Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
My first 5-star read of 2026! Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is so heartwarming that it genuinely made me feel happy all the way to the last page. I was charmed by Eve’s personality from the very beginning. Her humor really worked for me 😂 and Shep, oh my god, he’s sunshine personified. The greenest of all green flags. I just love them.
On a more serious note, I love it when books have depth, the kind that makes you feel and reflect, and this is definitely one of them. My main takeaway is that in a world where independence is the norm and solitude is often romanticized, this story stresses the importance of accepting help when we need it. It reminds us to let love in from the people who so willingly give it, to allow ourselves to love in return, and to accept that sometimes our circumstances, no matter how difficult they seem, may actually shape us into better versions of ourselves.
I also admired how Cara Bastone portrayed motherhood in such a hopeful light, amidst all the fears and hesitations that a pregnancy can bring. Honestly, the idea of bringing a child into this world and everything that comes with it scares the hell out of me too! 😅 but Eve’s story made me feel that, if I ever choose to and when the right time comes, I’ll be just fine 💖
Cara Bastone really has a talent for writing stories that touch on emotionally heavy topics in a light and positive way. The kind that doesn’t wear you down or break your heart too much, but instead leaves you with a tender, warm feeling.
A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.
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.