A review by rapitash
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

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.
 
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