i saw slow-burn. i saw friends-to-lovers. i saw accidental pregnancy and i said I NEED YOU.

these are my three favorite tropes wrapped up into a book so good i literally forgot where i was whilst reading it because i was *that* into the story. putting down the book was like waking up from the best nap of your life. you’re not sure what time it is. you’re not sure who are. but man, you feel great.

synopsis: eve is happy in her comfortable and predictable life. she always knows what to expect… until an out-of-character one-night-stand ends in an accidental pregnancy. now, her entire world is flipped upside down. the person who steps up to be there for her? her best friend’s brother, shep. and maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones or maybe it’s the fact that eve is starting to see her life in a whole new life but… was shep always that cute??

GO READ THIS BOOK. why? because it’s just *unintelligible noises of delight* i knew from page one that this book was going to be a stand-out. the writing has that pizzaz. the kind that pulls you right in. it makes you laugh. it gives you the warm and fuzzies. it feels like a swarm of butterflies in your stomach.

look, i know the accidental pregnancy trope is polarizing… but just forget about that for one second because this slow burn was DELICIOUS. it is pulled out like taffy. and shep? oh, shep. sweet golden retriever, best friend ever shep. my heart rate spiked when he hit the page. this is not your average accidental pregnancy trope book. she’s not ending up with the baby daddy. there’s no insta-love. it’s about real, messy, imperfect love in so many forms. (you’re going to fall in love with eve’s best friend willa, too.)

i know a book is good when it makes my body physically react. like blushing, laughing, squealing. i wanted to do NOTHING but read this book. and the way i was on the edge of my seat waiting for these two to FINALLY KISS. i have not felt this giddy over a book in so long.

I started reading this book before bed thinking it would be relaxing and cute. I figured I’d read a few chapters then go to bed. That didn’t happen this book was way too good and traps you I couldn’t put it away. It’s so cute and funny and doesn’t sugar coat pregnancy like a lot of other books do. The characters are so realistic it makes it refreshing to read, the love is something to dream about though! Definitely need to get a physical copy when it’s released!

I really enjoyed Ready or Not. The story was so cute and made me feel a full range of emotions. I laughed I was sad and I even cried a little bit there for a while. Definitely will be grabbing a copy for my shelves!

This review has been posted concurrently to Goodreads and Storygraph.

We are barely into the new year, and I might have already found my favourite book of the year!

I am a huge fan of Cara Bastone's writing in general, but even so, I was not prepared to love Ready or Not as much as I did. This book was like a warm and fuzzy blanket on a cold day, and a total antidote to the dark romances I've been reading recently. I absolutely loved it!

In a romance world populated by aggressive alpha heroes, Shep stands tall as a genuinely sweet and lovely man who unabashedly loves Eve with his whole heart, and it turns out that I am completely down for that. The evolution of Eve & Shep's relationship from friends to something more is a slow-burn delight, unfolding over the course of Eve's pregnancy but rooted in their long history as friends. I also loved the way both Eve and Shep interacted with Ethan over the course of the book; this added a welcome depth to the story. And Eve and Willa's relationship was so complicated and messy and true to life - their bond was wonderful and at times it seemed almost painfully real - one of the best depictions of a true friendship I've seen on the page.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration (I was so excited to get to read it a month before my preorder becomes available!); all opinions above are my own.

3.75⭐️ This was very sweet. I especially liked the last 20% and I think the relationship that was the most fun was Shep and Ethan. I loved Nurse Blank/Louise.

Not a big fan of the accidental pregnancy trope that seems to be popping up lately.
But thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book just the same

It was such a cute book. I had some tough moments in the beginning, trying to get into it, but once Ethan's character showed up, it felt as though the story climbed. Every character is so individual and I loved the way that they were all easily imaginable. Whether it was Willa or Eve, or Ethan or Shep, all characters were so unalike that it made it feel real! I hadn't read any Cara Bastone before but this might just make me want to read more of her work!

This one surprised me in all the best ways! A pregnancy trope is never my favorite and this one made the pregnancy the whole plot - but I fell in love with these characters and Bastone’s writing. Shep is actual perfection - like, could not ask for a sweeter “he loved her first”. And Ethan and Bones are the best duo, I want a whole story about their HEA please. Willa and Eve’s friendship was one of my favorite parts of this, they were so human and honest and loved each other through it all. And following Eve as she figures out exactly what she wants out of life was a true gift. The narration was also so good!

Thank you to PRH Audio, Random House and NetGalley for the ALC & ARC.

I’m going to have trouble describing just how much I loved this book, I already know it!

When Eve has a one night stand and winds up pregnant, she decides that she does want the baby, even if it means going down this path alone. She quickly finds she will never be truly alone as the relationships in her life grow deeper and more meaningful.

This book pretty much had everything. Heartwarming moments, parts that made me squeal with a ridiculous grin on my face at cute parts of the love story, so many lines that made me burst out laughing, and several that brought tears to my eyes. I’ll be the first to say I can’t stand an accidental pregnancy storyline, but holy crap was it done well here! We know at the very start that Eve is pregnant, and that she is going to be one hilarious pregnant woman to follow, and that may have made all the difference. Her fears, her hesitations, her sudden realization that her life was going to change- it all felt incredibly authentic and true to life, and I adored her character.

I loved the love story here as well. It was full of tenderness and sweet moments, but also plenty of pregnancy hormones and lust. Hello new book boyfriend, who easily puts Eve first in every single one of his actions.

