I loved this!! It made me laugh and it made me cry. It was both sweet and heart-wrenching at times. I will be reading more books by Sarah Ready. One of the best romance novels I've read in a while.

Sarah Ready's Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a beautifully written, emotional tale. Gemma Jacobs is thirty years old, divorced, and has fertility issues. Deciding that her single status will probably remain as such for a long time, Gemma decides she wants to have a baby. Enter Josh Lewenthal, the boy she fantasized about as a teen and has always been in her life, albeit in the periphery. Gemma decides Josh is the perfect donor candidate to use for her IVF treatment, but will they be able to maintain an emotionless, business-like agreement throughout the process?

This story was so emotionally rich. Gemma's struggles with her infertility and the IVF process are expressed so well the reader has no choice but to empathize with her and feel her highs and lows. Gemma and Josh's evolving relationship with me smiling and laughing at their jokes and adventures.

What I think made this book so wonderful was that at it's core, it is about having love to give and wanting love in return, whether that comes from a baby, friends, family members, or a partner. It also explores matters of our own feelings of worthiness and if we need to look within ourselves and make changes to earn that love. These are definitely feelings that I believe everyone can identify with. Because of this, I would highly recommned this book to anyone who has ever longed for love, or for someone to give their love to.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. I really loved this book. I read this in one sitting. I could not put it down! Now while I have zero experience with pregnancy or IVF, I can't judge whether this was accurately described. But I did like how there were multiple characters who were all going through the same thing Gemma was and their experience was shown a little differently. I also really enjoyed that while this was in single POV we still got to know Josh very well, I find that's hard to do. I normally love dual POV but for this story single POV worked very well. I loved Josh! I thought he was so sweet and his little drawings throughout the book were adorable! There were so many parts were I found myself laughing out loud. This was overall so enjoyable to read! I laughed, I cried, I laughed and cried some more.

I had all the feels with this beautiful read and am happy to have read it. 🥰

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that both made me laugh and tear up. The emotions in this book were raw - the anxiety, the frustration, the yearning, and the wishful thinking.

⚠️ Trigger warning for anyone struggling with infertility and/ or trying to get pregnant.

But there were a lot of unforgettable and funny moments, too, that helped move the story along and lighten the heavy theme.

🌺 I will never look at a Georgia O’Keeffe flower painting the same way again.
🥣 I will probably always think of this book at the mention of lime Jell-O salad.

Gemma makes some unforgettable friends at the Infertility support group her doctor recommended; Brooke, the chain-smoking lawyer with a hard shell; Hannah, the crystal-loving free spirit; and Carly, the ex-model, married a millionaire, influencer. While they each had their quirks, they were super encouraging and supportive of each other.

I’m also a sucker for the little sketches and quotes throughout the book - what a great touch! I loved the motivational quotes at the beginning of every chapter and how they intertwined with the storyline. Josh is a comic book writer in the story, so I imagine him drawing the sketches; whether that’s accurate or not, I’m not sure.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, and Sarah Ready for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Really enjoyable book. I loved Josh and appreciated that the book dealt with the struggles of infertility and ivf. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone looking for quick relaxing rom com that still deals with serious topics.

Arc provided by NetGalley

Oh man! I absolutely loved this!! It gave me all the feels. I could personally relate to Gemma and her battles with infertility, which probably made me enjoy this even more. Josh was absolutely the sweetest guy right in front of Gemma the whole time. I knew he had loved her forever, but the fact his comic was about her was the icing on the cake. I had goofy smiles throughout! I listened to the audiobook and followed along with the egalley. The audiobook was so good! The narrator was absolutely perfect!! Highly recommend!!

*Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing and @netgalley for the audiobook and egalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was so cute ! I totally got rom com feelings the whole time ! I love how realistic this story is with IVF and infertility. But still has a soft side with Gemma being hilarious! This story had me feeling every emotion. I loved it

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD

What I loved:
- BOY FALLS FIRST
- brothers best friend
- friends to lovers
- character growth and development of Gemma
- THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS BOOK
-slow burn

What I didn't love:
- The way Gemma treated Josh made my heart break for Josh, he was so sweet and attentive to her.

Trigger Warnings:
- infertility

Overall this book gets a 5/5, it was brilliant, funny, the bantering was so cute and it reminded me of a Mariana Zapata book, I was rooting for everyone in this book, I will be reading this again and again and again.

