I'd like to thank the publishers for sending me a review copy of this book through NetGalley.

I'd like to preface this by saying that this book wasn't absolutely terrible...it wasn't very readable but it wasn't a dumpster fire. It's pretty rare for me to get disappointed by a book I already have low expectations for but Josh And Gemma Make A Baby has somehow managed to do just that. I'm just going to get into the breakdown to make this more sense.

CHARACTERS

Josh
Josh was a character with so much unexplored potential and basically could've been a much much better character if the author actually spent time doing that. He comes off a little bit of a creep in certain parts of the book but he did have his redeeming qualities by being absolutely smitten with Gemma.

Gemma
Gemma is a seemingly strong character who doesn't have her life together and wants to have a kid...Gemma as a character was driven only by her past trauma and barely had any real personality. I disliked most of her aspects as a character and while I felt bad for her, I didn't care about her as a character.

Ian
If I had a dollar for every time I've wanted to slap this man or internally thrown up a bit every time he spoke...I'd have enough money to buy myself brunch at an expensive restaurant on a weekend. WHO KEEPS QUOTING EVERY TIME THEY HAVE A CONVERSATION. And these are the toxic positive bullshit quotes that I genuinely hate. I 10/10 hate this man.

Other Side Characters
I liked everyone from the support group and hated Gemma's family.

PLOT
I think that overall the author has done justice in showing the highs and lows of someone going through the IVF journey and I appreciate that there was an MC who wanted to be a single mother and didn't care about the societal rules about a family. I did not like the rest of the aspects of the book. The romance angle was subpar at best and the characters were dull and forgettable.

CONCLUSION
With everything being said, I do think that to some extent this book would be enjoyed by a certain demographic of women who are struggling with fertility issues, and the somewhat found family trope might be comforting, I personally did not enjoy this book at the very least because I don't exactly fall into the target demographic of the book. I don't think that there was a proper flow to the book and at certain points, it feels like the author was forcing themself to funny.

Overall, I didn't like the writing, the character, or the plot of the book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Gemma Jacobs is driven, energetic, and a positive thinker. She has a great career working for famed self-help guru Ian Fortune, she lives in a cute studio apartment in Manhattan, and her family is supportive and loving (albeit a little kooky). Her life is perfect. Absolutely wonderful., except for one thing. She wants a baby. And after many disastrous relationships and an infertility diagnosis, decides she will have one on her own.

So Gemma makes a New Year’s resolution: have a baby.

Josh Lewenthal is a laid back, relaxed, find-the-humor-in-life kind of guy. The polar opposite of Gemma. 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. So Gemma wants to make a deal. An unemotional, businesslike arrangement. No commitments, just a baby. To Gemma’s surprise, Josh agrees.

They have nothing in common, except their agreement to make a baby and their desire to keep things businesslike. But soon enough the sparks start to fly.

I absolutely loved Josh and Gemma! They are adorable and honest and perfect together. They are soulmates and so sweet. This was a quick and easy read for me. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️,5/5

❗This is a spoiler-free ARC review from NetGalley❗


I found this little delight on NetGalley about a month or so ago, but I just now realised that it has actually been officially published a little over two months ago. I don't really know what the deal is with all that but that's okay. No harm, no foul. I do still have to publish this review on NetGalley, however, so instead of writing a spoiler-review like I always do with published books, I will keep it spoiler-free.


I thought this was going to be a story with the pregnancy trope. I was actually looking forward to it, I love that trope (even though most don't), but this was actually more of a pre-pregnancy trope. I really liked it regardless, although the cover misled me a little. No matter, this was one of the most hilarious, adorable, wholesome and heartbreaking books I've ever read. Beautiful. Just beautiful. I also found it really informative. There's so much I didn't know about fertility treatments and all the trouble couples must go through to create a family. This book also addresses other important social issues, such as the stigma of infertility that people are forced to carry with them, men and women alike, or the judgement on women who are single in their thirties. The romance was absolutely incredible, btw. Slow-burn, sweet, and torturous. Exactly my style. While the romance was slow-burn, the story was anything but. It got to the point right away and kept a steady fast pace from beginning to end.

