this book was not my favorite. there were some aspects of it that were sweet, but there were some things written in that conflicted with my personal opinions, which is the reason i gave it a lower rating. i lost complete interest in the story when the author decided to bring in politics. overall, it was alright, but just not my cup of tea.

*much appreciation to netgalley for lending me an ARC copy of this book*

I think my heart knew, from the very beginning, that it wouldn’t stand a chance against this book. This has been hands down, one of the most spectacular experiences I’ve had with a book in a while. This story was so human, so realistic and so lovable. It spoke to my soul, how much support and how loved Eve was. It was a joy to see her grow throughout the book and her pregnancy. It was a gift to see Shep, right there along with her. He was so attentive, so gentle, genuine and loving, that it broke something in me. They were the most precious beings and I am forever changed. I am touched, I felt this pierce my soul and set up camp there. I sobbed the last 10% and I feel healed. I have nothing else to say because, nothing I say, will ever do it justice.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Dial Press for an e-arc 🩵

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⋆
I immensely enjoyed this one. It was funny, cute, sweet, and just an all around delight to read.

I found Eve as a narrator to be both entertaining and relatable, and found myself smiling down at this book on a regular basis because of her inner monologue. And while she seemed to be riding the wave of her life instead of steering the ship ( as it were ), this is where her character has to chance at growth and development. I liked Willa both as a friend and as a sister, and felt like her character was written realistically and honestly in regards to her reactions and behaviours in the context of her own struggles within the story. Shep? Well he’s basically the sweetest, kindest, golden retriever of a friend-to-lover that this sometimes-romance-reader could ever hope for. I loved the dynamic between the three of them, as well as the small spotlight we get to see between Eve and her brothers.

All in all, this story is so cute, and wholesome, that I probably got diabetes from the book as a whole but I am here for it. Is it too good to be true / aka unrealistic? Probably. Was I rooting for Eve and Shep the entire time, and didn’t want to put the book down? Also yes. Will I now seek out other books by this author? Youuuuu betcha.

~ 👩🏻‍🦰

⧞ Sincere and heartfelt thank you to Dial Press, Net Galley, and author for an advanced digital copy of this lovely and enjoyable book.

Omg this book. I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning. I loved that it wasn’t a typical romance. It was complicated. Messy. But amazing.

This was a very cute fluff read. Nothing too heavy in terms of topics and a somewhat predictable ending.

The relationship between Shep and Eve was a very cute slow burn which was again predicable but cute. I liked that the main character also was not focusing on a love story just because she was pregnant and trying to force a relationship.

I loved this entire book -- even when I hated what was happening to our main squeeze. I was so invested the entire time. This is the exact kind of triangle one of my besties would fall into and I probably wouldn't know who to root for in her life either. The characters are just raw and flawed and real. 10/10 recommend.

I really wanted to love this book as much as everyone else, but it fell short for me. I felt like I was so bored reading this book, and just kept waiting for something exciting to happen. I felt like this book read more as a women’s fiction vs a romance novel. I did like the concept of the book and how it followed Eve through each trimester. I know others loved it, so I highly recommend checking their thoughts on it. I just don’t think it was for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

i wish this had more romance, this is a women’s fiction novel with not even a hint of romance until 60% of the way through

This gave me all the warm fuzzy vibes with the perfect mix of realistic relationships!
I absolutely adored the plot line of this book that starts as an unplanned pregnancy between two people who barely know each other - but morphs into an all-encompassing, life-realizing novel. The character development was spot-on and I loved how the heartwarming story intertwined with a variety of tropes. I'm still smiling about it weeks later :)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book is perfection. No notes. I loved it and the characters so much. Talk about swoony. I'm excited to read more from Cara Bastone.

I loved this sweet romantic comedy. It had some great humour and just the right amount of spice for me (more story than spice - but still spicy where appropriate). What I really enjoyed and found a refreshing change was the cast of likable characters, albeit human and with flaws. As a mother of three, I also enjoyed the memories the story triggered as the main character's pregnancy progressed. I had trouble putting this one down. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 4.5/5 stars!

