Thank you #Netgalley for the copy

I really enjoyed this book! We follow Eve, a single young woman who is faced with a big decision to make that will change her life forever. She chooses to keep her unplanned pregnancy from a one night stand. The book is broken out into each trimester and the ups and downs that Eve faces. She luckily has the support of close friends and coworkers to help her as she needs, especially when she wants to do things on her own. Loved the connections that evolve and even at the very end during the delivery I almost got teary eyed reading how the characters came together.

An easy, heartwarming read. I appreciated the tension that came from a strained friendship, which isn't something I see executed well or explored frequently enough in romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the eARC, and to PRH audio for the gifted audiobook! I can’t believe I waited so long to read this absolute gem. This is one of the best audiobooks I’ve heard this year. Alex Finke did an absolutely stunning job with the narration. Eve’s voice is so solid, her character comes to life and between the narration and writing her sense of self comes through so strongly. Each character is so well-written and distinct vocally too.

This is such a genuinely sweet story of an unexpected pregnancy, a well-known unpopular trope, but if this is an incredible novel. I urge you to push past your dislike of that trope because this book is beyond a traditional romance and has so much to offer. I absolutely adored getting to see inside Eve’s head and enter her world. I could read the grocery lists of these characters and be happy because I want just a little more of them that badly. Eve’s big brother Dustin and Nurse Louise were standout minor characters for me, and we each deserve a Shep in our lives.

As if I couldn’t sing this book’s praises enough, the cover is gorgeous! I want more from Cara Bastone, immediately. Her writing is superb.

This is an accidental pregnancy trope. She accidentally gets pregnant. The setting takes place in New York City. Her love interest is not the baby's father, but he's her best friends brother. This was a great romance novel. It was deep, funny, and relatable. 5 star read.

Omg- I devoured this book. It was so sweet and funny…. And real! I just, loved each and every character (even bonehead Ethan!)

Thank you, Cara Bastone, for writing this beautiful book!

This will be in my top ten of 2024!

Eve finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with a bartender she's met exactly once. Both of her parents passed away years ago, her siblings are twice her age, and her best friend is dealing with infertility issues. Despite feeling very alone the people in Eve's life prove that she is far from it. If you liked Out on a Limb you will LOVE Ready or Not!

“Eve, for as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be as close as possible to you.”

“He blinks down at me, a slow expression, filled with a depth that only decades of knowing someone can give you. This here is a man who knows me. And I feel known.”

Shep is absolutely one of my favorite MMC's ever written. He is so sweet and genuine but also extremely sexy! I loved their friendship and how it developed throughout the book and the movie theater scene was an absolute favorite!

Count me in for anything with a New York setting. I love how Shep is giving all the golden retriever vibes, and is truly the best friend / supporter a woman would want in, specially in a situation like the one Eve’s in.

I’m not a superfan of the pregnancy trope, but decided to give this a try. Eve and Shep were beyond cute. I really liked the authenticity of how pregnancy was portrayed.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute read! The cover drew me in on this one and the tropes were some of my favorites! Definitely recommend!

I'm not usually a big fan of surprise pregnancy books but this one actually starts out with Eve finding out her news. The found family and friends to lovers storyline in this book really grabbed me from the start. Shep was such a sweetheart though why he waited so long to tell Eve how he felt was beyond me!! I love the way the author kept Ethan, the baby daddy, in the picture too with everyone getting along cordially for the sake of the child. If you haven't read this one and feel like a slowburn love story with a baby at the end, give it a go.

3.5 (maybe 4?) stars. Here’s why I’m ambivalent: This was at its core a perfect, fast-paced, page turning rom com - the type of book I absolutely love. I just couldn’t get past how wildly far-fetched the story was combined with it being centered on such a sensitive topic.

Holy smokes this book is full of land mines depending on what your personal triggers are: pregnancy, loss of pregnancy, loss of parents…it’s hard for me to rate a book higher when those topics are present. So reader consider yourself warned.

I also think it’s important to acknowledge that I’m reviewing this book as a woman who has never been pregnant, so my opinions are only as relevant as that fact. All that said, I enjoyed the writing, I liked all the mostly endearing characters, and would definitely read more from this author.
Thanks to Random House Publishing and Dial Press Trade for my ARC.

{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!