Happy release day (25.01.2022)!!!

When I say that this book surprised me, I mean it. This is the first book I have read by the author, Sarah Ready, and it most definitely won't be the last! I'm not a big fan of pregnancy/baby tropes in books, however... I absolutely loved this book and enjoyed every second I spent reading it. I don't know what I expected when I started reading it, but I know for a fact that the last thing I expected was to be crying, giggling and kicking my feet.

Gemma! Oh, Gemma. A 32 year old, strong independent woman working in the big city for a self-help guru (Ian). She has given up on men (same girl), and decided that her New Years Resolution is to have a baby on her own - with the help of IVF. She is a divorcee and currently single, so is she going for an anonymous donor? Nope. There he is... Her BROTHERS BEST FRIEND (I screamed) of like twenty-something years, Josh. And the best part is, he agrees to be her donor. Now, WHY would her brothers best friend say yes to something like this? Let me tell you, when I found out I cried. And then I cried some more. And some more. (Definitely a good mix of happy and sad tears).

Oh, and I also loved her newfound friends. I think Sarah did an amazing job at giving us exactly what we needed from each character we meet in this book through the eyes of Gemma (the book is from Gemma's POV) - however, I would love to see even more of her friends and learn more about their struggles with marriage, fertility issues etc.

Let's just say that this book was an emotional rollercoaster, and I enjoyed it A LOT. I mean, who doesn't love a good slow burn, friends-to-lovers, brother's best friend romcom? That makes you laugh while also touching on some heavy, but very important topics. TW: Death of a parent, fertility issues, miscarriage, IVF.

It's a well written book, and all in all it gets a well deserved 4.5/5⭐ from me <3

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing, LLC for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book overall! I appreciated the way the author was able to approach a subject that is typically not talked about in our society that affects a lot of women and make it more approachable. I loved the way that Gemma saw Josh at the beginning and how things changed as the story went on. There were definitely some moments that moved the plot forward but felt unrealistic and those took me out of the story a bit. Overall, super cute story that helped shine a much needed light on a topic that is not discussed enough.

TW: Infertility, pregnancy loss, medical trauma

After a heartbreaking end to her first marriage and a decade of kissing frogs, Gemma has had enough. On New Year's Day, she calls off the search for Prince Charming and decides to make a family her own way, by having a baby. She just needs some help from IVF treatments, the women in her fertility support group, and her sperm donor, who happens to be her brother's best friend.

Of course, a number of complications stand in the way. There's her well-meaning, but hurtfully meddling mother who could give Bridget Jones's mum a run for her money. There's her handsome Tony Robbins-esque self help guru boss who is suddenly interested in her romantically. And there's the fact that even though she's picked Josh to be her sperm donor because she doesn't have feelings for him, she's finding that fact to be increasingly untrue.

This fast-paced story had plenty of laugh out loud and swoon-worthy moments in between serious issues of love, loss, and multiple kinds of grief. Gemma's family and friends, in particular, added a lot of humor in a way very reminiscent to a classic Helen Fielding chick lit story.

Gemma's character undergoes a lot of growth throughout the story, so be patient with her if you find yourself wanting to grab her by the shoulders and shake her from time to time.

As far as romantic prospects go, Josh is a dream. While I would have enjoyed even more on-page time with him, I loved every second he was on the page. For being a non-POV character, he proved to be dynamic and crushable.

As mentioned in my trigger warning, this story may be difficult for those experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss, depending on where you are in your journey. However, if you're looking for a story that doesn't shy away from heartache and treats it with a healthy dose of humor, this one is for you.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

**Book Review**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
Author: Sarah Ready

TW: IVF, pregnancy loss

I absolutely couldn’t put this book down and read it in two days. It was fast paced and so sweet, I loved Ready’s way with words and her writing style. I didn’t think it was possible to intertwine romance and pregnancy loss but I stand corrected. Some parts made me absolutely bawl with how Ready writes about Gemma’s feelings and some parts made me laugh out loud. I found myself wanting more by the time I finished it and I can’t wait to read more of Ready’s books..

Thank you Net Galley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and opinion.

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.

I just was not ready for all the feels this book has. The main characters are just perfect and seeing them realize they want what they want and just getting their HEA was lovely. I just want to re read this book immediately and that’s a sign of a good book to me.

