).
The author’s note is lovely and feels straight from the heart. I’ve decided to round up the rating as it made me smile.

To summarize, Ready or Not is a decent read with some great moments, even if it is slow and drags in the middle. There’s an open-door scene in the last quarter. You may want to skim that part if it’s not your thing.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Dial Press Trade Paperback), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I liked this but didn’t love. It’s got a surprise pregnancy, friends to lovers, a good friendship story too.

I am a complete mess over this book…in the best way! I am one big heart-eye emoji for it really. Eve’s inner monologue and observations were just so relatable, I found myself thinking “that’s exactly how that feels” so many times. It wasn’t like a traditional romance (because it was SO MUCH MORE than that) - it just felt very real. Real emotions, real reactions, real outcomes. And don’t even get me started on Eve’s circle of support - they had their ups and downs, but man, we should all wish for people like them in our own lives. This one is going to stick with me for a while !

RATING: 4.5 STARS

I LOVE finding new authors that blow me away, and with READY OR NOT, Cara Bastone has officially been added to my top romance author list. Honestly, starting this book I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a pregnancy story, but the main character Eve quickly won me over. Then, when Shep was introduced I was absolutely hooked. I can't think of a single negative thing to say about Shep and his relationship with Eve. Their friends-to-lovers arc was tender and caring, just so healing and a joy to read. I think the true star of this novel though is Eve's experience with pregnancy, and how her outlook on life and love changed over the course of the nine months. I connected with her inner thoughts and journey, and felt her tumultuous emotions deeply, which is a testament to Cara Bastone's writing. An overall really beautiful and moving novel.

READY OR NOT is on sale February 13, 2024

READY OR NOT by Cara Bastone

Eve and her best friend, Willa, are celebrating the fact Willa’s older brother is moving close to them in Brooklyn. They decide to celebrate at a new bar and Eve, who hasn’t been with anyone for over a year, has her sights on the bartender…. Fast forward a couple months later and Eve, who definitely had sex with the cute bartender, is pregnant! They even used a condom…

Now comes all the confusing stuff, her best friend has to be told, that’s the best friend who has been trying to have a baby with her husband. Then the bartender ( baby daddy) has to be told…. In the middle of all this, her boss wants her to take on a new position at work, she has to tell her family and Shep, Willa’s brother is constantly in her new world looking after her…

Okay- this book was a winner. When I started it I was convinced that it was going to be just like every other rom-com I've read lately but this author turned it around. I LOVED the main characters. I felt like their interactions were very similar to those between my best friend and I. The situation seemed so real and the reactions so valid; this one was a winner!

Ok I actually ADORED this book. It's every bit as beautiful and charming as the cover, which was what initially drew me in. It starts off with Eve discovering she is pregnant after a one-night stand. Understandably, this news totally upends her life, and we follow her on the journey of her unexpected pregnancy AND an unexpected romance.

This is my first time reading a surprise pregnancy trope and I'll admit, during the first few chapters I was unsure if I was going to be able to get into it. It's very heavy on the pregnancy storyline (obviously) but it's handled in such a funny, realistic, and heartfelt way that totally won me over. I absolutely fell in love with the cast of characters- Eve, Shep, Willa, hell even Ethan. There was so much depth to them, even the secondary characters, and I was SOO invested in their story. The writing was excellent, and the dialogue was both funny and touching at times. The romance was slowww burn (which I love) and the MMC is hands down one of the sweetest love interests I've read in ages.

This is the definition of a heartwarming story- the type of book that just instantly puts you in a good mood. It made me reflect on my own pregnancies, and what a crazy, confusing, wonderful, scary, exciting time it can be. Also, I want to go have drinks at Good Boy XD. I would highly recommend checking this one out!

