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.

I absolutely love this book and the way it explores infertility. Often, books have unpredictable pregnancies and it's nice to see struggles we actually have. It has adorable tropes and is such an easy read. I can't wait for the physical copy!

This book was an enjoyable read. The best way I can think of to describe it is a Netflix romantic comedy turned into a book. It would not surprise me at all if this was one day turned into a movie for a streaming service. It explores infertility issues in a sensitive way, has a sweet friends to lovers trope, and has a likable if predictable heroine.

If you're looking for a light weekend read, this would very likely fit the bill.

I liked it. It has unexpected story line. Both the main characters are likeable and blooming of their love was so sweet.

I liked Josh so much to the point that it seemed weird how indifferent Gemma was toward him. How she described him as a house plant, always their but not noticeable. Or it was that she dissmissed him from the beginning, painting an unlikeable image of him in her head, or maybe she was afraid of liking him!

The point is I liked it, I enjoyed reading it and now I want to read more of Sarah Ready's books.

I wasn't too sure about this book when I first saw it, but I am SO glad I read it! Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a funny, heartfelt story about a single woman suffering from infertility, and her brother's best friend whom she asks to be her donor. She's known him for most of her life, but as she tells us, he's always been kind of like a "houseplant." This book had me laughing, crying, and everything in-between.
Josh and Gemma is a perfect light read rom com. Even though it does deal with some heavy topics (TW for infertility, miscarriage, and parent loss), there are some hilarious scenes that bring a lot of levity to it, and it is still dealt with in a serious and respectful way. The plot unfolds nicely and is easy to follow, and most of the characters are very enjoyable. I loved the women in Gemma's infertility support group and seeing their friendship grow. I did think the conflict that happened between her and them was a little out of left field and not exactly believable, but the rest of the book was so good I can forgive that.
I liked Gemma's character, but had a few issues with how other characters dealt with her. I loved that she did not have the "perfect body," but there seemed to be quite a bit of body shaming in there that she just accepted, and it wasn't really addressed until a small scene in the end. I'm glad that she finally stood up to her toxic mother, but I felt like it could have been addressed more and earlier on. However, that was also part of her character growth, so I understand.
Josh was an extremely likeable character. His major flaw is that he either treats everything as a joke or just lets it roll off his back instead of speaking up, which can tend to drive me crazy in books. Of course, they would be over way too soon if characters just came out and said what they were really feeling. :)
Another thing I liked about the book was that the chapters were actually named. Gemma works for a motivational guru, and each chapter name was a motivational quote that fit in perfectly with what happens in the chapter. Although all the quotes throughout the book used in the actual story were a bit cheesy, this was still a nice touch that I appreciated.
If this sounds like a book you might enjoy but you are on the fence about it, I highly recommend you give it a try!

I LOVED this. I'm such a sucker for a romance that has real heart to it and some genuine emotional depth, and Sarah Ready just absolutely nailed it. Gemma and Josh are incredibly compelling and easy to root for, watching them open up and their journey together was very sweet. A bit cliche at times, but that's to be expected. Overall I'd recommend this and will likely reread it when I need something sweet and cozy.

*CW: infertility, IVF, miscarriage, death of a parent


The fact that I willingly read and actually enjoyed a friends to lovers romance, I—


Not gonna lie, I was mostly attracted to this one because a lot of reviews mentioned that this book made them cry and so I was sold. Did I cry? WELL.


I didn’t know what to expect with this book, but I’m so pleased to have enjoyed it as much as I did! I will say that some parts were a bit silly(?), the kind I didn’t necessarily think were funny but pushed through (lol) and I also don’t know much about IVF and the entire process myself, so definitely don’t take my word on that experience and how well (or not well?) the author wrote it.

Gemma and Josh, however, completely stole my heart and excuse me for being giddy as HECK near the end as I am a huge “comic book nerd” and my heart was a mess!!! Agh, I wish I knew more about these two and where they are now, and I think that just speaks to how much I enjoyed them and this story!


And ok yes, yes I did cry.

I loved this book! Josh and Gemma were great characters! They had depth, were looking for meaning in life, had both been through a hard time and were coming out the other side. They were the kind of characters you root for and hope to do well! I loved watching their journey to love and I loved that it started from a young age. I feel better for having read this book. Amazing!

ARC kindly provided by Netgalley for an honest review!

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a great novel, very reminiscent of Bridget Jones's Diary in places. Some of the story was a bit far-fetched and could see some plot twists were a bit obvious, but still a really enjoyable read.

This was a fun romantic comedy with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The boy toy bit was fun and brought levity to the book. Some parts were predictable and I found Gemma a bit annoying at times, but overall it'll bring a smile to your face.

Gemma is 32, divorced and is unable to get pregnant naturally without medical help. She is also single.

One New Year's wish turns to an adventure as Gemma makes the decision to have IVF as a single mother but she has a problem- she needs a sperm donor. Gemma sets her sights on Josh (her brothers best friend, and the boy she lost her virginity too), can she convince him?

If you love Bridget Jones Diary, you will love this fast paced rom-com. This story is a great mixture of Bridget Jones mixed with Sex and the City.

I love a rom-com, and this book did not disappoint. There are times when I laughed out loud and also times I got choked up. The writing of Sarah Ready flows naturally and I was able to follow the story with ease.

There are triggers in the book of serious matters such as infertility and miscarriage, however Sarah does cover this tactfully and is able to capture the raw emotion of what some women have gone through and I find this relatable.

Overall, it was a roller coaster of emotions and the story itself takes many twists and turns. I really enjoyed this story, it was a welcomed pick me up after the Christmas Holidays.