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whatirinreads_18's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
I loved every single moment of reading Ready or Not. This is my favorite contemporary read of the year so far! 💫
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage
abidavisf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Somebody call the Louvre cos we’ve got ourselves a masterpiece.
Cara Bastone is a genius. Her writing is gorgeous. It’s casual and simple while also immensely clever. It’s hilarious and raw and friendly. Ready or Not is your best friend telling you about their day. It’s your own stream of consciousness, guiding you through life, making subtle observations about inconsequential events and overthinking everything.
Eve is a badass. She is all heart, even when she thinks she isn’t, *especially* when she thinks she isn’t. Eve is love and bravery. She cares and she craves and she feels so much. I adore her. She is also hilarious. I can’t figure out if I’m more inclined to be her or be her best friend.
Shep and Ethan are two sides of a coin, opposite and yet so similar. Both men are in touch with their emotions. Both men are genuinely good. There were moments in this book that had me frustrated with Ethan but nothing ever made me doubt his integrity or his intentions. Shep is, of course, perfect. No notes. I hate saying that, but it’s true.
I love that Ready or Not is just a story of an accidental pregnancy and figuring out what the ever-loving fk you’re going to do about it. This is a book about dreams and friendship and found family. It is a book about accepting flaws, your own and those others. It is a book about honesty and openness. There are some really hard-hitting themes in Ready or Not, from infidelity to infertility, and all of them are handled with grace and respect.
I am over the moon to be able to go and read Cara Bastone’s entire bibliography.
Cara Bastone is a genius. Her writing is gorgeous. It’s casual and simple while also immensely clever. It’s hilarious and raw and friendly. Ready or Not is your best friend telling you about their day. It’s your own stream of consciousness, guiding you through life, making subtle observations about inconsequential events and overthinking everything.
Eve is a badass. She is all heart, even when she thinks she isn’t, *especially* when she thinks she isn’t. Eve is love and bravery. She cares and she craves and she feels so much. I adore her. She is also hilarious. I can’t figure out if I’m more inclined to be her or be her best friend.
Shep and Ethan are two sides of a coin, opposite and yet so similar. Both men are in touch with their emotions. Both men are genuinely good. There were moments in this book that had me frustrated with Ethan but nothing ever made me doubt his integrity or his intentions. Shep is, of course, perfect. No notes. I hate saying that, but it’s true.
I love that Ready or Not is just a story of an accidental pregnancy and figuring out what the ever-loving fk you’re going to do about it. This is a book about dreams and friendship and found family. It is a book about accepting flaws, your own and those others. It is a book about honesty and openness. There are some really hard-hitting themes in Ready or Not, from infidelity to infertility, and all of them are handled with grace and respect.
I am over the moon to be able to go and read Cara Bastone’s entire bibliography.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
kateguas's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
beckyremillard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
spindere11a's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility and Medical content
Minor: Death, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
Spoiler details to clarify trigger warnings …amanda_reads13's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
After a one night stand with Ethan, Eve finds out that she is pregnant.
I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook. She fits Eve's personality perfectly.
I absolutely adore this book and that is coming from someone who HATES the accidental pregnancy trope. I think she does a really good job of addressing this topic. In a time where abortion is such a hot button topic, it's important to approach the accidental pregnancy trope with care and the understanding that this situation would not be all rainbows and sunshine for some people. It's important that we see the ups and downs that she goes through as we follow her journey.
Throughout the story we see the ups and downs of Eve and Ethan's relationship. It's refreshing to see that Ethan is not made out to be the bad guy. We know that he wants to be involved, but he's in a really complicated situation. Yes, Eve is upset when Ethan disappears on her, but she's very understanding and she gives him choices. I love that everybody involved is very mature and they're able to make decisions together by openly communicating with each other.
