“When I was a little kid, I worshipped Josh Lewenthal, now, I couldn't care less about him, I just needed his sperm."

What You'll Find:
✔️Romantic Comedy
✔️Brothers Best Friend
✔️Secret Crush
✔️Fake Relationship
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Single POV

Gemma has it all. Except the one thing she really wants: a baby. Relationships have been disastrous and with a infertility diagnosis she makes a New Years resolution to make her dream come true via IVF. Enter Josh. A laid back, stand up kind of guy. He's been in her life for the last 20 years. As her brothers friend. But he seems like the perfect option to be her sperm donor. And he surprisingly agrees. But once the baby making process begins, it's hard to keep things business like.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was unputdownable. This story was fun, heartwarming and tender. With plenty of laugh out loud moments. There was also a hint of tenderness and emotion that I wasn't expecting but really loved. The entire premise was genius and completely drew me in.

Gemma is practical but a tad on the quirky side. And maybe just a bit quick to judge. I didn't love her at times but then she could make me laugh on the flip side. Maybe she gets it from her mother, gosh she could be awful! I will say that I felt she showed some growth in the end. Josh on the other hand, was her complete opposite. A man of few words. But laid back, with an easy smile. A smile i felt hid alot. I would have loved to have his POV but it definitely wasn't needed to love him. Total swoon.

These two have a history that I would have loved to have more of. But I really enjoyed reading as their relationship grew and evolved. It was more of a slowburn, frenemies to lovers, with some eventual steam that I really enjoyed. The side characters are unique, that's for sure. And speaking of, you know what I really loved... that it didn't have the typical brothers bestfriend drama that I feel is the same in this genres trope. It was so refreshing not that have that! Overall I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend. This is my first time reading this author, and look forward to reading more in the future.


TW/CW: Infertility, Miscarriage

* I received an ARC from Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

This book was a wild ride. Parts of it were completely ridiculous and shocking to read. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Be aware that it does handle some difficult subject matter. I really felt for the characters. Worth mentioning this book has a pretty significant amount of spice. It gets pretty steamy. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, and Sarah Ready for the advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a surprising book for me. At times, it was silly and a little over-the-top like a romantic comedy can be (there’s a whole scene at the clinic with another couple that would never happen IRL, right?!) but at others, it was so sweet. Oh, and there was a scene in the second half of the book that had me sobbing because it was so beautiful.

There is a lot in here about all things infertility and IVF, so if that’s a trigger or sensitive subject for you, please keep that in mind. I do think it was handled sensitively and accurately.

This book follows Gemma who made a new year resolution to try and have a baby of her own. The story follows her as she tries to convince her brothers best friend Josh to be the sperm donor for her baby. He agrees to it but of course it isn’t smooth sailing from there on out. Because of this difficult journey Gemma has to go on they recommend she joins a group of ladies that are also trying to have a baby and the people in that group are just amazing. I would have loved to read more about them but this was Gemma’s story. They all just have such different personalities and their story’s to how they got there are all every different and it was nice to see that there isn’t one “right” way to have a baby.
What I really liked was the chemistry all the characters have even if it was just friendship it made sense. Of course, there was lots of tension between Gemma and Josh as making a baby together isn’t as simple as it seemed.
It was a super enjoyable read and I’ll definitely pick up future books by this author.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had a surprising amount of depth for a book in this genre. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