Everybody says New Year's Resolutions are made to be broken, but Gemma is determined she will keep her's, she wants to have a baby. She just needs Josh Lewenthal's sperm.
Heartbreaking and funny, Ready created the right balance between the two for a very entertaining book that keeps going till you can't stop reading.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

If you are on the lookout for a typical romcom that goes exactly as you expected, this one is for you! This was a very fast pasted book for me with almost every trope in the world of romcoms! 3/5 because some of it was unrealistic which isn’t my thing but tons of people like unrealistic as an escapism. The parts about conceiving a baby and the struggle of doing it alternative ways are well written and thought out and was good rep for these people!

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a feel good story I didn't know I needed. I typically don't read books about pregnancy and babies because they quite honestly tend to be too Hallmark-y for me. This was not the case. This book had everything I wanted and then some. While a major plotline was Gemma having a baby, you also go to see Gemma and Josh grow as two adults who are still learning to navigate the big kid world. We see Gemma realize her true worth through her own lens, and not the lens of those around her. Gemma comes to realize her potential, her strengths, and what she actually wants in her life. Gemma starts to live for her and makes moves to be her most authentic self. While that's all fine and dandy, the best part of this book was how real Gemma's fertility journey was. Diagnosed with an extreme case of endometriosis, Gemma was told that she wouldn't ever have kids. Flash forward to Gemma's IVF journey and her struggles to conceive. Incomes Josh, the brothers best friend who was all too happy to help Gemma with her pregnancy journey. While the focus is mainly on Gemma, and written from her POV, you also have the pleasure of watching Josh become the man he truly wants to be. I couldn't recommend this book more. It's authentic, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and just so genuinely real. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby gets 5 stars from me.

***Book Review***
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book title: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
Author: Sarah Ready


I love Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. It was a cute romance. And it discusses a huge under discussed issue….infertility.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby tells the story about Gemma whose husband left her when he found out that she was not going to be able to give him children. But Gemma decides to handle the situation on her own and have IVF treatments to have a child. Instead of using a random sperm donor, she asks her brother’s best friend Josh. Josh been a constant for Gemma and her family for years.

During the IVF process Gemma joins a IVF support group and you get to hear other women’s struggle with infertility, inclusion IVF treatments and miscarriages.

What starts out a just a deal between Josh and Gemma to create a baby ends with Gemma realizing that she loves Josh…and discovering that he’s been in love with her for years.

Thanks to Netgalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to read Josh and Gemma Make a Baby in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked it so much, decided to buy the Kindle version so I could read again in the future. I would caution readers it does contain infertility and pregnancy loss. I would recommend book and author. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I finished with reading/listening this book and it's a solid romance!
It has tropes that I like (brother's best friend, friends to lovers) and it mentions some trigger warning scenes (grieving, IVF procedures). It's funny and it's seriouses and it's overall a nice read for long winter nights.
I got both kindle and audio version because life is busy and I really liked the narrators voice.

I liked Gemma's personality and her strong will and Josh is such a cutie too. I really enoted their story.

Thanks to Netgalley for receiving ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The concept of it is really good. I've never read a romantic comedy with such serious topics like miscarriage, IVF, etc. Falling in love with someone you picked to be your sperm donor. He's also your family's closest friend.

The highlights:
One POV
Brother's best friend
Slow burn
Love triangle

I liked it. I liked the quotes with each chapter. Some of the scenes made me laugh. Some of the characters were unlikable to me, especially her IVF group and her boss. The first half of the book was pretty slow to me. There were also some parts that were just too random and weird for me. Examples: the phone part and the waiting room boy toy part. It's a little unbelievable. The second half really made up for it. I really loved and was rooting for Josh and Gemma. They definitely have chemistry. The end made me cry.

I recommend this book. I noticed it says book 1. I'm excited for more books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Shift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC.

What starts off as an arrangement between Gemma and her brother's best friend Josh over time decides to morph into something else entirely. An agreement to have a child together is purely practical and transactional where messy feelings aren't needed, but someone forgot to tell these two. A fan of Sarah's books for her funny and unpredictable situations this definitely falls into that category.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

2.5
Tw: body shaming, divorce shaming, miscarriage, infertility, ivf

I think there need to be more authors that tackle the topics rarely seen in writing. And I really enjoy that this author stepped up to the plate. I just wish she had done a little more research.

Gemma is a 30 something divorcée who works for some a motivational speaker/guru. Josh is her brothers best friend, an extension of the family.

