Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a book that at first glance I'm unsure as to why I enjoyed. I found the writing style and humour to be pretty cheesy, the pacing was quite slow, and I didn't care much for the work related plot, however, there were also some deeply touching moments sprinkled throughout this book. Josh and Gemma had a really cute friends to lovers arc mixed with the guy falls first trope, and towards the end of the book the themes of infertility, loss, and a yearning for love were very earnest. Although there were parts of this book that I felt could have been cut down, there were also unexpectedly mature moments that made for a surprisingly good read.

Gemma wants a baby and has decided to do ivf. Josh is her brothers best friend and has all thr attributes Gemma is looking for in a sperm donor. As he finally agrees to be her donor the toad to parenthood isn't that smooth.

I honestly liked this book how it managed to incorporate the grief of infertility and the longing for a child with so much humour I honestly have no idea. This was one of those books I picked to read after a lot of serial killer based novels but it just surpassed my expectations. Gemma is our protagonist and what a character she was. I went from laughing at her plight to crying my eyes out fomplrtely. She's the kind of character I instantly imagined fitting into my social group in real life. He relationship with her family is written so well, even her mum trying to pimp her outvyo old rich men she feels her mother has no faith in her but u feel its her mother's lack of faith in others.

Infertility is a tricky subject to bring humour to and honestly If I hadn't read it myself I wouldn't believe it. Even her appointments at the clinic are hilarious, espically a certain comment about the toilets in the lobby I'll leave that one there.
If you do find this subject triggering I would skip this one, even though it is a light read its core story is about the struggle to get pregnant.

The description of laces and people is done so well a scene nearer the end of the book, I felt like I was in the room! I truly am in oar of the author and their amazing power of the written words
The prose in general is do well constructed I honestly couldn't fault it. I opened the book and closed it several hours later. I was so engrossed I honestly love a captivating book. I even enjoyed Josh's storyline, he was an interesting character what was his motivation if any and why would he risk his relationship with his beat friend, I found myself tearing up alot when it was appropriate also.

In conclusion I moved this book it's a typical room romcom style we have girl we have boy, there's an obvious love story and predictable in the direction the book takes . I was a great bkkm and worth 4 stars . Just be mindful if you have had any fertility problems this may be triggered by reading so please read wirh care.

Thank you to the Author, the publisher and Netgalley for the digital advanced copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.

I really enjoyed this! While this novel was somewhat predictable, I found the addition of the fertility struggles, and Gemma’s quest to become a mom an interesting twist to this genre. The book was quite amusing, and actually laughed aloud a few times at some of the ridiculousness that ensued. I really loved Josh' character-he is the perfect gentleman, with a few thorns to keep things interesting! I loved Gemma's determination to be a mom and bravery to do it alone.

In terms of cons, I found the audio narrator to be somewhat annoying at times, very valley girl sounding voice, even when voicing the male characters. I sped up the sound a bit, and this helped me to get through the novel. Had I read an e/paper copy I would have enjoyed this more.

Definitely a great read if you are feeling something fluffy and fun! 3.75/5

Gemma, the heroine has been disappointed by love before and is now feeling the call to procreate and who better to help than a friend. Josh who has been carrying a torch for Gemma capitulates to her request after a short-lived moment of resistance. The story takes us through all that is involved and at stake with less conventional methods of conception and their handling of the associated emotions. It shines the spotlight on how short-sightedness can obscure the vision before us and delay the joy we can experience .Once the blinders fell off Gemma's eyes she saw Josh for the person he was but still opted for self-preservation. The hilarity interspersed throughout the book helped to lighten the gravity of the topic explored without diminishing the seriousness that surrounds the issue. I laughed, I cried, I empathized, I railed but I enjoyed this book filled with solemnity and laughter and would most certainly recommend it without reservation.

This book was adorable! I finished the audio version the day before Valentine's, and it was perfect! Josh and Gemma...where to begin? Both are so loveable and endearing and just end up being perfect together on their quest to make a baby. They have known each other since they were teenagers but went on different tracks after a short fling. Josh is a comic writer and Jemma's brother's best friend. Jemma works for a self-help company and her boss is her love interest, but this doesn't stop her mother from constantly trying to set her up. The two tracks once again intersect, and they decide to "make a baby" in an unconventional way. Along the way many more characters and situations both funny and emotional build the storyline. The ending is perfect in every way as was the story along the way. Thank you, Net Galley and the publisher, for an advanced copy of the audio book.

I absolutely loved this contemporary romance audiobook.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend

The narrator does a fabulous audio delivery and narration.

