Do you like grumpy Mountain Men? Are you looking for a book with a plus size FMC? Well, this is the book for you! Wyatt and Trista's relationship didn't start off in the most conventional of ways, surrogacy by Tylenol syringe, yuck. But man did they fall in love hard and fast, and I was HERE FOR IT. The overprotectiveness that Wyatt portrayed could be really frustrating at times, but in the grand scheme of things it was also very sweet. I loved that no matter how many animals Trista brought to the farm, Wyatt just couldn't seem to say no to her. I would have loved for the books to show more of the second half of the pregnancy but I'm still happy with how the story worked out.

This was my first introduction to Amy Daws, and I have to say that she'll be one of my go to reads from now on. I'm obsessed with her writing style and the fact that she's not afraid to write a Plus Size FMC is all the better! I can't wait to read the next book!

If you have a chance to pick this book up, I highly recommend it.

You will also be able to find my review by 13 March 2025 on my TikTok @Katieslitlounge

this was so delightful. the wit and sarcasm was top tier. this family is so full of love they don't know what to do with it. can the Fletcher family adopt me?

Nine Month Contract is a charming and steamy small-town romance that hits all the right notes for fans of grumpy/sunshine dynamics. The story is fun, witty, and packed with chemistry as the protagonist, a gruff mountain man, unexpectedly falls for his surrogate, Trista, a wild, opinionated woman who’s perfect for him in every way. The humor and quirky moments with the hero’s brothers and pet goat add an enjoyable touch, while the tension between the leads grows in unexpected and steamy ways. The pacing is quick, and the romance is sweet, making it an enjoyable read for anyone looking for a lighthearted and spicy story with heart.

interesting book about the fletcher men on the mountain and the one who wants a baby .his niece ends setting him up with a surrogate and they eventually fall in love. But there was some past trauma with all of the men sleeping with one woman. Loved the brothers

I can truly see why people would like this book, Wyatt really wanted a kid and that’s what he got… This book was a soft DNF for me. I just don’t think I was the target audience and that’s okay.

This was a no and a DNF for me. This is not surrogacy but I'm not sure what it actually is. I appreciate that Wyatt wants a child but home insemination of Trista who he's just met is not the way to go. There's all sort of odd and icky stuff here and I just had to put this away. I appreciate that Daws was trying something different from the one night stand accidental pregnancy trope but that would have worked better. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

Nine Month Contract sounded like such a great premise for a book. The cover is also very very pretty. Wyatt is searching for a surrogate because he is ready to become a father. His 18 year old niece is helping in the search. She is interviewing women who applied through Craigslist. They aren’t having any success so the niece decides to go to the surrogacy place in town and try to find someone. This same place told Wyatt they couldn’t help him. Everly runs into Trista. Trista is interested in becoming a surrogate but she is turned down because she doesn’t have any previous experience birthing a baby. Also her BMI is too high because she is over 200 pounds. Everly and Trista hit it off. Trista is then interviewed by Wyatt. She is the 13th woman interviewed and she is picked. Some of the issues I had with this book was how Trista constantly kept referring to herself as a cow. It was unnecessary. The entire way that the insemination and such was handled was terrible. Trista also has a lot of trauma that I felt like was just treated as not a big deal or just an afterthought. The romance was fine but it really bothered me when Wyatt was so rude to Avery because he was a man and not a woman. Avery is a vet who specializes in different animals. He is teaching Trista. And they are friends. Trista wants to take the money from the surrogacy and open an animal sanctuary. She works at the local vet and she just keeps randomly bringing animals home with her. By the way she is living in the apartment above Wyatt’s barn. So she doesn’t even ask him permission for all of these animals. He even tells her no chickens and what does she do she brings chickens. She was just entirely unprofessional and self centered when it came to anything. She is being paid around like $70,000 to give Wyatt a baby. Another thing I had problems with was the pacing of the book. We would have chapters within the same week or just week by week. And then towards the end we skip so many weeks and also completely skip the birth. In the end there is a HEA and that was nice. I just wouldn’t recommend this book and I probably won’t read the next one. Thank you NetGalley for an arc.

📚Plus size animal loving FMC
📚Mountain Man MMC
📚Forced Proximity
📚Possessive/Mine
📚Multiple POV

Quirky plus size female needs a place to live and some money. Adult niece wants to find her uncle a baby momma/wife under the guise of finding him a surrogate. Single/grumpy mountain man wants a baby without all the fuss of finding a wife first. I am a fan of interconnected stand-alones.

Red flags:
-FMC calls her V a “bajingo”. Ew.
-MMC says he’s been looking for a surrogate forever, yet is thoroughly surprised/grossed out when given insemination options.
-Limited meaningful interactions between MCs.
-Lives on a compound with his brothers and is supposedly close with them, but does’t trust them around the FMC for fear they might sleep with her?!
-Superfluous friends that are forgetful and don’t help with the plot.

