DNF at 15% after being blindsided by a huge birth trauma/medical trauma plot twist. Major trigger warning for birth trauma, preeclampsia, eclampsia, brain injury, and medical trauma, and as a preeclampsia survivor I cannot continue with this book. And this is obviously going to be the premise for a lot of the relationship stuff going forward in this book. Obviously your mileage may vary with triggers, but, reader should at least be aware that this is a "wake up from a coma" style book.

Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very invested in this.
I really enjoyed reading Gemma and Josh's love re-develop.
I actually looked up if a TBI can cause someone to lose their emotions and was surprised to learn, it can. It was fascinating.
As much as I enjoyed reading this, I also felt like I was missing a bunch of important information by not having read the first book.
Especially when it comes to Gemma and Ian.
But, this was still great. Kind of like a twist on the amnesia trope.
I received an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is quite possibly the most unnecessary sequel that I have ever had the misfortune of reading.

Josh and Gemma are happy. Gemma’s finally pregnant and their wedding is approaching very quickly. When things suddenly flip and Josh and Gemma are left to battle a whirlwind of emotions and they have to relearn what love really and truly is.

The book was a giant Ian Fortune redemption arc. NOBODY WANTED THAT. When I saw that in the description of this book it said that this was a “highly anticipated sequel” I was skeptical. I couldn’t think of a single thing in the first book that called for a sequel. I ADORED Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, I couldn’t get enough of it. So even though I didn’t really want or expect a sequel I knew that I was going to read it. I ultimately wish that I hadn’t. It was miserable.

The entire concept of the book (a relationship having to overcome a traumatic brain injury leaving one of them unable to feel love) was interesting. I also think it was a subject that the author was unprepared to write about. From the get go, Gemma being “unable to feel” was complete and utter BS. Before she even realized that she wasn’t able to feel she was telling us how she was feeling. She was scared, she didn’t know where she was or her baby was. When she finally saw her baby she was upset when she realized her baby didn’t know her. And then we’re supposed to believe that she doesn’t still feel love for her baby? For Josh? The entire thing didn’t make sense. If she didn’t feel any love for Josh why would she even make it her mission to fall back in love with him so that he could be happy. THAT IS LOVE… I just didn’t really understand the point of saying she was numb when she so clearly wasn’t.

Now for Ian Fortune… I still do not care. I hate him. I don’t care about his traumatic backstory or his reasoning behind him being an overall shitty person. I DO NOT CARE. Nobody wanted a redemption arc for him so I am utterly confused as to why we got one. At times the romance seemed like it was between Gemma and Ian instead of Gemma and Josh. It was so annoying every time he showed up and I felt the book dragging on and on simply because he existed.

This book was unnecessary. Maybe I would think differently if it was a standalone and wasn’t cheaply piggybacking off of the popularity of Josh and Gemma, but sadly it was. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was extremely cute on its own. This sequel just ruined everything. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this if you are a fan of the first book.

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

this book was kind of disappointing i expected some sort of separation but then having all that miscommunication at the end was annoying especially because they had like no scenes together and barely worked on their relationship or with the baby it was a bit of a let down

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fun book! Characters are still likeable. Not sure how I feel about it overall yet.

I haven’t read the first book so I just met Josh and Gemma. They are in love, about to get married, and almost having a baby.

What Gemma tells herself is stress and fatigue are more than simple headaches. And we have her collapsing in the middle of the wedding. The worst of it is waking up and learning that months have passed - she was in a coma and her daughter is growing up without her. That and when she notices that she can’t feel like she used to.

This book is wonderful!

We have two characters relearning to love each other as Gemma is not the same as before the coma. Every couple has to do this gradually as all of us change with time. In their case, this was much more sudden, and, even with all the change, will they be able to keep loving each other and stay together?

But that’s not all. Gemma is helping someone she hated before, Ian Fortune, to be a better person while he’s making her feel - it’s not love, don’t worry, it’s lots of anger, rage, and frustration. Will they be able to turn all those bad and mean moments into good ones? Will Ian stop being someone Gemma hates and be able to become friends?

