I went into Josh and Gemma Make a Baby completely blind and adored the book. It actually became one of my favorite books of the year! When I saw that there was going to be a follow up, I knew I needed to read it. And while I think that Josh and Gemma Make a Baby ended perfectly, Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around was the PERFECT sequel. I loved the character growth that many of the characters go through (cough cough IAN cough). There really were so many twists and turns in this book and I was not expecting it. Josh and Gemma were perfect in this story and I really believed their love story. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this when it comes out!

I am in literal AWE of this book. I didn’t realise that Sarah Ready was making a sequel to the first book, but I’m so glad she did.

Josh and Gemma’s story did not go in the direction I had expected it, but I think that’s what made me love this book so much. This book isn’t the conventional romance. The characters go through real struggles, real emotions, real complexities…it’s simply stunning in the most basic of words.

My god! The emotions that the characters, and, in turn, the reader feels are so profound and raw. Ready highlighted the challenges involved with infertility, miscarriage and IVF in her last book. This book took Pre-Eclampsia/ Eclampsia and brought it to centre stage. It’s a frighteningly common condition that happens to pregnant women and the risks to the woman’s overall health can be life changing.

Normally a happily ever after kind of ending is just simply a nice touch for a romance novel, but this book…I was desperate to see what the ending would be.

As it was last time, the writing was phenomenal. Amongst the very sad turmoil moments, there’s were parts that made me laugh out loud. There were parts were I scoffed in outrage and also parts where I blushed due to the steamy intimacy. I admire Ready so much for how she can provoke such a spectrum of feeling within her readers.

If there’s ever a series you should read, it should be these books.

3 ⭐️ I read an arc of Josh and Gemma Make A Baby about a year ago and I enjoyed , so I was thrilled and shocked to hear there was a sequel. I was also a little concerned that it wouldn't live up to the first book because I didn't think it required one. Unfortunately, I was right because I didn't desire this as much as I had hoped. The majority of the time I did enjoy it, however I found the book to drag a lot. This honestly was more of a book about the character Ian than both Josh and Gemma. It was a fun and quick read but wasn’t really necessary. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for providing this early copy!

Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around was the sequel I didn’t know I needed!! Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Check for trigger warnings. For spoiler purposes, I’m not listing them here.
Sarah Ready blew me away with Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, which at the time, I felt didn’t need a sequel. Once I started reading, I was hooked. I loved reconnecting with Josh and Gemma and their story. This is definitely my favorite brother’s best friend book and I also love this as a second chance romance.
Josh continues writing more really sweet comics and his drawings are so endearing. In terms of book boyfriends, he’s a keeper.
Of course I can’t write about this book and not write about all that SPICE. There were sweet moments and there were HOT moments. I think these are some of my favorite spicy scenes.
Like the first book, this explores some pretty heavy topics, which again, for spoiler purposes I won’t mention, but I highly recommend reading the author’s note at the end, which explains how personal this story is to the author. I thought these topics were handled really well as Josh and Gemma learn to fall in love again.

I absolutely loved Josh and Gemma Make A Baby so I was excited to see there was a sequel but also a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to the first book because I didn't feel that it needed a sequel to feel complete. I was sadly right about this because I didn't want this as much as I was hoping. I did enjoy it for the most part, but the beginning of the book really dragged for me. I think that the first book would have been better as a standalone to be honest. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was a huge fan of Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, so I was crazy excited to see the sequel on NetGalley.

When the description said lots of twists and turns, I was a bit scared on what I was going to read. At first, I was a little weary on the first twist, but I grew to love the book. I had so many emotions running through me. At times I couldn't make up my mind, did I want to cry or laugh.

I noticed a lot of the not so good reviews were from people that did not read the first book. Well, I read the first book and I absolutely loved it. If you loved the first one read it and get more Josh and Gemma time.

Wow..Gemma is in a coma and wakes..She has lost 3 months of her life. She missed the birth of her baby girl Holly and Finds she never married Josh.

Gemma does not feel and must learn how to feel and think and cope with life.

When Gemma wakes Ian who is sitting next to her. Ian becomes a friend and Ian has a way of pushing Gemma to feel.

