This was definitely a read that I enjoyed thoroughly! The characters had such development that really brought you in to see who they really are. With their quirks and mannerisms it was hard not to see them as real people and think you are just seeing everything as their friend from a single point of view.

Sarah Ready is one of my absolute favorite authors and I am so glad I got the opportunity to listen and read to this beauty. This was one of the books that played like a movie in my head as I read it, and listened. This was a tandem read with audio and e-book, and the audio was phenomenal. I really liked the narrator and what she had to author.

I honestly don't think that I could have loved this book more! I am so beyond excited to be able to continue with this story line in the upcoming release!

I absolutely loved this book! Sometimes all you need for a little pick-me-up is a chick lit read, and this hit the spot perfectly. The premise was great (two people having a baby together for the sole intention of having a baby, sans romance), and Sarah Ready delivered it well. The main protagonists were both very likeable, and the way the story was written made me feel very invested in the outcome. I'll definitely be looking out for more books by Ready in future.

I absolutely enjoyed this rom-com. I was captivated immediately and couldn’t put it down. It was funny, and, at times, heartbreaking. Gemma was flawed yet relatable and Josh had me swooning. I adored the quotes and illustrations throughout and felt that the storyline was unique and refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for my review copy.

This was the first romance that I’ve read after a long term break. Why? I don’t know. I’ve been reading so many romances that they seemed the same after a while so I laid back on the genre even though it’s one of my favorites. But then I read the synopsis for this story and it checked almost all my perfect romance boxes and there we go.

Even though this might’ve classified as friends to lovers, I don’t think it really truly is. While that’s one of my most favorite romance tropes-and one of the reasons why I picked up this book- Josh and Gemma weren’t friends to begin with. There were more acquaintances through their families. Josh and his dad have always been around for Gemma’s family, and except for a little fling back when they were teenagers, Josh became only Gemma’s brother’s best friend for years. They haven’t kept in touch enough to warrant for this to be a friends to lovers story.

The story is really cute, that’s for sure. It’s also funny. There were some parts where it made me laugh out loud. Also, there were some emotional stuff going on too, that may or may not have made me cry. The romance was cute, some scenes between the hero and the heroine sexy, some I couldn’t decide what to feel for. It was easy to figure out some of the things in the story, so easy in fact, I doubt the author meant for them to be a twist in the end but who knows. But in the end, this was an easily read, cute romance between two people who decide to have a baby first, and fall in love later.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5
Tropes - romcom, Brother best friend, planned baby?/IVF

This was a really cute romcom that I read very quickly. There were lots of laugh out loud moments that I loved, there is loads of banter and cute cheesy moments.

This was okay, i never really felt the romance angle from Josh but he seem like a nice guy. Just seemed to happen a bit slow then super fast.

Note: I received a NETGALLEY ARC AND AUDIO in exchange for an honest review.

Note 1B: I will not be reviewing Josh and Gemma the second time around - because this novel was barely enough to stomach. Same goes for the audio.

Note 2: This is a duet for now. This is the first novel. Josh and Gemma the second time around, releases Jan 26th 2023.

Triggers: ivf failure, miscarriages, bodyshaming, infidelity, pregnancy mishaps, death.

What can I say about this atrocious novel that won't make me wish for it's self combustion even more?

Honestly. I expected a lot more from this novel.

Considering one - it's a sarah ready novel - and I loved her previous novels. Two, it touches on sensitive issues like pregnancies and other crucial situations that happen to women/transwomen,intersex etc. Three - because the title was damn hilarious.

Did I get any of the above remarks right from this novel - Answer no.

This novel was so atrocious and horrible and gosh darn I expected better - that I cannot, cannot put a positive spin on it even if I wanted to.

Gemma for one sucked as a character - she was a doormat to everyone who mistreated her - family, relationships. But was a selfish, judgemental bitch to those who cared - Josh, her IVF group friends. Plus such a hot mess and disorganised and ignorant - like she could've adopted a kid, she could've done it with an anonymous donor, so many other ways to have a kid. Her personal life was such a mess - that it made me have sheer headaches and of oh god when is this going to end? Newsflash it didn't end sooner.

And also she wanted to have a kid with a familiar face - let's just get one thing clear - Josh is not a familiar face - she had a hookup with him one time, and that was it. Otherwise all they did was say hello at family functions. Having a kid with someone familiar means, asking someone from your own family, a close friend - not an almost perfect stranger - like Josh was. So yeah sorry but the first half of the plot was completely absurd. More on how the second half of the plot went to shit later.

Secondly - Josh was pathetic. That was it. He reminded me of Ross from friends - yes I hated friends, sue me- the way he keeps pining over Gemma and never tries to solve the backstabbing that happens to him from someone else, ages ago. It's pathetic. And it made the romance even more unbelievable when she finally acknowledges everything that he does for her. His overly charming behaviour also tended to get on my nerves at times.

Plus he said no to her - when she asks him initially - but then on a sudden 360 twist - he agrees to be her donor friend. Like what the hell? Where is the consistency here? It all seems to have vanished somewhere. And also a vibrating iphone? WTF? God...I needed more bleach for that scene than ever.

The other characters sucked as well - they are all judgemental, superficial, and suck in growth, until towards the end. Like I get this was also a bit of self discovery, but my god were they caught up in their vain problems so much and being pregnant for the stupidest reasons imaginable. I couldn't tolerate it. Plus her family is irredeemable - and she lets them use her for no reason, for no actual caring oh wow, awesome no worries reason. Instead they humiliate her (reference to triggers), and she STILL HELPS THEM!

The romance was unbelievable - no development, no slow burn, no nothing. All she does is date losers, then one day like Isaac Newton gets hit on the head with the knowledge Josh likes her, loves her. That's it. That's the origin of the story. They're both losers, and Gemma deserves Josh, who is also pathetic. I honestly thought they were better off as friends. That is all.

Her pregnancy issues - are never addressed. She never considers adoption, no anonymous donor, no surrogacy, no nothing. Sigh. All she does is whine about asking Josh to be her donor, you'd think a woman who can run a company successfully for her boss could also run her personal life, but cannot, ladies and gents. Her pregnancy issues are not taken seriously, not even by her. So really, this is dangerous for women who read this novel, if they do, and think it's okay to be this thoughtless, uncaring, and robotic in the name of a miscarriage, ivf problem, etc.

Overall, this novel was a complete disaster, even with the half sweet ending.

Nothing sold me on this story, everything was terrible. The character development especially hurt, because wow, I dared expect better from the protagonists themselves. And the romance too. Sigh. Plus touching on the heavy topics. Completely glazed over, no care whatsoever.

Wow, you really disappointed me, Sarah Ready. I hope you know that, with this mess of a novel.

Gosh.

I really enjoyed reading this one! I honestly didn't expect the heavy theme throughout but it was the perfect complement to the cute romance. Although the cheesy quotes/sayings were a little much at times, I am definitely looking forward to the sequel and see these two as parents.

I loved this book so much!! It had be laughing out loud numerous times. It was just the right type of read for the end of the year and to pull me out of a book slump,

I loved this book! I thought it was a unique take on a love story. Definitely looking forward to reading more from Sarah Ready,

I'm one of those readers who loves pregnancy trope. What makes this book unique is that they planned it hahahaha because mostly the pregnancy trope used the sudden pregnancy like how?

This is a cute book. I so much laugh with the characters humor. Thank you for the humorous author. If you want to read something light, give this a try. Cannot critize it content because it serves its purpose. As it is a rom-com then I must laugh right? Anyway, a good read especially when you don't have so much time to read a heavy plot.

I've seen this get mixed reviews, so I was a little wary especially considering I don't really like romance novels where the heroine gets pregnant. But this was lovely. Sarah Ready handles the topic of infertility with care, and the romance was sweet.

Josh and Gemma are really really cute. This story had more cuteness than smut and I don’t know whether I love or hate that 😄
BUT i love that Gemma is a flawed character and I love how their love comes to life. It was also nice that this wasn’t a “I’ve loved you all my life” trope. I really like that.
Overall a nice, cute love story with a well portrayed exploration of fertility issues and the strains they puts on relationships.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Bit of a slow start for me with this one but overall I really enjoyed seeing Josh and Gemma’s journey! Gemma was also hilarious 🤣

I absolutely loved Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready. It was such a cute read and, despite making me scream from frustration, I felt for Gemma. While I loved watching Gemma grow throughout the book (and slowly figuring out how blind she had been), any scene with Josh Lewenthal was the absolute highlight of the book.

My only qualm was the cringe I felt at the end of the book.

I really really enjoyed this. I loved Josh and Gemma and whilst the storyline was very predictable at times, it was such a nice easy read. I was thoroughly captivated and moved by the storyline and I was rooting for them. Some sections were emotional and I imagine could be both very relatable and very triggering depending on people’s own personal journeys to parenthood.

I did find it a little jarring that it was so similar to a couple of chick flicks I’ve watched with certain scenes / plot developments but I tried my best to look past that.

All in all, this was an excellent read and once I finally got to it, I devoured it! 4.5 stars for me!

I had this one on my @netgalley shelf and decided to pick it up and I couldn’t put it back down. I loved it. It made me laugh and it made me cry. It covers a tough subject for many in a beautiful, informative, sensitive way. They were two characters I was just rooting for constantly and I think everyone deserves a Josh in their life! This is a book I want to see on screen! It was just brilliant! I cannot wait for the next instalment!

I don't remember much about the story tbh except that the female character wants a baby. She is divorced and not planning to date. Then she considered IVF, the problem is she needs a willing sperm donor with no-string attached and that is Josh Lewental, her brother’s best friend and the boy who took her virginity. It has the same vibes as Jane the virgin which I kind of enjoy. However, Gemma was judgemental but at the end it was good that she had a character development. The couple was extremely funny. Overall, this book was fun and unique! There will be a second book which will be available on January 26, 2023.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready is a fun little Romcom that I just didn't want to stop reading. Gemma is divorced, single, has a job she loves and only wants one thing...a baby. Because of her endometriosis she has to do IVF and needs a donor. In comes her childhood crush and her brother's best friend, Josh. This book is about her journey attempting to get pregnant, dating and friendships found along the way. This book and it's characters are very relatable and likeable. I found myself laughing, crying and cheering as I read Gemma's journey. I would say there may be a few triggers for some such as IVF, miscarriage, and death of a loved one. Overall I found this book quite enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good Romcom.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read