This book was just everything you want in a rom com, it made me laugh, cry, cringe, just ALL the emotions! I’ve loved everything Cara Bastone has written but this is definitely my favourite, she honestly just gets better and better. I can’t recommend this book enough.

"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."

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Book: Ready or Not
Author: Cara Bastone

this was such an adorable little romcom and the perfect spring read! i have read cara bastone’s little audio books before and enjoyed them, so i was excited to see what she did with a full novel, and she KNOWS how to write in a comedic way, i was laughing out loud and caught myself smiling to myself multiple times.

Shep adored Eve so much and is the epitome of “men written by women”. i adored him. he just wanted the best for eve and her baby from the very beginning 🥹

this book also made me realise that i do not hate the pregnancy trope, i only dislike it when it is used as a plot twist to create unnecessary drama, but used as a major plot point in the book, i actually really enjoy it.

Read it you enjoy:
🩵 Surprise pregnancy
🩵 Friends to lovers
🩵 Best friends brother
🩵 Spring reads
🩵 Golden retriever MMC
🩵 Love triangle (kinda)
🩵 Slow burn

(thank you to netgalley and headline eternal for the EARC in exchange for an honest review! 🫶🏻)

🫶🏻

A sweet slow-burn that is as much a love story as a love letter to motherhood. Eve and Shep definitely stole my heart!

The pregnancy trope is hit or miss for me and this one was most definitely a hit! I listened to some of Cara Bastone's audiobooks at the end of last year and loved them so, when I saw it on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read this one! I'm so glad I did because I loved it! Shep and Eve had me kicking my feet and giggling out loud. The relationships between Eve and the other people in her life were realistic and nuanced. I especially loved seeing her relationships with her older brothers, and it was cool to see a less common family set up. I wasn't sure about the inclusion of Ethan (the father of Eve's baby) at first, but I came to really like the depiction of a flawed journey towards healthy co-parenting. As is the usual for Cara Bastone, Ready or Not is very low angst, which I LOVE! Shep and Eve have such healthy communication the whole way through the book and their relationship quickly became on of my favourite rom-com relationships. I think the only reason this isn't a five star read for me is because the ending felt a little rushed for me. I do understand why it ended where it did. This is a book centred around a pregnancy, so it makes sense to end it when the pregnancy is over, but I'm greedy and I would've liked to see a little more of the lives of Eve and Shep (and Ethan) after the birth. I guess I was just left wanting more, which isn't really a bad thing.

There's not really much else to say. I adored Ready or Not! This book has it all, sweet AND spicy, great communication, complicated and deep friendships, a lovely, honest, sweet love interest and a fantastic main character. I immediately ordered the paperback so I could have this beautiful book on my shelves and I can't wait to reread it over and over again as well as reading anything else that Cara Bastone comes out with!

When a one night stand turns into an unplanned pregnancy Eve is shocked to say the least. Then even more shocking is the reaction of all of those around her, people she thought she could count on she can’t, and support comes from the most unexpected of places.

I thought this book was an absolutely beautiful glimpse into the struggles of pregnancy, wanting to keep everybody happy, trying not to be stressed by the reality of things to come and the difficulties some have with being happy for others amidst their own struggles. I really thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m annoyed at myself for missing posting my review as I read this at the start of Feb!

I was admittedly hesitant about the idea of a romance revolving around a pregnant woman, but the personal growth and friendship contained in this sweet story ultimately won me over.

Eve was such a lovable heroine. She was slightly chaotic, indecisive and insecure, but she was inherently kind and understanding to those around her, even if they didn’t always deserve it. It was empowering to watch her boldly strive for what she wanted in all aspects of her life – career, love and family. This meant that Eve was easy to root for.

Eve’s heartwarming relationships were my favourite part of this novel. Her best friend Willa didn’t initially respond well to the surprise pregnancy. Luckily, Eve was more than sympathetic to her best friend and allowed her space to become involved in her journey when she felt ready. The maturity of their friendship was refreshing to see. Eve and (eventually) Willa were able to adapt for the other and remain someone they could rely on.

Thankfully, when Willa couldn’t be there for Eve, her older brother Shep really stepped up. He was sweet, kind and a little goofy. At the start, his dynamic with Eve was even slightly sibling-like, owing to their long shared history and ease around each other. Though as the novel progressed, seeds of romance were sown between the lifelong friends. Shep became more and more swoony, which was just what Eve deserved.

