The C*ck Down the Block

The Cocky Kingmans #1

by Amy Award, Stella Hunter (Narrator), Christian Fox (Narrator)

Look, I've had it bad for the girl with all the curves next door forever. She turned me down in high school and since I'm not a total douchecanoe, I lusted after her all by myself in my shower, and we stayed just friends for years. Now she's the adorkable librarian next door, and I'm the star quarterback of the best pro football team in the league. So when she asks me to be her fake date to her all-girls school reunion, I am totally down to show her off to the mean girls who bullied her back then so they can see just how incredible she is.

I'll be the best boyfriend they've ever seen. The best fake boyfriend that is. Until I find out from her slightly-stalkery classmates that she still has her v-card. I don't see how that is even possible. Not with how sexy and sweet she is. Could it be because she knows she belongs with me?

This curvy-girl and football-quarterback sports romance has a baddie plus-size woman who knows her own worth and a Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family you'll wish you were a part of.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Sports, Audiobook, Fake Dating, Contemporary

Audible Audio

First published September 28, 2023

About the author

Amy Award is a curvy girl who has a thing for football players, fuzzy-butt pets, and spicy romance novels. She believes that all bodies are beautiful and deserve their own love stories with Happy Ever Afters. Find her at https://www.authoramyaward.com

Reviews

[Isa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Give me a paper copy and a red pen

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ✨

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂*𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐦𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

If you’re like me we’re all obsessed with the Travis and Taylor romance so of course when I seen this cute cover I had to snag it 💗 I’m apologizing in advance for the long rant of a review in advance.

Brief Summary: Football quarterback, Chris has been wanting Trixie for the longest even though she’s been his best friend and neighbor for a long time. One day she asks him to be her fake boyfriend to her school reunion and he decides he will use this time to finally convince her how well they can be together.

Tropes & What to Expect
❤️sports romance
❤️friends to lovers
❤️virgin FMC
❤️fake dating
❤️He FALLS first(y’all dude has been pining since page 1)
❤️the cutest family
❤️pet chicken named Luke Skycocker 🐔😂
❤️NO 3rd act breakup and there is an Epilogue

I LOVED the FMC she’s a book girlie like many of us and when she’s not working as a librarian she’s chasing after her chickens. She has a quirky, fun personality and she’s not at all insecure about her body. She asks Chris to be her fake boyfriend for her school reunion because the girls who use to bully her were coming..and what better way to show off and stunt than with a hot, filthy rich football player 🤭

Chris was so goofy and dorky not like a football type at all..he makes me think of Jason Kelce forreals 🤣 he has been wanting and pining for Trixie since day one but she turnt him down one day and he was friend zoned. He asks his brothers for advice on how to make Trixie fall in love with him and their advice was hilarious 😂 I was dying. His relationship with his brothers was ultra sweet and I loved their interactions together.

Between him and his c*ock’s POV we know he not only wants her but he’s completely in love with her 🩷🤭 together him and Trix just seem so dorky and sweet and I’m HERE for it all the way 🥹♥️

Spice Rating
2/5 🌶️
Be prepared for a MAJOR rant because it’s about to go down NOW!!!
For the word c*ock to be in the title there’s not a whole lot of spice or the word being mentioned. It’s decent. However the scenes are somewhat cringey and weird imo. I was able to look past it and was cool 🤣 the big act isn’t until 80 percent mark 😳 but there was plenty of playing around and perhaps some play with a tentacle vibrator.. IM NOT SAYING NOTHING but you know this monster lover was here for it 🤭🤭 my biggest problem(if you don’t like spoilers stop reading) she loses her virginity in the locker room like WTF..now this scene was well written well but still it’s her first time!! This scene took this down points. She was fine with it in fact she loved it but I couldn’t get down with that.

My other ick/complaint besides the cringey moments was that the FMC’s mom is a pornstar..it seemed random to me and while it does play a part in the story because Trixie often felt over sexualized in past relationships I just felt that it could have been removed from the story.

Overall thoughtsThis might be a comfort series for me lol 😂 this is a cute, light, fun read but not perfect. I know I know despite my 2 star review..come on who doesn’t like trash tv and lifetime movies with horrible acting we are watching for the vibes and entertainment. There are plenty of ooey gooey moments that will make you smile and laugh. There are multiple brothers and a sister so I believe each sibling will get a book 😃 they seem like the all American football family next door and it’s super wholesome. So do I recommend? Yesish if you can look past cringey moments.