Green flags:
-Seven Brides for Seven Brothers reference.
-Secret pining.
-He buys her things, makes sure she’s fed, unloads her dishwasher and lets her keep all of her animals.
-MMC does sweet things for her: feeds her, gets her gifts, lets her keep her animals and unloads the dishwasher without asking.

Amy Daws has literally written men that have made me swoon and fan myself. Wyatt wasn’t it. Trista was quirky to the point of annoying and eye rolling. The sexy scenes were spicy though. I would have liked more tension. This whole thing felt rushed.

Wyatt is ready to become a father. But the clinics are not ready for him. He just can't find a surrogate match that just feels right. So his niece, Everly, decides she'd help him out. Good thing she met Trista who wants to be a surrogate for the money but the clinics just doesn't want her. Naturally, Wyatt and Trista will work this out, right?

The plot is so amazing for me. I really like romances that has kids on them. But in this case, kids are not in the picture yet, but it's one of the reasons why characters come together. And I'm just all-in. My weekend plans were gone because I could not stop reading this book.

Anyway, I really loved this book. This was such a solid romantic comedy. I loved the humor of the characters, the situations, and the banter. And it's been awhile since I read a romance book where I physically laughed out loud. This was funny because they are relatable and the shinanigans are actually hilarious.. I realize, that this might be just my type of humor but I just loved this.

This book was not only funny, but it also talks about serious issues, that these characters feels more human. This was such a ride. And I can confidently say, that this is one of those books that I will remember after so many years.

This book is so precious, and I honestly would love to see more of these characters. And I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit sad that my reading was over.

* I received an eARC of this book

I can tell this is a book most will either love or hate. The big plot has to do with pregnancy… obviously. So if you do not vibe with romances around pregnancy, it’s not for you.

I typed out a big ole blurb of what is included in this book, but for some reason, it just felt like too much lol so I’m gonna change up this review.

This is a story about found family and letting others love you, even when you don’t feel like you deserve to be loved. It is about longing for a childhood that you did not get to live because life dealt you the shit end of the stick. It celebrates not traditionally built families and beautiful bodies of all size.

I have seen many reviews complaining about how the ‘surrogacy journey’ was portrayed, but from my point of view, it was representative of how not everything is black and white. No, they didn’t do traditional in vitro insemination, but that was the FMCs decision. Some people are making it out to sound like the MMC forced the FMC to act out his br33ding k!nk dreams without her consent. That is the FARTHEST thing from the truth. Yes, mild spoiler, they both kind of have a br33ding k!nk, but none of that is even discussed or joked about until after they are physically intimate. They BOTH think it. A lot of the reviews I’ve read just seem like k!nk shaming. So fuuuuck that noise. If br33ding k!nks disgust you, you probably shouldn’t have chose to read a romance between a ‘surrogate’ and the baby daddy. That is on you lmao.

Now that I’m off my soap box, I really enjoyed this book. So much that I will be continuing the series and going back to read Amy’s series with Max!

I also periodically listened to the audiobook which was 🥵🥵

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While the writing style and creativity were both ok, I found a major ick with this entire plot and character development. Both characters needed therapy, especially given the choices they made.

Please read the trigger Warner's if you choose to read this book. While I was not triggered, it can absolutely touch many people in similar or adjacent situations.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press and NetGalley for an early E-ARC of this book.

I enjoyed the first half of this book, especially with the grumpy/sunshine trope and the mountain men. However, I felt like a lot of progress wasn’t made between the MMC and FMC until close to the end, which was a little frustrating. I am intrigued by stories for the other brothers, so I’ll most likely try the second book!

Well. This was… interesting? Nine Month Contract is a romcom that throws a lot at the reader—grumpy/sunshine, small-town charm, found family, and, oh yeah, a surrogacy storyline with a very hands-on approach (DIY insemination, anyone?). Some of it worked, some of it definitely didn’t, but one thing’s for sure—it was a wild ride.

Let’s start with the good. Wyatt’s rowdy family is an absolute delight, and his niece Everly is hands down the MVP of the book. Her matchmaking antics added a lot of heart, and she managed to weave humor and warmth into even the messiest moments. Also, Wyatt himself—when he’s not being a walking red flag—has some adorable softie moments (his pet goat loves Trista, and honestly, that says a lot). The banter is sharp, unhinged, and genuinely funny. If you like romcoms that lean into chaotic humor, this one might be for you.

But then there’s… the rest. The surrogacy aspect? It’s a lot. There’s an ethical gray area that the book doesn’t really grapple with, and let’s be real—falling in love with your gestational surrogate is hella creepy. Add in power dynamics and some weirdly intense possessiveness from Wyatt, and things get murky fast. And then there’s Trista. She’s chaotic in a way that will either charm or exhaust you, but the biggest issue? Her constant self-deprecation. Calling herself a cow over and over was a hard pass. Also, the repeated mentions of a “breeding kink” were… a choice.

The romance itself? S-L-O-W. So slow that at times, it felt frustrating. There’s undeniable chemistry, but the push-pull dynamic dragged on. That said, once things finally came together, the ending delivered some solid emotional payoff—Trista finding her place with Wyatt’s family was genuinely heartwarming.

