This was such a sweet book to read! I thought the main character handled her situation so well and there was more humor than I thought this would have. All of the characters were very likeable to me, which made reading this more enjoyable. This is a feel good book throughout - I didn't get much drama out of this one. If you're looking for a simple, light hearted read then this is for you!

Ps. this may be a sensitive read for anyone struggling with infertility.

Eva feels pretty settled in her life. She loves her apartment in NYC that's been decorated with treasures she's discovered. She loves that her apartment is close to her best friend. And her job might not be her dream job, but it's dream adjacent. But after a one-night stand, Eva finds out she's pregnant and that she's going to keep the baby. Her very 0rganized life quickly becomes disorganized, and the relationships she's felt so secure in seem to be pulling away from her. When Eva's best friend brother starts to step up for her, she wonders if there's been more than all along...but the timing is less than ideal. Will Eva be able to recenter herself and her relationship as her world expands in ways she hadn't predicted?

Ready or Not is a sweet, heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance with a main character who is also coming into her own as a woman. What makes it unique is its realistic and nuanced depiction of expectant motherhood, which the author manages to make both affecting and upbeat.

The secondary characters were another highlight of the story. The love interest is an adorable cinnamon roll - but I was even more interested in the baby's father, Ethan, who is semi-useless and believably self-centered while still being a decent guy. And the main character's best friend, Willa, is obviously a force of nature who has been shunted to the side of the story because it isn't about her - but she's too dynamic a character not to steal any scene she enters. While this doesn't feel like the start of a series, Ethan and Willa both feel well-developed enough to star in their own (perhaps non-romance) novel - which, if the author writes them, I would be delighted to read.

CW: Infertility (secondary character).

This was such an emotional read, I really felt the characters as they worked through the unexpected pregnancy and building their relationships. The setting was an escape of its own, I loved the NYC references. Definitely worth reading, messy and beautiful just like real life!

✨3.5✨

I definitely saw this gorgeous cover and knew I had to read it🤓 The beginning was starting off kind of meh but it was probably me because I couldn’t find the right font I wanted(typical life of a mood reader😫) However I really enjoyed this story and will certainly be checking out more books by this author in the future.

<i>Synopsis: Eve gets pregnant from a one night stand and decides to keep the baby. She’s never thought about being a mother so it’s a huge surprise. She’s also not in a relationship with the child’s father and it’s not the ideal situation. Her best friend takes the news difficult in the beginning due to her own infertility issues but her best friends brother has been more than supportive</i>

<b><u>Tropes</b></u>
🌟surprise pregnancy 🤰🏻
🌟friends to lovers
🌟best friend’s brother

<b><i><blockquote>”This is my life, on purpose. I didn't choose the way this pregnancy started. But I can choose the way I bring this kid into the world.”</b></i></blockquote>

Eve is a HOT MESS. I can totally relate because I am too 😂 we’re barely making it. She moved to NY from the Midwest with her best friend and has made a life for herself in Brooklyn. She has a career and loves being in the city. She’s loyal, funny and extremely understanding. She’s the friend you want to have in your corner.

The baby daddy 🙄😐 I’m not even going to bother to look up dudes name because I forgot it. He’s a jerk

Shep(I know the name is weird) is such a <u>genuinely kind and sweet person</u>. I adored him ☺️💓 He gave major golden retriever vibes l and I loved how he was there for her throughout the pregnancy. He was considerate and always looking out for her best interest. He paid attention to the smallest details and would recognize minor changes about what she was wearing or changes throughout the pregnancy.

<b><i><blockquote>”I want to do what's best for us, Eve. I want to help as much as possible, especially in those first few months when you and the baby are still figuring everything out. And if that means sleeping over all the time and changing diapers and feeding you and taking the baby on walks while you nap, then great. If that means holding down the fort over here while you and the baby figure each other out over there, then great."</b></i></blockquote> this man is perfect 🥺

<b><u>Things I Loved</b></u>
🩷realistic description of pregnancy
🩷complex relationship and emotions(the father and mother of child are not together)
🩷New York setting 🗽
🩷 so many sweet moments to make your heart melt 🥹🫠
🩷how the author writes the intimate scenes!!!! Omg it’s so detailed and I swear I stopped breathing..I was overheating and screaming over a hand massage..a HAND MASSAGE lol
🩷Shep reading baby books and buying a bike with a baby seat on it(not the child’s father) 😭😭😭

<b><u>Spice Level</b></u>
1/5🌶️
This is a slow burn romance and there is a spicy scene towards the end of the book but not overly descriptive.