Do recommend this

4.5 ⭐

I really liked this book, It goes directly to my top 3 fav rom-coms.
I absolutely love Josh and his pure nature, love the fact that they have known each other for years and even if they don't see it the already belong to a family.
Like the writing, like the jokes, like the conflict and the solution. And like that it made me sob because that means that I was invested.
My only issue are the inspirational quotes. I get the appeal for wanting to live a positive life where you hope (and know) everything will work out but I don´t think a quote for every moment is needed if instead you actually live as you say you are living. And also, why did we need an Ian just to appreciate more the other guy?, Josh could have handle this book by himself.

The main topic is sensitive and must be considered before reading. I really hope every wishful mother out there actually gets to be a mother

That scene at the empty room when he needed some *inspiration* was absolute gold, bc all the needed inspiration was a shoulder hahaah

Absolutely a 4.5 star book, and 5 star narration (by my gal Erin Mallon, my fave).
Some very heavy topics handled.

This was my first Sarah Ready novel and I have been intending to pick up so many of them in the last year since I first saw a cover reveal (Romeo series), but this is the first audio of hers I came upon and was able to get the ALC from Netgalley. Plus, it was narrated by Erin Mallon who is my absolute number one gal (I will take any Erin Mallon production anytime - sign me up! Erin has so much talent with her voice and all of her characters are identifiable from each other as she can do so many different ones, great pacing and you can hear her joy).

This one is touted as a RomCom, but I would definitely not put it into this category. There are a few comedic moments (lime Jell-O, anyone?), but it is far more heartfelt and emotional and a lot of very deep issues involved, such as the cheating ex husband (she is divorced and she brings up her ex and his recent 3rd child quite often), the love triangle between her, Josh and Ian, and her infertility issues and IVF treatments - which is the main central theme of the book.

Gemma is also a girl with a few extra pounds on her, and her mother (and a few other folks) point it out a lot, and there is no defense about this. Being a heavier gal myself, I took great offence to it - and it IS NOT OK! Big can be beautiful, and it is not alright to just let this slip by and not address it at any point in the book. Gemma just takes it all as a pushover to this aspect (losing some marks in the rating for the handling of this).

There are also a lot of motivational quotes being spouted off (constantly) that come from Ian, who is a self-help guru that Gemma works for, so it's just second nature for her to rely on them to get through life. Josh seems quite irritated every time she says one to him, and we learn more throughout the book about Josh and Ian being classmates in college and having worked together at one point, so understand that he would have experienced them in his past (or did he; perhaps more to their story).

The central plot is Gemma, a single (divorced) woman in her early 30's, with infertility due to endometriosis and ruptured cysts from many years prior (described as looking like a bomb went off inside - yikes), decides as her New Years resolution that she is tired of waiting for Mr Right and wants to have a baby. Her only hope at this point (being from a small-town living in NYC where it's still hard to meet anyone), is to use IVF and an anonymous sperm donor, or approach someone she knows and ask for a donation. She decides to ask her brother's best friend and someone she has known for a long time (and the guy who took her v-card in high school), Josh Lewenthal. He hesitates and initially says no, but a long story short, finally agrees to try.

Josh Lewenthal - what can I say? I have a new book boyfriend in this man! He was very swoony, every step of the way through this book. As the story progressed, I just fell more and more. His wit, his charm, his sensitivity.

So, a whole lot happens through this 9.5 hour journey, and I had a very hard time putting it down in order to go to work or sleep, and I stayed up late in order to finish. It definitely hooks the reader/listener, and I absolutely recommend the listen (or the read and listen combo) to everybody that is able to take-on a novel that includes a major infertility and IVF storyline and love triangle (I know there will be many that aren't into this), because it is fantastic!

I absolutely loved this!

Gemma, freshly out of a divorce, dealing with infertility and wanting nothing more than to have a baby, decided that her brother's best friend Josh is the perfect candidate for her IVF baby's father. What unfolds is a story of love, perseverance, and strength, comic books and inspirational quotes, and just cuteness all around.

I am usually not a person who likes my romances with pregnancy tropes, so I was quite hesitant about this being completely about pregnancy. However, I was so surprised how much this snuck up on me and my heart, and it made me so happy to see both the realities of infertility and the silver linings in its struggles. Josh and Gemma made such a fun pair to learn about, and I really loved every second of this.

Thank you NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and Sarah Ready for this ARC!

This book grabs my attention from the very beginning. Because it's so funny and intriguing. The writing style is amazing.
But the main character Gemma is kind of mean sometimes like her friend told her about her problems and in personal opinion, she kind of acts mean which I don't like. Also, sometimes she just thinks about herself without realizing that she is hurting others.
However, the twists and turns in the story are just amazing. Humour in the book is the cherry on top. It's about a boy falling first and brother's best kind of love story. If you love these kinds of tropes then this is the perfect book to read.
Overall This is such a great book with lots of good elements. I truly recommend this book to everyone.
The narration of this book is amazing and funny. Love the way the story was narrated.

