Thank you, Random House/Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Ready or Not.

This was a one-sit-read for me. As someone who went through a surprise first pregnancy, this hit me in all the feels. Watching Eve transform from the person she was to the mom she becomes was a refreshing, loving, tear-filled journey, and this story just goes to show that family can take shape in so many different ways!

*Play Ready or Not by Bridget Mendler*

A sweet, ooey gooey, slow-burn romance akin to eating eating See’s Candies truffles! I have read Just a Heartbeat Away by Cara Bastone and became a fan, so I was excited to crack open this one. And enjoy it, I did.

This book begins with Eve unexpectedly pregnant, spanning her whole pregnancy and birth of her child. We have tropes galore, aka the obvious surprise pregnancy and best friend’s brother, but in very organic and fresh ways. The love interest, Shep, isn’t the father of Eve’s baby. I felt their relationship develops very naturally. Can I just say that the way Shep centers Eve, by being there for her and doing whatever she needs, is hot! Unselfish love interests don’t come around all that often lol (laughing on the outside, crying on the inside).

The character growth of Eve is *chef’s kiss*. The book doesn’t just deal with her love life but whole life. Eve’s going through a lot of changes (obviously) and shows the effect of pregnancy/upcoming motherhood not just on her but with friends, family, and work too. Her friendship with Willa and the grief of Willa’s/Shep’s Mom who passed a few years ago are well done. Well rounded characters for the win.

My only niggle is that, a few times, scenes were glossed over and it would be told what occurred instead of actually experiencing it with the character. The last 20% also felt slightly rushed as well. I still overall enjoyed this book and you can check it out for yourself in February 2024.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely unputdownable, I was hooked from the very first chapter because this isn’t just about two people falling in love, it’s about building a community of people who love you and who you love in return.

And Shep, oh Shep. I’m crying a little writing this review because he was the sweetest, kindest love interest I’ve ever read. He loves Eve so purely, so sweetly that you as the reader can’t help falling a little in love with him too.

I really, really loved this book. And the cover is so beautiful which makes it even better.

For my friends who love a romance, but don’t love the spice, I’m letting you know that it’s mostly kissing, but there is one spicy scene to skip over.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review, I loved it.

What I really need is for books to STOP MAKING ME CRY!! This book was literally everything. As someone who genuinely does not want children, I can’t think of something I like much less than a surprise pregnancy in books because I love seeing parts of myself in the characters. But this book. I loved it. I loved every thing about Eve’s journey. I love that she had her own little family. I love Shep. New book boyfriend. 10/10. 5 stars.

Eve. You sweet, sweet flower. Eve had me laughing so much with her monologue. I could picture things she was saying so clearly and her reactions were just the best. Shep - the patient and steady friend turned love of her life. Ethan - the genuinely good guy who didn’t know what to do or how to be a part of the pregnancy.

When I tell you that I spent the last 30% of the book in tears...the good kind. I was just so genuinely happy for them. What a magical ending. No third act breakup. No miscommunication. This book. 🥰🥹

I went into this book completely blind and it ended up making my top 5 books this year easily!
I love love loved Shep and Ethan, so I’m glad I didn’t really need to choose between the two 🥲 I already can’t wait to re-read this story

I've been obsessed with Cara Bastone's Audible originals and was so excited when I saw that she was writing a pregnancy trope novel. One thing that this book does differently is that it isn't clear cut who our main character is going to end up with. She is really just trying to be more secure in herself as she prepares to also be a mom, and happens to fall in love. It was such a sweet novel and I would also love a prequel about her best friend and her husband!!

In Ready or Not, a surprise pregnancy is life changing in more ways than one. We’ve got found family, caretaking, and self discovery. We’ve got an adorable, pining, cinnamon roll hero- childhood best friend’s older brother, not the baby’s dad! (Apparently I am a sucker for a pregnancy romance when the love interest is not the father- I also loved it in Talia Hibbert’s Damages Goods).) No one writes the stomach swooping joy of falling in love like Cara Bastone.

Unexpected pregnancy is the perfect trope for a cinnamon roll hero. Shep is pure wish fulfillment- there to meet Eve’s every need and to do it while being low maintenance, funny, and hot. He is basically a golden retriever, complete with hair petting. And hugs! Love and affection are tactile in the best, most comfy way. I loved the descriptions of how Eve experiences hugs from different people, especially Shep.

