Okqy how this be soo good, again?! I loved the first book, but this one was a great book number two. The msin charackters are great

3.5⭐

TW: Pregnancy, Medical Trauma, Infertility, Mental Illness, Panic Attacks, Car Accident, Miscarriage

"Everything I'm doing, I'm doing to find my way back to you"

So I picked this book up (a) not realising it was a sequel and (b) expecting a cute little relationship in peril rom com with a cute baby thrown into the mix. Let's just say my emotions went on a total rollercoaster while I read this. If you, like me, are going into this book expecting a fluffy rom com, I hate to break it to you but you need to change your expectations because fluffy, this is not. What you actually get is two chapters of fluff and then a very sudden shift into trauma and angst! I'm not going to mark this as a spoiler because this is what should've been in the blurb of the book but essentially what happens is Gemma, our heroine, collapses ON HER WEDDING DAY and is rushed to hospital with life-threatening eclampsia where she ends up in a coma FOR THREE MONTHS. Now, when she wakes up, she has not only missed the first three months of her daughters life but she has also lost the ability to feel emotions.

Right, now that's out of the way, I will say: once I flipped the switch in my brain and got out of cute fluffy rom com mode and into general fiction adjacent romance mode, I actually really enjoyed this. I love the author's writing style and I definitely want to pick up more of her work. Even though the book pretty much had sad undertones throughout (I mean, the main character was recovering from a traumatic brain injury and learning how to love again) I really liked the bitterweet, emotional but wholesome vibe of this book. Certain scenes were completely heartbreaking (e.g. Josh coming to terms with what's happened to the woman he loves) but those scenes were interspersed with enough glimmers of hope to make it worthwhile. I loved seeing Gemma gain her emotions back slowly but surely, sometimes without even realising it was happening. I actually liked that the romance took a bit of a back seat to the heroine's own personal growth. Josh was so patient with Gemma and, up until the last third of the book, the communication between the two of them was amazing.

However, this is a contemporary romance and of course that means that their has to be some kind of massive third act drama and I definitely did not enjoy that! (I mean, come on, haven't these guys been through enough) The OW/OM drama added absolutely nothing to the story and there was absolutely no need to give Gemma's ex (who I gather was the villain of the last book) a tragic backstory and semi-redemption arc. I just don't understand why it needed to be *him* who helped Gemma feel again. The author could've replaced him with literally anyone, perhaps a grumpy old person at the treatment facility? This is purely personal preference but I'm not a huge fan of plotlines where it takes another man or woman to make the main couple realise that they need each other. But maybe that's just me?

All that being said, this was a very well written book. The author's writing style is something I would definitely not say no to reading more of and there were some amazing quotes in here that I loved! Once I got past my shock at the start of this book, I found it to be a really engaging and easy read (I finished it in about 4 hours) and I loved watching Gemma grow as a character and relearn how to be herseld. I do think that some of the plot points were thrown in to creat unnecessary drama and I really could've done without that but, all in all, Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around was an enjoyable book that I would recommend (as long as you go into it with the right expectations).

I really enjoyed Josh and Gemma Make a Baby and the sequel Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around was no different.
Sarah Ready has created another amazing rom-com.
The characters were all very likeable and relatable. The relationship between the main female and male protagonists is real and believable.
Sarah is truly an amazing writer. She creates amazing characters and an awesome atmosphere.
I love how her settings are descriptive and detailed.
Another great story by Ready.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having read the first Josh and Gemma book, my fiancé and I were looking forward to the release of this book. Hopefully there will be more in the world of Josh and Gemma

i did not know what to expect but that exceeded my expectations!!! i was so emotional over everything and it all took a turn for me right from the start!! high 4!!!

i loved the first book sooooo much and i was excited for this one. i truly thought it would be marital problems but it was like that times 6000. there’s so much i want to share but do not wanna give any spoilers out! i just was so invested in josh and gemma’s love and adoration for one another from the first book that this one really did tear me up quite a bit.

ugh so good i teared up, i giggled. i really just love this one and the whole universe it created.

thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc in return an honest review!

What happens after happily ever after?

On the cusp of having it all, Josh and Gemma have to deal with the unthinkable.

Josh & Gemma 2 was equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, funny and sad. It was very un-putdownable! I do think their first book needs to be read first to have the whole picture - it may be confusing as a standalone.

I could have used more about bonding with baby and as a family of three (since getting pregnant was such a huge plot point of book one!) and less of a character arc for Ian Fortune.

I loved Erin Mallon’s narration, she is always such a gem.

There could be some pregnancy/birth-related triggers in this book. (But it is a romance/romcom, not a tragedy)

Note that I received an early review and listening copy of J&G2, receipt of which did not impact my review.

O my God, what a roller-coaster was that.
1) I've never clicked quicker "read now"
2) I've never read a book that quickly
3) I've never cried that much

The moment I saw there is a second part of "Josh and Gemma make a baby" I had to immediately read it. I was a little bit scared, because I was worried for our wonderful couple. And rightfully.

"Josh and Gemma The Second Time Around" was filled with angst at least for me. Something terrible happened and everyone had to deal with it. I felt so so sorry for everyone involved. Sarah Ready knows how to play on our emotions. I don't want to spoil anything, but due to the situation I sometimes was really afraid that their way's will part.

It's a story about life, that can kick our asses and force is to some behaviours and emotions, or lack of them. It's about fighting for love and dealing with life changing situations. It's also about appreciation for little things we have and forgiveness. We learn that there's always something after "heaping ever after" and life's not a fairytale. We have to fight everyday for what we love and keep choosing it. And sometimes... that's still not enough.

I absolutely love Josh and Gemma. I loved this book, not much as part one, but still. Maybe that's because I usually try to avoid book that I know will brake my heart.

I'm very grateful for being able to read ARC copy, thanks to Sarah Ready and Netgalley❤️

So... I LOVED Josh & Gemma make a baby, but I didn't need this book, neither Josh nor Gemma. Not even Ian. Nor the baby.
Remember the whole plot of previous book? ...make a baby, well the baby was made and that was it. Then everything went downhill. She couldn't even see when her baby was born.
The sole porpouse of this book was to make MY Josh suffer. And how did we achive it? every time they needed to have a converstion one of them left, the problem is that it wasn't just one conversation, it was all of them.
And remember how we got Ian out of our lifes? he's back. I don´t even know why. To redeem him? Nope.
And all the laughs out loud from last book, GONE.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC but I won't be re-reading this any time soon (or ever). Let's just pretend that Josh and Gemma make a baby is a standalone and this never existed.

Sequels are always a bit of hit and miss but this one is really good so let start with it begins with a traumatic injury and it all kinda spirals after that not in the best way but in a it's a real world way because Gemma got a preaclapsia and went into a coma had a brain injury and couldn't feel love or anything really and Ian is back and kinda takes it upon himself to be Gemma friend and she willingly let's it happen cause she feels with him anyways I loved the ups and downs and the miscommunication it makes it feel like real like so thanks for letting me read this one

A year ago, I read Josh and Gemma Make a Baby so I was excited to read what I thought would be a story about Josh and Gemma adjusting to parenthood and being a couple. I was wrong.

Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around is much more somber and has a lot more angst than the original story. A medical emergency strikes and leaves Josh and Gemma feeling like strangers and more than a bit lost.

I was anxious throughout most of the story and felt frustrated by the miscommunication that often led to even more distance between Josh and Gemma. However, the story picked up in the second half and I enjoyed watching Josh and Gemma get their second chance at love.

In this follow up to Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, we return to Josh and Gemma’s story which takes a dramatic turn. I enjoyed this novel but found it didn’t have the same spark as the first. It was interesting to find out more about Ian and what makes him tick.

I bounced back and forth in reading the e-book and listened to the audio version. I really enjoyed the narration. As it was the same narration as the first book. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of this book.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize this was the second book in a series when I started reading it. Because of that, I think the beginning of this book was a bit confusing due to all of the family members that were introduced. If there had been a bit more detail provided in the jell-0/dog chasing scene, with regards to who each character was, I think it would have gone a long way in allowing this book to work as both a sequel and a stand-alone novel.
I did appreciate the exploration of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) in this book. As someone who works in health care and has seen numerous TBIs, it was interesting to be in Gemma's mind as she tries to rediscover who she is and how to re-acclimate into her life.
The Ian of it all was a little bit out there, but I do suspect I would have gotten more out of his back story if I'd read the first book in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed reading about Josh and Gemma and I will definitely be reading the first book in the series to provide myself with more context!

Read/listen if you like:
🥈Second Chance Romances
📕 Sequals
🧠 TBI Rep
🏥 Life After Traumatic Events
♥️ Meant to Be Romances

I don’t know what it is about this couple, but I absolutely adore Gemma and Josh and I was so excited to see there was a sequel and knew I had to get my hands on it.

