As the number one American Football star on campus, Flynn has three rules: no distractions, no drama, and absolutely no dating, but when he crashes a baby donkey (yes, really) across campus and crashes into Tempest, his senior year derails faster than fast…

There’s just one little problem: Tempest seems to be the only girl totally unimpressed by his charm. Being a secret bestselling author, professionally anxious and now hiding a baby donkey in a sorority house, the last thing she needs is a too handsome football player quoting Shakespeare and throwing her life into chaos.

When tutoring makes place for steamy banter, it’s only a matter before sparks fly, and believe me… you’ll be on the edge of your seat when it gets there. Fan of steamy sport romances, baby donkeys or female protagonists that are done playing small? Then “The Jack*ss in Class” might be your next favorite read.

It has been a long time since I accepted ALC’s, but I’m so happy that I took a chance on this one, and I might even confess that this book had me grinning like an idiot at times. Flynn is the ultimate golden retriever sports jock and Tempest is sharp, vulnerable and completely herself. The chemistry is palpable, the banter is perfection, and yes, the emotional support donkey absolutely steals the show!

As always, thanks to the author, Amy Award (@authoramyaward), Dreamscape Media (@dreamscape_media), and NetGalley for gifting me a free copy ‘The Jack*ss in Class’ to listen and review. All opinions expressed are my own

Jack*ss in the Class by Amy Award is the 5th book in the Cocky Kingman series and it is my favorite so far! It is a cute story that was a fast and fun listen.

Tempest Navarro is a senior who just wants to get through this last year of school. She plans to continue her bestselling romance novels without anyone knowing who she is. Flynn Kingman’s after graduation plans is to be drafted in the first round of the football draft without any romantic attachments. He meets Tempest while chasing a baby donkey through the campus. The quirky baby donkey makes a variety of appearances in the book. Tempest and Flynn are forced together by a university tutoring program. They realize they have more in common than they thought. Both characters are very likeable. They have some family and friends that you get to meet. Several would be fun to hear about in future books. Tempest’s abuela is one that I would like to make some future appearances.

I suggest reading the others in the series before this one. But I think you could like it just as much by itself, too.

It is narrated by Narrated by Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding. They did a great job. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

This is the fifth book in the Cocky Kingsmans series, but the first one I read. I've heard a lot of good things about this series, and knowing the books are interconnected standalones, I figured it didn't matter if I went in at this point, and it didn't. There are some things I did not like about this book, e.g. I'm not a fan of books that mention books, and bookish things, and social media, and there was a lot of that in this one. It takes me out of the reading experience. Aaaaand "she's not like the other girls". Ugh. I wished the FMC was more of a badass instead of constantly being afraid of her family's reaction (you know, when a problem is not actually a problem) and constantly saying that nobody ever chooses her when the MMC is literaly all over her. And, I prefer my romcoms to be on the shorter side, 300-350 pages top, otherwise it leaves too much space for the fluff around the romance, when the romance is pretty much all I'm interested in. But otherwise, I really liked this, enough to go back to read the rest of the series. The narrators in the audio book did an amazing job.
I received an advance copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! This is the first book in The Cocky Kingmans series that I’ve read and I couldn’t even tell until I finished the book and looked up the series. I want more of this series and I’m excited that I have four more books waiting for me.

There is heavy emphasis on the FMC being plus size but I think that’s an overall theme of the series. I thought this was nicely done and not too over the top. I loved that the FMC has an alter ego. It was a lot of fun to see that work itself through.

I love that the female narrator does accents for the characters and has distinct voices for all of them. I could really differentiate the characters based on that alone which I really appreciate. The female narrator also does a decent ”manly” voice for the male speaking parts.

I really enjoyed the voice of the male narrator. I think I’ll add him to my list of favorites. He doesn’t have a super deep voice but a very nice one to listen to, that’s for sure.

The book is definitely set up to eventually tell the story of Jules and I can’t wait to hear it!

4.5/5

Going into this know I didn't read the first 4 I was a little nervous, but I don't feel like I was left out of any information. Each book is a different couple, and while I plan to go back to read the previous ones I don't think anything will be spoiled.

Tempest is keeping a secret identity but when she gets an amazing offer, she had to determine if she wants to take it and out her secret or keep herself hidden.

Flynn is mostly your typical football college D1 athlete, he wants to focus on making it and not in a relationship. But when he meets Tempest due to a runaway donkey, he can't help but want to change his rules on dating. And help her see that she is worth it, just the way she is.

College Romance
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn
Plus Size FMC
He Falls First

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the opportunity to listen to this book. Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding did an amazing job narrating this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. I was beyond thrilled to receive this arc. This series as a whole has been a cute romcom series, and with bingable vibes.

He falls first and she’s a secret romance writer, and they fall for each other after a donkey in wing meet cute. She thinks he’s just another jock, only to find out he super smart and super into her. Shes a secret romance writer harboring a donkey in her sorority house.

