Open door romance. Spice 2.75/5
Cw- traumatic birth experience (not graphic), car accident reference, traumatic brain injuries, potential infidelity

I'll be honest- I didn't read the first book. But that did not stop me from loving it's sequel! Josh and Gemma are in L.O.V.E. love and their love encompasses the sky. Until that sky goes black when very pregnant Gemma collapses at their wedding and goes into a coma. It's a rocky path out from there when Gemma comes to MONTHS LATER and suddenly is missing her emotional connections to her people, including josh, and their much sought after baby whom her mother has been helping care for during these times. It is a ROLLER COASTER. between the drama with Ian the worst ex best friend ever and missing emotions and miscommunication to the hilt+ you are in for a traumatic experience that leaves your heart breaking over and over only to eventually repair itself better than before.
It's a bit all over the place and there's a lot of lack of understanding for someone who went through a a LITERAL TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (I'm looking at you Dylan - as a matter of fact, EFF you Dylan). There's funky jello sculptures and food that feels like it stepped out of the 50s in the beginning.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my heart broke a thousand times over when ordeal after ordeal was thrown Josh and Gemma's way. And I was overjoyed for a quality and healing HEA.

I will definitely be heading to read the first of the series!

THANK YOU NETGALLEY, AUTHOR SARAH READY, AND SWIFT LEWIS PUBLISHING LLC FOR THE ACCESS TO THE ADVANCED LISTENER COPY ON EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

I loved the unique story line of this with dealing with real after effects of being in a coma. I would have loved to have more josh in the story but it made sense with the story why there wasn’t as much of him. Ian was a surprising character to bring back but I really enjoyed him in this. This sequel was really enjoyable and ended Gemma and Josh’s story wonderfully.

Josh and Gemma The Second Time Around by Sarah Ready is a great sequel to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. Our favorite friends to lovers duo is back and stronger than ever, ready to start their life together as newlyweds with a baby on the way. When a catastrophe happens on their wedding day, Josh and Gemma are faced with the impossible task of rebuilding their relationship. What I loved about this story is how much work all of the characters put into moving forward with their lives and how motivated they were by love. From the MCs to Gemma's parents to the friendship resolution with Ian Fortune, hopeful banter and funny but sweet scenes filled the pages and gave this story tons of heart. I listened to an audiobook of Josh and Gemma The Second Time Around and the narrator was amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will look forward to reading / listening to more of Sarah Readys work.

Okay, I am always brutally honest with review and I will tell you I DNFed this book very early on cause first I didn't know this was the second book in a series and the first chapter had a descriptive birth from a video and I am not here for it.

That's it. That is the review. You're welcome.

Really enjoyed this sequel. Some may find it cheesy, but you have to go into knowing it's a feel good type of romcom. It had everything I needed: love, scandal, comedy, empathy.. it honestly kept me guessing what was going to happen next, which I think is unique for a book of this genre. Usually you can tell where it's going.. but she did a great job leaving me wanting more with each turn of the page. If you read the first book you will be very excited to read this one to see what happens!

I'd like to thank NetGalley for this ARC copy.

I did not realize this was a sequel when I requested it on NetGalley, so now I need to go and read the first one. However, I don't think it's necessary to read the first one to understand this book and the message behind it. Josh and Gemma are about to get married in her parents' backyard, their love is something out of a fairytale, until Gemma faints at the alter and wakes up 3 months later. After Gemma wakes up, she realizes that she cannot feel anymore, she cannot feel anger, love, or sadness. Gemma was pregnant with Hope during the wedding, she had Hope when she was in acoma. How will Gemma find her way back to her family in her foggy brain with no emotions? Insert Ian Fortune. Who arguably is my favorite character in this book, he has this wit and sarcasm that makes me laugh and I find him rather charming the way he wants to help Gemma. After learning his story and understanding why he is doing what he is doing, it made me love him even more. This story was more about Gemma and the way she needed to get back to Josh and Hope, but Ian was my favorite character. It was hard to not want Ian and Gemma to end up together instead of Gemma and Josh, but overall, I did enjoy this read and I very much liked the ending.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced audio of this book.

When we last saw Josh and Gemma (in 'Josh and Gemma Make a Baby'), IVF was successful and they were waiting for their baby to be born, with Josh proposing to Gemma.

Now they're ready to get married, only for pre-eclampsia to strike at the altar, no less, with Gemma in a coma for months. Only for her to wake up and say she can't feel any love for Josh. A heartbroken Josh is left trying to juggle his successful career, their baby, while Gemma has to deal with life with a brain injury, a baby, and work her way through her feelings and the trauma.

Adding to the complications are the return of her boss Ian Fortune, a man who stole and passed off Josh's work as his own.

This book truly tests the wedding vow 'in sickness and in health'.

It's heartbreaking, poignant, but, thankfully, full of hope. When the dawn broke and I got to the end I honestly felt like I was friends with these characters. It's the sort of book I need to have read the ebook first, before the audiobook (which I did).

Erin Mallon was the perfect narrator for this - her voice had the perfect amount of gravitas and lightness for 30something Gemma. I am extremely picky about narrators - i find they are often poorly cast, which voices that sound 'too old' or 'too young' for the character, or the delivery of the words too didactic or like a game show host. I will def get my own audiobook copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for access to the advanced audiobook.

This book was utterly impossible for me to put down. I binged the first half of it on audio, completely flabbergasted by the turn of events for my much-loved characters from the first book, and then sat down in bed and finished the rest of it in one night. I really just needed to make sure things would be OK for Josh and Gemma and their baby.

Sarah Ready has certainly succeeded at writing books that pull me right in and drop me into the lives of her characters and I am here for it. The book was excellently narrated by Erin Mallon and I can't wait for more by this author.

Don’t get me wrong, I REALLY liked the preeclampsia discussion here. That was important to discuss and how ignoring the signs can be DIRE.

But…this just didn’t do it for me. Her just continually making assumptions instead of just talking to Josh just rubbed me the wrong way. And I guess vise versa, to be honest. I don’t love it, I didn’t hate it. Just was meh.

4.5 stars for me , it’s not often I like the second in a series more than the first. Listening to the audiobook was easy and the voice was pretty good to follow. I’m fairly new to audiobooks but listened to this one over 2 days.

The story itself was not what I was expecting and I loved how the two main male characters story’s ended up intertwining, it was an interesting twist. I loved how the author brought Josh and Emma back exploring each other in a very sensual way. It was a beautiful to see them find love again. I love that there is humour throughout the story …could not stop laughing at the vision of a jello wedding cake !

I voluntarily received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I would recommend both books in this series to friends and my book clubs.

Josh and Gemma are finally getting the happily ever after they've worked so hard for. Gemma is a bright, happy, energetic soon to be new mom, who is excited to walk down the aisle to the love of her life, Josh Lewenthal. But tragedy strikes and nothing goes quite as planned.

This is the second book in a series. The first is Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. I was so excited to jump back into this heartwarming story with Josh and Gemma, and found that it was so much more than I anticipated. Their story diverges into the new world of being a new parent, what happens when love changes, or is just different than you recognize, and is a testament to what true love can accomplish.

I loved this fast paced, closely character driven story took place. It was a delight to see characters I already loved make cameos, and even get their own redemption arcs in the process. Additionally, the STRESS I felt was real, because Gemma is so easily rootable, and her struggles are real and understandable. I found myself unable to close the book (or pause the audiobook, if I get points for honesty). Seeing Josh and Gemma navigate this new unexpected chapter of their life was so compelling. I really felt for them.

I liked this book, and would recommend it to my friends, especially newlyweds, new parents, or someone who is also in a transitional phase of their life. I think it was heartwarming, and easily page-turning. I struggled with a bit of miscommunication through the middle, but enjoyed it nevertheless.

Thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, and Sarah Ready for a free ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

I received an ARC from Net galley and honestly I have never heard of this author or even knew that this was part of a duet. I refused to read the synopsis of this book because I usually like to go in blind with in comes to ARCs because that way I don't know what I am getting myself into or have any expectations. And I have to say I am so happy I did. I loved the emotional roller-coaster this book put me through and I loved each and every character. Yes even Ian Fortune, he might just be my favorite.

I have to read the first book in the duet because i just need more. I would like a back story to their love story.

This is a New Adult/Romance/Women's Fiction book, which is the second book in a series. I haven't read the first book, but this book was easy to understand, and it can be read as a standalone.

The story is about a woman called Gemma, and her fiance Josh, who are about to be married. Gemma is pregnant with their first child, which they are both really excited about. At the wedding ceremony, Gemma gets sick unexpectedly, and their whole world is turned upside down. Will they be able to survive what happens next?

I really enjoyed listening to this book, especially as the narrator was so great. The story was really interesting and it kept me engrossed. Heartwarming and emotional, this book will appeal to anyone who loves a good romance or family story. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I really loved the first book “Josh and Gemma make a baby” and I enjoyed getting to know these two. They had such a great chemistry! Reading that book first is a pre-requisite! Otherwise you won’t understand most of what happens here and why. So, when I saw there was a sequel coming out, I got so very excited and wanted to dive right into it!