Gemma decides, after being shamed by her entire town about her divorce and infertility, that she wants to have a baby. And she decides to ask Josh to be her sperm donor just casually during a party.

Here’s the thing about reading: you have to suspend some bit of reality to get into the story. We all know that. Some genres more than others, obviously. I just found that book I had to *completely* suspend reality in order to be in it. I just didn’t find it believable— and I felt as though the author could have done a little more research into IVF.

I wasn’t a big fan of Gemma’s personality, or the side characters because they felt all a little cliche, but I found Josh to be sweet and that was one redeeming factor throughout the story.

However, I found there to be quite a bit of shaming from this author. Fat shaming. Divorce shaming. Alternative medicine shaming. Alternative career shaming. And maybe that soured the book for me.

Thanks #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

I requested Josh and Gemma Make A Baby on @NetGalley just last week in time for today’s pub day. I read this book in less than 24 hours and I could barely put it down! A very happy pub day to this gem of a romance by Sarah Ready!

Josh and Gemma Make A Baby follows Gemma who after being told she had lifelong infertility issues finds a Doctor who tells her that she may have a chance using IVF. She doesn’t want a random sperm donor though, and so she turns to her brother’s best friend, Josh Lewenthal. As Josh and Gemma navigate the IVF world together, it turns out that there might be something more to Josh than Gemma thought.

This book is the total rom-com package. It’s laugh out loud funny, has a cute romance, meddling family, and characters who are so easy to love. But it’s also much more than that as it deals with the serious issue of infertility. Yes, some things here happen more quickly than they would in real life with IVF access and treatments, but this story shines an honest look at the devastating effects of infertility and the difficulty that, as the authors note highlights, 1 in 8 couples has with infertility.

I adored this romance and I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!

I am so happy that I read this book! Gemma and Josh are such quirky and loveable characters. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby brings awareness to infertility and loss, and is one of the best rom-coms I’ve read in a while. I would definitely recommend this book and am hoping for a sequel! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

What a heartfelt and fun reading! I giggled so much and couldn’t stop rooting for the romance to really develop!

All the best romance tropes were included in this one (brother’s best friend is my fave!) and while being a funny romcom, with an impossible contract (a.k.a. making a baby as a busniess request haha), i was glad to see the IVF journey so detailed. Infertility is one of the topics not discussed enough in books, let alone romance book, so this was a positive experince!

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

A romantic comedy about IVF is a tall order, but I mostly think the book succeeds. It's certainly given me a lot of food for thought. The relationship between Josh and Gemma proceeds in a predictable but delightful way, and the background of fertility struggles is an interesting element. I appreciate that the title and cover make it extremely clear what's going to happen, as I know there have been other popular books about fertility struggles that upset readers due to a surprise miracle baby. Here, the heroine has endometriosis, goes through IVF with at least one unsuccessful round, and then ends the book in the second trimester of pregnancy (with, of course, the implication of a happily ever after!). She also joins an IVF support group, with women who have been trying for much longer than her. I appreciated the sense of community and the discussion of topics that are important to women but often don't come up in romance. I had some quibbles with the book, probably due to being very attuned to this topic. Insurance doesn't come up, which helps the book be light and escapist, but I wish there had been some reference to how prohibitively expensive fertility procedures can be. There is also a major scene in the book where Gemma's first round of IVF results in a pregnancy and she immediately celebrates and takes it for granted that she's "done" before learning a few days later it was a chemical pregnancy. There's a reason there's such a strong convention around women not sharing news of their pregnancy widely until further along, and it was surprising that Gemma was so naive and that her doctors did not educate her on the possibilities. Finally, her successful round of IVF and pregnancy takes place in the epilogue--essentially, it seems like once the emotional conflict is resolved, the fertility elements are just a bonus, which doesn't really fit with the rest of the book especially because there's a time jump between the IVF and her fourth month of pregnancy, when it could have been fulfilling to see her navigate the uncertainty of the first trimester and Josh to support her.

Ultimately I think this is an important book to serve as a conversation starter and cover topics that we don't see enough in romance, which is too often the land of the miracle baby. I look forward to seeing what others think!

Absolutely adored this story! Gemma took a bit to grow on me - she was cringy, awkward, and unlikable at times, but by the end I loved her character. Josh is ideal book boyfriend material *chefs kiss*. He was so sweet and supportive even when Gemma was unkind to him. I loved watching their relationship develop and grow. I also liked how it touched on real-life struggles (IVF). A must read if you enjoy romcoms.