Bridget Jones-esque without the cringe.
There were many things I enjoyed in this book. First, the main characters had realistic backstories, careers, personal interests aside from the romance plot, that gave me reasons to root for them from the start and made their interactions really pleasant to follow. The progression of Josh and Gemma’s relationship was realistic for two kids who grew up in one another’s vicinity without ever being friends and then try to find a way to act around each other as adults. Moments of banter, awkwardness, emotion, and hilarity ensue.
Second, this book has some truly laugh-out-loud moments. The humor lands every single time, whether it’s used to amp up the stakes of a scene or deflate tension. Gemma has a slightly self-deprecating humor that is never too dark or cruel and makes her a rather likable MC.
Her struggle to create the family she’s always dreamed about was touching. It will speak to many readers who are going or have gone through the same: the steps she needs to take to get IVF (and her emotional state at each stage) were very real.
In that struggle, Josh was an unexpected but soon essential ally. I loved how–unlike many love interests in contemporary romance–he was a truly kind, sensitive person and was presented as such from the start. None of the “asshole with a secret heart of gold” trope here. If anything, Gemma’s obliviousness, in contrast, felt too far-fetched to be believable and made her look like the (involuntary) asshole more often than not.
That would be my one complaint about this book: our heroine is. So. Damn. Oblivious. It took a huge effort to suspend my belief and accept the fact that 1) a woman considering a family friend to be her sperm donor would go in without obsessively reading every page with an instance of his name on Google first–thus getting in the deal *without knowing anything* about the guy except that he’s *always been there.* and 2) said woman could work for the same employer for over seven years (and very closely at that) without hearing even the slightest whiff of gossip about him. For instance, if my boss had a reputation for being a douchebag and/or a major sleazeball, I would *probably* have gotten a sense of it sooner than seven years in. Several times in the book, a character starts to reveal some important truth to Gemma and she either interrupts them or they’re interrupted and she never tries to go back to what looked like a juicy bit of info. I’d guessed the future plot twists five minutes in, and then it really annoying to read about Gemma missing the clues lying right under her nose. That made Gemma seem uncannily oblivious and naive.
(The book was also very white and heterosexual. I don’t think it had any non-white, non-cishet character. Hard to believe that it would be the case for anyone living in a big city, let alone NYC. So, you’ll need to be able to suspend your disbelief and accept that a thirty-year-old woman can spend a decade in New York never crossing paths with a person of color, and surviving the NYC life while being naive and oblivious.)
Fortunately the ending was so sweet it made up for the above weaknesses. There were some sad moments but they brought all our characters closer together. Gemma’s family is so lovable and supportive. The last chapter gives everyone the HEA they deserve. It left me with a warm, satisfied feeling – all you want from a romance!
Romance readers will enjoy <i>Josh and Gemma Make A Baby</i> for its humor, banter, and sweet acquaintances-to-friends-to-lovers romance.

**Thanks to NetGalley and to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC. for an ARC in exchange of an honest review!**

DNF at 5%.
This is me being insufferable, but I just can't do it. I've barely started reading this book and it's already riddled with issues that I can't look past. To be competely fair this probably won't bother anyone but me, but here they are anyway:
1. Our narrador, Gemma, mentions one instance when she was sixteen where her sister tells her to stay away from Josh, our love interest, and Gemma obviously ignores her and obviously faces the consequences, which includes the fear of being pregnant. But they didn't do anything sexual. Why the fuck would she think she's pregnant???? This girl is sixteen and doesn't know basic sex ed????
2. Throw away fatphobic comment.
3. Gemma supposedly works in marketing. She says she posted a picture of a cat with the quote "if you can imagine it, you can do it" slapped on top of it on social media, and it apparently got "nine bazillion likes." As a girl constantly on social media I can promise you this wouldn't even get five likes.
4. The writing style is super personal and constantly reads like Gemma is talking directly to you. Made me sick to my stomach.

It would have gotten 5 stars, if Gemma had not been insufferable in a few parts of the novel, but overall I loved it, and Josh has my heart.

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

I really enjoyed this book! It was a very solid 4 star read for me, and I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. Like for real, I read this in one sitting. I think that if you are considering picking up this book, I have an important disclaimer before I recommend it: if discussions of infertility/miscarriages is a trigger for you, then this is not the book to pick up as it was described in the book, often in detail. It also has moments of family members saying hurtful things about the heroines physical appearance, including her weight, so keep that in mind too.

Okay, now that is out of the way though, lets talk about what this book has going for it that made me unable to put it down! This book has every trope from friends agreeing to have a baby together, to brother best friend, to guy falls first, to straight up PINING from the male character. Gemma was highkey oblivious, which was a little frustrating at times and is the main reason for the lost star, but overall it was a very fun time. Josh was very sweet, and so obviously cared for Gemma so much. The book also talked about such important topics, like IVF, while also being very lighthearted. The main conflict in the book was predictable (in my opinion) to everyone except Gemma, but that honestly didn't detract from the reading experience. Overall, if you like any of the tropes that I mentioned, I would highly highly recommend this book!


*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for review*

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby caught my eye immediately and it wasn't just the unusual title. I loved how the cover looked like and I thought it would be an interesting read based on the blurb. I went into the book with high expectations and I have to say that the book met them.
Gemma is a single 32 year old woman working for a self-help guru and she tired of waiting for a guy to have a baby, so she decides to do it herself. She doesn't want get a donor sperm so she asks her brother's best friend, Josh to help her out.
The book delivered exactly what it promised. The pacing was perfect and I really enjoyed the characters and though at times I found Gemma a little frustrating I loved her for the most part. The plot was engaging and the pacing was perfect. Honestly there isn't anything to criticise. Overall it is the perfect book for you if you are looking for a cute romance.

