Ready or Not
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.22
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Alex Finke
-
Written by:
-
Cara Bastone
About this listen
A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this “absolutely buoyant read” (Elle, The Best and Most Anticipated Romance Books of 2024, So Far).
“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
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.
You may also enjoy...
-
Just a Heartbeat Away
- Forever Yours, Book 1
- Written by: Cara Bastone
- Narrated by: Patrick Zeller
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Newly widowed dad Sebastian Dorner was unraveling at the edges - until his son’s teacher, Via DeRosa, threw him a lifeline. Now two years later, they reconnect at Matty’s new school, and an inconvenient but unmistakable jolt of attraction crackles between them. But why does the first person to spark with Sebastian in years have to be a millennial? Is 20-something Via really too young for him or does 40-something Sebastian just feel too damn old?
-
-
Good book
- By Asim on 2024-11-10
Written by: Cara Bastone
-
Just for the Summer
- Written by: Abby Jimenez
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Zachary Webber, Abby Jimenez
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
-
-
Cheesy
- By Gena on 2024-05-08
Written by: Abby Jimenez
-
The Paradise Problem
- Written by: Christina Lauren
- Narrated by: Patti Murin, Jon Root
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance.
-
-
I liked the story, BUT…
- By Kristy Keller on 2024-05-23
Written by: Christina Lauren
-
Funny Story
- Written by: Emily Henry
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
-
-
Pure joy!
- By Kolbey Neate on 2024-05-30
Written by: Emily Henry
-
The Improbable Meet-Cute
- Six Short Rom-Coms to Warm Your Heart
- Written by: Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, and others
- Narrated by: Marli Watson, Andrew Gibson, Andi Arndt, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What makes love stick? Is it the irresistible spark when you lock eyes across a piazza in Rome? Is it feeling the earth move under your feet? (Wait—that was an actual earthquake.) In these six serendipitous short stories, bestselling authors turn improbable first encounters into hopelessly romantic happy ever afters.
-
-
Mixed bag
- By Asim on 2024-10-13
Written by: Christina Lauren, and others
-
The Rom-Commers
- A Novel
- Written by: Katherine Center
- Narrated by: Katherine Center, Patti Murin
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.
-
-
WOW - this book!
- By two.bit book.review on 2024-07-02
Written by: Katherine Center
-
Just a Heartbeat Away
- Forever Yours, Book 1
- Written by: Cara Bastone
- Narrated by: Patrick Zeller
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Newly widowed dad Sebastian Dorner was unraveling at the edges - until his son’s teacher, Via DeRosa, threw him a lifeline. Now two years later, they reconnect at Matty’s new school, and an inconvenient but unmistakable jolt of attraction crackles between them. But why does the first person to spark with Sebastian in years have to be a millennial? Is 20-something Via really too young for him or does 40-something Sebastian just feel too damn old?
-
-
Good book
- By Asim on 2024-11-10
Written by: Cara Bastone
-
Just for the Summer
- Written by: Abby Jimenez
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Zachary Webber, Abby Jimenez
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
-
-
Cheesy
- By Gena on 2024-05-08
Written by: Abby Jimenez
-
The Paradise Problem
- Written by: Christina Lauren
- Narrated by: Patti Murin, Jon Root
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance.
-
-
I liked the story, BUT…
- By Kristy Keller on 2024-05-23
Written by: Christina Lauren
-
Funny Story
- Written by: Emily Henry
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
-
-
Pure joy!
- By Kolbey Neate on 2024-05-30
Written by: Emily Henry
-
The Improbable Meet-Cute
- Six Short Rom-Coms to Warm Your Heart
- Written by: Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, and others
- Narrated by: Marli Watson, Andrew Gibson, Andi Arndt, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What makes love stick? Is it the irresistible spark when you lock eyes across a piazza in Rome? Is it feeling the earth move under your feet? (Wait—that was an actual earthquake.) In these six serendipitous short stories, bestselling authors turn improbable first encounters into hopelessly romantic happy ever afters.
-
-
Mixed bag
- By Asim on 2024-10-13
Written by: Christina Lauren, and others
-
The Rom-Commers
- A Novel
- Written by: Katherine Center
- Narrated by: Katherine Center, Patti Murin
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.
