This is a super cute romance that still manages to cover deep issues. It does a remarkable job at blending heavier topics with humor that allows the story to flow nicely and it’s written in a way that makes the entire experience enjoyable. Josh was and absolute sweetheart and Gemma showed a bunch of growth throughout the novel.

I loved this book! It made me laugh at some parts and cry at others. Once I started, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. Josh’s character was the perfect blend of funny and sweet.
Excellent ending other than not telling us if it is a she or a he!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I fear posting honest reviews here sometimes because I don't want to be blacklisted, but I also feel like I should be honest!

This story was ok - it felt predictable and played out, but sometimes there is comfort in knowing exactly where you are going.

I didn't love this and I didn't hate it either, but it was a fairly unforgettable story.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*contains spoilers*

Josh and Gemma Make A Baby was a genuinely entertaining and heartwarming read that I inhaled within a matter of hours. It covered deep and emotional issues such as infertility, IVF, divorce and miscarriage yet in a light and humourous way that didn't bring the fluffy tone of the book down too much.

There were quite a few conversations and events that happened throughout the story that felt very reminiscent of the first Bridget Jones film (and possibly the book too but I've not read it...) which I wasn't overly fussed on; some moments were almost identical! The comments about Gemmas appearance and the wording of her resolutions at the New Years party, the whole affair with the playboy boss thing, loving someone "just as they are" and also the misunderstanding about the Josh/Ian conflict were just a few similarities that really stood out to me.

It was because of these similarities and Gemma's character as a whole that this book didn't quite reach the 4☆ mark for me. Gemma was so unlikeable looking back. She was actually pretty selfish and judgmental, especially when it came to Josh's job and living situation, and she didn't make any effort to really get to know him as an adult or even take an interest in his life. I really felt for Josh and how he was treated by Gemma because he was such a loveable, charming character that was being seriously looked down upon because of who he was when he was a teenager. Gemma did change her attitude towards the end (thank god) but I still felt that Josh deserved better.

This was a very sweet read! I knew right away just based off of the title that this book would be my cup of tea (love a good pregnancy trope 😂)

This was actually my first Sarah Ready book and I will for sure be looking for others from her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the e-arc in return for an honest review.

Hilarious, endearing, touching and wholesome.

This book was a multi-layered delight. The romance plot was very simple, yet extremely sweet.

The chemistry between Josh and Gemma was off the freaking charts and it only gets better as you get to know the characters, their story and their personality. The banter between them was so on point and had me laughing out loud multiple times.

Gemma's infertility journey was handled in a very careful and delicate way, bringing to life something many women struggle with but very few talk about. Having Gemma joining the fertility support group and showing the different ways women come to terms and deal with such struggles really helped to validate every single woman's experience.

The writing is simple, accessible but so poignant and the comics sprinkled between the text were so cute and some were extremely touching.

100% would recommend to anyone looking of a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud, brother's best friend romance.


***Thank you to Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing and Sarah Ready for the e-ARC of Josh and Gemma Make a Baby in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.***

Gemma, a thirty-two-year-old woman, has a great job, a nice apartment, and a close and supportive family. But, she doesn’t have something she wants. A baby.
So, her New Year’s resolution is just that. She’ll have a baby, by herself, through IVF. But for that, she needs someone’s sperm.
That’s where Josh comes in. He is her brother’s best friend, and they had been close during their teenage years but strayed apart after that. He’s a nice guy, healthy, funny, and not an unknown sperm donor.
And Gemma decides he is a perfect choice. They’ll go through with it in a businesslike arrangement, no attachments, just a baby.
And surprisingly, he agrees. But when it comes to baby-making, it can just stay like this, can it?

What I liked:
The book resembles a romantic comedy from the 2000s and 2010s, fast-paced and super fun. By the end, I found myself caring about the characters. The writing is really good and catches you and doesn’t let you go (I read it in only two sittings!).

What I didn’t like: The story is predictable, and the author doesn’t delve deeper into the main character’s past, making it harder to get attached and care about them at first. I also didn’t love how the author approached some subjects (as her relationship with her boss), and she could have gone into more details and made important discussions on it, but I understand that maybe that would take away some of the “lightness” of the story.

