Absolutely loved this title! The cute romance and realistic view of infertility was so well done. Highly recommend!

This was a super cute book and unlike any story/romance that I have read lately! It was very refreshing. I thought the unique take on a "romantic comedy" was pretty fun and easy to get sucked into. I enjoyed both of the main characters and was happy to go along with their IVF/romantic journey.

Gemma is the type of character I always root for, struggling to understand herself, not always making the best decisions, but comes out on top. Also hilarious, I loved her inner dialogs.

This is the first book I have read that touched based on IVF and I enjoyed following that process with Gemma and Josh.

The audio was great and this is an author I will look forward to reading more of in the future.

I stumbled upon the 'listen now' audio ARC thanks to #netgalley literally the day before it released. I am so happy that I did too. As a big thriller and WW2 Historical fiction fan, these lighter rom coms are hit or miss for me. This one did not disappoint. The narration was spot on in my opinion. Gemma deals with an issue of fertility that many people shun from discussing in 'polite' society yet still today. I enjoyed the banter between her and her family, Josh and the "pink room' gals. Any audio that makes me chuckle out loud is a plus and I did so a few times. I wish there had been a little more in depth about Josh's dad and the Ian thing perhaps but overall a quick witty story that makes you think a bit as well.

Full of heart and humor

And triggers. Please take care and read with caution. It was an enjoyable book but it also deals with some very heavy issues!!!

TW: Infertility, Miscarriage , Pregnancy, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Fatphobia, Blood

Her mom sucked and I'm surprised Gemma didn't stick up for herself sooner.

Josh was swoony and awesome and I thought he was awesome with every turn of the story.

I laughed. I cried. Then laughed some more. And now I have a craving for lime jello!

Book: Josh and Gemma Make A Baby
Author: Sarah Ready
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: 25th Jan’ 2022

TRIGGER WARNINGS: IVF, Infertility, Misscarriage

My first audiobook of 2022 and I loved it! Josh and Gemma Make A Baby was such an easy listen and I tended to want to tune in to it at every opportunity I could find!

We follow Gemma Jacobs whose New Years resolution is to have a baby!! Only problem is she is a single pringle and unable to conceive without the help of IVF! She is on the search for a sperm donor or in Gemma’s case someone she knows and trusts but wants a no strings attached arrangement! This is when her long time family friend Josh comes into the equation!

The narrator Erin Mallon was a joy to listen to and she really made the story come to life which is what I love about a good audiobook! This book is charming, heartwarming and full of fun, I highly recommend it! It’s out now, go check it out!!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and Sarah Ready for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this fantastic book!

4 ⭐️
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the e-ARC and audio-ARC copies of this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Well this wound up being a fun, heartfelt surprise! I started this as an audiobook just to shake things up, and while it was a bit of a rocky beginning, this turned out to be a very sweet story.

"Josh and Gemma Make a Baby" is a pretty straightforward story when you first think about it: Gemma is a 32-year-old infertile divorcée whose life is pretty average at first glance, but after years of family treating her like the single black sheep, she wants to start a family of her own and have a baby - without a husband. Gemma takes matters into her own hands and decides that even though she had endometriosis and was told it would never happen for her, she wants to try for a baby. When she's asked if she has a sperm donor, her brother's best friend (and coincidentally the man who took her virginity before going off to college), Josh, seems like a great option. What follows is a story of seeing past your initial judgements, fertility struggles, new friendships, and maybe finding the person you were always meant to be with but needed a second chance to see clearly.

To tell the truth, I wasn't a fan of this book at first. The opening didn't start as strong as I expected and the characters just didn't grasp me. I didn't love the narrator's tone, but I'm glad I stuck with it because of how I warmed up to her as well as the characters themselves. I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that characters who seemed extremely one-dimensional at the beginning just needed the time to become fully fleshed-out and well-rounded - just like the process of having a baby itself. I'd give this one a solid 4 stars because it was a rough beginning, but ended up having such a big heart.

Definitely interested to see what else this author brings to the table for her next book!

Josh and Gemma make a baby was a pleasant surprise. When I requested this book, I didn't really expect to like it anywhere near as much as I did.

3.5 Stars
It was such a cute romantic comedy that tackled the tough topic of infertility. Gemma is a relatable, but VERY flawed protagonist. I hated how it took her way too long to learn anything about Josh and how she waited to read his comics. HOW THE HELL DID SHE NOT KNOW HE WAS FAMOUS ? Josh... I love him. He writes comic books. I loved the chemistry and witty banter between the two. I also liked how they had bumps into he road of their IVF journey and it wasn't just instababy. It was predictable, but still enjoyable.

The main complaints I have were that Gemma being clueless annoyed me, the convention scene and the problematic couple at the doctors office felt unnecessary .

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE AUDIOBOOK. The narrator was EXCELLENT. Erin Mallon seriously made the book so much better. I'm also looking forward to reading more from the author Sarah Ready as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Swift and Lewis, LLC for allowing me access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️3.5/5

I really really enjoyed this. I thought it was funny, and entertaining. Of course the ending is expected, but I didn't mind. I liked the story and the romance. Josh being a simp was awesome.

I didn't like the convention scene, it felt very stupid, especially considering how stupid most rom-com scenes are. I hated Ian sooooo much from the beginning, wish him all the worst.

I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the book so much if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook, because some of the cringe and cheesiness was not too bad since I listened to it.

The family and friends are just awesome. Gemma's fertility group friends are all deserving of their own books.

