He lifts an eyebrow, “I figured the garage would be too cold.”
Hmm. “Maybe this summer? After the baby comes.”
His eyes light up and he grins. “Deal.”
I laugh, and he covers my mouth with his. He strips me down, and then he loves me and loves me and loves me some more. And me, I love him right back.
After all, everybody knows, love is the best gift, the best gift in the whole wide world.
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*Illustrations by Josh Lewenthal
A note from the author
Infertility effects one in eight couples, and each of us or someone we know – a family member, a friend, a neighbor, the person behind us in line at the grocery store – is impacted by infertility. Even though it’s so common, we rarely talk about it or share the effect it has on our lives. The struggle, the hope, the yearning.
Every infertility diagnosis is unique and every person addresses it with their own feelings, their own views, and their own hopes.
I wanted to write a book that opened up an experience so many women, men, and couples have, but that is so rarely shared. The diagnosis, the IVF, the miscarriages, and the will to keep trying, even though.
In this book, Gemma faces infertility in her own way. It won’t be anyone else’s way or anyone else’s journey, it’s hers. I believe that hard times are always best when faced with a smile. I hope Gemma’s humor and courage brought a smile to you.
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Sincerely, Sarah Ready
Acknowledgments
In case you missed the dedication, this book is for you. Yes. You. Thank you.
I don’t know if you’ve ever had a book written for you before, if not, here it is. You deserve it and so much more. You are my inspiration.
It’s always my greatest wish to give joy, happiness, and courage to others. I want to acknowledge two female writers who have done the same and inspired generations of women. Jane Austen and Helen Fielding. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
These brilliant women brought to the forefront of society universal questions that needed to be asked. Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice asked: is it right to marry for money and status or can we marry for love? Bridget in Bridget Jones’s Diary asked: can a woman have self-determination of her career and relationships? Both asked: what does it mean to be a woman today? I’m honored and grateful to these two writers to be able to reframe, recreate, and address this question in the pages of this book.
Josh and Gemma Make a Baby explores a new social commentary concerning so many of us today – fertility, family building, and choosing our own destiny as a woman. I hope that this book is worthy of the legacy of Jane Austen and Helen Fielding. Thank you for being an inspiration so that a new story highlighting women, our struggles, and our lives could be written.
On a note concerning advocacy, thank you to RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association, for your resources, acronym database, helpful information, and all the work and advocacy you do.
Thank you to the Reproductive Endocrinologists consulted, for your careful edits and suggestions, and your help in making sure Gemma’s story was as accurate as possible.
I’d also like to acknowledge my good friend, after thirteen tries you succeeded — a girl! Your hope, belief, and strength were inspirational.
Finally, back to you. My greatest wish is that when you finish these pages you are filled with hope and love and a sense that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Because it’s true. Reach out, dare to dream, you have the whole world inside of you and all the love too. Take ahold of all your dreams and live them.
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Thank you for your kindness and for being you.
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Sarah
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Also by Sarah Ready
Stand Alone Romances:
The Fall in Love Checklist Hero Ever After Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
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Soul Mates in Romeo Romance Series:
Chasing Romeo Love Not at First Sight Romance by the Book Love, Artifacts, and You Married by Sunday
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Stand Alone Novella:
Love Letters
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Find these books and more by Sarah Ready at: www.sarahready.com/romance-books
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About the Author
Author Sarah Ready writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Her books have been described as “euphoric”， “heartwarming” and “laugh out loud”。 Her debut novel The Fall in Love Checklist was hailed as “the unicorn read of 2020”。