I don’t always love a pining MC who hides it for years, but the way Bastone characterizes their transition from childhood friends to adulthood made me not mind it here. And she articulates the resonance and depth of history in their relationship beautifully, such that we get to see Eve falling for Shep more as a gradual awakening to something already there. Her pregnancy and his care for her are the catalysts for her conscious realization of something we get the sense she’s maybe always subconsciously known.

Ready or Not is more like women’s fiction with a strong romantic element, and I found Eve’s journey very compelling- the metacognitive evolution of how she thinks about the pregnancy and the baby, and how that alters how she thinks about the world. I also enjoyed the specificity of Bastone’s depiction of grief- Willa’s struggle with fertility, their collective grief at the loss of Willa and Shep’s mom. And I loved the glimpses we got of Eve’s older brothers- I wish they’d been fleshed out more!

I can’t wait til this comes out so people can talk to me about it! I can already tell it’s going to be a regular comfort reread. Ready or Not comes out in February 2024.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, my opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read Cara Bastone’s latest book, and it surpassed my expectations. Her “About the Author” describes her as “find[ing] the swoon in ordinary love stories,” which is right on the money.

I first read Bastone’s Forever Yours series during the pandemic afrer her books recommended on r/RomanceBooks (those readers never steer me wrong). Ready or Not was worth the wait.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the unplanned pregnancy trope, but Bastone handled it with tact and humor. The characters, especially Eve, Ethan and Shep, are fully developed and nuanced. I always like Bastone’s male characters.

Read if you like:
🩵 Unplanned pregnancy
🩵 Friends to lovers
🩵 Big city settings
🩵 Found family

Thanks so much to NetGalley and The Dial Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review! Don’t miss this book when it releases on 2/13/24!

I just finished this delightful book. It leaves your heart feeling warm.
Eve has a one-night stand with Ethan and finds out about 4 weeks later that she is pregnant.
The next 8 months are a roller-coaster of emotions as Eve navigates an awkward relationship with her best friend who's been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant; her work as she decides what she truly wants to be "when she grows up"; a rubber band (he gets close, he pulls back) relationship with Ethan; and new feelings for someone who's been in her life for almost forever.
It's a feel good romance that you know will have a happy ending. I'd be game for a sequel focusing on Ethan.

This will be absolutely devoured by fans of contemporary women's fiction. A lovely story with compelling characters and a well-developed NYC setting. Will recommend.

So this is the first ARC i've ever requested.? and I just have to say WOW. The banter? Delightful, delectable, and delicious. Crazy part is that I usually loathe the pregnancy trope, but Cara Bastone has such a fresh and truly beautiful take on what it means to be a single, scared, and very pregnant woman. When people say things like "this book felt like a warm hug", I always scoff and ignore it. For real I mean how could a silly little book about unplanned pregnancy give ME a hug? Then i'm a hundred pages in and blushing/kicking my feet like a crazy person. The slow burn was slow burning and I loved every second of it. This is also a very speedy read, so if you're looking for something easy, quick and enjoyable, Ready or Not is totally for you.

Also quick design note: this cover is quite lovely and I think will do a lot to make this book a bestseller.

*posted to goodreads*

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ready or Not follows Eve after a one-night stand leads to accidental pregnancy, and then through those nine months until that little soul is earth side. There will be readers who take a glance at this, see accidental pregnancy, and decide it’s not for them. I get that. I used to be like that. To each their own, but you are missing a story with depth if you pass this up.

I don’t think it’s possible to read about Eve, Willa, Shep, Ethan, and Isamu without feeling the rollercoaster of emotions that this book is.

Cue: I’M IN A GLASS GIF OF EMOTION GIF

Eve is funny and relatable. She’s flawed in the way that all good characters are. She’s not a perfect person, but she is a good person in a very uncertain situation. And that brings her to life. Following her journey through pregnancy was beautiful. It’s not one I can relate to personally, but I didn’t need to. Cara wrote magic in Eve, and I felt her struggles anyway.

Willa, the best friend, is the one I relate to the most. She desperately wants to be a mom. She’s always trying, and hoards baby information like it will make it more likely to get pregnant. I know her, because I am her. And without making this grossly personal, Willa is always trying to be a better friend to Eve. It’s devastating to see a bump grow on a body that is not your own. The struggle of being there for Eve, and hurting on her own is one of the layers to this story. (And I will defend Willa with my life.)

Shep falls into the best friend’s brother trope—a favorite—and also friends to lovers—another big favorite. He’s a constant for Eve because as the world changes, his love does not. They’ve been friends for years, and if you like the idea of soulmates, I think they’re it.

The character development in this story is engaging, and satisfying. Ethan, the father, has his own struggles. Like Willa. Obviously like Eve. That’s the world—everyone is struggling in different ways, and they converge. I love this book. I need to have a copy in my hands.

