The Goat in the Bedroom

The Cocky Kingmans #6

by Amy Award, Stella Hunter (Narrator), J.F. Harding (Narrator)

When your love life stinks and you’re clearly the worst at choosing someone who won’t break your heart, why not ask your best friend to find you a date?

Unless, of course… you’re in love with her.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers, Sports, Contemporary, Forced Proximity

Audible Audio

First published October 14, 2025

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

[kell.]

i will take no criticism for who i become when this book comes out

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

im not even going to rate it. I was kinda bummed this was the first book I've ever dnf from Amy.

why well the mmc is getting a bj from someone and the fmc whos his best friend and love intrest down the road. she sees it and gets turned on and confused. worst part.
mmc catches her and winks at her. 😒😒😒

yup no thanks. I dont care if it was for fun.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Goat in the Bedroom by Amy Award
The Cocky Kingmans series #6. Contemporary sports romantic comedy. New adult, college and first year after. Alternating 1st person POV. Can be read as a stand-alone but family from prior books make an appearance.
Gryff and Artemis have been friends since high school. Heading to Los Angeles after college, they decide to be roommates. Platonic roommates. He’s starting a pro football career, while she’s training for the Olympics. One late night confession after a break up has the two practicing together. Eye contact. Cuddling. Intimacy. Just things that best friends would do for each other. And maybe a bit more.
Eventually they have to make some decisions. Is it truly just a friendship or is there more?

I listened to an audiobook version of this book narrated by Stella Hunter and Connor Brown in alternating POV chapters. Both created lively and vivid characters in their performances for Gryff and Artemis as well as many secondary players. I loved hearing the clearly expressed emotions of joy, hesitation, lust and righteousness. The audiobook brings an upbeat rhythm to the story.
I listened at 1.5 and slightly higher for reading and conversational speed.

New jobs, new home, enhanced relationship that family always expected. He knows it. Just needs to convince her. Lusty fun, and special connections.
One or two less mentions of her thighs would still have gotten the message across. He likes them.
Bonus of a wacky chapter at the end from an unusual POV that will amuse you.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

I was really looking forward to this one, especially because Amy was teasing two bi babes, and that alone had me fully invested. Unfortunately, that aspect ended up feeling pretty underexplored. In a time where bi-erasure is still very much a thing, it felt like a missed opportunity to really dig into that representation instead of letting it stay mostly on the surface.

That said, this book stays true to what the series does well. We continue to get plus-size representation, which I always appreciate, and there are definitely some steamy moments that deliver on the heat 🔥.

As for the audiobook, the narration was solid overall. Stella Hunter is her usual reliable self—she always brings energy and emotion to her performances. Connor Brown didn’t quite work for me; his narration wasn’t bad, it just felt a bit flat compared to what I was hoping for.

All in all, this was an okay listen for me. I enjoyed parts of it, but I couldn’t help wishing it had gone a little deeper, especially when it came to representation that really mattered.

Thanks to the author, their publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book.

[suonnahbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The goat in the bedroom by Amy Award
ARC from love notes PR
Release date: Oct 14th 2025
-I love their friendship and how open they are with each other
-love the bi representation in this book
-ate up the goat therapy 🤣🫶🏾🐐 I want to try goat yoga lol
-love the spicy drama with Xan 👀
-I love the Kingman family so much omg adorable the pillow ceremony was everything 🥰
-ouu roommate situation gotta love forced proximity I love how they act like a married couple living together they are meant for each other
-I love the slow realization of feelings mixed with the mutual matchmaking project
-the double date 🤣👌🏾
-I relate so much to Artie when it comes to dating
-these practice sessions have me giddy and weak 😩
-Gryff’s conversation with his dad 🥹
-the spice is CHEF KISS WOWWW ❤️‍🔥🥵
This book was amazing Artie and Gryff’s friendship/ relationship was so beautiful I’m obsessed with them I want a love like that 🥰
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review:
I have loved the Kingmans for six books now and its really bittersweet that we only have two books left, Isak and Jules's stories. I love this series because of how it sheds light on issues that many people sadly have to face everyday, especially fatphobia. The way this author takes that kind of negativity from the world and creates something so beautiful and meaningful is incredible. The way the Kingman men love their significant others is something i desperately need in real life.
Now onto this book...
Gryff and Arties story was great. I was anticipating their story so much and i was not let down. The way this book represents bisexuality in both Gryff and Artie and the way it is addressed was very well handled in my opinion! I did like the LA setting and I thought we wouldnt get much of the big Kingman clan since they are in a different state and all but I was thankfully wrong. The talk between Gryff and his father??? Oh, my heart. That scene BROKE me. I sobbed.
Now, a thing I had an issue with is the pacing of the book. I dont know what I would have done differently but the pacing threw me off a few times.
Otherwise I really liked this book and I highly recommend this series if you want an escape from real life - that is exactly what this series is and what its purpose is and i think thats wonderful.

[Jessica Parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as an arc read and I was soooo excited at first! But soon after getting into it, I realised this book just wasn’t for me. As a trope, I absolutely hate miscommunication and this book was full of it! Whilst there were some cute moments and sweet goats, this book just didn’t do it for me!

[Kate groot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Damn was I disappointed. I love this series but for me personally this really hit the mark for me. I don’t care for any of the tropes and I found the characters annoying. Will I continue the series yeah- but this one was not it.

[KorenaJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Kingman family! Book 6 in the series we follow one of the Kingman brothers who is moving to LA. His brother GIFTS him a house and of course he doesn’t want to live alone so he asks his best friend since high school to move in with him. His best friend Artemis agrees and they are both pine for each other. 🫣

[Tara Copeland · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of these books but I cannot quit this series. It was the least spicy, the least well written, the least interesting. Needed an editor and more details. I wonder a little bit if AI isn’t helping draft this one. I dunno. Will I read books about Isak and Jules and Bridger if they come out? Yes. Will I like them? Not if they are like this book as opposed to the first couple.

[Zenya Weatherall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made my lil Queer heart happy! I loved the bisexuality representation. How they talked about the fact that being in a hetero relationship doesn’t make a person any less bisexual. It doesn’t mean that it was a phase. Amy award always delivers amazing strong plus size women who may have their struggles with their body but still know their worth and don’t shy away from going after what they want. I have loved this entire series and am so glad I got an ARC for this one. I am going to suggest this series to everyone I know. This is perfection. I haven’t been able to stop talking about this entire series!

#NetGalley #ARC #TheGoatintheBedroom

[My Reading Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artemis and Gryff have been best friends since high school and are now roommates. Artemis is training for the Olympics, while Gryff is just starting his professional football career. After both experience recent breakups, Artemis asks Gryff for some dating lessons with neither of them realizing the truth about their feelings for each other, even though everyone around them can clearly see it. With a little time, a nudge from fate, and the help of two adorable goats, they begin to finally figure it out. This is such a sweet, heartwarming story and a wonderful addition to the Kingman Series!

Thank you, Amy Award and Love Notes PR for the ARC.

[Marie-Hélène · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gryff and Artemis are besties who might just be in love with each other, *and they were roommates*. The book starts out wonderfully: tiny goat yoga is the way to my heart, so kudos to Gryff for organising that. I love how they orbit around each other, unaware of doing so - absolutely endearing, but also very frustrating. Look, if I’m being honest here: I spent at least half this book giggling out of secondhand embarrassment and awkwardness. MY DUDES. How are you so BLIND. (@ Artemis, mostly) I am aware these are fictional characters but if these were my real life friends, I would have thrown my entire snack collection at their heads (and they would have deserved it). I have never in the hundreds of books I have read, wanted to violently force two people together this hard. They are horrible, they are the worst, they need to TALK and I need to scream at them. (Not really)(maybe)

Honestly, this book had me checking where I was in my menstrual cycle. I don’t know how Amy does it, but her stories get you so emotionally invested. Both Artemis and Gryff love so deeply, so beautifully, and they fit so well together. The entire Kingman family is so wholesome and their supportiveness is unrivalled, something that manages to make me tear up every time. The queer rep and support were also done beautifully - and there were goats, so what more does one need?

