**Audiobook Review**

This was such a fun and fluffy book to read. “The C**k Next Door” is a steamy, flirty and sweet friends to lovers football romance that had me smiling the whole time.

Trixie and Chris have been best friends since they were kids and Chris has always had a crush on Trixie. Chris is a professional quarterback and Trixie is the local librarian. Trix’s ten year reunion is coming up for her all girls catholic high school and she asks Chris to be her fake boyfriend. And Chris realizes that this is the perfect time for him to finally make his move and let Trixie know he’s been in love with her for years.

I really enjoyed listening to this audio and laughed often throughout it. Trixie is body positive as a plus size woman and that made me so happy. Even if she had some minor insecurities going back and seeing her bullies from high school, she held her head high as she dealt with them. Chris is swoony and I loved how he cared for Trixie. His love for her was deep and it showed in how he went about to show her he was serious and all in. I loved them as friends and loved them even more as a couple. Chris’s brothers and sister were hilarious and I hope they all get their own books. And that rooster? Hilarious. I love when stories have a quirky animal.

Christian Fox and Stella Hunter narrated this story and I loved listening to them so much. Stella never fails in her performance and was the perfect Trixie. I’ve missed having Christian Fox in my ears again and swooned about while listening to him.

This was a fun fluffy read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
If you like pining, slow burns, and plus size representation, this is the book for you!
After getting turned down by Trixie back when they were teens, Chris (now a pro football player) has been pining for her ever since. So when Trixie needs a fake boyfriend to show off to the girls who bullied in her in high school at her 10 year reunion, Chris is more than happy to step in. He also takes this as an opportunity to make her fall in love with him...
This book is full of laughs, joy, and steamy tension. The characters have great chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole time.
I had the pleasure of listening to an ALC and the narrators were fantastic! I would listen to anything these two narrate.

The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me is because I'm not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope and this book is basically fueled by it. Other than that I loved everything about this.

My rating: 4/5

Cute story with a lot of places where I cringed. I love the representation of plus-sized sexy librarian and the friends-to-lovers trope but there were too many football analogies, so many more than would be realistic. There were some funny parts as well, most including her mother in some way, but not enough to outweigh the simplistic writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced audio copy of The C*ck down the Block by Amy Award in exchange of an honest review.

"Amy Award's 'The C*ck down the block' is a super cute book that seamlessly weaves together a captivating best friend to lovers storyline with a powerful message of body positivity. The main characters, Chris and Trixie, are very well crafted, drawing readers into their world and making them fall in love. The author's writing style is engaging, making the book an easy read that keeps you hooked until the very end. The abundance of cute and heartwarming moments, along with the inclusion of well-developed side characters, adds depth and richness to the story. Overall, 'The C*ck down the block is a must-read for anyone seeking a delightful blend of romance, self-acceptance, and a celebration of inner beauty. Highly recommended!"

I loved this rom-com and will be highly recommending to my Booksta friends! The title explains it perfectly: long-time friends turned lovers + neighbors + a literal rooster. I laughed several times at the sexual innuendos and the body positivity was refreshing. Thank you!

Chris, a skilled quarterback, has harbored feelings for his best friend Trixie since high school. When circumstances lead them to pretend to be romantically involved, Chris sees it as the perfect opportunity to finally show Trixie that he can be the ideal man for her.

From the start, Chris and Trixie share a unique and sweet friendship. As we delve into Chris's personal life, we discover that he's very close to his family, which adds an endearing layer to his character. Amidst the charming narrative, there are moments of humor, particularly with the antics of the pet chickens. There's some drama and a lot of body positivity, which was a nice touch.

This is a must-listen for those who enjoy romance audiobooks featuring friends-turned-lovers dynamics. It has dual narration performed by Stella Hunter and Christian Fox, adding to the overall experience. Stella Hunter has a pleasant voice that I could listen to for hours on end, and Christian Fox's velvety tones are seductive and pure auditory pleasure. With such exceptional narrators at the helm, choosing this audiobook is a no-brainer.

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley, for this audio copy. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

In this captivating tale, a strong and admirable woman takes center stage as the protagonist. She not only embodies strength but also exudes warmth and loyalty, making her a character readers can easily connect with. As the plot unfolds, a delightful twist emerges – a fake dating scenario that adds a layer of humor and intrigue to the story.

The chemistry between the main character and her companion evolves organically, creating a dynamic relationship that keeps readers engaged. What makes this narrative particularly charming is the seamless integration of references to the vast Star Wars universe. These mentions not only contribute to the story's uniqueness but also serve as a delightful nod for fans of the franchise.

As the friendship between the characters deepens, the story navigates through moments of confusion and revelation, adding depth to their connection. The author skillfully weaves a narrative that balances romance, friendship, and the excitement of navigating a faux relationship.

For readers who appreciate a blend of strong character development, humor, and a touch of Star Wars nostalgia, this story offers an enjoyable and well-crafted experience. The author's ability to seamlessly incorporate diverse elements into the narrative makes it a delightful read for both fans of the genre and those with a fondness for the iconic Star Wars universe.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC of this fabulous story!!!!

Stella Hunter and Christian Fox were great storytellers.

Omg. I love this story. At 15%, I ordered two copies. One for me and one for a friend. All because of the rooster. The cock with amazing attitude.

I knew I had to give this book a try with the audiobook and I was right. It's a fake dating, best friends, neighbors, sports romance. It's really good. I didn't love the bully part, but everything else was great.

This was a fun little read! I had this as an audiobook, and I really enjoyed the narrators. The connection between Trixie and Chris was *chefs kiss*. The banter? The mutual pining?? I loved that everyone around them could see how in love with each other they were yet they were both so clueless. It also set up the rest of the books in the series well by having lovable side characters that you are actually interested in.

Although it was kind of the point, I did get a bit tired of the rooster innuendos. I am also not a fan of constantly bringing up past sexual experiences of MMC’s, so that got old for me. Overall, it was a good little fluffy book to read between other books. And I did like that it was not an overly sporty sports romance.

Not even going to lie....I requested this book based solely on the title because it made me laugh and it did not disappoint.

The C*ck Down The Block is a funny, spicy romcom with all the feels. Loved the connection and tension between the two main characters, Chris and Trixie. I loved Chris's whole family and Trixie's chickens. They had so much personality and were all named after Star Wars characters... Luke Skycocker, Princess Laya, Kylo Hen and Chew-Bock-Bock. As stated in the beginning of the book, this was a funny, fluffy, feel good romcom meant for escapism and laughs and it does just that.

As this was an audio arc, I did not come across the editing issues that one might see in reading the book. (That's the main issue that I mostly saw in the bad reviews). The audio flowed nicely and had me laughing. Some Gen Z slang is used, but honestly listening to the audio sped up a bit, they weren't that big of an issue to me because they went by quick lol. My only complaint is that our main characters were 28, but read as though they were still in high school. I still really enjoyed it though!

Tropes you'll see in the book:
Pro Quarterback/Curvy Librarian
Friends to Lovers
Fake Dating
He Falls First
Body Positivity
Girl/Boy Next Door

Thank you to Amy Award, NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for this free audio Arc in exchange for my review!

The C*ck Down the Block was a sweet, sassy, and spicy friends-to-lovers sports romance that had me smiling and swooning from start to finish. This was my first Amy Award book, and it did not disappoint. I loved everything about Chris and Trixie's "cocky" journey from fake to forever!

Stella Hunter and Christian Fox perform this audiobook in dual narration. This was the first time I'd heard these two paired together, and both were fantastic. Stella gave Trixie so much life and confidence that I cheered for her to get everything she wanted and desired. Christian added a charismatic vulnerability to Chris that made him extra swoon-worthy. I loved how he conveyed Chris' loyalty and love for Trixie. Plus, the slow-burning undeniable chemistry between these two is HOT.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of a friends-to-lovers romance with a hot hunky football star, a sexy librarian, he falls first, chickens with witty names, game night, supportive family, fake dating, high school reunions, steamy first times, scandals, body confidence, press conferences, and a HEA that will leave you deliciously happy, then you will love Trixie and Chris' story. I'm looking forward to more from Amy Award.