4.5⭐️ Wow, this book was NOT what I expected at all but in the best way possible. This is my first time reading this author and despite this being the 5th book in a series, it can absolutely be read alone. So much so that I didn’t even realize it was a series when i requested it. Many authors write interconnected standalone serials and even when they do a very good job, many times there is something you are left wondering about that could have been avoided had you read the others in the series. This didn’t feel like that at all.

The book is rich with many different side characters and personalities which I expect may have large roles in the other books but I appreciated their contribution to this one and wasn’t left wanting. Well that’s not true, I didn’t want the book to end. Thankfully I can go back and have 4 other books to devour.

Now is this book a bit on the nose with all the things you should do in today’s society? Yes. The way the relationships were treated are textbook in how to act which should make it a bit far fetched but it doesn’t come across that way at all.
It was such a joy to read a romance that wasn’t problematic. It allowed the reader to just enjoy the process.

The book isn’t without strife as the FMC has to deal with her very judgmental family. I’m not sure of Ms Awards background but it captured the reality of the pressure of some Latinx families and beyond face in trying to shield themselves from judgement.

I consumed the audiobook and it was great with its dual narration. Narrators Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding did a fantastic job speaking on the slower side of a typical conversation speed. It was easily able to be sped up which to me made it even better. My only criticism is I wish this was done as a duet which would have allowed the scenes to come even more alive.

I look forward to more from Amy Award. This book is available now and it’s a perfect book to sink into, complete with spice that’s not cringy or that overtakes the book.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as so don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.

ALC review
Release date: 15 July
The e-ebook is already available.

"The Jack*ss In Class" by Amy Award is part of the "The Cocky Kingmans" series.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the advance listener copy.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- college football romance
- forced proximity
- plus size heroine
- golden retriever hero
- secret identity
- dual POV
- he falls first
- open door spice
- baby donkey shenanigans

I only read another book by Amy Award but I think it is time to read more.
This book is the story of Tempest, a college senior, that is secretly a successful romance author, and Flynn, the star linebacker at the same college and one of the Kingman brothers.
The way they met is so cute, with Flynn running after a baby donkey that lead his straight to Tempest.
She has many insecurities about her appearance, because she dealt with bullying and fat shaming (even from her family).
Flynn is avoiding any emotional relationships and is focusing on his sport.
This is a long book, with a slow burn, but I enjoyed that they managed to spend a lot of time together and get to know each other well.

The audiobook is narrated in dual style by Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding.
They are both great as Tempest and Flynn and also narrated well the other characters.
I am glad that the female narrator is Latina, as there are some parts in Spanish and she did a great job.
Also, the narration kept me engaged in the story.

Overall I would recommend the book.

A highly anticipated read that definitely did not disappoint! I loved getting to read about Flynn after seeing him in his brothers' stories, and I absolutely adored Tempest—she may have been my favorite of the FMCs in the series so far! I loved the plot of this one, and I'm so impressed by Amy Award's ability to tell the same story multiple times (curvy girl with an animal; Kingman brother; some level of the woman needing anonymity) and make me very invested each time. I also love the narration, and thought both narrators did a phenomenal job!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio ARC!

5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

FIRST OF ALL I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH! So I was super excited to get the audiobook early. The audio was great the narrators great and it flowed nicely.

The story 💗 this maybe my favorite of them all and I’ve read them all some twice! Tempest and Flynn 💗 Flynn maybe my favorite Kingman brother yet! I didn’t want this to end cause I just loved it so much! I saw another is coming in September and I can’t wait!

This one is full of such coziness. The meet cute between the main couple is so school cliché but so warm and fuzzy with her “I am going to try to not pay attention him” and his “look at me, I am so hunky and hot.” The FMC starts out shy but determined and blooms into a confident woman. She isn’t bratty or angsty like many female leads. She is unabashedly who is she, which is such a wonderful, inspiring thing! The MMC is cocky but warm and supportive. He cares deeply about his family – a care that extends to his chosen family and the woman he loves. Their chemistry is on fire! They break down each others’ walls and lend support when it is needed most. Also, you will love every main and supporting character in this one, especially the FMC’s lavender haired cybersecurity major best friend.

Well written and just fun to read, this one will appease sports romance and contemporary romance lovers alike. The ending is SO satisfying as well.

The narrators are great in this one, too, especially where there are bilingual scenes. Smooth transitions and heartfelt tones are done at just the right moment.

Oh, and the baby donkey in dragon wings is the best.

Spicy, plus-sized romance between a nerdy girl and a nerdy athlete. Cute characters and story line, but it got a bit after school special about the plus sized representation instead of treating it like it was something normalized.

Nice audio narration.

3.75 🌟 rounded
Spice: open door
Format: ALC

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

I've kinda jumped around with the series. It's been hit or miss. I liked this one. It wasn't spectacular, but it's cute. While I love that she writes curvy girl rep, it feels repetitive in each book to me. She tackles it too similar in each story that I can tell. The audio is really great though, easy listen for sure.