[Viola · Rating 3 out of 5]

eARC provided by Love Notes PR in exchange for an honest review.

I am so conflicted about this one...it was a good book, but something was missing for me to fully love it.

For context, I randomly stumbled upon ARC sign ups for this book while on Instagram and I thought, "why the hell not?". The premise sounded so fun, the cover was hella cute and I *love* when the leads are both queer in some way...enough for me to be willing to forgo my uncertainty about goats for it. Aside from my goat-related iffiness, I unfortunately did not like this book as much as I thought I was going to. I still think it had a strong premise, but the execution was just not there.

This story follows Gryff and Artemis, two best-friends-turned-roomates-turned-eventual-lovers athletes, who venture off to LA post graduation to follow their dreams to pursue careers in the sports they love so much. Gryff has had a major crush on Artemis for pretty much the entire time he's known her...which is definitely complicated by the totally platonic relationship that they have (more on that later....). When they move to LA and start living in such close quarters things start to bubble up in such a way that they are both no longer able to ignore it.

That sounds cute enough, right? Well yes, I guess. In theory. But, sadly, I just found the characters to have no real chemistry with each other, even if I did like them individually. I did not buy into their relationship and the supposed love they felt for each other. I realise that it can be challenging to write a book where the relationship is already built to some extend prior to its beginning, but how this progresses and deepens should be part of the story. I felt like so many actions and decisions made by the characters did not make a lot of sense, at least when it came to the romance aspect. It very much seemed by Artemis was not interested in Gryff and then all of a sudden she was. What made this worse and the lack of build up even more apparent was how EVERYONE in the book seemed to know that Gryff and Artemis were in love with each other even when they were not aware themselves. I know it was supposed to be a funny gag, but I personally just found that it stilted how much I believed in the romance, especially with Artemis saying that they were just friends about fifty times. I unfortunately found their romance quite boring, which its sad because I do adore unrequited love and love-stricken characters giving bad dating advice to prevent their partner from falling for someone else. I just did not feel there were any real stakes there for me to root for...

Another thing that I feel detracted from me enjoying this book fully was that the pacing was way off. So many things were happening in the one chapter, but also nothing at all. On a technically story-telling standpoint, I think there were just way too many scenes in this book -- they were at university, then LA, then the beach, then vegas, than scotland, etc. I felt I was being jostled from place to place just so that the scenery could be changed but it did not offer much in terms of the storyline. I also felt that most of the characters outside of the main couple were kind of superficial and had WAY too much page time. I guess it is worth noting that I have not read the previous books in this series prior to this one, so I understand that a lot of them are probably returning characters that people love from other books. However, considering that this is still marketed as readable as a standalone, I don't think giving so much attention to people from previous books to the extent of detracting page time from the main couple is the best decision to make here. At the end, I did find myself skimming sections where random side characters had things happening to them because I just did not really about them or even know them.

That said, there were definitely parts of the book that I did enjoy. The subplot happening with Sloane and the third act conflict was absolutely my favourite part of this book. I think it was handled very well and I liked the message that it was trying to say. Overall, I also really appreciated how this book normalised the diversity of the characters in a way that it did not make it the only part of their characters. Both Gryff and Artie was bisexual, but there is more to them that their sexuality; they are complex characters, with their own goals and likes. I know that is the bare minimum, however, there are so many books out there that very much hone in on characters' sexualities in a way that I personally find a little strange. I particularly liked how both of them discussed their bisexuality and I also found it very realistic. I also really liked Artemis being a muscle-mummy, like why is that not more of a thing in books???? In general, I did like the characters themselves, and I felt they were both super sweet and lovely. This was such a cute and wholesome story that was very nice to read.

