TW: infertility

Thanks to NetGalley, I listened to the ARC of this book narrated by Erin Mallon. As always, her narration is 5 ⭐️.

The story was well written, and I loved Josh. It was clearly a case of “it’s always been you” for Josh. What a sweetie.

Gemma. Bless her. For someone in her 30s, she was incredibly naive, both about the difficulties using IVF( that people can go through multiple cycles before conception), and the entire situation with dating her boss. How in this day and age it wouldn’t occur to her to be concerned with both the inappropriate power dynamic involved in dating her boss, but to also not be suspicious of his sudden interest in her AND in Josh- I took off a star for her being stupid. I cannot with her naïveté.

Gemma also went full on bitch with her fertility support group and I almost stopped reading the book. But, I do feel she grew in her maturity and am glad I continued reading.

In the end, this audiobook was a solid listen and gave me a lovely HEA epilogue.

I loved the audiobook it was nice to listen to and it had story line I loved that Josh and Gemma are the unlikely couple that shouldn't have gotten together but they are the cutest and I love that he went to all her appointments and sat with her no matter what

I don’t usually read this kind of book, but I thought I’d change it up a little.

I would compare this book to a lifetime movie or a Hallmark movie. You pretty much know what’s going to happen throughout the whole book, but it’s still a joy getting there. This was a perfectly pleasant book. I could’ve done without all the quotes, but that’s just me.

I read this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

With this title I honestly wasn't expecting to
love this book so much, I thought a solid 3
stars reads but still enjoyable. WRONG! This
book was so good, the MC were relatable and
had a great relationship development.
Nothing felt forced and all the conflicts were
believable. All the other characters were also
well written and hilarious (but the mom can
go and die with her misogynistic ideals)
I totally recommend this book if you are up
for a funny romance.
I got this audiobook from @netgalley and
@_swiftpress in exchange of my honest review

It's Amazing!!
Oh, my Heart🥺🥺
Loved this book so so much, I didn't expect to Relish it as much but I did but I'm so happy about it 😁

This is a story abt 2 beautiful souls Gemma and Josh who faced life's dirty struggles with hope and sunshine in them how much ever they were derailed sometimes...There's so much to deal with btw the...Will Gemma ever realize how much Josh loves her or will he be that just a playboy in her eyes forever...

Will Gemma ever get the family she dreams of, will ppl stop criticizing her or judging her...will she know how much beauty she adds to the world
Will her struggling heart failing hope lift back up??

Ah! Gemma, you're so beautiful inside out.
I'm so glad I got to read these amazing characters.
How much Josh loved Gemma stole my breath
The way the plot was crafted, twisted, unfolded, and presented was just enchanting
This book gave me all the feels and vibes..so full of pure content, story, love, romance, and comedy
It has so many worthy characters and issues that were dawning and touching
We all struggle so much and hide it..we are not perfect but it's okay, it only matters we try, and with hope and love, we can defeat them!

The audiobook was 1000x incredible, I listened to it in one freaking day!😁

This story touched my heart so much 💗
Can't wait to read more from the author

I have so many favorite quotes from this book but I'll say only one :
LOVE IS THE GREATEST GIFT I EVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO GIVE

* CW: Deals with Infertility issues
Spice:one open door romance

Okay okay okay. I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the premise, and it was very cute, but there were some times that I just wanted to shake Gemma!! She was insufferable at some times with the quotes. She was an admirable character however, following through with IVF alone and willing to raise a child by herself. She had good qualities.
Now for where I struggled - the audio narrator almost made me DNF this 2% in. It was not what I imagined the characters voice to be as, and the tone was …. Not good. I’m glad I stuck through, as it was a cute read, but man oh man the narration was rough. Over all, 3.4 stars from me!

