This book wasn't for me. I want to say that I can see how others would like it and there are cute parts throughout. Josh is a fantastic character who I adored and I want the best for him. My hang up was with Gemma. I thought she was selfish, immature, and mean and never identified with her or rooted for her and Josh to get together.

Gemma is sick of being set up with men and having her family think she's pathetically alone. She decides she wants a baby and doesn't need to be in a relationship first, so she asks her brother's friend to be the donor. He somehow agrees, even though she's pretty condescending and belittling to him and they begin the IVF process. Josh is a saint and sticks with Gemma through everything and even falls for her. She's oblivious, dating someone else and thinks Josh is a loser who doodles for a living.

I don't want this all to be about my contempt for Gemma, so here's things I enjoyed. The support group for women trying to have a baby is great. Those women are there for each other, really care about the others' well being, and I want to be friends with them. Josh is also the superstar who is a great example of what a man should be.

The narrator for the audiobook is Erin Mallon and I really like her voice. That was a standout part for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the copy

What an adorable book! There were a lot of topic gems in this story. Don’t judge others, infertility, focus on women’s weight, people are not always what they seem…the list goes on, but these were the main take aways I had by the end.

Gemma was a character that out of the gates I really liked. Especially after she went off on a horrible man at her parents NYE party in the beginning. You get him Gemma! I was angry with her a couple of times, but I always pulled for her.

Then there was Josh. A misunderstood man (mainly with Gemma) with a heart of gold. They come together to make a baby through IVF so Gemma can become a Mom…one of her biggest dreams. There’s some history between the two though, so it’s not an easy ride.

Their love story was very unconventional, and I loved every moment!

Thank you so much to @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review! The audio was great!

It took me some time to warm up to this book. I found Gemma a little irritating, and the narrator reading the audiobook did not help. The narrator kept doing this thing with her voice that was so annoying I almost gave up on the book. I'm glad I kept up with it because this book turned out to be really cute and funny. Gemma grew up as a character and really redeemed herself at the end. Josh was a really sweet character and someone any girl would wish for in real life.

Honestly I don’t even know where to start with this book. The main thing that stuck out to me was just how genuinely good all these characters are. There’s no unnecessary drama, no pettiness, definitely no trying to hurt each other emotionally. Josh and Gemma are just two normal people trying to live life and have a baby together.

Gemma is for sure a hot mess. She’s divorced, working at a job she thinks she loves, and praying for a baby through IVF because she can’t have children any other way. She’s a little too into her motivational quotes but Josh loves her anyway. Josh is her brothers best friend, and while he initially turns down the request to be a sperm donor, he quickly reconsiders.

The IVF support group is comprised of my favorite background characters. They’re all unique and sweet in their own way, and I loved how much they helped Gemma find her way and build her confidence back up. I don’t have the time to pick apart how much I loved each character, but when you read it you’ll understand.

The writing is just flawless. I cried when Gemma cried, I laughed when Josh said something funny, I replayed certain chapters just because I loved them so much I needed to hear them a second time. Seriously I cannot fully express just how much I adored this book and the romance unfolding between these two.

Go get this book! Like now! It’s amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Sarah Ready for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I loved this so much!! Josh and Gemma were adorable and I'm so glad they got their happy ending together

I enjoyed this read from a new to me author! I requested it up on NetGalley because I love rom-coms and it seemed up my alley and it did not disappoint.

Some of the IVF things were wildly inaccurate and I had had enough of the inspirational quotes by the end of the book but I also realize the importance of the quotes in regards to the storyline. I liked the dynamic between the two MCs and really loved Josh's personality.

Overall it was a very solid read and honestly I'm glad the a book that talks about infertility as not enough do!

When Gemma finds herself at her family New Year’s Eve party she realizes she’s become the neighborhoods desperate single woman. Thanks to her sad love life & her mom pitching her a date with any guy in town. Gemma however, has no intention on settling and finds herself wanting a baby but without the complications of a “baby daddy”. Being infertile she seeks in vitro fertilization and finds herself needing a sperm donor she’s familiar with. Will Josh be up for this task? Will she confide in her family? How will this whole experience play out? And where will it lead her?

This book seriously has EVERYTHING. The perfect amount of spice 🌶 , romance, drama, awkward moments, laughter and tears. The friendships and choices Gemma finds herself in, makes for a huge page turner. I only thought the ending was slightly rushed but otherwise this book is awesome and I recommend!!

Reviewed on: Amazon (pending approval), Instagram @4everbooked, tik Tok @4everbooked, and good reads @4everbooked

This romance audiobook was enjoyable to listen to. I really liked the characters that this story focused on and how their relationship has evolved from their meeting as children to their relationship as adults.

Gemma has a lot of her life planned out and it's mainly going according to plan after a couple bumps in the road. But one thing she truly wishes to have has been close to impossible so far in her life. After a decade of disastrous relationships and an infertility issues she has nearly lost the chance to have a baby.

Josh is and always has been the polar opposite of Gemma. Not to mention he’s also her brother’s best friend. For the past twenty years Josh has attended every Jacobs’ family birthday, holiday, and event – he’s always around. He has become a constant in her life where it's not always there when it comes to people not blood related to her. When Gemma brings up a deal with Josh that will be unemotional, businesslike arrangement for him to help her make her dream of having a child come true. No commitments, just a baby, and she is surprised when he agrees.

Through their attempts to keep their arrangement business like it becomes increasingly difficult to keep emotions out of the mix. Especially when it feels like a life, and a family, and love are forming during the time they are spending together. Will they both decide they do truly want so much more than just their arrangement together? Or will they walk their separate paths once the arrangement is complete?

I really loved going through the journey with these characters. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this audiobook.

This story was so so sweet! I loved the infertility awareness, Gemma’s independence and self-assuredness, and Josh’s overall character/personality. I went and thinking this one would be super cheesy (and it was a bit cheesy at times), but it also made me tear up. Overall, I really enjoyed this one!

Happy #pubday to this gem! Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready is just what I needed to start off 2022. I’ve read some good books lately with guys named Josh—Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating & The Hating Game—and this Josh is giving them a run for their money!  
 
A newly single 32-year-old, Gemma is ready to become a mother. After an infertility diagnosis, Gemma turns to IVF. Cue in her brother’s best friend, and the polar opposite of Gemma, Josh Lewenthal. Of course, Gemma thinks he will be the perfect sperm donor with no strings attached. But there are always strings, aren’t there?!

A sweetly romantic, heartfelt, laugh out loud read! I decided to listen to the audio version of this book, and it did not disappoint. Erin Mallon did a wonderful job in narrating.

A big thank you to @netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for giving me access to an ARC of this book!

I anticipated this book would be fun and sexy based on the light heartedness of the title and cover, and it was, however it was so much more than that. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready made me laugh out loud and full-on ugly cry. I was not prepared for the level of emotion and pain that I would feel because of this book and I am honestly impressed. Sarah Ready takes two people with seemingly little in common and brings them together for one of the most intimate, challenging tasks imaginable and manages to convincingly make them fall in love along the way. Overall, the story is light-hearted, fast-paced and full of enough inspirational quotes used to satisfy you for the rest of the year.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨/ five stars

Josh and Gemma are acquaintances who have known each other for decades and when Gemma decides she wants to have a child she reaches out to Josh to assist as the sperm donor. They navigate the challenges of using IVF to become pregnant while attempting to date other (objectively gross) people, maintain professions, avoid awkward setups coordinated by a well-meaning mother, and keep any emotions out of the mix.

As you can probably imagine this fails miserably leading to an adorable story of two people who reconnect and develop a bond through one of the most intimate processes possible, baby making. Josh Lewenthal is consistently a dream partner with his confidence, charisma, and comic fame (?), who supports Gemma through the process while subtly wooing her. Meanwhile, Gemma is so caught up in her perceptions of who other people are to give him or her friends the benefit of the doubt. This all comes to a head when Gemma is forced to confront that the encouraging quotes she lives by cannot take the place of genuine connections with other people and she ends up putting herself on blast in the process.

My biggest wish for this book is that Ready had explored in more detail Gemma's relationships with her fertility group members. I loved each and every member of her support group with all of their quirks and would have loved to see them feature more in the story as I feel that those women played a huge role in challenging Gemma to grow and open up to others. In some ways each of their stories felt more real and more powerful than Gemma's sudden desire to have a child, but that would have been a different, much heavier, book. However, Josh and Gemma Make a Baby does take on the burden of unsuccessful pregnancies and repeated unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant and because of that I would not recommend this to anyone who is currently grieving from a miscarriage, or struggling to conceive.

