Ready or Not

December 1, 2023

Eve Hatch is surprised by her positive pregnancy test. Complicating matters, it's the product of a one-night stand, and she doesn't even know the guy's last name. Suddenly overwhelmed with hormones and big life changes, Eve finds herself relying more and more on her best friend's older brother, Shep Balder. Navigating the world of pregnancy and a baby-daddy who has his own life and troubles, Shep and Eve manage to find their own little moments of calm and happiness together. And just maybe, they might realize that what they have is more than a friendship and could be a happy-ever-after. In this contemporary rom-com, the story jumps right into the action, and even readers who don't like the surprise-pregnancy trope will find themselves glued to the page for more of Eve's snark and sense of humor. Shep's "golden retriever" energy is a lovely foil to Eve's quips, and the connection between the two is electrifying. VERDICT Bastone's (Flirting with Forever) friends-to-lovers romance is a recommended purchase, especially where rom-coms are popular.--Amanda Toth

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
An unexpected pregnancy changes everything and leads to love. Eve Hatch doesn't usually have one-night stands with hot bartenders, and she certainly doesn't expect to get pregnant from such an encounter, especially when using protection. But that's exactly what happens after a particularly fun night out with her two childhood best friends, siblings Willa and Shep Balder. Everyone has feelings about this. Willa struggles with the news, since she and her husband are having fertility issues. Ethan Rise, the bartender/father, is overwhelmed, happy, and confused. And Shep is so wildly, enthusiastically supportive that readers will have no trouble discerning what it takes the protagonist many pages to figure out--he's a goner for her. Eve herself feels all kinds of things: hurt by Willa's reticence and Ethan's confusion, appreciative of Shep's ministrations, worried about finances (her administrative job at a nonprofit isn't likely to cut it), and also fairly well in denial. Add to that: nauseous, hungry, weepy, and horny. She's sure from the jump that she doesn't want an abortion, but, beyond stating the fact, there's no discussion of her reasons. There's also no mention of financial child support from Ethan, who, it turns out, owns the bar where he works. Perhaps including these issues would have marred the truly heartwarming emotional journey of the book, but they're such deeply practical considerations that leaving them out seems like a mistake. Especially when Bastone is wonderfully unflinching when considering the way pregnancy changes relationships. Luckily for Eve, most of her relationships ultimately change in positive--and, in one case, romantic--ways. Funny and touching; Eve's snappy voice and poignant vulnerability are a good match for the subject matter.

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January 8, 2024
Bastone (When We First Met) enchants with this luminous contemporary about a one-night stand that results in an unexpected, but not unwelcome, family. After Brooklyn-based nonprofit worker Eve Hatch has an out-of-character hookup with bar owner Ethan Rise, she discovers she’s pregnant—despite the condom she and Ethan used—and decides to keep the baby. Her decision sparks the wrath of Ethan’s on and off girlfriend, Eleni; envy from Eve’s bestie Willa, who has been trying and failing to get pregnant; and a growing attraction between Eve and her longtime friend (and Willa’s lovable brother), Shep Balder, who is there for her through thick and thin. Shep proves utterly swoonworthy as his unreserved emotional support provides a lifeline for Eve. Pregnancy hormones and on-again, off-again coparenting conversations with Ethan make things tense at times, but readers will gladly go along for the friends-to-lovers journey between Shep and Eve. This is a gratifyingly modern take on the accidental pregnancy trope that acknowledges a family can come in many different configurations. The nuanced, believable characters and depth of emotion make this warmhearted romance a keeper. Agent: Tara Gelsomino, One Track Literary.