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mikagrace's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
They should be a throuple.
I had to get that out before the actual review. I firs thought this a little bit more than halfway through the book, and once it was there it STUCK. And the last few chapters only solidified it for me. Throuple throuple throuple.
NOW. I will admit that at first the book didn't hook me in, but once the hook caught me, I literally couldn't put it down. The main cast of characters on the page were so charming in their own ways, even during the less than ideal times. And this is so random, but their names just fit them so well? Like, I couldn't imagine them having any other name than the one Cara Bastone chose, and normally I don't notice these things but somehow it stuck out for this book.
Abother random thought: I kinda wish we got more of the brothers! Eve's family history is so interesting, and even though we only got them on page for a little bit, they were still intriguing and had their own personalities.
Eve was such a good read, even though at first I thought she was trying too hard with the wittiness. She eventually became just this girl you couldn't help but root for, so reliable. Ethan, too, you just can't help but want the best for that guy. You want to hate him out of sheer tropey-ness but he's so well written you just can't.
And SHEP. Oh my god, I want a real life Shep! He's so earnest and kind and patient and lovable and tall and golden retriever coded that I wanted to cuteness agression shake him and scream. Where can I find a real life Shep!!!!!
I had to get that out before the actual review. I firs thought this a little bit more than halfway through the book, and once it was there it STUCK. And the last few chapters only solidified it for me. Throuple throuple throuple.
NOW. I will admit that at first the book didn't hook me in, but once the hook caught me, I literally couldn't put it down. The main cast of characters on the page were so charming in their own ways, even during the less than ideal times. And this is so random, but their names just fit them so well? Like, I couldn't imagine them having any other name than the one Cara Bastone chose, and normally I don't notice these things but somehow it stuck out for this book.
Abother random thought: I kinda wish we got more of the brothers! Eve's family history is so interesting, and even though we only got them on page for a little bit, they were still intriguing and had their own personalities.
Eve was such a good read, even though at first I thought she was trying too hard with the wittiness. She eventually became just this girl you couldn't help but root for, so reliable. Ethan, too, you just can't help but want the best for that guy. You want to hate him out of sheer tropey-ness but he's so well written you just can't.
And SHEP. Oh my god, I want a real life Shep! He's so earnest and kind and patient and lovable and tall and golden retriever coded that I wanted to cuteness agression shake him and scream. Where can I find a real life Shep!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Medical content and Grief
About the religious bigotry warning.elliembh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think this is one of my favorite rom coms of the year. I've listened to Cara Bastone's other books (The Seatmate) and really loved it. This one definitely exceeded my expectations. Surprise pregnancy plots can be overly predictable, but the characters had surprising depth. The author could have also made the baby daddy really annoying and unlikeable, but she didn't. The characters felt human and endearing rather than irritating. Shep was SO cute and had me kicking my little feet. I do wish we got an epilogue but it was still a satisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, and Death of parent
chronic_listener's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Abortion, and Death of parent
rapitash's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Although this is technically a romance with “falling in love while pregnant after a one night stand” trope, I really felt that this was a story that was really about the pregnancy itself and the importance and an exploration of the people around you—your support network, your community. I also liked that while the romance wasn’t formulaic (it was a slow burn! A realisation that it’s always been the person beside you, all along!) the cast of characters were.
The circumstances around Eve’s pregnancy—best friend with infertility issues, the big age gap between Eve and her brothers, the one night stand of it all—mean that it’s hard for her, at first, to find the support she needs. The only person who seems to be in her corner from day one is Shep. In terms of book boyfriends, Shep was adorable and I loved so much of his friendly personality.I do wish that there was a little bit more substance to him, because the fact he’s been in love with Eve for years being his primary trait is a bit much, but he’s so endearing. The middle of the book is a little frustrating for this reason, because the lack of support Eve is a little sad, but the characters’ complexity, and the grace Eve gives them helped me to like them all by the end. At the end of the book we see Eve’s support network rally around her, and the dynamics established made me really want a sequel, where could see them in full force.
One major irk with this novel for me, was just how blasé Eve felt like she was taking this pregnancy. Obviously she was stressed about it, but for a long time she had an inability to think about the baby as a real person and wasn’t making any major life changes (housing, income) in order to accommodate for said baby.It’s implied Eve doesn’t do any of those things because the two people she’s looking for support from during the pregnancy—Willa, her best friend, and Ethan, the baby daddy—are more caught up in what the pregnancy means for them than for her that she almost actively shuts down preparing for the future in fear of upsetting them. But by the time Eve’s issues with them are resolved, those practical issues are placed onto the backburner until she learns Shep loves her and that she can rely on him, and so makes decisions re these practical matters knowing he’s in her corner. That was frustrating to me because while I knew she’d end up with Shep, for most of the book Eve had been convinced she’d have to do this alone, and yet didn’t make any effort to figure out what raising a baby alone would look like.
The circumstances around Eve’s pregnancy—best friend with infertility issues, the big age gap between Eve and her brothers, the one night stand of it all—mean that it’s hard for her, at first, to find the support she needs. The only person who seems to be in her corner from day one is Shep. In terms of book boyfriends, Shep was adorable and I loved so much of his friendly personality.
