I was provided with the arc of this book by Canary Street Press and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review, thank you! ✨

5⭐️

I was bawling with the last chapters of this book 😭❤️‍🩹✨ oh God, Trista and Wyatt are just going to live rent free in my heart from now on, their story was so beautiful and so raw and heartbreaking but also heartfelt🥹 I felt so sad about Trista’s past, I just wanted to hug her and tell her how beautiful she is, how strong and resilient she is and how worthy she is, because my girl was just perfect!! And Wyatt, my oh my that man just made my heart so full with all his acts of love and his protectiveness ❤️‍🩹 and all the family!!! The whole family found trope here was just chef kiss, and also all the animals in there 😂 I definitely want to read Dakota and Calder’s book like yesterday 🙂‍↔️

**Book Review: *Nine Month Contract* by Amy Daws**

*Nine Month Contract* by Amy Daws is a fun, steamy, and heartwarming romance featuring a fake relationship with a twist. The story follows a broody footballer, TJ, who needs a green card to stay in the U.S., and a quirky baker, Harley, who agrees to a marriage of convenience. What starts as a business arrangement quickly turns into something much more as their chemistry becomes undeniable.

Amy Daws does a great job balancing humor, emotion, and spice, making this an engaging read. The banter between TJ and Harley is entertaining, and their gradual emotional connection feels genuine. If you enjoy sports romance with a marriage-of-convenience trope and plenty of heat, this book is a great choice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5) – A swoon-worthy and fun romance with heart!

I went into Nine Month Contract expecting a fun, steamy romance with a unique premise, but I came out feeling… conflicted. While the book is undeniably engaging, it also has a lot of elements that left me uncomfortable, both in terms of the story’s ethical implications and the romance itself.

Let’s start with the surrogacy angle. I don’t know much about surrogacy in real life, so maybe this is just me, but the way it plays out in this book feels ethically murky. Trista isn’t just a surrogate—she’s literally the biological mother, since they use her own egg in a DIY artificial insemination situation. The book seems to frame traditional surrogacy agencies as overly restrictive and controlling, but those rules exist for a reason—to protect both the surrogate (who is, quite frankly, being used for her body) and the intended parent. Trista keeps comparing this setup to a lesbian couple using a sperm donor, but those things are not the same, and the casual way it’s brushed aside made me uncomfortable. The author did consult actual surrogates, so maybe it’s just my perspective, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the book was oversimplifying something that is, in reality, extremely complicated.

Then there’s the romance itself. If you’re a fan of insta-lust, you might enjoy it, but personally, I wasn’t sold. The relationship feels almost entirely based on sexual attraction, with very little emotional depth. Wyatt is supposed to be the classic grumpy hero, but in reality, he comes off as a walking red flag. He’s possessive, controlling, and at one point, he explicitly tells Trista that he doesn’t like boundaries—and this is in a sexual context, which makes it so much worse. Meanwhile, Trista is a boundary queen when it comes to him, but constantly ignores his boundaries, like when she keeps bringing farm animals into his barn despite him repeatedly asking her not to. They don’t challenge each other in a way that leads to growth; they just seem genuinely bad for each other. By the end, I was actually hoping they wouldn’t end up together.

Trista as a character was another struggle for me. She’s written as confident and body-positive, which is great in theory, but the execution felt off. She’s constantly telling herself (and us) how much she loves her body, how she knows she’s beautiful, etc.—but at the same time, she frequently puts herself down or implies that other people should see her as lesser because of her size. Instead of true body positivity, it feels like a mix of overcompensation and internalized fatphobia. And on top of that, her personality leans heavily into the “quirky, immature, not-like-other-girls” trope, which made her hard to connect with. The constant use of “bajingo” instead of vagina? I cringed every time.

There are also some weirdly bad details that made it hard to take Trista seriously, especially when it came to her career in animal rescue. The rabbit husbandry facts were so off (bathing rabbits? keeping them in cages overnight?) that it made me doubt whether she actually knew what she was doing, which was a problem since that’s supposed to be such a core part of her character.

