THIS BOOK WAS 4 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR ME!
Basically, this book follows Gemma and she wants to have a baby at 32. She was also diagnosed with infertility (stage 4 endometriosis). So she needs a sperm donor for IVF. That donor will be Josh, her brother's best friend. But as it turns out there are more things between them, than Josh being ''just a donor''.

First, I should say that I really love the cover (the colors, cartoon design), I loved the description (that pulled me in), but I am not a fan of the title.

I will say that the story is very touching, sweet and it's fun to read!

There were, a few steamy scenes, but they weren't too spicey so everyone can read it!

There was one moment where one particular thing was overly repetitive and to be honest I did get on my nerves.

There were a bunch of moments where you could clearly see body and infertility shaming! I really liked that the author touched it!

Also, another unusual thing was the illustrations! (I loved the way they tied up together at the end)

AND THE TROPES :
-Childhood enemies to lovers!
-Guy falls first (I LOVE THIS)
-Pregnancy stories
-IVF journeys
-Brother's best friend (Another my favorite)
I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thanks, for the chance!

Gemma wants a family, although she’s divorced and has been told she’ll never be able to have children. She goes to a fertility doctor to discuss IVF, which is where Josh, her brother’s best friend, comes in. She wants him to be the donor.

This story was really cute overall. I liked that it didn’t waste time in the beginning getting to the point. There were a lot of times in the middle where I wanted to strangle almost all of the characters because they were being really annoying. But it does have a sweet ending.

It’s definitely an emotional book dealing with some serious topics. It goes between being very serious and cheesy, which does lighten the mood.

The title and description of this book originally got me interested, but once I started it, the characters really brought me in and held my focus. From the very start, I was rooting for Gemma and her drive to have a baby!

Having known numerous couples who have gone through the IVF process, it was extremely eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and an overall emotional roller coaster to see the details of the process in this story. I’ve always had a deep respect and admiration for couples pursuing IVF, but seeing this side of it gave me more perspective into what it’s like for the couples, while also keeping the tone light.

The book was funny, touching, awkward in the best ways, and is a unique spin on the traditional rom-com story.

There were a few steamy scenes, but they weren’t overly descriptive or over the top. Even readers who don’t like traditional open-door romance could enjoy these scenes!

One section in particular got on my nerves with overly repeated phrases…looking at you, BOY TOY…but other than that, the book flowed and transitioned well, and it was an overall fun read!

For fans of:
-Childhood friends to lovers
-Guy falls first
-Mild open-door romance
-Second chance romance
-Pregnancy stories
-IVF journeys
-Motivational quotes
-Wieners and wine
-Limes

This was such a fun, sweet story. Josh and Gemma make more than a baby. They also make quite the couple. With the foundation of years of friendship, Josh and Gemma reconnect at a time when both of their lives are changing. A New Year’s party brings them back together just when Gemma makes a decision that will change her life forever. And she asks Josh to help her make a baby. Gemma’s journey with infertility is heartfelt. Their relationship is filled with the tenderness of childhood unrequited love, the comfort of old friends, and the steaminess of rekindled love. This was my first book by Sarah Ready and I loved it.

I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was delightful, emotional and funny. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to go through the heartbreak these women did to have a baby but the author did an amazing job getting through to me.
Those bloody quotes haha. I can definitely imagine every one being exasperated getting a quote every time they open up about their feelings. Made Gemma a tad bit annoying until I got used to it. Josh was a sweetheart right from the get go and I couldn’t believe how blind she was about him.
The characters were brought alive for me and I enjoyed the ride of their lives. My favourite character was Brooke. She had a story for everything to make you shudder and her wise cracks made me laugh out loud.
Can’t wait to read more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know both Josh and Gemma. Josh with his easy laid back attitude and Gemma with her willingness to take life by the horns. I thought that the ease with which Sarah Ready talked about women and men's fertility was so well done. I myself really loathe self-help gurus and self-help books as a whole so I was absolutely delighted by Ian's storyline. The balance of fun, sexy, and emotional was absolutely perfect!

Overall, I enjoyed this cute, funny rom com. What I loved:
1) Josh! He was so sweet and lovable. He was the perfect character in this brothers best friend trope.
2) It tailed more meaningful topics. You don’t often see deep issues discussed in a romance but I love the addition. It adds depth to a sometimes fluffy genre.