Read if you love:
• Friends to lovers
• Slow burn romance
• Found family
• Golden retriever love interests
• Witty banter and laugh out loud moments
• NYC settings

The story is as beautiful as the cover! The surprise pregnancy trope is typically one I avoid so I was a little apprehensive to start this book but this is a phenomenal twist on the trope. This book explores pregnancy, infertility, friendship, and love in such a deep, honest way. It’s a beautiful example of family being who we’re given and who we choose. I adored the characters, Eve’s character growth, and the chemistry that builds throughout. This is definitely not one to sleep on!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this stellar ARC!

Eve is happy enough with her life. She loves her one bedroom apartment, her job is in the field she wants to be, minus the fact that she is just an assistant and not doing the real work, but her best friend Willa lives close by. When she finds herself pregnant after a one night stand however, Eve is not prepared. Suddenly Willa feels distant, the baby daddy is all over the place with his feelings about this baby, and the only one that seems to be there for her is Shep, Willa’s brother. As she prepares to bring this child into the world, her vision or what family means is quickly turned on its head.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book and the fact that it took place over the three trimesters of Eve’s pregnancy. However, I feel long and hard for this absolutely fabulous cover, and once I started reading the book…I loved it! Everything Eve felt and went through just felt like exactly what one would feel if they were in her shoes…never having been pregnant, I can’t say for sure, but it felt so on the nose to me. I just loved Willa, but having had friends who struggled with fertility, my heart broke for her as Eve shared her news. This book just felt so realistic, with the struggles, the pain, the friendships, the heartbreak, and the love, it was just so well done. This book was truly fantastic!

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House/Dial for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is a novel about a woman, Eve, who gets pregnant from a one night stand. She has to learn how to negotiate a relationship woth the baby's father, Ethan, and is supported by best friends Willa and Shep.

This book felt exactly.like you were catching up with a college girlfriend in a bar in Brooklyn. The voice of the writing was specific and relaxed; it was easy to fit into Eve's shoes. A recent mom myself, this book felt exactly like what pregnancy felt like. The emotions, experiences, questioning of adulthood, and grief for younger self were all spot on. I truly enjoyed this book. I guess it's a romance, or rom-com, but side-lining it as just womens fiction seems like doing the book a disservice (as it is to many books which are described this way.) A great read. Have to look up other books by this author. Glad my husband has some of Shep's qualities! (Damn what a good book boyfriend.) Would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

When I initially heard about this book, I wasn’t sure if it was for me. Ready or Not is about Eve, a New Yorker in her early thirties, who unexpectedly becomes pregnant after a one night stand. What follows is the next nine months of her life, along with some flashbacks of poignant moments.

This novel is fantastic. All the feels. Really, really great writing <and super funny!>. Truly endearing characters. You will stand with Eve as she tells her story and makes her way, and you will adore the supporting cast of Willa, Shep, Ethan, and others. The romantic tension is beyond, and while the door will swing open, it is so well done by the author (you will need a cold compress to cool down).

Five sparkling stars. Love, love, love. I will miss these characters and NYC. My heart has grown.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press, and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was the sweetest book ever 😭 it was witty and sweet and vulnerable and a little heartbreaking but full of so much LOVE. It was mostly a story about Eve trying to figure out what’s next in her life now that she’s going to be a mom, but it’s also about her and Willa, and her and Shep. The romance was definitely a secondary storyline? But it was also very present throughout the whole thing? It was honestly perfect.

I loved Eve so much. She was a hot mess but who wouldn’t be in her position?? She was so unsure about so many things, but she was also so fiercely independent. I really liked her story arc, because even though it was mostly focused on the baby, she also did a lot of soul searching in every aspect of her life. I loved her and Willa so much. Their friendship was so sweet, and I appreciated that it wasn’t always easy for them because at the end they came out better than ever.

SHEP is my favorite part of the book though. Him and Eve make my heart HAPPY. The way he loves her 🥹 the way she loves him!! I loved how close they were, their friendship was so freaking sweet. I loved that their romance was a slow burn, it kind of had to be?? Because Eve’s life was changing and she was scared and unsure. But he wasn’t going anywhere and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH.