This book picks up where the first book left us. Josh Lewenthal, the famous comic creator and Gemma Jacobs are expecting their baby and they are getting ready to get married. They have decided to plan and execute everything in Gemma’s parents’ house, so the whole family is working on it. It was supposed to be easy peasy lemon squeezy. Gemma’s mother has had several celebratory gatherings at her back yard, so she was an expert on event planning and executing. Everyone in the family was going to help anyway, so it was not a big deal. And it wasn’t. At least not until the actual ceremony started and Gemma’s life, and everyone else’s for that matter, took an unexpected turn.

This is the point where Josh and Gemma get separated. They didn’t want for this to happen, but it did. So now they have to find their way back to each other and this is so difficult and painful for both of them. They might make it or they might not, and this ‘not’ is what has Gemma worried. All the ‘what ifs’ that are summoned in her mind, have her second guessing her chances at a future with Josh.

And as if this was not enough, Ian Fortune is back in the picture. The most hated man in the country, the person that Gemma used to adore, until she saw the true him, is at her side every day. She get’s to see how people treat him on the street and she believes it’s unfair. Well, throwing food to someone on the street is not something you see everyday! Gemma even get’s to experience it as well, when she decides to walk with Ian in public. So, she starts to think of Ian as a friend that needs her support somehow. That doesn’t go well with Josh, or anyone else of Gemma’s friends and family, until he does something to redeem himself. Kind of..

This book might be a rom com, but it does deal with some heavy subjects. Family and relationships are key subjects here as well, but we get to see a bit more on health issues. Like some severe conditions that have the brain confused or recalibrated and the patient cannot feel real feelings anymore. Or cases where the patient has memory only up to a certain time period. None of this is easy, neither for the person suffering from it, or for the friends and family.

Just as I did with the first book, I got the audiobook for this one too. It felt really nice to listen to the same lovely voice that had introduced the characters to me. Erin Mallon is giving all her heart in this story. She brings the characters to life and adds to the whole experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

3.5 stars!

"Josh And Gemma Make a Baby" was one of my favorite books of 2022. I laughed, cried, and felt all the feelings. I was so excited to get my hands on this sequel because romances with established couples going through challenges are one of my favorite types of stories to read.

Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to the hype I set up for it in my head.

Here we have Josh and Gemma, already engaged, expecting, and living their 'happily ever after'—until an accident shatters their perfect little bubble. They find themselves trying to rekindle that romantic spark and rebuild their shaken relationship amidst over-the-top and seemingly impossible situations.

This book is still full of the same emotion and beautiful family aspect as the one before, but I honestly can’t say it created the same lasting impact on me. Josh was his same lovely, superior romance hero self, and I loved him for that. I couldn’t say the same for Gemma, though. She was still the same quirky character as before, but somehow the events in this book made her out to be more of an unlikeable character, one I couldn’t fully support up until the end. There were many times when I wanted to shake her and yell at her for having the worst communication skills I’ve ever read in a book.

As harsh as this may sound, I thought that Josh was too good for her in this sequel that I almost wanted to forget that this sequel exists.

Criticism aside, I still think this book is a testament to Sarah Ready’s writing skills. She’s still amazing at weaving romance with women’s fiction. Because of that, I’m still keen on picking up more of her work, even though this one somehow missed the mark.


tw: illness, hospitalization, car accident, injury detail

I listened to the Audio Book through Netgalley, I thought this was a dramatic but sweet second chance romance that follows Gemma and Josh as they work through an unexpected event. It showed how there are any different ways to love. I did not realize there was a book 1 when i requested it, It can definitely been read as a stand alone, but I think you should read the first to better understand the characters.

Wow what a rollercoaster! I went into this book expecting a standard romance novel but this was so much more. There were so many unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked the entire time! I finished the book in 1 day because I couldn’t stop listening.

The book follows Gemma and Josh on the eve of their wedding. The day is filled with the regular pre-wedding chaos, but through it all, the couple’s love shines. With a surprise turn of events, their love and relationship is put to the test. I was rooting for this couple the entire time & can’t get enough of their story!

<b>“‘I can't be sorry any of this happened,’ I say. ‘Because it showed me how many ways there are to love.’”</b>

(Thank you to NetGalley and WWCrown for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
I surprised across this sequel immediately after finishing [book:Josh and Gemma Make a Baby], which had been on my TBR for a while, and that I really enjoyed as a slow burn, just-friends-turn-into-something-more. It wasn’t perfect (⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for being properly swoony but just sort of allowing people to be awful to Gemma – especially her mom – and not really calling them out on it) but an enjoyable story nonetheless.