Gemma is in her 30s and her biological clock is ticking. She has a job that she loves and is passionate about and wants someone to share her life with...preferably a baby. Gemma has been there, done that with men and she is done searching for her Mr. Right. All she needs now is egg, sperm, and IVF to make it happen. But who's sperm to use? Who does she know and trust to have their baby and it not be weird and awkward? Enter, Josh Lewenthal. Josh and Gemma have known each other their whole lives. Josh and her brother are best friends and he has been a constant presence in her life and her family's life. He is the perfect choice...if only she can convince him.

The title gives away a little bit of the plot of the book, but honestly I was impressed by the fact that I didn't see all of it coming. I had expectations for what would be in the book and how the plot would come together, but it ended up being better than I expected. The characters were very relatable for a romance book and honestly the depth behind Gemma and her fear of commitment and being let down was pretty impressive for a "fluffy" romance novel. I would say this is pretty light on the romance and would be a good read for someone who tends to steer clear of super steamy books. It was sensual at some points, but appropriately so in my opinion and was very tasteful.

Gemma wants a baby, but she is divorced and decidedly single, so she decides to do it on her own. But she needs a sperm donor to start IVF, so she recruits her brothers best friend, of over 20 years, Josh Lewenthal. When he eventually agrees they begin a journey that neither of them expects.

I loved this book! Both Josh and Gemma are very lovable characters and my love for them grew as the book went on. I loved their witty banter and interactions and seeing their friendship grow throughout the book. Josh’s poignant moments made this story special, his relationship with his dad, his connection to Ian and his obvious feelings for Gemma. The antagonist and side characters were all well developed and rounded the story out to make me love it even more. Gemma’s group of friends that she makes from the IVF support group was one of my favorite aspects of the book.

I loved the way that pregnancy, IVF, and the struggles these bring was addressed. Though it is not something I have personally experienced it all felt very realistic. Besides pregnancy and IVF I felt that this book discussed a lot of other topics that do not get discussed enough such was women feeling like they have to have kids by a certain age, having babies in your 30s, and even having to be in a stable relationship by your early 30’s.

This book had everything you could want in a romcom. This book had a lot of laughs and fun but there were many heartwarming and charming parts. This book made me feel so many different emotions. This is my first book by Sarah Ready and I look forward to checking out more of her work. I also plan on checking out more of Erin Mallon’s work as well. She did a fantastic job narrating. The way she was able to hit all the comedic timing but also capture the sadness was incredible. This book was a very strong 4.5 stars for me.

Light , quick read. I enjoyed the characters , nice to see infertility and ivf represented. Enjoyable narrator.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
I’ll be honest, I was 50/50 on picking this book up. It had my favorite trope (brother's best friend) and my least favorite trope (main characters having a baby) combined, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a total delight from start to finish!

The feminist ideals behind this story were dynamite. It highlighted a woman does not need a man to have a child if that’s what she wants and that she can be career-oriented while simultaneously being a mother. Showing the struggles and highlights of IVF in today's society is so refreshing no matter how ridiculous parts of it felt - i.e. the zany doctor, crazy patients, overly holistic friends, etc. The support group Gemma joins not only further shows the different struggles women go through during the process, but also added fun and lovable side characters because after all, everyone needs a good girl gang by their side when going through something so life-changing!

Gemma was a bit of a complex character and I had a big love-hate relationship with her. On one hand, she was very immature, superficial, and judgmental - especially of Josh who she was asking a huge favor of. She was obsessive over motivational quotes her boss founded countless self-help books on and truthfully if I had to listen to one more fluffy quote I think my eyes would have rolled out of my head. But on the other hand, she was driven, quirky, and relatable. She knew what she wanted in her life and career and fought hard to get there. Her biggest downfall was creating an idea of people in her head and running with it as law which I think a large portion of the population can admit to being guilty of.

Josh on the other hand was entirely swoon-worthy from start to finish. I think I developed a full-blown crush on him as the book progressed. He was such a stable force in Gemma’s life and you could feel how much he cared about her and her family. He had his own struggles, but he always wore a smile and supported those around him first and foremost.