What I didn’t love:
1) It was a little cheesy. The humor and the inspirational quotes were a little much sometimes.
2) Gemma wasn’t always likable. She was immature and kind of a mess. She turns it around at the end but she was kind of annoying at times.
3) Body shaming

Overall, it was a fun read that covered new ground for a romance.

Such a rom-com that deals with a sensitive topic for all those who want to be parents but can’t. Gemma, divorced for 7 years and 32, is seen as a lost hope when it comes to romantic choices according to her family. Gemma decides to take control of her life and grab the dream she’s always wanted, to be a mom. It’s not easy as she is thought to be infertile, but then is given hope by her doctor to undergo IVF. But Gemma needs a sperm donor and asks her brother’s best friend, whom she has avoided since she was 16. Surprised he agrees, Gemma comes to find that Josh is more than the “FF” or donor as their friendship blossoms and she discovers he is more than she thought him to be. Lots of touching moments and lots of humor made this an enjoyable read. While some predictability in the plot and all the positivity quotes, that was okay with me to celebrate with Gemma and Josh on their journey.

Many thanks to #netgalley #joshandgemmamakeababy #sarahready for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a very quick and enjoyable read! I loved the banter between the two characters and found the writing style to be funny and refreshing. "No commitments, just a baby." And we all know how that goes. I'm personally very fond of these kind of tropes if well executed and I'm happy to say that this did not disappoint!

I admit it. When I started the book I wasn’t quite liking it a lot. But I kept reading and I COULD NOT STOP. I finished it like 5 minutes ago and I reaaally enjoyed this read! Especially because he’s been in love with her for years and she doesn’t know❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

For some reason my brain fancasted Josh as Justin Baldoni lol but he’s such a cutie!! Of course the Ian thing was very predictable but still, i loved how the ivf pregnancy was the main storyline; how he went with her to every appointment, his love for pizza❤️🍕 and the toy boy scenes (that were hilarious!)

Would definitely recommend if you are looking for a fun, light romance read!

Gemma wants to have a baby. At 32, she’s been divorced for 7 years after an infertility diagnosis (she has stage 4 endometriosis). But first, she needs a sperm donor for IVF. In comes Josh, her brother’s lifelong best friend. Gemma asks Josh to be her donor and they quickly find out there is more to things than Josh being “just” a donor.

I have gone through 8 cycles of IVF to have a baby. I have my daughter from one round and the other 7 were failures. I usually get very scared when IVF is brought up in a book because it’s never written well - the character goes to the doctor and is impregnated a week later. And of course it worked and everything is perfect. I absolutely LOVED how IVF was written in this story. *SPOILERS* from Gemma’s chemical pregnancy (which I also experienced) to the fertility group ladies’ repeated trials and failures, to actual terms being used (I had flashbacks when the doctor described how he was inserting the catheter - it must be pretty standard!). I was frustrated with Gemma, though - she was not a good friend and she needed to gain confidence. I was also frustrated with Josh, who did this because he *SPOILER* was in love with Gemma but couldn’t tell her. Also I think this book has one of the most annoying characters ever written in Gemma’s boss!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to like this book based on the premise, but the combination of flat characters and boring, repetitive storytelling made it a drag to get through. I'll start with the positive: I am always happy when endometriosis and fertility issues are addressed, as this is something so many women and families experience and it's great for those topics to get more coverage. I also liked Gemma's friends who she meets through her fertility support group; women supporting other women is also something I can always get behind.

A major qualm I had while reading was Gemma, our narrator and protagonist, beating the reader over the head with information — repeating Sarah's status as her sister over and over, for example, or passages like this:

"'Okay, of course, Mr. Berners-Lee. Thanks for calling, I'll talk to you soon,' I said, attempting to cut my mom short."

I get that Gemma is trying to cut off her mom here. As the reader, I don't need that spelled out for me — it's taking an opportunity for "showing" and cramming it into a box of "telling," and this happens countless times throughout the story. Another example: "My sister claims that Ian is about as real as the mannequin. Meaning, he's as fake as they come." That second sentence is completely unnecessary, and it quickly became tiring to read this style.

Regarding the flat characterization of pretty much everyone Gemma interacts with, this was the biggest aspect that made me want to DNF this book. Gemma's mom, for instance, is constantly criticizing her looks and relationship status, and while she sort of redeems herself, this relationship is clearly used to show how mean everyone around Gemma is to her (in a frankly overblown way) and doesn't have much depth in its resolution.

The dialogue, in particular, was not realistic — take this diatribe from one-dimensional jerk "Greg Butkis" (even the name tells me right away that I'm never supposed to root for this character):

'"I already told you, the last thing I want to do is go out with Dimmy Gimmy. Jimmy told me the surgeon said the inside of her abdomen looks like a grenade went off. Apparently, the medical resident fainted when he saw that. Plus, Gimmy dresses like a slob, eats like a hoover, and has no self-respect. The divorce wrecked her. She's second-hand goods.'"

No one talks like this! Even aside from the overdone cruelty, the dialogue is stilted and fails to accomplish what I assume is its goal of building sympathy for Gemma.

Finally, the inspirational quotes — cheesy, unoriginal, and made me lose respect for Gemma for being so into them.

If you're looking for a lighthearted read without too much thinking involved, this book is not a bad option, but it was not for me.

I loved this book – but it made me cry ... and I don't tend to cry from books I read. This story was sweet and eye-opening, teaching readers (and characters) how important it is not to judge people based on assumptions and stereotypes, but rather to take the time to get to know others. As much as I loved this one, please be aware of the trigger warnings: infertility, miscarriages, cheating.

This was so fun! I love that Josh and Gemma did not have any unnecessary drama, and I loved Gemma's infertility support group. I immediately looked into Sarah Ready's backlist after I finished this book and bought and read Hero Ever After. I'm definitely a new fan!

This was my first read from this author and I enjoyed it. I went in expecting a light read due to the blurb and cute cover but it was more than that.

It’s a slow burn romance with great characters, dealing with some difficult issues who both change over the course of the story. Josh and Gemma made me want to hug them and shake them in equal parts.

This book was read thanks to NetGalley.

I really liked this book, I liked how collected the character were because they always knew themselves and what where their goals, so i enjoyed that and I really liked their story,. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the baby by a pact.

I devoured this book in just a few days. Gemma and Josh have known each other since they were children, but when they reunite as adults, Josh has a promising career and Gemma has decided to go forward with the IVF plan to start a family as a single mother. Although there is a rocky start to rebuilding their friendship, Gemma and Josh might discover something about one another that heals the past and allows them to look forward to a bright future.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this novel as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will start off by saying the premise of this novel sounded initially very interesting with the potential to be quite the heart-warming romantic comedy, especially because Older Brother's Best Friend is one of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately, it fell really flat in a number of areas. The writing itself is not bad, but it felt stunted and repetitive so many times. I'm a visual reader, so I quite literally <b>see</b> the visuals as if I'm watching a movie. Unfortunately, I rarely saw the visuals aside from some emotional end book moments.

Characters and their established relationships to our heroine Gemma were constantly repeated as if the reader would suddenly forget who her siblings or friends were. (Seriously I stopped counting how many times I had to be reminded about "Leah, my sister" or "my sister, Leah". We get it. Leah. Sister. The sister).
And since the entire novel is told through Gemma POV, we don't really get a well rounded idea that this is actually how Gemma *thinks* and not simply a lack of more professional prose on the part of the author. Furthermore, the book is called <u><b>JOSH & GEMMA</u> Make A Baby</b>, so I would have expected to actually have dual points of view considering that they've known each other for 24 years.

Regarding the secondary characters, my biggest frustration is how many of them felt like one dimensional 90's-era stereotypes that were either completely clueless (but evidently well intentioned?) or just plain mean. And when I say mean, I mean <i>mean</I>. (Does the author even *like* her heroine? We're constantly reminded by every woman around her how terrible she dresses)

One the earliest things that made me start to doubt the book (besides all the fat shaming) is that our heroine suffers from stage four endometriosis, and the "inside of her abdomen looks like a grenade went off" and her tubes are completely blocked... yet she never had any pain and hasn't experienced any severe secondary issues from it in nearly 20 years. Every woman I know that has had to deal with endometriosis has had even a modicum of symptoms that make themselves known early and often.

The second thing that really started to grind my gears was how unbearably self-deprecating Gemma was. It wasn't even funny really and with the amount of side characters making snide comments (or any comments) about her weight it just started to feel like one big, uncomfortable "See?? Fat girls with fertility problems really do get the Hot Guy and the Happily Ever After" which is in all honestly a fine type of story to tell, but the execution of this novel was just downright... embarrassing.

Now the romance.
Is this a romance novel? Because Josh and Gemma don't really interact all that often and when they do their dialogue is so...boring...that my eyelids felt heavy and I had to constantly shift in my seat in order to pay attention. Even the slapstick bits (which make ZERO sense bc if anyone acted like that in a fertility clinic they would obviously be barred from returning--and they do return for more shenanigans). But yes, it is a romance novel that earns it HEA at the end...though with some struggle.

And when you *surprise surprise* discover that Josh has had feelings for Gemma all this time, for one, are not shocked, but also two, again this novel is only in Gemma's POV, to which she's terribly unreliable for most of the first half. We're supposed to believe that Josh has been pining away all these years, writing a comic book about how much he pines for her and yet we really don't feel any of that emotion throughout the first 70% of the book. At that point we get a sex scene...which is really the first time in the book that I felt there was any <i>real</i>emotion written on page, it was the first time I actually saw the book in my mind tbh.

Now the *twist*, the big reveal of our Villain.
I kept thinking to myself <i>'this reminds me of a movie I've seen. Just what was it called...?'</I>
<B>The Waterboy</b>
Yes, you read that right. The twist in this book reminded me of the same twist in the Waterboy. You know which one I'm talking about. With the notebook? Yeah. So needless to say, that was probably the more humorous thing about this novel. But at the same time, it felt uneventful. The drawing in the chapters are cute, and I get they supposed to allude to Josh being an artist, and the quotes everywhere, but it didn't truly connect well throughout the story.

Anyways, the only reason I gave it an extra star is because it only starts to pick up once you hit the conflict and the climax (and epilogue). The writing takes a distinctive turn that feels like the author wrote this part first and then tried to figure it out from there. Which, there's nothing wrong with that, but the tone is not the same in the first and second act and even with the slapstick comedy moments, it doesn't match up. Even if I stop and visually look at the length of the paragraphs, it differs hugely to the beginning where so much was just short and basically written which I guess an attempt to "show" the story, but largely failed as it most just told us what was the story. I completely understand why some DNF'd this so soon, bc I would have too had I not felt obligated to review it.

Ideally, the author needs to tone down so much of the side character action (Carly and Theo can stay though, the rest really aren't worth so much screen time) and work on the relationship between Josh and Gemma, because when they are together, they <b>shine</b> but everyone else, especially so many people being so rude to Gemma so often diminish that. And quite frankly we deserve to be in Josh's head. He's a good guy. This book has so much potential but many of the scenes and storytelling need to be revisited. As a romance lover I can appreciate the end (and the entire ridiculous convention scene) but as a whole, it didn't feel like much of that scene was earned in comparison to the rest of the book

boooooooy, do i love the friends to lovers/childhood friends to lovers trope. it just hits me in all my feels 🥰🥺 and it's a brother's best friend? AND the love interest is a sweet boy? SOLD

Gemma, i love you, you sweet, oblivious (so friiiiiigggggggin oblivious) girl. although there were plenty of times that i wanted to throttle her, she learned to not be such a judgey and unaware individual. HOW CAN YOU BE SO BLIND???? like dude, you don't know your brother's best friend is famous? get out of here. also the quotes. i wanted to chuck this book at one point or another because dear god, she just could not stop quoting that dweeb, Ian. if you can get past all the quotes in the first 80% of the book, i promise they make sense at the end and it's actually adorable. which brings me to my next topic ...

Josh. i love you, more. i would have seen and known that you loved me that whole time if you could just give me a chance instead. his whole comic with Grim and Jewel. okay 😭 just be more precious honestly. and selfless. he's everything a book boyfriend should be.

i love how this book talks about infertility and sheds some light on the topic!

TRIGGER WARNINGS for miscarriages (in detail). infertility and body shaming.

side characters. i loved the whole friend dynamic between Gem, Brook, Hannah and Carly. if Carly could get her own book with Theo, that would be *chef's kiss*

did this book have a bunch of situations that wouldn't happen to one individual in a year? yes. did i enjoy this book anyway? yes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher & the author for kindly sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75🌟 thank you netgalley & swift & Lewis publishing for this eARC! a fun, fast paced read for rom-com lovers! I loved the premise of this book; a woman who wants to take charge of her life and not wait for her happily ever after to come to her.

in the beginning, I had trouble believing that Gemma’s family and the people surrounding her spoke so negatively about her. i really preferred the second half of the book, where we got to explore the relationship between Josh and Gemma, whether it was a friendship or more. there are quite a few twists and turns along the way, and i think ultimately, Gemma learned from her past to be better.

cute & fun read overall!