[Bianca ღ · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO MANY cute moments, and I LOVED the connection between the two characters<3

but I was so distracted by the writing; it was so fucking cringe. It felt like it was written by a toddler who frequently uses the term 'sus'... sus was in there at least once or the fact that the words “bombastic side eye” was in this. yuck

this book was tailored to appeal to a Gen Z audience more, since they all like reading cringe-y garbage

also could be edited more

[abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

did he love her or just want to have sex with her 24/7 also the leaked video should’ve been a way bigger deal

[Anastasia ｼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟸.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •

I originally wanted to read this because of the hilariously clever title and how much I loved the cover. I didn't read the description.

This was… interesting.

First off, I'm just going to send you to my notes and highlights of my unfiltered thoughts as things were happening.

The C*ck Down the Block by Amy Award is a friends-to-lovers rom-com. The nerdy librarian, Beatrix "Trixie" Moore fake dates the famous/popular quarterback, Chris (Christopher Bridger [like after Bridgerton-cringe tbh] Kingsman) and they fall madly in love with a HEA. I feel like this is extremely overdone.  

Main storyline: Trixie has a high school reunion to go to so basically, she asks her best friend, Chris, who's utterly in love with her to be her fake boyfriend.

I have mixed feelings, the story was just OK, it was predictable, and holy crap, this was recycled; I've read many, MANY similar stories. 

I did enjoy the main characters-their personalities, banter, connection, romance, and the smut. It was funny at times, but it quickly became repetitive. The whole Star Wars names for all of FMC's chickens, are Princess Laya, Kylo Hen, Chew-bock-bock, Luke Skycocker, (funny yes but also cringe). Yes, FMC has a chicken coop- honestly the weirdest part of this book. AND I get that the title is literally, The C*ck Down the Block, but the chicken talk felt like it was almost too much.

The overall message of the book regarding 'curvy girls'/bigger women was great. Like, be who you want to be and don't let society bring you down, just because everyone else is unhappy with themselves and has to bully you. We mainly see this near the end of the book though, at the reunion. Our FMC, is strong, showing us how happy she is in her skin, not backing down from her old high school bullies, no matter how difficult they were being. 

Unfortunately, I could not get past the awful juvenile writing. So many movie/weird references that didn't really make sense to me, or maybe the author was just making up words, who knows?


This book reads as if a 14-year-old wrote it. One who frequently uses many Gen Z slang words, such as "sus",  "baller", "Shots fired" or weird memes; like the "bombastic side eye" meme that has been going around lately. It was a cringe-fest.

"Because that’s when he’d married Marie and she’d made his life fucking baller."

or

"Lu gave me a bombastic side eye"

or

Did he…? Did my little brother just compliment me by telling me I was a winner? Sus. “What, like, you’re going to let me win?”

or the fact that Fortnite was mentioned in this book 🥴🤮

“Although, Hayes’s video game night had gone for seventy-five hundred, which was insane to me. I mean, I liked Madden or Fortnite as much as the next guy, but geez.”

Also, maybe it’s just a pet peeve of mine, but, when authors mention books/characters writing books in their books, it ruins it for me. Unless it's the type of fantasy book, where the character is transported into the book, etc. I’ve read a few like that, and they weren’t that bad. 

"Why, oh why, did my life sound like the plot to a YA romance right now?’

Or near the end when

"She also decided that since she reads so many romances, she might try her hand at writing one. I was particularly enjoying this endeavor since she liked to use my body for “research.” It’s a really dirty book"

SPOILER:

Also, I want to rant about the whole locker room sex tape thing. Very predictable. But also, I feel like it didn’t have as much of an impact as it should have had. Like this type of scandal for a famous Quarterback should have been way more of a BIG DEAL.  

In general, the whole ending felt rushed and it did need a lot of editing.

I’ve been thinking about this book for the last 2 days and actually, I've changed my mind about rating this 1 or 2 stars, maybe 3 stars-NOT more than that; because honestly, the writing was a big issue for me. However, I’m realizing “Yeah the writing was awful and the overall story is overdone” but the actual message in the book was impactful. Definitely NOT executed the best but still pretty impactful, I guess? 

