Another cute and funny Cocky Kingmans series addition! I really liked the narration and ended up blazing through it in a couple of days. It was funny, sweet, and interesting. I recommend these books to all of my romance reading patrons and we will definitely be purchasing!

Summary: Flynn Kingman is the star football player with a no-girlfriends rule and a future in the draft. Tempest Navarro is a curvy, secretive romance author who’s just trying to make it through college with her anxiety, sass, and… a baby donkey. When a tutoring program throws these two opposites together, academic banter turns into undeniable chemistry. Add meddling siblings, supportive sorority sisters, and a donkey with great comedic timing and you’ve got a hilarious and heartwarming slow-burn romance you won’t want to miss.

This is the first I've read in the series and I will definitely be looking for the first four!

Loved the mental health rep (Tempest’s struggles are handled with humor and compassion), the support systems (whether it’s friends, family, or barnyard animas) and the attempt to break stereotypes (Flynn defies the dumb jock trope with depth and intellect).

Me, the entire time:
“I’m only here for the donkey.”


Also me, 300 pages later:
“I need a Kingman of my own and a donkey sidekick.”

This book is pure chaotic joy.

There’s banter, there’s a baby donkey, and there’s a football player who swore off girlfriends until he ran into a romance writing, anxiety managing, donkey smuggling hurricane named Tempest Navarro.

What I loved:
* The meet cute? ICONIC. If your love story doesn’t start with a baby donkey on the loose, what are you even doing?
* Flynn is the perfect combo of cocky athlete + soft cinnamon roll once you peel back those layers.
* Tempest is messy, brilliant, funny, and so real. (Also, the way she hides her author life? Relatable.)
* The Bridgerton meets football family vibes! The siblings are a whole sitcom.

Steam Level? Phew. Let’s just say their Shakespeare tutoring sessions aren’t exactly focused on iambic pentameter.

If you like:

* College sports romances with sass
* Forced proximity tutoring shenanigans
* A hero who falls HARD
* Found family chaos

…this one’s a touchdown.

I can finally say it because it took a while for me to have the energy to review this, although I know this series is supposed to be light hearted I never thought the author would try to add diversity into it. I love diversity and my complaint is not that its in there is asking why she did it. I hated the grandmother being known as the Telenovela Grandmother. Like it felt clicheish and I was annoyed the whole time.

Book Review: The Jack*ss in Class by Amy Award
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)
Short Summary:
This story follows Flynn Kingman, a college football player with a strict no-girlfriends rule, and Tempest Navarro, a bestselling romance author who keeps her identity a secret while hiding an emotional support donkey in her sorority house. When a chaotic donkey chase leads to their unexpected first meeting, they're paired through a university tutoring program. What starts as snarky banter slowly turns into something much deeper.
My Thoughts:
This book had me hooked right from the start. The writing is funny, fast-paced, and full of heart. I loved the balance of humor and emotional depth, and the story never dragged. Every chapter felt purposeful and engaging. The narrators for the audiobook were also amazing and brought so much personality to both Flynn and Tempest.
The character development was one of my favorite parts. Flynn is more than just the hot football star; he’s thoughtful, loyal, and protective. Tempest is strong, witty, and learning how to take up space in a world that often wants to shrink her. Watching them grow separately and together made their romance feel genuine and earned.
This is the fifth book in the Cocky Kingmans series, and honestly, it’s my favorite so far. It delivers on the fun, the steam, and the heartfelt moments. The side characters were also memorable and added to the charm of the story, especially the meddling Kingman family and Tempest’s sorority sisters.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy sports romance, witty banter, meaningful representation and lovable characters with depth. It’s entertaining, romantic, and surprisingly emotional in the best way.

While I love a clandestine romance writer, I don’t know if I fully buy that Tempest has never kissed a man but is a best selling author that writes smut, BUT hey, it’s fiction and I was eating up this plot line. The big, complicated Latina family was representing in full force.

And Flynn, Mr. Consent Kingman…Mr. You Come First and Always Kingman…..Mr. Calls His Woman ‘Queen’ Kingman…can pick me off my feet any day!

This was my favorite Kingman book I’ve read thus far. The commentary and family conflicts RE: romance genre were so dead on. That her own family sabotaged her, so frustrating, but so real.

“What’s wrong with women having fantasies? With seeing themselves as desirable? With imagining a world where they get to be the heroine? Seeing themselves being with partners who treat them with respect, kindness, and honestly….”

Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

First let me point out my own flaw 😂 I have never read an Amy Award novel until today. And of course I picked book 5 in the Cocky Kingmans as my place to start. But have no fear I enjoyed this book so much that I fully plan to uno reverse and read from the beginning.

My overall thoughts: immediate 4 ⭐️. I absolutely love a body positivity curves queen FMC and a golden retriever MMC. Tempest & Flynn are some of the most relatable characters I’ve read in a romance book in a long time. I loved watching Tempest find her voice and become even more empowered to advocate for herself and her career. Plus watching Flynn giving her nothing but praise and support throughout this journey was swoon worthy.

My only minor issues with this book were its length, this book is over 400 pages and that just felt too long for a book. And for audiobook friends it’s a 12 hour listen. So there definitely could’ve been some things trimmed out. My other big issue was the drama with Tempest’s family towards the books. I’m at that stage in my life where I won’t accept negative opinions or attitudes towards me or my career. And I think Tempest was far too forgiving. I would’ve done so much worse if I was in her shoes. But even with those two things like I mentioned I still throughly enjoyed the book and I can’t wait to go back and read the other family members stories.

Also PS I listened to this as a ALC audiobook - both narrators Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding did a phenomenal job! I’d listen to either of them narrate anytime.

Lastly big Thank you NetGalley, Amy Award, and Dreamscape Media for the ALC

"Jackass in Class" by Amy Award promised a comedic romp through the trials and tribulations of academia, and it certainly delivered on some of its humor. The premise itself is ripe for laughs: an irreverent, chaotic protagonist navigating the often-stuffy world of higher education. If you're looking for a light, quick read with some genuinely funny moments, this book has its merits.

Award's writing style is breezy and accessible, making it easy to fly through the pages. There are definitely moments where the titular "jackass" shines, delivering witty one-liners and getting into absurd situations that elicited a chuckle or two from me. The supporting characters, while not deeply explored, serve their purpose in bouncing off our protagonist's antics, and the classroom settings felt relatable enough to anyone who's spent time in a lecture hall.

However, where the book falls a bit short for me is in its consistency and depth. While there were laugh-out-loud moments, they were interspersed with stretches where the humor felt a bit forced or repetitive. The plot, while providing a framework for the gags, didn't offer much in the way of significant development or stakes, making some of the situations feel like isolated sketches rather than a cohesive narrative. I also found myself wishing for a bit more nuance in the characters; while the "jackass" persona is the selling point, a touch more vulnerability or growth could have elevated the character beyond a one-note caricature.

Ultimately, "Jackass in Class" is a perfectly fine diversion. It's the kind of book you'd pick up for a quick escape, and it succeeds in delivering some comedic relief. It just didn't quite hit the mark for a truly memorable or consistently hilarious experience, leaving me entertained but not entirely impressed.

I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Vanessa Vasquez and J. F. Harding. Both narrators did an excellent performance making emotions clear and helping the characters come to life.

5⭐, 2.25🌶️

MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE KINGMEN SERIES!

This book just hit for me. I read it at the right time, desperate for a cute and quirky rom-com and Flynn and Tempest were just IT! I loved Temp's attitude and personality, because I too am a major black cat girly. And Flynn?! I loooove my MMC golden retrievers, and a man that helps care for her donkey?! Weird flex, but swoon.

💜College Football
💐Close Proximity
🫏Hidden Identity
💐Black Cat x Golden Retriever
💜Found Family

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Jack*ss in Class by Amy Award deserves every bit of its 5-star rating. As a fan of Amy Award's previous works, I had high expectations, and this book exceeded them all. Going in blind, I was blown away as this story is a rollercoaster of emotions, laughter, and heartwarming moments that left me saying 'WOW' a hundred times over.

As a plus-size Latina reader, I felt incredibly seen! Amy Award beautifully captures the experience of women like me and seamlessly weaves in Hispanic culture in a way that felt both authentic and deeply personal. Especially using references like "Mija" and the presence of Abuela Novella made the narrative feel like a warm embrace, evoking nostalgia and comfort. Abuela Novella was an absolute favorite character for me as she is the heart of the Navarro Family.

The narrators, Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding, truly brought this story to life. Their performances were nothing short of phenomenal. Vanessa captured Tempest’s strength, vulnerability, and humor with so much depth that I felt every emotion right alongside her. J.F. Harding gave Flynn the perfect blend of charm and sincerity that made him all the more swoon worthy. Together, their chemistry elevated this audiobook to another level making the story feel so lifelike, it felt like I was truly IN the story.

