[ORIGINAL BOOKS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM - ENGLISH EDITION] Josh and Gemma make a baby by Sarah Ready

Hello readers!💙
How are you?
I promised to post some reviews in English too so, here I am.
Months ago I've inaugurated a new column on the blog named "Original Books and Where to Find Them" and I've decided to extend it to English books too. 

What is it about? 

It's really simple. In this column I'll talk about not just good books, but the ones that caught my attention for different reasons and in my opinion "stood out from the crowd" (and, just for saying, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is absolutely one of them. Unfortunately, I've already posted a review that you can find here).

Are you ready? Let's begin!

 

Title: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
Author: Sarah Ready
Publishing Date: January, 25th 2022
Publisher:  Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC
Pages: 366
Price: 16,19 €
Plot: New Year's Resolution:

Have a baby

Preferably with Josh Lewenthal

Meet Gemma Jacobs. She's driven, energetic, and a positive thinker. She has a great career working for famed self-help guru Ian Fortune, she lives in a cute studio apartment in Manhattan, and her family is supportive and loving (albeit a little kooky). Her life is perfect. Absolutely wonderful.

Except for one tiny little thing.

After a decade of disastrous relationships and an infertility diagnosis, Gemma doesn't want a Mr. Right (or even a Mr. Right Now), she just wants a baby.

And all she needs is an egg, some sperm, and IVF.

So Gemma makes a New Year's resolution: have a baby.

Josh Lewenthal is a laid back, relaxed, find-the-humor-in-life kind of guy. The polar opposite of Gemma. He's also her brother's best friend. For the past twenty years Josh has attended every Jacobs' family birthday, holiday, and event - he's always around.

Gemma knows him. He's nice (enough), he's funny (-ish), he's healthy (she thinks) and he didn't burn any ants with a magnifying glass as a kid. Which, in Gemma's mind, makes him the perfect option for a sperm donor.

So Gemma wants to make a deal. An unemotional, businesslike arrangement. No commitments, just a baby.

To Gemma's surprise, Josh agrees.

They have nothing in common, except their agreement to make a baby and their desire to keep things businesslike.

But the thing about baby-making...it's hard to keep it businesslike, it's nearly impossible to keep it unemotional, and it's definitely impossible to keep your heart out of the mix. Because when you're making a baby together, things have a way of starting to feel like you're making other things too - like a life, and a family, and love. And when the baby-making ends, you wish that everything else didn't have to end too.

Opinion: 

"For crying out loud, Gemma. This sounds like a divorce without the benefit of the honeymoon sex."

I really enjoy contemporaries, but the problem with them is that they're often predictable. Fortunately for me, this book is not one of them. I've loved it so much, after several weeks of reading slump, for this reason I'm so grateful to Netgalley and the publisher to give me the chance to read in advance.

The story is quite simple, but the characters made the difference.

I devoured this novel because I couldn't put it down. It made me laugh so hard and at the same time I was captivated by Josh and Gemma story. There was so much tension, you can't understand until you read it (and you should, believe me). Multiple times I thought I was going to burst for frustration and, meanwhile, continuing to read, I found myself moved by their personal issues and got fond of their way of being, especially Josh. He cares so much and people often don't see his cheerful attitude is also a wall to protect himself from hurt. I silently fought for him to be finally recognized for the admirable man he is.

I had liked less Gemma, but I think it's because I can related with her more than I'm glad to admit. Being insicure and living with the fear you won't be enough for someone is something that lots of people struggle with, and the author was really good to portrait in her. Her insecurities, her mistakes, her lack of courage.. You want to smack her head multiple times, but it's worth to see her fall, understand and finally do something to fix things right. It would have been interesting to have more time to deepen her relationship with her siblings and her parents, but I'm happy to read a sort of closure in that too.

Great mention to the hilarious moments that made me fall in love even more with this book - I won't spoiler you anything but for who has already read it I'll just say "Toy Boy" and "koi pond". They were amazing and not forced, thing that made them adorable and a good interlude between more serious parts. 

"I thought if I stopped loving then I'd no longer hurt. But I had it wrong. In life, there will be times that you hurt no matter what, whether you love or not."

Plus, this novel focus on the IVF process lots of couples or single woman face to have a baby.

It's not excessively dramatic (and I really appreciate the lack of spectacularization) but at the same time it doesn't hide the frustration, the procedures, the pain women have to face as well as the hormonal changes they must endure. Sometimes it's funny to read, sometimes it's not  but this is the point: this is life. It isn't always full of sparkles and fun. Having a baby is a great step and people who try IVF came from different paths and stories and deserve respect. This book gives them that. Carly, Hannah, Brook, Gemma... they show the reader different aspects of the same process and I'm sure lots of people will related with them. Recognize in them, also, and that's important, because we need to remember we're not alone.

At the same time, this book is full of hope, that spreads through all this amazing journey that I'm sad it has already ended. Great idea the use of inspirational quotes (you'll understand why during the reading) and I've adored the presence of drawings in the story!

In fact, it would be beautiful to have the chance to read Josh's web comic! I don't know if the author has some ideas about it but for me it would be really a great shot (or the opportunity to read about Josh and Gemma again. Maybe through Dylan's story? I don't know why but I'm very curious about him).

 

I can't wait to read other works from this author 💙Totally recommended. Would you like to know something more? Check @sarahreadyauthor on Instagram and you'll find a presentation of each character and some other little quotes!

 

This isn't the book for everyone for the peculiarity of the theme included, but it's lovely written and have several turning points I didn't expect that can interest the skeptical ones too. I hope I've raised your attention, in that case my job will be done.

To the next article!

Chiara

 

**credit for the post-it image: @sarahreadyauthor (ig account)