'Nine Month Contract' by Amy Daws is a spicy surrogacy romance, and I appreciated that Daws shared she carefully considered how surrogacy was represented in the book. Obviously, this is not the traditional surrogacy journey many experience, what it is is a fun romcom which explores themes of family, attachment, and goats...and chickens...and a pig....

I enjoyed 'Nine Month Contract' immensely, it was a fun read with likable characters. You just need to keep in mind this is a romcom, likely not a good depiction of a realistic surrogacy relationship (probably very unethical) maybe more of a taboo romance, so if that's not your thing this book isn't for you.

Thank you to Amy Daws and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the ARC of 'Nine Month Contract' in exchange for a honest review.

DNF at 7%

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book. I really liked the premise and the cover was gorgeous but there were too many gen z references that irked me that I couldn't overlook. I'm sorry but the multiple uses of the word "rizz"... I just couldn't do it.

1/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

“Do you want to meet my goat?”

The plot is what initially pulled me in. I had never read a surrogacy trope before and while I’m sure this is FAR from realistic, it was mostly enjoyable for the unhingedness…in the beginning. Well til 46% in because then…MAJOR ICK INCOMING…the FMC compared her bed to being as soft as newborn foreskin 🤢🥴 literally anything else could’ve been said to compare a soft bed to.
The TikTok lingo didn’t read well, it kept taking me out of the story. Even the FMC annoyed me with constantly calling herself “a cow”. Honestly I should’ve just DNF’d. I won’t be continuing with this series.

Nine Month Contract is book one in the Mountain Men series. It follows Trista and Wyatt. I ate this book up! I have always loved Amy’s books and this one is one of my favorites. Wyatt and Trista have such amazing chemistry right from the start. Wyatt is a grump who is content to live on his mountain alone but wants a child of his own so he is looking for a surrogate to make this dream come true. Trista is a woman in need of extra income to make her dream of owning an animal sanctuary a reality. I found myself laughing throughout the entire book especially with the animal names and banter with the brothers. I can’t wait to continue with this series.

You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Small town
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Age gap
- Curvy FMC
- Quirky animal names

Thank you so much, Amy Daws, Canary Street Press, The Hive and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

The story centers around Wyatt, who’s looking for a surrogate so he can become a father. His niece, Everly, wants to help — and maybe play matchmaker while she’s at it. After a chance meeting with Trista outside a surrogacy clinic, Everly decides Trista is the perfect candidate.

What worked for me:
Trista’s family trauma was genuinely saddening and I liked that Wyatt & his family were able to heal some part of that. The found family aspect was probably the best part of the book.
The mountain setting and collection of crazy animals was a sweet touch. Fans of Tessa Bailey might find a lot to enjoy here.

What didn't work for me:
There was a heavy focus on Trista’s body, often following the pattern of “she’s not fat, she’s beautiful” — which perpetuates the idea that fatness & beauty are mutually exclusive. The book does try to address this later, but it misses the mark. Trista claims to have worked on her body issues but defaulted to her insecurities several times throughout the book suggesting the complete opposite.

Referring to herself as a "cow being inseminated" multiple times was…jarring. There were many passages in this book that were an odd choice to write.

For someone so desperate to be a dad, Wyatt shockingly lacked research into surrogacy. Both he and Trista really dove in with very little understanding of the process.

The inner monologues felt like a little soapboxy, with long tangents about fatphobia, surrogacy, and adoption. While I appreciate the attempt to highlight the complexities and injustices of these industries, the execution was about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. Overall, while there were some sweet moments and an intriguing premise, the heavy-handed messaging and strange word choices made it hard for me to connect with the story. 2⭐

In “Nine Month Contract,” Dawes takes some well worn tropes and spins them into a fun, fresh romcom that’s equal parts funny and emotional. I love that she shows you how the protagonists feel about each other rather than telling you. And even though you know how it’s gonna go, their relationship develops so naturally that you’re learning how they feel along with them instead of waiting for them to catch up.

Also: If, like me, your eye starts twitching when certain side characters get so much page time that you just know they must be from another book—but you can’t easily tell which book because this one is the first in a series—allow me to relieve the twitch: Max, Everly and Cozy are from the book “Last on the List,” but you don’t need to read that one first. However, it does help explain why Everly gets her own POV chapters and why her uncles are over-the-top protective (so you don’t need to worry this is gonna turn out to be some creepy banned-from-Amazon ish).