The writing was also very strong and easy to read. I do struggle a bit to get used to some contemporary romance writing, but I had no issues here. Aside from the some-what unrealistic or cringey things that some characters would say some times, I felt it was still enjoyable to read. There were definitely some things I read that made me laugh out loud, which its always nice!

Overall, would I recommend this book? Hmmm, it depends. As mentioned, I personally felt that the romance was lacking but the story around it was not. So much time was spent with characters that I did not really know or care about, so I am not sure if maybe if someone were to have read the previous books they may potentially enjoy this a bit more. I don't think this is the book for someone who is looking for a deep love story, but if someone is looking for a cheeky simple time than maybe this would be a good choice!

[Lisa Ann D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

There weren’t a whole lot of places in the world where I didn’t have to think about how my body was going to fit.
🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

The Goat in the Bedroom (The Cocky Kingmans, #6)
by Amy Award
🐐



Amy Award has such a distinct and beautiful voice. This series never stops hitting the right notes. This installment blew me away. Gryff & Artemis are 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. As always the representation in this novel was incredible.

The plot and our subplot/strife that brings all the Kingmans out in force- was important. And, important for all of us without a clan of Kingmans to back ‘em up.

Amy calls her works ‘fluff’ and I always say that never does it justice.
𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞.
𝗟 𝗢 𝗩 𝗘 𝗗‼️


Perfectly executed. Strong characters. Family/ found family of dreams. Beautiful. Funny. Loving. ✅
Pet patrol. ✅
Kingman family game night. ✅


Queer rep. Curvy/fat/plus FMC(s). Closeted rep. Open rep. Taking up space rep. 🐐 And goats goats goats🐐



🐐: “I know it’s weird to ask your best friend to teach you how to be comfortable with sex, but⁠—“ :🐐


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.* :☆ﾟ. ───

[LaHobbitCurvy_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo sapete, The Cock Down The Block è stato il mio primo plus size romance, e leggere i libri di Amy Award per me è come tornare a casa. Inutile dire che se mi date un romance in cui la protagonista è palesemente quella bona fotonica di Ilona Maher allora AVETE GIÀ LA MIA ATTENZIONE IN PARTENZA. Se poi la bona fotonica è accompagnata da un altrettanto bono fotonico (giocatore di football) e se sono entrambi bisessuali, non c’è gara, ci sono i presupposti per diventare il mio preferito della serie. Anche se, per ora, il gradino più alto del podio è ancora occupato da The Jackass in Class (yep, sono ancora innamorata persa di quel maledetto asinello). Ma questo lo sta facendo vacillare! Amo come lo stile di Amy si sia evoluto nel tempo, e non vedo l’ora del prossimo libro 🥺

E QUELLE CAPRETTE AAAAAAAAAAAAA ne voglio una.

[Courtney Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these fluffy books so much! I can’t possibly rate them lower because you get exactly what you’re told you’ll get from the start. Important topics discussed in a fictional world where everyone is accepted, sprinkles of good spice thrown in and all round light fluffy ridiculous romance with no heartbreak!

Plus this one gets bonus points for having the New Zealand woman’s rugby team in an Olympic Final (even if they lost) because the world should recognise NZs woman’s team isn’t the one to downplay and I’m Bias.

[Heidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutie lil bisexuals, Griff and Artemis are rulers of idgitvile. Their teach me/ coach me through it moment was delicious. Excuse me while I thrown this book at my husband so he can learn how to communicate in bed. Outside of bedroom communication, these two really needed an intervention though!! This was sweet and easy, but it did feel a bit repetitive and too mindless for my current state of ADHD. However, I will never pass up a Cocky Kingman 😝

Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

[Abbey]

Thank you Libro.FM for the ALC.