3.5 stars
This book is kind of a wild card for me, meaning not a typical book I would read, but the premise sounded so fun I couldn’t resist.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes romcoms end up not actually being that funny and this book was a good blend of both. I also think this had a well developed supporting cast too.

The only thing I wasn’t 100% sold on was just how clumsy or embarassing Gemma was. Some things were too over the top. I also will warn my more sensitive friends that there is a mature scene and a couple suggestive scenes throughout, but they are easily skipped, if that’s your inclination.

Overall, really fun and a gentle look into infertility and motherhood.

What a cute book! Gemma is facing a crossroads in her life: divorced, childless, and hitting that 30-something age that just makes you itch for more. When she decides to go through fertility treatments with a long time acquaintance, will she get everything she wants? I appreciated this book’s ability to balance romance and universal feelings of never being or having enough. Although at times unreliable and flawed in her own right, Gemma is someone you’ll create a friendship with and pull for to get her own happy ending the whole way.

it was cute other than the main character being annoying and the plot being so random. it had it’s moments but it went wrong where so many books about struggling to get pregnant, the ending felt out of a fairytale suddenly all her friends and her who had been trying to have a baby all had newborns and they didn’t really touch on IVF heavily and the physical and mental toll it can have on people

** I read an advanced copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review **

'Josh and Gemma Make a Baby' follows 30-something Gemma who after a failed marriage and several dating fails, finally decides to go it alone by having a baby via IVF. However, she decides that rather than choosing a random sperm donor from a catalogue, she'll stay close to home, and selects her brother's best friend Josh (who also took her virginity way back when) for the job. Much to her surprise, Josh accepts. Quirky hijinks ensue.

This is the ultimate book for rom-com lovers. I mean that literally, as several scenes and/or lines are lifted straight from Bridget Jones (in such a way that I read it as homage rather than a straight copy): Mother at a post-Christmas party makes Gemma wear an ugly dress and tries to set her up with every man going, charming but clearly awful boss tries to smarm his way into Gemma's heart while also besmirching Josh through shared history. The two protagonists even have an exchange where they shyly assert that they like each other "just as they are."

However it doesn't just feel like your average rom-com copy- the IVF storyline is heartfelt and brings some awareness to the reality of infertility and all the complicated emotions that go with it. Gemma joins a support group and the three women she befriends there are great characters (one of them is so clearly a Natasha Lyonne-inspired Bronx-accented wild-red-haired smart talking lawyer that she jumps off the page) and their different stories give variety and add some conflict to the story as Gemma's rollercoaster of emotions - and developing feelings for Josh - start to take hold. In addition, Gemma's relationship with her mother and siblings is explored as she feels they often underestimate her and pity her for her infertility and spinsterhood.

Josh is also a nicely written character- he does feel a bit bland at times and mostly just smirks and makes sarcastic jokes, but his clear adoration of Gemma warms the heart and it's lovely to see their relationship develop. It's the brother's best friend- to lovers trope done very well.

All in all I really enjoyed this book, though found it quite derivative and like I already knew the story. However Sarah Ready is clearly a talented writer and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley in return for an honest review

This book was pleasantly surprising. I went in thinking it would be just another run of the mill Contemporary Romance (which don't get me wrong, is totally fine) but a lot of this book touched on some really deep and heartfelt moments.

I will preface this by saying, I am an Assigned Female at Birth Nonbinary person who got pregnant on accident and was fortunate enough to have a very healthy and easy pregnancy. So the parts of the book that focus on the Infertility diagnosis, the IVF decision and everything that happens because of that doesn't hit as close to home as it might others who have been directly impacted. However, it is a testament to this book's writing that it still managed to make me cry and really feel the deep moments when needed, even when it was something vastly out of my wheelhouse of experience.

I really enjoyed Gemma and Josh, as well as the side characters, Gemma's family and friends etc. The characters seemed fleshed out and felt like actual people, which after reading a bit too many books lately with stilted conversations and cardboard interactions, was very refreshing. The chemistry between Josh and Gemma I felt was real. Their interactions made it make sense why they would end up together.