Finally, I have to mention the underlying misogyny that creeps into the book. It’s subtle, but there are moments where Trista (or the narration) makes comments that feel very “cool girl” adjacent—like she’s trying to be sex-positive but ends up reinforcing some pretty negative stereotypes about other women instead. It doesn’t seem intentional, but it’s definitely there, and it made certain moments feel more off-putting than empowering.

I wanted to like this book. The premise was intriguing, and I was hoping for a fresh take on the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. But between the questionable surrogacy setup, the shallow romance, the weird body positivity that loops back into fatphobia, and the characters’ lack of growth, it just didn’t work for me. I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series, especially since the next books seem to follow characters who are just carbon copies of Wyatt.

If you’re looking for a steamy read and don’t mind some ethical gray areas, you might enjoy this one—but for me, it was a miss.

Main takeaway for this one -- I went into it expecting and hoping for a 5-star read only to feel a bit let down. I absolutely love pregnancy storylines in romances and forced proximity is another favorite trope of mine. So, to me, this was the ideal book.

To start with what I loved - how much I laughed! This is 100% a romcom and I genuinely found myself giggling at so many sections and dialogue moments. Additionally, Wyatt (the mmc) had a big caretaking vibe which I loved. I adore when the mmc just wants to love the fmc and make their life a little easier. Was he a jerk sometimes? Yes. But overall, he came across like a giant teddy bear with the best intentions. Lastly, the found family aspect was A+.

What held me back from 5 stars - sometimes the humor just felt like it missed its mark or was added in unnecessarily, so those moments didn't feel authentic. Also, I love when an mc is plus size; but Trish (the fmc) constantly referring to herself as a "cow" didn't sit right with me. I appreciate when authors write their characters with realistic insecurities, but it didn't feel like it was done well here in my opinion.

I definitely still recommend this book, especially for pregnancy-romance fans. Just go into it knowing it's very much a romcom and there are the occasional cringe moments.

Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws
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Wyatt is ready to become a dad. He is looking for a surrogate to help him have a baby. Enter Trista, she needs the starting funds to set up her wildlife rescue.
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I really enjoyed this book for what it is. Both Wyatt and Trista are a bit naive about the surrogate process and are each shut out from the surrogacy agency they are trying to work with. So they just make their own agreement.

I kind of fell for Wyatt and his whole family. They have their issues but they all love each other so much.

Trista frustrated me a bit throughout the book. She has her own issues but she kind of doesn’t deal with them so she runs a bit hot and cold for 3/4 of the book. But oh man that phone conversation she has with her sister towards the end had me crying.

Also all the animals that kept showing up were pretty funny.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I do want to keep reading this series so I’ll have my eye out for the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canary Street Press for the advanced reader's copy of Nine Month Contract.

This is the first book I have read from Any Daws so I wasn't sure what kind of spice level I would receive with her writing. I will say this novel was a bit of a slow burn but once you get to those scenes, they are indeed spicy!

I did enjoy this novel even though the concept of a romance novel surrounding surrogacy was a maybe a bit unsettling. I don't think the author did the best job of navigating this sensitive topic. I also wasn't a fan of the main female character constantly referring to herself as cow to mentally keep her emotions compartmentalized with the surrogacy.

Overall I enjoyed the grumpy meets sunshine trope. This is the first in a series of companion novels about brother who live on a mountain. I liked this novel well enough to read more of them.

4.5 stars! This was such a fun, swoony, and spicy book! From cover to cover I was giggling and swooning with these characters!

Wyatt? UGH.. we ALL need a Wyatt. And the plus size rep? AMAZING! And don't forget to talk about all the animals, they might just be my favorite part!

This is a surrogacy/pregnancy trope book, I know not everyone loves that - but I didn't mind it, however I have never been a surrogate or looked into it, so my view is skewed!

