This book made me laugh and cry. It brings humor and light to the serious topic of infertility. Erin Mallon was a great choice of narrator for the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this book. It follows Gemma, a divorcee with an infertility diagnosis, on her mission to have a baby. For various reasons, she ends up asking her brother’s best friend, Josh, to be her sperm donor, and he agrees.

There’s a lovely sense of humour that runs through this book that lightens what could be a very tricky topic. There’s a lot of slapstick-style comedy that made me laugh and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this element. It made the book a real joy to read, and I was able to finish it all in one go.

I thought that Gemma, the main character and narrator of the book, had a really distinct voice. Her personality really shone through and I really rooted for her; I just wanted her to achieve her goal and I felt very invested in the IVF storyline. Similarly, Josh was a great character and a good love interest. He was really sweet and, even though we never got his point of view, his feelings felt very clear to me. I liked that he was very careful and considerate of her throughout.

I actually thought the novel did a really good job overall of characterisation, including side characters. There were a lot of really good, strong minor characters, including Gemma’s fertility support group, her colleague Lavinia, and the doctor who gives her the IVF treatment. They really lifted the story, particularly the women in Gemma’s support group. Her friendship with them was lovely, especially with Carly. On a related note, the subplot involving Josh’s father was a very touching addition to the novel overall.

The romance that developed between Gemma and Josh was really good - it had very strong chemistry and I really enjoyed the slow burn of it. I liked that the novel showed them getting to know each other properly as friends. There was a really light and flirty vibe to their relationship as it formed that was really nice to see.

Aside from the romance, the wider plot of the IVF treatment was handled very well in my opinion. It made me feel very emotional - I don’t usually cry when reading books but this made me tear up in quite a few places. It was beautifully written in parts and I thought the way Gemma’s - and Josh’s - actual journey through IVF was very sensitively done.

However, I wasn’t keen on some of the attitudes shown in the novel towards infertility from side characters. Whilst I understood why the author included some of these opinions, the language in a couple of parts felt unnecessarily cruel and upset me as a reader. I personally feel the language could have been toned down a little bit and still have had the same effect.

Overall, though, I really liked this book. For the most part it was a delight to read, and I had a smile on my face for much of it. There were some beautiful bits of writing and I think most of the sensitive topics were handled very well, and there were some great bits of characterisation. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book.

Lovely cover and I liked the blurb! Gemma wants a baby but due to an operation when she was 22 she needs IVF to have her wish, plus a donor...
Her brother's best friend Josh seems an ideal candidate to Gemma and after a first rejection he is suddenly prepared to father her child and accompany her to her appointments for the procedure.

I liked the writing style and I actually really liked Josh (even when he could have been a bit more pro-active) but Gemma grated a lot on my nerves. The way she treated the people around her and how she thought about Josh all those years, never even reading his comic series...

The whole IVF thing hit close to home as I have been through it myself; it was nicely done and realistic.

In the end Gemma realized a lot about herself and how she had to make amends. That saved the book for me and I will surely read books from this author again.

Gemma has gone through a divorce an infertility diagnosis. She doesn't need Mr. Perfect to have her baby with, she resorts to an IVF donor. Josh has been a family friend for decades. He is smart enough and good-looking- perfect for her baby. When she asks him for some sperm, she doesn't expect him to agree, but the deal is on. A no commitment, unemotional agreement. What she doesn't realize, is that baby-making doesn't work without emotions.

I listened to this book in the audiobook format, and read parts of it, thanks to free e-ARCs from NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC. I loved both versions of the book, and the narration by Erin Mallon was awesome. The book story floated from one chapter to another, and I was impressed by the variation in the male and female voices that Erin had created. The book is basically a light-hearted, cheesy, rom-com surrounded with family and friends, each with their own little storyline that makes an important contribution to the plot. I specially loved Gemma's friends from the fertility group and their backstories and supportive mannerisms. Ian Fortune (Gemma's boss) strikes me as an abominable, horrible employer, and human in general. I hated him from the very beginning and found him very cringeworthy in a bad way. I think it was meant to be this way. I am not sure what to think of the inspirational quotes shared in the beginning of each chapter because I'm not exactly the inspiration person, but as they fit in beautifully with the context of the story my feelings are pretty neutral. The last few chapters were quite a twist and I'll admit, I never expected something like that. Of course, the most important bit of the story that I can't leave out is infertility. This isn't my first time reading a book about someone infertile, and though Sarah Ready didn't quite meet my expectations in that category, I still loved it. This is a genuinely hard topic to write about and the humor and general flow of the plot eased the tension of the main theme. So if you didn't get the point of me writing all this, in one sentence, you need this book.

Rating- 4/5

Gemma has had a rough life - her first husband cheated, she is over thirty and still single. And don't even mention her family trying to set her up with men who "don't want children". Why? Because Gemma has endometriosis so she doesn't think she could have a baby. So she finally decides to take matters into her own hands and have a baby via IVF. However, who will be the daddy? Gemma knows just the person - her brother's best friend Josh (with who she also has a history with).
From then on we follow Gemma and Josh on their journey to have a baby and all the struggles they face on the way.
This book tackles a serious topic but it is also very funny! The author has managed to make it layered - you cry with Gemma but you also laugh with her. I felt for Gemma and her struggles - a lot of women struggle with infertility and their self-worth. All the other subplots in the book were add-ons but I was not nearly as interested in those that in her struggle with feeling worthy just as she is.
I think it could be a bit triggering to people who have suffered a miscarriage, so be mindful of that.

Josh ♡ Gemma

*Awwwh (swooning)*

❝It was such a cute book. My sweet lord, I fall so hard with the story plots as well as for the characters. They all left a little pieces of themselves to me and I'll cherish them no matter what. Hooked from the first chapter!❞

P.S: I received an ARC of this book as well as an audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
Author: Sarah Ready
Rating: 4/5⭐
Narration: 4.5/5🎧

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to read 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.

It was a well mapped out story with a aspects that challenged my biases and notions.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby : ★ ★ ★ . 7 5

Sarah Ready

"I love you. I'll keep on loving you. You're the star that guides my heart."

Tired of looking for her Mr. Right, Gemma Jacobs' New Years' resolution is to have a baby, even if she has to do it all by herself. And who better to ask than her brother's best friend and a man she's known for 25 years?

I was looking for a light & wholesome read to finish off the year and I honestly can say that this book delivered on that front so hard. It's so cute and the concept is very unique and one I have never heard of before.

Gemma is a pretty relatable (if not a little judgy) person with a lot of love in her heart. She deals with a mother who desperately wanted to see her married off, and a sister with a bustling family of four kids, and everyone and everything around her are in happy relationships. Save for her. I love how independent Gemma was and how she decided she didn't want to wait on someone else to make her dreams come true. She wanted to take her future into her own hands and that was precisely what she did!

Josh was the absolute star of this book for me. He is literally one of the most perfect book boyfriends I have ever read. He's sweet and so supportive with this innate sensuality about him that makes you want to crawl under his skin and find out more. In this rare world, he is one of those really good guys that you want to hold in your arms and protect forever. He's the most wholesome person ever with his comic books and the way he was always there for Gemma when she needed it, no matter what. Josh is the ultimate cinnamon roll and a gem in every single aspect of the word. He is so so cute and I adored him.

Full transparency, there is some Other Man themes in this book, as well as loss of a child, and loss of a parent, so please do ensure that you look at the trigger warnings before proceeding. There were a lot of moments in this book that tugged at my heart–when Gemma realizes all the love she has and when Josh wrote the comic book for his kid. I thought it was so cute when Josh was talking about his memories with his dad as well.

Also, I want a book for Carly so very bad! Boujee marriage in crisis sounds right up my alley. This was my first Sarah Ready book and I enjoyed it so much so it definitely will not be my last!

This book takes a serious and heart breaking theme -infertility- and addresses it in a way that makes you feel warm and gooey.

I spent 1/2 this book with a smile on my face. I laughed out loud. I held back tears. This book does many things well, but the thing it does best - make you feel.

The topic of infertility was really well addressed and I loved the baby forum lingo (TTC, TWW etc). This is something I have never read about before but I really really connected with this book.

Tropes:
- It was always you
- Brothers best friend
- Planned pregnancy
- Love triangle

POTENTIAL SPOILERS?!
I was not emotionally prepared for this book but it did not disappoint. I read it within a day and could not put it down!

Honestly, for 3/4 of the book i really disliked Gemma. Josh deserved so much better and the way Gemma spoke about him at first made me so mad, but towards the end she became more tolerable.

I really wish there was an epilogue so we could see the gender of their baby and how their lives progressed a couple years later, but the ending did not disappoint!

Overall, this book was definitely 4/5 stars. It was written perfectly and made me cry so many times! I would definitely recommend this book.

This book was so good. I finished it 15 minutes ago and I am still speechless.

T R O P E S
- Planned pregnancy
- Older brother's best friend
- Possible love triangle

T R I G G E R W A R N I N G S
- Infertility
- Loss

It is the story of Gemma (32) who desires to have a baby but due to unfortunate reasons can't have one. She decides to turn to Josh (33), her brother's best friend and ask only for a couple of his best swimmers. She wants to do this by herself, but if he wants to be there, that's fine with her. As he accepts her proposal, they embark on a journey of friendship, love, loss, family, infertility.

I read this book in one sitting. Well, more like I spent an entire evening reading, went to sleep then woke up and continued. Yep. That's how good it is. It is really funny, and I don't say it lightly. I rarely laugh in romcoms, but this one made me laugh out loud a couple of times and made me smile throughout the entire book. However, I didn't expect to cry for the remaining 25% of the book.
This book isn't particularly explicit, but the tension is really well written. You just want the characters to finally be together. Josh is by far one of the best fictional man written on this planet. He is funny, charming, kind, sweet, respectful and sexy. He notices everything about Gemma and it makes my heart grow 3x its size, when you see how much she means to him. It's all about the small details

The only thing I wished that was different was the POV. It's solo POV. I wished to have read more about Josh's POV and his own feelings instead of deducing it from Gemma

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC. I just know I'll have this book on my mind for a couple of days.

Not going to lie, Gemma annoyed the hell out of me until about 68% into this book BUT she redeemed herself. I thought Josh was utterly adorable. I really enjoyed how the story followed a woman's fertility journey (there are triggers!) and I was balling my eyes out (you'll realise when). I just needed a little one from the ending for 5⭐. But all round this was a very book read!

This book was much different than I expected! I was looking for a cute and easy rom-com about an unconventional family for the end of the year couch potato session and there were some elements of that here but ultimately I couldn't get over my dislike of the main character, Gemma.

After going through a divorce and an infertility diagnosis very young in life, thirty two year old Gemma decides her new year's resolution will be to have a baby on her own. She decides to ask her brother's best friend to be her sperm donor, someone she has known for almost all of her life but apparently never takes seriously as an emotionally developed and complex person.

When he finally says yes, the two forge a friendship while going through the necessary IVF treatments trying to get pregnant.

Let's be clear: Gemma has no business being with the total sweetheart that is Josh. While he is nothing but supportive, funny, and kind, she clings to preconceived notions about him and refuses to get to know him better, despite all the blatant contradictory clues staring her in the face. She is constantly hurt by people making snap judgments about her behind her back and yet she continues to do the same. I know that this character development was necessary for the emotional journey and growth this couple needed to go through to have a relationship but U G H girl just --- do better.

The story
Gemma is hitting her mid-thirties, is a social media manager for a motivational guru and lives in NYC. Married and divorced young, despite her endometriosis, she realises that if she is going to fulfil her dream to be a mother, she is going to have to do something about this in a way that does rely on Mr Right turning up. At the family NYE party, she blurts out and asks her brother’s best friend Josh (who she lost her virginity to) whether he will help her in her quest.

My thoughts
This is a gem of a story. I loved the raw honesty about the IVF journey and all that goes with trying to get pregnant (after spending most of your life trying not to get pregnant). Endometriosis is not something that gets airtime in daily life, never mind in fiction. The story is charming, the love is real and the dialogue is funny and vibes. I love love loved it! ❤️❤️❤️

IVF, insufferable bosses, infertility, miscarriage, long-time love, and an adorable cast family and friends with some space aliens thrown into the mix. This novel was such a treat to read and enjoy. Josh and Gemma were so endearing and you rooted for them every step of the way. Please give us a sequel because this cast of characters had me staying up way past my bedtime to finish the story only to be sad it was over. Five stars for Sarah Ready.

Typos in Kindle version:
location 1154 "might mea" should be might be
location 1319 spacing error "readjust"

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4416011395

Heartfelt, hilarious, perfectly balanced, and full of banter.

Joshua Templeman from The Hating Game and Josh Im from Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating have brand new competition. There is a new swoony hero in town and he goes by the name Josh Lewenthal.

Gemma is thirty-two and going through a bit of a crisis. She married and divorced early after finding her husband in a compromising position on her dining room table. And since then, she hasn`t been great at trusting people and building relationships.

But, what she does know is that she really wants a baby. After an infertile diagnosis, she learns that there is a chance for her to conceive through IVF. And when thinking about a donor her mind immediately shifts to Josh Lewenthal, her brother's best friend. After all, Josh has always been around, she's known him for twenty-four years, he's like a house plant, always in the periphery of her life.

While going through the process Gemma learns a great deal about herself, makes delightful eccentric friends, and discovers a whole new hidden side to Josh, that just might turn her world upside down.

This book was just such a perfect little read. Yes, the whole Ian vs Josh thing resembled Bridget Jones a whole lot. That particular plot was a bit on the nose, and the entire thing with the quotes was a tad too much. However, the characters and overall plot were so endearing that it was easy for me to dismiss some tiny hiccups.

The chemistry was sizzling, the longing perfectly balanced, the slow burn expertly constructed, and the brother's best friend trope applied with mastery. If you enjoy a laugh out loud, full of emotion, and creatively written contemporary romance, this book is definitely for you.

I really like this book. It's a great romantic comedy and I loved the main characters. It had a satisfying ending and will recommend this book to my family and friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the advanced readers copy. This review is an accurate representation of my experience reading the book

unexpectedly good !!

honestly the title kinda put me off.. like way too direct for me ? ig ?
this was also rlly interesting to read.. cuz as someone who doesn't see herself wanting to have kids at all i liked reading the mc's mindset tbh 🤞
the author didn't half-ass the IVF process like i expected.. it was detailed and i honestly knew nothing abt it so that was nice 🤓

LOVEDDD the female friendships and how they all had diff personalities, like u could easily tell who was talking fr
the romance was cute fr they did have the chemistry and some parts had me blushing.. (the vibrating phone iykyk 😳😳)
i do wish we the author had added short flashbacks or something similar.. like they've known each other for +20 yrs it'd have been a great addition 🙁

the writing was fun !! it was kinda Christina Lauren type books 🤔
ALSOO love books set in nyc. not relevant to the plot or anything but i just like them 🤓
finished this book in ~4 hrs.

(got the digital arc through netgalley)

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I decided to read this book due to the brother's best friend trope, but it gave me so much more. Gemma wants to have a baby, and decides to approach her brother's best friend Josh. It was nice to see that relationship start and blossom.

I also appreciated that Sarah Ready tackled infertility. So many women go through it, and the author did a good job portraying the highs and lows. I especially loved everyone in the fertility support group, the way the women supported each other in their very own ways. All had different personalities, all were in different stages in their journey, and I was just as excited to read and learn about them as I did with Josh and Emma's relationship.

I liked the slow burn for Josh and Emma. I understand the part Ian played in that, but I almost felt like he was an afterthought. And he didn't really do much for me. But Josh more than made up for it.

Emma's family was also fun to read. We all have that relative that 'means well' like Emma's mom. I liked her dynamic with her sister too.

Overall, this was a fun, easy read that I devoured in one sitting. I'll definitely be looking into other books by Sarah Ready.

To me this was a very unique concept for a book and I love it so much. Seeing her fall in love with him while he is completely whipped the entire time is so much fun. The fact that he writes the flipping comics about her?! And the HE WROTE ONE FOR THE BABY!!!! Josh is the best man ever. I need a short story about them actually being parents.

I received an arc through netgalley.