This book was so enjoyable! I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed these characters. I am so excited to see what the next book has in store. Loved this quick, fun read!

Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws

Ok listen, the surrogacy to lovers trope is… niche. But I actually liked this book. There were a few “control” things I wasn’t crazy about, but overall this was a sweet, fluffy romcom. The banter was funny and I loved the found family aspect of the story. I also really loved the relationships between the MMC and his brothers and all the guys relationship with their niece.

Read if you like:
Found family
Forced proximity
Age gap
Protective MMC

I wanted to love this, as it had its funny, laugh-out-loud moments and some cheeky flirting that I'm keen on, but there were just parts that gave me the ick. Some weird language here and there but the most prominent part that wasn't my cup of tea was the surrogacy trope in this book. The way it was portrayed didn't work for me. I'll definitely give Amy Daws another chance as she writes quite well, as shown in this story, but also in One Moment Please, yet this book just wasn't for me. 🫶🏻

A Heartfelt, Swoony, and Hilariously Charming Read!

Amy Daws has absolutely nailed it with Nine Month Contract! This book is the perfect blend of heartfelt emotion, laugh-out-loud moments, and sizzling chemistry, all wrapped up in a story that will leave you smiling long after you turn the last page.

Wyatt Fletcher is the ultimate bearded, flannel-wearing, protective mountain man—a guy with his life in order but a heart still healing. His dream of fatherhood leads him to a surrogacy arrangement, but thanks to his determined (and meddling) niece, Everly, he ends up with more than he ever bargained for. Enter Trista—a strong, confident, plus-size woman with a heart of gold and a financial situation that has her backed into a corner. Their arrangement is meant to be strictly business, but between their undeniable attraction, close living quarters, and a barn full of hilarious rescue animals, their relationship quickly turns into something much more complicated… and a lot steamier.

Wyatt and Trista’s slow-burn romance is so satisfying. The push-and-pull dynamic, the undeniable chemistry, and the moments of emotional vulnerability make their journey feel real and deeply heartfelt. Trista has every reason to be wary of Wyatt’s protective nature, and watching her learn to trust his love and support was incredibly touching. Wyatt, for all his gruff and broody ways, is the kind of hero you can’t help but adore—strong yet soft, fiercely loyal, and secretly a total marshmallow when it comes to the people (and animals) he loves.

Speaking of animals—Millie the goat and Trista’s ever-growing collection of rescues bring so much humor and warmth to the story. The antics of Wyatt’s family, especially Everly’s matchmaking schemes, had me laughing out loud more than once. And the setting? Absolute perfection! The mountain, the cozy homes, the barn—it all made me want to pack up and move there immediately.

Nine Month Contract is swoony, spicy, and full of heart. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves grumpy/sunshine dynamics, found family, and the kind of romance that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Highly recommend—just be prepared to fall head over heels for Wyatt, Trista, and a whole barnyard of unforgettable characters! 4.5 stars!

(Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!)

I had not read anything by this author and found this book to be outrageously funny and at the same time, heartachingly tender. Trista Matthews is dealing with the world as a “plus” size woman and has decided, since not really wanting children of her own, that she would offer to be a surrogate. After all, she is exceedingly “regular” and she could use the money for the animal rescue she hopes to start. When an ad for a surrogate is pointed out to her by Wyatt Fletcher’s niece, she decides to meet him. After the death of his father, Wyatt decided that he wanted to be a father, but living on the mountain as he does, with his other brothers, the opportunity to meet a woman interested in having his child is not happening. His visits to a surrogacy group are not productive after interviewing twelve candidates, but he never dreamt that his brother would post an ad for him or that his teenage niece would decide to help. Trista has never had a supportive family and has dealt with life in her own way. Believing that she would never be a good mother, of course she believes that she will be able to give this man the child he wants and walk away, but… Will lucky number thirteen, be his lucky number after all? I look forward to the next books in this series. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This book was a lot of fun, I thoroughly enjoyed both characters and the premise was very creative. As well, upon seeing the physical copy in the store, the sprayed edges are gorgeous.

Cute story but too many references. Seeing words like girlie, TikTok, and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City doesn't sit right with my soul

I have some very mixed feelings about Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws. On the one hand it is a fun and flirty, sometimes knee slapping sassy fun time. On the other hand, it was rife with unethical behaviors and scenarios, not to mention some uncomfortable language choices. I had some moments I considered not continuing with this book and I’m still unsure if I will continue the series.

Wyatt is a “mountain man” (this is mentioned A LOT) whose dream is to become a father. Not wanting to wait for a relationship, he opts to find a surrogate to help him achieve this dream. When he struggles to find a surrogate through the normal, logical, ethical way, his brothers write up and post an ad for him. His go-getter of an 18-year-old niece, Everly, volunteers to vet candidates for him, since she is “really good” with spreadsheets (?!). After struggling to find him any adequate candidates, she decides to troll outside the surrogacy agency Wyatt was recently let go of as a client. Here she meets Trista, who was rejected by the same agency for being too “fat” to be a surrogate. Let the problematic surrogacy story begin.

I quickly learned that surrogacy romances are not books for me. Though the story was predictable, it made me uncomfortable the lack of appropriate boundaries between Wyatt and Trista. They both took advantage of this situation and each other, which felt disrespectful. Trista kept overstepping and bringing home animals without checking in with Wyatt, her landlord, even when he was adamant about his thoughts on the manner. Yes, he folded like a deck of cards, but he shouldn’t have been put in that situation to start with. Wyatt was overbearing as heck. Just because you care for people a certain way, it doesn’t mean it is the way that makes them feel cared about. Trista came with a whole bunch of issues from her upbringing and when she acknowledged these to Wyatt, he basically told her he wasn’t going to change what he was doing even when she wasn’t comfortable with it. These interactions were not heartwarming to me.

Other problematic aspects of this book:
• The FMC calling herself a “cow” all throughout the book. It didn’t feel like empowerment; it felt like some self-loathing due to insecurity.
• The inappropriate interactions and situations relating to the surrogacy and their relationship.
• The reference of a bed being “as soft as a baby’s foreskin” and continuing to discuss how soft foreskin already is, so a baby’s must be softer… WHY IS A BABY’S FORESKIN BEING REFERRED TO AT ALL?!? Big Ick!
• Did I mention the lack of boundaries Wyatt’s family had? His mom showed up at the doctor’s appointment without being invited.

So, what did I like? The writing style was sassy and engaging, honestly it was what kept me reading. Every chapter gave an update on weeks pregnant and how many animals were now living on the mountain. This helped move the story along and gave a sense of time between each chapter. The banter had some great moments. When Wyatt’s family was together at a gathering, their interactions were amusing. I appreciated how they stuck up for each other and immediately accepted Trista into the fold. The animals! Who doesn’t love a funny animal story? Trista slowly collects misfit animals all with amusingly cute names. Wyatt’s care for the environment to the point where he designed his house to be green and has a carpool schedule set up with his brothers, so they aren’t wasting resources going to and from work.

Overall, this wasn’t the book for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I loved this book. I loved Wyatt and Trista and Wyatt’s whole family. Wyatt and Trista are such a perfect couple who came together in such a bizarre way. Some books you just stay up late to read and are a little sad when they are over.

I haven’t read a lot of pregnancy trope books but this definitely is a twist on it.

Mountain man wyatt fletcher is a quiet, single man wanting a kid without the relationship. he has an 18 year old niece who he adores and wants something like that for himself.

Trista is a young, ambitious woman looking to make a large sum of money to open up her own wildlife/ farm sanctuary and what better way to do that than to give life for someone else’s family?

with the denial of both parties from the surrogacy agency, everly, wyatt’s niece schemes and pushes the two together who hit it off instantly and become a surrogate family. she’s trying to rewire her brain into making herself feel no connections towards the baby and the mountain man, wyatt is trying everything in his control to control those urges to drop everything and give her everything she’s ever wanted and needed. who will win this push and pull of two near strangers- one of which carrying his baby (and technically hers since they didn’t use a donor egg).

I loved this book more than I thought I would. I loved the romance and the quirky animals. I'm excited to continue the series

Congrats to Amy Daws for her first trad published book!

This book was a fun read!

✔️ Fake relationship with a twist
✔️ Workplace romance
✔️ Emotional depth with humor
✔️ Lots of swoon-worthy and spicy moments

This book is great for those who like the Hating Game or the Spanish Love Deception.

Thank you for this opportunity!

It took a bit to get into this book but it started to pick up. However when the softness of a bed was compared to the softness of a newborn's foreskin I could no longer continue reading this book. I' fine reading a lot of things but that felt like crossing a line. Sorry.

Gah this book was so good. Loved their banter and everything about the both of them. The plot of this story was so unique and so well done. Amy’s writing made me want to jump into my kindle and live on that secluded mountain side with them haha