Two elements knocked this book down to a 4/5 star read for me - Gemma’s boss Ian and Gemma’s mom. Let’s start with her mom. She continually put Gemma down and tried to set her up with every loser she could find. She shamed her constantly for her weight and her inability to naturally have children and to find a husband - as if those factors are what would complete her as a woman. She would have been my least favorite character if not for Ian who somehow took the cake in that category. Picture every insufferable man you’ve ever known and put them in one person. He used his position and knowledge of Gemma’s crush on him to woo her in what felt like a creepy way. He thought that because he was a self-proclaimed self-help guru that he was above everyone and I audibly groaned during every chapter he was in. I respect that both of these characters were pivotal to the plot, but it was nearly impossible to find anything redeeming about them.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was the unexpected and heartwarming story I was desperately craving without even knowing it. While there were certainly some unbelievable and overzealous parts, overall I laughed, I cried, and I loved. Sarah Ready knocked this one out of the park!

Going into this, I was unsure. It isn't common that I find myself enjoying the pregnancy trope in books. But having heard Erin Mallon's fantastic narration, I decided to give it a chance.

Gemma and Josh are very lovable characters. Although at first I found the dialogue a bit cheesy, overtime it grew on me. The inspirational quotes that are placed throughout the story always have a reason for being there, and don't feel like filler at all. The antagonist and "side characters" all feel well developed and like they belong in the story just as much as the main characters.

I also really appreciate the way pregnancy, IVF, and the struggles that come with these situations is addressed. Nothing felt forced or over-dramatic, and I definitely felt the emotion portrayed was fitting.

Overall I really enjoyed the experience of listening to this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute rom-com!

⭐4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account⭐

Romantic comedies are comfort for my heart. Josh And Gemma Make A Baby by Sarah Ready has everything I want and expect from a romcom. There is the independent woman not looking for a serious relationship, misunderstandings, the evil rival, awesome girlfriends and a loving nosy family.

Gemma is in her 30s and has not had the best track record with men. Her mom's fix ups are so off and, sadly at Gemma's expense, hilarious.

On New Year's Eve Gemma decides despite her diagnoses of infertility from severe endometriosis she wants a baby. She decides that her brother's best friend Josh would be a near perfect donor. She has known him her whole life, he isn't crazy, he is very handsome and basically a nice guy even if he lives in his Dad's basement.

Surprisingly, Josh agrees to help with the IVF treatment and wants to be a part of the baby's life. What follows is hysterically funny moments at the doctor's office. Like when Josh needs help leaving a "donation" for the baby making process. Honest tears from laughing so hard.

In the middle of all this baby making Gemma starts dating her wealthy self help guru boss Ian who knows Josh and has nothing good to say about him. Then there are the awesome women in Gemma's IVF group who are not only quirky but have their own endearing stories.

I am amazed how six time award winning narrator Erin Mallon not only hit all the comedic timing to make this romcom not just funny but swoon worthy romantic.

What made this story so special were Josh's poignant moments. Josh's relationship with his Dad, his obvious feelings for Gemma and his connection to Ian. Also, the ending the following New Year's Eve was absolute perfection. My heart is happy💖

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #Netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

"You're the star that guides my heart."

I liked the banter between Josh and Gemma. Honestly, I did not like Gemma really on her own - she annoyed me for most of the book, but I absolutely ADORED Josh. Some parts of the book felt a bit clunky; there were some pieces that I wish maybe flowed a bit better.

I know that Gemma finally reading Josh's comic at the end was important, but I wish that we got more about Josh. I wish we got his point of view, I find romances with dual POV's are that much more rich.

TW for miscarriages and infertility.

When Gemma decides that she doesn't need to have a boyfriend or be married to have a baby, she enlists the help of her brother's friend Josh. He's laid-back, doesn't take anything seriously and has a revolving door of women. Despite all of that Gemma has known him for years and he's practically one of the family. She's shocked and ecstatic when he agrees to be her sperm donor. And so begins the journey of Gemma and Josh trying to make a baby.

I was able to listen to the audio version as well as reading the book, and I love being able to do both together. I'm a fan of Erin Mallon's audiobooks and thought she did a great job with this book. There were some laugh out loud moments and I love how close Gemma is with her family. As they spend more time together Gemma realizes that she doesn't really know Josh at all and had misconceptions of the type of person he is. She's scared at the realization that she's beginning to have feelings for him, afraid it will complicate the situation. Throwing herself into dating her boss Ian, Gemma realizes that she can't hide from the truth but is scared to admit her feelings to Josh. Overall this is a good book to read and listen to and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and IBPA/Member's Audiobooks for the opportunity to read this book.

really wanted to like this and I was excited until I wasn’t. I couldn’t stand the protagonist. She was a pushover and unlikable and annoying. It didn’t feel realistic….