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deblyn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
morganewg's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Vomit
Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility
A beautiful love letter to the baffling journey that is pregnancy and the ways in which it changes you, your life, and how you view the world. You root for Eve as she grows in character as well as belly size and end up loving everyone in the story.cjthomas3542's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content
brebeingwell's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
The pining! My God, the pining! For almost a decade this man has loved her and she has never seen and the desire and urge to love and protect her at any cost had my heart. I loved the friendships, dealing with the planning of the pregnancy, and the romance....
At least until they got together. Once they were together, the main male character gave me the ick by everything he said and did during the spice scenes. I couldn't imagine being with someone like that. Another major issue for me was the baby daddy story arch. It was unsatisfying and I was begging the main female character to stand up for herself and ask for what she wants and needs.
Overall, a good story. More for the baby than for the resulting romance.
At least until they got together. Once they were together, the main male character gave me the ick by everything he said and did during the spice scenes. I couldn't imagine being with someone like that. Another major issue for me was the baby daddy story arch. It was unsatisfying and I was begging the main female character to stand up for herself and ask for what she wants and needs.
Overall, a good story. More for the baby than for the resulting romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I selected this as one of my Book of the Month picks.
"Ready or Not" follows Eve Hatch as she is forced to make some big changes to her comfortable life. Eve is pretty content with how her life is going, until she gets a surprise: following a one night stand she finds out she is pregnant. Now she must decide how a baby will fit into her world. This is complicated when her best friend, Willa, who has been struggling with infertility for years, is not as supportive as Eve needs. Eve ends up leaning a lot on Shep, Willa's older brother, and learning that she might have had her person in front of her all along.
I thought this was such a fun story about learning about yourself and discovering what you want. Eve was not planning to get pregnant, and she is initially shocked and scared by the news. But throughout her pregnancy she learns so much about herself and what she really wants out of life, and because of this baby, she takes the steps to better herself and pursue what she really wants out of life.
I think the conversations surrounding pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy, expectations, and being a single parent were all insightfully done. People will not always react how you expect them to, and Eve faced some interesting social hurdles with her big news. She felt so alone, and I think a lot of people can relate to that. I also think there is great conversation about finding your people, and how you are never truly alone if you have friends.
Shep is such a great guy, and I loved seeing how much he has always cared for Eve. He really believes in her and has supported her for all the years that he has known her. I loved that they had so much history together as friends, because it made their connection feel all the more genuine.
I had a great time with this book, and I look forward to reading more from Cara Bastone in the future.
"Ready or Not" follows Eve Hatch as she is forced to make some big changes to her comfortable life. Eve is pretty content with how her life is going, until she gets a surprise: following a one night stand she finds out she is pregnant. Now she must decide how a baby will fit into her world. This is complicated when her best friend, Willa, who has been struggling with infertility for years, is not as supportive as Eve needs. Eve ends up leaning a lot on Shep, Willa's older brother, and learning that she might have had her person in front of her all along.
I thought this was such a fun story about learning about yourself and discovering what you want. Eve was not planning to get pregnant, and she is initially shocked and scared by the news. But throughout her pregnancy she learns so much about herself and what she really wants out of life, and because of this baby, she takes the steps to better herself and pursue what she really wants out of life.
I think the conversations surrounding pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy, expectations, and being a single parent were all insightfully done. People will not always react how you expect them to, and Eve faced some interesting social hurdles with her big news. She felt so alone, and I think a lot of people can relate to that. I also think there is great conversation about finding your people, and how you are never truly alone if you have friends.
Shep is such a great guy, and I loved seeing how much he has always cared for Eve. He really believes in her and has supported her for all the years that he has known her. I loved that they had so much history together as friends, because it made their connection feel all the more genuine.
I had a great time with this book, and I look forward to reading more from Cara Bastone in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infertility, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Death of parent
ebroeffle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Minor: Vomit
elisabethc01's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage
anxiouslybooked's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol and Terminal illness
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Eve unexpectedly becomes pregnant after a one night stand, leading to tension with her best friend and a surprise attraction with said best friend’s brother.
I should start by saying that I rarely read the surprise pregnancy trope, I never particularly expect to enjoy the surprise pregnancy trope, and I read this only because I needed that exact trope for a book bingo I was completing. I recognize that’s not the ideal mindset to go into a book with, and I think if you’re a fan of this trope (or even just more open to it) you may really enjoy this one!
I spent most of this book frustrated with Eve and her decision making (or lack thereof), and was a little bit bored in the middle, particularly because this is a VERY slow burn that doesn’t really feel romance-focused at all until the last third or so. That said, I LOVED the MMC Shep, and he was what generally saved and redeemed the book for me, making it a generally enjoyable read (even though not a favorite). In fact, he redeemed it so much that I probably would have given this 4 stars if it wasn’t for the ending, which really really bugged me.
In short, if this sounds good to you, I would recommend it! I know some people who have loved it and I think that those who have been pregnant might particularly get a lot out of it. But, I don’t think I was the ideal target audience for a lot of different reasons, so just an “okay” read for me overall.
CW: Infertility/miscarriage; pregnancy; death of parent; grief
Eve unexpectedly becomes pregnant after a one night stand, leading to tension with her best friend and a surprise attraction with said best friend’s brother.
I should start by saying that I rarely read the surprise pregnancy trope, I never particularly expect to enjoy the surprise pregnancy trope, and I read this only because I needed that exact trope for a book bingo I was completing. I recognize that’s not the ideal mindset to go into a book with, and I think if you’re a fan of this trope (or even just more open to it) you may really enjoy this one!
I spent most of this book frustrated with Eve and her decision making (or lack thereof), and was a little bit bored in the middle, particularly because this is a VERY slow burn that doesn’t really feel romance-focused at all until the last third or so. That said, I LOVED the MMC Shep, and he was what generally saved and redeemed the book for me, making it a generally enjoyable read (even though not a favorite). In fact, he redeemed it so much that I probably would have given this 4 stars if it wasn’t for the ending, which really really bugged me.
In short, if this sounds good to you, I would recommend it! I know some people who have loved it and I think that those who have been pregnant might particularly get a lot out of it. But, I don’t think I was the ideal target audience for a lot of different reasons, so just an “okay” read for me overall.
CW: Infertility/miscarriage; pregnancy; death of parent; grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
mrsmoy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage