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 audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

In life there are necessary things:
Coffee,
Golf
Sunny Hot Weather
Birthdays
Crocs-Yes Holly and Cheri
Jesus
Heated Seats

and there are unnecessary things:
Winter
Mean people
Crop tops
and....
Josh and Gemma Second Time Around

I wish Ready had just left Josh and Gemma where they were. If she did a sequel I wish it had been about their life adapting as parents, they were such a fun couple I would have loved to see them navigate that together. Instead this book made me really just....Sad. To heavy of a topic and I honestly didn't think Gemma was very nice to Josh during the whole situation. I also didn't like the fact that she was so desperate for a baby in book #1, but in this book she treats her daughter like a purse, always throwing her at either her mom or Josh. I also hate in rom coms especially how characters automatically assume the worse of people and completely cut people out of their life with out allowing them to explain....seriously people just confront the people and the whole "If you love someone set them free and they will return" DUMB!

Soo....like my list above. Go find something necessary in your life, do that. Skip this.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy listen. I was not influenced or paid for this honest review.

I absolutely loved Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. I was so excited for the sequel. The second time around was good. It wasn’t quite as funny, and at times I wanted to shake Gemma but it was still a good read. The conflict was good. This was well written and definitely poked at my emotions. What Gemma is going through is horrifying and scary. I didn’t think she focused on her baby as much as I would have liked but she’d just had a traumatic brain injury and recovery was the main part of the story. I really liked that Ian Fortune came back. Erin Mallon did a fantastic job (as always) with the narration. Huge thanks to netgalley and the author for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was such an amazing book and should be read prior to reading this one, especially if you really want to appreciate this book fully. I squealed with excitement when I saw this book was available. I just knew I was going to love it. Then as I was listening to the amazing Erin Mallon's narration, I realized things were about to get real. I started getting worried and even said "come on, come on, come on, come on, COME ON! Are you Kidding me? Seriously?????? Noooooo!!!!" Crap! Life gets real, really fast in this book. As with Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, this one had me feeling several emotions. Sarah Ready created characters that I cared about so when things got real, I felt them.

As the book begins Gemma Jacobs and Josh Lewenthal are preparing for their wedding. They are pregnant and in love. Both have successful careers- Gemma in social media marketing and Josh as a writer of a successful web comic series. They have a bright future ahead of them. Until the day of their wedding when things take a turn. This is where I started pulling on my hair and began my "come on" exclamations. Life is not always easy, in fact, it can be downright, hard.

Josh and Gemma must find their way back to each other. Things will not be the same and they will both be tested. You never learn to get back up until you have been knocked down. So, get back up they do, but will they get back up together?

Ian Fortune is also in this book, and I enjoyed him more the second time around. He gets a lot of 'screen' time in this book, but he does have a part to play. I liked the more human side of him. Readers also get to see Gemma's family as well. Her brother opened his big mouth a couple of times, and I was frustrated that Gemma never let him have it for his insensitivity and rudeness.

This book had me feeling all kinds of things while reading it. Sarah Ready tackles some heavy subjects in this book and the journey for this couple becomes a bumpy one. It's not all doom and gloom, there are moments of brightness, joy and hope. I love the witty banter between Josh and Gemma. It had me smiling and reminded me of how much I loved the first book for their banter and of course, the plot. I also appreciated the emotions shown, the depth of feeling and the doubt that the character's felt.

Again, to fully appreciate this book, I strongly believe you need to read Josh and Gemma Make a Baby first. Will there be another book? I don't know, but I do know that I enjoyed this book that had my emotions all over the place.

This was equal parts captivating, gripping, shocking, emotional, sad, hopeful, and full of heart.

I just love Josh and Gemma so when I saw there was a sequel, I was all in! Along with being adorable and swoon-worthy, this book challenges the characters in ways that help their character development even better. This book starts off kind of where the last one left off. Everything seems to be going well until something unexpected turns their seemingly perfect life on its head.

My favorite part about these books is Josh Lewenthal! He is the most caring, sweet, and considerate book boyfriend known to man. He is always so patient with Gemma and acts like her rock when things get tough for him. The only part that I thought could've been better was that this book relied heavily on the miscommunication trope. Usually, this trope drives me up a wall but for Josh and Gemma, I'll let it slide.

Overall I really enjoyed jumping back into their world and seeing more of their lives. I am so happy with the way everything turned out between the couple and their baby. They deserve this happy ending after everything they've been through. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet romance story with a few twists and turns that drew me in to keep listening. The narrator was wonderful, she did a good job at not just reading the story but telling it.

After listening to and loving Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready last year, I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that Ready had written a sequel. In my mind, I’d already filled in all the blanks of where their story would go after the end of the first book … a happily ever after, of course: marriage, a new baby, happy hearts and a smooth ride. What I didn’t expect was that enormous pothole in the middle of their HEA road!

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’ve seen some reviewers say this sequel wasn’t necessary, and I get where they’re coming from. Most of us read romance for the “feel goods”, right? If you’re looking for escapism and warm fuzzies, this may not be your book. If you want a satisfying emotional arc that shows a couple having to deal with real-life problems and find their way through them, it’s perfect! I also loved that it tied up from story threads from the first book - particularly a redemptive arc involving Ian Fortune who everyone loved to hate in the first book.

Despite the heavier topics, there’s a lot of warmth, fun and laughs in this story, a surprising amount of emotional depth and a deeper appreciation of what makes commitment and lasting love work! I loved the audio, once again narrated by the brilliant Erin Mallon. I’d strongly recommend reading the first book before this one, as other readers have discovered it’s harder to feel invested in Josh and Gemma’s relationship without seeing their backstory. If Ready decides to keep their story going, I’ll be right here waiting for the next book!

★★★★

To be honest, I did not realize this was the second book in a series when I started it. That being said, it wasn’t really for me.

I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I believe I would have if I had read the first book. I enjoyed the storyline and would recommend this to a friend. Books like this are hit or miss for me, so the fact that I went in blind and still enjoyed it says a lot about it. I felt the emotions of the characters, I was involved in the story, I found myself thinking about reading more even when I knew I didn’t have the time.

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!

About the narration of this story, there isn’t much I have to say. Erin Mallon did a great job! The rhythm is calm but not boring, the characters sound different from each other and my attention didn’t drift away from what I was hearing. I could feel what the story wanted to tell me and I wanted to keep listening.

4.5*

Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around is unlike any sequel I’ve read.
I had expectations going into this book of Josh and Gemma continuing on their journey in a relatively calm/happy way. I was so wrong; and I’m glad I was.

Josh and Gemma seem to be stepping perfectly into the next phase of life together. They are happy, excited, and nervous. But their lives change in an instant. How will they work through this new phase of life? How do they deal when the awful Ian Fortune comes back?

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed in a romance. And the narrator was awesome!

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Ready for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around by Sarah Ready

Josh and Gemma book 2

Rating: 4 Stars

POV: First person, Single POV

Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around through me through a loop. I swear Sarah Ready was trying to make me have a mental crisis.

First off, she gets me crying and about to have a heart attack, because I had to go back to lunch at the most in opportune time. Then we get Ian Fortune, who in the first book I despised with all my heart. Then she has me questioning all my decisions about how I felt about Ian Fortune, so we ended on a "I understand him but he makes me so angry".

There is so much I want to talk about, but don't want any spoilers in my review. So I will say this, with this book you will fill all the emotions, Ian Fortune may get you to rethink everything you ever thought about him, and Josh and Gemma get a second chance to fall in love.

Now for the narration: Erin Mallon is one of my favorite authors and she did fabulous narrating this book.

I was unaware that this book was actually a sequel until I was already well into it, but I thought it worked well as a stand alone as well! I absolutely loved this book up until the point where Ian entered the picture. I felt that the plot of the story revolved way too much around this character and giving him a redemption arc. I would have much rather the book solely focus on Josh and Gemma and all the ups and downs they would have experienced while Gemma recovered. I would have enjoyed reading about them falling in love again-the second time around. I felt their reunion was a little bit rushed at the end once they got through all the misunderstandings. Ultimately, however, I did enjoy the book. It was a cute and light read that got me through my first book of the year after taking a few weeks off from reading during the holidays. I am now interested in reading the first book- Josh and Gemma Make A Baby.

2.5 stars
First, I listened to the audiobook version of this story so all comments are based on that experience.
Second, when I applied for the ARC copy, I didn’t realize this was a sequel to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. This book can stand alone, but I feel like I would have had more connection to the characters if I’d read the first one.

Overall, this was a fine contemporary romance. While the description indicates it is a rom-com, I find that a bit of a stretch. This book deals with some pretty serious topics. There is some witty banter, especially between Ian and Gemma who I think had a TON more chemistry than Gemma and Josh, but that’s about as far as the comedy goes.