Josh is hopeful and will wait for Gemma. Gemma must work on getting better and focus on Holly and Josh. Traumatic Brain Injury is so serious and shows the struggles.

Josh and Gemma learn that they need each other and that family and friends are important to have support.

I enjoyed this even though it was darker than I expected. I wish that there were more Josh and Gemma solo scenes. I just wanted more of them being cute together.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I read Josh and Gemma Make A Baby in March of this year. I l enjoyed Sarah Ready’s writing so much, that in my review I stated I could have stayed in Josh and Gemma’s world a little bit longer. I even recommended Ready write a sequel or a book based on a secondary character. To my absolute delight, I saw that she did just that.

Josh and Gemma The Second Time Around was another smash hit. Ready is correct when she says, everything is better the second time”. I fell more in love with Josh and Gemma in this book. However, while it is marketed as a standalone, I do not recommend reading this before you read Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. Ready does not recap enough of the previous book, so readers could be left confused.

Plus, this book picks up where the first one left off. It is a beautiful look at what happens when the unthinkable strikes your loved one. Josh and Gemma are truly tested to see if the love they share is unconditional. Will they be willing to stand with one another through the hard times in life?

Along with Ready’s stunning writing, this book offers beautiful illustrations. Sprinkled throughout the chapters, you can find scenes depicting Josh and Gemma’s love story. I thought this was such a sweet touch, since Josh‘s artwork plays an important role in their story.

I will end this review the same way I did Josh and Gemma Make A Baby. Sarah Ready if you want to write book #3 for Josh and Gemma, I am here for it. Or, if you feel their story is wrapped up nicely, perhaps explore Dylan or Ian’s world. Either way, I am and will continue to be a loyal reader.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing, LLC for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5. I loved Josh & Gemma book one… this one was tough for me. Very stressful. There was a lot of miscommunication, and even though there was a good reason for it, it was tough to enjoy this one as much as I would have liked to.

But it did have a good ending, which brought the rating a bit higher for me.

Great audiobook narration.

Thank you to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the advance ebook & audio galleys.

Josh and Gemma decide it’s time to get married prior to the arrival of their baby there’s just 1 little bump in the road (Punn intended) Gemma is in a coma and josh needs to figure out how to get her back. After Gemma’s coma she woke up 3 months later feeling nothing. Josh made a promise to always continue to push through and get her back. Just when you thought they reached the end of the road Gemma realizes her love for josh.

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 eye?

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 Ian 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.

Although I didn’t love the first book, I still wanted to see where Josh and Gemma’s story went next.

However, I should have probably just left well enough alone. This one didn’t work for me at all. The writing was very choppy

A sweet romance. I enjoyed reading this!
The characters were relatable. I didnt realise it was the 2nd one in a duo but i was able to enjoy it none the less. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity!

I love love loved Josh and Gemma Make a Baby.

This one went in a different direction. I was expecting a story of how they were coping with parenthood and what I got was something entirely different. It wasn’t bad. It was just, different. It very much felt like a soap opera.

Overall 3.5/5 stars.

3.5 Stars

The first installment in this duet was a book I stumbled upon earlier this year and mostly enjoyed. I was surprised to see Sarah announce there would be a sequel coming in the new year since the conclusion to the first book felt sufficient enough. Now, having read this addition, I won't say it was entirely necessary but can appreciate the important topic the author wished to highlight with Gemma's storyline.

Instead of all the time that was spent on redeeming Ian's character, I wish more focus had been paid to Josh and Gemma rediscovering their love. Some of the pacing felt abrupt because some of the development I longed for was missing, but it was a pleasant enough book overall.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready and Swift & Lewis Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

💕💖 A love story yanks you into what happens after the happily ever after 💖💕


‼️Please note the spoiler tag ➿ read at your own risk ‼️

An amazing sequel for Josh and Gemma’s journey through life … I totally love that author Sarah Ready is willing and able to bring topics into her stories that others may shy away from. In book one Josh and Gemma Make a Baby Ready brings the topic of infertility and the struggles of conceiving with medical assistance. Now in this story … (view spoiler) … pay very close attention while reading this book as I have learned this author is masterful with inferences, foreshadowing, plot twists, and symbolism.