I love love loved the characters. Josh and Gemma were A D O R A B L E!!! The chemistry between them was off the charts, their pining was heartbreaking...but also kind of funny too 😝😝, and oooh the thigh-clenching sexy scenes 😍😍. They really check all of the romance boxes, and they all mixed together beautifully. Josh is hilarious, lovable, loyal, and so so so cuuuuuute 😭😭. Gemma is basically the human equivalent of sunshine, but with a dark side. I couldn't have asked for a more delightful main character. They had one of the sweetest, cheesiest grand gestures I've ever read. I was left delighted and cringing at the same time. It was a bit of a cliche but absolutely loved it, anyway.

All the secondary characters were incredibly well written. Gemma's family, the friends she made along the way. There was, however, one character among all the others, who stole my heart and she goes by the name of Brook. She is this hilarious, unfiltered lawyer that I am deeply in love with now. The kind of character who offers comedic relief during tense situations. The entire book was filled with delightful comedy and she was definitely one of the highlights.


Yes, I would definitely recommend this book.

This was the first title I've read by Sarah Ready. I really enjoyed it. It was a little lighter on the romance than I would have liked and felt like the ending was a little too rushed (I needed one more chapter!) but overall I really enjoyed this book. It really took a deep dive into infertility and IVF and I loved that the main character chose to try and go this route despite not being married or in a relationship. Girl power! I'm definitely going to check out more of Sarah Ready's books

A highly enjoyable romance focused on baby making adventures. 🍼👶 When thirty-something Gemma’s biological clock starts alarming she turns to Josh for the donation of a lifetime. Josh is her older brother’s childhood best friend and Gemma decides he would be the perfect “father” for her baby. The journey these two endeavor is one that takes the reader through a whirlwind of emotions. The interactions between Josh and Gemma are both witty and charming, these two couldn’t be more perfect together ❤️

I stumbled across “Josh and Gemma Make a Baby” while I was searching netgalley for another book. I immediately fell for the cute cover and title, so I requested an ARC and began reading shortly after. Rom-Com is not my main genre to read, but this story seemed so refreshingly different, I had to give it a try.
Gemma, the main character, is a lonely woman. She’s single, feels unwanted and rejected for being overweight. Her new year’s resolution is to have a baby. She doesn’t want a sperm donor, so she decides to ask Josh for a favor. He is her brothers’ best friend and basically a member of her family. At first, Josh thinks Gemma is completely out of her mind for wanting his sperm. But, he changes his mind so.. Josh and Gemma make a baby.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this story, even though there were some scenes I didn’t like. Gemma gets insulted by her family the whole time for being fat and infertile. I rolled my eyes so many times and felt annoyed. Gemma is such a nice character and a lovely person in general, but her family… ugh. Josh seems to be a superficial and silly guy at first. I was pretty impressed by his deep thoughts and maturity after getting to know him better. He seems to be the perfect date for Gemma’s child – and maaaaybe a good match for her as well. But Gemma is basically dating her boss, so things get kind of confusing at times, even though this would not have been necessary. There was much banter and back and fort between Josh and Gemma – also they have a great sense of humor. On the other hand, some situations were just creepy. I don’t want to go into detail but using a phone’s vibration in a park for spicey purposes… really wasn’t expecting that (and didn’t enjoy it!).

The end of the story was pretty obvious, but I liked it. Overall, the story was nice and entertaining, even though some scenes were disturbing and annoying. I learned a lot about infertility and IVF-treatment, which I really appreciate. Infertility awareness is important! However, you might not want to read this book if infertility, miscarriage and body shaming are triggering you.

Gemma has her dream job working for the incredible (and incredibly sexy) self-help guru Ian Fortune. Ian’s motivational quotes helped her through her divorce after she found her husband spread-eagle with another woman. Not only that, but he married that other woman and they have three beautiful children… something Gemma was never able to give her ex.