This was a wonderful book, I found the story and writing realistic and heartfelt which made me really care for the MC's. Accidental Pregnancy in books can be hit and miss but I think Cara portrayed it wonderfully.

Loved this and was genuinely surprised how much! Loved the main character and I absolutely adored the love interest!

What an absolutely fabulous read! I just loved this book. It is fun, exciting and definitely captures your attention. Will definitely read more from this author as I love her style of writing.

This felt like a massive warm hug in book form, and I adored it.

Eve, a woman in her late twenties, finds herself pregnant after a one night stand. Deciding she wants to keep it, she has to juggle the realities of her life changing - can she really raise a baby in her small, one bedroom, NYC apartment? What does she actually want out of her career? How involved will the baby daddy want to be? How can she handle increased feelings for her best friends brother, Shep, and how will said best friend, Willa, take her accidentally falling pregnant while she longs for a baby of her own? As her pregnancy progresses, she’s faced with all these questions…while also having to cope with the looming prospect of motherhood (and those darn pregnancy hormones aren’t making it any easier!)

I genuinely loved this book - each character acted so realistically when faced with all these issues, yet it also just felt so…cosy and lovely, despite the complicated relationships.

The romance was just top tier sweet, and I LOVED seeing how Shep constantly looked out for her, right from the start. Like, he is sweet, generous, tender, and unfailingly caring. His actions almost made me weep at one point. He is a fabulous fictionalised man. Top tier, truly.

Eve is also brilliant - she is faced with multiple uncomfortable situations but her humour persists, even when the people around her act in ways that are less than great, and I was always rooting for her to figure things out.

It’s fast paced, funny, romantic, and genuinely warmed my heart. The ending left me with a massive smile on my face.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

unfortunately this trope was not for me!! personal preference but i have no interest in books following accidental pregnancies and love triangles as they tend to create a more frustrating reading experience and atmosphere than a pleasant one. however, the writing style was absolutely charming and heartfelt and drew me in. eve was such a relatable character and although the storyline was heavily focused on and saturated with the pregnancy trope, it was handled in a comedic way that still carried an appropriate tone for the matters discussed. i was very unsure i would like this book as almost every trope is one i normally stay clear of, but the found family and beautifully fleshed out characters created an emotional read for me. yes eve made me cry about 100 times, i love and relate to her so much!

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

Ready or Not was my first ARC read in ages, humorous and astute, it is / has:
🏙️ Surprise pregnancy
🚲 Best friends brother
🏙️ Friends to lovers
🚲 Set in New York

•The surprise pregnancy trope is a love or hate trope within the romance genre. Some of my reads last year using it made me warm to it (I’m thinking: Out on a Limb, Heartless, Reckless). Ready or Not can be added to this list as it was a book I really enjoyed.
•Eve’s pregnancy covers the entire length of the story. However, what creates some difference and tension (from other surprise pregnancy stories) is that the romantic love interest, Shep, is not the biological father. I wouldn’t call the dynamic between Eve, Shep and Ethan a love triangle; but it does create a fascinating and challenging set of relationship dynamics that I wanted to read about.
•Shep is delightful; a little geeky, massively swoony - he’s the steadfast guy you’d want on your side. I loved that he was the love interest.
•This book also explores further topics, including: friendship, miscarriage, infertility, and toxic relationships.
•Even though I enjoyed this book and it covers many topics, I would have liked some of Eve’s story to have greater detail - particularly her work situation - some of the resolutions were just too neat.
•I liked this as much as the other books by Cara Bastone I’ve read or listened to.

This was my first surprise pregnancy trope read, so I was a little dubious. However, I’m glad to say it exceeded my expectations!

The characters were realistically flawed, relatable and likeable.
Shep was the best kind of golden retriever male lead. Their love was a real slow burn, but so sweet and well worth the wait.
Overall, this is a touching and well written story of finding love in unexpected ways.

4🌟
Ready or not is a fun, joyous and uplifting tom com whilst still having some serious aspects. The book starts with an accidental pregnancy, and takes you through the whole pregnancy (and all its symptoms) with the main character. Not only do you feel like you're on the journey with her, but it is sensitively done and quite eye opening. You can feel the character's loneliness, self doubt and underlying anxiety and this made me feel quite protective and close to the character as time went on.
This is one of those novels that I could go back to and read time and time again, and I would recommend it!

I've seen so many good reviews for this book so I was excited to get the ARC.