I am always impressed when I find a new-2-me author who is able to keep me totally engaged and interested in the plot that I end up reading the book straight through…Ready kept me that way through books one and two of this saga! The stories are told via Gemma’s perspective with some excellent dialogue between the MCs which gives us a peak into Josh’s mind. I would absolutely love a story of Josh & Gemma via alternating POV, maybe a book 3 *small hint* 😉

While reading the Josh & Gemma stories I found that Ready’s writing style really allowed me to connect with the MCs. I could easily visualize the world, feel the variety of emotions, and even connect aspects of the story with some of my own. I also want to mention that although these stories have serious topic matters they are still contemporary romance at its best! The sensuality, passion, and anticipation is palpable between Josh & Gemma 🔥 One of my favorite scenes involves Josh and his demonstration of love with two simple things - skin & ink pen - let’s just say there are definite stars seen!

💫FAVORITE QUOTES💫
“I think life would be boring if it were only happily ever after. I don’t need a happily ever after.”
Me either…but… “What do you need?”
He kicks the door shut, crosses the teak floor, and drops me onto the cushy bed. I sink into the thick down comforter and watch as he pulls off his shirt, revealing the heart that I inked on his chest last night. He considers my question, eyes thoughtful, then he smiles at me.
“How about…and they lived ever after, together, sometimes happy, sometimes not, but always together. In love.”
I grin up at him. “That’s a little wordier than ‘they lived happily ever after.’”
He steps out of his linen pants, kicks them aside.
“That’s okay,” he says, “because this next part doesn’t require any words.”✨
***
✨“I don’t think there’s such a thing as meant to be.”
He lifts a shoulder in a shrug, and Hope reaches up and tugs on his ear. He smiles.
“You don’t?”
He shakes his head.
“No. Saying something is meant to be is taking the easy way out. Because when things go wrong, you can say it wasn’t meant to be after all. It’s so you can stop trying and not feel guilty. That’s what my mom did.”
He so rarely mentions his mom that I lean toward him. I know she left Josh and his dad, but I don’t know much more. Josh doesn’t talk about her. He wrinkles his brow, then seems to shut the door on that topic.
He unconsciously pats Hopes back and says, “Everyone can say it’s meant to be when things are good. Being in a relationship is easy when there’s plenty of money, or everyone’s healthy, or everybody has a job. But when somebody gets sick, or you go broke, or someone’s in trouble, that’s when you know whether your relationship is built on sand, or something stronger.”
He steps away and reaches up into the cupboard, pulling out a bottle. I watch the muscles in his back as he stretches to reach the jar of formula. He has a strong back.
He turns around and quirks an eyebrow at me. “There’s no meant to be,” he says. “You either stick with it or you don’t.”
I look around the mess of the kitchen.
“What if sticking with it catches the whole thing on fire?”
He gives me a slow smile. “I like playing with fire.”✨

Overall I highly recommend the Josh & Gemma books, I think you will fall in love with these two just like I did!


Captivating, gripping, and full of unexpected twists and turns, this love story yanks you into what happens after the happily ever after.

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 | 2023 Top Book Contender 🏆🏆

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄

A nice little read.
I like being back in Josh and Gemma’s world again. There was a twist I was NOT expecting at all! I was like woah

And I liked the emotional journey that went through the book. All in all an enjoyable one.

After absolutely loving Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, I was very excited to be granted access to the ARC of Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around. The second installment in Josh and Gemma's story, while enjoyable and entertaining, was IMHO not as funny and I had to get over significant disbelief at one point to continue reading.

The book starts with Gemma about 8 months pregnant, and the couple preparing for their wedding. When disaster strikes and their future is in jeopardy, Josh and Gemma face challenges to their storybook ever-after that seem insurmountable.

I enjoyed the re-introduction of Ian Fortune, and getting to know a bit of his backstory--is he really as self-centered and just plain awful as he seems? His character added a much-needed element to the story. (spoiler alert) I struggled with Gemma's recovery, as it seemed to be unrealistically quick and easy. Ian and his antics at the rehab facility allowed me to move beyond this and continue to enjoy the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the ARC audiobook of Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around. The opinions in this review are my own.

Wow! What an amazing book!!
Would love to read more from the author.
Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!