Infertility affects approximately 1 in 8 couples, yet it is still hardly ever talked about. Most of us have had some type of interaction with someone who has been impacted by infertility. This heartfelt story allowed a brief look into an experience that is rarely shared. I really enjoyed following Josh and Gemma as they navigated the ups and downs of life, friendship, love, and trying to have a baby. It was laugh-out-loud funny at times. It was also filled with tender, heartfelt moments of grief and sadness. It was loaded with lots of romance. This novel covered so many true-to-life topics and handled them all admirably. It was well-written and the characters were very likable. Well, except for Ian. He was just your typical jerk. The main characters had great chemistry with a good dose of steam and that slow-burn longing, which I enjoy. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a realistic romance.
Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC and NetGalley, who gave me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Goodreads Blurb:
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.