The editors blurb drew me in. Then I started listening and thought I'd made a mistake and stopped listening. Gemma started out selfish, unaware of anything or anyone other than herself and clueless to reality, her mother was a nightmare and her siblings acted like they were so much better than she was and treated her like a child because she was living a different life than they thought she should be. And don’t get me started at the horrible men her mother kept trying to set her up with because “she wasn’t getting any younger, couldn’t have a baby, was not a thin gorgeous woman so her choices were limited and she was running out of time and her mothers friends and their sons, well just say EWWWW. I went back to it and am glad I did. Once she made up her mind to take her life back and make her own decisions it was a truly fun journey to her happily ever after. Listening as she finally got out of her own way, let go of what she thought and let herself live life in reality was fun, humorous, a little sad and real. If you’re going through any type of fertility issues, this might trigger some issues for you, but otherwise, this was a fun and entertaining listen with a delightful happily ever after that she so wanted.

I am now a fan of Audiobooks because the narrator managed to capture my attention.

Trigger warning : infertility/miscarriage

Book tells the story of Gemma whose new year's resolution is to have a happy . She is a successful driven woman who then asks her brothers best friend to be the baby daddy. I laughed ,cried ,rooted for the characters. If you need a book that will capture you and never let go.This is it !

3.5 ⭐️ The premise of Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was promising and full of potential for a cringey, funny story. Your brother’s best friend is your sperm donor? What could possibly go wrong!

Below, including the following content warnings, include spoilers -

Content warnings: infertility, IVF, false pregnancy, miscarriage, endometriosis, infidelity and death of a loved one.

Overall, I raced through this on audio, laughed a few times and enjoyed how it all wrapped up.

I had issues with Gemma in the beginning, as I felt she was lacking any awareness. In the end, she says “I had a lot of growing to do” so I suppose that was the point, but the drama that unfolded was not what I expected. I thought since she was trying to use the sperm of her brother’s long time best friend, that’s where the drama would stem.

Instead, a lot of the early drama came from the fact that her mom was an interfering matchmaker, and the available men in her life were terrible. The whole plot point that she was a “chubby” divorcee and that her own mother literally commented on her appearance made me feel really bad and awkward. Especially when the mother pulls a 180 at the end and is supposed to have had “good intentions” all along. It was taken too far for my taste.

Gemma also makes a lot of assumptions, especially around Josh. She didn’t really seem to think through how using his sperm would affect anyone. He often is included in family events, so it seemed inevitable he would be a part of their child’s life. I think because of how this book concluded, this issue wasn’t really explored.

I enjoyed how it came to light that Josh had been in love with her for awhile, and that he was a good guy. The comic was a really cute idea. I understand that in order for Gemma and Josh to connect at this point of their lives, Gemma did have to make inaccurate assumptions at the beginning in order to finally see who Josh truly was.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the audiobook.

Gemma needs to use IVF to have a baby due to various reproductive issues, and she has found the perfect sperm donor in Josh, her brother's best friend. Gemma doesn't know Josh very well personally, but he agrees to help Gemma.

This was a really sweet love story with a slow burn, and I really enjoyed the slow transition that Gemman and Josh made into friendship, and then into something more. There are very funny moments in this book, and there are quite a few moments that anyone who has suffered from infertility will resonate with.

Thank you to Swift and Lewis Publushing LLC for supplying me with an ARC of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.

I can't finish this book. The audio is very good, the narrator does a food job.

I'm not interested in reading a romcom about a self-deprecating "fat" girl (who clearly isn't actually fat) whose family treats her like garbage and sets her up with trash humans because they "want what's best for her" but also don't think she deserves better.

Her husband cheated on her when she found out she was sterile. That is not some character flaw on her part that needs overcoming. I don't want to spend time with these people. I don't know about the male lead because 3 chapters in we haven't even met him yet. He's half the title of the book and still hasn't shown up.

I dive into this book knowing nothing except the summary and the title. I expect this to be a rom-com typical novel that is light to read, but boy am I wrong. It is more than I expected it to be. Josh and Gemma make a baby that tackles contemporary woman issues nowadays that just fits the context perfectly. Although watch out for the content warnings as it talks about heavy stuff such as miscarriage, infertility, and death of a loved one as far as I read.

There are times where I laugh because the scene is so random yet realistic that can happen in real life. The main issue that is raised about being a woman in her 30s and not finding the right partner, yet wanting a baby hits deep because this book really portrays the judgemental society that we live in. We explore the main character, Gemma, as she finds herself struggling with who she really is and what she wants.

