It's been months since I've finished Ready or Not which I wanted to fall madly in love with, but unfortunately landed a lot closer to lukewarm. It has the typical Bastone brilliant writing and it's certainly a twist on the accidental pregnancy concept given that the father of the baby is not the love interest. Although, to be honest, despite that being made clear in the synopsis, I spent entirely too long in the book wondering if that was true. Basically, my overall thoughts of this book are that it's a quick read and a well-written one, but if you're going into it wanting a great romance, that part didn't land for me personally.

Essentially, our main character accidentally gets pregnant in this one night stand. She tells ONS man who is back together with his on-again, off-again partner. MC spends some time trying to figure out if she can have a kid, like, financially and space wise. Decides she's going to do it. Her best friend has been having some fertility issues and there's some tension there. And then the best friend has a brother and he is great and wants to be involved, to help MC. So... Yeah. It's... interesting. If the plot appeals to you at all, if you're in the mood for a bit of mess, then I would suggest this book could really work for you! But if those things don't apply, maybe skip this one in favor of Bastone's other works, which are all brilliant.

I loved this so much. The surprise pregnancy trope is a favorite of mine and combining it with best friend's older brother...come on!

Eve ends up pregnant after a one night stand. Big changes are ahead whether she is ready or not. Her best friend, Willa, struggles with the news and pulls back, but Willa's brother, Shep really steps up to be there when she needs it most. The baby daddy, Ethan, is a complicated situation. This book is a lovely journey through Eve's pregnancy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I know pregnancy tropes aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they really work for me. There's so much emotion involved, especially in a situation like this. I loved Eve and Shep's slow burn relationship. He's real book boyfriend material. I liked how the issues with Ethan were handled without it being a love triangle situation. This book was funny and charming. All the characters were fully fleshed out. It was a pleasure to read and I'll definitely be checking out Cara Bastone's back list.

Thank you to Net Galley and The Dial Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This books was a sweet book about what happens when you find yourself in a position you weren’t expecting. Eve, after a one night stand, finds herself pregnant and in shock.

What’s more shocking is finding the baby daddy is back on with his on again, off again girlfriend, who he was off with when the night happened.

This book took us on the journey of Eve’s nine months of pregnancy and how she, and the people around her adapted. Especially her best friend’s brother, Shep, who ends up being a rock for her in all the ways she needed.

I really enjoyed the journey and how it all shook out in the end.

I will always have a little soft spot in my heart for the "accidental pregnancy" trope- being as I've lived it 🤭 (& made it to the the other side, somewhat unscathed). That being said, I definitely know this trope and these kind of love stories aren't for everyone but it definitely was for me.

"Ready or Not" pulled on every single one of my heartstrings. It was raw and real, and possibly triggering in that the characters most of the time didn't feel fictional at all (except maybe one character- in which I would argue that he was almost TOO perfect and could only be a product of fiction). Eve's "conflicts" with the secondary characters, but especially with her best friend Willa and Ethan, the father of her baby, were so layered and complex. At one point, you'll be so frustrated with them on behalf of Eve but their actions and reactions are so believable, I couldn't help but eventually empathize. An accidental pregnancy will literally shake your entire world- for all parties involved and there are literal growing pains when it comes to pregnancy. Not only does your body physically change, but your relationships with your friends and partner do as well... not to mention the added layer of co-parenting or having a relationship with someone who didn't father your child. This book was messy and painful in the best possible way. 😂 I honestly really enjoyed the slight twist to the accidental pregnancy trope and the potential love-triangle. If there's one accidental pregnancy book you allow yourself to read, I hope it's this one!

TW: mentions of infertility and miscarriage (not the main character)

Many thanks to Random House - Dial Press for the e-galley in exchange for my honest thoughts 🫶🏼

Eve is unexpectedly expecting, and it’s turning all of the relationships in her life upside down. Her best friend Willa is struggling to be excited for her and the baby’s father is dating someone else. As Eve struggles through, she realizes that Shep, Willa’s brother, is being incredibly supportive…and he’s suddenly super attractive.

This is a slow burn romance and let me tell you, the burn is so incredibly slow. I really enjoyed the way pregnancy was described in this book along with the complex emotions and changes to relationships that can occur. I do feel like this book was too long, and I wish there was some more romance. Eve and Shep’s chemistry didn’t feel like they had been in love with each other for years. It was an enjoyable and well written read.

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

Full disclosure: I have never been pregnant and it’s very likely that I never will be pregnant. And yet. Somehow. I felt such a strong connection to Eve. I felt everything right there with her as if they were my own feelings. I immediately was so intensely protective of her.

This book is very much a slow-burn romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed every other aspect. The regular bits of Eve’s life, the pregnancy journey, the growth, the relationships with family and friends. I felt the grief and the joy and the anxiety and the love.

Eve’s relationship with Willa was really tough for me in the beginning. It was hard for me to be understanding. I wanted to fight on Eve’s behalf. But to me, the way they handled everything and moved forward taught me how to see both of their perspectives and it felt really genuine and realistic. I was happy to grow along with them.