Overall, such a heartfelt and amazing story for two people just trying to find their happiness in life as individuals and as a parent, and adding a few animals along the way!

Unfortunately, Nine Month Contract was just not the right book for me. I didn't vibe with the prose, specifically the sections that were meant to be from the teenager's perspective. I found the use of "rizz" repeatedly almost felt like an adult just trying to sound like a kid, and it made it pretty difficult to stay invested in the story.

The premise of this book is interesting, but it just didn't deliver for me. I gave this book a one-star rating because I ended up deciding to DNF.

okay i’m sorry but i had to dnf this book after i read “rizzed up” / “rizz” twice in the first 3 chapters. i know the context was being used by an 18 year old but let’s be realistic here.

I fear that I'm developing a breeding kink, and this book only made that worse. I wish there had been more story following the last chapter and the epilogue, but oh well. It was quite good.

This was a fun, sweet yet spicy romcom! The beginning was a bit hard to get into as the plot line was a little weird at first but once I got past the 20% mark, I really began to love the characters and the plot. It was the perfect palette cleanser romcom! Thank you Amy Daws, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC!

My review was published on GoodReads on 3/12/25.

Wyatt really wants to be a dad but keeps striking out with the surrogacy agency. . Trista really wants to be a surrogate (for financial reasons) but has never given birth before, a pesky requirement of the agency's. Enter Wyatt's fantastic, meddling niece Everly who decides she's not only going to find her uncle a surrogate but also a soulmate and Trista is the perfect woman for the job. On Fletcher mountain, where Wyatt and his equally gruff, mountain man brothers live, there's plenty of animal hijinks and mischief.

This book was a good time. I've never read any Amy Daws books but have heard great things about her from some friends so I was excited when I got approved for this on NetGalley. The spice was great and both Wyatt and Trista (along with the secondary characters) are loveable.

I only had two slight issues with the book. Throughout her pregnancy, Trista's mantra was "I'm a cow, I'm a cow" to remind herself she was just carrying/birthing the baby for Wyatt and for some reason, this phrase and it's repetition was a real ick for me. Here's a spoiler but obviously, Trista DOES decide she wants to keep the baby and stay with Wyatt and I felt like her decision on that was rather abrupt. There needed to be a little more inner dialogue in her chapters about the relationship she was forming with the baby.

Other than those, a real solid book with good spice, good characters, and a fun yet un conventional premise.

This book was so dang good!!! I am obsessed

Remember that meme that's like "I'll never understand the whole 'my husband won't let me' thing because I could bring home a blue whale and my husband would be like 'well this is inconvenient' while he starts building an aquarium?" This book is exactly that in the best way possible.

Trista has spent her whole life on her own and doing everything her self. She has a big heart and big dreams of opening an animal sanctuary, she just doesn't have the money. Wyatt has a big loving family, a significant amount of money, and the desire to start his family even if he doesn't have a woman. Everly is an 18 year old girl who loves her uncle and wants him to have his baby so she takes it upon herself to put out an add for a surrogate.

I laughed, I cried, I cried I was laughing so hard, and I couldn't stop smiling and giggling. I devoured this book in a single sitting because I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to read everything in this world because these characters just hold such a special place in my heart.

Go read this book. You won't regret it

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary street press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

It's been a hot minute since I've read an Amy Daws book but I'm so glad that I jumped back in with Nine Month Contract. Despite other readers being disappointed in some of the surrogacy storyline, I found it to be funny, fresh and fun. As with all fiction, you do need to remember that the author took liberties. It's a work of FICTION, not reality. When an author creates a storyline, they want you to suspend belief so that you can enjoy it. Everyone is entitled to their own feelings and thoughts, but I encourage you to remember that this is a fictional story and not reality. It'll make the reading experience that much better.

Nine Month Contract is a grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity rom-com with a swoony, broody, alpha lumberjack male main character and a quirky, animal-loving female main character. There is instant attraction between the two but they enter into a surrogacy contract so that all gets put on the back burner. I love the push and pull between Wyatt and Trista. She is able to pull out his softer side as they spend more time together. Beneath his gruff exterior, he is literally a golden retriever in a hot, muscled mountain man body.

Things aren't easy or smooth for Wyatt and Trista but meddling family members help these two see just how perfect they are for one another. With scorching chemistry, Wyatt and Trista find the happily ever after they deserve.

Nine Month Contract made me laugh and it made me cry. With Amy Daws's perfectly timed, outrageous humor, you can be sure you'll be entertained from start to finish. I can't wait to read the rest of this series! 4 stars

I need to start by saying how charming and loveable the characters are in this book! Amy does an amazing job of creating characters that have depth and likeability, flaws and all!

Grumpy mountain man Wyatt is looking for a surrogate. At 38 years old he wants to be a father. His niece, Everly, and his brother place ads for him. On happenstance Everly runs into Trista outside the fertility clinic and just knows she'd be a good fit for her beloved Uncle (both as a surrogate but also as a love match, which he isn't looking for). Trista is 10 years his junior, sunshiny, curvy (too heavy according to the fertility clinic), and lacking in a secure, loving family. In stark contrast, the Fletcher family is very close, with 2 of Wyatt's 3 brothers living on his mountain with him (each in their own houses).

The somewhat chaotic at times life they begin leading, that begins with Tylenol syringing sperm, is quirky and sweet, with just the right amount of heat. Not only does Trista move up to the mountain, but as the story progresses, she brings a menagerie of animals into Wyatt's peaceful barn on the mountain.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the other two brother's stories coming out!

Here are some of the main ropes I noticed in Nine Month Contract: small town, surrogate/baby daddy, mountain man MMC, found family, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, curvy FMC, forced proximity

Wyatt Fletcher wants nothing more than to be a dad, but he doesn’t want a relationship. He’s got his heart set on finding a surrogate and being a single dad after swearing off of romance after a disastrous broken heart. Trista is the thirteenth potential surrogate he interviews, and she’s honest from the start that she’s interested in the gig for the hefty payday. Trista dreams of opening an animal sanctuary but she needs the funds for it. When they sign a contract and Trista moves to Wyatt’s mountain home, they’re both unprepared for the reality of their situation.

Nine Month Contract is book one in a new series by Amy Daws, Mountain Men Matchmaker. It’s also her first series to be traditionally published! I’ve read most of Amy’s backlist and am so excited to see her getting broader exposure. (Side note: please, I beg of you: read the Harris Brothers)

This was super fun! I loved the unique set-up and the immediate chemistry between Wyatt and Trista. There’s just something about a super grumpy burly mountain man hero that I love. Trista had so much sparkle and resilience that it was impossible not to love her too!

I highly recommend this one, especially if you love:
🐐 Goat daddy loner mountain men
🤰🏻 Ambitious, no-nonsense curvy heroines
🐐Charmingly meddlesome families
🤰🏻 Small town shenanigans
🐐 So many farm animals
🤰🏻 Surrogate x baby daddy dynamics

This book was soo deliciously good! I love a spicy romance and this book truly served. Amy Dawes is an OG in this space for a reason!

This book was so much fun! Trista and Wyatt's surrogacy journey is so fun! Throw in a meddling niece, mountain man brothers, and a constant stream of animals arriving on the farm, shenanigans are abound!

So I read the Wait in line series and was excited for this continuation. I really enjoyed seeing some of the past characters and this book was funny. Looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to Canary Street Press for my advanced copy of Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws. This is book one in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series.

This book was different than what I usually read with a surrogacy pregnancy aspect. I did like the small town romance and this book reminded me a little bit of a Tessa Bailey.

It was fun to read, but not sure I want to read surrogacy romance in the future. I do want to read more in the series because I liked the brothers.