Final thoughts? This is the kind of book that thrives on being so over the top that you either lean into the chaos or get lost in the mess. It’s packed with red flags, unhinged humor, and a romance that toes the line between swoony and problematic. If you’re looking for deep, thoughtful commentary on surrogacy, this ain’t it. But if you’re down for a wild, sometimes cringe-y, definitely spicy ride with toxic mountain men and barnyard animals? It just might work for you.

I love the cover! This is an amazing author! The story is kind of unusual . I knew I was going to love it and I definitely did. I enjoyed reading about the brothers and niece who have such a love with them.

This was my first Amy Daws book, but it definitely won’t be my last!! This book was laugh out loud hilarious!!! But it was also filled with SO much heart!! I loved Wyatt and his brothers oh so much!! Trista was the most perfectly imperfect fmc, and I adore her so much!! The found family aspect was SHEER PERECTION and I am literally counting down the days until book 2 is released!

If you love small town romance, with some spice, a curvy FMC and grumpy meets sunshine with a few bunnies thrown in - then you've come to the right place. Wyatt, a grumpy mountain man, wants to be a dad but seeing surrounding situations he has decided the best thing for him is surrogacy (for a number of reasons discussed in the book). Here is were we meet Trista, an independent woman trying to start an animal shelter but lacking funds to do so. After a hard life she has turned to surrogacy to help with her dreams. In an awkward/weird turn of events the two end up meeting and decide to help each other.

I wanted to love this book with the small town romance and mountain man and animal lover but there were more than a few awkward situations I found myself reading. Some of the phrases and 'pet name' definitely gave me the ick and if it weren't for the fact I wanted to see how the book ended I probably would have DNF'ed.

Nine Month Contract, by Amy Daws, is a spicy rom-com, involving a mountain man who wants to have a child via a surrogate mother, and that's all...he thinks. The whole process of making this happen is hilarious. The family involvement is funny and heartwarming, and the ending is just the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I thought I was going to read a fun and quirky book about a mountain man looking for a surrogate to become a single dad. What I got was so much more. Yes it was funny but it was also heartfelt. I was holding on for dear life hoping for Wyatt and Trista to make their relationship official and not be parent/surrogate. The rescued animals that kept showing up all had their own moment to shine on page.

Nine Month Contract is a fun, steamy, and emotional romance with a unique premise. Wyatt, a grumpy mountain man, wants to be a single dad and hires Trista as his surrogate. But what starts as a simple arrangement quickly turns into something more.
I enjoyed the chemistry between Wyatt and Trista, as well as the hilarious and loving Fletcher family. The animals, especially the Scottish cow, added a charming touch. The book had plenty of funny moments, sweet romance, and lots of spice. However, I wished for more emotional depth in some areas, especially regarding Trista’s past and Wyatt’s character development.
Trista’s body image struggles were relatable but a bit repetitive, and a few plot points felt unresolved. Still, this was a fun, lighthearted read with great banter and heartwarming moments. If you love grumpy/sunshine romances with family meddling and a lot of heat, this one’s for you!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Grumpy responsible mountain man meets sunshiny messy woman in this fun story full of family dynamics and rescued animals.

Overall: 4
Spice: 4 (due to 3+ scenes and language)
Narration: 5

Wyatt has everything he wants - a mountain top home he built with his 2 brothers as neighbors, a successful business, and a good relationship with his niece and nephew, but what he really wants is a child of his own, but he wants it on his own. Surrogacy agencies haven't worked out, so his niece gets involved with an ad on Craigslist. Enter Trista, a single woman in search of funds to open an animal sanctuary who has been turned down by the surrogacy agency. Wyatt and Trista decided to work together and sign a surrogacy contract. Trista moves into an open apartment above Wyatt's barn and luckily Trista is soon pregnant from a unconventional insemination process. As she and Wyatt live in close confines over the next few months, will they be able to keep their relationship professional when their attraction grows?

I had the pleasure of reading this book twice. I listened to the audio - fabulous duet with the always great Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon at the very end of 2024 as a fun Hoopla borrow before I started my 2025 reading list. Then the ARC was available on NetGalley, so I scooped it up thinking it would be an easy read and review. The story is so good at grabbing you that reread most of the ARC to be sure my review was accurate. I found this to be a fun, spicy read along the lines of Meghann Quinn and Tessa Bailey. Wyatt comes from an amazingly close family and Trista's family abandoned her at a young age, so watching them figure out how to relate to one another (and for Trista to accept help) is very interesting. I read a few reviews after I read this and I get that there is some concern over the representation of surrogacy, but read the blurb - this is not a serious book, it is supposed to be fun. No one is encouraging anyone to use this as a real-life approach. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the story. Also, as a farmer's daughter, I know how a cow is inseminated and the purpose of that process, so I thought Trista's mantra about being a cow was hilarious. Others took it to be a comment on her body shape - that wasn't it! I look forward to reading the rest of this series. Recommend if you like a kooky-fun romance.