I stayed up entirely too late finishing this. What an engaging, funny (I laughed out loud at some parts), and sweet book. This book takes on a serious topic (infertility) and approaches it in a way that only someone who has been through those trenches, can truly appreciate. Thank you for that, Sarah!

100% worth picking up!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4509178543

What a wonderful surprise this book is! The cartoonish cover and cutesy title give the false impression that it’s just another light-hearted romance, but there’s so much more depth than that. Yes, it’s a mash-up of several tropes including brother’s best friend, second chance, and love triangle, but it’s also a thoughtful portrayal of infertility and the way in which fellow sufferers bond over their struggles to conceive and give birth and a scathing indictment of the self-help, inspirational charlatans who prey on people at their weakest moments. In this case, Ian Fortune, Gemma’s boss and long-time crush, is nothing more than a snake oil salesman whose stock in trade are meme-worthy quotations. One minor criticism of the story is the heavy sprinkling of these trite sayings throughout, both as chapter headings and as a way for Gemma to engage with friends and family without being open and honest about who she is and how she feels.

Josh is a charming, somewhat nerdy book boyfriend who, as far as Gemma knows, writes comics, lives in his dad’s basement, and collects panties as sexual trophies. In other words, he’s not boyfriend-worthy, but as former high school valedictorian, football captain, and homecoming king as well as her brother’s best friend who’s spent countless hours with her family, he’s the perfect candidate for a sperm donor once Gemma decides she’s not going to miss the chance to have a baby while waiting for “The One.” However, as Josh fully commits to making a baby with Gemma, she slowly realizes that she knows very little about him and the life he’s led in the 14 years since he went off to college. His reason for agreeing to be her baby daddy is very touching, and his love and care for his terminally ill father is heartwarming.

Ready does a wonderful job of developing her romantic leads and creating scenarios that allow secondary characters to shine, whether it’s the seemingly mismatched support group or Gemma’s mother with her well-meaning yet misguided and casually cruel attempts to find a man who will deign to marry her barren, divorced and “chubby” daughter. This thoughtful and entertaining romance is highly recommended for romance fans, anime cosplayers, and anyone looking for a delightful distraction from our troubling times.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift & Lewis Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book was bad.

I hardly ever give books less than 3 stars but unfortunately this was just very very bad.

From start to finish the book was over the top and full of cliches. There was not a bit of reality sprinkled in and for some people that’s probably ok! There are probably people out there who will love this book.

It was probably one of the worst books I have ever read.

The fat shaming and infertility shaming that happens at the beginning was enough to make me not want to finish it. I realize it was supposed to make us sympathize with our main character but as someone with endometriosis I found it extremely triggering.

I would say the best way to describe this book would be a caricature of a rom com.

I enjoyed this book very much. It’s fun and entertaining, and it was a quick, enjoyable read.
Gemma works for a well known self-help guru who has a saying for every occasion. She and her family are closed, and she’s happy with her life, except for one thing - she wants to have a baby. After several failed relationships, she’s ready to do it on her own.

Josh is a guy Gemma and her family have known for years. He’s spent holidays and celebrations with them. He’s a laidback kind of guy, good looking and smart, but Gemma thinks he’s not very career oriented like she is.

Gemma was going to use a sperm donor when she decides to ask Josh first. Initially he’s not excited about the idea, but eventually agrees. He’s all in on the appointments etc., and as time goes on they get very close and what started out as a business transaction starts turning into something more.

I loved the characters in this book, especially the ladies in Gemma’s IVF group. I see that this is book 1 and I’m looking forward the next book! highly recommend this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thankyou netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.


This book was terrific and I totally enjoyed it. The last few pages were bit slow but I would still give it 4 stars because of concept and writing style .This book deals with the important issue of infertility which lot of people deal with.

Josh and Gemma ❤

Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook!

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is about a woman named Gemma who wants desperately to have a baby. She's a divorcee, not in a relationship, and has health issues. She decides to go through IVF by herself but doesn't want to use an anonymous sperm donor so she has the idea to ask her brother's best friend, Josh, to be her donor.

I'm sad to say there wasn't a lot about this I liked or enjoyed.

I liked the general idea of the book, which is why I requested it on Netgalley. I thought it could be fun and romantic. It wasn't really either of those things. None of the characters were very likable, which normally might work for me if the writing is good. Unfortunately, the writing wasn't good enough to make up for it.

There was a point in the book when things turned and started to feel like an altogether different book, and that I liked because the writing seemed better and it wasn't as annoying to me. This is the reason I gave it two stars instead of just one.

TW: 18+, Miscarriage, infertility
Gemma has her thirties, a divorce, infertility diagnosis and the desire to have a baby. She asks Josh, her childhood friend to be the sperm donor for IVF because he is fabulous. It isn't an easy journey; comes with a lot of twists and turns. Parents or couple or friends, how will they finally end up forms the story.
When I read the blurb and the premise about a single woman trying for IVF, I knew I am reading it. I haven't heard of any romance like this.
The author perfectly describes how tough infertility is, through Gemma and also her fertility support group. It reminds us that we should be kinder to women who cannot have biological kids because they are not less than any other. I appreciate the author for narrating how they struggle, running around fertility clinics and craving for the good news every single day. It drains them mentally. The least we can do is let them be.
The romance is flawless and should be picked if you are in the mood for something lighthearted yet serious in its theme. I love how most people around Gemma don't judge her for wanting to be a single mom; this is difficult to see in reality. Josh and Gemma aren't perfect characters - they are people.
If you see the number of pages, you already know it is quite a long one. So I would recommend reading it slowly. It isn't something you'd sit for hours and finish off. I feel it is better enjoyed slowly.
This is my first book of Sarah Ready and I believe she is a pro in romance genre. I reduced one star only because I didn't particularly love any character. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new-age romance with zero prejudice.
I received a review copy on Netgalley and I am posting this review voluntarily.

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!

I didn't know what to expect going into this book but I honestly came out with my heart being completely melted.

Josh and Gemma's individual stories are so powerful and raw that as a reader you just wanted them to get their happy ending the entire time. This is the first book I've read that deals with these topics and I thought it was beautifully done. You can see the pain of what the characters have gone through and how that has shaped their lives and perceptions of themselves.

I found myself completely hooked and crying towards the end. I truly fell in love with josh and gemma!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

The book sounded interesting but the whole premise of the book was honestly so weird and I couldn’t get into it. You just randomly decide you need your brothers old best friends sperm??? If you can get past the whole premise of it…. The book is fine. Not my cup of tea and I wouldn’t recommend it.

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.

Josh and Gemma Make a baby addresses both IVF and miscarriages, which I appreciated. But it was not a realistic view of them and if you are sensitive to those issues. I advise that you take that into consideration. Consequently, I gave it this review. But I did understand that Josh and Gemma Make a Baby is fiction.
Nevertheless, I was moved both by sadness and by joy.
I found the fat shaming to be disappointing. Some of the characters made me cringe, such as the husbands of the women in the support group. And Ian was a total douche-bag. I did enjoy Gemma's Character. Although it took her a while to realize how she felt about Josh. Overall it was enjoyable. An easy read with a fast paced romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC. This was a honest review.

I don't read a lot of romance books, and I thought this one was... strange? The whole situation felt weird to me. Certain parts of the premise didn't exactly sit right with me. Confused why the protagonist needs the sperm of her brother's best friend beyond literally being a reason for the rest of the book to exist. The thing I did like was the fertility group Gemma went to - the women were cool.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a cute read and I binged it all in one day! I really enjoyed the neighbor dynamic between Josh and Gemma, but do wish the brother's best friend had been played up just a little bit more. I loved seeing Gemma navigate her infertility journey and that she didn't let her past/current relationship status stand in the way of her dream. Gemma's relationship with the other man (purposely vague because of spoilers) was definitely cringe (though I'm sure that was the intent), but I was happy the person we least expected ended up being in Gemma's corner in the end.

There are definitely some trigger warnings that should be noted, including infertility, early pregnancy loss, and sick/dying parent.

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!

My Rate: 5/5

I have to say, this was my first book by Sarah Ready and Oh my God, I think I found a new favorite author. This book was AMAZING. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me swoon and be mad, I had all the feelings! But in an extraordinary way. Some books make you cry and leave you in a fetal position on the floor, but this book is not like that, it shows you the hard realities of life, but it builds you up again, it gives you hope again, and when you finish it, there are only good feelings.