-
-
WOW - this book!
- By two.bit book.review on 2024-07-02
Written by: Katherine Center
-
All Rhodes Lead Here
- A Novel
- Written by: Mariana Zapata
- Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi, Sebastian York
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aurora De La Torre, or Ora to her friends, knows moving back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a place that was once home and is now full of bittersweet memories of her late mother, isn’t going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be. But after breaking up with her longtime famous musician boyfriend, hiding out in a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. And checking out her landlord who lives across the driveway just might cure it, too. Only Tobias Rhodes didn’t rent out the apartment to her, rather it was his teenage son, Amos.
-
-
slowest burn... ever
- By Q69 on 2024-07-23
Written by: Mariana Zapata
-
Wild Love
- Rose Hill, Book 1
- Written by: Elsie Silver
- Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Vanessa Edwin
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rosie Belmont has been driving me wild for years. The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild. But mostly the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her. After living in the city, she comes blasting back into Rose Hill like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic. And one wide-eyed desperate plea for a job is all it takes for me to hire her.
-
-
Slow burn but once it hits 🥵 (worth the journey)
- By vanessa leblanc on 2024-05-13
Written by: Elsie Silver
-
Part of Your World
- Written by: Abby Jimenez
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Zachary Webber
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
-
-
Great Fast Read
- By Anonymous User on 2022-04-23
Written by: Abby Jimenez
-
The Friend Zone
- Written by: Abby Jimenez
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kristen Petersen doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children. Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen - especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family.
-
-
Thumbs down overall
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-07-11
Written by: Abby Jimenez
-
Bridesmaid for Hire
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Mallon, Jason Clarke
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After years of working her tail off at her event-planning business, Maggie Mitchell is ready for a vacation. With nothing on her mind but R & R, she’s enjoying the warm weather of Bora Bora when in saunters Brody McFadden, her brother’s best friend and also her sworn enemy. Thanks to years of tension between the two—kicked off by a make-out session at her brother’s wedding that ended horribly—Maggie has sworn to stay away from the man. That is, until she finds out he’s in Bora Bora for his boss’s daughter’s wedding, hoping to use the trip to win a real future at the company.
-
-
A great story
- By Michelle on 2024-11-03
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Honey
- A Novel
- Written by: Isabel Banta
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It’s a chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. She quickly finds herself in the orbits of fellow rising stars Gwen Morris, a driven singer-dancer, and Wes Kingston, a member of the biggest boy band in the world, ETA. As Amber embarks on her solo career and her fame intensifies, her rich interior life is frequently reduced.
Written by: Isabel Banta
-
Not in Love
- Written by: Ali Hazelwood
- Narrated by: Callie Dalton, Jason Clarke
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.
-
-
Unsufferable
- By Caroline Bertrand on 2024-11-06
Written by: Ali Hazelwood
-
Only When It's Us
- Bergman Brothers, Book 1
- Written by: Chloe Liese
- Narrated by: CJ Bloom, Nelson Hobbs
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since she sat next to me in class and gave me death eyes, Willa Sutter's been on my shit list. Why she hates me, I don't know. What I do know is that Willa is the kind of chaos I don't need in my tidy life. She's the next generation of women's soccer. Wild hair, wilder eyes. Bee-stung lips that should be illegal. And a temper that makes the devil seem friendly. She's a thorn in my side, a menacing, cantankerous pain-in-the-ass who's turned our business mathematics course into a goddamn gladiator arena. I'll leave this war zone unscathed, coming out on top....
-
-
So Bad
- By Anonymous User on 2023-03-23
Written by: Chloe Liese
-
Out on a Limb
- Written by: Hannah Bonam-Young
- Narrated by: Victoria Connolly
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winnifred "Win" McNulty has always been wildly independent. Not one to be coddled for her limb difference, Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. And, with some minor adjustments, she's done just fine. That is until she has a one-night stand with the incredibly charming Bo, a perfect stranger. And that one night changes everything. While Bo is surprisingly elated to step up to the plate, Win finds herself unsure of whether she can handle this new challenge on her own or if she'll need a helping hand.
