This story was so cute! I loved it from beginning to end. Gemma going on this journey for herself was amazing and Josh… don’t get me started on Josh! He was selfless, caring, attentive, all around fantastic.

This book made me so happy, but also a little weepy at times. The author touches on difficult situations such a infertility, cancer, and divorce. This book will have you rooting for Gemma and Josh the entire time. Even though Gemma was naive for most of the book, I never found it annoying but was sometimes frustrated with her.

Content Warning: This book and subsequently this review, deal with topics related to infertility, IVF, and pregnancy.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is the newest in my collection of recent romances that also tackle difficult topics. Here, thirty-something divorcee Gemma has decided that she no longer wants to wait to have a baby and is going to do it on her own, hopefully with her brother’s best friend, Josh, as her sperm donor. Though Gemma goes into this arrangement expecting this to be fully business, I imagine you can tell where it goes. It is a romance, after all.

I went into this one skeptical, but optimistic. First, I’d like to say that Erin Mallon’s narration of the audiobook DELIVERED. I was so engaged with the way she shared this story that I finished it in a day, and it wasn’t until I sat down to jot down some thoughts after I finished that I realized how much longer my list was of things that didn’t work about this one for me than things that did.

Some of the things I loved about this book: Josh. He’s a Great Guy (™), both in the context of his interactions with Gemma and generally, and I appreciate that Ready doesn’t make him a secret asshole. I have a big soft spot for the childhood-crush-to-lovers trope (if that even is a trope), but the romance in this book is subtle. I liked that we have a curvy heroine who seems to be generally pretty happy in her body (when she’s able to dress herself), and representation of a divorcee, a character with endometriosis and fertility concerns, and a storyline that doesn’t involve a magic fix. I liked the friends Gemma makes in her support group, and the depiction of a support group as… supportive.

On the other hand, there were a few things here that didn’t work for me. I’m pretty much fully incapable of not overthinking everything, so your experience here may vary. I still enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but some things didn’t sit right with me as I thought about it. There’s a lot of toxic positivity here, from the inspirational chapter titles and quotes Gemma spouts SO FREQUENTLY, to the job where she works, some other spoilery choices, and to the way the concept of New Year’s resolutions is framed. I often found myself frustrated with some issues that occurred seemingly because of Gemma’s lack of confidence or ability to speak up for herself, that didn’t seem to result in character development: the relational conflicts and even an issue at the doctor’s office could have been easily resolved by using words. Additionally, I almost DNF’d this in the first couple of chapters because of the absolutely vile comments that Gemma’s mother makes about her body and casual fat-shaming that occurs.

And the Lime Jell-o. So much Jell-o. How is this book not set in the Midwest?

But my biggest concern is the way Gemma’s fertility journey is portrayed. I don’t have any lived experience with infertility, so I’m not an expert here, but I found Gemma’s rationale for wanting to become a parent a little lacking in dimension, and the way her decision-making was framed seemed to perpetuate harmful views related to the correlation between parenting and biologically birthing a child. The journey from making the decision to pursue IVF to putting the plan into action felt rushed and steeped in privilege, and the lack of continued discussion about the impact of Endometriosis on this process minimized the diagnosis so it felt a little like box ticking. In addition, Gemma’s struggles with fertility seem to be shared openly and derided within her community.

I know quite a few people who loved this book, and again, when I wasn’t thinking too critically about it, I found it engaging and enjoyable. I think that this book will appeal to a lot of readers. I encourage readers with lived experience of infertility to read reviews and consider content warnings before deciding to pick this one up.

Content Warnings: IVF, Infertility, Miscarriage, Body Shaming, Endometriosis, Death of a Parent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for DRC and ALC copies of this book to review. All opinions are my own. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is available now.

4.5/5

Gemma Jacobs is tired of waiting for good things to come to her and she’s definitely done waiting for Mr. Right. This year she’s determined to make her New Years Resolution of having a baby a reality, all she needs is sperm, her brothers’ best friend’s sperm to be specific.

Gemma and Josh Lewenthal have known each other for 24 years. After a rough patch in her 20’s that lead to fertility struggles and a divorce from her cheating husband, Gemma’s not allowing that to stop her from her dream of becoming a mom. Who better to help her out than her brother’s best friend, Josh, he’s reliable, attractive and an overall good man. As Gemma embarks on her IVF journey with Josh at her side, her boss and famous self help guru, Ian Fortune begins to show interest in her. Between the intense emotions and physically taxing aspect of going through IVF, the last thing Gemma needs is a Love Triangle.

Gemma is a charming, sweet and quirky character that I found myself quickly rooting for. I loved Gemma’s sense of humour, her strength and determination to take her life and happiness into her own hands. There were a few scenes that made me laugh out loud, specifically her work meeting video chat mishap, this scene was hilarious, and perfectly executed in both writing and narration. Josh is equally charming and full of life, he has a great sense of humour and is secretly a rich and famous comic book author and illustrator.