This felt like a wattpad story. All of the characters were acting very judgmental, there was a shaming/judgmental quote almost every chapter that I read. The whole beginning with her boss made me so uncomfortable. Their bonding happens off page and the IVF thing that she confessed to him got resolved without any questions by him, just a quote and a scene changed. The constant inspirational quotes between the scene changes kept taking me out of the story and didn't really serve any purpose. All of the characters felt shallow and they felt like caricatures of popular romance protagonists. DNF.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If you think that this book is going to be amazing, let me tell you, you're wrong, it's even better!! I went into this blind but it turned out to be one of my favorite reads this year! It's a brother's best friend romance, with secret pinning and second chance, honestly so full of feelings!! After a failed marriage, Gemma decided that she wants a child via insemination and in enter the bother's best friend, Josh. Mark my words, you have to read this!!!!

Thank you Net Galley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did have fun with this book while reading it, but the more I think about it the less I like it. This was a warm, fluffy romance which unfortunately was let down by the main character of Gemma being irritating, judgemental, and generally a bit unpleasant to read the perspective of. She felt like a version of the ‘not like other girls’ cliche in that she’s “chubby”, addicted to lime flavoured things, and seems to solely wear sweater dresses, but in the end these traits don’t lead to her feeling like a real person. What tipped me over the edge into disliking Gemma’s character is how she is outright rude and unkind to her friends in the third act, and despite apologising for this outburst later I felt that the personal growth between these two instances felt rushed and insincere.

A lot of the storytelling felt quite rushed, and I felt like potentially major plot points such as Gemma’s divorce and the illness and death of a main character’s parent are barely touched upon. I would’ve appreciated a bit more focus on how these major events have impacted the characters, though I think I would’ve been fine with these omissions if the characters had just been given depth in other ways instead!

The main redeeming feature of this book for me was Josh, who fulfils the role of secretly yearning love interest perfectly. I wish he was featured more, as he was hands down the most enjoyable character, and I felt like there were portions of the book where I was just waiting for his next scene.

I did appreciate how this book tackles themes of infertility, and the representation for people with endometriosis. However, one gripe I had with this is that 3 out of the 4 members of her IVF support group become pregnant within 1 year of each other. Although I know it’s mentioned that the members have all gone through more than one cycle of IVF, I still felt this is a fairly unlikely outcome and is quite a rose-tinted view of how long IVF can really take. Obviously I know it’s a romance novel so a HEA is needed, but I still would’ve appreciated a bit more realism in terms of how hard IVF can really be?

Also, what was with the constant fat-shaming and divorce-shaming coming from (seemingly) her entire hometown??? What is so unusual about a divorced woman in her early thirties? And is she even fat?

I get why some people love this one, it's just really not for me and that's okay!

This book was pretty fun but all over the place. The pregnancy trope isn't for everyone and I'm not even sure if it was even for this book. Josh, one of the titular characters, is hardly in the book and all Gemma did was confuse me. She was your signature "I'm different and wear weird clothes that no one understands" lead that romantic comedies overuse and while it's supposed to be perceived as quirky, you just end up being indifferent or confused. This book is brother's best friend, kind of sort of fake dating in terms of Gemma needing Josh on this journey with her but there are so many things going on that I never felt like there was a consistent storyline. This book was a quick finish but I could not tell you what was really going on in this book most of the time as I could not understand Gemma's motives and you only get tidbits of Josh, despite him being the love interest. It was, on all accounts, okay.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is by no means, a book one can simply read and forget about. It is heartwarming, stays with you, and leaves a lasting imprint.

Reading the blurb, I wasn't really expecting much. All I got from it was that it would almost be like a business transaction between Gemma and Josh... but to produce a baby - which it was in essence. But it was also a massive understatement. Because in no way was I ever expecting the straight up BEAUTIFUL undertones of this book. This is the first book I have read from Sarah Ready, and she immediately made me become a fan.

This book is honestly so unique, in the sense of the material that she touches upon. The maturity with which she tackles difficult and almost "taboo" topics is to be admired. Whilst she takes on endometriosis, infertility, and fat-shaming (and it's by no means a simple, light-hearted read), she adds undertones of fresh humor throughout - not only making it more enjoyable to read, but also giving me a chance to wipe my tears and to smile at the events unfolding in the story. I also found it quite unique in that the romance was by no means the main storyline in the entire book - but it was something that came about organically as the result of the main storyline.

