This is my first book by Sarah Ready. I really liked the cover and the premise when I read the description so I decided to take a chance. There are a few things that I really liked, and a few things I was confused by, and a few things that just didn't work for me.
I will start with the thing I liked. Josh. I loved Josh and I do wish that we saw a little bit more of him and that his situation was brought a little more to light. Gemma just makes assumptions about things but never really digs deep with him at any point, but he is always there, steadfast and warm.
The things that didn't work for me was the perception of IVF and infertility. It felt very light and glossed over at points and wasn't how I would expect someone in her position to act, but for the purpose of a romance book, I know that things are made to be lighter than what they usually are so I overlooked most of that.
The one blaring thing to me about this book that I was confused over time and time again was the parallels to the movie Bridget Jones Diary. I am shocked to not read any reviews that have noticed this (I will keep digging, maybe there's one I missed.) But I knew what was coming before it came because I know that movie inside and out. Yes, the plot was changed with the addition of making a baby, but the many parallels in this book were just uncanny.
The book was written well and the narration was spot on. I just can't get over the plot mirroring one of my favorite movies so incredibly closely, without having Pride and Prejudice vibes.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Ready and Swift and Lewis for an early audio copy.

This book (audio) has everything you’re looking for in a rom-com.

More than anything, Gemma desperately wants a baby. Dealing with infertility problems, she’s turned to IVF to give her the chance she needs. OK, she tells herself, I can do this! Now it’s just a matter of finding the proper donor. Hmmmm…. Decisions, decisions🤔. Does she go with the anonymous donor or would she consider turning to Josh, her brothers’ best friend. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s drop-dead gorgeous and smart. He would make the perfect candidate. But would he agree?

I adored Gemma and the inner-strength she displayed as others were quick to criticize her weight, and infertility among other things. But Gemma doesn’t flinch! She is a woman who knows what she wants and is going to get it (one way or another).

The banter was witty and clever. The romance was totally believable, filled with plenty of chemistry and spice. 🌶🌶. The perfect formula for a great rom-com.

I highly recommend the audio. Narrated by the highly talented Erin Mallen, (my favorite narrator). When I noticed she was the voice talent I immediately downloaded this audio.

In fact, I would listen to anything this woman narrated. (yes, even a phone book!) Fortunately the equally talented Sarah Ready wrote a truly exceptional rom com that immediately dropped me into the lives of Josh and Gemma and kept me rooting for them from start to finish.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley Audio and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC.

This book! This bloody amazing book! I went into it looking for a regular romcom - goofy heroine poached by the bad guy and then saved by the nice guy. This book also followed the same route but with a twist. The goofy heroine wants a baby.

So, during the book, I was thinking, "Why didn't Gemma adopt?" But that is beside the point, I think. The story follows Gemma who works as a social media manager for Life Guru, Ian Fortune. Due to acute endometriosis in her teenage years, Gemma is unable to conceive naturally. So, she decides to conceive through IVF. But who will be the sperm donor?

Someone who is healthy and possibly doesn't burn ants through a magnifying glass. Gemma's childhood mate and virginity-taker, Josh Lewenthal, fits the bill perfectly.

Gemma doesn't love Josh - she doesn't even like him. But he is always around her family for Christmas and she knows he is quite reliable (apart from the fact that he has no money and that is why he is staying in his dad's basement).

But is it possible to go through such an intimate procedure together and protect your heart?

I LOVED JOSH LEWENTHAL! There..I said it.

I have the habit of liking nice guys in romcoms (Luke Brandon was one such, Mark Darcy was another). Josh Lewenthal was no different. I absolutely loved him and wished he were mine (book boyfriend only).

Gemma is a regular absentminded woman - not unlike me - trying to do too much at once and often failing at everything. The others were mere comers and goers. I don't even remember their names.

One scene that had me in splits was when Gemma first visits the IVF clinic and the doctor drinks water in front of her while her bladder is up to bursting. I literally snorted out water myself. Through the nose. Not a pretty sight.

The end scene in the comic-con had me rolling my eyes but okay.

The narrator, Erin Mallon, was flawless.