_________________________________


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[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 15% - cringe writing

[gracie · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.5 stars but only cause the cover is cute.

Something about the 'oblivious virgin girl and a man whore who's apparently been in love with her for a decade while still having sex with everyone' trope just doesn't make sense to me anymore I'm sorry. About 70% of the book in his pov was about how he wanted to fuck the fmc, him being a misogynistic asshole with his equally misogynistic brothers and father and him just being stupid in general.

In between bouts of cringe writing, stiff dialogue, grammatical errors (someone please hand me a red pen), misogyny, excessive chicken talk, and objectification of women, there's really nothing that seperates this book from a Wattpad story written by a 13 year old in 2016 with no idea of plot development and character depth. Every one in this book seems to act like they're 16 year olds with zero common sense.

I honestly should have dnf-ed the moment I read 'bombastic side eye' cause no way. I do NOT recommend.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 ★'s


This was a fluffy, fun book...however, it seemed to lack a lot of sustenance. The characters were adorable, but we never got to know them beyond the fact that they were obsessed with each other. BUT let me say — the body positivity??? AMAZING.That was one thing I loved about the story.

You don't get to know the side characters very well, never dive into either of the MC's professions very much, and I was just left wishing for more from them!





The perspectives from Chris were seriously ALL about how obsessed he was with Trixie. The amount of times he couldn't control is c*ck was almost outrageous.

He just thinks about her night and day and not in the cute way, in the way where you're like don't you have literally anything else going on? You are a professional football player, yes?

I just didn't connect very much. All of the foundation was there, it was just the middle bits lacking. And the end? I just cannot. I won't spoil where it goes, but if you have read it...what did you think about how quickly they moved???





All and all I still enjoyed the book, just wouldn't really recommend it if you need any kind of real story to go alongside the smut and fluff. But while I'm on it...the smut was top-notch!!

I hate to rate any book so low, but while it was fun, it just didn't do it for me!

[ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

why was this a warm (but funny) hug🥹

[Ezra · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute but.. the chicken talk was a lot...

the mention of fortnite made me dnf @ 70%

[ß]

“Lu gave me a bombastic side eye”

my fault for picking up this book out of sheer curiosity……….literature these days is cooked

[Jess✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Take up space, Beatrix. Don't apologize, and don't let the world shame you for being you."

Yes, you have read the title correctly, and yes, there actually is a Rooster in the story, but the other c*ck gets mentioned wayyyy more often. Especially in its upright position.
This is basically a smutty, but also cute, fast-paced romance story between childhood best friends (Trix is a librarian and a virgin, Chris is a football player and not a virgin) without a third act break up.

If that's your jam, go for it. I enjoyed the majority of the book, and the smut was HOT (even though a little less for the title). But it lacked detailed character development (especially for Chris), more bantering and flirting, and the fake dating got dropped way too soon to actually make any impact.

I loved the body positivity, the support of family and friends, the chickens, her being fucking vegan and a librarian.

"Cause I'm a filthy vegan" Hell yeah 🥳🥬

I cannot wait to discuss this book in detail with the girls from ALLURE as it's out botm❣️

⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
Pre-read:
Ahmmm... it's for book club, sooo... yeah, don't mind me 🤍

[jada · Rating 2 out of 5]

chris and trixie have been friends forever. they had secret crushes on each other but once she turned chris down (she doesn’t remember him ever asking her out) they went their separate ways for college and lost touch for 4 years.

we don’t see any of their past, it’s just mentioned here and there. the book picks up from present day. it’s all very instalove and fast paced. it was an ok read, would’ve made a better novella. skimmed the last 20%.

chris and trixie fake date bc trixie needs a date to her hs reunion and after being pictured with chase she knows it’s the perfect solution to really stick it to the mean girls.

i didn’t understand how they were such good friends but were never pictured together before they meant to be?? like were they only friends in private?? if he’s such a big star QB i don’t understand how their entire friendship was so under wraps even with her not liking the spotlight

also trixie is a 28 year old virgin. all of her exes only wanted her bc her mom was a big porn star. chris went and fucked everyone with a pulse that was the opposite of trixie in college after she “rejected him” which didn’t help me like the story any better. i’m going to assume he’s been celibate since reconnecting but who knows since it’s been like 6 years since she moved home and it’s never mentioned if he was with others since she came back.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great sports romance series. I'm making it a point to read this entire series and see where they all end up along the way!
I'm editing this review to advise that there are 3 books currently in this fun series BUT... there's another on the way!!!! Happy chickens kittens and everything