This was…not for me. I picked it up from the catalog this month because I wanted a fluffy romance. But I didn’t care about these characters or whether they got together. It confused me how liberated the main couple seemed at the beginning (library scene) but then they tiptoed around each other for an almost 10 hour audiobook only brought together by a….fake dating scheme? And it wasn’t even a dating scheme for like, appearances it was specifically to “improve” the FMC’s “skills.”

Look, I enjoy a good romance. Once in a while I’m absolutely smitten over the most cliche fluff romance book in the bookstore. But this truly felt like a book built on viral tropes and it suffered for that.

[Nicole Wheelbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

We return to the Kingsman fam with Gryff and his bestie, Artemis. This book has a little bit of everything, fake dating, spicy lessons, an amazing family, the battle to love yourself, LGBTQ awareness and oh, of course, GOATs.


For me, this book felt a bit like a repeat in plot areas for blackmail and it feel a little short for me compared to the rest.

[Corinne Akers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The GOAT in the Bedroom

If you want to read a book about representation, about family, and about love in general - then this book is for you. There’s so much to love about this book. I don’t honestly know where to begin, It deals with found family and finding your place when you don’t think that you fit in anywhere.. It’s about falling in love, especially when your best friend is the one you’re falling in love with and his entire family, except you are theirs without question. To finding out you’re not “extra” - you just needed to find your people and your place in the world. And the overall body positivity that has been in this book and throughout this entire series. If you want to read about a family that gives you positivity, love, support, and all the feels than this series is definitely for you. I highly recommend this book and this entire series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kisa Lape · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was at least 150 pages too long.

[Melinda Marasigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review!
Amy Award has done it again😍
The Kingsman twins finally both got their HEA. Reading the relationship grow from friendship to forever had me kicking my feet with giddiness 😂. I laughed and cried riding the emotion roller coaster 🎢 that was amazing and kept me reading. Add in adorable baby goats 🐐 and it warmed my heart.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

“𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛."
🐐✨🏈🏉💕🏡


Artemis and Gryff have been friends, best friends, for six years. They're each other's person, and even in their worst moments, they've never stopped supporting each other.
So, when they both move to Los Angeles after college, they decide moving in together is a good idea. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Between intimacy lessons, cute goats, group outings, and sweet moments at home, they begin to realize that their friendship could be, or perhaps always has been, something more.

While the "friends to lovers" trope isn't one of my favorites, I LOVED it here. I loved how Gryff cares for Artie, so sincerely and deeply, preferring to suffer rather than risk losing her friendship.
That part of the novel—the yearning, the attempt to make her understand that he's always loved her—I found it super romantic and well-written, truly a butterfly-inducing experience.

Artie is also a wonderful character. She appears confident, but hides deep insecurities and just wants someone to cuddle her and allow her to be vulnerable.

The style is simple, ironic, and full of funny moments (sometimes perhaps a little too absurd), typical of Amy Award's novels. If you've read her other books, this, in my opinion, is one of the most successful.
I also really appreciated the final chapter dedicated to the family's pets: decidedly unusual, but very sweet.
I wasn't convinced by all the drama surrounding the journalist and her being randomly the villain; I found it a bit artificial.

A book recommended for those who love light, funny stories where family is always at the center of everything. Because the Kingman men surely love with all their heart.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I adored the first 4 books in this series. Loved the interaction with the Kingman family too. I don’t know what happened in the last two books. They lost their humor and their endearing main characters. Not to mention the lack of real chemistry. Unfortunately for me, this was not representative of what I love most about Amy’s work. Disappointing.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s the trope called where both main characters are completely blind to their obvious heart eyes for each other?

The trope where you can feel the love, feel the attraction, yet somehow the only people who don’t see it are the main characters themselves? Well, that’s the trope.

The story of Artemis and Gryff began six years ago when they became best friends. Both openly bisexual, both athletes, and both unlucky in love, they were each other's person. Always there when another heart inevitably got broken (and yes, they had a ritual for it). Fast forward six years: they're roommates and newly single.

In a classic “he falls first and hard” situation, Gryff realizes he hasn’t found love because he’s already in love with his best friend.
The twist? Artemis can’t figure out why dating never works out for her, so she asks her totally platonic (of course 🙄) best friend to help her with intimacy.

Throw in a couple of goats, a lovable and chaotic family, a dash of drama, and a sprinkle of spice, and you get to enjoy Artemis and Gryff’s painfully obvious to everyone else journey to their HEA.

This book is pure fluff. The best kind. It balances moments of seriousness with laugh-out-loud humor. There are cute animals. Spicy scenes. A bit of drama and flair. And again, fluff. Glorious, joyful fluff. And that makes me so happy.

The only downside?
The miscommunication. Whew. If Artie and Gryff had just talked about their feelings, the book would’ve been half as long 😉. But in the end, they figure it out. And that phone call with Daddy Kingman? LOVED it.

I’ve read every Kingman book and every HEA. I’ve been with this family since TCDTB. I read these books because I know Amy Award is going to give me a plus-size or fuller-figured FMC. I know I’ll open the book and feel seen. I know I’ll read about a woman who looks like me getting her HEA. And I know I’ll smile, giggle, and feel joy the entire way through.

For all of that I just want to say thank you.

This book can absolutely be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the rest of the series. You’ll appreciate the side characters so much more.

Thank you to Love Notes PR and Amy for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was unfortunately my least favorite installment in the series, and I think it’s because the stories are starting to feel repetitive—not in the general way contemporary romance often follows familiar beats, but in a very series-specific, formulaic way.

While I do appreciate the continued inclusion of curvy FMCs, the idea that an entire family of brothers all not only prefer but actively fixate on the exact same body type starts to feel far-fetched. More importantly, I wish there were moments where a female character’s size simply… wasn’t discussed at all. That, to me, is where real progress happens.

Another major challenge I had was how checkbox-y the characterization felt. We’re given significant backstory emphasizing support for the MMC’s choices, yet the narrative ultimately funnels him into a conventional male/female relationship without truly engaging with the implications of his sexuality. It ends up cheapening the experience. If you’re going to introduce queerness, commit to it—choose another brother to be queer and actually explore that identity and what comes with it. As written, there was no meaningful narrative reason to include his sexuality at all.

And yes, bisexual individuals can absolutely end up in relationships that appear heterosexual from the outside—that doesn’t erase their queerness. But here, that nuance isn’t explored. Instead, it feels like queerness is mentioned and then quietly sidelined, which is exactly the problem.

That said, if you haven’t read the earlier books, I can easily see a reader enjoying this one. These are interconnected standalones, and some of the other Cocky Kingman stories are genuinely among my favorites—so I’d still encourage giving the series a shot.

I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Stella Hunter and Connor Brown in a dual narration format. Both did an excellent job embodying their characters and were, without question, the highlight of the experience.


I was fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

[Amber Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends to lovers
Intimacy lessons
• Rugby Player x Football player
roommates
- He falls first (and hard)
• Bi for bi

I was better at saying goodbye than I was at building anything worth staying for.

“And you’re my home, Gryff. You’ve always been my home.”

"Pretty much. You should've seen when the press and paparazzi showed up for Trixie and Chris. I'm pretty sure Dad was ready to commit crimes.”

"You're so beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes."

“"Because that's when I first noticed your thighs," I admitted. "You were demonstrating a scrum and your dress rode up and I completely forgot how to speak for like five minutes."

“The jersey looks perfect on you.”
“It’s a little big..”
“It’s perfect,” he repeated, and something in his voice made my stomach flip.”

The way his eyes lingered before he remembered to look away. The way his voice had gone rough when he’d ask if I was hurt. All of that had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with… nope, no. Not going there. Gryff and I were friends.”