Gemma has been diagnosed with infertility; her doctor told her it looked like a grenade had gone off inside her uterus. However, she has decided that is is time to take measures into her own hands. She doesn’t need to wait for Mr. Right, she can have a baby on her own. Gemma decides to pursue IVF, but when faced with the decision of using donor sperm or asking someone she knows, she clams up and tells the doctor that she has a partner… her brother’s best friend, who just so happened to take her virginity at 16 and who “never lived up to his potential”.

Gemma and Josh navigate the emotional rollercoaster that is infertility treatment while trying to finally become friends after knowing each other their entire lives. Meanwhile, Gemma’s boss Ian has started to show more of an interest in her. She tells Ian that she’s trying to get pregnant through IVF, but she leaves out the fact that her donor is Josh, because it seems like there’s some college-era bad blood between the two men.

Gemma navigates friendships, relationships, and family dynamics, all while undergoing infertility treatment. Through struggles and loss, she finds the truth and she finds herself through the course of this book. It was really nice to read a novel that so beautifully navigated the difficult but oh-so-common world that is infertility.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This story was absolutely sweet. Gemma is infertile and after being put off love after her husband cheated on her she decides to take her life into her own hands and have a baby through IVF. Who better than her brother’s best friend Josh?

Their journey was very entertaining and well developed. I loved how I learned about what it's like to go through IVF in a way that seemed well researched and wasn’t boring at all.

Going into this story I thought Josh was going to be a cocky, arrogant smirking bad boy but he's an absolute sweetheart and such a goofball. Gemma was also relatable but kind of annoying with all her quotes (If she quoted me in real life we may have had to throw hands) but she was otherwise a pretty good FMC. These two were really good when they were together but not overly mushy.

On the other hand, there is a slight miscommunication trope (I think, not 100% sure if this qualifies) and I know some people don’t like that. The miscommunication wasn’t long lasting however so you may still be able to enjoy the rest of the book. Additionally, some parts of the plot were a bit predictable but I still enjoyed them.

Overall I really liked this book and it was a captivating and quick read.

4.5/5

This book truly made me feel all of the feels! It follows Gemma, a thirty-something divorcee who realizes that the only living that will make her life more complete is to have a baby and so she asks her older brother's childhood best friend, Josh, will be her sperm donor.

I absolutely loved Gemma and Josh's interactions I thought they were so utterly charming. This book was very much centered around Gemma's own personal growth and her struggles with infertility. Watching Gemma learn and grow and awkwardly stumble through life made this book so much better. I will say, however, that I didn't love the Ian plot. I understand why it needed to happen within the context of this book, but I still didn't love it. I did love love Josh in comparison and he is such a good love interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This is my first Sarah Ready book & it won't be the last. Very funny. Flawed main characters who learn & grow as the story moves along. A quick one-sitting book with some surprises. And the lime jello references - too funny. Highly recommend.

I think that while this book had a lot of promise, it failed to deliver on said promise. I loved both the characters, but I felt that they were both a little flat and they didn't show much growth or development. For me, the characters are the make or break of a story and I didn't quite love these guys as much as I wanted to. The plot itself was great - loved how fast-paced it was and how there was (usually) never a dull moment.

Josh And Gemma Make A Baby was a feel good, funny and heartfelt story about a woman wanting something important to her and having the perfect man in mind to do so.

Gemma was a strong, independent, slightly stubborn lead, and Josh, her brother's best friend, was the perfect love interest. This was a cute, light read with strong character development and I would highly recommend.

Gemma Jacobs is over 30, divorced, and pronounced infertile along with an endometriosis diagnosis. When her mom actually starts trying to set her up on dates with 50 year old men who "won't mind" her infertility she decides to pursue her baby dreams solo.

Josh Lewenthal, her brothers best friend, has been a fixture in her life for so long she barely acknowledges his presence anymore. When she asks him for his sperm she assumes he is still kind of a deadbeat and won't want to be involved.