<b>Overall thoughts</b>:you should read this if you love contemporary romances. I loved how this showed a pregnancy from start to finish and it was authentic. It’s not being overly beautified you are getting a real glimpse of thoughts and feelings of someone who is pregnant. The ending was beautiful and it’s a happy ending but there is no epilogue…and yes I like my endings delivered in a pretty package with a bow..

Thank you so much NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Cara Bastone for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read the unique and heartwarming book! This book has so much emotional intelligence, which is rare sometimes.
There aren't many books centered on surprise pregnancies, especially when the parents aren't in relationships so it was nice to see this type of family story being told.
This was a good story of how complicated but rewarding these real life events/relationship can be. The book centers on Eve and how she becomes pregnant after one night with a guy she met named Ethan. She slowly moves through the pregnancy and discovers feelings with a life-long friend named Shep. She also adapts with Ethan who is kind and respectful but is struggling with how he feels and what he wants his role to be regarding the baby. Eve also is juggling her career plan. The book shows how connected everything is and how becoming a parent can make you more centered on your own dreams and goals. It also goes into taking care of others and respecting others' trauma and supporting each other.
I'm not personally a parent besides fur children but I felt like this book did a great job of the pregnancy details and emotions. I feel like either the author is a parent or they did a great job with research.
This book was different than what I usually read but in a good way. It was rewarding to learn more about pregnancies, how we are all connected, how different families can be but still just as supportive and loving. And the book showed how you can continue to work on and grown your emotional intelligence.

Ready or Not is a really sweet, happy story about a single woman who finds herself pregnant after a one night stand and, through the experience, finds the love of her life who was always there. Told in first person with a lot of fun "reader chat", the protagonist Eve is confused about a lot of things in life except whether or not she wants to keep the baby growing inside her that is the result of a single night with attractive bartender, Ethan.

While there are challenging topics in this story - Eve's best friend wants a baby but is unable to get pregnant, the unhealthy romantic relationship between Ethan and his on-again, off-again girlfriend - nothing moves into too heavy a direction to bring the energy down. In fact, Shep, Eve's best friend's brother and childhood friend, seems to jump in at the right moment in both Eve's life and the story to bring delightful ease and levity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. I think author Cara Bastone did a lot right for this unexpected pregnancy trope where others seem to get it wrong.

Ready or Not
Cara Bastone

I am a fan of Cara Bastone’s books. I will also admit this is my favorite. I first found her books on Audible and you realize your favorite audio book narrators love her books because she has great dialogue. Both characters are equally engaged in the conversation which is real yet way cooler. Her descriptions are a sensory treat and that is exactly what I like. I normally don’t like the trope of the down on your luck pregnant girl finding her forever guy. Why? It’s how every character in these scenarios is portrayed as immature, clueless, unkind and just lead by their hormones. The Ready or Not characters are portrayed as adults finding their way with depth and kindness. They are doing their best with their emotional wounds. Their actions for others show their generosity when their words do not. There are reasons why the pregnancy and the romance mix so well and all the characters have a purpose and definition. I like a book that helps me do a little soul searching and this does. I thank the Dial Press, Random House, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy and Cara Bastone for writing an amazing book.

A beautiful modern day, real life read about love and family in NYC. I enjoyed this. Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Read!

Eve has it together. A job that she may not love but is with an organization that she does, a great Brooklyn apartment and a good life in NYC. Until eve had an uncharacteristic one night stand with a hot bartender. Surprise, she’s pregnant and decides to keep going with the pregnancy. Unfortunately, nobody seems really happy about it. Not her long term best friend who’s married and struggling with fertility problems, not her sorta judge-y coworkers, not her much older brothers and initially, not the sperm donor. The only 2 people who seems to be ha[[y for Eve are her oldest brother back home in Michigan and her best friend’s older brother….who she know as long as her best friend…since childhood. This is a story about different forms of love…self-love, selfless love, and complicated love. It’s also a spot on description of the journey of pregnancy…the wonderful, not so wonderful and the “are you kidding me?” of each trimester. Eve, the baby’s biological father and someone who also loves the baby and has loved Eve for a long time navigate the journey together. I enjoyed this book that ends on a charmingly optimistic scene,. But, I’m skeptical that the harmony and love can be maintained for all 4 people involved.

