First, how great is this cover art? So beautiful.

This is my first Cara Bastone novel, and I may check out her earlier works. Our FMC Eve is approaching 30, works and entry level position for a nonprofit and lives in Brooklyn, near her childhood best friend. The book begins with (SPOILER ALERT) her finding out she is pregnant from an out of characteristic one night stand with a bartender. The book covers her entire pregnancy, dealing with telling the father, an unexpected friendship blossoming into something new with her friends brother, Shep. And the ultimate realization is she has got to get her sh&* together because she is growing a human. The book had a nice pace, and Shep was a ridiculously perfect guy that you couldn't help swoon at his agreeable, golden retriever-like presence.. Her career aspirations were a little strange and it irked me that her boss found out she wrote the newsletter (not in her job duties) in her free (unpaid time)" and admired her work ethic. Um, maybe instead of admiring her work effort, give her the back pay she deserves.

Thank your Random House publishing for the ARC for my honest review.

Isn't this cover absolutely beautiful? At least that was my thought when I requested a download. I didn't read the synposis until after it was on my shelf...and then I had zero intention of reading the book. For some reason I don't like to read single/pregnant story lines...until now! I opened the book to read a few pages just to make sure I wasn't going to like it and I COULD NOT stop reading. Eve and her cast of characters swept me up. It was a feel-good romance all the way through.

**Thanks to Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley for allowing me access to this ARC!

Eve has gone and done it. Her first time having sex in a year and she's pregnant. The dad, a one night stand who just so happened to get back with his long time girlfriend right after their romp is leaving her on read. Her best friend, Willa, has her own opinions on the matter, some that are less than helpful. Eve isn't alone though, Willa's brother Shep keeps showing up when she least expects. Is it because of more than brotherly affection, or are her pregnancy hormones reading too much into it?

Netgalley.... oh boy, do you know how to get me with those little emails you send out about new books to request. Every time, it turns out to be a winner for me. The Netgalley algorithm has got my number. I know that books with pregnancy aren't everyones cup of tea, and that is totally okay. It actually is one of those tropes that I really enjoy, because if a man can love a woman at the height of her pregnancy craze, it's gotta be real.

This isn't like most pregnancy based romance novels though. It starts with Eve finding out she is pregnant. Eve has such a strong support group, but not any of them are always strong. Not even Eve herself. Together, they might actually be able to make it through to child birth.

One of my favorite things about this book is the realistic look at pregnancy. Many books glaze over the ugly parts and the internal struggles women have throughout their pregnancies, Cara does not shy away from the ugly in Ready or Not. She masterfully writes the highs and lows of pregnancy announcements, relationship adjustments, life changes and the way it affects a woman's body (and not just talking about the boobs either).

The romance in this book took such a back seat to the upheaval of Eve's life and didn't even start coming to center stage until a little over 50% through. This is such a slice of life romance. It can be something that is happening right now to a woman anywhere. That's what makes it so believable, endearing, and the ending is absolutely brilliant.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slice of life romance and isn't afraid of a little pregnancy trope. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 stars from me for Cara Bastone's Ready or Not.

I received this as an ARC and that did not affect my opinion about the book or influence my review.

This book is incredible. When I tell you I was swooning, laughing out loud, and choking up in a steady rotation it still won't capture my reading experience. This is deeply and profoundly a book about pregnancy, so if that doesn't work for you, stay away. But if it does, I can't recommend this highly enough.

Eve is pregnant because of a one-night-stand, her best friend Willa has been trying to get pregnant for a couple years, and her best friend's brother Shep is there, stepping in and supporting Eve when Willa can't. Things with the father are complicated, things with Willa are complicated, and things with Shep should be complicated, but for now it's easy. No one is the bad guy, and no one is perfect, and everyone has their moments. This is a deeply human story, one that lets people be messy and have flaws, and still be worthy of love and relationship as they figure things out. I want to wrap up in it and stay for the rest of the year.

As a heroine, Eve is deeply relatable, funny, vulnerable, and just trying to figure out what her life looks like now that me becomes we. I loved being inside her head, which is great because this is single POV. The writing disappears except for all the moments where there could have been a romance cliche and instead there is something unique and perfect in it's place.

