📕 Book Review📕 Josh & Gemma Make A Baby- Sarah Ready (5 ⭐️)

Ever read a book and you can’t wait to tell all your friends to read it?? That is this book! I absolutely loved it. Every part. The quotes, the illustrations, and my goodness did I love Josh Lewenthal 😍 If the plot doesn’t reel you in I promise you don’t have a beating heart and seriously need to go seek medical attention. This book was hilarious and I have no regrets staying up until the next morning with the flu to finish it! Thank you so so much @sarahready for writing this and making room for different discussions and connections that so many women, men, and couples have, but are so rarely shared. The diagnosis, the IVF, the miscarriages, and the will to keep trying, even though.

Synopsis:
Gemma was 22 when she was diagnosed Stage 4 Endometriosis. Doctors said her abdomen looked like a grenade went off inside. She tried the marriage thing for 10 years, to be exact!! I quote, “I already rode the marriage boat, it tipped over, capsized and I nearly drowned.” She got divorced (the scumbag cheated spread eagle on their dining table!!) and she decided single ladies don’t need a man to have a baby (thank you science 🧬 🧪 🧫). Now at 32, she asked her childhood friend, whom she’s always fantasized about (who wouldn’t he’s a total stud), to give her his sperm for IVF.

Accidentally left the review on the book version but I actually listened to the audiobook. I finished in one day. I couldn’t stop. It started a little rough in the first 2 chapters with the way some of the characters were so judgmental about Gemma’s life, but it quickly got so much better! I really liked both Josh and Gemma and really hope this isn’t the last we hear of them because a part 2 would be amazing! Definitely would recommend this!

Nope…I got 3 chapters in and had to stop for now. The Gemma’s mother & her constant negativity towards Gemma and her infertility & pointing out how she’s “broken” and that she “needs” a husband and the guys she sets her up with are ideal because don’t worry they don’t want kids. Hello?! Does she not know her daughter?! How does someone’s mother act that way?! Also….the doctor mansplaining infertility. I’m sorry if I was Gemma (who I relate to having struggled the way she has) I would have walked right out of that doctors office! Who knows maybe I’ll pick up again later to see if there’s any actual connection between Gemma & Josh since I love the whole big brothers best friend trope….but after the first few chapters I was just too irked to continue right now.

Cute and predictable feel-good contemporary romance. Gemma is tired of waiting on first comes love, then comes marriage, and finally a baby in the baby carriage. She has decided to take matters into her own hands and try IVF for herself. She just isn't sure she wants a random sperm donor.

Josh and Gemma reconnect to work on Gemma's goal for a baby. And everything gets more complicated from there.

It was a cute fast listen, nothing ground breaking, but worth a read!

Gemma is a 32 year old divorcee with no future prospects. Gemma's mom is constantly trying to set her up with men who aren’t a good fit, but Gemma's biological clock is ticking so she decides to take matters into her own hands.
She decides to go through IVF since infertility made in impossible to conceive any other way. Gemma decides to ask Josh Lewenthal, her brother's best friend and the guy who took her virginity, to be the sperm donor. She is surprised when Josh agrees. and figures what could possibly go wrong.

First things first I gave this book 4 stars. This book is a sleeper. The cover is cute and unassuming and the summary did not do this any justice. This is a light and fresh rom-com with likeable characters.
The story has just the right amount of emotion and does not avoid the hard topics. It addresses them in a way that isn't overwhelming. I wouldn't say this book has spice but maybe we can call it seasoning. This is my first time reading a book by Sarah Ready and I would absolutely check out some of her other books. My only criticism with this book was the sheer volume of cliché quotes. It was overwhelming and distracted from the story.

The audio narrator is good and the story was good. I did feel like this one has been told before and that it seem contrite. I would not recommend it to my book club or any friends who are readers.

This is the first book I've read by the author and it's awesome— a page turner one. Love those some drawings on it, highlighting momentous or impish scenes. And as well as the audiobook, the narrator did a beauty spell voicing the story.

Thanks Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book.

#JoshAndGemmaMakeaBaby #SarahReady #NetGalley #Audiobook #favelinesinthebook

The miscommunication trope was def not it. Gemma is a grown-ass woman who lacks basic communications skills. Don’t even get me started on the part where she bashed her only friends, honestly Gemma was a very frustrating character. The only reason I’m giving it 3.5 was because Josh was an amazing character. He was complex and super fun who deserves to be happy! Also because there were some really funny parts and also some really sad parts and to be able to do that in a Rom-com is hard. I hadn’t read Sarah Ready before this book and she’s giving Abby Jimenez with a lot of miscommunication vibes.