This was a fairly predictable storyline, but I really liked the characters. I can imagine this as a movie - it would work so well on the screen. The humour is great: I loved the production room and the swimming pool that just needs swimmers!!

Gemma is a single woman of a certain age, without a significant other in her life, wanting a baby. IVF seems to be her only option due to previous health issues, so she turns to her brother’s best friend for help. Her family seem quite normal and are all just getting on with their own lives, judging each other by their own standards. Gemma’s analogy of life being an iceberg is appropriate and life changing.

This made me giggle and I enjoyed the journey, but there weren’t any really surprises in the storyline.

Thank you Netgalley and Sarah Ready for a free audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the story and the audiobook narration. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I find myself smiling, laughing, getting annoyed, touched, and then laughing again. I enjoyed all the characters, they seemed so real to me (even that famous self-help freaking guru) and that makes it more enjoyable to listen to. Many over-the-top situations make my eye roll at times, but that also makes it funnier.
Infertility and miscarriages are some of the sensitive topics that were in this book. As someone who has gone through the same issue, I am amazed as to how the author gave it justice while still making it a light read rom-com.
This book is very entertaining, heartwarming and would make you laugh repeatedly. This was my first book from the author, and I will come back for more.

4.25 stars, 1 spice

Thank you to netgalley for the audiobook arc, this is an honest review!
This was so cute, it actually had me laughing out loud. There were a couple scenes that were a bit much (the other crazy couple at the clinic, I really feel like those scenes should have been scrapped, or written in a way that wasn't so outlandish, it actually took m out of the story) but other than that I really enjoyed this.
It was a bit predictable, but there was also a lot of hardship and depth... and I it did make me cry.
It kept my attention enough that I actually was just sitting on the couch listening to the audiobook rather than multitasking like I normally do lol.
I would have been happy with more spice too (but thats a me issue HA) but overall a pretty good romcom!

Tigger warning listed below, but it is a spoiler
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trigger warning for miscarriage

Obviously, I requested this because of its ridiculous title, even though it did give me false expectations of what the story would entail (Re: pregnancy and baby would be the majority of the story)
Despite the absence of cute babies, I enjoyed <i>Josh and Gemma</i>. I went expecting an entertaining story featuring the awkwardness of asking your brother’s best friend to be a sperm donor, and that’s what I got.
There were a few bits I could have done without, but my favorite part of this book is Gemma’s character growth. She’s imperfect, and a main component of the story is her realizing some of her flaws and growing as a person.
But back to the bits I didn’t like! A few scenes were over the top but worked and were humorous. However, the big climax to the story with its Public Grand Gestures didn’t really vibe with the rest of the story. Or maybe it just made me too uncomfortable.
Other spoilery things I didn’t like:<spoiler>
• Josh was the source of the trite quotes that I hated.
• At least he wrote them as a teenager, but still. So cheesy.
• Ian was obviously a Wickham. Like, at no point did I think he was a viable romantic interest; he was clearly sleazy.</spoiler>
<b>Audiobook Review:</b> The narrator did a good job but had a bit of vocal fry (mainly dragging out the last sound of words). It was distracting at first, but I gradually stopped noticing it. The female character voices were great, but all the male characters had the same voice.

Trigger warnings ***
Infertility
Loss

I have gone through all the feelings. This book is phenomenal. It touches on the emotions of infertility and loss. As someone who has struggled with loss and infertility I felt like it didn’t go too deep to make it super emotional but it gave you enough feelings and detail to keep you wanting more. This book is emotional, raw, romantic and humorous . I laughed and cried. I love it so much and didn’t want it to end. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

WHAT A GEM OF A STORY! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! MY FIRST 5 STAR OF THE YEAR!

I must say I was delightfully surprised at just how much I enjoyed this story. A truly entertaining ROM-COM that I devoured! I expect this book to be a MAJOR hit this year! I listened to the audio masterfully narrated by Erin Mallon. I was captivated and could not stop listening to it. This book fills you with many different emotions. It made me smile, and laugh out loud and then there were some tender and sad moments.

Gemma and Josh are both such likeable characters. Gemma is 32 and a divorcee. She has endometriosis but is longing for a child. She's known Josh her whole life as he is her brother's best friend. She wants to try IVF but needs a sperm donor and decides Josh would be perfect. The story takes off right from the start.

This is my first Sarah Ready book but it will definitely not be my last. What a talented storyteller! I HIGHLY recommend this one!!

I really enjoyed this twist on the classic love story. Huge props to Ready for bringing fertility issues to the forefront. She embraced it perfectly. I also really enjoyed the main characters relationship; a different approach to the old what’s been right in front of you. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll find yourself so invested in the characters and their stories.

I was really interested in this novel because I have yet to encounter a romance novel with a woman struggling with infertility and going through the IVF process. I think it’s important to finally have a main character who deals with these things, but still represents them positively and this was the primary reason as to why I wanted to read this book.

I went into this novel expecting a quirky main character, a cool female lead of the boss-babe variety, but the impression that I got of Gemma was just very juvenile and a little annoying, it was really hard to like her and care about her problems when she just appeared as if she was actually still in college and not in her early 30s. It also just felt like Gemma decided to try and have a baby out of nowhere, or maybe because her mom is an awful person and keeps pushing Gemma to date weird middle aged men that she basically finds on the street and then repeatedly tells Gemma that this is the best she was ever going to get. What a horrible portrayal of a mother honestly. Not only that but her appearance and body are constantly described with negative connotations.
It seemed like the constant negativity in Gemma’s familial and dating life pushed her to try and “fix” her stage four endometriosis as to appear more “normal” to the people in her small town, where she doesn’t even live anymore.

I hoped to find a positive and hopeful romance novel about a serious issue that is not discussed enough in “mainstream” media, and yet all I got was a wave of disappointments that made me incredibly angry.

*I listened to this novel on audiobook and I’m not sure if it’s the NetGalley app or what but the narrator’s voice sounded strangely robotic and the narration itself was not done very well at all, the intonation of the narrator was all over the place and made Gemma seem even more like a character who could hardly compose coherent sentences.

**I also think this draft of the novel would greatly benefit if it got another look from a good editor because I noticed so many grammatical mistakes by just listening to this text. That is not at all a good indicator because we tend to not notice as many grammatical errors on the sentence-level if we listen to a text, rather than read it. I think if I looked at a physical copy of this novel I could be busy with edits and annotations for a solid couple of days.

I give this novel two stars only because I managed to make my way through it and see what happens to Gemma at the end.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage ….

Scratch that. Gemma Jacobs has a plan and it doesn’t look like that.

Gemma, a thirty-two year old unlucky-in-love divorcee working for self-help guru and secret crush, Ian Fortune, wants nothing more in life than to have a baby. The only problem? Her medical condition necessitates her using in vitro fertilization - IVF - and she needs sperm. She’s not looking for love or a baby daddy to help raise her child - she just needs his ‘little swimmers’ and she’ll take care of the rest. She could use an anonymous donor, but then another option comes to mind …

Josh Lewenthal, her brother’s best friend and long-time friend of her family.

Why not? He’s gorgeous, smart, familiar, definitely not marriage material, and besides … they’ve already had long-ago “history” (that’s a euphemism 😉). Imagine her surprise when after years of only seeing each other at the occasional family gathering, Josh agrees to be Gemma’s donor.

It’s purely business, right? They’ll be friends, sign contracts for who will play what part in the baby’s life, Gemma will raise her daughter (that’s her dream), and everything will be clean and neat. No strings, no problem.

As can be expected in a rom-com, nothing ever goes quite to plan. Gemma’s boss, Ian, has his own designs on her, a quirky group of fellow IVF ladies enters her life, and her feelings toward Josh get complicated. She thought she had it all figured out, but does she?

This is sweet, charming, funny and has decent emotional depth for a rom-com, not to mention some “steam your glasses”, cha-cha-cha moments! *blush* There were aspects of the story that gave me Bridget Jones’ Diary vibes, especially where Ian and Josh were concerned, but I love that story so the similarities were a bonus.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon, who did a wonderful job with the large cast of characters. My only minor issue was getting used to her gender voicing, since all the male characters basically sound exactly the same, but I quickly adjusted and enjoyed how she brought everyone to life.

★★★★ ½

Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, NetGalley and author Sarah Ready for this ALC to review. My opinions are given honestly and freely. This book is now available!

When Gemma experiences a divorce and finds herself single and childless in her mid 30s, she looks to find her own route to parenthood. This means asking her brothers best friend for a sperm donation. When Josh agrees, it puts their lives down a whole new direction.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a fun listen. Although predictable from the beginning, I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. I found Gemma enjoyable, especially her hormonal self! Listening to the comments she makes to Josh make me chuckle. I found myself cheering for their coming together the whole time.

If it wasn’t for the pure predictable nature of this rom com, I would have given it a 5 out of 5 stars. It was funny, charming, and humorous. Because I knew from the start how the story would go, I had to give it a 4 out of 5. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.