One major irk with this novel for me, was just how blasé Eve felt like she was taking this pregnancy. Obviously she was stressed about it, but for a long time she had an inability to think about the baby as a real person and wasn’t making any major life changes (housing, income) in order to accommodate for said baby.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Cursing, Infertility, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Alcohol
allieryanreads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
My first Cara Bastone novel (after listening to all of her audible novellas) and no surprise that it was really cute! It just felt so wholesome. It is a pregnancy story so just keep that in mind before jumping in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Alcohol
Includes on-page childbirthlydiarama's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Super heartfelt and engrossing! Having read the “behind the book” portion, I learned that Bastone actually began writing this when she was pregnant with her child and then revisited and ultimately finished it when she was pregnant with her second. This was not surprising to learn because Eve’s voice is so earnest and passionate, you could feel the emotion brimming beneath the words.
I’m not typically drawn to the “surprise baby” trope in romance lit (and friends-to-lovers isn’t among my favorites, either), but the protagonist felt so real and her experience so unique that the story became something entirely its own, with the theme of pregnancy becoming a larger, more expansive exploration of growth in general. I’m so glad that I read it in early January, with so much of the book feeling like a meditation on rebirth.
We meet Eve just as she learns that her spontaneous night with a handsome stranger had more strings attached than she bargained for. As a “surprise baby” herself, born to a couple on the threshold of their retirement years after raising her three brothers, Eve grapples with her mixed feelings about becoming a mother. With a job she feels lukewarm about, a sparse history of committed romantic relationships, and a reluctance to define any expectations of the baby’s father, Eve is on the brink of evolution as she sets out on a journey of finally taking a risk and moving towards something she wants.
Eve’s voice is so hilarious and honest, I soon felt that she was a close friend taking me along her terrifying, incredible experience. Shep stole my heart almost immediately with his golden retriever devotion and inability to be unkind (“did you make Ethan breakfast, you absolute prince?”). His presence is soft and sweet, with “a face that’s constantly inviting you to lie on a hammock and find shapes in the clouds.” Their story is a slow burn on the softest setting (“Slow is good. I want it in such slow motion it becomes the rest of my life”), one that feels like a cup of tea someone else made for you, like a hand holding you steady on uneven ground. The foundation of years-long friendship and understanding was devastating in its steadfastness and gentleness. I feel like this will be a book that sticks with me for some time.
I’m not typically drawn to the “surprise baby” trope in romance lit (and friends-to-lovers isn’t among my favorites, either), but the protagonist felt so real and her experience so unique that the story became something entirely its own, with the theme of pregnancy becoming a larger, more expansive exploration of growth in general. I’m so glad that I read it in early January, with so much of the book feeling like a meditation on rebirth.
We meet Eve just as she learns that her spontaneous night with a handsome stranger had more strings attached than she bargained for. As a “surprise baby” herself, born to a couple on the threshold of their retirement years after raising her three brothers, Eve grapples with her mixed feelings about becoming a mother. With a job she feels lukewarm about, a sparse history of committed romantic relationships, and a reluctance to define any expectations of the baby’s father, Eve is on the brink of evolution as she sets out on a journey of finally taking a risk and moving towards something she wants.
Eve’s voice is so hilarious and honest, I soon felt that she was a close friend taking me along her terrifying, incredible experience. Shep stole my heart almost immediately with his golden retriever devotion and inability to be unkind (“did you make Ethan breakfast, you absolute prince?”). His presence is soft and sweet, with “a face that’s constantly inviting you to lie on a hammock and find shapes in the clouds.” Their story is a slow burn on the softest setting (“Slow is good. I want it in such slow motion it becomes the rest of my life”), one that feels like a cup of tea someone else made for you, like a hand holding you steady on uneven ground. The foundation of years-long friendship and understanding was devastating in its steadfastness and gentleness. I feel like this will be a book that sticks with me for some time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Toxic relationship
The main character’s best friend’s reaction to Eve’s pregnancy is complicated by her and her husband’s fertility strugglesmoki_'s review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility and Grief
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
ninetyonepct's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Honestly, this was fantastic, would genuinely be one of the best books I read this year. The only hold back is just how unbelievably millennial the characters are. That being said it makes all the characters feel like actual people.
And the one star reviews talking about how "cringe" the MC was for being open to the idea that her child may end up being trans is NOT the cringy part of this book. If that's what bothered you just say you're transphobic and move along to some other book. I promise you this book has actually cringy stuff in it but being accepting of trans people is not it.
For real tho I loved the plot, the characters felt real no matter how annoying I thought they were at some times, and It just felt warm.
Might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you can get past the millennial cringe then you'll be okay lol
And the one star reviews talking about how "cringe" the MC was for being open to the idea that her child may end up being trans is NOT the cringy part of this book. If that's what bothered you just say you're transphobic and move along to some other book. I promise you this book has actually cringy stuff in it but being accepting of trans people is not it.
For real tho I loved the plot, the characters felt real no matter how annoying I thought they were at some times, and It just felt warm.
Might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you can get past the millennial cringe then you'll be okay lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol