Nine Month Contract (Mountain Men Matchmaker, Bk. 1)
by Daws, Amy
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Overview
A She Reads Romance Books Book Club Pick, Nine Month Contract is the hilariously spicy rom-com that proves the most unconventional arrangements can lead to the most unexpected feelings.
Eli never asked his brothers to meddle in his life. But when they post a wildly blunt wanted ad on his behalf — grumpy mountain man seeks surrogate, grunting fluency a plus — he can't exactly argue with the results. He's a man who made up his mind: he wants to become a father, and he's doing it on his own terms, in his mountain home, no romance required. Then Trista shows up for her interview.
She's opinionated, she's spirited, and she walks in wearing cowboy boots. Even Eli's pet goat is immediately won over. She is, against all odds, exactly the kind of person he'd been holding out for. So he offers her the contract. Simple, practical, no complications.
Except nothing about Trista feels simple. The arrangement calls for home insemination — clinical, straightforward, nothing to it. But when the night arrives, the lights are low, the cheap wine is poured, and the supplies are laid out on the kitchen counter, Eli realizes something that throws a wrench into his very carefully laid plans. He doesn't just want her to carry his child. He wants more than that. A lot more. And wanting more was never part of the deal.
"A hilariously fresh and spicy rom-com that I couldn't put down!" - Meghan Quinn, New York Times Bestselling Author
Series Information
Series Name: Mountain Men Matchmaker
Series Reading Order
This series is best read in publication order.
Book 1 - Nine Month Contract
Book 2 - Seven Year Itch
Book 3 - Honeymoon Phase
Book 4 - Bad Boy Era
Reviews and Author Praise
"A hilariously fresh and spicy rom-com that I couldn't put down!"
— Meghan Quinn, New York Times Bestselling Author
Topics and Key Themes
Narrative Tropes
Forced Proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine
Slow Burn
Opposites Attract
He Falls First
Key Themes
Contracts can't contain chemistry — a practical arrangement unravels when real feelings refuse to stay clinical.
Unconventional family built on purpose — a grumpy mountain man redefines fatherhood on his own stubborn terms.
Vulnerability disguised as logistics — emotional walls crumble when proximity replaces paperwork.
Small-town chaos as matchmaker — meddling brothers and a goat conspire where no romance was planned.
Wanting more than the deal — desire outgrows the agreement, forcing honesty neither party planned for.
Who is this book for?
Primary Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5: Very Spicy
Turning up the heat! Multiple steamy scenes with clear, descriptive detail and strong chemistry. Romance and spice share the spotlight here.
Fans of Meghan Quinn and small-town romantic comedies will enjoy the grumpy-sunshine dynamic, laugh-out-loud humour, and surprisingly tender emotional depth wrapped around a wildly unconventional surrogacy premise.
About the Author
National bestselling author Amy Daws writes spicy love stories that take place in America, as well as across the pond. When Amy is not writing, she’s likely making charcuterie boards from her home in South Dakota, where she lives with her daughter and husband.
Similar Authors
Meghan Quinn, Lili Valente, Pippa Grant
Reader FAQs
The book carries a spice level of 4 out of 5, meaning the sexual content is explicit and on-page. It is intended for adult readers comfortable with graphic romantic scenes woven into a comedic, emotionally grounded story.
The book balances both registers. The humour is consistent and character-driven, but the emotional undercurrent — particularly around vulnerability, family, and unplanned feelings — carries genuine weight. Neither tone overwhelms the other.
Both feature absurdist small-town setups and fast comedic pacing, but Nine Month Contract leans into a more tender slow-burn dynamic with a grumpy-sunshine pairing. The emotional stakes around the surrogacy premise give it a distinct structural hook.
The premise is treated with a comic touch rather than a clinical or heavy-handed one. The focus stays on the characters and their evolving dynamic, with the surrogacy arrangement functioning primarily as a catalyst for emotional and romantic tension.
The book is accessible to general romance readers. The comedy is situational and character-based rather than niche, and the slow-burn dynamic gives it structure that appeals to readers who prioritise emotional development alongside humour.
Info
ISBN: 9781335453549
Published Date: March 18, 2025
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Language: English
Page Count: 410
Size: 9.25" l x 6.50" w x 1.25" h
Category
Fiction