This was one of my favorite books of January, and I cannot wait to read more by Bastone in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House- Dial Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book, y'all. The cover? Gorgeous. The plot? Stunning. The humor? Feels like talking to your bestie over brunch.

I know a lot of people are reticent because the plot surrounds an unexpected pregnancy. Honestly, that's not a big deal for me at all so long as the blurb is up front with it. Within seconds, we know that Eve is pregnant! But more than that, we see how it affects her and her relationships. I also really liked that this book wasn't about her falling in love with someone that she "should" - i.e. the baby daddy. This book is about the unsung heroes of our lives - our best friend's brothers, our stern nurses, our consistent waiters. Eve is an absolute disastrous delight and Shep provides such a nice balance to her. Their chemistry is downright precious and I want these two goobers protected at all costs.

*Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

I really wanted to straight out love this book, but it was quite the trigger for me. I've dealt with infertility and a best friend who couldn't handle it after I got pregnant. While I enjoyed the love story with Shep and the coming to terms friendship with Willa, I was rooting for Ethan the most. He tried so hard to be the best, fell short so many times, but in the end he stood his ground. I would consider reading a novella about Ethan and Shep's bromance.

I really wanted to love this because I read a few other books by this author and really enjoyed them. But this was not for me. It is labeled as a romance but it reads more women’s fiction. I was expecting more swoony moments but the romance was lacking for me.

A sweet.story centered around an unplanned pregnancy. The characters quickly draw you in and you find yourself completely invested. Well-plotted.and descriptive.

he slowwwwwwww burn in this #contemporaryromance is so good it hurts 🔥💖

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is the surprise pregnancy trope book that you need to read. This typically isn’t my favorite, but I absolutely ADORED everything about it.

Ready or Not is a well written and heartwarming book about friendship, relationships, grief, change, and acceptance. Makes me excited to read more of Cara’s books!

I loved how genuine Eve’s character is. Bless her, but she is a hot mess express lol. Her relationship with her friends, baby daddy, and birthing support system evolves so perfectly as the story unfolds. And the chemistry between her and Shep is friggin dynamite.

This is very unlike other romance books that I have read, and that might be my favorite part. A five out of five star rating for me ⭐️📚. Ready or Not comes out on February 13, add a reminder to your calendar!

Thank you @netgalley, @randomhouse and Cara for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a different romance trope for me—unexpected pregnancy—and I wasn’t sure if I would like it. I didn’t even know that was a trope lol. This is also a friends-to-lovers and I like those.

I approached the first chapter with caution and skepticism. By chapter two, I was hooked. This is well written and I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed reading about Eve going through the struggle of figuring out what she wants in life and then (finally towards the end) doing something about it. I appreciated the life lessons from different characters, the nurse was my favorite. This book is a reminder that the little things you do in life can be the big things in someone else's.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

This cover is gorgeous. This story was cute and interesting. I wasn't quite sure what would happen with this love triangle (if you call it that). I think there was a good amount of romance element in it, but it leans more on character growth/women's fiction. The journey of the characters life and pregnancy was the main theme of the story. It brought back memories of being pregnant myself. My complaint is typical of books on the longer side, some trimming down would have kept me interested longer. It started to fizzle out just because the length didn't really match the story. Overall it was still cute and one I would recommend to those that enjoy feel good books.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone opens to Eve Hatch at her doctor’s office having her fears confirmed; she’s pregnant after a one night stand. And the rollercoaster begins.

This was such a delightful read. We follow Eve on her journey through her pregnancy as she navigates difficult relationships with a best friend who has had trouble conceiving, and a one night stand who is about to become a father.

In addition to that, she is realizing she has unexpected feelings for her best friend’s brother, Shep. Their slow burn romance almost drove me crazy, it was so obvious that they belonged together.

The book is broken up into three parts, one for each trimester of her pregnancy, and we see her struggles both internally with the unexpected pregnancy, as well as with the people in her life.

I was a little emotional over the ending, It was just such a nice story, I’ll definitely be recommending it as a feel good read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is a story surrounding Eve, a woman content with what her life has become, who had a rare one-night stand and found herself expecting, unexpectedly. This pregnancy shakes up everything Eve knew to be and she isn’t quite sure how to navigate the path going forward. Her BFF Willa, who also lives in the city, seems distant and her brother, Shep, who she’s always looked at as her best friends brother, has become more present in her life, looking in on her with this new development.

I love how this author writes. It always feel relatable and her characters become people I want to learn more about and cheer on from the sidelines. Thank you for another fantastic story!

This book charmed me endlessly. 🥹😭

I think what Cara Bastone did in Ready or Not was exceedingly difficult to get just right and she nailed it. I will probably reread this again sooner rather than later, and will buy it in multiple formats once it’s released. I already know this will be one of my favorite reads of 2024. (Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.)

Lin-Manuel Miranda said it best when he said, "A cover is not the book". However I absolutely picked this book up due to how beautiful the cover's colors were and I was not disappointed in that decision.

Cara Bastone's contemporary romance novels are filled with warm and fuzzy feelings and a little heat. Ready or Not is an enjoyable book with the classic friends to lovers trope. Eve finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a one night stand and must rely on her friends for support while finding some inner strength as well. Ready or Not has some laugh out loud lines and Bastone fully illustrates the humor and pain of pregnancy. Eve's inner dialogue during her OB/GYN appointments are some of the best moments in the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Publishing for allowing me the chance to read Ready or Not.