★★★★★ 4
“How am I supposed to remain the mysterious, grumpy brother if word gets out I’m a softy?”
Format: Kindle
4 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“How am I supposed to remain the mysterious, grumpy brother if word gets out I’m a softy?”
Nine Month Contract is the first instalment in the contemporary romance series, Mountain Men Matchmaker. Each novel in the series is an interconnected standalone that follows a group of brothers. Written in multi first person POV, the story primarily follows Trista and Wyatt as they enter an surrogacy agreement that draws them together in ways they did not imagine.
Trista has a dream to open her own animal shelter but money is tight. Through her investigation she is tempted by the idea of surrogacy but no surrogacy agency will accept her because of her plus size figure and her lack of pregnancy experience. Add in her apartment tenancy becoming precarious and she needs a miracle...enter Wyatt and his tenacious niece.
Wyatt has decided he wants a family and while finding a significant other may not be in the cards, a child is something he can achieve...except finding the right match has proven to be challenging, too. When his niece comes across Trista it sounds like a match made in heaven - she saves him thousands on a surrogacy agency and, in turn, he offers her room and board during her pregnancy (on top of the surrogacy fee). Except what happens when the more time they spend together the more time they begin to wonder...could there be something more if they gave it a chance?
This book was enjoyable with a surprisingly deep conversation on self worth and independence!
Trista is a very strong and independent woman as a result of her life. I felt for her because she always questions the support she is offered as if she can't trust it. She wants what Wyatt is offering but she tends to lash out in fear it will be taken once she feels comfortable. Her passion for animals really shows her empathy and care. I did want to shake her a few times but she had a lot of baggage to work through.
Wyatt wants to be a dad so badly. He has been burned in the past and it definitely haunts him. He isn't extroverted so when he makes a true connection it matters. He can be possessive and blunt but there's an underlying element to him that desire to support the people he loves. I adored the way he worked around Trista's need for independence while still providing help. His relationship with his niece is also cute.
“If we do this…you need to know that means I will own your body. Every particle on your skin will be mine for the taking. Do you understand?”
In terms of spice, I would place this at 3.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are about 6 spicy scenes across this book. The initial spice scene (25%) is self pleasure as the characters complete each part of the surrogacy but next spice isn't until the 57% mark and then we get quite a bit of spice onwards. Our main characters have excellent chemistry and can't keep their hands off each other once they start. It is explicit and detailed and they like to have fun in riskier locations. The spice was also varied to keep things interesting. Wyatt is very possessive during spice and it made for some very HAWT moments. I had fun with it!
The story itself is fairly character driven. I felt the pace felt pretty even and we really go to explore Wyatt and Trista's relationship here. I liked the connection to family at the core of the novel and the addition of rescue animals to add levity - these animals were so cute and I loved how they melted out characters. This book deals with some more serious topics around Trista's insecurities and I felt they were approached well - she often lashes out over these and Wyatt struggles with this. I felt the whole thing around Trista's friend built up to nowhere but I was more focused on the pregnancy journey here. There are some traditional elements to the romance but I like to take comfort in this. The ending is really sweet and it hits the perfect spot of not too long and not too short.
Overall, this was a fun read that kept me engaged. Nine Month Contract is perfect for contemporary romance readers who like a bit of a kick to their romance with a powerful family bond, so much banter, and adorable rescue pets to ease the journey.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2025
