The heat · The Hartwell Group, Book 1
How spicy is Month Nine?
Open door and explicit. 5 scenes across 20 chapters, the first at chapter 9. Happy ever after, and it says so here rather than making you find out on the last page. Adults 18+.
The measurements
- Door
- Open — nothing fades out
- Scenes
- 5
- First scene
- Chapter 9 of 20
- Heat level
- 4 of 5, declared in the book’s outline
- Ending
- Happy ever after
- Reader age
- 18+
- Length
- 29,174 words · 20 chapters
Where the scenes fall
- 1
Hotel, first time
Ch. 9Discovery, intensity, surprise at own desire
- 2
Office, angry/charged
Ch. 12Using physicality to avoid emotional conversation
- 3
Last night, emotional/raw
Ch. 16Grief disguised as passion
- 4
Reconciliation, slow/intentional
Ch. 19Equals, present, vulnerable
- 5
Light, playful
Ch. 20 (epilogue)Comfort, established dynamic, humor
From the book's outline, in the author's own words.
How the heat is written.
Open door, explicit, frequent (4–5 intimate scenes minimum). Power dynamic acknowledged and negotiated — she has agency and leverage. Sensory-heavy prose: touch, taste, scent, temperature.
The tropes, as the outline names them.
- Boss / Employee — she's a consultant, so there's a power dynamic but she's not technically his subordinate
- Forced Proximity — late nights, shared workspace, then a business trip
- Grumpy / Sunshine — he's controlled and cold; she's warm but sharp-tongued
- Competence Kink — they're both extremely good at their jobs and it turns them on
- The Thaw — he's ice to everyone but melts for her — and only her
The line it opens on.
I do not sleep with the man who signs the invoice.
Asked and answered
Questions about the heat in Month Nine.
Is Month Nine spicy?
Yes. Open door and explicit. 5 scenes across 20 chapters, the first at chapter 9. Happy ever after, and it says so here rather than making you find out on the last page. Adults 18+.
What heat level is Month Nine?
4 out of 5, which is the level the book's own outline declares. For this imprint that means open door, explicit, and frequent enough that the heat carries plot.
How many spicy scenes are in Month Nine?
5, and the book's outline says where each one falls, from chapter 9 to chapter 20.
Does Month Nine fade to black?
No. Every scene is on the page. This is an open-door book and the heat is part of the story, not an appendix to it.
How does Month Nine end?
Happy ever after. Nothing is a cliffhanger and nothing carries into the next book — it is a standalone couple.
How old do you have to be to read Month Nine?
18+. The whole of chapter one is free to read on this site if you want to judge the register for yourself first.
What will Month Nine not do?
Open door, explicit, frequent (4–5 intimate scenes minimum). Power dynamic acknowledged and negotiated — she has agency and leverage. Sensory-heavy prose: touch, taste, scent, temperature.
Where can I read some of Month Nine before buying?
The whole of chapter one is on this site, 1,455 words, with no email address asked for.