The characters were very flat to me. Gemma wasn’t super like-able IMO. I get that she goes through a traumatic event at the beginning, but then she literally whines about it throughout the rest of the book. Josh and Gemma were supposed to have this amazing connection, but honestly they didn’t spend a lot of time on page together. I found myself pulling for Gemma and Ian more so than the titular characters.

Admittedly I’m not a huge fan of love triangles or using pregnancy as a plot device, so if I’d known this story contained both, I may not have picked it up.

The writing itself was fine. The dialogue seemed genuine and not forced even if the characters speaking it were obtuse and a little unaware. Femme especially seemed to constantly jump to conclusions which caused major misunderstandings that drug on for several more chapters than necessary. I loved the chapter titles.

The audio narrator was good. I wasn’t annoyed by her male voices, which was nice.

It may seem nit picky, but didn’t we learn our lesson from Twilight that there is no need for blank chapters with just the month as a title? This was completely unnecessary especially at the end.

I probably won’t read the first in this series, but I will pick up another book by this author. I think many people will enjoy this story; I’m just not the intended audience for these particular tropes.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC copy to read and review. All the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading the book.

What a premise! A great story about friends to lovers and the crazy aftermath. A woman wake up from a coma and doesn't seem to feel love, hate and any other feelings. She fights to figure out her life, family, and romantic relationships without crossing any lines.

Learning this was a sequel really made more sense. I enjoyed this story but since I did not know it was a sequel I definitely was feeling confused with some pieces. They kept referencing a past relationship and different dynamics that I did not understand. But overall it did not take much away from the story. The story itself could have been a standalone book but it does make me want to go back and read the first in the series. You root for the couple and feel bad that Gemma does not know how to reconcile her life with the life she knows she wants but does not have the same feelings about.

It is a great story and I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a series or romantic fun duology. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

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!!

This was a cute continuation of Josh & Gemma about overcoming misconceptions and finding your way home again. Erin Mallon does a great job narrating, and sucks you in from the beginning. Made a great road trip story.

Thank you netgalley dreamscapes media and the author sarah ready for an ALC iin exchange for an honest review. This series ia such an emotional love roller coaster i was holding on to my seat seeing where it was taking me. Although i feel for all MC i felt horrible for Josh and his story was one of a fictional story i won't forget. As always the production of this audiobook was expertally done..

I really liked this story and love that it can be read as a standalone! Gemma sufferis a traumatic brain injury and we don’t read a lot about what happens in the time that she is in a coma. When she wakes, she is not sure that she can feel emotions for people and her fiancé, Josh, is hurt. I was confused on why most of the story Gemma was spending time with Ian instead of Josh. I felt like we could have benefitted more from seeing her relationship with Josh grow than the Ian side story. The narration is great and I loved how Josh was patient with Gemma getting back on her feet and getting her memory back.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the advance audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley, Swift & Lewis and Sarah Ready for my audio copy of this ARC for reviewing!

I enjoyed this story very much! The narrator really kept me going, she did a very good job, and the writing style was very beautiful!
The characters are so easy to love and root for, the plot was intriguing and well done.
I wasn't there for the love trianglish thing that happened, I wasn't there for the tiny steam scenes, I would have done without them actually, even the drawing on each other part, it didn't do much for me.
But I did like the relationship between Josh and Gemma, and each of them separately with Hope, and each of them separately with Gemma's brother, and Gemma's with her mother.
I was very supportive of Gemma's friendship with Ian, but only the friendship bit.
I might be to blame for this, but I didn't know this was a sequel, I didn't mind that, or feel like I have a lot to catch up with actually, most the important stuff were mentioned in short here and there throughout the story.
I recommend this very much and I will be going back to the first book!
#joshandgemmathesecondtimearound #SarahReady #SwiftandLewis

I still love Josh and Gemma and their dynamic. I freaking LOVED the first book. I still really liked this follow up story but gave it four stars because I didn't go head over heels like I did with the first one.
The first quarter of the story was kind of difficult for me. It deals with preeclampsia and traumatic brain injuries and it was difficult for me in the beginning to listen to this part. No fault to the author at all but just hit a little to close to home from my personal life. However, I did like the theme of finding love again and how love looks like lots of things and not just this one big thing that we imagine it to be. Still love this story, I definitely think that its worth the read especially if you liked the first one.