This is my first book by this author and my first pregnancy trope and I was pleasantly surprised. I picked this book solely on the beautiful cover.

This leans more towards women's fiction for me but there is an element of romance. Eve finds out she's pregnant after a one night stand and this is her journey to motherhood. The woes of figuring out a relationship with the baby's father, how she is going to support herself and a new baby, and her despondency at work. And it's a story about the family and support we have in our friends.

I fell in love with Shep, her best friend's brother, and he is such a supportive male character. He is the perfect book boyfriend and I was so happy how their relationship evolved.

It was interesting to see how Eve and Ethan handled their relationship as well. It's a very realistic tale of motherhood in modern times which was charming, heartlfelt and beautifully written.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters, as the dialogue was actually pretty cringy. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

Get ready for a literary rollercoaster ride with Cara Bastone's "Ready or Not." This heartwarming rom-com is a delightful escape into a world where love and laughter collide, leaving readers with a warm and fuzzy feeling that lingers long after the final page is turned.

Bastone's writing is a breath of fresh air, effortlessly blending humor, wit, and a dash of unexpected romance. From the opening scene to the laugh-out-loud moments scattered throughout, "Ready or Not" is a testament to Bastone's ability to craft a narrative that feels like a cozy chat with your best friend. Pregnancy is not a trope I normally like but it was handled really well!!!

I have been waiting to read this since I set eyes on the cover! I adored the premise and the bright cover.

It was fun, romantic, sweet, and also so very very deep. It made me cry several times.

Ready or Not is the story of how our protagonist, Eve, faces the news of her surprise pregnancy after a one night stand and how she deals with the process of becoming a mother. It is a very nice story about motherhood, there is not as much romance as I expected but it is still a pleasant story. I feel that it does go on a little longer than necessary and loses its pace, but overall it is a read that I would recommend. It's not your typical unexpected pregnancy story and it deals with these issues in an interesting way.

Oh how I loved this book with every fiber of my being! This is my first Cara Bastone and it definitely won't be my last.

Ready or Not tells the story of Eve Hatch. When Eve finds out she is pregnant after a one-night stand, she's not sure how to feel. It gets even worse when her friend, Willa, who so desperately wants to be happy for her, can't. Willa has been struggling with infertility and Eve doesn't want to make it harder for her. But who will be her support system? Who can Eve talk to? Don't you worry, folks, because in comes Seth.

Oh, Seth. Let the swooning ensue because he just really is all that and a bag of chips. Who is Seth, you might ask? He is the older brother of Willa and one of Eva's childhood friends. If you could picture a human form of a golden retriever, that's Seth. As soon as Eva reveals she is pregnant, he is over the moon for her. He really just would do anything for her and seeing the relationship between Eva and Shep grow from friends to lovers as she is navigating this new chapter in life was so beautiful.

And what about the baby daddy, you might ask? Ethan was a dream, as well. Of course, the news was a shock for him, as well, and we see his journey of coming to terms with fatherhood. I loved seeing Eva, Seth, and Ethan's relationship blossom. If you're looking for a wholesome, hope-filled read, look no further! Ready or Not was a fun and emotional time and I couldn't recommend it enough.

Thank you so much to Random House and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an adorable book that I had a hard time putting down. I saw myself caught up very quickly into the story and couldn't wait to see what happened next.

This book was just such a delight! I didn't know how a surprise pregnancy would work as the premise in a romance, but it definitely did. I always enjoy a slow burn friends to lovers romance and this one was an A+. I loved both of the main characters, Eve and Shep, and the build of their bond over the course of the novel. Both characters were so well-developed and believable, this felt like a real life story a friend was telling me about how two people got together vs. a romance novel. As a mom of two young children, I also enjoyed the very real portrayal of pregnancy. I'm now a Cara Bastone fan!

This book was such a sweet, delightful surprise that tugged on my heartstrings in all the right ways. I loved following along on Eve’s pregnancy journey, and the ways her relationships with her brothers, Willa, Shep, and Ethan evolved felt authentic yet compelling. Overall, this is a moving story about love, friendship, and family that I would absolutely recommend to any reader.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book! First off, the cover the book is beautiful and is why I wanted to read it. This is such a sweet and heartfelt book. Must read!