Overall very cute, even though sometimes I couldn't stand the MC. There's not many complaints, therefore my 3.5 is rounded to a 4. :))

🍼REVIEW🍼 Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved this book! It was sweet, funny, brought me to tears at times and was all around entertaining!
A delight from beginning to end. Gemma makes a New Years resolution to have a baby and decides to ask her brothers best friend, Josh, to be the baby daddy. Much to her surprise, he says yes and the process kicks into gear. Then her boss, Ian, starts to show interest in her and a love triangle ensues.

It is laugh out loud funny in the right places and so very sweet and romantic. There are amazing friendships, support groups (I seriously wanted to join it!) family bonding and workplace drama. All tied up with a (pink or blue?)bow at the end. What more can you want??

This was my first but won’t be my last Sarah Ready rom-com! Highly recommended!

Thank you to DreamScape Media, NetGalley and a new fav writer, Sarah Ready, for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
The audio version was excellently performed by Erin Mallon. She was perfect as Gemma and ads the perfect touch to the supporting cast. #joshandgemmamakeababy #sarahready #sarahreadyauthor #netgalley #arc #advancedreaderscopy #dreamscapemedia #erinmallonnarrator #thebookaholicsoutlet #usedbookstore #tbrlist #tbrstack #romcom #romancebooks #ivf #babymakesthree

A nice escape, with a different premise than your typical romcom. Some of the things that happen to Gemma seem unnecessary or irrelevant (flashing the camera on the work Zoom, the especially harsh comments from friends and family). I really liked both Gemma and Josh though, and I wish there was more interaction between them to make their relationship build more organically, and to get to know them a little more. Overall I enjoyed the story, and was pleasantly surprised not having heard about it prior to seeing it on NetGalley.

“A percentage is just a percentage until it happens to you”

This book was exactly what I needed. I was able to personally identify with elements of the story and appreciated that connection. Thank you to NetGalley for the Audiobook! This is the first book I’ve read by author Sarah Ready, but I will absolutely be reading more. The story of Gemma and Josh was filled with push and pull, will-they, won’t-they, mistakes and growth. Gemma has been through a lot in the last few years and knew what she needed to do in order to achieve the happiness she desired— or at least she thought she did. How the story unfolds was a journey that I was happy to witness. Josh was such a complex character. He had a quiet confidence and an element of
mystery. Through it all, his sincerity shown through. I also loved the friendships that Gemma developed. One of my favorite things when reading is being able to picture the character’s surroundings. There is no doubt that I stepped right into winter in New York City!

This story was not without personal conflict. They cut a little deep in tense moments and it made me a tad squirmy. I think it could’ve been lessened while still having the same effect, however there was character development as a result so it is a minor note. The story does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I would’ve loved an epilogue! I am signing up for the author’s newsletter to read the bonus chapter! Overall, I recommend reading! The narrator did a great job and enhanced an already engaging story!

This was an easy to get through romance perfect to carry me through my Sunday. I liked how the book centered around IVF, as I don't often read about that in books. I wasn't a fan of a lot of the side characters, and found the dialogue cringe sometimes, but it ultimately wasn't enough to make me DNF. I read the ebook in conjunction with the audiobook and enjoyed both. Thank you!

This was a sweet romance involving a woman trying to get pregnant through in vitro. I liked both of the main characters and the story itself for the most part. I did have a problem with some of the supporting characters. I don’t know how a mother who loves her child could speak to her like she doesn’t deserve love and should settle for some old jerk (who is named Mort… hell would have to freeze over before I sacrificed my daughter to some old man named Mort). The mother also routinely brought up her daughter’s fertility issues and weight in a negative manner as reasons why she should settle. Who thinks they can casually talk about these sensitive topics as flaws? Some other family members weren’t that much better. I did like the love interest and the narrator though. I liked that they actually dealt with in vitro itself instead of the character just magically getting pregnant when she finds true love like (SPOILER) The Friend Zone did.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Fertility issues, Miscarriage

In one way this book was exactly what I expected - a nice predictable story with a happy ending. However, there were some unexpected twists along the way which kept me interested. There were some genuine laugh out loud moments and I found the characters quite endearing. The author definitely kept a firm hold of the story ensuring any loose ends were tied up. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the light it brought to IVF! While listening/reading to this book I teared up, laughed out loud, and cheered for these characters in each of their journeys. Recently, my husband and I started our family with a baby boy. While trying for him, I learned more about the IVF community and the struggles that come with it. While we’re always hopeful of it taking the first time, I appreciated the realistic nature of all the situations represented in the fertility support group, and know others will too.

I will say I wasn’t crazy about how the other couple at the clinic that came at Josh and Gemma, but I suppose the author used them as comedic relief in tense moments.

Audiobook narration: I thought the narration was great. It fit Gemma and her story very well!

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was such a fun book! I loved their chemistry and their backstory.. I especially loved how much Gemma grew as a person throughout the book.

I would definitely recommend this book or the audio. The story was finally done the writing was good. I can’t wait to read another book by Sarah Ready.

I really enjoyed this I love audiobooks and this was an instant need for me to read. I was also approved for the ebook copy as well and I’m rereading it now.

Some spoiler-y trigger warnings: Infertility, Miscarriage, body/fat shaming

This book was not at all what I expected, in good ways and some not so pleasant ways. The first was that I did not expect the book to be heavy. For some reason, I thought it would be fluffy and funny, but it had some heavy materials. But the good thing was that the material was so effectively delivered that I cried through the whole thing.

Second, I did not expect the female protagonist to be this clueless and this toxically positive. I'm so glad there was a redemption arc for her because I was getting so so mad at her for being so selfish. But again, this was a narrative device used superbly well!

Overall, the writing was very lucid and I got into it pretty easily, but I'm not sure the book can be categorised as easy romance (only because of its heavy materials)