The romance between Tempest and Flynn is beautifully crafted against a backdrop of witty banter, genuine friendship, and unexpected twists. Their journey challenges them to confront their fears and question what they truly want from life. Alongside them are memorable characters like Tempest's spirited sorority sisters, the infamous Kingman family, and the scene stealing Abuela Novella, whose humor and wisdom light up every page.

This book is a delightful mix of humor, heartfelt moments, and steamy romance. It celebrates strong female friendships, supportive family dynamics, and the courage to embrace love even when it's unexpected. If you're looking for a story with plenty of laughter, a strong plus size Latina main character, a charming football golden retriever who falls first and head over heels then look no further. The Jack*ss in Class is your perfect match!

A huge thank you to Amy Award and NetGalley for this amazing ARC. I am incredibly thankful.

Calling all lovers of the Cocky Kingman series! For those who love the rest of the series this will be another book easy to devour and enjoy each step of the way. Despite being part of a series this is one that can definitely be read as a standalone but you'll enjoy it a little more as part of the series.

This book follows of course another one of the Kingman brothers as he falls head over heels for a beautiful plus size woman! As an avid reader who loves plus size representation I was thrilled to see there was a new addition to this series. I am a really sad to say this is not my favorite in the series. I LOVE Amy Award's approach to writing and the romance stories she tells so I will not let that stop me from reading the rest of the series and anything else she writes. That being said this is a fluffy lighthearted romance and it is definitely enjoyable! There is forced proximity, family drama, and of course a funny animal thrown in the mix. I think what I didn't love was the secret best selling author bit. I wish it had been a fanfic writer who was about to publish her first real novel after being picked up because the elements with her family would feel a little more believable. That being said I felt that the romance between our main characters was still fun and flirty and everything I wanted it to be.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun plus size main character college age romance. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I loved the nerdy pun to the chicken coop named the Mil-henia Falcon. It brought me back to the first book with Luke Skycocker!
I was dying to see what name she chose for the donkey, I knew it had to be something punny. Flynn definitely came up with some really silly names. I was not disappointed when I finally learned his name, how fun!

I love how supportive Temptest's friends are and how they were quick to make cute shirts for the football game. I was a bit disappointed when I found out who betrayed her. The reasoning just didn't seem good enough for me. I loved that Tempest was plus size and that there was so much body positivity in this book! Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Amy Award for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

Give me a secret author all day! The FMC, Tempest, made me feel so seen and I loved her journey from insecurities and questioing herself to acceptance. Meanwhile, mmc, Flynn has a teddy bear heart with the confidence of a nude model. Somehow, it works!

Audiobook review. Cute romcom with a smart jock and a snarky undercover best selling author. And then there’s the dragon winged donkey. 🫏

It’s a fast, funny read with some aspects that while not quite believable were entertaining nonetheless.

I really liked Flynn and thought him to be fleshed out well. Tempest was a little more complicated with her family history and they suited one another well.

Vanessa Vazquez and JF Harding did a great job as narrators in bringing the characters to life. The audio quality was great!

Complementary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.

This is by far the best one in the series! Tempest has something about her that is different than the other FMC's of the series, and Flynn is just the best, and throw in an unruly donkey and you've got the Jack*ss in Class.

This was a midsize sports romance. With a secret novelist overtone.
This book was a fun read and I enjoyed it a lot and there was a lot of Shakespeare mentions quotes. And I’m also wondering about the size mechanics of a donkey.
I was able to listen to this as an audio.

I feel like the possible baby donkey names the MMC throws out alone should receive 5 stars. The fact that Amy Award's books consistently contain humor and depth make these fun and heartfelt romcoms in my book. Great narration, fun storyline. Can't resist a he falls first MMC.

I thought this book was really fun and tbh, I love a curvy heroine. Lots of fun - great pool read

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for my ALC copy!

Book: The Jack*ss In Class
Author: Amy Award
Rating: 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another amazing read in Amy's series! These books are just too good.

You get a real FMC who is totally relatable and an MMC who is scared to settle down until he meets her.

The tension between the two main characters will have you kicking your feet, laughing out loud, and tearing up.

You get:
• Contemporary Romance
• Spicy
• Forced Proximity
• Hidden Identity
• Spicy Romance Author FMC
• Football Player MMC
• Found Family

This is such a good read! Available on KU, ebook, paperback, and audiobook.