This was just as fluffy and fun as the rest of the series although it wasn't quite clear at first how it relates. I highly recommend giving this quick, holiday spirited novella a listen. Allie Shae and Kyle Mason do a fantastic job on the audiobook.

Thanks to Dreamscape and Netgalley for my ALC.

This is such a cute novella in The Cocky Kingman’s series, which tells the story of how two for the side characters met and fell in love. It takes place about 15 years before book 1 in the series. I love that there are subtle hints towards future relationships and events. However, you could read this book first and not have to worry about spoilers!

Being short, it was very instalove, but the whole series is also fairly fast paced. Sara Jayne(an aspiring plus-sized model) and Mac (a former football player, turned sports agent) meet over a goose fiasco at Oktoberfest. To boost their career prospects, they pretend to be engaged and fall for each other quickly through forced proximity and an only one bed scenario! Sir Honksalot the goose was absolutely hilarious! I also loved the BFF Tommy, who just rolled with the chaos.

Amy Award does it again with a perfectly silly, witty and characters you’ll love heavy romance that will leave you smiling! This audio was perfect, the narrators brought it to life and added in another layer of sweetness that made you fall in love with their story from the start.
You will fall in love with this story immediately, wanting to know more and get to the good stuff. The MMC worships her (as he should), while treating her with everything by she deserves and is so adorable you don’t know what to do! The spice, chemistry and banter is on point while perfectly timed for this novella paced story- while never being too cheesy.

While it's a good read, it didn’t stand out to me as one of the more memorable books in the collection.

I was promised fluff and it delivered! Short, sweet, and a bit cliché - a great taste of the Kingman's series while we wait for the next.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

I am a huge fan of this series and Award's writing style and this was a nice novella of some of the pre-stories.

It was a really cute novella! I wasn’t as invested in the characters since we didn’t know them from before and there wasn’t too much time to develop them but the story was cute and fun!

This is a holiday novella featuring a plus sized girl (thank you). She finds herself in a fake engagement with a struggling sports agent. The narrator did a good job and the story was cute.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute little romcom, definitely different than the usual, with some unique characters. I enjoyed the focus on success and overcoming one's own self doubt. But the goose definitely topped off the story.

4 Stars – Because nothing says Christmas romance like a fake fiancé, one bed, and a delinquent goose

If you’ve ever wished for a holiday rom-com that involves a fake engagement, a house-sitting fiasco, and a rogue goose with main-character energy, Honkers Under the Holly is your Christmas miracle. This festive, laugh-out-loud romance delivers forced proximity, sizzling chemistry, and an animal sidekick who just might steal the show (and your socks).


Sports agent Dane and plus-size model Tilly never expected to be fake fiancés. But when Sir Honksalot, the bad-tempered rescue goose, destroys her apartment, and Dane’s parents sell their shop right before Christmas, they find themselves in need of a new place to stay.

Their solution? A fake engagement to secure a luxurious house-sitting gig.

The only problem?
* There’s only one room.
* And one bed.
* And their “boring” couple act is starting to feel way too real.

Meanwhile, Sir Honksalot terrorises the household, steals socks, and becomes a social media sensation. (Move over, Santa, this goose has the internet obsessed.)

What I loved.
✅ Fake engagement + forced proximity = rom-com gold
✅ A cinnamon-roll hero who secretly loves romance
✅ A badass, body-positive heroine who knows her worth
✅ A goose with an attitude & Instagram fame
✅ Christmas hijinks, flirty tension, and ALL the feel-good moments


The Characters: The Cutest Fake Fiancés Ever

* Tilly – A confident plus-size model who isn’t afraid to take charge (except when it comes to her feelings for Dane).
* Dane – A sports agent who seems all business… until you realise he’s a hopeless romantic underneath.
* Sir Honksalot – The real star of the book. He’s grumpy, dramatic, and a menace to holiday decorations everywhere.

The Audio Experience: 10/10 Chemistry
Narrators Allie Shae and Kyle Mason absolutely nail the playful banter and slow-burn tension. Their performances bring the characters to life, making the romance feel extra swoon-worthy and the comedic moments even funnier.


Honkers Under the Holly is the perfect festive rom-com, equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and hopelessly romantic. If you love fake dating, grumpy-but-lovable animals, and holiday hijinks, this book will have you laughing, swooning, and wishing for a goose of your own.

I always know what to expect for Amy Award books, just a cozy and funny story. Feel good overall. I had such a fun time reading this one and I want more.

I absolutely loved not only this book but the entire series. I cannot wait to read more from Amy Award. Her love for animals and her celebration of plus sized women is everything!

Perfect Honkerday treat.

I absolutely loved Honkers Under the Holly by Amy Award! It's the ideal quick holiday romance – super cute and filled with warm fuzzies. The happily ever after was just what I needed! Allie Dhae and Kyle Mason nailed the dual narration, making it so easy to follow and bringing the characters' love story to vibrant life. The story just flowed, and I was hooked from beginning to end. Highly recommend!

Sir Honksalot MVP.

Thank you Netgalley, Amy Award and Dreamscrap Media for the ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC of this book! The audio was fun and well done and the narrators were excellent.

I love that with the Kingmans series you get exactly what Amy Award tells you is coming. Spicy, Instalove Fluff meant to take you out of your life and give you some delicious cringe to enjoy.

This book had a cute goose as a side character, sweet and spicy MC's and a love for bodies at any size.

I'm a fan and I'll continue to read these.

Love the subtle infertility nod at the end, it was well done and really sweet.

this was such a fun listen! The kingsman series has become one of my favorites and I absolutely loved this prequel! sir honksalot was hilarious and this was a new spin on fake dating! I loved the flow of this novella and recommend giving this one a shot! Highly recommend the audio, such an easy and entertaining listen!

3.5 stars (rounded down).

I love Amy Award's books because of the fat representation, so I will read anything she writes. That said, I think "Honkers Under the Holly" would have been better as a full-length story as opposed to a novella. I loved the dual audiobook narration provided by Allie Shae and Kyle Mason (they bring these characters to life in an effervescent, fun way!). There is a lot of goofy stuff going on in this story between the main characters, Mac and Sarah Jane. I love a story with lots of shenanigans, but it feels like there is a "manic pixie dream girl" amount of shenanigans here, like, waaaay too many. It's closer to cringe than it is to earnestly funny. Their meet-cute is fun, and they do have good banter with one another, but it's a little too try-hard for me, and the insta-love is a bit much. Luckily, this holiday novella is fast-paced and a mostly inoffensive listen. The spice was good enough to keep me going from start to finish.

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

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this as much as the other books in the series. It was an ok read but didn't excite me like the others. I think because it wasn't about one of the Kingsmen it fell flat for me. The goose made the story more entertaining.

This was a cute story, but I liked the side characters a lot more than the main characters mainly just because I felt the story was a little choppy and rushed and not much was fleshed out. I liked the goose shenanigans most of all! Seeing the Kingman family when they were kids and April (their mom) was still alive was so awesome! I was confused at first how this story fit into what I have fallen for in The Cocky Kingman series, but then I couldn’t get enough!

This was so cringe... And if you want a definition of instalove look no further, just check out this novella (they say 'I love you' at the 50% marked after maybe three dates).
But in short, I loved the goose but I didn't care much for either of the MCs. I felt like we really never got to know Sara Jayne and Mac. That is the problem with novellas. I feel there was enough to make it a longer story, so this left me unsatisfied and wanting more. It was too short and it dragged at the same time. And also it’s honestly hectic for no reason at all. It's just meh.
Allie Shae and Kyle Mason narrate the audiobook. They did a good job. I had to get used to it though because they read at a different pace.