Ever since I saw the cover reveal of this book, I was so intrigued about this book. So, when I saw I was approved to review the audiobook, I was so excited.

And the excitement hasn't worn off! I like this story so much!

Trixie is a plus-size boss babe librarian, doting her time to the YA-department and flourishing. Chris is a professional football player and her long-time best friend, who has been pining for the girl next door for ever. When a photo taken of them together is all over the socials and tabloids, Trixie uses this as a chance to finally have a one up on her high school nemesis and tells them she and Chris are dating.

I like how the characters are well-developed and each have their own stories leading them to where they are now. But most of all, I appreciate how the author normalizes plus-size women within the story. And not only that, she's setting examples and role models left and right. The family dynamic between the Kingman siblings is to die for and brings such a fun experience.

The narration of this book is top notch. I like how a different narrator is used for different POV's. Both the narrator's voices bring the story to life and I'm here for it.

If you're into spicy books about fake dating the girl next door while being absolutely head over heels with each other, this is an absolute must listen.

This book is exactly why I need half stars…
3.75 ⭐️ - I enjoyed this book but there was actually not a whole lot more to it and honestly rightfully so, because at the beginning of the book the author says as much. Like it was as formulaic as a romance book can get, it’s the perfect palette cleanser book but don’t expect too much from it.

Dual Narration - Always love these two narrators 🤍

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂*𝐂𝐊 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

💜𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
💜𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢 (𝙽𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚋𝚘𝚛)
💜𝙷𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 & 𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛
💜𝙰 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚂𝚘 𝙵𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
💜𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚢 𝙻𝚒𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 & 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚔𝚢 𝚀𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔

💓ᴘᴇᴛɴᴀᴍᴇ: ᴄʜɪᴄᴋᴀᴅᴇᴇ

𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 & 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱. 𝘈𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯-𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭…

If you want to sell a book to me, this is the blueprint:
Plus size MC?✅
Pining Golden Retriever Who Falls First & Worships Her?✅
Funny Rom-Com? ✅

This book has everything I wanted in a book and more, I enjoy the audio immensely. It was funny, swoon-worthy, and overall a good time for me. Chris Freaking Kingman sets the standard, albeit a bit dumb, he adores Trixie with all his heart. The beginning might be a bit frustrating, but he made it up with his filthy dirty mouth🥵, and I love it! The way he loves and obsessed with her, and his determination to win his heart won mine too! Trixie is portrayed realistically, though she come to love herself for who she is, she still has insecurities, which of course everyone has, no matter what you tell yourself. There are specific chapters that were hard to read, I was warned so I’m aware of it, so please proceed with care.

Special shout out to Luke Skycocker, the most adorable chicken who keeps c*ckblocking them, or maybe he was bringing them together? I love the humor in this book, I swear I was LOLing so many times. A tiny bit of complaint from me is, I wish there was a flashback of their childhood or more details at least, especially the one where Trixie “So-Called” rejected Chris. Otherwise, I love this book and I highly recommend this to anyone who loves those tropes!

⚠️CW/TW/Kinks⚠️
- Fat shaming/Fatphobia
- Sex Tape

🎧Audio Review🎧
Christian Fox and Stella Hunter are new to me, and I can say that they did an astounding job! I get the emotion, especially the humor in this book, they make me smile and laugh out loud. Especially Stella, her narration was so on point down to the little things like Trixie sing a song her lines, and her “man” voice, it’s just endearing. The pacing was perfect, I highly recommend the audio version of this book!

✧𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 the author, NetGalley & Dreamscape Media 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!✧

3.25 stars.

"The C*ock Down the Block" by Amy Award is a mixed bag. I adored the chemistry between main characters Trixie and Chris, but I found their connection to be a little too fast for my liking. This is a friends to lovers, he falls first story, but the friends portion seems to be a little lacking in the beginning. It leans heavy into the insta-love trope without really explaining or taking the time to explore the feelings behind it apart from, "oh, she makes my d1ck hard." Chris talks about his hard-on in the very first chapter. Hold on, now! Let's give everyone a moment to breathe before he whips his c0ck out! As the book goes on, these feelings are explored a bit, enough to satisfy my need for more. I loved how Trixie promotes body positivity and self-acceptance without it being hamfisted or browbeating, and I love how Chris accepts and loves her for exactly who she is without trying to change her. I am also a huge fan of the promotion of using toys without judgment or shame. LOVE that, more of that, please!!

