I guess you could call 'Josh and Gemma Make a Baby' a slow burn, brothers best friend romance. Although I didn't really feel the romance and the brother didn't make that much of an appearance.

Factor in the lack of comedy for a rom-com and this was just an okay read for me.

I listened to the audio, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, and the narration was spot on.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book in a day and a half. I loved every second. Sure was there some silly stuff. Yes, but it was so fun to jump into Gemma and Josh's world for a little while. This was my first Sarah Ready book, but it definitely won't be my last. This book was not only funny but it was well written with good character development and solid character change. It even pulled at my heartstrings with heart wrenching emotion. I really loved every part of this book from the hero and heroine to the secondary characters in the fertility support group. I even loved Gemma's family. I can not wait to read more from this author. I listened to this book on audio, so I have to give mad props to Erin Mallon. As always she did an amazing job bringing this book to life. If you are looking for a fun romance with a great storyline definitely pick this one up.

Josh and Gemma make a baby.
By Sarah Ready Narrated by Erin Mallon
5 stars
I loved this book; Erin did an amazing job Narrating it. Gemma is such a great character; This read hit all the feelers. You have the drama and the ups and downs of fertility issues then you add the divorce and a miscarriage it all was a lot but the way it was written was perfect. I love Gemma's character she has a spitfire attitude which was great, and OMG Josh is perfect. He is so sweet and kind through the whole book I swear there isn't a bad bone in that boy's body, and I just want to hug him. Major crush on him. He was a bit of a playboy back in the day, but he tries to change his ways and he's a comic reader. Oh, this book had me hooked after the first chapter. I cannot wait to read more by Sarah.
Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced copy for an honest review.

Have you ever listened to a book, and thought….. wow this is not only hilarious, but also has an amazing message? The theme of this book about love, loss, and judgements is superb! I cannot rave about this book enough. Sara Ready you blew this one out of the park with realness but at the same time comedic charm.
 
Synopsis: It has been a while since Gemma has had anything good go on in her life, she is a divorce with endometriosis but a somewhat stable job. The loneliness gets to her though so she decides to take her life into her own hands during New Years Resolutions. She is going to have a baby…. But not just any baby…. She is going to ask Josh (her brother’s best friend since childhood) to donate the sperm. Will they make it through the IVF? Will she be able to figure out the truth in her life? Will her resolution come to fruition?
 
Review: Yall, I loved everything about this book, it has steam, it has truth, it has several different relationships and real life issues, it has pregnancy, it has hilarious moments. Guys you name it this book has it, and it is just so so good! Y’all know I hate crying in books, and this one I didn’t even mind. It brought up some hard memories for me, but it did it so beautifully and truly did it in such a way that I felt totally seen in my own past. If you need a steamy pick me up book, then this is your next read!
 
I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a steamy romcom that actually isn’t fluff and has so much feeling and depth in it.
 
Romance: Steamy (BUT FUNNY STEAMY… Like Pregnancy Hilarity)
Content Warning: Lies/Miscarriages/Pregnancy IVF failure/Loneliness

Thank you to netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and Sarah Ready for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own!

Joshua Templeman from The Hating Game now have a brand new competition. There is a new swoony hero in town and he goes by the name of Josh. This was my first novel by Sarah Ready and I really enjoyed it!
I picked it up on a whim by just looking at its cover and man did just not impress me but fall in love with the book! The storyline was cute and I love that it brought awareness to infertility and IVF as well.

Thank you NetGalley , Sarah Ready for the ARC.

I don’t care what anyone says, this might be my new favorite Josh.

Okay, into the nitty gritty. The audio to this is fantastic. I adore this narrator. The storyline is a little wacky, but it’s supposed to be. I honestly laughed so hard in some spots( the O’Keefe painting & the ham armed husband 🤣)
I don’t usually read baby centered romance in any capacity, but I’ve been on somewhat of a kick lately, and so I was sold from the title.