One thing that bugs me is that Gemma is not that likable and does unlikely stuff. Which is great to the context of the story. But I think it could be more realistic by telling the backstory of Gemma and why she is like that with her previous relationship.

Overall, this is a lovely story that is relatable to modern times. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a wonderful job to make the story more lively. Thank you, NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange of an honest review.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is a wonderful romance that’s both heartwarming and humorous while also tackling the difficult topic of infertility. And Erin Mallon is one of my favorite narrators - she’s voiced so many books by my favorite authors, including Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez. She has wonderful inflection and pacing, as well as great intonation when switching between multiple characters.

Gemma is a thirty-something who’s divorced but desperately wants to become a mother. She’s struggled with infertility after endometriosis and was never able to conceive. After hearing that her ex is about to become a father for the third time, she decides to make having a baby her New Year resolution. She undertakes the nerve wracking journey of IVF, but doesn’t wasn’t to have to use a sperm donor. Enter Josh, her older brother’s best friend. Despite his constant presence in her life since she was a child, they e never been close. But she considers him a decent human being and would like his donation to the cause. They intend to keep it strictly professional but as they spend more time together throughout the IVF process, she is drawn closer and closer to Josh, realizing that maybe a baby isn’t the only thing she’s been missing.

This story was so wonderful, I didn’t want it to end after the HEA. I wanted more of everyone - Gemma and Josh, her family, and her support group friends. I relate so hard to Gemma and totally fell in love with Josh (what is it with love interests named Josh?) The very sensitive topic of infertility was handled so well, even when things got heavy, there was still humor to be found while no making light of it. If you love books by Abby Jimenez (especially if you’ve listened to the audiobook versions!), you’ll love this one!

This book tackles some heavy subject matter - including grief, loss, infertility, miscarriage. But it contains a huge amount of love and hope, as well. I loved the way Josh and Gemma grew during this story, as well as the way they realized that they needed each other more than they even could imagine. I also liked the story of Gemma's family and how she finally has the courage to tell them how she feels and stand up for herself. Such a well-written story.

There were so many funny moments in this book, moments that I laughed out loud. There were also so many poignant moments, especially for someone who has experienced infertility. So many of the emotions that Gemma felt were emotions I felt as I tried to get pregnant. From that standpoint, I felt the story was realistic and well done. However, Gemma, as a character, really bothered me. Clueless, oh so judgmental and sometimes quite selfish, I have to admit, I didn’t like her. I adored Josh and eventually (and I mean towards the end), I started to like her more. But I still don’t think she was good enough for Josh. Be prepared for a slow burn romance and Gemma waffling in terms of whether to be with Josh. I give this book 3.5 stars.

I listened to the audiobook, an advanced copy from NetGalley, and Erin Mallon is the narrator. She is unparalleled in playing multiple roles and I absolutely enjoyed her narration. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the early copy.

I’ll be honest with you, I logged onto Netgalley looking for an easy listen while I cleaned my house to boost my percentage by the end of the year. So when I saw JOSH AND GEMMA MAKE A BABY as a “listen now” audiobook option, I thought, “okay this will be cute a simple.”

No. Well, yes. But no. It was not cute and simple, there was SO much more to this story! I feel like this has the parallels of a romcom, but since I’m not a movie buff, I have no idea what the title is. Truth be told, I didn’t do a whole lot of cleaning, I did a lot more laying on the couch imaging what Josh looked like.

Content warnings: infertility, infidelity, toxic work environments, miscarriage, death, divorce

I really enjoyed this story because I felt like this was a modern day story for women. Ready touches on being single in your 30’s, not finding “Mr. Right,” and wanting to have a baby after doctors tell you it’ll be difficult to conceive by sex.

As someone who hopes to one day have a child, I think about infertility a lot and also, it seems less and less of a taboo topic. Having friends who struggle, I do my best to offer support, but most of the time, I have no idea what to say of do.

This story gave me a glimpse into what it’s like being at the doctors, injections, tracking symptoms, and more.