I will say, a lot of the plot is very obvious, as it falls into a lot of the classic tropes. However, I am a reader who actually enjoys tropes when executed cleverly, or with care. There is a fine line between having a well written, enjoyable book that follows classic tropes, and something that seems just formulaic. This book was definitely the former, even if you can tell very early on where a lot of interactions and foreshadowing will lead.

Overall, I think it is great to see a romance novel address a topic that is often not talked about, like Infertility and IVF etc, along with other themes of getting past pain, and seeing past your initial perceptions, and have it not be a dramatic bore to be honest. There were a lot of fun, enjoyable, happy moments, which I think humanizes that experience that the author themselves states affects 1 in 8 people who can get pregnant.

Overall, would definitely recommend for those who enjoy Romance and looking for something a bit different while still hitting the same fun Romance marks that makes the genre fun.

**I was gifted a free eARC of this story from NetGalley for an honest review.**
Trigger warnings: infertility and miscarriage.

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I was going to consume it in one go and absolutely love it. And I was right! As someone who has looked into the route Gemma attempts to take, I felt a sense of comfort knowing women like myself were being represented in a novel. Of course, this isn't how it always goes, if at all for most SMBC women on this journey, but I really appreciated Sarah Ready's attempt to bring attention to it.

I adored both Gemma and Josh a great deal. I liked their connection, and the fact that they had known each other for most of their lives, but in Gemma's case, there was also so much to learn about Josh too. Gemma has faced a great deal in her 32 years of life. She's been ridiculed, cheated on, suffered from a failed marriage, had constant opinions about her life - both good and bad - and she finally chooses to do something for herself that she has wanted, and that's to make a baby. Of course, she chooses Josh, her brother's best friend to be the donor sperm of said baby, for all the wrong reasons to begin with. As she travels down the fertility route with Josh by her side, you get to see those reasons fall away and her affections for him take over. What I liked most about this is that Gemma is held accountable for her actions later into the novel and she does something about it instead of wallowing. Josh equally is fantastic support, not only as someone who loves Gemma but accepting her choice to make this baby in a non-traditional way. I found his part in this journey to be truly wonderful and made me smile a great deal.

This is a typical rom-com, and whilst the overall story is heartwarming and endearing, I did appreciate the angstier moments and the heartbreak that comes along with infertility. Even though it was ridiculously tough to navigate the hardships in this novel when in the moment, I'm grateful to the author for putting them in there. Because this is a topic around something that affects so many women around the world and isn't talked about enough.

The only "complaint" I could have over this story is Gemma's sheer oblivious and judgmental behaviour. Although she rectifies it (a little too smoothly in some ways, I think), and I liked that she comes to realise how awful she's been to a whole lot of people, I just found it a little off-putting how easily she bounces back from it and how accepting everyone is. I don't know if that was wholly realistic enough for me. But it's such a small flaw in an overall cliche yet wonderfully written romance.

Apparently I like the brothers best friends trope and I am not mad at it. The last 3 romances I have read have been this trope and this one is by far my favourite. I devoured this one so fast and I was so invested in it, it was wild.

I loved this book so much I don't even know where to start! Our main characters were great. Gemma and Josh just seemed so realistic and I enjoyed both of them so much. Their growth both apart and together was so enjoyable to watch. Gemma did have her moments of being annoying and naive but to me that was the stuff that made it realistic. It wasn't extreme and hard to read like some books I have read recently. It was enough to be believable.

Another thing that's been similar is the role the brothers best friend being a dominant presence in the family and having a rough upbringing which is why they are so involved with the family. I really like this aspect and I really liked the family dynamics as a whole in this book.

This book although a romance, it covers some heavier topics most predominantly infertility. I love the support group she is apart of and their whole journey together as a friendship circle. It really delves into the struggles and ups and downs of the ivf journey they all go through together. You get a good wee insight into each of the ladies in the group too and I really enjoyed that added aspect to the book.

To me this book was just a great book all round and it gave me the ending I had hoped for. I 100% recommend this for romance readers but just to be aware of the content surrounding infertility.

I loved this book the character development of Josh. The banter and that they took a real issue that women face and made it fun. Gemma's journey to motherhood was eye opening for me I've had friends that have gone through it but it was so much more in this book. I won't ruin the book for others but I highly recommend you pick it up also solely for Josh's comic timing. He knew just was to say to Gemma when she was worried.

I started this one & while sweet, it has a few too many triggers of mine to continue reading. I DNFed around 10%. I think other people would like this one, just unfortunately not for me.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.