Gemma was an incredibly relatable character, and most of that came from her flaws. Josh was so very swoonworthy, although you don’t realize it at first. I can’t believe how well I feel like I came to know both characters, considering this was a single POV book, but not just them. The side characters breathed a certain kind of life into this one as well, and I would adore getting their stories as well.

My ultimate view on this… don’t come for the smut, it’s really nonexistent, but the plot and development is definitely worth every single star.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is an adorable rom-com that is a cute and funny read. Gemma is a divorce' who has been hurt by love. She decides to buck tradition and go through with IVF to have a baby, but she needs a sperm donor. She decides to ask her brother's best friend Josh, the boy she lost her virginity to but swore to anyone who listened that she was just not that in to him. What ensues is a story full of comedic shenanigans and a discovery that maybe people, like books, shouldn't be judged by their cover.
This book reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones' Diary. Some of the situations Josh and Gemma find themselves in are a little over the top but overall, this was a good light hearted read. And Erin Mallon's narration was spot on.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review the audiobook.

Love love loved!!! This was the perfect romcom! I really enjoyed all the characters (even the side characters were all great. And the "boy toy" couple had me laughing out loud). The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it ended! Haha! This was my first Sarah Ready book but she will now be an auto read author for me.

I should begin by commending the audiobook narrator Erin Mallon for a great performance! I was engaged and entertained by her work!

I am a big fan of babies, I love 'em to death. I also love pregnancy books. This one...wasn't much of a pregnancy book as much as it was a "getting pregnant" trope. I didn't dislike or mind it much, but it didn't give what it was supposed to give, which was a bummer. Maybe a sequel where we have Gemma be pregnant and insane and Josh be perfect and the coolest husband? It's what they deserve. Anyway, that's a taste of what I wanted.

The book's overall voice was very humorous and a bit on the implausible side of storytelling. I definitely raised my eyebrows at a lot of scenes (esp the part where she sends him pictures of her shoulders-- but hey! Whatever bakes your cookie. or the bit about that insane couple who were convinced Josh was the 'lover')

I had one issue with the book: Gemma felt...a bit...mean. Like, I don't hate it: yay! imperfect heroines and all of that. But the dropped bomb of how low she thought of Josh, and how he'd heard it...it cracked my enjoyment in two. And the bit where she viscerally attacked the other ladies at the IVF support group? It was so cruel and unnecessary, in my opinion. I love my female friendships strong and unshakable. And if a woman who didn't even know me that well said what Gemma said to those ladies, I'd not forgive her. At all.

Also, the fatphobic remarks her mother makes were so harrowing at some parts because as a fat individual, I just wasn't ready for them, yano? So, consider it my content warning.

Overall, delightful in bits, bummer in others.

This has been one of the toughest review to write, because I really liked the book yet also had a lot of issues with it?

Why Gemma wants to keep visiting a hometown where even the old, bald, skeevy men her own mom keeps trying to set Gemma up with consider her damaged goods because she's a curvy 32-year old divorcee? And her family kinda agrees? I'm sorry, what???

And for someone that much a part of your childhood, to not know anything about Josh's career--dude's been at pretty much every family gathering and apparently she never chatted him up. Even the reader doesn't learn much, beyond it turns out he wrote a very successful web comic that has been optioned, and has enough cash for swanky digs in Brooklyn.

And the IVF clinic--I've never dealt with one or had family/friends deal with them, but I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any that kooky; if so I can't imagine them staying open for long. Nobody overbooks a time slot 15x over. Crazy-ass patients--there's one couple at the clinic in a pretty hilarious scene--are usually banned and not allowed to come back.

And yet I couldn't listen fast enough, even though I usually don't listen to Erin Mallon. Her narrations are hit or miss, and I hate her male voices.

So yeah, like I said, conflicting feelings about this book. But I think I'll check out Sarah's other books now.