I’m so glad I requested this book! You won’t regret reading it!

Just keep in mind two things while you read this story:
- As long as there is a sky above, Josh will love Gemma;
- And everything is better the second time around!

4.5*

Josh and Gemma made a baby, and now they are about to get married. Gemma hasn’t been feeling well for days, but chalked it up to excitement and nerves. Apparently their hippie-dippie hypo-birthing class instructor–who in a moment of getting real has the foresight to warn the assembled couples that everything is going to change–fails to mention warning signs of pre-eclampsia. Gemma passes out in the new gazebo in her parent’s backyard on the verge of saying her vows. Josh’s voice begging her not to leave him is the last thing she hears. She comes to three months later.

After her sensory-deprivation coma, Gemma is super-sensitive to sound, light, and people. Her short-term memory is shot and she can no longer multitask. Down 30 pounds, she’s lost her bangin’ curves–and her ability to feel emotion. According to her doctor, that’s not abnormal, and while some things lost may return over time, here’s another reminder that everything changes, and she should prepare for a new normal. The medical details and recovery are accurate.

Oh, and Gemma’s never even met her daughter Hope. It’s a lot to bounce back from. Josh, on location for the filming of the sitcom based on his popular webcomic Grim and Jewlie (based on their relationship), isn’t even on the same coast when she opens her eyes, and his relief is tempered by her admission she doesn’t think she loves him anymore. She doesn’t feel anything. He’s determined to make it work, and while it’s what Gemma wants too, there’s a lot of fear, and a lot of doubt from friends and family that their relationship could continue. To complicate matters, her old boss Ian, who is now the most hated man in America, shows up in her rehabilitation center, where he claims to be a volunteer, now that’s he’s out of a job. He is a self-centered jerk, and must have been so much fun to write; it’s certainly a joy disliking him, but like all of the characters, he, too, is multi-faceted.

Gemma’s description of glimpses of the light she’s lost, the stars that shine through, and her journey to find the sun again is damn poetic. I found a few issues, like repetitive descriptions and word usages, that closer editing might have caught. The drama high but realistic: I wasn’t sure they would actually make it through, and I wasn’t sure that Ian wasn’t a figment of Gemma’s imagination at first (honestly, I was hoping the whole thing was just another stress-induced nightmare.)

Ready writes with both dark humor and optimism, a healthy dose of realism and a lot of hope (and not quite enough Hope!). Gemma works through her trauma, and helps heal Josh’s and Ian’s as well. Like in the first book, quotes precede each chapter. This is an incredibly satisfying sequel that I devoured in one sitting.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #JoshAndGemmaTheSecondTimeAround from #NetGalley.

This book surprised me, I didn’t think that it would move in the direction the way it did. But I enjoyed it nonetheless!!

I was completely surprised to see this sequel as I hadn’t heard it was coming out and the first one is one of my absolute favorite books! I listened to the audio version and the narrator was wonderful as always. The storyline was so good! I didn’t even read the synopsis when I requested it so I went into it not knowing what to expect. The story was full of laughs, drama, emotion and everything in between. I loved it just as much as the first one!!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.

I did enjoy this book but it was just not as good as the first one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

It's a 2.5 for me, I really wasn't into that story at all - the first book made me cry and feel all the feels and it really would have been better as a standalone. This sequel felt forced, like making them fall apart just so they could get back together was necessary to make their love story more "realistic" (which for the record, it wasn't, since the first one included enough hardships as it was). I kept putting this book away and forcing myself to come back, because it just did not flow, kind of as if another author wrote it or something. If anyone loved the first book as much as I did, I'd recommend skipping this one.

3 stars ☆ I liked the first book from this series and when I saw that there's a sequel of it, I need to read more about them.

This was an okay book, I liked it cause I get to read about them again but for me, a sequel isn't needed. I enjoyed most parts of it but at the same time I felt like it's been dragged on where I've started to lose interest. A quick and good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC !!

I listened to the audiobook version during my commute and read the digital copy simultaneously. I love Sarah Ready’s writing style, and I was a big fan of Josh and Gemma Make A Baby. The author definitely makes the reader fall in love with them as a couple.