Willa is a really complicated character. You want to shake her and say "get over it, just support your friend". The reality is, she has been through a lot of trauma. It's not that easy to accept that something you have been fighting so hard for comes so easily to others. Willa has been trying for a baby for so long, and we learn that she had a miscarriage shortly after her mom passed away. So, it is completely understandable that she would feel so overwhelmed by Eve's news. Their friendship is so beautiful. Willa does what she can to be there to support Eve, but Eve is also very understanding of Willa's mental state and situation.
Shep is such an incredible guy. He knows she's in a difficult situation, and even though he is completely in love with her, he doesn't push his feelings onto her. He shows them in little ways and by being there to support her. Seeing her have another man's baby must have broken his heart, but instead of being resentful and angry, he's supportive, compassionate, and empathetic. He accepts the fact that if he wants to be in Eve's life, Ethan will be in his life too. So, he makes an effort to develop a friendship with Ethan. He is honestly the most adorable man.
I love that the relationship is a slow burn. She gets to come to terms with her feelings for Shep in her own time without feeling pressured by anyone.
Tropes: friends to lovers, slow burn, accidental pregnancy
I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook. She fits Eve's personality perfectly.
I absolutely adore this book and that is coming from someone who HATES the accidental pregnancy trope. I think she does a really good job of addressing this topic. In a time where abortion is such a hot button topic, it's important to approach the accidental pregnancy trope with care and the understanding that this situation would not be all rainbows and sunshine for some people. It's important that we see the ups and downs that she goes through as we follow her journey.
Throughout the story we see the ups and downs of Eve and Ethan's relationship. It's refreshing to see that Ethan is not made out to be the bad guy. We know that he wants to be involved, but he's in a really complicated situation. Yes, Eve is upset when Ethan disappears on her, but she's very understanding and she gives him choices. I love that everybody involved is very mature and they're able to make decisions together by openly communicating with each other.
Willa is a really complicated character. You want to shake her and say "get over it, just support your friend". The reality is, she has been through a lot of trauma. It's not that easy to accept that something you have been fighting so hard for comes so easily to others. Willa has been trying for a baby for so long, and we learn that
Shep is such an incredible guy. He knows she's in a difficult situation, and even though he is completely in love with her, he doesn't push his feelings onto her. He shows them in little ways and by being there to support her. Seeing her have another man's baby must have broken his heart, but instead of being resentful and angry, he's supportive, compassionate, and empathetic. He accepts the fact that if he wants to be in Eve's life, Ethan will be in his life too. So, he makes an effort to develop a friendship with Ethan. He is honestly the most adorable man.
I love that the relationship is a slow burn. She gets to come to terms with her feelings for Shep in her own time without feeling pressured by anyone.
Tropes: friends to lovers, slow burn, accidental pregnancy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
plueschi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse
thebackpackingbookwyrm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
blewballoon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
I had a good feeling about this book, and I'm so glad I picked it up when it was a Book of the Month pick. I probably wouldn't have ever gotten to it otherwise, since I don't normally go for pregnancy related stories and find them hard to relate to. Something about the the way the premise was presented made me feel like there would be something special about this book that would reach me anyway, and I was right. I think the author did a masterful job with the characters. They are conflicted, complicated, but ultimately trying so hard to be good people and support each other. It is refreshing to see such a positive and thoughtful take on these various relationships that are often used like trope props to facilitate drama in similar stories. The friends-to-lovers romance is a beautiful slow burn with a touch of mutual pining. It's as delicious as the descriptions of the homemade bread Shep makes. The audiobook narrator went so hard, this was more like a voice acting performance than a book reading, in the best way! If you have any interest in anything mentioned in the summary of this book, I highly recommend giving it a try. This is a very high quality contemporary romance, and I'm eager to read more from this author, and I'm gonna see what else this audiobook narrator has done that I can listen to as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Alcohol
fiwwa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ARE U KIDDINGGGGG!!!!!! this got all the good tropes and cute bright cover it's perfect my new favorite romance book for sure <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility