Thank you to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this book as an ARC. I am sharing my review voluntarily. I picked this book because I thought it sounded like an interesting take on the trope of brother’s best friend and hate/friends to lovers. I enjoyed the angle on fertility and the emotional exploration of that and of the desire to be a parent. Josh was a loving, sweet character and it was clear to me as a reader what his motivations were. Gemma was oblivious and so self absorbed to realize what was in front of her and how she was manipulating the situation at times. Gemma was a hard character to root for, she seemed immature and stuck at 23. I didn’t find her epiphany profound and really late In the story. I wish it had been told as a dual POV, it would have been more compelling to me if I wasn’t only getting Gemma’s retelling.

For the audio format, I listened to it on 1.25x because I found it too slow on 1x. There wasn’t even a distortion to audio sped up. The narrator is talented and did a great job portraying a multitude of voices and personalities. I listened to this in about a day and it was a well mapped out story with a aspects that challenged my biases and notions.

Let me say this is not the typical book I would usually read a rom com , especially a rom com about a single woman going to desperate measures (IVF) to have a child. But it was a "Listen Now" option on Netgally and I had just finished a very gruesome thriller, so I was looking for polar opposite. I was expecting lots of eye roll moments and a totally predictable plot. As my grandfather says I have only been wrong once in my life, then I realized I was mistaken.
But wow, this was a great read!
The book started off typical rom com/Bridget Jones Diary feel. Gemma a 32 year old divorcee whose whole family is desperate for her to date, namely a guy with the typical jerk name "Butkiss" Other typical tropes, she is slightly overweight, in love with her gorgeous boss, and had a thing with her brothers best friend in high school (Josh, yes the Josh in the title....not too much of a spoiler there) The reader is allowed to get inside Gemma's brain where we quickly learn she makes it her New Years resolution to have a baby. When I heard that I was like, okay this is silly, why would a single woman who is barely making it want to bring a child into the world (on her own terms) not in a stable secure marriage as it should be. (Sorry if that offends you, but that is just what I believe) but as this new to me author continues the story I couldn't help but fall in love with the ever so loving Gemma.
Next, Josh enters the book (again it was a little to random at first why she chose him to be her "donor" ) . But by the end of the book it was perfect!
Without giving away too much detail or spoiler. The reader goes along with Gemma and Josh to the process of "Making a Baby" through IVF, where you meet her eclectic bunch of friends at an infertility support group, an annoying couple that involves a gold leotard and lime jello.
Josh and Gemma's chemistry was adorable!
But just to warn you, this is not a straight up rom com you were expecting. There are some very emotional parts (If I were an crier I think I would have cried) but it will tug at your heart, have you rolling on the floor laughing and begging for a sequel to this book.
The only reason it was not a five star was it was a bit steamy, a little cheese and slightly unbelievable. But I am sold on this author and will most certainly check out her other books.
Thank you Netgally for this advanced copy audiobook, I received nothing in exchange for this honest review.

I'll admit that this book initially drew me in because of the bright and beautiful colors on the cover. In this story we meet Gemma, a woman with severe endometriosis who's unable to conceive on her own. Shortly after her diagnosis (which occurs off page before the story begins), her husband leaves her. Therefore this book focuses on Gemma's journey as a single thirty something who wants to have a family. Josh is a man who never seems to take anything seriously as far as Gemma is concerned, but the convenience of her next door neighbor and brother's best friend has her reconsidering his availability to be a suitable partner and donor. This story reminds me a bit of the Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger relationship trajectory Parks and Rec. Both Ann and Chris and Gemma and Josh have a shared history together, tension between them, both women are single and want a family, both men are uncommitted and voluntarily agree to help these women start their family. This book adds a lot more light on the effect that infertility and trying to conceive has on different women in Gemma's support group. We also see the ups and downs of trying to start a family with a medical history. I appreciate stories that infertility and difficulties conceiving, since it is so common place but rarely talked about.

This book handles topics of grief and fertility with care and has some goofy, light moments along the way. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

A funny romantic comedy - nothing more, nothing less.

