Brother's best friend, dynamic girl gangs, and IVF
Plot:
Gemma's life seems to be on an upswing - her professional life is soaring and she has a close relationship with her family. The only thing not going right for her is her dating life, especially after her ex-husbands cheating scandal. But Gemma is done waiting for Mr. Right, she wants to be a mother like yesterday. Determined to take matters into her own hands, she enlists the help of her brother's best friend to be a sperm donor for her. It seems like the perfect solution, after all, she knows what he looks like and that he's a stand-up guy. But what happens when emotions start running high and this business-like decision starts to feel like something more?
Review:
I was 50/50 on picking this book up. It had my favorite trope (brother's best friend) and my least favorite trope (main characters having a baby) combined, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was a total delight from start to finish!
The feminist ideals behind this story were dynamite. It highlighted a woman does not need a man to have a child if that’s what she wants and that a woman can be career-oriented while simultaneously being a mother. Showing the struggles and highlights of IVF in today's society is so refreshing no matter how ridiculous parts of it felt - i.e. the zany doctor, crazy patients, overly holistic friends, etc. The support group Gemma joins not only further shows the different struggles women go through during the process, but also added fun and lovable side characters because after all, everyone needs a good girl gang by their side when going through something so life-changing!
Gemma was a bit of a complex character and I had a big love-hate relationship with her. On one hand, she was very immature, superficial, and judgmental - especially of Josh who she was asking a huge favor of. She was obsessive over motivational quotes her boss founded countless self-help books on and truthfully if I had to listen to one more fluffy quote I think my eyes would have rolled out of my head. But on the other hand, she was driven, quirky, and relatable. She knew what she wanted in her life and career and fought hard to get there. Her biggest downfall was creating an idea of people in her head and running with it as law which I think a large portion of the population can admit to being guilty of.
Josh on the other hand was entirely swoon-worthy from start to finish. I think I developed a full-blown crush on Josh as the book progressed. He was such a stable force in Gemma’s life and you could feel how much he cared about her and her family. He had his own struggles, but he always wore a smile and supported those around him first and foremost.
Two elements knocked this book down to a 4/5 star read for me - Gemma’s boss Ian and Gemma’s mom. Let’s start with her mom. She continually put Gemma down and tried to set her up with every loser she could find. She shamed her constantly for her weight, her inability to naturally have children, and her inability to find a husband as if those factors are what would complete her as a woman. She would have been my least favorite character if not for Ian who somehow took the cake in that category. Picture every insufferable man you’ve ever known and put them in one person. He used his position and knowledge of Gemma’s crush on him to woo her in what felt like a creepy way. He thought that because he was a self-proclaimed self-help guru that he was above everyone and I audibly groaned during every chapter he was in. I respect that both of these characters were pivotal to the plot, but it was nearly impossible to find anything redeeming about them.
Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was the unexpected and heartwarming story I was desperately craving without even knowing it. While there were certainly some unbelievable and overzealous parts, overall I laughed, I cried, and I loved. Sarah Ready knocked this one out of the park!
Thank you NetGally and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for making this book available to read in exchange for an honest review!
Favorite Quotes:
"Love always involves risk. It involves risking hurt… so I guess loving is accepting its about giving and never about taking. If you expect something in return then love becomes a transaction and it’s not love anymore."
Rating:
4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️