A sweet rom-com with a lot of depth. This is not your run of the mill romance with lots of witty banter and hijinks. This book deals a whole lot with infertility, miscarriage, and IVF. I thought Sarah Ready handled all of those topics quite well, but know that if you are dealing with any of these things this book could be triggering. There is still plenty of silliness and sexiness mixed into these heavier topics and I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narration is well done.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

Why did I listen to Josh and Gemma Make A Baby?

Josh and Gemma Make A Baby was available to listen on Netgalley and sounded like it would be a hilarious romantic comedy. It sounded like there was some history between these characters. This made me really curious and I wanted to see how this plan for a baby actually went. So, I clicked request and was approved relatively quickly, I was so excited to check it out!

What's the storyline here?

Gemma Jacobs life is going relatively perfectly well. She has a decent job, a cute home, and a close knit family. There is only one thing missing: a baby. Gemma has had multiple failed relationships, been divorced, and has an infertility diagnosis. All of this complicates her real desire which is to start a family and have a baby. So, she does her research and realizes that she may still be able to get pregnant if she uses IVF (invitro-fertilization). Now all she has to do to decide on the sperm.

Enter Josh Lewenthal. He is her older brothers best friend and has been a part of her life as long as she can remember. He's laid back and usually just goes with the flow. He's also really smart but in Gemma's opinion has never fully applied himself. Yet he has a good heart and a good sense of humor, and his positive qualities outweigh his negatives. So, Gemma presents a deal to Josh for his sperm and only his sperm and surprisingly he agrees. And so there adventure begins...

How did I like Josh and Gemma Make A Baby?

Oh boy, I really wanted to like this story. And there were some parts of it that I did. Unfortunately, there were also some parts that made me want to shake the characters (Gemma more than Josh). First of all, there is history between the two characters besides them just being around each other. Gemma had a crush on Josh and they slept together. In present day, she is acting like it doesn't matter and the past is the past. Honestly I had a hard time buying it and as the story progressed I knew exactly where this was heading.

I enjoyed the fact that Josh and Gemma Make A Baby tackled IVF and everything they is involved in that process. There is alot of emotion in this storyline. Although I personally do not have any experience with IVF, I have some friends who have, and based on my interactions with them during this time, I think that the IVF sections of this book felt very realistic. There was so plenty of humor throughout which helped with the emotions. Gemma and Josh have such a good chemistry that grew throughout their time together.

I wanted to shake Gemma so many times. She was so missing out on what was right in front of her. Instead she was putting her faith in the wrong people and places. It just grated on my nerves after a while. Her family and local members of the community also grated on my news with their negativity about Gemma's infertility issues. The gossiping about her and the manipulation by her mother left a sour taste in my mouth. I'm glad Josh was nothing like the rest and was so sweet and supportive. Too bad it took Gemma so long finally see it and to stop being so judgmental of surface details.

How is the narration?

Josh and Gemma Make A Baby is narrated by Erin Mallon and is 9 hours and 29 minutes long. I listened to it on 1.5x speed and was able to finish it in one day. I found the narration to flow well. I liked the different voices which she used for the characters. It felt like they actually had their own personalities both good and bad. I enjoy this when listening to an audiobook because then the conflict and emotion feel even more real. Even if the conflict was driving me crazy at times.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

A palate cleanser with a unique take on a "rom-com".

Divorcee Gemma wants a baby and has been told that may not be in the cards for her. While you might be thinking that a doner and IVF is a logical way to go... that would be too easy. The premise is that an old family friend becomes the "doner". He is attractive and successful but not the best father material. SOMEHOW (cue the predictable eye roll) they end up falling for each other? Shocking.

Cute and a unique storyline until the heart eyes start flowing.

I adored this romance in every way and I need to get a physical copy for my shelves! The narrator did an amazing job, the characters melted my heart, and I was so sad to see it end. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Very upbeat and amusing audiobook!🤰💞

When I first saw the cover my response was "eh".

When I read my first GR friend's 5-star review, I thought "good for you!".

IVF rom-com? Umm, haha...no thank you. I think I'll pass.