Honestly, Gemma is extremely judgmental as well as a terrible judge of character. I wanted to smack her for all the horribly insensitive things she said, but her character development tied a lot of the plot together. I encourage anyone who might initially be put off my her not to be deterred.

Josh Lewenthal is the definition of silent but deadly. We only get Gemma's observations of him so our picture of Jack unfurls slowly. Initially, he appears innocuous, just a very attractive recluse. It isn't until the end, when everything comes together, that you're left completely stunned.

I HIGHLY recommend grabbing this book, this is one that will have you saying "just one more chapter." Thank you so much to @netgalley and @ibpalovesindies
for this ARC, Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is out now, make sure to grab your copy!

Why you should read:
✨Friends to lovers
✨Fertility friends
✨Unputdownable reads
✨Large family dynamics
✨Unrequited love
✨Mysterious, charismatic guys

I absolutely loved the topics I’m this book. A lot of people struggle with fertility so to see it brought into a sweet romcom was amazing. Easy to read. Characters are very loveable. The ending was amazing and the humor and wit was entertaining! Loveeed it

A cute and charming story of a girl wanting to have a baby because “time is running out” and trying to convince her brothers best friend to be the sperm donor. This book drew me in extremely quickly and for the first half of the book I couldn’t put it down.

I loved that the book talked about infertility and IVF and it seemed to be pretty accurate as to how the process is aside from the fact she got an appointment next day. There were some pretty good laugh out loud moments and I thought the main characters had good chemistry, but Gemma was definitely annoying and immature at times. There’s some good steamy scenes but also some awkward ones.

Overall I liked the book, but felt very letdown by the buildup of Josh and Gemma’s relationship. There was nothing foreshadowing that Josh had fallen in love with her before her proposition so it didn’t seem believable, and even more, I felt like the discovery that they should be together was somewhat rushed.

Gemma has had enough of her family trying to set her up and people of her small town pitying her for remaining unmarried and not having any prospects. She has always wanted a family of her own and realizes that she does not need to wait for a man to do so. She decides to try to have a baby and with none other than Josh Lewenthal, her brother's best friend, a person who has always been there in her life and whom she has considered a perfect person ever since her teenage days.

This book had my attention all through the end. I really liked it. The interaction between Josh and Gemma were pretty cute and they had good chemistry.💗
I liked the growth and realizations Gemma's character goes through and her overall development as a human.

It shows the journey of a couple going through IVF and it's difficulties and the toll it takes on women and relationships. Reading made realize how much I would love to have a baby or babies someday.🥰

I loved Josh💜. He is the perfect considerate and sarcastic boyfriend every girl wants. I liked how we slowly got to know him better with time. I really liked how his character is neither indifferent to her existence nor has he always been in love with her. It was a go-between, which was refreshing and more realistic.
I totally adored the cute illustrations through out the book.

This is a fast-paced, feel good, hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy, which totally deserves your time. So go read it!!♥️

I absolutely loved this book! Josh and Gemma are both such lovable characters. The concept of this book is something I have never read before and thats what I loved most about it. It was different than any other romance book with pregnancy book which makes it really stand out.

I received both an e-Arc and audio Arc of this book but chose to listen to the audio Arc which I absolutely enjoyed!! Erin Mallon was superb and she managed to bring the different characters to life without going overboard with changes in tone and voice modulation. She was so easy and breezy to listen to... her voice sounded like a breath of fresh air! The book too was good content wise. I had expected it to be a clichéd rom com about a single woman wanting to get pregnant but there are issues that are addressed here such as infertility, weight issues and judging people by their looks and way of living life.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC and the author Sarah Ready for both the Arcs.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a sweet, heartfelt, and at times an emotional read. This is the first book I've had the pleasure of reading from Sarah Ready and look forward to reading more based on this one. If you enjoy a cleaner romance then this one's for you!

I don't know, I just didn't connect with this book at all. Gemma's supposed loved ones were mean to her. She makes assumptions about Josh being a loser because he's living with his father. The office romance. Ugh. No.