I enjoyed reading Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around, but I felt as if too much focus was on the redemption arc and not enough on Josh and Gemma’s relationship struggles.

While the book could stand alone, I think it would behoove the reader to read “Josh and Gemma Make a Baby” prior to reading this novel to get more of a background knowledge and help you to root for the titular couple.

It was so exciting to receive an ARC for both ebook & audiobook to review. I was intrigued by the cover and was excited to dig in and see what this book was all about. The sequel to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby took a chance at seeing what happens after the happily ever after. In the first book, Josh and Gemma figuratively walk into the sunset, so in love, pregnant and engaged. The second book takes place right after, just prior to the birth of their child and wedding.
Without getting into too many details and/or spoilers, I will say that there are complications with the birth which later test the meaning of "in sickness and in health." We see Gemma's challenges in connecting with her child, her family and Josh, her realizing that things may never be the same and we feel the pain of what happens when everything goes wrong and the helplessness that comes with her injury.
This book put me through the wringer. Both Gemma and Josh walked their storm to get to their rainbow. We had a similar formula to the first book, but the approach was very different, considering their situation. Ian Fortune makes a bigger cameo in this book and steals the scene for most of his appearances. We get to see the complexity of these characters, how the past has affected their outlook on life, their ability to maintain faith and/or the acceptance to what they consider is their deserved destiny.
This is not your typical romance novel; these characters have to put in a lot of work for their ever after. After meeting these characters in the first book, it was great to see these characters develop, meet and conquer challenges and grow as well.

It's not often we get to follow characters beyond their happily ever afters. Sure, we may get a glimpse through other books in the same series, but what really happens, especially when the happily part seems to vanish in the blink of an eve?

Josh and Gemma Lewenthal look like a couple who has it all. They're head over heels for each other, they love their jobs and have a fantastic apartment in the city. They're expecting their first baby in six weeks, and they're driving upstate to Gemma's parents' home for their charming, intimate backyard wedding. But then the bottom falls out.

Josh tries to manage his career, flying between New York and Los Angeles, while parenting their baby, Hope, and being there for Gemma. And Gemma? Gemma is lost. No one knows if she'll come back to them or what her condition will be if she returns.

These are the things that test the mettle of love. Does it keep the promise of forever? Can it still survive when the one you promised to love turns out to be someone different?

With a quirky, loving family and a major supporting role from the infamous lan Fortune, we get plenty of wit, humor and comic relief through this second part of Josh and Gemma's story. But the more somber, harrowing, unvarnished parts of their story are the ones that will grip your heart and dash your soul. They'll make you think and open your eyes as you watch Josh and Gemma navigate challenges you never imagined possible.

As we go on this journey with them, we see that love is a big, wonderful, happy feeling, yes, but it's so much more. It's the choice and fortitude and unwavering determination to stick when life gets too hard and challenges get too big. It's also the joy and delight and reverence of the simple things, the seemingly insignificant moments, and the smallest blessings.

With a quirky, loving family and a major supporting role from the infamous lan Fortune, we get plenty of wit, humor and comic relief through this second part of Josh and Gemma's story. But the more somber, harrowing, unvarnished parts of their story are the ones that will grip your heart and dash your soul. They'll make you think and open your eyes as you watch Josh and Gemma navigate challenges you never imagined possible.

As we go on this journey with them, we see that love is a big, wonderful, happy feeling, yes, but it's so much more. It's the choice and fortitude and unwavering determination to stick when life gets too hard and challenges get too big. It's also the joy and delight and reverence of the simple things, the seemingly insignificant moments, and the smallest blessings.

Even in fiction, a writer's best work is always when they dig deep within, acknowledge their vulnerabilities and them pour them into their work, and Ready has bared her soul to us. This is a profound, special read. One that will touch you deeply and, I hope, make you even more grateful for the things in life we all too often take for granted.

Our language is too deficient to express how truly extraordinary this one is. Easily one of my all-time favorite reads and one I'll return to again and again, I encourage you to grab this one ASAP and start reading. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel everything in between, and your romantic heart will be changed this second time around.