-
-
rushed
- By Jen on 2024-11-17
Written by: Hannah Bonam-Young
-
The Ex Vows
- Written by: Jessica Joyce
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago. With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized.
-
-
forgettable
- By natasha on 2024-09-24
Written by: Jessica Joyce
-
Mother Faker
- Written by: Brittanee Nicole
- Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, Joe Arden
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beckett Langfield is grumpy, rich and hates kids. I’m an overworked, overstressed, and overweight single mom. The only reason we’re getting married is because he needs to fix a PR disaster and I am available. As in sitting next to him, in a bar, when he has this brilliant idea. Considering I just got divorced, I’m not looking to do that again. But Beckett makes me an offer that I literally can’t refuse, so I don’t.
-
-
This story is ridiculous
- By Sarah on 2024-11-17
Written by: Brittanee Nicole
-
How to End a Love Story
- A Novel
- Written by: Yulin Kuang
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin, Andrew Eiden
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She’s even scored a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer’s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except…
-
-
No worth time or money
- By Heidi Rousseau on 2024-10-19
Written by: Yulin Kuang
What the critics say
“Accidental pregnancy is a love-it-or-hate-it construct for most romance fans, which could leave Cara Bastone’s friends-to-lovers entry in a tough position. But for those willing to jive with that particular plot twist—and trust me, it’s worth it—Ready or Not is an absolutely buoyant read. Vivacious and funny, Bastone’s first-person perspective through protagonist Eve traces the tricky threads of single parenthood, long-term friendship, infertility, grief, and (yes) sex with skill.”—Elle
“I’ve never read a contemporary romance novel quite like this one. This friends-to-lovers trope centers on a surprise pregnancy that’s filled with heartfelt dialogue, unexpected love and a slow burn. It’s incredible and I found myself not wanting to put it down. This story is endearing, life-affirming, and left me feeling buoyed and hopeful.”—New York Post, “The 15 Best Books We Read in February”
“Ready or Not is the very definition of the perfect slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Cara Bastone’s voice is wholly unique and sparkles with effervescence and joy. I savored every page.”—KJ Dell’Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters
What listeners say about Ready or Not
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- samantha
- 2024-04-18
more praise for the narrator
okay, i’m a sobbing mess. that was so cute!!! and the narrator was AMAZING!! she was so animated and entertaining.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-04-10
Obsessed
The BEST audiobook narration. BEST love story. One of the BEST books with the pregnancy trope
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Client Amazon
- 2024-05-14
Great story, amazing narrator.
I loved it. I couldn't stop listening to it. The narrator was so good and I enjoyed the story very much !
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melissa
- 2024-02-21
Narrator was fantastic
Heartwarming, slow burn story with an excellent narrator. Recommended if you like something sweet and wholesome with great acting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joanie B.
- 2024-03-21
Relatable, funny and well narated
Loved the messy, realistic story where not everything is fairy tale perfect. Funny all the way through. The narrator told it with enough emotion but not too much theatrics. Overall very enjoyable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shineybubbles
- 2024-05-13
My heart is so full because this book
I am speechless! I just love it so much. From the story to the performance..umm Alex Finke.. where have you been all this time?! I’d give 100 stars all around if I could.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Theodora
- 2024-09-19
Shop is my new standard for men
beautiful, quirky, and real are the three words that come to mine with this book. The writing and narrating were both flawless.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A
- 2024-03-28
A Charming Slow Burn Full of Laughs
I’m not usually a big romance fan, but this slow burn had me smitten the entire listen! The narrator is absolutely FANTASTIC. I couldn’t help but laugh along with Eve and root her as she experiences this rollercoaster ride. She evolves as a person while growing closer to some characters but drifting apart from others. Realistic and relatable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-10-01
Great, easy listen.
The story was lovely, sweet, romantic and funny. Great flow and narration.
This story climaxes in the final couple of chapters and ends. We desperately need an epilogue!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tatiana Topete
- 2024-06-01
A beautiful story
Cara Bastone wrote an incredibly heart warming love story, not just a romance, but love for oneself, ones child, and ones life. Alex Finke brought the character to life with her spectacular narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!