Loved listening to Josh & Gemma again!

Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I absolutely loved "Josh and Gemma Make a Baby," so I was thrilled to read this highly anticipated sequel. Sarah Ready did not disappoint! "Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around" is a captivating and gripping love story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The unexpected twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end.

The characters are so well-developed and relatable, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the entire book. Gemma is upbeat and positive to a fault, while Josh is laid-back and always finds humor in life. Together, they make the perfect couple, but their love is put to the test when their lives are turned upside down.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good love story with unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend "Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around" to anyone who wants to be swept away by a beautiful and heartwarming romance.

I didn’t read the first book and I felt to some extent this therefore meant it took a long time to get on top of the characters and what was happening in the story. As a result I didn’t really enjoy the first half that much but got into the story more in the second half where it was more enjoyable. Although having said that I can’t say that I ever fell in love with the characters, or found myself strongly rooting for them.

There just seemed something missing for me in this book in emotional attachment with the characters. This may have been impacted by the narrator and her style of reading the book, which in this case I felt limited my enjoyment of the book. I read a lot of the books of this style and overall I felt there are better books out there in this genre. For me it was an okay book but not really anything more. I don’t think I would read the first book following this. If you are planning to read the book I would personally say go straight to the book and avoid the audiobook but it might just be me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Before I begin, I want to state that I would not have requested this book if I knew it wasn't a standalone. I couldn't enjoy it fully because I wasn't familiar with the first book.

The pacing of the book felt off. The story dragged on unnecessarily in some parts while rushing through potentially significant moments in others. This erratic pacing disrupted the flow of the narrative and made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story.

Perhaps, If I read the first book I will come back and read this book again. It was definitely not a bad book whatsoever!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review!

Cute story! I hadn’t read the previous book but it wasn’t too hard to follow the story. Erin Mallon was great as alway!

This is the third book by Sarah Ready I've read and she is becoming one of my favorite authors. Her stories are cute, entertaining and such comfort reads.
I loved going back to Josh and Gemma <3

A delightful sequel that weaves twisted, life-threatening, and heart-warming moments, leading to a captivating and lovable happily ever after.

It was an incredible delight to stumble upon the sequel to Sarah Ready's "Josh and Gemma Make a Baby," a book that I truly loved and treasured last year. Needless to say, my excitement was high as I eagerly dived into this new installment. I had already imagined the perfect happily ever after for Josh and Gemma after the conclusion of the first book; a blissful marriage, the arrival of a new bundle of joy, overflowing happiness, and a smooth journey. However, what I encountered was an unexpected and significant obstacle, threatening to disrupt their idyllic path to their happily ever after.

As the story unfolds, we find Josh and Gemma, with Gemma eight months pregnant, standing at the altar, prepared to exchange their long-awaited vows. Yet, fate intervenes, turning their world upside down and halting all their plans for the future. Three months later, not only has the world transformed, but Gemma herself has undergone a profound change in her perception of the world and its inhabitants. It becomes the final test for her relationship with Josh, testing their ability to navigate these newfound challenges and regain the path to their desired happy ending.

Some reviewers feel that the sequel was unnecessary, and I understand their point of view. After all, most of us read romance novels for the happy feelings they elicit, don't we? If you're looking for escapist and sweet moments, this may not be the perfect book for you. However, if you want to read an emotionally satisfying journey that depicts a couple overcoming real-life problems, this book is for you. I loved the seamless continuity of plot lines from the first book, particularly the redemptive journey of Ian Fortune, who elicited both scorn and interest in the first volume. Nevertheless, the first book still holds a special place in my heart, particularly Gemma's presence in that book.

Despite the heavier themes, the plot is brimming with love, fun, and laughter. Surprisingly, it has a great depth of emotions, which fosters a better knowledge of what drives commitment and enduring love. Once again, I relished the audio version, skilfully narrated by the talented Erin Mallon. I highly recommend listening and reading the first book before delving into this sequel, as other readers have discovered that without witnessing the couple's backstory, it's difficult to properly invest in Josh and Gemma's relationship. Should Ready decide to continue their journey, I will eagerly await the next installment, as I am wholly captivated by their story.

This book was sweet but just didn't hold my interest the way I wanted it to. I wish I had liked it more, because I was so ready for it, but unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.

Holy cow I don't think I could love a book more. This was such an emotional rollercoaster. You absolutely have to read book 1 first. Otherwise you won't feel that connection between the characters. I stayed up so late because I couldn't stop reading this. Their journey is rocky, bumpy but beautiful.
Please please please check trigger warnings on both books, infertility and loss are heavily present in these books as well as other triggers.

I absolutely loved the first book 'Josh and Gemma Make a Baby' and thought it would be a standalone novel so I was a bit surprised when the sequel popped up on NetGalley. Plus, the blurb made it sound a lot serious in tone and with a lot of mixed reviews I was hesitant at first about reading it. I am glad I did and also that I took my time and read it a few months after it release. I know I enjoyed the book a lot more than I would have if I had read it around the time of its publication.

I felt it was a good sequel and was pleasantly surprised that the tone of the book was not too serious or depressing as I imagined it would be. I liked the redemption arc for Ian and after getting to know his side of the story, his actions kind of made sense.