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/ 5⭐
2/5 🌶️

This book was a rollercoaster of fun and feels! Best friends turning into lovers, a dash of fake dating, and a curvy leading lady—what's not to love? Add in some sex-positive vibes and representation of diverse experiences, and you've got yourself a literary masterpiece! jk jk but it was a fun quick read. Can't wait to dive into the next installment, The Wiener Across the Way!

Shout out to DIVINITY🌙 for the wonderful review on this book that made me want to read it!! I 110% agree with you on the locker situation! it was disappointing!

...............................................................................................................................................

🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻🌼🌻

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.5

Safety warnings:
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Fatshaming
- HEA

This book had so much potential, but it fell flat when things just weren't going in the right direction.

One thing I think this book desperately needed was a flashback to these two, the friendship they had before their fallout, the day he asked her out and she rejected him. It just needed to be SHOWED TO US rather than brushed off.

The entire misunderstanding was such a cop-out. It felt like it was just pushed to the side, and we were supposed to accept it. So much information was missing to make a real connection with the readers, and it shows in the reviews and ratings.

I appreciated his love for her and trying to get her to fall in love with him, but I think it fell flat because we didn't get any actual backstory. We were put into the present with very minimal past information to really get us to understand.

I originally gave these 3 stars but during the time I am writing this review I realize it's not 3 stars but 2.5.

Honestly, I keep thinking friends-to-lovers is going to work for me, but this was another example in a long list of books that just did not, and I really wanted to like it.

[⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ mimi ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ [semi-ia] · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was cute but very cringey at the same time 😭

2.5 ⭐️

the writing style gave wattpad vibes and it was okay i guess for a while until I couldn’t take it anymore, this felt like it was targeted for a younger audience until you get to the smut scenes which weren’t even that good and homegirl lost her VIRGINITY up against a locker at her high school reunion/dance ???? 😧

the ml from the very beginning all he thought about was sex, sex, sex, and yes more sex 😀 like we get it you been in love with your best friend for years but sex was on his mind 24/7 and i couldn’t take it anymore.


only reason i gave this book the rating i did was because at the beginning i enjoyed it and yea it was cringey but i was laughing out loud at some parts and i liked the representation of plus size women even if it wasn’t entirely the main focus, but other than that I would’ve rated this lower or probably dnf





—————————————————
do i have any idea what this book is about? no i do not.
did i see the cover and automatically download? yes, yes i did 😂

[Ashley (wickedreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun childhood friends to lovers fake dating book! Also she’s a teen librarian so I deeply relate 😂 check TWings before reading!

[L u i s a ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ This book is really good! It's a typical feel-good read where you can sit back and enjoy, with sweet moments, fake dating, sports romance, and other book tropes.

I love how it mixes Star Wars references with genuinely funny moments. Plus, the transition from best friends to lovers for the main characters is just great. And what about the protagonist's pets! Naming a rooster "Luke Skycocker" is simply brilliant, and I can't help but laugh every time he appears on the scene.

What I love most besides the romance is the support Trixie receives from the women throughout the story. The protagonist is truly inspiring, showing strength, courage, and determination in facing her fears and those who intimidated her in the past. Additionally, Trixie is confident, assertive, and loves herself, which is a powerful and uplifting message in the narrative.

The family and friends in this book are truly amazing. The Kingsman family seems like the kind of family that is always there to support each other no matter what. Lulu, Trixie's best friend, is shown as that unwavering friend who is always there to back you up and watch your back.

The book also realistically portrays toxic people that exist in society, reflecting the pressures and judgments about body types. It also addresses the theme of remorse for past actions, showing how some people learn from their mistakes while others do not. It's a read that makes you reflect and feel!

[Chennel · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf 30%
did a 5 year old write this?

[Inna]

Virgin heroine, he’s been in love with her forever but has not been celibate. They have been friends for years because she rejected him once a long time ago. Nope, nope… nope 👎🏻

If she hadn’t been a virgin, maybe this book could have worked. But as is? Heeeellllll no.