4.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Gemma is a 32 year old divorcee who is tired of waiting for a man and decides to use her brother's best friend as a sperm donor to try and have a baby. Shenanigans and romance ensue.

First, the pros: I loved the Josh character and actually did find myself invested in Josh and Gemma's relationship. There were some laugh out loud moments, as well as cringeworthy ones (in a good way).

The cons: the plot was so so bad. While the overall story arc was ok, there were so many scenes that were just so completely ridiculous, far fetched, and contrived. I hated every woman in Gemma's IVF support group. They all seemed like caricatures of people instead of actual people, completely over the top. I also did not understand the how the company Gemma worked for was so popular--tired, cheesy self help quotes?? Really? The Ian character was also over the top and the Lavinia character was literally an American version of the Perpetua character from Bridget Jones' Diary.
Another con was the audiobook narrator. She had an intense vocal fry that made the entire story sound like it was being read by a valley girl. It was very distracting.

Overall, this was a fun, light read but very unoriginal and campy.

I listen to this book for two days and I love it. I didn’t want to stop listening to it. The characters were so fun to meet and the story is so cute and also real. Maybe in this century having babies isn’t that important for women but when it is and you can’t have one is thought. I like the chemistry between characters and the ending was a cherry on top. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to listen to this book.

The narrator was amazing! I loved her voice and the emotions she put in her voice when needed to transmit some feelings in between the story.

✨ 5

I love the speaker of the book, it doesn't bore me or make me feel asleep.

This audiobook made me laugh and cried at the same time. It was heartfelt and lovable. It was a fun read for me considering this is a new author for me but I had fun. Looking forward to new books from you Sarah.

*3.5 stars*
This audio book was so fun to listen to whilst in your car. But at some points you ask yourself, 'would that realy happen?'. The novel is easy to gey through, but some of the scenes wheew questionable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to and review.

Ah this was super cute! Gemma wants a baby and IVF is her only option. Enter Josh, her brother's best friend and a decent (enough) guy to donate sperm for the cause.

The writing is quippy and cute. The characters are fun and mostly realistic. I appreciate that the female characters don't need rescuing. They are capable and confident.

This book caught my eye on Netgalley (mostly because the title is so blunt and direct, lol), and I wasn't too sure what to expect. First of all, I will say that I don't think this book will sit well with those who have trigger warnings around infertility, IVF, endometriosis, or similar types of life circumstances, so it's something to be aware of before considering this book. I feel that the way this scenario (undergoing IVF as a single person) is handled in the book is a bit unrealistic in its timeline and ease of access to medical care, but I could be wrong about that in the US etc.

Aside from all of that, I did find the story HILARIOUS at times, and full of some good romantic angst, and it had a super super swoony ending and a lot of heartfelt/character growth type moments that were fun to read. It was definitely an enjoyable story that pulled at my heartstrings, had unique family points, had hilarious banter and narrative, and was fun to discuss afterwards. It does require some suspension of belief in reality BUT I think that was part of the fun too, and that's what fiction is for. Would this exact romance story happen to anyone in real life? Maybe not likely, but that's fine. I also have a bit of a soft spot for the brother's best friend trope so that helped too :)
I didn't absolutely love the female lead character and some of her decisions but it also made sense why she was like that - and I loved the male lead enough to counteract that in my rating.

This is one of my favorite reads of this winter! Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was the refreshing, funny, sweet slow-burn romance that I needed to get out of my reading slump.

I appreciated a modern realistic fiction book that tackled the difficult topic of infertility. Gemma's journey through the IVF process was honest, and it was heartbreaking and hopeful in equal measure. I especially loved her fertility support group and the friendships she found there.

I would definitely classify this book as "fluffy" or feel-good fiction, but it did a good job of balancing the silly or sappy moments with character development a well-paced plot. Were some of the plot twists a little too convenient? Sure, but at the end of the day, it did its job! I felt great reading it and found myself smiling and laughing while making Sunday morning pancakes. I found this novel hard to put down and devoured it over a single weekend.