It was not until the 4th or maybe 5th FIVE stars review that it hit me and I went into panic mode "Omg, I think I'm going to miss out!"

So if you're still pondering whether or not to give it a try.... do yourself a favor and get this wonderful and uplifting audiobook! This is a second chance romance, LOL funny, great tension with charming characters. I absolutely adored this book!

Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for this audiobook.

I gave this one 3.5 stars. It was a super cute romantic comedy . I loved the narrator, and I thoroughly enjoyed this listen!this was my first audio book and I was skeptical I did really enjoy it I couldn’t stop listening. I really enjoyed both Josh and Gemma.

“When you realize you love someone and that you want to spend the rest of forever with them, you want forever to start right now.”

I have recently entered the world of audiobooks and I have been searching more and more for books of my interest to listen to at work because I have found that they’re great company! I started listening to this audiobook during one morning and didn't rest until I finished it, even in the car ride home this was my soundtrack. You could say I got quite addicted! Ahahahah
The narrator of this audiobook is extremely engaging which made the listening experience enjoyable, adding immensely to the story which in itself is a fairly predictable one like all cliché romances. This isn’t entirely negative but, at the beginning of this book, I was able to predict a good portion of the course of events. But let's be honest, we all love a good cliché after all! 🤭 Despite that, the story is interesting and fluid, tackles some heavier topics like abortion and infertility, that are lightened by the funnier moments, which provides a certain balance. The descriptions are given just in the right measure for the reader to understand in spatial terms the events and the characters are well built, not only the main ones but also the secondary ones. Josh and Gemma are amazing main characters, I loved following the development of their unusual relationship since they started with what usually comes at the end, having a baby!
A super sweet, well developed and explored novel that touches on very important themes and gives the reader a mix of emotions, from the typical pang in the heart, to sudden laughter! This audiobook, with a narration that can't be described in any other way but amazing, is a great companion for 9h of your life that I highly recommend! 🥰

Plot | ⭐⭐⭐
Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enjoyment | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quality of Audio | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review to be soon published on my bookstagram account @direadsomebooks!

Hi! Josh And Gemma Make A Baby by Sarah Ready is a standalone romantic comedy book with a surprising depth to it. It was complete with funny moments, emotionally charged ones and romantic ones.

I expected it to be an easy, quick read but while it was quick, it managed to give the characters and story quite a bit of depth. All-in-all, I would say this is a 3 star read. While I enjoyed it, I had quite a few criticisms with it too. I won’t lie, it was a bit difficult to get into at the beginning.

Why you should read this book

*This book is told only from Gemma, the female protagonist’s point of view. She is a well-rounded character with plenty of flaws like every human and is likeable. Josh, on the other hand, is a character you will definitely fall in love with. This is a largely character-driven story so they would pretty much be the main reason to read this book.

*The representation given to infertile women is worth noting as is the accurate representation of social stigma surrounding it.

*Of course, this remains a rom-com so a lot of the story is lined with humor and at some places, dialogue that makes you laugh out loud. I did love how there were emotionally charged moments too, with vulnerabilities, grief and human flaws. It set this read apart from a surface level rom-com that is only designed to crack a few smiles.

Criticisms

*I will say that there were questionable moments in this book. There were also parts I was not able to enjoy at all and Gemma randomly quoting self-help quotes in conversation was definitely one of them. You don’t sprout such things to strangers in a perfectly normal conversation??

*I will add that this book took the story from slightly predictable to very obvious at times. I also wanted to scream at Gemma’s stupidity, naivety and judgmental behaviour (all on different occasions).
All-in-all, this was a decent read but not one I loved. If any of the above reasons for reading this book appeal to you, this might be a read you would enjoy picking up.

I knew going in to this one, I might not like it. It's a cute story. Gemma was a little clueless but I liked how she grew and learned and moved forward in the story. I had to suspend disbelief a bit in the beginning over quite a few situations, but I did like how it all came out.