Eve Hatch loved her cozy apartment in Brooklyn, close to her childhood best friend Willa and far from her Midwestern family that never understood her. She also loved her steady job and knew what to expect from her life, until she found herself expectant after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

As expected, the pregnancy definitely changed things. Cracks began to show in her friendship with Willa, and the baby's father Ethan was giving so many mixed signals that made me want to throttle him a time or two 😂

Amidst all this, Willa's brother Shep was a constant. I just cannot get over the perfection that is Shep Balder. Everything he did had my heart almost bursting. He cared for Eve the best way he could, showing up when no one else did. That made way for feelings, and due to their friendship, it was obvious they were skirting around their mutual affection, but they got there in the end.

I loved every minute of this story! Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ready or Not radiates with heartwarming authenticity. Bastone pens a relatable tale of life's unexpected detours leading to found family and the transformational power of friendship. Through well-drawn characters, she reminds us that love can enter our lives in surprising ways if our hearts remain open. A poignant page-turner that will stay with you long after the last page.

This was a adorably cute heartwarming surprise pregnancy romance read that I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of thanks to Netgalley & the Publishers. While book tropes with an unexpected pregnancy aren't really my favorite but Ready Or Not took me by surprise and I really enjoyed it. This was a 3 star read that had me smiling along with giggling.

Ok I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and I managed to finish it within a few hours. The characters were complex and had a lot of depth to them, particularly the main three characters - Eve, Shep and Ethan. I thought the themes portrayed in the book were difficult but it dealt with them really well.

Eve and Ethan spent one night together when they met at a bar and a few weeks later, Eve finds out she's pregnant. When she tells her best friend Willa she doesn't get the reaction she was expecting, Willa seems angry with her. But Willa's brother Shep is really happy for her and is by her side pretty much the whole way.

When Eve has to tell Ethan, it doesn't really go well. Ethan was single at the time they slept together but he's recently gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend and he struggles to find a balance between the two women while also trying to allow himself to be there for the baby.

Eve handles everyone really well and even though she's the one who's pregnant and trying to sort out her own feelings, she's understanding and supportive of her friends, and Ethan. But she really relies on Shep when he steps up at every opportunity to help her out and she eventually realises her feelings for him.

Shep is the ultimate golden retriever boyfriend. He's supportive, he's been in love with Eve forever and he's willing to do whatever he needs to, to be her person - even making an effort to be friendly to Ethan even while he flip flops over what he wants to do with the baby.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Three and a half stars.

Eve Hatch escaped the Midwest for the bright lights of New York where she works for a charity in the admin department, although really what she wants to do is be involved in one of the many conservation projects they run. She is horrified to find out that she became pregnant after an uncharacteristic one-night stand, despite using protection, and it cause major repercussions in her life.

First, her BFF since school Willa doesn't react well because she and her husband have themselves been trying unsuccessfully for some time to get pregnant. Second, her colleagues at work react with varying degrees of shock, horror, and indifference. Third, the father seems conflicted about the news, initially supportive he has deep reservations. In fact, the only person who seems wholly supportive is Willa's nerdy older brother Shep who seems totally invested in the baby. But Shep has only recently got out of a long-term relationship himself, and is currently sleeping in Willa's spare room.

Is Eve a victim of pregnancy hormones or is Shep incredibly hot all of a sudden? Is he just being the sweet kind guy he always was, or is there a spark for him too? Will the attraction fade away after the baby is born? Is it too soon for Shep? Is the baby's father committed or not?

This was sweet, and definitely a slow-burn. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

So I really loved the sound of this book based on the blurb but, my god, it was completely beyond what I imagined.

Firstly, Shep is perfect and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise. The friendship between him and Eve was absolutely amazing, even before it became more.

But the friendship between Willa and Eve? There aren't even words. I love how it was described as them going through the "not easy" times together, and the line about the emphasis being on 'friend' and not on 'best' was SO good. Like, how can one line be so good?!

I also like the fact that, unlike a lot of surprise pregnancy tropes, Ethan AKA the baby daddy, was neither the love interest nor was he a complete and utter douche nozzle. I really enjoyed the friendship/civil relationship between both him and Eve and him and Shep.

I have never read anything by this author before but I have already downloaded more of her books because I loved this one so much. I made the mistake of sleeping on my review and forgot all of the amazing things that I wanted to reference but I know that I loved it, I loved Shep and I loved Eve. I will definitely be buying this after release!