If Bridget Jones had a baby with Pride and Prejudice and The Backup Plan, this book would be it. JAGMAB reads like the quintessential rom-com with the banter, cuteness, drama, smiles and heartbreak. It was easy to see the book play out in my mind as I read it, picturing Renee Zellweger as Gemma and Hugh Grant as Ian Fortune (if you’ve seen Bridget Jones, you’ll know why). Writing a rom-com book is tough because there is a sense of predictability that is difficult to evade. This book is predictable, however, I absolutely did not mind it and still found it enjoyable.

Gemma’s character is flawed, which can be irritating at times and hilarious at others. Her infatuation with lime jelly salad, I will never understand and do not wish to. There were also some scenes in the book that I could see playing out well in a movie but they didn’t translate well in the book. If I hear the term “Boy Toy” one more time, my brain may explode.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a light, cute and sometimes saucy romance book that makes it a perfect palette cleanser for all you rom-com lovers out there!

I like the blurb and decided to read this cutie.

Gemma is a 32-year-old childless widow, divorced as a result of infidelity. She learned that she could not have children at a doctor visit in her 20s. After she got divorced, she waited for the right person, but no one came. Gemma was like, 'Then why do you need someone to share my life? Let me find a donor, do IVF, and have a happily ever after with my child!' She knew exactly the right person for this job. This lucky person is his brother's best friend, Josh.

It was a good basis for a comedy. Well, it was fun, heartbreaking, warm, lovely story. Friendship, love, family, solidarity. It made my heart melt. The only thing I didn't like in this book is Gemma's childish behavior.

4 stars, well done!

5 stars

After a disaster of a first marriage and an endometriosis diagnosis, Gemma decides to take things into her own hands and seek fertility treatment. She believes her brother’s best friend Josh would be an ideal sperm donor but perhaps not for the reasons you may think…

Josh and Gemma make a baby was an absolute gem of a book. This felt like Bridget Jones with a little more depth. I had never heard of Sarah Ready but will definitely check out her other releases.

Not many books make my 5 star favourites shelf but this has got to be one of them. It’s also the first time an audiobook has hit the top spot for me.

Brilliantly written characters and narrative, told with laugh out loud humour and gut wrenching emotion combine to make this a perfect read.

I have to say the love scene was one of the most original ones I’ve read purely because it felt so real to me.

Ready was adept at showing the flaws of all her characters and it made it more realistic than your run of the mill romance. Several circumstances in this book were deeply personal to me and Ready handled the sensitive topics like endometriosis, fertility and death expertly.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced audio copy of this book.

Hold. My. Pizza. This is a fresh romcom that had me laughing in the waiting room at my dentist. I found myself rooting for Gemma through the triumphs and heartbreaking moments of the book. Ready presents a likable cast of characters that represents the diverse types of fertility issues. I highly recommend this book, but I especially recommend it if you are in a bit of a romcom rut and need something different.

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

✨Book Review✨
Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready
Pub Date: 25/01/2022 💗💗

I think I may have just read one of my favourite books of the year and i’m so happy about it!! EVERYTHING about this book gave me ALL the feels in every way possible and it even made me cry 😭😭 i couldn’t get enough of this book i was wanting more of josh and if gemma (defs not ian though iykyk 😂)

the plot of this book was so simple yet i have never read anything like it and the interactions between gemma and josh throughout the book were just phenomenal. i was laughing, crying and just LOVING them together and individually the whole time. the dynamics of all the relationships in the novel worked so well and were so entertaining. i was never once bored and due to it being a slow burn it had me begging for something to happen between them but that’s the kinda pain i love being in 😅😂

The friends to lovers & brothers best friend tropes got me good in this one! I feel like i’m a sucker for all romance tropes at this point and this book only proved that more. 💕🤩

I listened to both the audiobook and read the ebook and i loved both! Erin Mallon was a great narrator and I will definitely be looking for her name in the future.

Major TW for infertility & miscarriage as this was the basis of the entire book. There was infertility shaming and although this was hard to read I feel like it was done in a way that was realistic and made a clear statement on how shitty and insensitive people can be. The fat shaming was also dealt with in a similar way that made a firm statement on how much people can suck. I am curious to see what others think about how this was done so let me know if you have read it!!

I devoured this book and I really enjoyed it and think a lot of you would too!

✨ Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review ✨

This was my first Sarah Ready and I will be reading more. This book made me laugh, cry, and run around my room screaming. The plot line was amazing and unique when I first heard about this book I was intrigued about how it would progress but Sarah Ready killed it. Josh is just impossible not to fall in love with and Gemma is just this charismatic funny heroine and they make an amazing couple. Even if you do not like the pregnancy trope I still highly recommend this.

