{Book Review} Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

I have loved all of the Audible Originals of Cara Bastone’s so I was really excited to get READY OR NOT for review; thank you @thedialpress for the review copy!

Listen. I love me an accidental pregnancy trope. I love seeing a couple work through this unexpected life change together is how I articulate why. After a very out of character one night stand, Eve finds herself pregnant. From there—she reconnects with the baby’s father to tell him, she loses touch with her best friend who is struggling to conceive, and she becomes close with longtime friend/best friend’s brother who seems to be the only once excited about the pregnancy.

I loved this. It didn’t do anything particularly groundbreaking, it was just a great book and explored relationship dynamics between friends and strangers and how life comes at you fast. I loved how Eve took each day at a time to try to cope with this huge change in her life. The tension of the romantic component was ADDICTING, oh my gosh, it made me long for a man to have a crush on, it was so fun!

I think this was a well-paced, engaging novel about a woman faced with a surprise life change and how her people rallied around her. There were ups and downs and a lot of great thought-provoking points with how feelings and friendships change over time.

I cannot wait to look into Bastone’s backlist and read whatever she writes next!

As soon as I finished this delightful book, I immediately put it in my bag to share with a friend who was expecting. I appreciated the storyline diving into what it truly would entail having a child - along with the human aspects like the main character Eve struggling with realizing who the best man for her was. I LOVE< LOVE Cara Bastone's audiobooks thus far on Audible and was so delighted not only to get this from Netgalley, but I also purchased it to have my own copy from Book of the Month so I can reread it. Her dialog and easy-to-read books are always a treat and a great getaway for me.

Ready or Not is such a heartwarming story! I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I really enjoyed all the characters and how they dealt with the issues life threw at them. They actually talked, worked through, and grew! Also...Shep is a true gem of a human!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! I will definitely be checking out past works from this author.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone made me feel so many emotions. I knew this was an accidental pregnancy trope, but I thought it was handled very well. I laughed and had moments where I felt so profoundly for Eve. I loved Shep; what a perfect male character! I would recommend this book, especially the audiobook because it was narrated so well!

I'm usually not a fan of the surprise pregnancy sub-genre, but this book kept my attention and interest. Ready or Not was a quick read.

OKAYYYY LOVING THE FRIENDS TO LOVERS I’VE BEEN SEEING LATELY!!! If you know me you know that after reading PWMOV Friends to lovers became my favorite trope and I stg its the least written trope :(

Eve has always known what to expect…until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand. And the unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Her best friend's older brother Shep, steps up to help. Throughout her pregnancy she is forced to figure out the best course of action for both her and her baby… and maybe that is Shep.

Dead dying deceased I loved Shep! Also making the baby daddy NOT a deadbeat was *chefs kiss!* This book was not only a romance but a self discovery and a testament to how strong women, mothers and single mothers really are.

I found this one really heartwarming. If you’re expecting a romcom, this isn’t exactly it, but it is a romance— both romantically and self. Eve finds out she’s pregnant from a one-night stand, and naturally it turns her world upside down. The father isn’t exactly available but he does try. But it’s obvious that he is not the endgame romance. Then there’s Shep, her best friend’s brother, who has been in love with her all along but Eve is oblivious to it. He helps her a lot as she struggles in her pregnancy— dealing with being pregnant, what it means for her, just pregnancy symptoms, how to handle people around her, etc. He’s there through it all. His love for her was so pure that it really was a bright spot of this book. Eve had to discover herself before she became a mom, and she came to a lot of realizations that I think set her on a better track. I really enjoyed this one. Normally I’m in it for the romance, and this one was def a slow burn, but I actually really just enjoyed the core of this story. I think it’s also a good read for any about to be first time mom’s out there. There is some good advice in it, and just a general message of you’re not as alone as you feel.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publish Group for the read.

12/10, no notes!! I don't read much romance - is this what I'm missing out on!? All the characters jumped off the page, all were so likable. I loved that the story had some meat on its bones when it came to plot/subplot. The whole book club swooned for this one.

Ready or Not was a great read. Accidental pregnancy trope, very well done even if this particular trope isn't a favorite for some. The execution was very good, engaging real characters, entertaining and thought provoking. Well written and evenly paced. Enjoyed this story

I really enjoyed this book! The narrator from the audiobook did an amazing job. The only thing I didn't like was the part where the FMC says she wants to let her baby pick its gender. Everything else was great!