I love an accidental pregnancy romance, and all the tropes that usually go with it, and this one manages to subvert expectations at every turn and make me love it even more. Instead of strangers figuring out how to make their lives match up to make space for a kid, we have life long friends to lovers with acres of pining. Not one single thing is included thoughtlessly or abandoned without nuance and subtlety. The sheer intentionality of this story is perfection, and it manages to never go over the line into cliche or feel contrived. I don't know how Cara balanced this so perfectly, but I want 10 more. I loved, loved, loved this book.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is a great book. This book was a pleasure to read, so different from other books in its category. The author's portrayal of the relationships between the friends was great. There was a realness to the emotion displayed. The depiction of the situation with Eve and Ethan was also authentic. This book was an amazing start to my 2024 reading. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

An e=arc was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

in awe. This is a perfect love story in so many ways. Eve and Shep and Ethan and Willa were all so raw and real to me. The way i was just so ready for Eve to figure it out but also along for the whole ride.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Net galley for the arc

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the Advanced Reader Copy. This was such a delightful book to read. Eve was a fun and compelling protagonist to follow from beginning to end and because of who she is and the other details of the world that Bastone included, the story of an unexpected pregnancy didn't feel already done. The secondary characters could've collapsed into caricatures, but Bastone did an excellent job of making each of them feel fully fleshed out. Looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

Super cute and fun read! Loved it! I wish there was more of a romance aspect though, but it was still good!!

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

An adorably cute feel good and realistic romance. So glad I came across it.

Synopsis: This story revolves around a woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, and her relationships with her friends and the dad to be.
Pros: As someone who had a child in recent years I enjoyed how this chronicled the trimesters of pregnancy- the ugly, the messy, the sweet, the love.
Cons: Although I liked the ending I did find the story to drag because at times each character was unlikable. The idea of starting a relationship while pregnant- which was kind of the premise of the story didn’t sit well with me.
But I encourage you to see what you think when it’s released next month. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the early copy!

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is a friends to lovers, unexpected pregnancy novel that leans more towards the women's fiction genre than romance. I've read several other novels by the author and this one doesn't disappoint. I really enjoyed it and felt like I was reading a movie. It has such a heartwarming story line that will relate with a lot of readers. The characters felt real, the story is realistic and was just an all around good book. Looking forward to reading more from the author as she has become an auto read for me.
Thank you to Cara Bastone, Random House and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book comes out on February 13, 2024.

I think this is more women's fiction than romance so if I view it in that light it's a solid 4 stars.
Really sweet story and definitely an enjoyable read. Just not strictly a rom.

first & foremost, s/o to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC 💌
—the characters in this book give total girl/boy next door vibe! eve, shep, willa, ethan, etc are all SO lovable and wholesome!
ugh i absolutely ADORED the book once i was 50% in. literally 50% on it was a solid 5 stars ⭐️🥹
now, the ❤️ scenes between eve & shep were so wholesome and tender, i wanted to die. the most beautiful love scene i’ve ever read tbh!
the concept of the book i found so interesting & the specific trope is a difficult one to work with imo, but the author did an amazing job of making a memorable, mature & heartwarming book. 💖

READ IF YOU LIKE
- found family 🏠
- NYC setting 🗽
- childhood friends to lovers 💌
- accidental pregnancy 🤰

his book grabbed my attention right away. I was laughing from the very beginning and it helped me get out of my reading slump. Really sweet story that ended just as I wanted it to…with the exception of the child’s name…almost ruined the book for me... Read to see if you agree lol

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read for an honest book review.

Cara Bastone hooked me on the first page of this book. I immediately fell for Eve in all her relatability and humor and couldn’t wait to see where this unexpected journey took her.

A surprise pregnancy trope isn’t usually a crowd pleaser, but I’m not opposed to them and this one had a twist on it that was done so well. Combined with all the other tropes it made for a great read that was still raw and real. Eve faces so many challenges along the way, including grief, somewhat estranged family, and navigating helping Willa through painful infertility while being pregnant herself and deals with them all so courageously and resiliently.

I truly loved every single character in this book (apart from one but I even empathized with her in the situation she was put into) and loved immersing myself in their world. I found myself stuck between falling for Shep alongside Eve, as well as wanting things with Ethan to work out and see if they found themselves to be a family. The end result was beyond what I could have imagined for everyone and so incredible. I absolutely adore a HEA and this one was beautiful.

I loved this book all around. Every single character, their journeys both individual and together, everything about it. I’m absolutely reading Cara Baston’s backlist because if they’re anything like this they’ll also be 5 star reads thanks to her brilliance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Dial Press Trade Paperback, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 2/13/24

Love a book with characters you like despite their flaws! I really enjoyed the journey Cara took us on with these characters without feeling overly predictable, despite the tropes. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a cozy friends-to-lovers type book with a lot of growth in-between.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Cara Bastone for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Dial Press and Netgally for a copy of this book to read and review- all opinions are my own!

I looooved this book. aaaaah!