I think it's important to tackle infertility in stories. I think it should be something we talk about, read about and learn about. I've read a few books that tackle the issue and I liked that this one took a tough, serious topic and surrounded it in a light and silly romance.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I have such conflicted feelings about this book. I loved a lot about it. Specifically the ending (it was perfect) and the incredible hero. Based on the blurb I thought it was going to be a lot of fun, and in some ways it was. In other ways, it was a little triggering and unrealistic... I did enjoy the writing and the some of the side characters were great. I wish the heroine would have opened her eyes a little sooner. The narration for this one was amazing. Erin Mallon did an incredible job. Overall this was more enjoyable than not and I’ll definitely check out more from this author in the future.

I’ve had the pleasure of both listening via audiobook and reading via ebook this story by Sarah Ready. The audiobook is narrated by Erin Mallon, one of my favorite narrators, so it is an absolute delight to listen to.

The story starts out a little odd, I felt like it took me a few chapters to really get a feel for the author’s style and flow. But once I got it…. The book was fantastic!! Josh was so easy to love and he makes the reader yearn for his HEA. Gemma does a lot of growing in this story, pulling us along for her ride to her HEA. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby ends with a complete HEA!!! It wraps up nicely for all of the lovable characters. I can’t wait to read more from Sarah Ready!

I was super lucky to receive a copy of the ebook and listen to the audiobook free of charge from the publisher. This review is my honest opinion of the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advanced Listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked it and I wasn't thinking that I would, it really took me by surprise. It was light, funny, entertaining, lovely and heartbreaking. I loved Gemma and Josh' characters and their story had some elements that really resemble "Pride and Prejudice" and "Bridget Jones’ Diary" with a villain as bad as Wickham. It's also a brother's best friend kind of love story with a very big happy ending to make you in a good mood.

Anyway, I had such a good time liistening to this audiobook and that's what I needed at the moment. I loved the narrator's voice who did a good job and I was impressed by how well she did male characters' voices.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advanced Listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I know you (a Reader), likely saw my star rating when you scrolled onto my review. It's not that the audiobook is bad, actually the narration is great and I have no Cons for the narrator.

Now, the novel has a flaw that annoyed me to no end. I wished this was marketed differently. It's more Women's Fiction than it is RomCom.

You can't call this a Slow Burn if the duo are rarely together in the first 40% of this novel to witness the slow burn and our main character is in a relationship with a different man for the vast majority of the novel.

I could've done without the Boss-Employee romance subplot.

This story is primarily about Gemma and her infertility struggles and the verbal abuse/manipulation that she has dealt with from friends/family/coworkers/Boss/etc.

Josh, when he did appear, had great potential for more. Also, the time skips over when they were actually together didn't work for me. Show me where they're building chemistry!

Anyways, don't want to make this super long but if you do stumble upon this novel and want to try it for yourself, try the audiobook! The narration is fantastic even if the novel itself didn't work for me.

2 of 5 stars. Read in March 2022

I ADORED this audiobook. It was exactly what I love about Rom Coms! I always judge a book on how I can guess the ending and It had me guessing! Josh was a dream-boat. And I loved the infertility club in the pink room with rats ha. As someone who has dealt with infertility and going through treatments and having a high risk pregnancy, I really related to Gemma and the other women. I would love to see a story on one of the women from the club. It was a great charming book!

This audiobook was entertaining, funny, sad, disgusting and everything in between. I started this as an audiobook but finished it as an ebook. I enjoyed both and preferred the audiobook since I am in the car a lot.
The book is about Gemma who is self absorbed, self centered and sad in many ways. Her family loves her but shows support is interesting ways. Gemma does not deal with her family until very late in the book. Gemma has a job she likes, but her personal life is not what she had hoped for or expected.
Josh is a light hearted character that Gemma has known forever but does not really know at all. He seems very shallow and as you get to know him much deeper.
Both of the characters grow as the book progresses. Gemma has to grow up and acknowledge what is going on around her. Josh is another matter - we just have to get to know him at the same time Gemma is getting to know him.
All of the characters in the book are well developed and easy to get to know. Sometimes they are predictable and sometimes not. Just as we are in life. I am not sure when I got hooked by this book, but the more I listened the more I wanted to listen and/or read.