I don’t usually gravitate towards romantic comedies, but Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a wonderful book which brings to light tough topics without making me feel heavy and I enjoyed every second of reading.

Gemma has known Josh for decades. He’s her best friend’s brother and she grew up with him, although she never considered Josh a friend. Gemma decides that ten years after her marriage failed, she can’t wait to have a baby. The clock is ticking and with her infertility, Gemma can’t afford to keep waiting for the right man (who she’s convinced doesn’t even exist) so she’s going to make a baby by herself. She asks Josh to lend a helping hand and donate his sperm, he agrees, and the rest is history.

I thought the interactions between Gemma and Josh were so wonderful. Gemma has such a kind heart and my own heart ached for her during her battles of infertility and trying to find her happiness in a town where everyone knows her business and has an opinion on her life. I will admit, I wanted to give her a good, hard shake sometimes when she failed to see what was right in front of her (cough, Josh, cough) but it was an entertaining journey of discovery.

Gemma and Josh are friends-to-lovers/brothers-best-friend but their relationship is much more than that. Their compatibility was off the charts. They were always there for each other during the tough times, making sure the other was okay and trying to put a smile on their face. Their journey to acquaintances to madly-in-love was a steady journey and one not to be missed.

Overall, Ready handled the topic of infertility with grace and care, and she really did the topic justice. Erin Mallon was a perfect narrator for the book and was a brilliant addition to the novel. This is my first novel by Sarah Ready and after my audiobook finished, straight away I added the rest of her novels to my Goodreads account. Gemma and Josh Make a Baby is a brilliant book.

For my first Sarah Ready book this was a solid winner. I didn’t expect the amount of emotions I felt while reading this story either. There were a few funny moments but there were also those misty eyed ones sprinkled throughout that got me as well.

I really liked Gemma’s character. She was filled with positivity and believed that no matter what there was a bright side to things. There’s one thing she yearns for more than anything and it’s to have a baby. Though it seems impossible with her infertility she won’t let that stop her in fulfilling her dream.

Josh was an absolute dream. He’s the swooniest, caring, patient, and just the most downright amazing guy. He’s there for Gemma and is willing to help her realize her dream and that just solidifies how great he is.

Gemma and Josh brought the feels. They were adorable together and yes at times both were stubborn and get way too much in their own heads, but they realized if not taking a chance now then when? And taking a leap of faith was worth it because it led them right to what they were looking for.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a heartwarming, sweet, heartfelt, and tender friends to lovers romance that brought the feels. I really enjoyed Gemma’s growth throughout the book and the journey her and Josh took which ultimately brought them together.

TW: Infertility, miscarriage, loss

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a nice book. Not too good, not too bad. It follows Gemma a woman who divorced her husband after horrible situations, one of them being a diagnosis of infertility after endometriosis. It's Christmas and sometimes her family thinks she needs constant arrangement with some random dude. But she doesn't want a random dude, she wants a family. She wants her baby -and she calls her she during most of the book. She knows she needs a donor, so to not choose a random dude from a sperm bank she chooses Josh her neighbor, with whom she was obsessed when she was a teenager. And so it begins.


I don't read a lot of romance but from what I understand this is a trope, and it had all the elements of it, it has predictable, but not less beautiful. It was a nice read with some beautiful elements showing the ups and downs of IVF a common method for people with fertility issues. What I love the most about this book is the friends Gemma gains along the way. Her personal growth seemed a little bit rushed -girl, go to therapy, please- and I feel the same with the sudden change of attitude of the mother.

But is an enjoyable reading.

I’m a sucker for friends to lovers so I already had high hopes for this one! Josh and Gemma have known each other their whole lives and when Gemma decides she wants to have a baby, she figures asking someone she knows to be the sperm donor makes the most sense. Josh decides to agree, but is it really just a simple business agreement?

I really enjoyed this story and the fact that it wasn’t as simple as just one quick sperm donor/IVF situation and now there is a baby. I appreciated the realness of the topics of infertility, IVF, miscarriage, etc not just from Gemma but from her support group friends as well!