Gryff only smiled wider. He was standing there wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist, clearly getting ready for his own shower. Rays of sunshine from the row of tiny windows across the top of the room highlighted his chest and shoulders, like angels were about to sing songs to his muscles. And for a second I completely forgot how to form words.

so did he, because his eyes went wide and something very interesting happened to the front of his towel. Something...massive. Oh.
OH. Was that...? Did he just...?

I was about to do something monumentally stupid, like confess everything or kiss her senseless,

“You’re my girl.”


lol needless to say I enjoyed this read and found it funny light hearted.

Artemis and Gryff have been friends since high school and end up being roommates. Both coming out of a break up. Single. Artemis ends up getting Gryff to do “lessons” in intimacy/ dating so she can feel confident. They circle around their feelings for one another, oblivious of each others feelings. Loved the bi representation! The double date 😂 seeing them realize their feelings for each other one another finally giving in, I was invested!
I listened to the audio and The voice actors Conner Brown and Stella Hunter did fantastic! This was my first story I’ve heard from either of them and I enjoyed their performances very much! I’d definitely recommend the audio for this!

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so happy I got to be selected to read an ARC of the 6th Book in the Cocky Kingmans series. PS for those keeping track I still haven’t read books 1-4 in this series. And yes I do know I’m a weirdo for starting with book 5. But hey I promise I will be going back and read them.

Anyway, back to the book at hand “The Goat in the Bedroom” which follows our other favorite Kingman twin, Gryff and his best friend and secret love interest Artie. This book follows their journey to LA to pursue their professional sports careers. And in order to make it easier for each other they decide to be roommates. Of course the lines start to blur and secret feelings finally come to the surface.

I have to admit this is my least favorite out of the series (which isn’t saying a lot since I’ve only read two of them). Now don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to keep devouring the series. In terms of a rating I’d say this falls with a 3.5⭐️. The miscommunication trope was a bit too prevalent for my liking. It didn’t help that I’ve been listening to Taylor Swifts new album and the whole time I was screaming at Gryff & Artie to “Ruin the Friendship”. If you haven’t heard that song do it because you’ll understand. But I digress, once things got cleared up I knew I couldn’t put the book down. The spice, the sassy hilarious animal sidekicks, the family dynamics and the bi representation were all fabulous.

Overall, I had a blast reading this book. I can’t wait to keep reading this series and I highly recommend it to everyone. Lastly I wanna give a big thank you to Amy Award and Love Note PR for the early copy!

[Jess Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear I love every single book in this series! The mix of banter, fluff, and that underlying message of loving yourself inside and out makes The Goat in the Bedroom another total comfort read. The Kingsman family, both immediate and extended, feel like a warm hug in book form. The game night chaos, the way they cheer each other on, and the genuine love that flows through every interaction is honestly the dream. The family cushion moments had me tearing up, and as always, I love seeing this family continue to grow.

Amy had me laughing so hard I had to keep putting my phone down to wipe away tears. Her writing is the perfect balance of heartfelt and hilarious, and she always makes reading such a joy.

This one shifted slightly from the heavier body positivity themes of earlier books and focused more on self acceptance, identity, and sexuality. Both our main characters are bisexual, best friends and room mates... until they are not. Everyone can see it but them and their journey to getting there was fun to read.

As a Kiwi, I adored seeing New Zealand and rugby represented, especially with the spotlight on women in sport. And of course, no Kingsman book would be complete without a few quirky animals with equally quirky names.

I am excited for the next books, and there are lots of breadcrumbs in this one that point us in the direction of where we are going for Isak and Jules stories (or maybe I am just over analysing) but I cant wait for more cameos from a certain fox and would love to see more of Xander. I also think Jules trying to set up Daddy Kingsman is cute as hell and him having another novella to end the series would wrap it up beautifully.

Sweet, funny, spicy, and full of heart. Amy Award once again delivers a story that feels like coming home.

Huge thanks to Love Notes PR for the ARC and to Amy for another fantastic addition to the Cocky Kingsman series.