This book was great, it felt fresh and not like anything else I've read lately. It kept me intrigued all the way through, I didn't want to put it down.

A one night stand throws Eve’s world into a tailspin, but it may just end up being the best thing that ever happened.
Eve thinks she doesn’t really have a family but what she soon comes to realize is that family isn’t always blood.
I thought Shep was the best character. He was funny, supportive, interested, and most importantly there.
I thought Bastone depicted Ethan’s reactions and emotions accurately.
Eve was a little harder for me to pin down, I waffled on her but eventually she sees what she has and has had all along.
Read this book If you’re interested in life throwing a loop for the main character.

I’m obessed. This was so cute. The cover I love so much. Shep was so sweet. My favorite trope is childhood best friends to lovers so I LOVED that. Best friends brother?? Yess

This was cute and I really appreciate that you go into it knowing that it’s a surprise pregnancy trope. Actually, does it still fall in that category if you know that from the get go? I’m unsure.

Anyway, this was really cute and I enjoyed Eve’s inner monologue and ability to say what she’s thinking. This was a very refreshing and modern take on life not being over for a single woman because of an unplanned pregnancy.

Shep AND Ethan provide some very nice eye candy and steamy thoughts as well.

When Eve gets pregnant after an uncharacteristic one-night stand, her life and all her relationships are turned upside down. Unexpectedly, the one person who is there for her and really steps up is Shep, her best friend’s older brother. Between Shep and the supported but conflicted baby daddy, Eve is so confused and only has a few months to figure things out before the baby arrives.

This book surprised me in all the best ways. I grabbed it for the gorgeous cover and because I had seen so many rave reviews on bookstagram. But I went in unsure because surprise pregnancy can be very hit or miss. However, this book had me captivated from page one and quickly became a book I adored. Shep was a top tier book boyfriend and just the sweetest man. And the slow burn and chemistry between him and Eve was incredible. I also loved the way this book portrayed and dove into a series of complex relationships but in a very low angst and mature way. This book not only lived up to the hype, but exceeded my expectations.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

"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."

3.5 ⭐️

💌; 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬

𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺
𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥'𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

En "Ready or Not", Eve Hatch, una mujer contenta con su vida en Brooklyn, se ve sacudida por un embarazo sorpresa que cambia todo. Con su amistad en peligro y la inesperada atención de Shep, el hermano de su amiga, Eve se embarca en un viaje de auto-descubrimiento mientras enfrenta la maternidad. Con el respaldo del padre del bebé y nuevos sentimientos emergentes, Eve aprende que el amor y la familia pueden surgir de las situaciones más inesperadas.

Esta historia cautivadora y emotiva nos recuerda que la vida está llena de giros inesperados y que el amor puede florecer en los momentos más desafiantes.

Este libro me recordó a las romcoms de los años 2000, y créanme cuando digo que es perfecto para aquellos que disfrutan tanto como yo de este género. Disfruté la lectura en su mayoría y estoy considerando leer más libros de esta autora. Su estilo de escritura me atrapó, aunque habría deseado que los protagonistas compartieran más momentos juntos como pareja en la trama.

La química entre los personajes principales fue cautivadora y encontré muy realista la representación de la maternidad en la historia, algo con lo que muchas mujeres pueden identificarse. En general, fue una experiencia de lectura satisfactoria y espero seguir explorando mas libros de esta autora en el futuro.

Thanks for the free book PRH International

Wow! I am amazed by how much this story pulled me in - once I started I could not put it down, I finished it all in one day.

As someone that does not plan to get pregnant and is quite frankly fearful of pregnancy I was unsure if I was going to like this book. But I got sucked in by Eve's plight. She is attempting to live our her dream in Brooklyn with the family she made, but she unexpectedly gets pregnant from a rare one night stand. Thankfully her pregnancy leads to love, friendship, and success.

Such a great fun read! Loved the realness in it. Sometimes life gives you lemons, and you learn to love lemonade.

Loved it. Can’t wait to read more from this Author.

I loved this sweet heartwarming story!! So far the novel Ready or Not is a top contender for best romance of the year. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.