5+ stars for Josh and Gemma Make a Baby's audiobook.

If you are looking for a romance, don't look any further. I adored this book! It was sweet and charming.

Gemma is ready for the next step in her life. She wants to have a baby. She has stage 4 endometriosis and she is done waiting for the right guy. Her marriage to Jeremy was a big disappointment and left her with a sour taste for romance. Adding salt on the wound, Jeremy has remarried and is on his third child.

Gemma needs an IVF partner and she asks her brother's best friend, Josh to be the donor. At first, Josh says no but then he changes his mind. Josh has been in Gemma's life since they were teenagers. Josh was her first too. A detail she has never forgotten.

Once Gemma decides on taking the next step on IVF, her boss Ian, who is a guru in self-help, asks her on a date. He is hot and handsome and she has liked him for the last seven years but is he what Gemma needs? Or is it Josh who is going with her to every doctor's appointment and makes her laugh when she is stressed?

Josh is hands down one of my favorite book boyfriends. He was there for Gemma all the way and I found him to be sweet, supportive, and super sexy.

Gemma was so much fun to read. She has so many great scenes like the koi pond, the pumpkin dress, the humble pie. Too many to count.

I loved Josh and Gemma Make a Baby so much. It's was hard to let go of these characters. I will miss them.

I did the audio for this novel and I thought it was phenomenal. I wanted to listen to it all at once, it was that compelling. The chapters just flew by.

Trigger warning: Infertility.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Swift & Lewis Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a 30ish year old, I’m always on the hunt for a good book with protagonists in my age range - this did not disappoint!

Main character Gemma is loveable and relatable. Gemma is a single 32 year old divorcee from a small town with her heart set on one thing… having a baby. She’s giving “Live, Laugh, Love” and has a very “Type A” personality.. Gemma loves her job running social media for a self-help guru - the man that she attributes to helping her survive her heartbreaking infertility diagnosis and subsequent divorce. She loves her life in NYC and she loves her annoying, imperfect, silly, supportive family.. but she wants more.. she wants a baby.. and she knows how to get one.

Josh Lewenthal is Gemma’s polar opposite. Chill and very “go with the flow”, Josh was Gemma’s brothers BFF growing up, so OF COURSE Gemma was obsessed with him growing up.. He was also her first😉 Josh isn’t perfect, but he’s not a maniacal, ant burning psycho (see Sid in Toy Story) and for Gemma, that’s enough - so she decides to ask him for his sperm, and thus begins a beautiful…… friendship?

Gemma grows a lot as a person, realizes her own self worth and also the absolute worthlessness of other people’s opinions. Josh steps up and proves he’s in more ways than one that he’s more than just good swimmers. There are quirky family members, loyal friends and lots of silly asides in this story. But there are also so hard truths, I wouldn’t recommend with anyone who is struggling with infertility or who has suffered a miscarriage.

I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why this story seems familiar - it’s Bridget Jones’ Diary, but with non-sexual baby making. This is not an insult, I’ve watch that movie more times than I’m willing to admit to any other human, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but the romantic plot of Josh and Gemma Make A Baby is damn near identical. If you enjoyed one, you’ll enjoy the other. There are differences though, there’s more to this story than just the romance, and that’s what makes it great honestly.

A quick read (or listen), but an entertaining oneI laughed, I cried, I laughed some more.

Trigger Warnings: Infertility, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Death of a parent, Gaslighting

I gave this one 3.5 stars on Goodreads. It was a super cute romcom. I loved the narrator, and I thoroughly enjoyed this listen! I really enjoyed both Josh and Gemma. This one tugged on my heartstrings in the most wonderful way.
Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing, Sarah Ready, and Netgalley for providing me a complimentary audiobook copy for review.

A fun rom-com about a girl who wants to have a baby but doesn't want to waste any more time waiting for the right person. A story about childhood love, heartbreaks and basically finding oneself and seeing someone you have known forever as someone new. Basically a perfect book for movie adaptation.