Dual narration- JF Harding & Vanessa Vasquez

I truly love this series and Amy Awards writing. Fun and easy to read. I found it entertaining and relaxing to read.

Book #5 in the Cocky Kingmans series

Forced proximity
College football player MMC
Plus size FMC

I love the representation of a plus size FMC. The trials and issues she has and had to deal with. This entire series has been amazing with plus size FMCs. I really enjoy how Amy incorporates a funny animal into her books. The family and friendships in this book are amazing to be a part of. Overall this is mostly a feel good romcom that touches on some heavier topics. Super easy to read and follow. I HIGHLY recommend this book and series!

Another super cute book by Amy. Why do I like her books so much? It's not because of acceptance, body positivity, or even amazing family and friends, but because the hero and heroine always just work together in tandem, and there's no artificial angst coming between them. There's also so much consent and control handed out equally between both characters. Very refreshing.

The narration was well done, kept the book moving and interesting.

#netgalley #TheJack*ssinClass

Quick Summary: A freedom to live, freedom to love romance

My Review: The Jack*ss in Class by Amy Ward is book #5 in The Cocky Kingmans series. It is scheduled for release on 7/15/25.

About the Book: "He’s the campus king with a no-girlfriends rule. But he’s about to break it for the most irritating, sassy-mouthed woman he’s ever met.

This steamy sports romance features a protective football player with hidden depths, a curvy heroine owning her talents and learning to take up space, an emotional support donkey with perfect timing, and that Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family that’ll make you wish you were a Kingman."

In My Own Words: An athlete and an author find the space to live and love together, despite the odds they face from all fronts.

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding. How amazing this duo did in bringing this story to life! I especially appreciated their attention to detail, with regard to the emotional expressions of each character.

My Final Say: This book was sensational! It was all about having the courage to live and love authentically on one's own terms.

What I Loved - >

- I loved that this book...

- showed how to be empowered despite all of the negative voices that try to limit one's voice.

- presented diverse perspectives on the dynamics in families and how to navigate the good, the bad, and the awful that exists.

- showed how love can be found in the most peculiar circumstances.

- featured healthy support systems.

- highlighted strong female characters who were bold and confident...and/or who were learning how to be confident.

- had a male lead who shined on his own but who was also able to shine a light on his "queen."

- emphasized the relationship that Flynn's father had with his family. (The discussion he had with his son at such a monumental moment was one of my favorite scenes.)

- showed how partners can grow and change and find happiness.

There are so many more things that I could say about this incredible story. At the end of the day, it was simply top tier storytelling. The emotional arc did what it was supposed to do. The humor, wit, and banter was entertaining. The loving romance was organic and real.

This book gets the diamond heart rating.

I very much look forward to reading every book in this series.

Other: Readers who enjoy sports romances, secret identities, enemies to lovers, curvy girls, sorority mayhem & madness, and MF firsts scenarios will love this book.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status: 💖
Level: 💎
Audiobook: Yes (11 Hours, 26 Minutes)
Narration: +
Note: This is a summer heat hit. ❤️‍🔥

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to an ALC of this title in exchange for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure to read this work. I cannot say enough good things about it. This is the second book I've read in the series, and I was not disappointed. I found it to be fresh, fun, and entirely entertaining. I am grateful for the opportunity.

Thanks to Amy, her publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance audio copy of the latest book in The Cocky Kingman series!

I fell in love with this series last year. I love how Amy always gives us a strong, sometimes flawed, plus-size FMC ANDDDD the glorious sexy Kingman men who worship them. There’s always some issue the FMC deals with that is common among plus-size girls. The MMC helps them through the issue in some way. Oh, and there’s ALWAYS a fun animal friend.

I’m always anxiously awaiting the next book in this series because I love how Amy writes. This book was no exception. Our FMC is a spicy romance author that writes under a pen name. Our MMC is a star defense player in the college football team. He is one of the younger Kingman men. He also has a 2 week dating rule. Until her.

I was lucky to listen to the audiobook that was narrated by Vanessa Vasquez and J.F. Harding. Both are veteran narrators that I adore. I’m glad a Latina narrator was selected to narrate the FMC, who was Latina. They both did an excellent job and brought the characters to life!

If you’ve read any of the other books in this series and liked them, don’t hesitate to pick this one up!

Another fabulous Cocky Kingman sports romance!!! This latest dual POV college romance sees campus Football playboy Flynn falling for Tempest, a virgin and secret romance author who has been hiding her best-selling author status from her Latinx family knowing they wouldn't approve. I so enjoyed these two main characters and how supportive Flynn is of Tempest's writing even when some of her family very vocally aren't. Luckily she does get lots of support from her abuela and Flynn's brothers and their partners. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Mary Warren. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: dead naming of a side character, anxiety and panic attack rep (Tempest)