I'm halfway through and I have to take time out to give this novel 5 stars - doesn't matter what comes next - and I'm super stingy with 5 stars.

It keeps popping into my mind that Cara Bastone's writing, as exemplified here, is a new kind of writing. Remember when new journalism was a thing (Tom Wolff) and feminist fiction (Marilyn French). Today it is slash fiction and I saw somewhere that there are 85 sub-genres of fiction! or is that 85 sub-genres of contemporary fiction, which apparently is a sub-genre of realistic fiction - really?

...Despite all this confusion I am now in, I do think that this incredibly detailed reading of characters style of writing is ... should have it's own sub-genre. If anyone can tell me what that is, tell me now!

The MC, Eve, tells us everything she reads in the faces and bodies of the persons she's with. The fact that she does read everyone so much is so realistic, but to have it verbalised, it becomes so much part of the novel - providing not only Eve but the reader with the clues we need. It provides an intimacy and poignancy that you'd swear you are in a booth in Good Boy (a dog friendly bar in New York) with the Ethan and the Bolder siblings, Willa and Shep.

The novel charts the course of Eve's unplanned pregnancy. Never having experienced a pregnancy myself, I can totally get onboard with donning rose coloured glasses and appreciating this journey with Eve. I say this because for all Eve's worries and uncertainties, they do seem wrapped in romantic curlicues.

I did love so much that while Eve is alone in this pregnancies, she NOT alone - her siblings are loving, her best friends, her baby's father, even her baby's father's mother has a role. It's terrifying that she has no partner (remember, I am only halfway) but she has love, and she sees it and appreciates and feels it and knows it. And it helps, a lot. She's so independent, but not alone, not lonely. It's life's ideal.

Yes, a tinsy bit too romantic and sugar-coated, but Thank God! Ideals are what keep us going, create hope, generate seratonin ... get us to the next day. ( )

A sweet book. A one night stand results in an unexpected pregnancy. The problem is that Eve slowly realizes she is in love with the perfect friend Shep. Amazingly it all works out. This romance was fun to read. ( )

I'm not really big on the romance genre, but I find it "soothing" at times. It's sort of a "comfort" read. I decided on this book when attempting to reignite my reading passion that has been dormant for five years while recovering from a heinous period in my life.

This book is a very easy read. I’m a very slow reader, but I found myself breezing through it effortlessly. It’s not a deep-think, but a lazy Sunday read. And that's what I needed right now as I ease back into reading. The author has a very informal writing style that feels like a conversation between girlfriends, writing with a bit of a dry wit, a little tongue-in-cheek.

Some things felt over-simplified or required a fair bit of suspension of disbelief, but I think that is the nature of romance novels in general and probably why I don't read them a great deal, but what I needed right now.

Five words: funny, restrained, engaging, predictable, uncomplicated

My final word: I found this novel to be a lighthearted and fun read. Eve is dealing with her own internal turmoil and confusion, coming to terms with an unplanned pregnancy. But at the heart of it, this is a love story in every sense of the word. Not only a love story between a man and a woman, but a story of a woman falling in love with the child she carries and the life she lives. If you are a fan of contemporary romance, this is one for you! Or if, like me, you just like to dabble in a little romance every now and again, this is a light read to just get your feet wet. Despite the fact that the story was a bit on the predictable side, I still found it enjoyable. ( )

Once Eve Hatch finds out that she is pregnant, her world completely changes. Everyone from family to friends treat her differently, and she is unprepared for how different her body feels. Her best friend, Willa, who has suffered fertility problems is less help than Eve had hoped she would be. Another issue Eve must confront is telling Ethan, the man who is the father of the baby, that their one night stand and condom failure have resulted in pregnancy. The one constant is Eve's friendship with Willa's brother, Shep, and it isn't long before Eve must decide if what she feels for him is more than friendship or just the result of pregnancy hormones.

Ready or Not is not a romance. There are definitely romance elements, but they are not the central aspect of this story. The majority of the narrative is about the ups and downs of being pregnant. The first part of the novel is cute and funny as Eve's quirks shine while she struggles through the first trimester, but the plot bogs down considerably during Eve's second trimester when the details of the pregnancy are described ad nauseam. Also, the love interests dance around each other so much, that it becomes tedious by the end of the book. Overall, Ready or Not is a good story but is not a romance as advertised. ( )

Title: Ready or Not
Author: Cara Bastone
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
'Ready or Not' by Cara Bastone

Intriguing:

'Ready or Not' was a sweet romance. With what happens to Eve, it was good to see how this author brings it all together. I somewhat feared Ethan but always felt Shep was there for Eve through it all. I had wondered about Eve's best friend in all that she had also gone through, but I didn't feel like she was there for her friend when needed. I know Willa had gone through a lot, but a true friend would have been there for her best friend, especially when required. You must pick up this read to see how it all comes together for Eve, Shep, and Evan. It was a pretty exciting read.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley for allowing me access to this ARC. ( )