I loved the after the HEA that this one gives where you see the trials and tribulations of real life playing out for the characters after they chose eachother, because just because you choose eachother doesn’t mean forever, and it doesn’t mean you don’t have to work for your happily ever after and that things won’t happen that won’t threaten your happiness.

Also, it’s probably weird to say, but I really enjoyed Ian in this book and I hope you all read to find out why cause this was oddly a redemption story for Ian 😂

4.5 stars

What happens if just as you're about to have your happily-ever-after, a HUGE roadblock pops up? Will Jash and Gemma's love survive? I expected a light-hearted read, but it was pretty intense. Enjoyed it a lot! Thank you NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Looking forward to the audiobook, too!

I didn't know that there was a first part to this book if I realized that I would've read the first one. I enjoyed reading this book throughout and love that Josh loved Gemma through thick and thin. Josh didn't give up on his love even though Gemma didn't love him anymore... I cried when her brother Dylan gave him a pep talk because of the person Josh is. I loved all the character development. Ian was not a favorite, didn't like him but then when I learned about his past and then how he saved Gemma, I had a change of heart. A must read if you love romance books!

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵... 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦."

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧/𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨: traumatic brain injury, pre/eclampsia, traumatic/early birth, NICU mention, coma

I have so many emotions.

I read the first book this summer when I was very very pregnant, and listened to this one at the 5.5 month postpartum mark.... and words can't express how much my heart broke throughout this book.

Sarah Ready knows how to write about very very difficult topics.

I'm happy to report that there is, in fact, a happy ending to this book, but OMG what a roller coaster getting to that point. It's been a long time since I cried while reading/listening to a book.

Thank you so much Sarah, along with Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley, for letting me experience Josh and Gemma's second go at it... and for my ARC copy of the book and audiobook in exchange for this review! ❤
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I loved Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, so it was an easy choice to pick up this book. I suppose this book could be read as a stand-alone, but I really think you would get more if you read the first book in this series.

Josh and Gemma's story did not go in the way I expected, but it made me love the book all that more. This is really a contemporary book, with some romance in it. This book has a lot of serious topics discussed and I think, if you need content warnings make sure to check them out.

One thing this book is about is love. It is about the change in love and how it doesn't always stay the same. It may look different. As someone who has been married 22 years I whole heartedly agreed with this sentiment and it really spoke to me. There are many times in a relationship that love changes and evolves, which also Josh and Gemma's is for a different reason, it was written so well.

Sarah Ready made me feel all the emotions in this book. Her writing is phenomenal and she wrote both the sadness and the laughable happy moments in such a way that I was right there experiencing it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

I think this is part of a series, which I haven’t read, but although it meant I didn’t immediately ‘get’’ all the characters, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment. Josh and Gemma are in the middle of getting married when everything changes. The rest of the novel is about the aftermath, and provides the happy ending while taking some interesting detours along the way. This is a romance which is just as much about family and hope as it is love. 3.5 stars

I went into Josh and Gemma Make a Baby completely blind and adored the book. It actually became one of my favorite books of the year! When I saw that there was going to be a follow up, I knew I needed to read it. And while I think that Josh and Gemma Make a Baby ended perfectly, Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around was the PERFECT sequel. I loved the character growth that many of the characters go through (cough cough IAN cough). There really were so many twists and turns in this book and I was not expecting it. Josh and Gemma were perfect in this story and I really believed their love story. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this when it comes out!

I am in literal AWE of this book. I didn’t realise that Sarah Ready was making a sequel to the first book, but I’m so glad she did.

Josh and Gemma’s story did not go in the direction I had expected it, but I think that’s what made me love this book so much. This book isn’t the conventional romance. The characters go through real struggles, real emotions, real complexities…it’s simply stunning in the most basic of words.

My god! The emotions that the characters, and, in turn, the reader feels are so profound and raw. Ready highlighted the challenges involved with infertility, miscarriage and IVF in her last book. This book took Pre-Eclampsia/ Eclampsia and brought it to centre stage. It’s a frighteningly common condition that happens to pregnant women and the risks to the woman’s overall health can be life changing.

Normally a happily ever after kind of ending is just simply a nice touch for a romance novel, but this book…I was desperate to see what the ending would be.

As it was last time, the writing was phenomenal. Amongst the very sad turmoil moments, there’s were parts that made me laugh out loud. There were parts were I scoffed in outrage and also parts where I blushed due to the steamy intimacy. I admire Ready so much for how she can provoke such a spectrum of feeling within her readers.

If there’s ever a series you should read, it should be these books.