If you want an entertaining, laugh out loud book, and you are not annoyed by inspirational quotes, you will have a great time reading or listening to this book. The audiobook is narrated by Erin Mallon, who is as amazing as ever.

The plot is not ten a penny and the main characters are lovable. Even though Gemma acts like a naive teen in some situations, and I was rolling my eyes every now and then, I truly envy her supportive family. This book gives exactly what it promises: an easy-going and fun read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Swift and Lewis Publishing and IBPA for an Advance Review Copy.

I absolutely loved it. The relationships were top tier. Gemma’s family even though they tried to fix her a little was still an awesome family to see. Josh has my heart even with his web comics. I wish we could see more into Josh 15 train of thought, but I do think that even with out it we get to see quite a bit of his feelings. Even though Gemma was oblivious to his body language we as readers can still tell. The foreshadowing was more obvious than I like usually, but I still loved it. The support group was one of my favorite plot lines. The audiobook itself was also good. Erin Mallon has a great steady voice. I recommend this book to anyone even if you have no desire for a kid. I know pregnancy tropes are not everyone 15 favorite but this one is different because she is actually want to have a baby it's not unexpected like most books.
I also sent an image of what I posted to my book clubs to the author Sarah Ready in her Instagram DMs.

Funny and lighthearted read, even around a topic as personal as infertility
I really enjoyed this author and her writing! She had a great ability to make me laugh one moment and cry the next. Infertility is such a deeply personal subject, one that I've shared in my life; but the author's ability to keep the story going, to shed light on the fact that it isn't all consuming and there is still life beyond the struggle was refreshing!
I absolutely loved Josh and Gemma! I am so happy they decided to take this journey of new life together and that they figured out what true love really meant. You'll love hearing more about this couple and their journey!

I haven’t read many books with this plot so I was really intrigued when I read the description. After a divorce and struggles with dating, Gemma decides to take her future into her own hands and have a baby. She decides against anonymous donors and wants to ask her brother’s best friend, Josh. She figures the playboy staying with his dad that she has no attraction to would be perfect for a donor.

Except as she interacts more with Josh during their IVF process, she sees her previous impression of him is all wrong. She eventually sees him a good friend and great partner to co-parent a child. She continues to navigate her career and dating life while making new friendships with women also struggling with infertility. As Gemma gets to see the real Josh, she recognizes her feelings may be more than strictly co-parents and friends. She’s known Josh for years, but has never truly got to know him.

I loved Josh and Gemma’s personality’s. Gemma was always positive and independent. Josh was so caring and sweet. As he interacts with Gemma and his personal life is revealed, you can tell how much he cares for the people around him. Josh keeps his feelings pretty hidden and this is what kept me intrigued, as I didn’t know what his true feelings for Gemma were. It is always fun to me when the guy keeps his walls up till the end and we see how deeply he cares for the girl. This slowburn romance has a pretty interesting plot and I loved all the side characters as well. One of the ending scenes was a little cheesy/awkward for my taste, but it didn’t ruin the whole ending and important turning points in the story.

I adored this book. I adore Gemma. I’m obsessed with Josh. I laughed. I cried. I was won over by Gemma and her messy life.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is not the breezy romcom I was expecting. This story dives into some complicated and heavy topics, like infertility, IVF, infidelity, and emotional authenticity, with plenty of humor to balance things out. Gemma has a tendency to be a rather unlikable protagonist, which I actually enjoy. Her flaws make her relatable, in spite of her unfortunate habit of spewing motivational quotes in lieu of actual independent thoughts.

This was my first time reading Sarah Ready’s work, and I’m looking forward to more!

Many thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this audiobook.

What if your person is right in front of you and you never sees him? Gemma is thirty three years old, divorced and sterile and her New Year’s purpose is to get pregnant. Can she ask her brother best friend to be the donor? Josh is been around all her life. Family gatherings, picnics, birthday’s Parties. He even took her virginity. But is he father material when he is not husband material and has not a real job? Or so she thinks. A sweet and funny life and love story about second chances, true love, friendship and never give up. The audiobook is great.

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.