As for the romance, I could not have asked for a sweeter love. All the anticipation. I have never screamed and kicked my feet over two people having their eyelashes touch. I’ve also never been one for a love triangle, but this worked out so well. I couldn’t have been happier with the way the dynamic worked out.

Overall, I adored this book. The writing style scratched my brain in just the right way. My biggest gripe is that I wanted more. I wanted to go into every little detail. I wanted to spend the rest of their lives with these characters. The ending was a bit abrupt. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. But I will keep Eve & Co. with me forever.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 This book was adorable and I loved every minute of it! I can’t wait to recommend this book. I would change very little about this book, the labour details made me a little squeamish but overall I really enjoyed reading this book.

For this book being a trope I’m not a fan of , it sure did make me all giddy with enjoyment ! It was so cute

This book was so cute and wholesome. I found myself enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would! The only downside I had about this book was that I was too fond of the writing style (personal issue, I know).

This book follows Eve throughout her 9-month pregnancy. Eve finds out that she got pregnant off of a one-night stand with Ethan. Ethan is the owner of a dog-friendly bar and tells Eve that he is currently dating his on-again-off-again girlfriend. This book is wholesome in the fact that the challenges that come along are very real. Eve talks about how every trimester is difficult and how she overcomes them. Throughout the journey, you find her more and more accepting of her situation which is empowering. I was highly fond of this book refreshing in that it was an easy read and made the obstacles easy to understand and the emotions behind them.

I highly recommend this book for those who can relate, even if you want to try something out of your comfort zone. I'll be honest, this was definitely out of my comfort zone as I am far from being pregnant and I'm glad I took that chance and read a wonderful story.

4/5 stars, Popular Troupes (Love Triangle, Best Friend's Brother, Slow Burn).

A really moving accidental pregnancy, friends to lovers romance that is sure to be one of my favs this year! The surprise pregnancy trope can be such a difficult one to pull off well but Hannah Bonam-Young and Cara Bastone are two authors who have been able to nail it seemingly effortlessly recently!!

Full of found family, NYC charm, a love triangle that had me conflicted about who to root for and excellent friend relationships. This was great on audio too and definitely one not to miss!!

HIGHLY recommended that you borrow or buy this one! It was both HILARIOUS and heartfelt and I enjoyed every second! Many thanks to NetGalley for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback for an eARC of Ready or Not!

CW; Pregnancy, Infertility, and Miscarriage

I thought this book was cute, humorous, and really well-written. I've never read a Cara Bastone book before and this was an absolute delight. I know the pregnancy trope gets a lot of flack, but I thought Bastone handled it with care and really showed the growth process woman go through while being pregnant. It also showcased how relationships change, especially the one with yourself. The romance felt like a took a backseat to all these issues which, honestly, is so real. That MMC, Shep, though... he's pretty swoony!!! Overall, a very solid read that I enjoyed very much.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars, mostly because I couldn't put it down. This contemporary romance begins with Eve's discovery of a surprise pregnancy as a single woman. She has two amazingly close friends who support her through it. The love story is really sweet and sappy and feels good. The character development is fun to watch. You see them grow up a lot, which is refreshing to see.

Be aware that a character struggles with infertility and pregnancy loss if that's a hard topic for you. The depictions of pregnancy and single parenthood are more realistic than some novels and I do think we as humans tend to make things work out, but I couldn't help but think it was a little unbelievable how easily it came together in the end.

I listened to Cara Bastone's short dramatized stories on Audible this winter and they were all really fun, fluffy, closed-door, escape romance reads. If I read this without knowing who wrote it I would not have guessed if was the same author. These characters were still loveable but they had a lot more depth to them and this one was a lot more spicy. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Steamy. Caution to sensitive readers.

Read if you like these tropes:
•friends to lovers
•best friend’s brother
•surprise pregnancy
•single parent

This is now my comfort book. I never thought I’d love a book with a pregnancy trope but this one was done so well.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc of this book!

this was my first time reading a book from cara bastone and i’m glad i did! her writing was descriptive, funny, and at times very beautiful.
i loved that this book felt like a combination of a romance and women’s fiction.

ready or not explores the complexities of an unplanned pregnancy and how it alters all the relationships in your life. we got to follow eve through her whole pregnancy and the challenges and obstacles she faces with friends, family, colleagues, etc.

the romance in this book was so sweet and really took me by surprise.

i absolutely loved all the characters in this book and how real they felt. we learn about some characters infertility as well as the complexities of co-parenting and how difficult both of those can be.

absolutely give this book a read if you’re interested! i definitely think this book is going to blow up when it comes out.

pub date: february 13th, 2024

Eve finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand which throws all of her relationships into turmoil. Her best friend is upset, as she has been trying to get pregnant for two years. The baby-daddy, Ethan, was in an "off again" moment with his girlfriend and is now on again, and her boss is asking her to do work she has never wanted to do. Oddly her best friend's brother, Shep, keeps showing up to help out, and even is reading books on pregnancy and letting her snot all over him. Eve starts to rethink everything she knows about him and all the relationships in her world.

I enjoyed the story and the humour and feelings the author added to this story of a single woman getting pregnant. You see a lot of character progression in Eve throughout this book. Not only does she discover things about her relationships and pregnancy, but she also discovers a lot about herself and how she tends to manage the conflicts in her life. Sometimes I found Eve to be a bit too forgiving of a person though. Her friend was completely self-centred at times, as were other people in her life. She often took the path of least resistance and was sometimes a doormat. We did see that growth though where she eventually started standing up for herself.

There is a bit of a love triangle in this book, where you wonder who she is going to end up with. We have a pull between Ethan and Shep. Both of them were going through their things, but I think there was always a clear direction of who she would end up with.

I loved the representation of pregnancy in this book. A lot of times it is painted as either all good, or all bad, but here there are good and bad parts and it is completely realistic. This book also had a lot of tender and sweet moments in it.

This is a slow-burn book, with more of a focus on growth and personal development. I would say, rather than a romance, it is a contemporary with a romance in it. I enjoyed that. I thought that Cara Bastone did a great job with the writing and transported me to the little part of Brooklyn that Eve was living in.

If you love a contemporary romance, with a lot of growth, a side of humour, and a few tears, this is the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

The cover of this book is beautiful, which is what instantly drew me to the book. I felt like there were some small parts throughout the story which was a turn off for me. There were certain parts that could have been left out. Cute premise but the execution wasn’t there.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t stop reading it! Cara Bastone wrote such a beautiful story about a woman who had an unexpected pregnancy and her self reflection, steps through pregnancy, growth, and romance. It was written so beautifully and made me feel all the emotions that Eve, the main character, went through. The main male character was also full of sunshine and love, which I loved and added to how beautiful this book was. As a warning for those that may be affected or sensitive to the subjects, this story also touched on some infertility and loss, and I felt like the author did a beautiful job talking about everyone’s feelings on each piece that was mentioned. I highly recommend Ready or Not and will be sure to recommend to friends and family!

Arc received from Netgalley for an honest review

As a stingy 5 Star reader, I was happily surprised to start the year off with my first 5 star book!

In this story we follow Eve, who has a fun night with a man named Ethan and not long after finds out she's pregnant completely unplanned. Her childhood friend is there for her, Willa, but another character who is there without hesitation is Shep, her best friends brother.

The first 15% of this book I will admit, took me a while to get into. I wasn't entirely sure if I liked the characters or their ideals and thoughts. Eve starts this book off with some difficulties and she's not entirely likable when you first get to know her, but you have to cut her some slack, she's going through a LOT at the beginning.

As the story continues, we not only see the development of Eve, but the characters around her. When the story progressed, I was cheering for everyone involved. I loved Eve, Shep, Ethan, and Willa, I wanted to give them all a hug as we experienced the highs and lows of their lives and relationships.

The romance between Shep and Eve is beautiful and hilarious. Sure he's a goofball who's clumsy and nerdy at times, but Shep was there for her every step of the way. He melted my heart and made me hold my nearby stuffed animal close to scream into as to not wake up the neighbours.

We have Ethan, who rather than being a villain in this story, shows some of the reality of that shock and fear of bringing a whole new person into the world. I loved how he was written and I can't deny I was a little smitten over him (my partner is a redhead, sue me!). He was aggravating at times, but that's another reason why these characters were so beloved to me, because they felt real. Their reactions were human.

And then we have Eve. Her growth was beautiful in many ways. The love she shared with not only the people around her, but for her baby melted my heart. I full on cried reading this book as she came to realizations and understandings of things she'd never considered before. The conversation around her and her unborn child was gorgeous and as someone who wishes to be a mother someday (but who isn't yet), it touched on so many things that I somehow understood through her.

Overall, despite the rocky start, I fell in love with this book. I spent 3 hours near the end unable to put it down as I saw the romance and relationships grow. I fell in love with the characters and watched so much unfold. I only wish more people experienced this much support and love through their pregnancies because I know it's not always happiness and warmth, everyone deserves the kind of family that Eve had, and I hope someday I'll experience the same.

Random things I loved!
- Main Characters being in their 30's
- Vegetarian MC (as one myself)

~

Content Warnings below, may contain slight spoilers:

Pregnancy, loss of parents, infertility, miscarriage.
(There is a little bit of discussion on infertility from Eve's friend - Willa- along with a miscarriage so please be advised when reading this)

This was a cute book! I loved how Shep slowly pursued her throughout her pregnancy and it made it even better that they were childhood friends. I didn’t love Ethan’s character, he seemed very emotionally unstable even with the situation. I could have done without the gender comments and spicy scene but overall I loved how they all worked it out in the end.

Overall I liked this book.I liked the interactions between the characters. I will say it took me a bit to get that Cara was being PC.