Signs of spring are everywhere here in Fallon. Daffodils are blooming. The weather is warming up. We won’t discuss the wind and the fact that winter is sure to show itself at least two more times. To go with this upbeat, spring-like way of thinking, I have a cute and funny romance for you this week that I think you will love.
“Ready or Not” by Cara Bastone is the story of Eve Hatch. Eve hates surprises. Her life is pretty predictable. She loves her cozy Brooklyn apartment, and she lives close to her childhood best friend, Willa. Her job isn’t exactly her “dream job” – she calls it “dream-adjacent” – but it is comfortable and steady. She knows what most days will bring until she finds herself pregnant after a very uncharacteristic one-night stand. The unexpected pregnancy exposes the cracks in every one of her relationships. Willa has been distant with Eve when Eve needs her most – in fact, it’s Willa’s brother, Shep, who does the most to help Eve through this surprise chapter in her life. They have always been great friends, but Shep is more attentive than Eve ever expected him to be - checking in, bringing her meals, listening closely to all of her pregnancy and life-related problems. Suddenly, Eve realizes that not only is Shep a great friend, but he is kind of hot. Just when she thinks her life couldn’t get more complicated, the baby’s father appears, who, while technically supportive, is majorly conflicted about his own life and the role he wishes to play in the life of Eve and her baby. Over the next nine months, Eve struggles to figure out the next right step and eventually realizes that family and love take many forms.
I devoured this book. It is laugh-out-loud funny, and I dare you not to fall head over heels in love with Shep. He is like a big old yellow Labrador – goofy and sweet and just plain adorable. The unexpected pregnancy troupe can be a controversial one for romance readers, but “Ready or Not” was so much more than I expected. Sure, on the surface, it is a story about an unexpected pregnancy. But at its heart, it is an homage to found family, not settling for a life where we are just existing, and how sometimes the universe gives us what we need to be the best version of ourselves, even if it is not what we thought we wanted.
Until next week, Fallon readers. Enjoy the spring weather, and when it takes the inevitable turn for the worse again, pick up “Ready or Not,” then pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader and read and ramble with me until the sun shines again.
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