This was a really fun romance that takes a sensitive approach to the struggles of AFAB people who have issues with fertility. I really loved Gemma’s character development despite not liking her as a main character. I also really enjoyed Josh from start to finish and I loved the slow reveal of how he really felt for Gemma. The greater cast of characters were also really sweet and I hope there are other books to make this a series.

I really liked this book! I thought it was a cute story. Ready used classic tropes like brother’s best friend and even a little bit of a love triangle, but included a fresh new twist of wanting a baby and how that played into the mix.
I haven’t had any experience with IVF or fertility clinics, but I appreciated the way the author pulled in more characters to touch on others’ journeys with infertility.
The story got cuter and cuter and ended with some peak cuteness, but somehow remained grounded into enough reality that I wasn’t rolling my eyes at the ending.
4.25/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I haven’t made a fool of myself laughing out loud to a book in a long time but this book did it. The beginning is hysterical and ridiculous that you can’t help but keep reading. Josh is the sweetest man ever and Gemma was an idiot for not realizing it sooner. The infertility journey throughout the book is such a common occurrence and there is such a stigma there that women aren’t good enough, they aren’t woman enough, and are undesirable because they struggle to get pregnant. The treatment Gemma receives from the men in her life reflects those stigmas and I think [men in particular] really don’t care how another person feels about a “joke” as long as they find it funny. They string women along because they view them as weak or defenseless and as long as they end up “on top” in their own eyes (and in the eyes of a few) they’re still winning because they can play the ultimate trick: faking feelings and then degrading the other person for falling for it.
Josh was amazing, Gemma was annoying until she got over the quote thing, but that’s her redemption.

TW: fat-shaming, IVF and fertility issues, degrading men, and moms being interfering (and controlling at times) wackos

Wow wow wow. I truly had no expectations going into this book and it may be one of my favorite women's fictions novels of the year. This book is one of the most female foward, compassionate and insightful books ive read on a topic that can be really serious and anxiety provoking for some. Ready put all of my worries away and truly created a unique book about the struggles a woman goes through to be pregnant, find love, and find herself and how all of those things don't have to happen together and can happen on the woman's own terms. I loved Gemma and she may be my favorite lead character of 2022. A lot of her fears are fears that in having currently and I truly resonated with her on a level I wasn't expecting even if we are in different life stages. Josh as well is just perfect. He is the so supportive and understanding in a way a main character should be. I hope I find my Josh one day. Overall I couldn't not recommend this book more.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy

3.5 stars- “Josh and Gemma” was a sweet book, with plenty of humor but also real life situations handled well. Great characters, especially Gemma. Who couldn’t love her??? It had a few odd scenes but overall fun read! I will definitely read more by this author.

Gemma wants to have a baby and she enlists her brother’s best friend to help her out. As Gemma has been told she can’t have a baby without IVF she needs a sperm donor and decides Josh is the perfect candidate. The characters are likeable and the story flows well. This book has more depth than a normal romcom which was nice. I really liked this book and read it in one day!

I loved this book so much, I devoured it in a day! It was equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. It reminded me of the best parts I loved of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center.

I love how Gemma deals with so much but takes it all in stride and even finds humor in these situations. The comic relief is so perfectly placed not to take away from meaningful moments.

Josh was the best. I almost wish some chapters were from his perspective because Gemma could be so frustrating not seeing all these little hints he gave her about his feelings. Every time he smiled away a moment he was probably hurting it made me want to crawl into his head and get a moment from his perspective.

The IVF Support Group had a fantastic cast of characters and I’d love to see future books based on their relationships and IVF journeys! I think there was some hint of that possibility in this book ;)

I also really enjoyed Gemma's family, they are so quirky and entertaining.

I do wish there would have been more surprises throughout the story, I felt like a lot of the big moments we could see coming from a mile away, but the journey was so fun and hilarious you didn’t really mind that you knew it was coming.

Overall I thought it was a great book and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Fav quote
“Suddenly it hits me. Each of us, all the people in our lives, are like icebergs floating near each other. We only see the top of the icebergs, the faces we show the world , and the rest, all our inner lives and secret fears remain hidden underneath the surface.”

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this book, but I knew it would be fun. And it definitely was! I thought it was great having a character who relies on inspiring quotes; we all do that but we don't really talk about it. I also think it was really important to shed some light on how common infertility and miscarriages are. I loved the characters and the plot so much. It is definitely now one of my favorite contemporary romances.

I loved this book so much I read it one day! There’s several tropes going on here, best friends sister, friends(ish) to lovers, and a bit of unrequited love. However, there are several surprises thrown that made it unique. I loved Josh and Gemma, separately and together, but I wanted to throw things at them several times!! Such a good read!