I’m a romance reader. I love love. I collect them and annotate them so at any time, I can trip and fall into a love story.

Ready or Not has romance, but it’s not only a romance and that’s what made it perfect to me. It’s more a story about all types of love: the love between best friends shifting toward adulthood, the love you share with the little soul that you’ll bring into the world, carrying the love of those you’ve lost, and even accepting the love that has been waiting your whole life.

Long reviews aren’t usually my vibe, but I could double the size of this review. It’s outstanding. It’s raw too. Because of my own private struggle, this book was difficult at times, but it was also cathartic.

4.5 stars rounded to 5!

I couldn't put this book down. I was hooked after the first chapter. I loved that this story was unique and unlike the typical "unplanned pregnancy" romances. I absolutely adored all of the characters especially Eve and her growth throughout the book. I highly recommend adding this one to your spring TBR list.

“Does anyone actually believe an almost thirty-year-old women’s when she says she’s never really given the kids issue a lot of thought? Well I hope they would because that’s actually the case for me. I’ve given it a ton of adjacent thought, because it was the topic du jour for about a million hours in a row”



4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

This book made me feel SO many things. I felt like the exploration of each relationship in the FMC’s life was extremely well done. The friendship between her and Willa and the internal dialog Eve has regarding how her becoming pregnant has made Willa feel felt very real, raw and genuine. I’m just overall very impressed and would recommend to anyone loves a great happy ending.

- .5 ⭐️ for Ethan lol. I wish she had slept with Shep that night.

I thought this was so sweet. I love that it’s a love story between a new mother and baby along with romantic love, and friendship love. Shep and Eve have a love so special and I’m so happy they worked out. I thought Ethan was nice but him being so indifferent about everything just made me think it would have been better without him. I think if there were a few chapters of his and Sheps POV could have helped understand them both better. I really felt for Willa. I’m happy her and Eve were able to work through this situation together at stay strong. Overall, this was really enjoyable and would recommend to others!

holy swoon!!! shep is my love language! not normally a fan of pregnancy trope but who doesn’t love a slow burn??

I have been reading strictly fantasy for the past few months, almost the entire year so I enjoyed this quick break into a contemporary romance. I struggled a bit in the beginning, mainly because of my aforementioned reading history but as the story picked up I was in no rush to put it down. This felt like the perfect palette cleanser. I enjoyed the characters and of course the romance.

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! I thought it was the cutest book. The writing had a casual, you’re talking to your girl friend, style of writing that made it so easy to read. It reminded me a bit of Georgie All Along. If you love FMC who are a lil messy and don’t have it together, then Eve is the one for you.

She is unexpectedly pregnant, and throughout the book this incident forces her to reevaluate her relationships with family and friends and decide where she sees her career going. While she’s working through all this it’s her childhood friend and best friend’s brother, Shep, who steps up in a big way. But the one night stand baby daddy isn’t out of the picture just yet!

Slow-burn, friends to lovers and sort of second chance trope lovers will be super happy with this book. Can’t forget the found family trope, either!

I couldn’t put this down. It had me laughing, squealing, squirming from secondhand nervous energy and just swooning at some of the things Shep would do. It also gave a sad but real look at how friendships can be challenged when one friend faces infertility issues and another is suddenly pregnant.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Wow, what a book! I was reading in bed sobbing last night because of how beautiful this story is.

Eve's pregnant. The father? One night stand. Her family? Miles away from NYC. Best friend Willa? Otherwise engaged. Best friend's older brother, Shep, whom she's known her whole life, is super supportive, funny, sweet, recently single, and kinda hot? Here to help!

While Shep is there for her, Eve does have to do a lot of self-reflection to figure out who she truly is, what she wants out of life (pregnancy and career related), and what actually led to that fateful one-night stand in the first place.

Not only was this story about navigating all of the facets of pregnancy (mostly alone, I might add), but it was really about Eve finding herself, discovering who she wanted to be as a mother and a human being in general, and being okay with maybe having to do it all alone.

I think this book is a love letter to anybody who's ever been pregnant and didn't know what the hell they were doing. While I've never been in that position, parts of this book really made me think about the pressure some pregnant people may be under to have it all figured out. It also really made me appreciate my mom and the things she sacrificed just to be my mother!!

Overall, I really really loved this book. I'm not always a huge fan of pregnancy tropes, but this one did it for me. If you also enjoy found family and friends to lovers, add this to your TBR for next Spring, you won't be disappointed.