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Ready or Not: A Novel (Dial Delights)
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.
“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.
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Community Reviews
4.5
I had a good feeling about this book, and I'm so glad I picked it up when it was a Book of the Month pick. I probably wouldn't have ever gotten to it otherwise, since I don't normally go for pregnancy related stories and find them hard to relate to. Something about the the way the premise was presented made me feel like there would be something special about this book that would reach me anyway, and I was right. I think the author did a masterful job with the characters. They are conflicted, complicated, but ultimately trying so hard to be good people and support each other. It is refreshing to see such a positive and thoughtful take on these various relationships that are often used like trope props to facilitate drama in similar stories. The friends-to-lovers romance is a beautiful slow burn with a touch of mutual pining. It's as delicious as the descriptions of the homemade bread Shep makes. The audiobook narrator went so hard, this was more like a voice acting performance than a book reading, in the best way! If you have any interest in anything mentioned in the summary of this book, I highly recommend giving it a try. This is a very high quality contemporary romance, and I'm eager to read more from this author, and I'm gonna see what else this audiobook narrator has done that I can listen to as well.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual content, Infertility, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Abortion
I had a good feeling about this book, and I'm so glad I picked it up when it was a Book of the Month pick. I probably wouldn't have ever gotten to it otherwise, since I don't normally go for pregnancy related stories and find them hard to relate to. Something about the the way the premise was presented made me feel like there would be something special about this book that would reach me anyway, and I was right. I think the author did a masterful job with the characters. They are conflicted, complicated, but ultimately trying so hard to be good people and support each other. It is refreshing to see such a positive and thoughtful take on these various relationships that are often used like trope props to facilitate drama in similar stories. The friends-to-lovers romance is a beautiful slow burn with a touch of mutual pining. It's as delicious as the descriptions of the homemade bread Shep makes. The audiobook narrator went so hard, this was more like a voice acting performance than a book reading, in the best way! If you have any interest in anything mentioned in the summary of this book, I highly recommend giving it a try. This is a very high quality contemporary romance, and I'm eager to read more from this author, and I'm gonna see what else this audiobook narrator has done that I can listen to as well.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual content, Infertility, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Abortion
I really heartwarming book!!! I cried when Eve realizes how Shep feels for her. I couldn't put the book away.
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