Ready or Not is a charming read about Eve who gets pregnant during a one night stand. That may not sound like a charming set up but the humanness and goodness of the characters makes for a read where you like the characters and are rooting for them. I also appreciate how no character is perfect —ok Shep is close— and so we get to see characters address the challenges in their own lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Ready or Not is available now.

A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.

The story is about Eve, who after a few bad relationships and a long dry spell, ends up having a one night stand with a handsome bartender. Low and behold she becomes pregnant. This unplanned pregnancy causes some strife with her best friend, Willa, who has been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for years. This puts a huge strain on their friendship as Willa tries to come to terms with it. Also we have Willa's brother, Shep. They have all grown up together and Shep comes back on the scene shortly after Eve finds out. Then there's also the baby Daddy, who has some issues of his own. I loved watching how all of them would navigate this new situation. Who would step up for Eve and support her when she needs it most. Surprise pregnancy tropes can be tricky, but this one was well done. All the characters were fully fleshed out and I enjoyed getting to know them all.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a sweet and complicated love story dealing with the aftermath of an unplanned pregnancy resulting from a one night stand. I loved that it didn’t just glaze over the pregnancy with a pretty filter, but included some of the raw, untold parts as well. The FMC character was a hot mess, but Shep, the best friend’s brother, was EVERYTHING! Sweet and kind, a cinnamon roll with golden vibes and I loved him so much. I won’t spoil it but there’s one part where I just had to set the book down and swoon because omg!!!He’s adorable!💕

Woah. I loved everything about this book💫
🤰🏻I loved the characters.
🤣 I loved the humour.
💘 I loved the slow-burn romance.
📝 I loved the writing style.

Author Cara Bastone tells the story of Eve Hatch, who learns she is pregnant after a steamy one night stand with handsome bar owner, Ethan Rise. With the baby’s father being conflicted about his role in the pregnancy and there after, her best friend Willa who is struggling to be supportive after years or trying for her own child, Eve has an unexpected person to lean on - her childhood friend, Shep. As Shep brings her comfort food at work, stocks her fridge and gives the best foot rubs, Eve starts to wonder if she has been looking for love in all the wrong places. This is a wonderful story about the fears that come with becoming a new parent and learning to trust our inner instincts. I devoured this book, and hope readers love it just as much as I did.

One nightstands. Unexpected pregnancies.


This novel has the brightest, prettiest color. I would be lying if I said I read the blurb and proceeded to request it as an ARC, but it was the vibrant cover that stole my attention.


I'm glad I did. This sweet rom-com was wholesome and adorable, setting off butterflies in my stomach.


The story starts off with a very pregnant Eve, a usually not impulsive main MC. Her family instantly is supportive, along with many of her friends. Except one man, Shep, her older brothers best friend.


Again, this book was a treat for my soul. I felt like this was a Hallmark movie that was way less cheesy. It was sweet, emotional, steamy, and fun!


This book reset my book palette. This is the kind of novel I would read after a tough, intense High Fantasy where the world is hard to wrap my mind around. I need this light, fun read, and so all the other readers out there 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Confession: I was vehemently against reading this- the pregnancy trope does NOT usually do it for me and I was convinced that it wouldn’t be “believable”. Joke’s on me! From the beginning, I was impressed at how seamless the story was and the chemistry I felt throughout, between all characters, both romantic and platonic. I thought Eve was a great protagonist and loved her “voice”- she was hilarious too. I definitely recommend picking this one up!

This novel presents a complex female friendship when Eve becomes pregnant accidentally, and her best friend Willa, who is TTC, tries to be there for her. Eve ends up leaning on Willa's brother, Shep for support while trying to navigate pregnancy and a connection with the father of her baby, Ethan. This book made me cry and want to hug my friends close to me.

Surprise pregnancy and best friend’s brother are absolutely NOT my preferred tropes, but when I saw the beautiful cover for Ready or Not I decided to give it a chance anyway.