I listened to the audiobook and once again Erin Mallon was simply outstanding in her narration. If any readers want to give Sarah Ready's books a try then I will definitely recommend listening to the audiobook versions.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC/ IBPA Member's Audiobooks and the author for the audio Arc of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

The fascinating bits of the story as we hear what happens when Gemma has an accident, leaving her world turned upside down.
Will Josh and Gemma find their way back to one another in this topsy-turvy tale?
Thanks to Net Galley for this arc in exchange for a review.

I read and really enjoyed Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, the first book in this duology. It ended with Josh and Gemma planning on getting married. If you have not read or listened to that book and plan to do so, I recommend you stop reading my review now. It will spoil the first book for you and it was so much fun. This book opens with the wedding planning and happening, however something happens and Gemma goes down and when she awakens in the hospital, she has lost the baby and the ability to feel, anything. Josh loves Gemma with all his heart and is willing to fight for her. They move in together, with the hope that as she heals, her feelings will return and with that, her love for Josh.

I was looking forward to visiting with Josh and Gemma and all their family and friends in this sequel. This one does not have the humour I found in the first book but the characters were still wonderful. The beginning started with a bang and then the momentum slowed a bit, but it definitely picked up. We were reacquainted with some characters from the first book that were extremely unlikable, but as I learned more about them, my attitude changed. I found the idea of damage to the emotional part of the brain causing a person to have no outward feelings, as well as seeing them begin to come back. Funny that anger is the first one to return. This is an emotional story and Josh's fight for Gemma was wonderful. I don't want to give anything else away, so will stop there. There are a couple of steamy scenes, but not too bad. This was a much heavier book that the first one. There are some medical and mental health issues, family secrets that deal with alcoholism and traumatic brain injury, loss of a child at 8 months gestation and more. Yes, there is romance and finally a HEA, but it is a journey to get there and one that I was invested in. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon. She also narrated the first book. and once again, I enjoyed her performance. Her voices were wonderful with emotion and expression, that definitely added to my enjoyment of this story.

What an interesting of the story as we hear what happens when Gemma has an accident, leaving her world turned upside down.
Will Josh and Gemma find their way back to one another in this topsy-turvy tale?
Thanks to Net Galley for this advanced copy!

After reading the cutesie will they won't they which was the first book I was excited for this one. But it made me feel a completely different way. This is an outlook on real life and the trials that couples actually go through and I admire the different route the author went down.

Especially with a new baby things can change, and the expression of this throughout was really well written.

Overall I really enjoyed it.

Josh and Gemma have everything going for them. They are hopelessly in love with each other, about to get married, and Gemma is pregnant with their baby. When it all comes crashing down on what was supposed to be their wedding day, Josh and Gemma have to determine how to move forward and if they can still have a happily-ever-after with everything they have faced.

I absolutely adored <i>Josh and Gemma Make a Baby</i>, so I knew as soon as I learned there was a sequel that I had to read it! I knew they wouldn’t have a trouble-free relationship in the sequel, but this was a lot heavier than I had expected it to be. Ian Fortune’s redemption arc was probably my favorite part of this book. Erin Mallon did a wonderful job with the narration of the audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

I had no idea this was the sequel to a book before requesting and apart from a couple of references to the first one, I didn’t feel like I missed out on a whole lot of the back story. I thought this was ok. Sure it had a bit of romance but it was more of a comedy for me, although there were a few heavy topics in this too. I thought the characters were ok, Ian was hilarious even if he was meant to be the ‘bad guy’. Overall, this was an easy, fluffy listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. \
*contains spoilers*
I had high hopes for this from the beginning, the initial part of the story was well written, engaging, and tackled a theme which isn’t often covered in books of this genre. I also adore Erin Mallon as a narrator, she really brings stories to life.

However, from the moment Gemma wakes up, the book spins off into an unenjoyable and dragged out version of events, which lacks heart and meaning. The story spent way too much time focused on Ian and way too little time on Josh and Gemma. Josh and Gemma get hardly any time together; they don’t communicate properly and barely speak to one another. I would have enjoyed more time spent on Gemma navigating motherhood and spending time with her daughter and the feelings she had missing out on her daughters first few months. Instead we get pages and pages of Ian’s backstory. The characters were difficult to like in this story, they’ve all had pain and been on a journey but they all could have done better.
Overall this had promise but missed the mark by a long shot.

The audiobook was amazing and I couldn’t stop listening it o it. It was interesting and love every part of it. This books does have abit of spicy scenes.

I didn't read the first book in this series, but I don't think you needed to. You get a great first impression of the relationship between Josh and Gemma right at the start. You definitely feel the tension in the first few chapters, knowing that SOMETHING is going to go wrong for them that would make them have to try again a second time. This book resonated with me a little more than I think it would have a few years ago. Gemma experiences a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and loses her emotions. My sister had a very severe TBI a few years ago, and I found myself really tuning in to Gemma's reactions and nodding along when some of her symptoms after the coma aligned with my sister. I immediately connected with Gemma and her family. It was an emotional ride and I think it had a lot of truth woven into the story about TBIs.
The confusion, the romance, the breakdowns, they were well done and I really enjoyed this story.

It was not a match for me.
I didn’t really liked it.
I found the story good but not enough to have a good time listening to it.
I am sorry.