Overall, it is a nice story that will keep you distracted while you read it, with nice characters and a bit of a “nostalgic” feeling to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the e-arc in return for an honest review.

Gemma’s New Year’s Resolution is to have a baby - but without a romantic partner, she is using IVF to make it happen. She needs a sperm donor and can’t think of anyone better than Josh, her brother’s best friend. He’s kind, funny, she knows him, and there is no way she will fall for him. He agrees to be her sperm donor, but in the process they get to know each other better and their relationship becomes more than a business arrangement.

What a gem of a book. This one really took me by surprise in the best way. The description of this one caught my eye and I figured I would enjoy it, but it blew me away how much I actually loved it! This sweet slow burn had me laughing out loud, had me tearing up at times, and just made my heart feel so warm. Josh is hands down one of the best book boyfriends - he’s kind and gentle, with a little bit of sass and snark in there. The side characters were also so charming and I adored the unlikely friendships Gemma formed.

This may have been my first, but definitely will not be my last book by Sarah Ready. Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Ready for the advanced copies! Josh and Gemma Make a Baby will be available on January 25th.

It was a perfect start to this year with this book as this book starts on the New Year's Eve . I never expected to like this book so much . I had thought to take a break from reading for two weeks but when I got the arc for this book , I would'nt resist .

Gemma Jacobs is 32 years old , divorced , independent woman working for a self help guru , Ian Fortune (by the way we don't like him ). Josh Lewenthal is her brother's best friend . They have known each other for practical all their life . Gemma wants a baby but she is infertile following her endometriosis diagnosis.
so she wants a SUPER sperm of none other than JOSH LEWENTHAL . Want to know the remaining? READ THE BLOODY BOOK coz IT WAS SO GOOD .

I ABSOLUTELY ENJOYED IT . It was my first Sarah Ready's book so I didn't know what to except . She did'nt disappoint , I loved her writing style . This book gave me all the feels . It had the right amount of humour , emotion and character . IVF is an underrated plot point . I haven't seen a lot of romance novels where IVF is discussed (maybe one ) . I think IVF can be good plot point if written beautifully and informatively . The support group was incredible helping Gemma through her process . By the way , the illustrations in between was so cute .

But I wished there was more steamy scenes ( atleast the lime jello scene 😉) I am not a person who reread books a lot but will I reread this book ? HELL YEAH .

If you love The Friendzone by Abby Jiminez , Sarah Adams and Sally Thorne , you would love it . ***me here hopefully waiting for bonus chapter even though the book isn't out yet***

Thank you Netgalley and Sarah Ready for the opportunity to read ARC .

This cute little rom-com was the cutest start to my 2022 reads! And today was the perfect day to listen, since the book starts and ends on New Year’s Eve!

When I judged this book by its cover, I thought I was signing up for a cutesy baby daddy rom-com. Josh and Gemma ended up being so much more! There was definitely an emotional layer to this book that I wasn’t expecting. I found myself tearing up at some scenes (TW: infertility and loss) and cracking up laughing at others.

Generally I prefer romances with dual perspectives, but SR did an amazing job of showing us Josh’s thoughts through Gemma’s eyes. Josh seemed so sweet and genuine, despite being a bit of a player growing up. I would have liked to see more of Josh’s opinion of Gemma growing up, but there was a twist that would’ve been ruined by his POV.

I will say that I’m not sure how realistic this book was in regards to the discussions of infertility and IVF. Gemma seemed particularly naive on the topic for someone ready to drop tons of money on IVF. She didn’t even realize that it doesn’t usually work on the first round–something I know as someone that has never tried to get pregnant either naturally or through IVF. There were many scenes where Gemma’s mother made her feel unworthy as a woman for not dating, going so far as to shame her body type.

IVF discussions aside, I really enjoyed this book. Sarah Ready is a new-to-me author, but I’ll certainly be reading more of her work in the future!

Sarah, through her twisting turn of events, has crafted a beautiful book that no one could expect was coming. Using generic tropes of Best Friends Brother as well as childhood admirers she strung along a beautiful epitome of quotes and comics to share a 'golden' love.

Book: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
Author: Sarah Ready
Spice Rating: ★★★.5/5
Plot Rating: ★★★★★/5
Overall Rating: ★★★★.5/5

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆.

