Do I *like* the surprise pregnancy trope?!
content warning: pregnancy (of the fictional kind)
There are a few romance tropes that the majority of readers dislike, and surprise pregnancy is possibly top of the list. Surprise pregnancy (aka surprise baby, unexpected pregnancy, accidental pregnancy) is just what it sounds like—a character gets pregnant unexpectedly and must sort out what to do next. In a romance novel, this pairs with them finding love and getting their happy ever after with baby on board.
This is one of my least favorite book tropes for all the reasons other people hate on it—there’s nothing romantic or particularly enjoyable in my eyes about a baby you didn’t plan for, one that leaves you scrambling to figure out your future. In today’s social climate (in the US) where women have diminishing bodily autonomy, getting pregnant by accident sounds like a nightmare. Even for people who love children or have children, an unexpected pregnancy is a lot to deal with. So, like many readers, I don’t pick these kinds of stories up.
Except…sometimes I do. I have been surprised in the past by an unexpected pregnancy trope in a book, and I most recently picked a book up knowing the entire premise was about an unplanned pregnancy. Dear reader, I loved both of these books!
The first is not advertised as an unexpected pregnancy trope book because the pregnancy happens at the very end. I won’t tell you which book so that you, too, can be surprised, but it was by my favorite author duo, Christina Lauren. Whenever I am in a book slump, I pick up one of theirs—they are an incredible author team and their stories always make me laugh out loud. I loved everything about the book leading up to the pregnancy, and while unexpected pregnancy is not a dream turn of events for me personally, it was a twist that really worked for the character. This book remains one of my favorite Christina Lauren books of all time.
The other surprise pregnancy trope book that has me questioning my feelings about the surprise pregnancy trope is the recently released “Ready or Not” by Cara Bastone.
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.
The surprise pregnancy is no surprise to the reader here—the first chapter opens at Eve’s first OB/GYN appointment—so I went in knowing this would be all about Eve having a baby. What attracted me to this story is:
That cover!
The best friend’s brother trope.
Possible love triangle vibes between Shep and the baby daddy (I won’t spoil that for you, but it’s something that piqued my interest; what can I say, I <3 love triangles).
I kept reading because:
The writing is great. Cara Bastone injects a lot of humor into her writing and it felt very characteristic for Eve.
With the romcom vibes, it didn’t get too detailed or challenging with the pregnancy stuff. I think someone who has been pregnant before may find this portrayal a little glossy, but I didn’t mind (and honestly that’s what I would prefer).
Shep! Never have I encountered such a golden retriever male main character.
The nuanced side characters. Eve’s interactions with Willa, who has struggled with pregnancy in her marriage for years, were really interesting. The relationship between Shep and the baby daddy was also unexpected and well-done.
It was such a treat to read this book, and I ended up rating “Ready or Not” 5 stars. While I don’t think I’m a surprise pregnancy convert, this book proved to me that reading outside my preferred tropes can lead to some pleasant surprises, indeed.
What do you think about the surprise pregnancy trope? Comment below and tell me your thoughts.