Thank you to my partners, NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, and the author, Sarah Ready. I appreciate the gifted eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

Josh and Gemma stole my heart in the first book in this series, so I was excited to get another story! And it was nothing that I could’ve imagine! I was able to tag team reading and listening with this one and both were equally enjoyable!

1. Overcoming Obstacles - I cannot even begin to fathom the horror of what Gemma goes through in this book. Ugh. Heart….Wrenching. It is completely unimaginable. And in turn, everyone else has to find a way to help her.

2. An Unexpected Friend - Who would have thought that the one person Gemma would have completely shied away from before becomes the one person who helps see her through her trials and tribulations.

3. Past Heartaches - There is an event in the past that comes to light that tremendously affected two of the main characters. It is a part of the story that had me holding my breath for the outcome.

4. Family - Nothing stands more true than the importance of family in this story. Whether it is biological family or found family, both are the root of the solution that comes to be.

5. One Word - FIJI - A dream vacation of mine. My real life version of Fiji from the end of this story was Belize 🌴 And it was magical.

Gemma Jacobs has life figured out. She’s upbeat, positive to a fault, and the master of her own destiny. She has a wonderful career in social media marketing, lives in a trendy apartment with her fiancé Josh Lewenthal, and is pregnant with their much-loved baby.
Her life is wonderful. Absolutely perfect.
Except…
What really comes after the happily ever after?

Josh Lewenthal is laid-back, fun-loving, and always finds the humor in life. He writes a wildly successful web comic series, and can’t wait to marry Gemma—the woman of his dreams.
His life is amazing. Terrific.
Except…
What happens when everything changes?

Suddenly Josh and Gemma’s lives are turned upside down, and their love and their future together are at risk. They realize their happily ever after isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning—and now they have to fight for it.
They confront a devastating separation, the return of world-infamous Ian Fortune, and the question of whether or not their love can truly survive when everyone says...it’s already gone.

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

I loved this story. I felt like this was the perfect followup to a HEA. It captures the beauty of the drama and reality of life. Will recommend this to others.

Having read the first book a few months ago, I was so happy to find this book. I am so glad that there is a second book. I loved Josh and Gemma in the first book. I thought this book was really good because often books end with a happy every after and don't address what happens after the happy ever after. I liked how it dealt with deeper topics and wasn't all butterflies and rainbows but more realistic. I would recommend to people who have read the first book.

Surprising no one this book is just as bad, if not worse than the first book. Josh and Gemma are haunting my dreams because this book was horrifically bad. Untimely, weird plot twists, the most irritating, idiotic characters and a plot that’s so incompetent it makes me sick combines into a horrid reading experience! Do not recommend.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I read an ARC of Josh and Gemma Make a Baby last year, and enjoyed it. I was surprised to see that there was going to be a sequel. The first book ended with the usual HEA, and I didn't think any more story was needed. But I knew that I had to see what else Ready had in store for these characters, and boy-howdy was it a doozy.

Book 2 picks up pretty much immediately after Book 1. And it changes everything. After a tragedy, Josh and Gemma's relationship is put to the ultimate test. Can it survive when the love is gone?
And fair warning, this is not a rom-com.

This book is terribly sad, and deals with some very heavy topics. It does bring back some characters from the first book, but the primary focus is Gemma, Josh, and, surprisingly, Ian. No fun times with Gemma's support group friends. Very little comedy with Gemma's family. Lots and lots of heavy times with Gemma, Josh, and Ian. So if you are looking for upbeat and fun, this is not for you. I can't even say this is a realistic look at what happens after the HEA, as what happens is a bit crazy (but not unheard of, as you can see in the author's note at the end). But it is a great story of tragedy, love, and resilience. So, yes, I enjoyed it. But it was not at all what I expected.

I did not know this was a duology(?) so i was thrown off a bit. Definitely cute but I went in with more expectations which were not met.

A very emotional book, and a great sequel. I noted reading this

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a cute read. I wanted a little more to the story since the first one was what drew me into wanting to read this one.
This book was more an emotional book then a romance to me which what I wanted.
3 🍒🍒🍒popped!

After loving Josh and Gemma Have a Baby when I read it last year, I expected to also adore this second book following the cute couple and their equally cute baby. However, what I got felt like an unnecessary addition.

To be honest, I sometimes resent books that try to convey that happily ever afters don't really exist in the way romance books say they do. Of course I know that, but that's why I read romance books BECAUSE they have happy endings.

Overall, this book was just lacking on any real romance. I felt like Josh and Gemma barely spent anytime together and didn't communicate at all. Like they were about to be a married and Gemma thought for most of that book that he got with someone else WHILE SHE WAS IN A COMA.

I also resented the fact that the author tried to redeem Ian. I couldn't warm up to him at all, no matter his backstory.

this book gave me the feels. i was drawn by the title of the book and then i was sucked in completely. really liked this and want to find more of her books.

Full disclosure make sure that you have tissues to hand when you read this book. I sobbed completely throughout.

If you could do it all again knowing that life would lead you to the same destination. Would you risk it all? Or do it all the same way? Ys I would I would make the same life choices that led me to the same place and the same outcome each time because I would have got to spend time with you. Knowing that you have something as special as this is a rare and wonderful thing indeed.

In this book we are back with the wonderful and gorgeous characters of Josh and Gemma and oh how beautiful they are together and how gorgeous their story is and how heartbreaking.

In this book we also have the storylines of Gemma's parents, Josh's parents and Ian and his parents too.

Gemma is such a wonderful upbeat, positive and wonderful character. She feels like she has life completely figured out. Gemma's job is being a social media marketer. She lives in a beautiful apartment with her equally wonderful fiance Josh and they are expecting their first baby. Life is wonderful and perfect and what always happens when life is going so swimmingly? Everything changes drastically, life is turned upside down. This book is captivating, gripping, and utterly heartbreaking. I literally sobbed ugly tears all the way through.

Maybe 3.25 stars. I absolutely loved Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. It was fun, it was happy, it was romantic. All with some serious heartache sprinkled in. I was so excited for the sequel. I pictured crazy antics with a new baby. Who knew, maybe even a surprise second pregnancy? What I didn’t expect was a very sad book, tearing at my heart for most of it. I also didn’t expect more Ian than Josh. Don’t get me wrong, I truly did enjoy Ian’s back story. But he did not need to be the main focus of the book. The only laughs in the book came from the times together with Gemma and Ian. And though I am willing to suspend my disbelief in fiction books, several things got to me. First of all, any partially intelligent woman would know that at seven months pregnant, if you have a severe headache and dizziness, you have to call your doctor. Second of all, The antics about Ian being the most hated man in the world were way way over the top. Third, there is no way a baby at that age would be as good as that baby was through the entire book.
The ending was sweet, and, of course, reminded me of the first book. I still think Sarah Ready is a really good author. I just did not see the reason for this particular book. And though I had no trouble finishing it and looked forward to see how it ended. I would have been happier with a happier book . I think the author owes us another book. One with Josh and Gemma, happy and funny. Maybe it can be Josh and Gemma Play Matchmaker for Ian.

This is my first read from the author and definitely wouldn't be my last! Obviously haven't read the first book of the series, but I don't have a hard times to pick what happened before and get immersed into the story. I love the writing, the story was flowing effortlessly and easy to follow. The characters has so much depth in them and despite the poor circumstances, they still have some lights in them to never give up hope which is the nice message. Also, I think the author really did a good job on depicting the situation of brain trauma injuries patient because I can't help but sympathize with Gemma, Josh, and their families who get affected.

Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around truly surprised me! I really enjoyed the first book, so I was thrilled to get my hands on the second - and it did not disappoint. I was not expecting it to take the direction it did but I think it highlighted many important realities of life and relationships, and a key takeaway for me was finding love in the little things!

Would I do it all again? Knowing that I'd end up right here, my breath gone, my life leaking away? Yes. I'd do it a thousand times again. And each time I'd make the same choices that led me here. To this place. Would I do it all again? Knowing that I'd end up right here, my breath gone, my life leaking away? Yes. I'd do it a thousand times again. And each time I'd make the same choices that led me here. To this place. 🥹

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Characters: Josh Lewenthal, Gemma Jacobs

Tropes: Brother's Best Friend, Pregnancy, Brain Injury, Love Is Gone, Forgetfulness

Review: I read the ARC for Josh and Gemma Make A Baby in roughly January last year. It's over a year later, and I'm going through Netgalley, counting my ARCs and deadlines, when I see another book by Sarah Ready. And imagine my surprise when I discovered it's the sequel to the book that made me cry for hours on end. Indeed, Josh and Gemma The Second Time Around was a sequel I didn't know I needed. I obviously want to follow through on all couples I read about, so I downloaded a copy.

The prologue alone had me sobbing, and I knew it would take me days to finish it, which it did. But every minute was worth it. Last night, when I finally reached the 50% mark of the book, I promised myself I would finish it, and I did a few chapters anyway. Finally, at about 80%, I gave up. I had been crying so much my eyes hurt, and my throat was sore. I had trouble breathing. But then, I finished the rest of it on the way to work today. And all the tears and weird looks from strangers on the subway, we're WORTH IT.

Josh and Gemma's story isn't just theirs. It's the story of Gemma's parents, Josh's parents, Ian, his parents, and most of all, a story of survivors. It's the story of Hope. It is crafted so beautifully that it stirs emotions deep inside you. Gemma is a warrior, a survivor. But somehow, even though the book isn't in his POV, the author also makes Josh's struggle known. She acknowledges his pain and the problems he faced becoming a father when the love of his life, his fiancé, lay comatose. I love the way Gemma and Josh interact with Hope. Those little moments of togetherness with their kid matter and are replacements for lost conversations, and the author makes suds to emphasize the importance of those moments.

The best part about this book is how it also solves a vast mystery. The first book left an ambiguous ending for Ian. Was he really just pure evil? Turns out, there's so much more to him than meets the eye. Most authors would exploit the opportunity of villainizing a previously mentioned antagonist and display them as pure evil, psychos even. But Sarah doesn't. She humanizes Ian. Explains his story. However cruel Ian once seemed, his life was shitty all the way. Sure, all the bad you put in the world comes back to you, but Ian's story is cruel. He was dealt a shitty hand, and my heart aches for that little boy who lost his parents. He isn't evil. In fact, he is lonely, sad, and aching. And my heart hurts for him because he deserves better. The fact that he loved - or tried to love - Gemma makes me even sadder because even though he claims he wants her to be happy, it must take a lot of sacrifices, to let her go.

This book made me cry for hours on end, and my eyes are still sore from all the tears I shed, but it was all worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I would. And I hope this nook reaches more people, especially those who feel a sense of companionship with any of these characters.

I liked the first but this one just wasn't for me. Josh and Gemma, who’s eight months pregnant, are finally at the altar getting ready to exchange their long-anticipated vows when their world goes sideways and all plans for their future are put on hold. Three months later, the world isn’t the only thing that’s changed. The person Gemma was and how she sees the world and everyone in it has too, and it will be the biggest test of her relationship with Josh yet to see if they can find their way through these new challenges and get back on the road to their happy ending. I was anticipating a happier, feel-good story and this was much heavier than anticipated. I didn't like the heavy focus on Ian, just felt unnecessary and didn't love revisiting such a dislikable villain.

After falling in love with Josh and Gemma the first time around, I was prepared for something entirely different. What readers get is so much more.

This chapter of Josh and Gemma is so heart achingly beautiful. It’s a token reminder to look for the little love in every day life and not just to celebrate the big and bold love. The struggles while not ones that everyone will go through hold nuggets of relatability. Sarah Ready captures the attention and empathy of readers throughout bringing tears, heartbreak, laughter, and love.

I enjoyed the first book a lot and was interested when I saw there was a sequel because Gemma and Josh were so fun to read. But I felt like this book was too much Ian and not enough Josh. I just honestly don’t think this was really needed. I’m somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars on this but I rounded up to 3 because I was already a fan of Josh and Gemma.

Perhaps I’d rather have enjoyed a spin-off where it follows her brother finding love and we get to see Josh and Gemma and the baby weaved into the story as secondary characters. Other characters like Gemma’s friends or even Ian could be included in future stories like that.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

After reading and enjoying the first book, I was excited to read the sequel and eager to see where Josh and Gemma's story would go. The first book left off with Josh and Gemma in a good place and this book certainly took them through some twists and turns. It wasn't smooth sailing for them, but then again, what relationship is? The story was realistic in that it portrayed the rocky road couples can encounter and the real life problems that they face. But not to worry, there were also plenty of fun and humorous moments along the way that definitely put a smile on my face and warmed my heart. If you're looking for a fluff story, this is not it. On the contrary, the story is filled with much emotion and depth and gives you a real appreciation for the trials and tribulations a couple can go through and the commitment involved in making a relationship and lasting love work.
This was a story full of emotion, love , and hope. If you haven't read the first one, I would recommend you start with that first in order to fully appreciate the sequel.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.