Josh And Gemma Make A Baby was a fun way to spend some reading time.

I'd probably call it a traditional romcom with a baby thrown into the mix.

It's fairly obvious from early on, that Gemma is a bit ditzy at times and doesn't see the whole picture but that is part of the book's charm.

There are no surprises for the reader in this book, although Gemma is surprised again and again and that makes it humorous and easy to read.

All in all, a pleasant way to spend a cold weekend afternoon.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and I loved the chemistry between Josh and Gemma. There was a bit of a Bridgett Jones vibe with the whole Ian Fortune dating/being enemies with Josh, so how that all played out in the story was predicatable. I also enjoyed the side characters in this, especially Gemma fertility group. They brought a whole other level to this book.

Erin Mallon is always a great choice for a narrator and this book is no different. Erin gives an amazing performance, and keeps the pace of the book flowing. I love when I find audio books with Erin as a narrator.

I really enjoyed this book. Obviously you know from the beginning where the story was going, but I enjoyed how it came full circle. It touches on some very heavy topics but I think it is portrayed very well. I really like how the sub characters all played a part, and how certain things came to light, and there didn’t seem to be any lose ends. Overall I thought it was a great cute read with some very funny parts and a great message.

Melli’s Book Breakdown
🤍Brother’s Best Friend
🤍curvy heroine
🤍heroine POV only
🤍TW: infertility
🤍HEA

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book is so cute. This book discusses deep topics such as infertility that shared about their experience while keeping it from getting too sad. The characters in this book aren't perfect which makes the story more relatable and the characters are relatable as well. Also the main character whose point of view it was, wasn't perfect. As the reader, you learn things as the readers do. This book was sappy and cute, but it wasn't set in a perfect world. I read this book in one sitting. I would recommend this book to people who want a cute read, but also want a book that they can relate to even if none of these things have happened to them. It is really well written, I could not put the book down.

"When I was a little kid, I worshipped Josh Lewenthal. Now, I couldn't care less about him. I just need his sperm."

What an opening sentence 😂. Josh and Gemma is definitely a fun romance novel, focusing on Gemma convincing her brother's best friend, Josh to donate his sperm so she can have a baby via IVF. The book follows the pair throughout the journey as Gemma realises that after several lacklustre relationships, maybe the one for her has been there all along.

Now, while I did say this was a fun romance, it's not without its depth, as Ready goes into a lot of detail about the IVF process. I really liked the unique plot, as much as I liked Gemma and Josh. The pair had great chemistry and it was evident from the get-go that Ready knows how to write good banter too. Add in an interesting cast of supporting characters and you have a stellar romance novel.

The one thing that would have gotten this book an extra star is if we heard from Josh's perspective. For me, this was one of those books that would have been better with dual points of view, as I desperately wanted more from Josh and the backstory behind his unrequited love for Gemma.

Nevertheless, this is still a fantastically funny and heartfelt romance and I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Erin Mallon, the narrator, did an amazing job 👏🏻. Just please note the book does focus on pregnancy and pregnancy loss.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The story and the narration worked really well together!

There are quite a few characters and the narrator is super consistent with the voices she uses. Additionally, the variety in her voice and her accents make it very easy to differentiate between the characters! I was a bit hesitant in the beginning but this narrator made it really easy to get immersed in the story! I often even felt like I could hear the smiles and smirks of the characters!

The story itself was fun, heartbreaking, and very cheesy at times, which the narrator captured brilliantly!

Gemma is a 32 year old divorcée who decides she does not need a man to give her what she really wants— a baby. She decides that since she’s known her brother’s best friend almost all her life, and he’s a decent guy, she wants him to be her donor. There is no way she can develop any feeling for easy-going Josh—right?

Gemma’s journey was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way. She is figuring out what she wants for herself in life and going for it herself. Gemma can be super random, funny, and really loves her inspirational quotes, and I feel like the narrator really captures her optimism, as well as other character’s feelings toward that optimism! It’s easy to get frustrated with her sometimes, but that just makes her seem more like a real person who makes mistakes and sometimes is afraid to face reality. She definitely grew on me and I wanted her to succeed so badly!

Josh really made me love this story and even though it took me a second to really hear the character in the narration, that didn’t last long and I was sold. Even as a single POV, we got to know a lot about Josh and how his devil may care smile carries different meanings as he develops a friendship with Gemma. These more complex emotions that Josh has really translated through the narration, as we could almost hear his easygoing smile when he spoke, or the pain behind a fake smile, and even his grief. Additionally, we learn more and more about Josh through the eyes of Gemma which works really well with his character and helps the reader fall in love with him as our hero!

Josh and Gemma’s friendship was everything and I absolutely loved their dynamic. Gemma’s friends were honestly hilarious and their narration really completed the experience of each of their eccentric personalities.

This was such a fun and heartfelt book and I would definitely recommend!

