This author is new to me, but after devouring Ready or Not, I will for sure be checking out her backlist. This was a poignant read and I could not put it down.

Cara Bastone books have always been a hit with me. This one doesn't disappoint. She has a way of transporting you into the story and making time fly while reading. Great story of relationships, love and family.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

The infamous accidental pregnancy trope. Some love it, a lot hate it, but no matter how you feel about it, accidental pregnancy a decisive plot to base your book on. However, when done right, it provides and emotionally rich and time sensitive environment for character development.

Luckily, READY OR NOT is absolutely up to the challenge. The book follows Eve Hatch, who is absolutely happy with how things are going. She has an excellent apartment, a job adjacent to her dream career, and a best friend she'd do anything for. However, after an unexpected one-night stand, Eve finds out she's pregnant.

What makes this book so special, at least in my opinion, is Eve's growth from a (honestly relatably) selfish person into a better and more conscientious person. The relationships between the characters are in-depth and realistic, Bastone was unafraid to delve into the mess an unexpected pregnancy can bring. Heartwarming and sweet, READY OR NOT is a perfect spring read!

Eve is content with her life, but her surprise pregnancy leads her to some life changing revelations. She has the perfect Brooklyn apartment, her best friend Willa lives nearby, and her family that never understood her is far enough away. With her job being only dream adjacent, she's banking on her dedication and hard work to land her the job she really wants. She has had her fair share of disappointments when it comes to her romantic life and an uncharacteristic one-night stand leaves her with an unexpected pregnancy. New revelations and growth within all of her significant relationships are the result of her one-night stand. Her relationship with her best friend Willa is tested, the relationship with Willa's brother, Shep is questionable, and now she needs to figure out this new relationship with the baby's father, Ethan. Over nine months, Eve struggles to figure out what her next steps are in all aspects of her life.

Ready or Not is such a heartwarming story that I did not want to put down. It starts off jumping right into the action and doesn't let up throughout the story. My favorite part of this story was how complicated all of the relationships were because isn't that life? Relationships aren't complicated all of the time, but they sure do get complicated sometimes. I loved every single character, they were lovable, human, and all showed growth. Most of us have had a friend like Willa, having mixed feelings about some really big news but ultimately showing up when it counts. Shep is hands down the man that women should choose every time, but you know what they say... nice men finish last. Ethan is bound by comfortability but after some inner turmoil ends up making the right choice for himself and everyone involved. And Eve, also comfortable and scared of change, ends up taking charge of her life. I cannot leave out nurse blank, who ends up being sweetn'low with a speech about how motherhood changes you from being self-centered to other-centered really blew this book out of the water for me. This is one I want to keep on my forever shelves, so I'll need to get myself a physical copy when it comes out 2/13/24.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC and the chance to read and review it honestly. My review will be published on Goodreads and Instagram under handle bbecca_marie on 8/11/23.

Happy reading!

Not typically a huge pregnancy -trope tan, but Bastone does it well. Shep is so dang likable, though I did wish he was in the middle of the book more for some more relationship building. Her friend Willa was well rounded and realistic. Ethan was frustrating but I did appreciate his redemption arc at the end. A fun and quick read!

Unpopular opinion but I love a good surprise pregnancy so when I saw the blurb for this book I immediately jumped to read it! And it was just about what I needed. The romance between Eve and Shep develops beautifully, with genuine chemistry and a slow-burn that allows their connection to evolve naturally. Their dynamic is sweet and genuine, offering readers moments of both tenderness and vulnerability as they support each other through life's unexpected turns. Overall, this was a really delightful and engaging read, and a must-read for fans of slow burn and friends to lovers. Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a joy to read. I couldn’t put it down. Fortunately I started reading it on a Friday night so I was free to finish it on Saturday.
Eve has an accidental pregnancy that changes her life in surprising ways. All of her relationships are impacted. The writing is compelling- obviously since I finished in less than 24 hours- and honest. No gimmicks or easy fixes here. There may be a slow burn romance brewing. In the end it was a beautiful story of a woman growing into herself & choosing to live an authentic life. Thank you NetGalley & Dial for the advance copy.