Y’all, this book is so cute. I have loved it. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting at first but I loved it. Great job!

I rarely give romcoms 5 stars because they’re usually too predictable and cheesy for me. However, Josh and Gemma Make a Baby deserves 5 stars! I loved this story immensely! I haven’t laughed out loud this much while reading in a long time! This was such a sweet, heartfelt story. I loved the infertility awareness. I loved Josh’s comic books. I loved Gemma being curvy. This was just a perfect romcom! Thanks to Netgalley for the arc - I will be buying a physical copy of this book when it releases!

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby

I didn’t start out on the best foot with Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. In fact, I wasn’t sure from the get-go if I even wanted to read it. But I succumbed to the chance to listen to a brand new audiobook, and almost regretted it.

At first listen, I didn’t really enjoy the narrator, but I eventually found her to be more enjoyable. What really irked me was the fat-shaming throughout the book. Gemma is often called chubby, which is always on a list of things that make her undesirable. She’s told over and over again that she’s not good enough, and of course she believes those things. But she also talks about being curvy and other characters call her thin, and it feels not good to be a fat person reading this book. Because she’s not a fat character. She’s not chubby. Just look at the cover of the book. I love a good romance book with fat MCs, but this isn’t one of those.

The thing is, I liked this story. It’s not quite friends-to-lovers, and not exactly enemies-to-lovers, but it’s a similar type of trope, and I enjoyed it. I liked the progression of the plot, and I liked the development in the story, but more than anything, the fat shaming was hurtful.

On a steaminess level - this book isn’t super steamy. There are a few mentions of steamy moments, and there’s a unique scene that wasn’t similar to anything else I’ve read in a romance novel and that was a fun scene. But on the steamy scale, this probably tops out at a 6.

So go into this one for the plot and the character development, but don’t expect the sex scenes to blow your mind.

„Josh and Gemma Make a Baby“ is a cute, entertaining and wholesome read about a woman who is determined to start a family of her own.

Gemma has almost everything one could wish for – a great family, a nice appartment and a job she’s passionate about. The only thing missing from her life is a kid of her own. So, not having much going on in the romance department, she decides to find a sperm donor to help her out. Who would be more perfect for the job than her brother’s best friend? Josh is smart, handsome, funny and – as far as she can tell – not a serial killer. To her surprise, he agrees to help her out. But can their arrangement stay as businesslike as they intend it to be?

I really enjoyed reading „Josh and Gemma Make a Baby“. The story isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but it‘s still an overall wholesome and fun read.
Gemma is a very lovable heroine and one can’t help rooting for her New Year’s Resolution to become a reality. I don’t know how accurate her medical journey is, but I think it’s very interesting to follow a protagonist whose challenge isn’t only her relationship status, but also the very heart-breaking diagnosis of infertility.
Josh, too, is a great character and I love how supportive he is of Gemma, even though, her request came totally out of the blue. Their interactions are great and I really enjoyed their dynamic.
Also, Gemma’s support group is amazing. There are some heart-to-hearts as well scenes that made me laugh out loud, so everything is perfectly balanced.

I recommend „Josh and Gemma Make a Baby“ to fans of slow-burn romance novels. If you enjoy rom-coms that are fun and fluffy, but also have a serious topic lying underneath, this is the book for you.

Sweet read. I adore Josh, anh how is he so sweet to Gemma.
Well, there are some parts in the book that I didn't like, like how many times Gemma said that Ian is a guru... Really who cares?!
And Ian character, lets say he and Josh give me a little bit a Bridget Jones vibe... And pride and prejudice...
But all in all, I laughed and smiled. So romantic 4 stars.

The title of this made me skim past this a couple of times as I didn’t realise what this book was about, but after reading the blurb I was definitely intrigued. Why wouldn’t I want to catch a funny, out-of-the-box romance, right? Those are right up my street.