While the story is predictable, it's fluffy and cute enough to not be annoying. It is also an extremely fast read, provided you can get past the author's writing style, which leads me to my biggest gripe. I cannot deny that I was ultimately overly distracted by the writing style used here. I hate to call things "cringy," but that's what the writing is. I did laugh a couple of times, and I love a good pun, but dear god, there *is* such a thing as too many puns. The writing is very, very juvenile, and it's difficult to get over at certain points. Still, I pushed through and did enjoy it for the most part despite some big flaws. I also loved the narration from both Stella Hunter and Christian Fox. Wonderful dual narration who bring a lot of vim and vigor to these characters!

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Amy Award for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

I adored this funny, sweet, and heartwarming friends to lovers romance! Chris and Trixie have been friends and neighbors since they were kids. Chris has been in love with Trixie all that time as well. Now as adults, Chris is a successful professional quarterback and Trixie is a quirky librarian. She was bullied because of her size all through school and now she wants to help other teens feel good about themselves. When her high school reunion is coming up, she asks Chris to be a fake boyfriend, to keep the mean girls away from her. Chris is excited because he finally has a chance to convince Trixie that they are meant for each other. It doesn't take long before Trixie gives in to the feelings that she has harbored as well. But it doesn't take long for things go wrong, when a relationship begins with deception. Now they must decide if they are strong enough to fight for the happiness and love they know they share. This was such a sweet, emotional, and steamy romance. I loved how confident and caring Trixie was, and Chris was so sweet, thoughtful and swoony. They were so perfect together. I loved how much fun they had together, and their friends and family added so much fun and heart to this story.
Stella Hunter and Christian Fox were amazing as they brought this wonderful story to life. They nailed all the characters perfectly, making me feel every emotion they went through, and made me laugh out loud, cry, and totally swoon. They helped make this heartfelt, sweet & steamy romance even more entertaining!

So I’m always on the hunt for books that has plus size rep in it. This one has it and it’s done in a good way. Unlike so many other books, that push self hate as “the only real view”, C*ck Down the Block shows a person living her life and enjoying it.
Trixie is smart, sweet, and outgoing. However, she allows people to over step and doesn’t put them in their place. Chris is the typical alpha type guy. He likes to control who is a round him and the people he cares for. Sometimes it seems a bit much and a little elitist.
The narration was pretty good. The did a good job bringing the story to life.
Overall, this was a pretty good listen their were some cringey moments and the writing is what you except from a new author.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was cute, funny and quirky. The C*ck Down the Block is the first book in the Cocky Kingmans series, and I'd like books for every one of the Kingman brothers!

Chris and Trixie grew up together and were close friends. They couldn't be more opposite. He is a Quarterback in the NFL, who is constantly in the public eye. Trixie prefers to be out of the spotlight. She is a plus sized librarian, who prefers a quiet life with the company of her pet chickens. Trixie asks Chris to pose as her fake boyfriend to impress some of her former high school bullies at her reunion.

I really appreciated the body positivity messages throughout the book. I loved how it was always about Trixie loving and accepting herself not forcing anyone else's opinion. Although the book itself was not as spicy as I had hoped, the characters and overall vibe was very sex positive.

I always enjoy Stella Hunter and she made a great Trixie. Christian Fox had me cracking up as Chris especially when he was in a heated rivalry with Luke Skycocker, Trixie's jealous pet chicken.

It’s the chickens names Luke Skycocker and Kylo Hen for me ok? And the little Star Wars quotes here and there that are very fun one you’re a fan (which I am). Also, it’s been 2 romance books in a row in which the FMC is a swiftie and honestly, yes please. Now the romance itself was fine, I don’t have anything particularly bad to say aside from the fact that they lacked chemistry and I would’ve like for their relationship to get more developed before they actually got together.