One thing I did miss was Josh’s POV, I would love to have his POV, but I also understand the author’s choice, and it worked really well. Being in Gemma’s read was incredibly interesting, and it was so real, she had a complex mind, and I believe many people, myself included, might have related to her a lot. This book was deep but soooo sweet, it handled heavy topics, but in a funny and light way, and I honestly think this would give an amazing movie, I kept thinking about this during the book.

Feminist rate: 5/5

This book deserves 11 stars! This is the kind of book I’ve been saying is necessary. This is a prime example of one of the jobs of the romance genre, sharing, in deep, heartbreaking detail, a struggle so many women go through, but nobody talks about it. It shows us all the parts, the good and happy parts, the funny parts, the uncomfortable parts, the bad and sad parts. This is a book that teaches us so much, empathy, respect, friendship, and especially love, not only romantic love, all kinds of love. Infertility is an experience I hope to never have, however after reading this book I believe I understand at least 1% better what these women go through, I believe I felt 0,0000001% of the pain they do and experience some of the happiness by the end too.

And I loved that I was not only about infertility, Gemma and Josh are complex characters, with many issues to work through like self-acceptance, body shaming, past traumas, grief, prejudice, toxic positivity, feminism, and the “role” of the “modern woman” in society, what a normal family is, so many important subjects are handled here, with so much care, it’s incredible (and just a small note, this book unleashed a huge argument in my house about traditional families, religion and God’s wishes, which was, to me, a great reaffirming opportunity)

To me, this is the greatest thing about romance, we get to feel pain, fear, and loss, but there is the promise of a happy ending. This is a safe space to feel all these emotions, and at the end of this book, I only felt happy and refreshed. I think I’m rambling too much, but this is also something this book does to you, makes you think about life.

Anyway, loved it, it is one of the best books I’ve ever read, will forever have a special place in my heart and my recommendations and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Recommend this to Anyone who is not afraid to cry, laugh, and swoon all at the same time, who is willing to learn and reflect on life. Also, anyone who loved All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover, the themes are similar, but the books are different in their writing, their mood, but not the lessons they teach, but you won’t be destroyed at the end of this book as it happens to me at the end of every Colleen Hoover book.

"𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞."

Gemma wants a baby but due to her endometriosis, she is unable too. However, with the help of IVF, she’s determined to do it. And not with just anyone random but with her brother’s best friend, Josh.

I adore this book. I don’t normally read romance novels but I’m glad I took the chance too. It was funny, witty, heartwarming, and emotional. An easy read that I finished in a day. Sarah created a beautiful story that brings awareness to infertility and it’s an eye opener. To be able to see through someone’s eyes and what they have to deal with in the workplace and around family members.

I’m so glad I picked up this arc and finished it. If you love a good romance, I’d definitely recommend this one!

As someone who is going through my own infertility setbacks, I found it comforting to read a story about another woman’s journey to grow her family. I like the fact that this book normalises infertility by bringing this into a rom-com and I was even encouraged after reading it to reach out to some friends to talk about my own issues.

The romance was cute and predicatable and there were some funny moments and one liners throughout the book. Josh is very likeable and I was rooting for him whilst impatiently waiting for Gemma to realise what she had right in front of her.

What didn’t work for me in this book was that I found some parts of the plot too far fetched. For example, Josh has been in Gemma’s life for 25 years yet she seems to be one of the last people in New York to notice that he’s a famous comic writer. Nobody can be that self-conceited? Without giving the whole plot away, there were a few things like this in the story that didn’t sit right with me.

Overall, this was an easy, cheesey read that I flew through in 2 sittings and it provided some lightness to an otherwise heavy and emotional topic.

The title didn't capture my attention but another review did and I am glad I picked it up! I adored this emotional, sweet and hopeful story. It was filled with the realities of IVF and I really enjoyed hearing each woman's story through Gemma's IVF support group. The reality is so many go through this and I appreciated hearing the stories of other women through this fictional story. The other part of this is an adorable, swoony love story with a brother's best friend trope. Josh is sweet supportive and thoughtful. They had a great friendship and a natural chemistry and I was dying for that first kiss. There are a few great laugh out loud scenes between the two and I couldn't wait to see where the book took them. The over the top, rom com grand gesture ending worked in this one. I loved it and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I loved This book, It was so cute and funny in my opinion. it kinda gave me jane the virgin vibes. i dont know why it just did lol