While this book does center around the IVF journey and miscarriage, it’s written in a respectful and compassionate way that also helps to educate the reader on these topics. The way that Josh was so willing to be there for Gemma throughout this book really makes him a top tier hero and I loved how willing he was to stick by her side even during the tough times.

Sarah Ready is a new to me author and a new favourite! Erin Mallon is one of my favourite narrators, she is animated and well versed, her delivery is spot on every time - I will read anything she narrates! I absolutely adored this story, it’s a gem!

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis publishing for the advanced Audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review!

Fun, sexy and charming listen. The narration is not perfect, but not enough to distract from the story.

ARC from publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready….Narrated by Erin Mallon🎧

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gemma was told she would never have a baby, but that didn’t stop Gemma. With the help of her brother’s best friend, Josh, Gemma is determined to make her dreams come true.

Book:
Pros….
💜I liked that the book showed you don’t need someone to have a baby.
💜I liked seeing the support group and the characters that it brought.
💜I loved the ending!
Cons…
☠️I seriously didn’t like Gemma for 2 chapters
☠️I am not sure I would have finished the book without the audio.
☠️Ian…that’s all I have to say on the matter.

Narration: I usually am not one for audiobooks but I am trying to get into them more to help me read more books this year. Erin Mallon really brought this book together. In the beginning I thought she kind of sounded like a mix between Kristen Bell voicing Gossip Girl and the narrator of Desperate Housewives.

The only downside for me with the narration was that I couldn’t put it at a higher speed because the narration irritated me, but that could be just me.

Ratings:
Book-3.75⭐️
Narrator-4.5⭐️

Please check author’s TW I don’t know what could trigger everyone so I have listed the ones I know of.
⚠️TW: Infertility, IVF, Miscarriage
#ivf #fertilitygroupsupport #romancebooks #audiobooks #netgalley #joshandgemmamakeababy #sarahreadyauthor #erinmallon

4 1/2 stars

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this book when I started it. I thought it would be a light and easy rom-com. Even though there were some more relaxed moments where I chuckled, it was a pretty serious book. There's a great deal of detail regarding infertility and the related treatments. Even though I was fortunate enough to not walk that path personally, I have several friends who've been through it so I was familiar with a great deal of the information. However, it's possible that some readers may be put off by the extent of detail included in the book about fertility treatments. I think you could get the point across without including so much specific information. But, that's just my personal opinion.

That said, I believe the author did a nice job of connecting the reader with the characters. I did find myself caring a great deal about Gemma. She'd been through a great deal and had a scumbag for an ex-husband. And of course, you just had to root for Josh. All throughout the story, I knew that there would be more to Josh's story and there is....so get ready. He's deeper than you think and it's worth the wait. He was by far my favorite character.

I'll just say this book was such a fun treat.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Great narration. It made an already enjoyable book even better. 5 stars for the audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This was a cute and witty book and also a light read. I enjoyed the characters development and storyline. The narrator is one I’m used to so I was also pleased with the familiarity in narration. Well written, also somewhat predictable plot. I would have preferred more of a shock factor. But overall enjoyable!

-- DID NOT FINISH --

I wanted to love this book, however, the audio file was nearly impossible to listen to. The narrator herself is lovely, and in the past, I've enjoyed the books she reads. However, this audio sounded like it had an echo to it, and as a reader, I found it SO distracting.

That being said, I will look for this book when it comes out and consider rereading it as either print or audio, based on what my library has available.

This was incredibly disappointing to me because I was finding the story to be hilarious and lighthearted. This book has a lot of potential and I will remain hopeful to try it again in the future.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a cute non-traditional pregnancy book where a single, 30-something with infertility issues decides to become a single mother through IVF. She asks Josh, her brother's best friend, to be her donor. They have a bit of a history since he took her virginity in their garage before leaving for college. There is a huge cast of hilarious side characters and a bit of a found family aspect when she joins an Infertility Support Group with a lot of big personalities. I would recommend this book to fans of Sally Thorne and Abby Jimenez.

Loved the story! Fell in love with Josh and how he acts towards the whole pregnancy situation. However, I listened to the audiobook and the reader's voice did not want me to continue the book. It sounded robotic and forced.

This was my first from Sarah Ready but absolutely will not be my last. She has such a knack for creating a realistic relationship out of a unrealistic situation. I just fell in love with the main characters, Josh and Gemma. They were so sweet and naïve and watching their relationship progress really just warmed my heart in a way I didn't expect. Josh is the ultimate boy next door and his character is exactly what women should be looking for in a partner. Not only was this beautifully written, but it was absolutely hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud and giggling throughout the book. Gemma really gets herself in some awkward situations and watching her claw her way out of them was so amusing. The ending was so sweet and the perfect ending to this cute tale. I was left satisfied and my heart was full. I hope that Sarah Ready revisits these characters in another book because I'm just not ready to let them go. I couldn't recommend this book more. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so good. It deals with topics like infertility, infidelity and plagiarism. The main characters have such great chemistry between them. Josh is sweet and caring, a dream come true. Gemma is fun and lovable. I was rooting for them the whole time.
This is a great debut and I definitely want to read more from this author.
I listened to the audiobook and narrator Erin Mallon was just perfect for this story.