Josh and Gemma are expecting their baby in just a few weeks, blissfully in love and experiencing wild success in their careers. Gemma is literally about to walk down the aisle when everything suddenly goes black… and she wakes up three months later, having been in a coma from an eclampsia-induced seizure. When she wakes, her ex/former boss/world’s most hated man Ian Fortune is by her side, her daughter is a stranger, and Josh is nowhere to be seen, except on the cover of a gossip magazine that implies he’s sleeping with the actress starring in his comic’s TV adaptation. Josh hurries back, but to Gemma’s horror, she doesn’t feel anything – including love for her fiancée – only numbness. So she vows to relearn how to love him.

So it is with some sadness that I share that I had a hard time with this sequel. I really can’t stand it when exes-turned-villains get a second run in which they again behave abominably – in this case, Ian basically stalking Gemma and wearing her down and refusing to take no for answer – and get rewarded for it. Whether we’re supposed to believe Ian really has a shot, or if he’s telling the truth when he says he’s trying to goad Josh into action, is beside the point.

Moreover, and this is where I think I really struggled, is that Josh – in the title! supposedly our hero! – was barely in this story. And it just felt so out-of-character from the guy we got to know in <i>…Make a Baby</i>. He spends a lot of time in LA, which I suppose was forgivable when everyone thought Gemma might be in a coma forever, but (a) he had a newborn, maybe motherless baby he should have been home caring for! and (b) once Gemma woke up, he should have moved heaven and earth to stay by her side and help her with her recovery. He also was strangely out of tune with Gemma’s struggles, and he’s guilty of one of my least favorite tropes (running away rather than allowing an explanation) not once, but twice!

I also wondered about the way people treat Gemma’s mental and emotional issues. She absolutely should have been in intensive therapy (not just OT). And while I know it’s true that sometimes TBI does permanently change someone’s personality, the way some people – particularly Dylan, holy sh*t what he said was unforgivable – either treated it as a given or shrugged and said Gemma should just hope for the best really rubbed me the wrong way.

This book was saved for me by the third act. Ian’s behavior is at least explained, and while I don’t believe he deserves to be fully redeemed the way the book seems to want him to be, his motivations are at least clear. And I especially loved Gemma’s realization that she never stopped loving Josh, just that her love had changed, and would continue to change their whole lives.

<blockquote>
"It was so dark." I look into his dark brown eyes, at the light shining in them.
"I'm sorry," he whispers.
He wraps me in his arms and I lay my head on his chest. My cheek presses against his soft t-shirt and I breathe in his smell.
"No. I'm glad," I tell him. "Before, everything in my life was so bright that I only noticed the big things. The big love. The big joy. The big happiness."
I rub my fingers over the stubble on his chin. It feels soft and scratchy at the same time. "But when everything went dark and quiet, there was room to notice the small things."
His hand moves to my back, and ever so slowly, he starts to rub his hand up and down my spine. My heart speeds up at his touch.
"It took me a bit," I tell him, "my eyes had to adjust. But then, with all the bright gone, I got to concentrate on the quiet, and the little, and all those things I'd never noticed before.
</blockquote>

[book:Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around] by [author:Sarah Ready]
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 2.5 stars rounded up.
🌶️ 🌶️ Midwesterners who like Jell-O molds think this is spicy, but it’s really just a little heat
🥧🧁🍰🥮🌭 Both too much and not enough weird desserts. Some just desserts. Definitely not enough barbecue cocktail weenies
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ Too much stolen coffee

I also listened to parts of the audiobooks both this and <i>…Make a Baby</i> and Erin Mallon does a commendable job. Not too … squeaky… the way some narrators can be.

I saw this pop up and my first thought was - the first one wrapped up so well, how could there possibly be a second? This was a unique storyline for a second book. Although a bit unrealistic to start, I actually really enjoyed it overall- probably as much as the first even! The tension and chemistry was still there between Josh and Gemma, and that’s not something you always find in a sequel! Finding love was a big part of this story, and I do appreciate the take on love in this story and how there’s more to it than just romance and butterflies.

There were a lot of parts to this book besides just Gemma - but also her friendships, family, and a bit of Josh’s past coming through. This kept the story moving, although sometimes it felt like there was a lot to keep track of. Toward the end there was the usual miscommunication/back and forth trope that can be frustrating at times, but it was relatively quick and painless.

Both of the books I’ve listened to the audio version and I really enjoy Erin Mallon as the voice of Gemma! I’d definitely recommend reading these on audio as she helps keep the story engaging.

Thank you to Stiff & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

As a fan of the first book, I had high hopes for this. I honestly, think that I liked the idea of not knowing what happened to Josh, Gemma and their baby. I thought this story was well plotted, but I just didn't enjoy it like I did the first book.. The "love triangle" was bizarre to me. Gemma's knee jerk assumptions about Josh and what he was doing /not doing while he was in California, just didn't jive with the people there were in first book. The narration was on point, as it always is with Erin Malone.