This book has rendered me speechless, not being a fan of pregnancy related books, this book definitely blew me away. It was a beautiful interpolation of a journey of long time coming love. Unlike other books, there was a lot more to the book than only what's in the blurb. We met the preciously hilarious support group aligned with mum characters like Leah who blew me away with authenticity. But what struck me the most was the emotions. Ready, rather than sugar-coating it, told it like it is. IVF is not always successful, nor is it easy, nor were the characters put together from the very beginning, in fact the uncertainty of it was all the more enjoyable.

The love interests, Josh being Gemma's Brothers Best Friend has not had it easy, from a sick father to the lack of a mother figure, Josh has turned to his drawings for solace and peace. Gemma however, is staying in the city harbouring her thriving job under a self-help guru and is a constant quoter. She lives by the thought of someday until she realizes that someday is soon going to run out.

She aspires to be a mother, hence the IVF. From hereon she shortlists men she knows to be the father of said child. Shortlists one man. Joshua Lowenthal. As her mother hosts New Years parties yearly the divorcee, Gemma, was not having any luck finding Mr. Right. Yet her desperation to become a mother acts out on her and she asks Josh to donate his sperm, from hereon out this web weaved full of heartbreak, miscommunication and blissful love is only intricately tied together with a knot. I would recommend dearly and although I did get provided a free of charge copy thanks to Netgalley this review is wholly honest.

FIVE STARS. Is it presumptuous to say a book published in January may end up being one of my favorites of 2022? I loved this story and devoured it in a day. It’s perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez; definitely pick it up if you like movies like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, The Back Up Plan, or When Harry Met Sally. This book gave me all the feels from butterflies and giddiness to heartbreak and longing and everything in between. Pick this book up, and thank me later. Also, say hi to my newest book boyfriend, Josh, for me

Josh and Gemma Make A Baby by Sarah Ready
Tags: RomCom; Brothers Best Friend; Second Chance Romance; Infertility Journey

Gemma Jacobs is 32, divorced, and sick of waiting for Mr Right. It’s New Years, and she’s made her resolution – have a baby. She’s an independent women, she can do this on her own – and she knows just who she’d like her donor to be: Josh Lewenthal. Josh – nice guy, easy going, family friend (her older brother’s best friend actually), and the guy she once long ago lost her virginity to. Now she just needs to get Josh on board…

I really enjoyed this book – it balanced being a romantic comedy (complete with the hijinks and heartfelt moments) with covering a serious issue that impacts a lot of people (infertility). I liked the balance of levity and depth and really enjoyed watching Gemma’s journey.

I ended up reading this book over the course of an afternoon, it just sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. I adored Josh – he was such a fun character to see the layers revealed on and I enjoyed his interactions with Gemma and watching their story evolve. I also had all the feels when he read a certain something at a certain part (no spoilers), but seriously crying. 💕

I laughed, I cried – I just had a lot of feelings. It had a bit of a Bridget Jones-ish romcom vibe at times for me, and as always, I’m a fan of a good slow burn romance. I think fans of romcoms in the vein of Christina Lauren, Abby Jiminez, and the like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Ready for the opportunity to read an early copy!

*I was given an e-ARC from NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This is the first book I've ever read by Sarah Ready, and I honestly chose to read it because I've not been feeling well and wanted something quick and light to read while lounging around to try to get better. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby sounded like the perfect quick, light book to read while lounging. Until I got sucked into it and wasn't able to put it down and rest like I needed.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Gemma is, by her own definition and by the definition of those around her, frumpy, chubby, dull, and desperately in need of a husband with whom to settle down. She's been married and divorced and doesn't want to go down that path again, but she desperately wants a baby. She, being a modern woman, decides that she will have a baby on her own, with help from a sperm donor - but one she chooses, because she doesn't want to risk the unknowns of an anonymous donor from a sperm bank.

Enter Josh, Gemma's brother's best friend. She hasn't spoken to him in years but comes right out and asks him to give her what she needs to make a baby - but it has to be done through a fertility clinic and IVF due to Gemma being previously diagnosed with endometriosis and fertility issues.

I have to say - I love reading books that address issues such as infertility. Several family members of mine have experienced infertility, and it's a problem that should be spoken about more, because so many women that are infertile feel like they are less, which is absolutely not true.