This book was so cute! Very different from anything I’ve ever read before. I love the chemistry between the main Characters Josh and Gemma. Will definitely read again. 💖

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
One of the reasons I liked this book so much was, that it managed to be quite a typical New Adult Romance but still showed some major differences regarding the plot. It is funny and hilarious and sometimes really unrealistic but that did not bother me at all and I think you should not expect that going into this book. It is about Gemma, who works for a self help guru in New York and her major goal for the year is to become pregnant. Although that will not be as easy as it could be because Gemma is infertile and wants IVF. So the obvious choice for her is to ask her older brother´s friend Josh for his sperm! Josh is funny, sarcastic and kind, which is all you need to know to be sure he´s a very likeable love interest. This whole scenario creates so many awkward, funny and cute scenes which I liked a lot. This book has the perfect balance of witty scenes, important topics and cute moments. I would absolutely recommend this book to you, if you would like to read a fun romance book that is just slightly different than most.

Wow - this book. I loved it so much!

Gemma has endometriosis and wants to have a baby, so she decides to try IVF. She isn’t comfortable choosing an anonymous donor so she enlists Josh, her childhood friend.

I love their relationship! With the childhood friends to lovers trope, I love the familiarity they have since they’ve known each other for years. They’ve even been together at some point when they were younger. There are some really entertaining antics in their moments together in present time too. Josh is the sweetest guy too!!

There’s also quite a few emotional moments towards the end. This book had me shedding some tears too.

I loved the narration by Erin Mallon as well! ALC was provided through Netgalley - thank you!

🔊Song Pairing: You Were Meant For Me - Jewel

💭What I thought would happen:

I was thinking Bridget Jones’s Baby where Gemma falls in love with a one night stand who knocks her up…nope! More sperm, less sex in the beginning translation 😂

📖What actually happens:

Gemma is in her thirties, divorced, the family’s black sheep and she wants to have a baby. After being diagnosed with a form of endometriosis making it difficult to conceive, Gemma sets out to find some sperm and IVF her way to pregnancy

Josh is Gemma’s brother’s long time best friend who Gemma has barely acknowledged since puberty but lo and behold when the 2 enter into an agreement that Josh will be her sperm donor. Just the beginning of their adventure.

🗯Thoughts:

I loved the way this book played out. The focus on infertility was realistic and felt raw, yet relatable. Gemma’s infertility support group adds colour and comedy. Women creating bonds and adding humour to their misfortunes. I’m here for that.

This was a super cutesy book and sometimes that makes me want to gag but I enjoyed it in the writing of this story. I wanted a cute love story for Gemma and Josh.

The “villain” in this book just made me 😂 and hate at the same time. Without saying, but oh what a wanker!

If you want a sweet tasty little romance, pick this gem up!

This was so so good! The burn was slow and my insides were getting all squirrelly wanting to jump out of themselves so they would just FALL IN LOVE ALREADY!!!! I could see pieces of the storyline falling into place and it just made me yearn to read faster and faster, all while never wanting it to end.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a flawless combination of character growth and a heartwrenching and heartwarming plot. I felt a large range of emotions reading this book, and I'm thankful that every piece of this plot was there. Every character in this book was loveable for their own reasons. It's such a warm and wonderful read, even though there's pain and loss within the pages.

This was my first book by Sarah Ready, and I will absolutely pick up another.

Not only was this story laugh out loud funny but it also dealt with some very emotional and serious topics of Ivf as well.

I thought the narrator was amazing and really gave the story an edge that kept me wanting more and more, absolute perfection!

Sarah Ready is a new author to me but definitely one I will be on the look out for in the future!

DNF at 13%. I couldn’t even make it to the romance part of this “romance” book.

Wow. Woooowwwwww. Save me from rom-com books that think the only way for me to care about a character is for EVERYONE IN HER LIFE to treat her like garbage and Gemma not only allows it, but acts like it’s normal. Gemma needs therapy and boundaries stat.

Her mom fat shames her on the regular, calling her a “lumpy cucumber” in a green sweater dress. Her mother shares her infertility struggles with strange men and then attempts to set Gemma up with them, and tells her a 50 year old balding man who calls her “a dumpling” is the best she can do.

Gemma’s father shoos the mom’s bad behavior away with a “she means well and wants you to be happy” so no help on that front.

Her sister, who she has “always been close to” tells her to enjoy her bachelor, single life. Seeing as how Gemma is very publicly battling infertility, and the sister is a mom of four, this is incredibly insensitive.

If all of this was a set up for the most villainous family award and the book was an exploration of a woman going to therapy to heal from her toxic upbringing, maybe I’d be on board? And all of this trauma was just the first few chapters?? I’m gonna nope right on out of here.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.