My reason for not giving it 5 stars is because the first half felt so slow, and the tiring style was a lot more telling rather than showing. At about the halfway point I got sucked into the story more and felt like we were “seeing” things more. I also DID NOT like how Gemma’s mom talked to her and could have gone without that.

Overall a really sweet story! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

This was a super cute story about main character, Gemma, and her quest to have a baby - even if that means doing it alone. When she asks her friend, Josh, to be a donor to help her get pregnant, she is stunned when he actually says yes. Through her deepening friendship with Josh and her new friendship with other women in the support group she's joined, Gemma learns so much about having a baby, loving herself, and loving others. There was awesome character development throughout this novel. It was definitely relatable and it handled sensitive topics such as infertility and child loss very gently to try to avoid being triggering.

A cute fun read that sheds light into real life issues in a realistic way. Josh and Gemma make a fun couple.

Josh and Gemma make a baby was a great listen! It was honestly all the the things I could have wanted in a romance. It was funny, and sexy, and the chemistry between Gemma and Josh was so palpable. I felt that there was a few important messages in this story such as being brave enough to say how you feel, not to judge people based on how they look, or are presenting themselves, as you never really know what’s going on in their life. Erin Mallon was the perfect choice of narrator, her voice is so soothing, and I could listen to her read for hours!

This is a fun, light-hearted read that made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions! I listened to the audiobook during our daily commutes, and my kids looked at me more than once when those laughs escaped 🤣

While you may not find it be the most perfectly written book and there are a few scenes that may make you roll your eyes - because come on, but I suggest you read this and simply allow yourself the joy of a feel-good story!

Don’t get caught up in the deep opinions that may arise in the depths of your brain. Laugh, love, and be entertained by this story about life, friendship, and finding that perfect someone 💕

Wow this book was amazing and just the type of fun book I needed. I loved it that much I had to finish it in one day. Its such an amazing fun and heartwarming storyline. I found the book very exciting and it shows the highs and lows of fertility treatment from a group of women.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was brilliant she make it such a lighthearted fun filled book. She created such a wonderful sense of atmosphere. She had me hooked to the book from the very start. I loved the varied characters that the author created they were fun, interesting, believable and very easy to like, with just enough information about them. There was quite a few unexpected twists and turns in the book that just made me want to read on to find out what is going to happen next. I was on the edge of my seat. The level of humour has me in stitches and made me feel happy. Plenty of emotions were brought out of me while reading this book, I was even in tears at one part.
I can't wait to read more from this indie author, she is truly amazing and talented.  The highest praise goes out the the author and publishing team for creating such a brilliant page turning novel that you won't be able to put down. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo ,amazon UK and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/josh-and-gemma-make-a-baby-by-sarah-ready-ibpa-5-stars under either names ladyreading365 or lady Reading365

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was laugh out loud funny and heart achingly sad. Gemma seems to have everything figured out at the beginning. It’s not perfect but she’s happy and knows what she wants. Her journey and the friends she makes while figuring life out are everything I’d hoped for in this story.
I haven’t read many pregnancy trope stories, but this one is not like any I’ve read before. I absolutely loved this book!
Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook.

There is some length in the story, the fight with the friends was unnecessary.
The fact that the character always discredit her self and it kind of turn off. Especially the comments on the weight and the fact that it makes her unlovable, I think romance should really stop those comments.
The story is kind of great and is worth a 3 stars, but the comments that she’s nothing because she a divorce, “fat” and because she can’t have kid, it’s “normal” that no one wants her, shouldn’t be in this story. It could have been anything else but those three things shouldn’t be in this kind of book, sorry.

TW: TTC journey, infertility, pregnancy loss

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to! It was absolutely adorable and I had so many emotions going through the book.

The audiobook was enjoyable and I really like the narrator. I definitely wished this was a dual POV book with male and female narrators. There were so many times when I just wanted to know what was going on in Josh's head!

I appreciated the realistic view in the life of someone trying to conceive (TTC) in addition to someone who struggles with infertility. It can be an extremely difficult journey for individuals and couples. I loved that there were some side characters who provide different experiences with their TTC. And despite the fact that this book does not go into heavy detail of the experiences and emotions of starting a family, it is still so important to share these stories.

It's a cute RomCom but make sure to have some tissues on hand. It will take you through an emotional roller coaster... laughing one second and crying the next.