I’m glad I did! This book was so sweet and even though it dealt with a series of tough topics, it still managed to be incredibly cozy. Eve is a bit of a hot mess when the story begins, and I enjoyed watching her grow as her pregnancy advanced. I’m not a mom so I can’t speak to the author’s depictions of pregnancy, but reading through Eve’s milestones did give me the warm and fuzzy feelings. I loved how she didn’t let her pregnancy slow her down and she used this time to figure out what she really wanted out of life.

Shep was such a sweet love interest for Eve. He’s the best friend’s dorky older brother who has always been there in the background. Once Eve learns she’s pregnant and begins to spiral a bit, he’s the one who assures her everything will be ok. The author did a great job of making their relationship feel like one that has lasted decades with the funny, teasing banter.

TW for fertility struggles and pregnancy loss.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a review copy.

THIS BOOK IS BEYOND PERFECT!! if you hate the surprise pregnancy trope i feel this is the book to change your mind. the way the character makes such emotionally mature choices but still has that wiggle room of being a messy human. i just dont have words. i love the main character and omfg SHEP! he is top 10 best book boyfriends. the way this man would literally do anything for this woman. hes so selfless and literally just wants her to be happy and ugh even thinking about it makes me want to cry.

This book has all the good stuff - well developed characters, warm fuzzy feelings, relatable inner dialogue, simmering slow burn chemistry, and a heartwarming happy ending. It's got enough tropes (best friend's brother, childhood friends, unexpected pregnancy) to feel familiar but not like they are the sole propellers of the plot. There are lots of nods to Eve's NYC neighborhood locales and if you're a NYC lover I think it can enhance your enjoyment of the book but it also wasn't so much that I felt the geographical equivalent of "name dropping," which I detest.
I would rec this for people that enjoy Katherine Center, Mhairi McFarlane, as this is solidly romance but definitely crossing over into the Women's Lit category. I read this over the course of a day and a half; I just kept getting drawn back into it. It was a great read.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I'll admit, Cara Bastone was on my radar due to a friend who'd listened to her "Call Me Maybe" series. When I saw this available, I was quick to jump on it and I am. So. Glad. I did!

I can't recommend this book enough. Who would have thought an accidental pregnancy would be the perfect starting point for one of the cutest love stories? With characters that are flawed, but in likeable ways, lots of banter, and touching moments. And a very real look into how awkward it can be to be single and pregnant, and how the world around you reacts.

Cara Bastone has definitely made a spot on my must read shelves!

Gosh I loved this one. The story, the emotions, the characters. It was all real, all raw, and somehow all done so well in a rom-com.

I adored Eve. And Shep. And Ethan, even in his struggling. What a beautiful story that wove the three (and eventually four) of them together.

My only complaint is I so badly wanted an epilogue!! 😩❤️

Content: open door, but easy to skip.

First off, I would consider this more women's fiction than straight up romance. I still enjoyed the book - the plot was interesting and the characters were well developed.

Ready or Not did not disappoint. Cara Bastone executed beautifully a love story of an unexpected pregnancy. But the love is not where you might think it would traditionally spout from. Eve’s growth emotionally is what helps her during her pregnancy in finding the balance between all the people surrounding her. Cara’s signature dialogue writing as always is entertaining. I can’t wait to listen to this on audio.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book (released 2/13) from Net Galley, but the cover is SO pretty, I might have bought this one on my own! Cover aside, I really really liked this book! It’s a sweet love story with a twist… Eve is pregnant, but it’s a different guy’s baby!!! While that makes the story compelling enough, what I really loved was the novel’s deeper commentary on pregnancy, motherhood, and identity + really beautiful pictures of friendships, relationships, co-parenting, grief, and more. This is definitely worth a spring read!! (Trigger warning for pregnancy / pregnancy loss & a 4/5 on the “spice scale” for one very open-door bedroom scene.)

I really love the pregnancy trope, so I was so excited to read this, but sadly, it wasn’t really anything special for me. The whole time I was reading, I was waiting for something exciting to come... and at 50%, I was already tired of this book and just wanted it to end. ☹️

౨ৎᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ:
Shep is one of the sweetest book characters in history. He literally bakes bread in his free time hellooo???🥹

"𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩."

𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎: 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝙼𝚈 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝.🫂

!!𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 & 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!!

needed to get out of a reading slump and this did the trick! a very sweet book.

eve is working in the field of her dreams… as an administrative assistant. in the city of her dreams… on a tight budget. it’s everything she wanted… right? when she becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has major reevaluating to do, particularly when she finds she has can’t rely on her best friend or the father of her unborn child. with the added confusion of an old friend working his way back into her life, she has nine months to make some decisions.

(don’t be fooled by the potential love triangle that’s set up at the beginning, it doesn’t last!)

this was a very emotionally intelligent book, even though the beginning seemed like it might not be. but while eve’s passivity at the beginning confused me (she doesn’t make a conscious choice to keep the baby she just… let’s it happen???), it ended up being the foundation of her character growth arc. while passive characters are a common writing no-no, i think this is an exception that proves the rule—eve needed to learn to take control of her life and pursue the things she wants. I ended up really liking this path for her because it’s one that is true to many real people.

this meshed well with the fact of this story being an unexpected pregnancy story—pregnancy seems like one of the most dramatic life events that happens to average people, so the character growth we saw from eve went hand in hand with this premise.

loved the whole cast but wanted to spend just a little more time on eve’s relationship with willa and on eve and shep talking things out; could’ve tightened some of the more meandering parts.

anyways, had a lot of fun with this one!

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone: ⭐⭐⭐🌟
Format: ARC from Random House Publishing & NetGalley, Audiobook from Libby

Book of the Month Club brought Ready or Not onto my radar and I was so excited to get the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

The premise of Ready or Not outlined in the blurb really lays it all out- Eve is a young woman living the SINK dream in New York City when she becomes pregnant unexpectedly. With her future up in the air, Eve gladly welcomes the help offered by her lifelong best friend’s brother. Eve’s conflicting feelings about her friend, her friend’s brother, her career, and the father of the baby are the main focus of this character-driven rom-com.

With life-changing circumstances for all characters involved and Eve’s search for her ‘village', Ready or Not toes the line between contemporary romance and women’s fiction, but in my opinion ultimately lands on the romance side. As someone who has gone through the life transitions depicted in this book, its hard to not recognize the rose colored glasses everyone seems to be looking through in this book. Eve’s attitude towards being a mother came off as flippant at times, though I think her overall optimism matched the tone of the book. I would have liked to see Eve seriously consider all of her options and make the best choice for her, instead of just accepting that welp, she’s pregnant and it is what it is. Efforts made later in the book to counter the inherently pro-life message don’t undo this crucial missing step.

Lastly, though I appreciate the levity that the author attempted by using pregnancy symptoms and hormones as a plot device, I thought the result did a disservice to pregnant people. This is my opinion and not everyone will agree with that, but in my own experience, people have the self control to retain their personality, critical thinking skills, and self control that they had before pregnancy; if anything has that transformative power, it’s parenthood, not pregnancy.

While this book was not my all time favorite, I still liked it and recommend it to contemporary/rom-com readers, particularly to people who are in a similar life stage or can otherwise relate to the characters. Thank you to Random House publishing for the ARC of Ready or Not, which is available now.

An unplanned pregnancy from an uncharacteristic one night stand makes Eve look at all of her relationships, as well as her life in a completely different light. Who steps up, who isn’t there for her - relationships are put to the test and in the end some become stronger and Eve learns who she can trust, and who really loves her.

This was my plane read home from LA and it kept me completely entertained for the entire cross country trip (ironically as I sat next to a pregnant woman). I thought it had all the right feels and I really liked it. This was both a rom com and a friendship story (as she and her best friend from childhood struggle through the pregnancy since her friend has fertility issues, which I also thought the author dealt with very well) and I thought the author did a nice job with both. I’m not sure Shep’s character was 100% believable, but it’s a rom com and so I suspend belief a little bit (I mean I don’t want to read about my husband, there’s no escapism there!). Very cute and fun and totally recommend this one!

Thank you to Net Galley and Dial Press for this ARC to review

The cover needs so much love because I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than this. Such a good read if you’re not looking for a romance book. This was a beautifully done depiction of motherhood and pregnancy.