It was in fact kind of a bummer that Ethan was a thing…but he was in fact very necessary for the story! And by the end he was fine. He was just a bummer for most of the time, and it sucked that it wasn’t even really his fault. Even though the way he was acting made things clearer for Eve and that’s what she needed. And at the end the four of them were very very VERY cute!

Thank you so much to Dial Press and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5 Stars

I LOVED Ready or Not! I couldn’t seem to put it down & when I had to, I was thinking about it constantly.

Thirty-ish year-old Eve finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a pretty great one-night-stand. She’s never given much thought to having kids but suddenly she’s having one and has to figure out what comes next with her perfect but tiny apartment, her just okay job, & what about the baby’s father? Eve is asking herself all these questions while also going through a rough patch with her bestie (when she needs her most) and leaning on her good friend she grew up with, who happens to be her bestie’s brother in the process.

Admittedly, I requested an ARC of this book strictly for the stunning cover. I was hesitant once I read the synopsis because I generally don’t love “pregnancy surprise” tropes, but this was done so well. It would make such a good rom-com feel-good movie IMO.

I laughed, I got teary & just really fell hard for this story. It was realistic, heartfelt & all of the characters were flawed but lovable! I also have to say that I really enjoyed Cara Bastone’s writing & voice.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for the ARC of Ready or Not in exchange for an honest review.

Shep won me over and made me like a romance book with pregnancy which I never saw coming! I have so thoroughly enjoyed Bastone's previous books that when I discovered them a few years ago I read 2 of them in the same weekend and barely came up for air. I cannot wait to see what is to come from her and I am so excited for her to have this moment.

I was thrilled when I got accepted for this one! And yes partly because the cover is beautiful. The writing, as always, felt fresh and effortlessly readable. However, I was a bit disappointed to find that it leaned more towards women's fiction than romance.

One highlight was the delicate handling of certain topics, and I appreciated the portrayal of relationship dynamics, especially between Eva and Willa. Shep, the charismatic and supportive male lead, was also a character I loved.

Despite the overall enjoyment, I felt the book was a bit lengthy. The build-up between Shep and Eve was drawn out, and I found myself less invested in their journey than I had hoped. While the romance was lacking, the positive vibes kept me engaged.

I requested this ARC based solely off of the beautiful cover and the fact that I loved Cara Bastone's audible books. I am so glad I did.

I've never been a big fan of the pregnancy trope but this was done so well. I loved watching Eve navigate the ever changing emotions of pregnancy and the realization that motherhood is next. The side characters all had depth and I loved the friends to lovers slow burn. Shep is perfection! The only thing I didn't really love was Ethan's (the baby daddy) storyline. I felt like Eve gave him way more grace than I would have. All in all, I enjoyed this.

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

First, THIS GORGEOUS COVER!!!

An incredible cover on a book is like a pretty label on a bottle of wine for me; I just have to pick it up and try it.

And I’m so glad I did! This book isn’t something I would normally choosr, because I usually don’t enjoy pregnancy-related novels. Usually they are too over the top and cheesy, or unrealistic, or the pregnancy is the whole plot. This book was none of those things. I’m happy to report that I felt ‘Ready or Not’ has a pretty realistic, multifaceted storyline and characters you will root for (well except the dreadful ex’s).

The main character in this is Eve, and she is a lot of fun. She works at a save-the-animals type of nonprofit in nyc, has some amazing close friends that she’s known since her Midwest childhood, and has a one night stand with a bartender. That night has some big consequences.

I really enjoyed the way the author made this book funny, but with some serious and challenging moments too. The tension and buildup for the romance storyline was just the right amount. The way Eve’s relationship with the nurse grew over time was heartwarming. I felt that Eve’s best friend (Willa) character was very well written and realistic and that Willa’s role (and her troubles) kept the story balanced.

And of course I adored Shep, Willa’s brother. I wish more Shep’s were out there.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book and provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I actually need a few days to collect my thoughts, but this was absolutely lovely. It felt like a warm hug

4.25 stars! Full review to come

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed it. It was also a quick read.