But above all, this story was about love, doing what you want with your life on your own time, and not feeding into what society expects you to do.

Big thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing and Netgalley for the ALC! You can get your copy on January 25, 2022.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
by Sarah Ready
Was a cute read!
I must say, this audio version was amazing.
The narrator did such a great job and made me feel more connected to Gemma
The story was well developed and realistic honestly I didn't want to stop playing the book.
This was a quick read and one I enjoyed alot!

Swift & Lewis Publishing,
Thank You for this audio book

I had both the ebook and the audiobook so I switched back and forth between the two.

The narrator, Erin Mallon is really good. She was kind of breathy at the beginning of the book and sometimes and that really bugs me but other than those first few minutes I really enjoyed this narrator.

This was my first book by this author and I could see myself reading another one of her books in the future as I enjoyed this book for the most part.

I didn’t really care for Gemma and the whole OM drama seemed completely unnecessary and made me question her judgment.

I feel like one of the big themes of this book was that Gemma realized she didn’t really know Josh but I feel like after she realized that, there wasn’t much effort made to get to know him and it could be that this story was only told in her POV but I feel like I could count the number of things I knew about Josh at the end of this book on one hand.

There were some funny parts in this book and I really enjoyed the women she became friends with from the fertility support group.

Content warnings are below, please be aware that some of the content warnings may be spoilers.

CW: false pregnancy, miscarriage, Endometriosis, infertility, IVF, death of a parent.

I Received an eARC and an audiobook ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. I very much enjoyed this audiobook, and could not stop listening to it.
-
From the very first chapter, this book grabbed me and pulled me in. I was laughing so hard my mom had to ask me what was happening. Then I had to tell her the name of the book through my laughter. Speaking of the name of the book the story is exactly what the title says, but a lot different. Gemma can’t have a baby “the natural way”, plus she is also single. So she sets out on her IVF journey, and somehow ends up roping her brothers best friend in. Josh, seems like the perfect option for a sperm donor, so she just goes right out and asks him. After some convincing he agrees and they set out on their journey. It’s wild, messy, and so funny. Definitely pick this one up!

Thank-you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for the chance to review this ALC.

5/5 for both story and narration.

I was not ready for what Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was going to do to my emotions. I thought it was going to be this fun romcom and it is fun and funny but it’s also emotional and real!
I loved this story and its characters and the message that it gives.

Gemma was an interesting character. Gemma wants kinds and a family but she’s divorced cant get pregnant the old-fashioned way and she’s losing the hope of finding someone. Add a mother that isn’t very understanding and yeah Gemma has a lot going on. I had moments where I really liked Gemma and others where I wanted to shake her and make her see what was right in front of her.

Josh is wonderful and I want to protect him with my life. I loved Josh he was wonderful and there was so much more to him than what we as readers could see through Gemma. I’ll say that I wasn’t sure what to expect when we first get introduced to the idea of Josh. But as the story progresses, we start to form our own idea of him while Gemma stays a little behind.
Their relationship has a little bit of everything, the buildup of their friendship, the angst of the slow burn and the heartache of the conflict that the story is trying to fix. I had my problems with Gemma because of the way she handled things and I would usually take off a star from the rating when there’s characters that handle/create the type of conflict, but I really loved the way the conflict comes with a realization that it’s been a constant issue from the start of the book. Gemma has always been this way, always had these thoughts but it’s not until we see her voice them to those who matter to her that we see that it’s a way to justify herself. She apologized and paid her dues as she should, and she made the grand gesture!
This story focus on infertility, pregnancy loss and I can’t speak on how accurate it is. But it felt very real, emotional, and raw. It wasn’t just a thing that was added as a background it was front and center and helped us learn more about the type of people these characters were. It helped them grow.

Narration,
Erin Mallon is PERFECTION. She’s the sole narrator here and she does a fantastic job at creating a distinct voice for each character. I’m always amazed at her incredible range as an actor.

Overall, this book has my heart. I laughed, swooned, cried, and wanted to throw my phone at the wall. It was a total rollercoaster of emotions. Sarah Ready has done such an amazing job here I can’t recommend this enough!