[purlpur · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️
свої зірочки заслужили тільки домашні улюбленці. 🐓 люк скайкокер та його курочки: принцеса лея, чу-бак-бака та кайло хен 🤓
історія ніби з воттпада, через свій стиль написання. щось дуже легке, без зайвої драми, зі здоровими стосунками, купою кліше та по-смішному крінжовим гумором 😅
але в цілому.. meh.

[mica · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️


cute, hot pero... meh?? (un poco cringe)

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book! I was sold at the Rooster Luke Skycocker 😂 There was such great humor and positivity throughout this book. Def recommend if you like a good rom com!

Thank you Amy and Love Notes Pr for this arc! All thoughts are my own.

[Brooklyn Gleeson · Rating 1 out of 5]

No

[Tetiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Chris Kingman, do you love me?”
….”I've loved you since we were twelve, Trix.”
Tropes:
🩵Sport romance (football)
🐔He falls first
🩵Plus size heroine
🐔Fake dating
🩵Friends to lovers
🐔Found family
🩵QB x bookworm
Chris Kingman is the star quarterback of pro football team in the league. And he has also been in love with his best friend who lives next door since childhood.
Trixie Moore is a cute plus-size librarian who lives with her rooster, Luke🐔 And one day she asks her best friend to be her fake date. Chris doesn't miss this opportunity to show Trixie his feelings and why he's not just a fake date🤌🏼
This book was so delightful. I enjoyed reading it. Trixie and Chris are so sweet and cute🍬 I am in love with their interactions and how they support each other even in unpleasant situations. This book is very funny, but at the same time it raises an important topic. I really liked that Trixie is confident in herself and knows her worth despite all the hate.
It was so fun to see Luke and Chris interact🤭
I am also in love with the entire Kingman family. This is a family where each member has each other's back. So excited for the next book and I want to see how another Kingman will find his soulmate😍
Thank u so much LoveNotes PR and Amy Awards for sending to me an ARC of this amazing book🥹

[tiffany dai jel &#x1f41d;✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The C*ck Down The Block

“Yes, you’re mine, and I’ve waited a long time for you. So be a good girl and kiss me again like you know you belong with me.”


First Things First. I freaking love the Kingmans
They Give All-American Family.
You know… Faith, Family & Football. With an unorthodox Brady Bunch flare.

Was this book full of consent? Hell Yes. Was it packed with love? Abso-Freaking-Lutely!! I Definitely squealed, giggled, cheered and had misty eyes from joy


star rating: 4.25
spice rating: 3.25 🌶️🌶️🌶️



The touches we shared told the story of our journey, and the love that’s blossomed between us. It was more than I ever thought was possible. He was my friend, my lover, and my happy ever after.

[Angela &#x1f3f3;️‍&#x1f308; · Rating 1 out of 5]

The amount of times I cringed or thought wtf throughout this story should be a world record. The writing was so juvenile and gave off “I’m trying to be a cool mom vibes”. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from reading it. It would have been a cute story if it wasn’t trying so hard to fit in with the cool kids

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood Friends to Lovers
Fake Dating
Chica Curvy
YOU CAUGHT ME!!

Chris y Trixxie han sido amigos toda la vida.
El siempre ha tenido un enamoramiento por ella pero fue rechazado cuando él la invitó a salir en la escuela secundaria 10 años después siguen siendo amigos pero él se niega sucumbir en sus sentimientos por Trixxie porque prefiere tenerla en su vida, hasta que ya no puede ocultarlo más y quiere confesarle sus sentimientos pero Trixxie se le adelanta pidiéndolo que sea su falso novio.
Chris ve la oportunidad de enamorar a Trixxie y ganarse su corazón así que su trato es un win win.

Me gustó mucho, fue muy cute, me gustó como él le pidió ayuda a sus hermanos para conquistarla.

Trixxie tiene inseguridades, pero no por su cuerpo ella lo acepta y lo ama y eso me agradó mucho, sino por su sexualidad ya que su mamá fue una actriz porno y los novios que llegó a tener sólo la sexualizaron por ser hija de.

La amistad de Chris y Trixxie también fue bonita y a parte de tener sentimientos románticos eran los mejores amigos.

Ya quiero leer los libros de los demás hermanos.

[Patience ~ AnotherOddCreature シ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