I personally loved all the characters, from Gemma and Josh to other members of Gemma's infertility group. It was heartwarming reading about the friendship they cultivated and the bond they shared from their experiences, to the point that it really seemed as though they had been close friends for a lifetime. Whilst I found Gemma quite judgmental (and for that reason, a bit annoying) at first, she definitely did develop as a character by the end - something that I am genuinely grateful for because there's nothing worse than reading a book with an unlikeable main character. Moving on to Josh - he was wholesome, pure, and just so precious. He honestly has the kindest heart, and like Gemma, he's a character with a massive heart filled with a lot of love to give. I LOVED the unrequited love, and second chance romance tropes that shone through in this book, and the depth of the love Josh had for Gemma.

It was truly a beautiful read.

TW: References to endometriosis, infertility, and miscarriage

Okay folks, strap in because we have quite a review today.
I love romance. I’ve read a lot of it and thus already know what I’m looking for in a book. Maybe I would have tolerated this book a year ago, but now… not so much.

Gemma
I haven’t wanted to jump into a book to punch a main character in so long, it was actually quite refreshing (that was sarcasm). I genuinely cannot wrap my head around the fact that Josh liked her for YEARS. What did he see in her?!
When Josh goes back home to take care of his dying father, Gemma criticizes him for “ruining his life”. When she discovers she’s pregnant, she turns on her friends in the fertility support group and insults them. Gemma was rude, judgmental, and completely oblivious to the destruction of her personal relationships. She made the book absolutely unbearable.
Josh
Boy, did he deserve better. Gemma offered zero support when he needed her most. His true character was barely explored due to Gemma’s selfishness and he had to withstand the main character’s often harsh words. Honestly I just felt bad for him.
Josh and Gemma
Someone tell me where the chemistry was, because I can’t find it. Again I don’t see a single likable thing Josh saw in Gemma. Their jokes never made me laugh, their quirky situations only made me cringe, and their lack of communication made me feel drawn to committing arson. This book was only entertaining because it was like a car accident I couldn’t look away from.
Other Points
Every single character lacked depth and personality. Everything in this book felt so rushed or overdramatic. There are much better romances, and this book just doesn’t compare.

I must add that the last 10% wasn’t that bad, but it doesn’t make up for all that occurred before the main character realized that she’s actually really crappy to the people that care about her. Alright, I’m wiping my hands clean of this book.

First thing I am going to say is please add a bonus epilogue!! boy or girl?!?!

I actually enjoyed this book a lot more then i thought i would to be honest. I really enjoyed Josh's character and the dynamic with her, brook, hannah and Carly was great. I definitely shed some tears as well which i wasn't expecting!

I felt this book can resonate with a lot of people. It still has your happy ending romance book but with a lot of reality thrown in.

All and all i really enjoyed this book but i am hoping there is a bonus epilogue coming!!

Fun, easy read. It wasn’t what I expected and there were heavy topics woven together with lightness. I loved Josh and did wonder why Gemma doubted his feelings at all!

Thank you to WW Crown via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

I couldn't connect with Gemma. She is a person who assumes too much, and is a bit light in the head... I feel like she was the comic relief and not the main character.
Josh 10/10
dnf

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 though, that's when I began to struggle reading this book. I could point out unnecessary lines and actions from Gemma that bothered me. Sure, there were cute Josh and Gemma moments that I enjoyed but I found myself getting more annoyed at Gemma and her thoughts. I rarely give low ratings and I rarely don't like a book so this was a surprise for me. I really wanted to like it more.

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!

This book was so much fun! I love brothers best friend trope and adding in pregnancy to the mix made it even better. Just a really cute book but I had a hard time liking the female character because she was quite judgmental at times and it was frustrating to read that.

“You should always believe the universe is going to give you good things, because sooner or later, it will.”

Gemma is 32, divorced and trying to have a baby through IVF but instead of sperm donors, she wants to have it with her brother's best friend Josh. Because Josh has always been around, she's known him for twenty-four years, he's like a house plant, always in the periphery of her life.

Josh agrees, and the whole process kicks off just as Gemma's boss and guru Ian begins showing a romantic interest in Gemma.

It was fun, heartbreaking, warm, lovely story. The only thing I didn't like in this book is Gemma's judgmental nature.