Infertility/IVF is a significant theme throughout so I would avoid if this is a triggering subject.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a really lovely book. I enjoyed the characters humour, the relationships and the storyline. It was emotional to read, and almost made me cry on a train - but great book and I really hope Sarah writes a follow up!

This book was OK, but there were very glaring similarities with “Bridget Jones’ Diary” the movie and possibly the book, it’s been a while since I have read it. I spent the whole time trying to figure out if this was done on purpose as a shout-out because the author is a fan, or straight up just stealing plot points and situations that happened to Bridget Jones. I still can’t decide having finished the book, but I imagine the author would have mentioned something about Bridget Jones or Helen Fielding in the Acknowledgements section if this was the case.

I was also taken out of flow of the book multiple times by the use of British terminology that pretty much no New Yorker or American born person would ever use in regular conversation. Not sure if the author is British and just isn’t “up” on her Americanisms. Her website, author bios I looked at, and interviews don’t really shine light on that.

It was a cute story with a new take in the Romance genre, but I would have preferred some genuinely new situations and a plot line that didn’t replace Mark Darcy with Josh and Daniel Cleaver with Ian.

Now I’m gonna go eat some “mini gherkins” while nostalgically rewatching “Bridget Jones’ Diary”.

This book makes you feel every emotion in the corner of your heart, touches you and makes you happy, soul satisfied with her softness of humor and romance.

Gemma finds a way to make herself happy by having a baby through IVF. And Josh is the one who can help her by becoming her ideal donor. But she has to remind herself that he is nothing more than her donor. When the image Gemma makes of Josh starts to shatter. There is a change for feelings to attach that is the last thing she wants in a business-like relationship. And in all of this, Gemma only wants a family, feelings of care, and love, but she is not sure who to ask and where to find them.

The first part of the novel is laced with humor and attraction, while the second half is rich with pull emotions and sweet romance. I enjoy slow-burning romance, and it offers all of that, with the added bonus of longing. I am highly impressed by the author's writing about the struggle of IVF and society's mentality of infertile women. I'm a quote girl, and every chapter begins with words that are too simple and casual to mingle with the narrative and come back and forth yet don't overwhelm me.

Gemma's point of view is conveying, yet I feel like I know Josh more than I know her. Josh comes as a delightful surprise, too unique and entirely different from my imagination. I love him and every moment that I have in this book. Gemma had suffered at an early age because of her marriage. Gemma's reactions and reasoning were ruled by her insecurities which felt natural, grounded, as well as the impact of her past. And I really, really love Brook, Carly, and Hannah. If they're going to have their own books in the future, I am up for it.

Josh And Gemma Make a Baby was my debut read by Sarah Ready. I will undoubtedly read every book she writes now. As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few aspects I didn't like. Gemma's mother's behavior, for one, and not only her. I believe her entire family is responsible for her situation, directly or indirectly, and far too easily forgive in only one day. Otherwise, the ending was excellent with a HEA, and the characters' flaws remained. Despite the lack of intimate scenes, this novel manages to create an intense, tension-filled, and passionate romantic chemistry.

This book stood out to me because it talks about the issue of infertility and how complex of a topic it is while also highlighting the different journeys each person is that struggles with this issue. Like Gemma, you don't have to be in a relationship to want a baby. I absolutely loved Gemma's character and the development she had throughout the book. She wasn't a perfect person and she admitted her mistakes.
I am so glad I picked up this book because it was the perfect read for the weekend. It was fun, heartwarming, and so full of honesty that I felt very connected to the characters and their stories. I loved the support group that Sarah Ready set up for Gemma. This really set this book apart for me as I love the friendships that are in books but have not read many where the friendships take a big role in the main character's life.
I also loved how the relationship was formed throughout the book. Without spoiling, it was a very realistic look at adult relationships but had just enough romance book magic to leave you swooning for a Josh of your own.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to all friends and anybody who is looking to pick up a story of hope, growth, and perserverance.

The only suggestion I have is that although I love the cover, Gemma is described as curvy and plump but the cover shows a slim woman with a baby bump. I think it is important to properly represent characters on covers.

I enjoyed reading this book! It was perfectly balanced between being lighthearted and emotional. I alternated between reading it and listening to its audiobook and Erin Mallon did an amazing job narrating this book.

I adored several of the characters but, if somebody can send a Josh Lewenthal my way, that would be great. No lie, he made me swoon several times.

It’s very predictable (e.g. the New Year’s resolution, the quotes, the big and cringy romantic gesture) and there weren’t any twists that are shocking or new. But you know what? I didn’t need this book to be something new or mind-blowing because for me it was a book I had fun reading. It was easy to read and when I was listening to it, I was very much immersed.

The biggest flaw of this book? Everyone is so judgemental. Seriously. Except for Josh..or am I too biased and missed it? Naaah, definitely not Josh😌