This was a delightful, heartfelt, and emotional romance! Eve and Shep's slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance unfold all within Eve's surprise pregnancy from a one-night stand was amazing as well as Eve's coming to terms with her impending motherhood. I really liked this one and I'll have to look out for more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this book. Shep is seriously the best. We could all use a Shep in our lives. This book gave me all the feels and I cried the last couple chapters of it. Very light hearted and hilarious in some spots for that perfect comedic timing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy and all opinions are my own.

I was honestly surprised by how much I LOVED this book! I am not usually a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope, but this book did it perfectly.

A wonderful romance! I loved that this seemed like real life as she debated how to proceed with the baby’s father versus the man she really wanted. Has all the emotions!

Such a cute rom-com that really hits the highs and lows of pregnancy spot on. I loved the characters, I loved the friends to lovers and I loved how Eve grow to fully embrace becoming a mother. And NYC/Brooklyn, great setting!!

This was so cute! It's was a really charming, quick read that was full of unexpected, heartfelt moments. Eve gets pregnant after a one night stand and throughout her pregnancy journey, her BFF's brother Shep proves to be her biggest support system—especially as sparks start to fly. Cara did a really nice job setting up Eve's friendships with Willa and Shep, and how deep their bonds go. I thought her character dynamics, even and especially with the group and Ethan, the father of Eve's baby, was really well done. A really fun read for sure.

This is such a sweet story! Sweet can seem contrite at times, but this book is perfectly sweet! The story picks up immediately - which I love. There’s no build up, we jump right in. We get to watch Eve grow, physically and emotionally, as well as see her world grow and change around her. Watching how this unexpected event allows her to explore her past and how/why she got to that point was an unexpected journey, but one that was beautifully woven throughout the book. Also, to see how it determined her future and what she wanted for herself. 🩷

Plus, Shep is top tier! 🥰

"𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢. 𝙸𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗... 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎, 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎... 𝙸'𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎."

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭:
Eve's life takes an unexpected turn with an unplanned pregnancy, triggering a chain of life-altering revelations in a heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance. As she navigates her cozy Brooklyn apartment and strained relationships with her traditional Midwest family, Eve relies on her childhood friend Willa for support. However, it's Willa's brother Shep who steps in to help Eve during this challenging time, sparking feelings she never anticipated. With the baby's father also in the picture, Eve finds herself reevaluating her identity and relationships over the course of nine transformative months. Through this journey, she learns that love and family can come in unexpected forms when you least expect it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
🤰🏼 Unplanned pregnancy
💕 Best friend’s brother
🔺 Love triangle (sort of)
🫂 Friendship & found family
🍍 Infertility awareness
😍 He falls first
❤️‍🩹 Caretaking
🔥 Slow burn

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖:
✳︎ Romcoms that feel authentic and don’t shy away from tough topics
✳︎ Golden retriever MMC
✳︎ New York City setting
✳︎ Single, first person POV

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
As someone who has struggled with infertility and pregnancy loss, unplanned pregnancy trope books are usually a miss for me. However, I 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 this book. I feel like 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭 handled multiple sensitive topics very well. Cara Bastone didn’t shy away from the less glamorous side of pregnancy. She also gave infertility a voice through Eve’s best friend, Willa. At times, their relationship was strained, and their conversations were uncomfortable and difficult, but I felt like that was such a respectful and relatable way to handle a challenging subject matter.

Eve was a very relatable main character. I’m really glad the story was told in first person because I loved getting so much of her inner thoughts and feelings. I also, obviously, adored Shep. He was such a golden retriever. Everyone deserves someone to love them the way Shep loves Eve.

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet, but it was also more complex than one might expect from your typical romcom. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Also, if you enjoy audiobooks, this narrator was INCREDIBLE- truly.

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (𝟺.𝟻/𝟻)

𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝:
🌶️ (𝟷/𝟻)

What I have read of Cara Bastone prior to these I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, this did not live up to my expectations. Regardless of my feelings though, the story of one woman’s journey is so important for people to read and relate to.

This is without a doubt in the top romances I read in 2023 (and I read a lot of romances)

Ready or Not gave me all those warm fuzzy feelings I get from watching Gilmore Girls in the fall, or 90s rom coms on a rainy day. There was something so magical and wholesome and special about this - I loved this book so so much.

Eve was funny, relatable, and so realistic - just an all around amazing character. One of the greats. To be honest I loved every single character, they were lovable, human, and all showed so much growth throughout the novel. This book dealt with some difficult topics and they were all handled with so much grace.

I don’t want to say too much, because I think this book speaks for itself - so please do yourself a favour and pick this up. This is one I want to keep on my forever shelves, and will certainly be purchasing a copy when it comes out on February 13th!