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lilalhreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage and 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 childbirthsleeping_unicorn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Miscarriage, and Alcohol
Some minor woke gender references, one almost open door scene and another open door scene but easy to see coming and skipalexlong's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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? It's complicated
4.5
What a fun, wholesome, hilarious, well-written romcom! A more realistic — and more heartfelt — version of the “Knocked Up” story. Single (and blissfully independent) girl gets pregnant after a one night stand. Sometimes a smidge predictable, but in a good way? Refreshingly rewarding love story with a reliably wonderful MMC and heartwarming family arc with realistically human supporting characters. I shaved off 1/2 a star because a few of the pregnancy moments felt unrealistic to me (a mom of 2 who’s still 3 months postpartum with my 2nd). For instance, ain’t no 3rd trimester mamas sleeping soundly without a pregnancy pillow of some kind. And I’ve never heard of anyone whose heartburn improves in the 3rd trimester?! Besides some of these questionable little details — which many may not notice — I loved this book.
**NOTE**: I have personally experienced infertility and pregnancy loss. If you’re currently or recently in THAT place then I don’t think I’d recommend this right now because it may be the wrong time to appreciate someone’s pregnancy story. There is mention of both infertility and loss in this novel.
**NOTE**: I have personally experienced infertility and pregnancy loss. If you’re currently or recently in THAT place then I don’t think I’d recommend this right now because it may be the wrong time to appreciate someone’s pregnancy story. There is mention of both infertility and loss in this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying
lydiarama'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
euleau's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility 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