A fun sequel. I enjoyed the comical elements to an otherwise tough subject matter to deal with. Despite the twists and turns in the story, the end is happy.

Josh and Gemma The Second Time Around, is the sequel to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, which i was actually surprised to hear will have a 2nd installment.

An unfortunate event leads to Gemma having to lear how to feel again and how to re-love. It's about change and hardships that follows a moment that should've been the start of a "happy ever after".

First of all, JnGMaB was an unexpectedly good read, but it ended rather lovely, and i quite enjoyed it.
So i personally felt that it wasn't necessary for a sequel. But i also feel that the author wanted to portray a story on how everything isn't hunky dory after the supposed HEA.
And also maybe just how much superfans will enjoy more time with Josh and Gemma.

And let me tell you...i was invested! Read it in less than a day because this one had a deeper emotional pull to it, and I'm a sucker for some heartache.
I honestly didn't want to be invested because i didn't want to betray an already good thing, especially if Ian was still involved.
But jeez...i actually developed a smidge of love for Ian, and the development of his character was quite admirable.
And not just his but Gemma's as well, especially in comparison to book one.

There was also a little twist i didn't see coming, so I'm rather happy with how it all turned out...again :)

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵 & 𝘓𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘓𝘓𝘊, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

I was so excited to see that Josh and Gemma Make a Baby had gotten a sequel. I really enjoyed the first one so I was intrigued to see where their story would take them next. I did not expect this book to be what it was at all. It truly was a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I thought I knew the direction the book was going then WHAM! no clue again. It definitely kept me on my toes throughout.

I cannot exactly pinpoint my feelings on how it ended up though, like I feel like I enjoyed it but at the same time I was frustrated. I do like how it ended which is always a positive thing but the journey of getting there made my head spin.

*BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!*

Ok, the coma thing was definitely an interesting twist, I had not anticipated that at all what so ever. Then BAM Ian is back?? Then BAM she doesn't feel positive emotions anymore?? So much occurring for poor Gemma. But honestly she was lowkey annoying about it ngl, like when she began to befriend Ian and everyone was like yo wtf? She essentially said fuck off let me live my life. I honestly don't know how I feel about her budding friendship with Ian, I think more towards the end I was like oh ok besties but also I may just need to undergo character development myself. Speaking of character development I actually wanted to punch Gemma in the face. She was so annoying at points like yes I understand she lost her memory of emotions but like at the same time she wasn't really doing anything to help herself. Also, random thing that would have made this book slap would be a Josh POV during Gemma's coma.

As for positive things, the backyard wedding was so cute. I admire Josh's optimism so much, I don't know how he was able to pull through. But the amount of amazing quotes from this book .... chef's kiss. It was so beautifully written even if I did not agree with the characters actions. It had such an optimistic outlook on such negative and life changing experiences which is so pleasurable to read about.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for an advance read in exchange for this review.

This is the sequel to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. I'll be honest - I didn't remember the first book. However, I caught up a bit while reading this book. Gemma and Josh are getting married, but she gets preeclampsia and faints during her vows. When she wakes up, she doesn't feel anything for Josh. To complicate things, her ex (who was the villain in the last book) is there, and she feels something (anger, but she feels something!). She's wondering if her love for Josh will ever come back.

The book was kind of all over the place. Gemma has a TBI, but the book primarily focuses on her relationship with Ian the Villain. It's kind of his redemption story because there are many layers as to why he's at her rehabilitation center and why he has it out for Josh. There's a bit of Josh's career involved in this too, and some tabloids around that. Also, she's a new mom! A mom who missed months of her infant's life! That is trauma! However, the book seems to gloss over that to focus on other things, and somehow, the bond between Gemma and her baby seems just fine. There are a few glimpses into the frustrations of having a TBI, but I'm not sure the book really captured the struggles into what Gemma's recovery looked like. I did appreciate Ian's redemption story, but I'm not really sure what the purpose of that was. Also, I'm not sure how much of Josh and Gemma' s story I felt. This book was has a lot going on!

Overall, it's not a bad story. Gemma is quite likable and real and I was rooting for her.