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready is a slow burn romantic comedy. It is sweet, clean romance that deals with miscarriage and infertility. The story started out really strong but unfortunately I found the middle slow and the writing a little flawed. Gemma frustrated me to no end. I found her to be selfish and with many flaws. Her stubbornness was a real turn off. I am not a big fan of mis communication in books, and this was was full of them. A lot could have been cleared up with a simple conversation.

The romance between Josh and Gemma was non existent until the very end of the book. Slow burn romance is good but I want to feel a bit of tension, and push and pull and there was none of this and I didn’t connect with the characters like I wanted to.

Having said all this, the story is sweet and even funny in spots. Gemma’s a hot mess, in her personal and business life. I couldn’t help at laugh out loud at some of the ridiculously funny situations she found herself in. The author did a good job mixing up the sweet tender moments, the humorous ones and emotional ones.

While the story overall left a lot to be desired, I adored listening in audiobook format. Erin Mallon is a fantastic narrator! Her range, pitch and emotional delivery of Gemma’s character was perfection.

LOVED THIS AUDIOBOOK!!

This book was a delight from beginning to end! That narrator, Erin Mallon, was awesome and I am so happy I chose to listen to this instead of reading it.

Gemma Jacobs- she quirky, funny, thinks too much, love quoting inspiration quotes, is a little clueless, has positive energy, and has a job she loves but is missing something in her life. Well, I should say someone. She wants a baby. Her marriage ended in heartbreak, she has an infertility diagnosis from having endometriosis and has not met Mr. Right. But there is IVF, all she needs is a donor.

Josh Lewenthal is her brother's best friend. He has always been around. He's a super nice laid-back guy, quick to smile, funny, has an engaging smile, and is dependable. Gemma knows him, right? He is healthy, funny, and single. Why use an anonymous donor when she views Josh as being an ideal sperm donor!?! She is shocked and excited when he says "Yes".

This book was so much fun to listen to. Gemma and Josh were both likable characters and I loved their witty banter and interactions. I enjoyed their journey and thought Gemma's family tradition of writing down resolutions, putting them in a jar (no name on them) and having them read out loud was charming.

There are also some interesting and intriguing supporting characters as well. Gemma's fertility group members were fantastic and provided some laughs. Her self-help guru boss and co-workers made things interesting.

This book does touch on some very serious issues such as infertility, miscarriages, fat shaming and judging people by their looks. I wasn't the biggest fan of her mother always trying to fix her up, mentioning Gemma's looks, weight, how she dresses. She is not the only character who does this, and the sad thing is, this happens both in books and real life. These may be triggers for some.

There is a lot of laughs in this book, a lot of fun, there are some very charming and heartwarming parts. This book had me feeling all the feels. I mentioned the word journey once before in my review, but with books in the romance category, it is all about the journey. Sarah Ready took me on one entertaining, heartwarming, and at times, laugh out loud, bumps in the road, journey.

This was my first book by Ready and I look forward to more of her work (I look forward to listening to more books narrated by Erin Mallon as well).

Highly recommend.

TW- if you are dealing with infertility or miscarriage, parts of this book may be difficult to read. I also do not know how much research went into IVF, etc. so I can't speak on if parts of this book are realistic.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, and Sarah Ready for the advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a surprising book for me. At times, it was silly and a little over-the-top like a romantic comedy can be (there’s a whole scene at the clinic with another couple that would never happen IRL, right?!) but at others, it was so sweet. Oh, and there was a scene in the second half of the book that had me sobbing because it was so beautiful. I really enjoyed the narration, too.

There is a lot in here about all things infertility and IVF, so if that’s a trigger or sensitive subject for you, please keep that in mind. I do think it was handled sensitively and accurately.

I loved this book! I listed to the audiobook and the narrator was amazing. A refreshing romantic comedy that explores endometriosis, infertility, IVF, miscarriage and many other topics that many women, and families, live on a daily basis.
I lough out loud and cried, super cute second chance romance that made me fall in love with the characters and with this original story.

Things I loved: the infertility awareness and that Gemma was curvy!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with continuing this book. This was also the first audio book I listened to and I really liked it. The narrator was nice to listen to and she did different voices for the characters which I found funny. When I continued the book through reading, that's when I began to struggle reading this book. I could point out unnecessary lines and actions from Gemma that bothered me.

I would rate the book 3 stars while 4 stars for the audio book.
I am surprised at how much I enjoyed the audio book and I would suggest getting both the book and audio book. If you like books that tackle pregnancy, single parenting and friends to lovers trope, you should give this a try.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

Adorable! Surprised me how much I adored Josh and Gemma. I'm super picky with the Male leads in my chick lit, but Josh was the perfect amount of realistic, sweet, imperfectly perfectness. The book gave me some laughs, and I was rooting for them from chapter 1. I enjoyed the family dynamics as well. Great book, thank you Netgalley for the ARC

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.