Ready or Not

A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this "absolutely buoyant read" (Elle).

"Bastone delivers on this truly heartwarming, funny, and real story. Come for the dog bar, stay for the special, slow-burn romcom."--Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, Elle

Eve Hatch lives for surprises! Just kidding. She expects every tomorrow to be pretty much the same as today. She loves her cozy apartment in Brooklyn that's close to her childhood best friend Willa, and far from her midwestern, traditional family who has never really understood her. While her job is only dream-adjacent, it's comfortable and steady. She always knows what to expect from her life . . . until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's loyal friendship with Willa is feeling tense, right when she needs her the most. And it's actually Willa's steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help Eve. He has always been friendly, but now he's checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is . . . suddenly kinda hot? Then, as if she needs one more complication, there's the baby's father, who is (technically) supportive but (majorly) conflicted.

Up until this point, Eve's been content to coast through life. Now, though--maybe it's the hormones, maybe it's the way Shep's shoulders look in a T-shirt--Eve starts to wonder if she has been secretly desiring more from every aspect of her life.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Author: Cara Bastone
Publisher: Dial Press
Published: 02/13/2024
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.10w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780593595718


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 12/01/2023 pg. 80
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2024
Publishers Weekly 01/08/2024

About the Author
Cara Bastone is a full-time writer who lives and writes in Brooklyn with her husband, sons, and an almost-goldendoodle. Her goal with her work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories. She's been a fan of the romance genre since she found a grocery bag filled with her grandmother's old Harlequin Romances when she was in high school. She's a fangirl for pretzel sticks, long walks through Prospect Park, and love stories featuring men who aren't hobbled by their own masculinity.