This is my first book I have read by Cara Bastone and a few things really stood out to me with this story. At first, I was hesitant to start it, because unexpected pregnancy (non-spoiler) is not a topic I usually reach for, but this has made a believer out of me. The way that Eve was drawn was so touching. Getting to experience through her eyes hit me in the feels and I think this story was really successful not only in keeping it real with Eve's emotions on this huge life altering bomb that happens to her (not that it is a bad thing), but also showing that the path to happiness is not always linear, and when life seems to have thrown you the perfect set of circumstances to get everything you may want, sometimes things get rearranged to put you through events to get to everything you may not have known you needed.

I really was drawn to Eve as a character and her humor/wit. She was quite funny and I found myself often smiling and laughing to myself at a lot of her inner monologue. What I found most compelling about her, though, was her honesty with her situation, and her realness about not being happy (at first). I liked the growth we got to see with her from beginning of her pregnancy to the big day and how things changed for her mentally with her body and her mind, and her priorities were - work wise, relationship=wise and other. I think if not for this, she would never have gotten to the place of peace with her life and what was happening.

SHEP! What a sweet, sweet man. I genuinely felt like I could just cry. The love shown with his actions was so palpable with him- It was no secret whose torch he was carrying, and I was all here for it. He is the first "Cinnamon Roll" hero I have read in a while and it was a nice change of pace- it reminded me that the tension could still be hot and heavy and there, but it did not have to be boring. He made me just swoon. I am glad, too, when he finally stood up for himself and gave Ethan some lip- that really made me love him most because that got to show us he is not a total pushover and there is more to him than just being The Good Guy.

Willa at times was frustrating, but I also feel like realistic. For having family members who struggle with fertility, I feel like no one could understand that kind of mental anguish and pain if they aren't going through it themselves. Though it seems kind of flippant her attitude toward Eve's pregnancy at first, I am glad we got to go on that journey with Willa as well- relationships are complicated and I think that this plot point added a nice layer of tension to the story that I was glad we got to see get better at the end.

I was surprised with Ethan's character- I was happy that he was not absent, and I enjoyed seeing the complexity in his emotions as well and what being on the other half of this surprise baby meant for him as well.

Romance-wise, this was a slow burn in the spice department, but whooo the tension, to me, was delightful and palpable. I really liked how much love you could feel between Eve and Shep, and waiting for the shoe to drop was the delicious type of slow burn you really want to hurry up, but also never want to end.

Overall, I really loved this story and am quite pleasantly surprised how much I connected with it. The humor and rawness of emotion did it for me. Loved!

Read if you enjoy...
- Slowburn romance
- Surprise Pregnancy
- Friends to Lovers
- Cinnamon Roll MMC
- Found Family
- Stories set in New York City

I began Ready Or Not with trepidation – unexpected pregnancy trope? *wince* Love triangle? *braces for disappointment – and am thrilled to report my fears were entirely unrealized.

Instead, we got a tenderly sweet friends-to-lovers romance where Eve discovers a love she had all along (could Shep be any lovelier?), a kickass bestie whose friendship emerges even stronger after its tested by very honest feelings of jealousy over Eve’s accidental pregnancy (Willa is perfectly imperfect), and Ethan, Eve’s babydaddy who is unable to fully commit to being an involved father.

I laughed, I awwwwed, I even teared up a bit at a particularly poignant scene at the end where Eve realizes just how much all her people really love her. Cara Bastone’s voice is quirky and witty and I can’t wait to read more from her!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫 4.5 stars rounded up

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

5 out of 5 stars and it definitely deserves said 5 stars. You might call me biased as I love all of Cara’s work thus far, but this book was quite literally ✨chefs kiss✨. I went in pretty blind I had at some point read the synopsis but forgot everything when I went in to reading it. So when I say I went in blind I went in blind. I started off thinking omg how cute an accidental pregnancy caused by a one night stand and these two people with amazing chemistry are going to fall in love on this road to parenthood and this is gonna be so cute. WROOOOONG! Cara comes in for a surprise emotional soul crushing gut punch. This book was an emotional roller coaster I will tell you that much 😭 it had me laughing and crying and laughing some more and literally sobbing!!!! I know accidental pregnancy isn’t for everyone but this is so cute and I loved it. Cara you never fail me.

I know not everyone likes a surprise pregnancy trope but it is right up my alley! For those who are normally put off by that though, let me tell you that this not like most. Watching Eve navigate the ups and downs of her pregnancy and just life in general was so touching. I really loved this story. I've never read one where the love interest isn't actually the baby daddy but WE STAN SHEP. We love a brother's best friend romance. FYI this is a slow burn (which we love).