Back to the story - throughout the process of attempting to get pregnant, Gemma starts to learn more about Josh and realizes that she's judged him wrongly for most of the time she's known him - which has been for most of their lives.

The author manages to make this story light-hearted and funny in a lot of places, but also addresses many difficult issues throughout - infertility, pregnancy loss, the stress of infertility on a marriage, the loss of a parent - as well as some other things such as holistic approaches to infertility struggles, meddling-do-it-for-your-own-good mothers, and sleeze-ball bosses that take advantage of people below them in stature.

I definitely enjoyed this book and am only disappointed that I read through it so quickly. Now, to find more of Sarah Ready's work so I can read those as well.


Link to review blog:
https://onemorepageonemorechapter.weebly.com/home/josh-and-gemma-make-a-baby-by-sarah-ready-review

I enjoyed this book so, so much. From its cute cover to the last pages this friends to lovers romance checked all the boxes for me. Josh and Gemma were characters I cared about and cheered on with glee and I loved their goofiness and found them both to be very relatable. It was refreshing to see Gemma was the reason the couple wasn't together and it was she making all the romantic mistakes. That was a nice change from always having the main male character be the cad and Josh was such a good friend and a stand up guy. If you're looking for a a very entertaining read that will make you laugh, cry and swoon then this is the book for you. It is my first read by Sarah Ready but it certainly won't be my last.

You know how you want to end the year on a good note? Well, this book was that good note. I kind of just stumbled upon it, a happy little accident. The description got me and once I started reading I couldn’t stop! I binged this one in less than 24 hours and here’s why you should, too.

Reason 1) This book is, simply put, a delight. Not only is there humor, but there’s all the other ingredients that make a delicious rom-com: blush-worthy banter, slow-burn, some spice. Gemma and Josh have chemistry from the get-go, and it only gets better as Ready builds the story. I loved how (slight spoiler here!) Gemma has to learn that she’d been building up these ideas of people in her head — Josh included — and either harshly judging or blindly idolizing them. I think that’s something we all catch ourselves in but have a hard time recognizing. It was a full circle moment seeing her fall for (the real!) Josh.

Reason 2) It’s a layered story — not just romance here! The love story is, of course, a main point, but it’s equal to the theme of longing for a family. Ready is careful and kind in writing Gemma’s infertility journey. She does a lovely job of bringing to light something so many women struggle with but so few talk about. I loved that she also intertwined Josh’s longing for a family of his own with Gemma’s. I appreciated Ready normalizing the idea that men also have these same desires as women. The overall arc of this novel is well-written and satisfying.

I could gush on and on, but you’ll have to read it for yourself! ‘Josh and Gemma Make a Baby’ hits shelves January 25. Thank you so much to Sarah Ready and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #JoshandGemmaMakeaBaby #NetGalley

I am, 100%, the target audience for this book. Like the main character, Gemma, I'm a thirty-mumble-something New Englander. Like Gemma, I've decided I want to have a kid, and, since a partner isn't in the offing, I'm doing it solo. Like Gemma, I'm going through IVF, and like Gemma, I'm getting a little…uh… genetic donation from a friend.

So I should have loved this book. I should have loved seeing a story I know so intimately reflected on the page.

I've long thought, after all, that this whole solo motherhood process would make a perfect romance-novel setup: you have two people who are doing something deeply intimate together. Even if the actual merging of egg and sperm is done in the clinical setting of a lab rather than the more, uh, traditional manner, it's <em>inescapably </em>intimate. As I know full well. Before getting to conception, you talk, and talk, and talk. You share intimate family details, mental and physical health histories, plans and boundaries around parenthood and romantic relationships. You're tying yourself to another person, inextricably, even if not romantically. Forced intimacy is a trope for a reason, after all. So: I can easily imagine this as a setup for romance, and it's one that I should love.

Unfortunately, I… didn't. I tried! I wanted to like it! But I didn't.

That's not to say others might not really enjoy this book. It's perfectly light, pleasant, and at times funny; it's well-written, too, so there's no kludgy writing to throw you out of the narrative. It reminded me of nothing so much as Bridget Jones' Diary, that kind of frothy, humorous no-surprises romance-novel setup that promises stumbles and problems but ultimately a happy ending. So if you're looking for a contemporary romance, an easy beach read or post-New-Year's book to curl up on the couch with, you might enjoy this. It's a perfect exemplar of the genre, is what I'm saying: it's a good example of those books marketed (so nauseatingly) as "women's fiction" with a cover composed of bright Instagram-friendly colors and a couple illustrated in line drawings, so if you like those, you might like this.