All in all, I give this delightful romantic comedy 4/5 stars. I will be recommending this book to readers who enjoy modern romance and romantic comedies.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready is brilliant, fun, and beautifully done. It is fun and quirky, honest and raw, vulnerable and sincere. The characters are well rounded and have a lot of depth. I absolutely loved the story of Josh and Gemma, there initial reaction to each other and later chemistry. I found the author's portrayal of IVF to be very real, very authentic. Readers who have been through infertility will resonate greatly with the situations in the book. The overall story is well supported by some lighthearted events along the way. This is such a great book overall and I highly recommend it. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I can't wait to read more. I listened to the audiobook version and I can highly recommend it. I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I Absolutely Loved this book. Gemma was relatable and likeable and her drive to achieve her dream was admirable. I love a girl power story and the idea that Gemma wanted to fight for her baby even though her marriage had collapsed was inspiring. As for Josh; who wouldn't want him as a sperm donor? He's gorgeous, funny and been there from the start. Their banter was realistic and funny with an element of goofiness that's often overlooked in fictional relationships. I loved the story and its quirkiness and would highly recommend.

The audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon was easy to listen to and gave Gemma the voice she deserved. it was animated and engaging and I totally believed it was Gemma coming through my headphones.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read/listen to this book. I loved it!

This was such a cute rom-com. I am not usually a fan of the pregnancy trope but Ready made this story enjoyable. Gemma is at a point in her life where she wants to start a family. The issue is, she's single and she can't get pregnant wihthout IBF. She decides to ask her brother's bestfriend to be the sprem donor because she has known him most of her life, he's handsome, smart, and seemingly has no strings attached. This story was modern, realatable, and hilarious. I was wearing a nose strip while listening to this book and I was trying so hard not to laugh becuase I wasn't supposed to move my face. I can't wait to read more of Sarah Ready's work.

This was a cute contemporary romance filled with misunderstandings and very flawed characters. The premise of IVF was interesting and the secondary characters were all awesome. I loved all the different IVF friends she makes and her loud family.

The only thing that drove me bonkers was how the female character went from strong at the beginning of the novel to unjustifiably harsh. Josh was sweet but such a pushover. Open your mouth and tell your girl that her boyfriend stole your work already. That subplot drove me INSANE because it was so obvious.

I listened to the audiobook and LOVED the narrator. She really did an amazing job.

really cute and a fast read. Gemma was annoying at times but redeemed herself in my eyes towards the end. Josh was quite forgetful at least in my perspective. He didn't have anything special but the dynamic between the two of them was actually nice.

This is one of those books that at the start you can already guess the outcome. However, you'll also have a great read getting there.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to recieve an ARC of this book.

I couldn’t stop listening today! I started this morning and couldn’t stop! Great love story! Easy to listen/read! Great story line! Not vulgar for a romance!

loved this one. As the name was interesting I was drawn to this book. I haven't heard of this author so I had 0 expectations. I have to say, I loved this book, the characters, and the plot.
Especially the growth between the characters , the intimacy that the book portrays.

Gemma is ready to have a baby. The whole relationship thing hasn't worked out for her, but she is a strong, independent woman who can raise a baby all by herself. All she needs is IVF and the donor. She hopes to get Josh, her brother's best friend on board. To her surprise, he agrees... 🤰🏼🍼🎀

This book is absolutely wonderful. I will warn that it may be harder to read for those that have struggled with infertility, because there are definitely some emotional moments in this book, but I think it is a fantastic book. Lots of sweet moments and lots of laugh out loud funny moments. I adored this and I didn't want to stop reading! This may be my favorite read of the year 🥰. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

New to me author and I really enjoyed the book (and narration) The entire story was sweet, romantic, and heartfelt. It had wonderful character development, which I love. It also hit a lot of topics- family, finding yourself after divorce, infertility, judging others, fake people, love, the list goes on,

I loved the women's infertility group and all those different characters. They were all different, sweet, and supportive. I also enjoyed her family's banter and dynamics.

Easy to predict, but I still enjoyed listening to the story unfold. Josh is a sweetheart, and you fall in love with him!

Also reviewed on Amazon.