It took me a while to warm up to the book and especially Gemma’s character. I admit the audiobook I had did sound a bit robotic and tinny at first, so that was putting me off - I think that was more a technical issue than anything. However, it was a bit slow off the mark and Gemma did seem to summarise things that had already happened more than I liked. Buuuuut I did like Josh’s character and the hints he was dropping about his feelings and it was a little swoony. I like swoon. It was fun to see their dynamic and how easily they got on and built up a tentative friendship through unconventional circumstances.

The newfound friendships Gemma made at the fertility group were warm and the characters had their own personalities and voices - they weren’t skimped on as sideline characters which was great to see, and Brooke might be my favourite character as she startled me into laughter a few times! Sarah Ready managed to weave in so many different characters and dynamics that made this story even more beautiful, alongside being informative about the IVF process through Gemma’s experience, which I found really interesting and added to the story well.

This was a fun, playful romance with a cast of charming characters and I’m definitely glad I picked it up!

This book is everything. Funny, heartbreaking, a little ridiculous and far fetched, but also terribly accurate with all the emotional gut punches. I love it so, so much. Thank you for the ARC!

Is this the same book that all of the other reviewers read?

Gemma is a divorcee in her early 30's who is unable to have children. She has an apartment in Manhattan and works for Ian Fortune, a self-help guru who Gemma worships.

The first issue that I had with this book was at the annual New Years Party that Gemma's parents throw. Gemma's mother casually fat shaming her daughter and then ordering Gemma up to her childhood bedroom where she had laid out an outfit for her. . . I mean. . really? Nobody else raises an eyebrow at this?
I very nearly gave up right there.

Anyway, at the party, everyone writes out their resolution for the coming year and Gemma's is to have a baby. The fact that she's single doesn't bother her. She doesn't want a relationship - just a donor and she knows exactly who to ask.
Josh Lewenthal has been her brothers best friend forever. He's always been around and his laid back, relaxed demeanour has Gemma deciding that he is perfect.

The women that Gemma meet at the support group aren't at first glance the most supportive women but I ended up warming to them.

There were no twists, turns or surprises in this book. Everything worked out in the exact way that you would expect.

I listened to the audiobook version of this which was narrated by Erin Mallon. She was easy to understand and had clearly defined voices for all of the characters.
The only problem that I had with the narrator is the British accents. She cannot do these and I say this as an English woman. All English accents are nasal and had an Australian twang - including the security guard at the convention and the Scot? No, just no. Please do not do a Scottish accent ever again.

Here to the book that got me over my long reading slump!

It was funny, romantic, deep at times and full of love 💕 what more can i ask for!

When the digital marker teamed up the comic goro next door to make a baby, what are the chances of them twisting up their lives, going to pent houses with models and yes.. cops aaaand one of them accused of being a toy boy at his mid thirties?

I love everything about JaGMAB.. from how independent Gemma is to how even when she's drowning with her feelings toward something.. ahem or someone.. she won't make her feelings decide for her, and won't keep a blind eye for their BS.. goooo Gemma gooo!

Josh is like the cutest man size puppy that all you want to give him is love hugs, and all the positive vibes in the life.

The topic of this novel is kind of hard with it talking about infertility, trying for a baby when the chances aren't in your side and how your beloved ones in their act to show love may hurt you.. like deeeply, but the author managed to convey a very good message in a fun way *bravoo Sarah* .. can't wait for your upcoming works 💝


Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a lover of romance novels, this one is just oh so cute. I laughed out loud and even shed a tear of happiness. I truly enjoyed all of the friendships and relationships in this story and feel that everything wrapped up very nicely.

I happily predicted the ending based on the New Years resolutions placed at the beginning of the book, and I screamed when it actually happened 🥰

Run, don’t walk! Go get yourself a copy of this book.
I listened to the audio and still had all these feelings of happiness, which is unusual for me 😊

Thank you netgalley for this ARC!

TW: infertility/going through IVF