I, however, did not. I'm perfectly willing to acknowledge that books like this require some suspension of disbelief: that's part of their pleasure. The hunky hero moves to the small town and falls in love with the heroine! The plucky heroine runs into her handsome neighbor in the city and they hate each other but fall in love! Etc. etc. But in this case, probably because I know too much about the entire process of solo motherhood, there was just too much disbelief for me to suspend—as it were. I know, I know: these books aren't meant to be <em>realistic. </em>But when Gemma was able to get an appointment with a fertility specialist a) online and b) within a few days, my eyebrows went up: I had to wait three months for my initial appointment, and that was only because I called often enough they fit me in with a cancellation. And the way it seems like she made the solo-mom decision immediately, without any of the "can I do it? should I do it? what happens if I do it? what happens if I <em>don't </em>do it?" deliberation— or, at least, not that we the reader see? I just couldn't do it.

So, I didn't finish this. Not to say you might not like it, but: it wasn't for me.

This book was a pleasant surprise to read--so much so that I finished it in one day. Sarah Ready does an excellent job setting the scene for her main character Gemma and gives her such realism that most books seem to lack these days. Gemma deals with infertility and decides to go the IVF route. Infertility is a reality for a lot of women and there is a lack of representation in fiction, that isn't something super depressing, that highlights that in a way that normalizes it like this book does. Without giving too much away, Gemma is your quintessentially oblivious female lead to her male lead's desires. I feel like this is super common in rom-coms so let's say that's okay. Josh also plays the job of supportive yet romantically elusive partner really well. Overall, the story was nice, it was well-paced. I felt for the characters in their ups and downs and I thought that was the ultimate success of the book. My only qualm for not giving the book 5 stars is regarding Gemma's boss and how his story unfolds. It is wayyyy too convenient, cookie-cutter even, as to how he relates to everyone in the story and felt a bit like a cop-out which was kind of upsetting considering how hard the author worked to stay true to real life situations. I still enjoyed the book and appreciated it for what it was.

This book was delightful! I needed a good laugh and this book was perfect for it! I couldn't stop laughing at Gemma's antics and I love how sweet Josh's character was too. This book was a unique one, there's the baby trope but in a upside down topsy turny kind of way, and it was fun! It was super fun to read and to see how the characters navigated the path of IVF and love too.

The only thing I will say is that I wish Josh would have communicated more with Gemma and that Gemma was a bit too quick to judge and decide she's made up her mind about someone.

If you're looking for a good laugh and some mini illustrations and lots of inspirational quotes, pick this book up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the earc in return for an honest review.

3.5⭐️ maybe? I could not put this damn book down. JOSH AND GEMMA MAKE A BABY is an adult rom-com about a single woman who convinces her brother’s long-time best friend to have a baby with her via IVF following her endometriosis diagnosis.

I highly recommend this story as an audiobook: Erin Mallon’s performance is delightful!

What I Loved:
- Josh. If you like cinnamon roll heroes and the “boy obsessed” trope, Josh is your man.
- Female friendship. There were some really great supportive platonic relationships, and the female side characters were hilarious.
- Though a little corny at times, the writing was captivating and I was hooked from page one.
- The balance between humor and more serious topics. I enjoyed both the fun banter and the poignant discussions around infertility, motherhood, and grief.

What I Didn’t Love:
- Casual unchallenged fatphobia. This got a little better as the book went on and the MC stood up for herself, but I think the negativity could have been addressed better - especially considering we are led to believe that Gemma is “midsized” or curvy and not fat.
- Gemma, at times. Part of her character arc was that she had to unlearn the misconceptions she had about the people around her, but yikes. She was surely sympathetic and endearing at times, but I would not recommend this book if you don’t like slightly unlikable narrators.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of THE FRIEND ZONE by Abby Jimenez. JOSH AND GEMMA MAKE A BABY was a captivating read to kick off 2022 with!

TWs: infertility, miscarriage, death of a parent, cancer, casual fatphobia