This was a fun and sweet romance book! I can't get enough of books, fiction and non-fiction, about astronauts and space, and this book didn't disappoint! This was my first Etta Easton book. I thought the spacing was great, and I loved the relationship. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

The Kiss Countdown stands out as a refreshing and charming addition to the romance genre. Easton's portrayal of Amerie and Vincent's journey from a convenient arrangement to genuine affection is both believable and endearing. The novel's emphasis on family, personal growth, and the challenges of balancing societal expectations with individual desires adds depth to the narrative. For readers seeking a romance that offers both warmth and substance, this book is a commendable choice.

This was a cute romance but it was missing the secret sauce. Our main character Amerie is going through, a break up, the loss of her job and drowning in medical debt. When a chance encounter with her ex faces her with the downward spiral that is her life she enlist the help of stranger, Vincent, to be her fake boyfriend in an attempt to save face. Little white lies snowball as her and Vincent become more entangled in their fake relationship that's full of very real feelings. I really liked Amerie's character. There were moments where she really annoyed me but she felt realistic and her flaws felt natural and even a bit familiar. Vincent felt a little less clear to me, this is a single POV romance and I felt like with only Amerie's version of events we really knew so little about him even as their relationship progressed. I think as a result I struggled to fully connect with this romance. The main pairing never really made me swoon. It was a cute and entertaining book with familiar tropes, but it was just missing a little something. Etta Easton is still an author I will keep my eye on because this had alot of promise and I would still recommend it to folks who love the fake dating trope.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me an Advanced Copy of this book! I enjoyed this story so much. I do wish there was more space aspects as I am a space lover (hehe). This was a semi slow burn for me and I loved every second. The plot and character development were great. I enjoyed the fake dating aspect of this story so much! It was sooo good!

Ugh! I love everything about this book! I really enjoyed Etta’s writing style, and I love reading about Black love and romance. This was my first Etta Easton book, but definitely not my last!

This was so fun! A lot of new books are doing awesome things with the fake dating trope, and this one was a special treat!

Unfortunately I did DNF this book. Thank you Berkeley for the arc! I really appreciate it. I am interested in possibly picking up this book again and giving it another try at some point! I did purchase this book so I will get to it

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Digital Advanced Readers Copy of the book!

This Texas Made Bookish Woman swooned from beginning to end of this strangers to lovers work of words. There were times when hearing directly from male MC's point of view would have been insightful and made the storyline more robust.

I'm wayyy behind on finishing the ARC #gifted to me by Penguin Random House and Netgalley. Thank you for blessing my shelves and imagination.

The characters in this story were very well written and likeable enough - they had nice personalities and the dialogue was fun and flirty. I often struggle with fake dating/marriage of convenience books when there are not dual POV's. I find it hard to really see the relationship and how it naturally flows into more as it's all just so one sided. This was no different, but from the get go I did greatly appreciate the chemistry as it never felt forced or odd - it felt real and intense. Thank you to Etta Easton, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a sweet debut, featuring an astronaut and event planner, and all the romance tropes I love!

WHAT TO EXPECT
- friends to lovers
-fake dating
-single POV

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

Etta Easton does fake relationships right in The Kiss Countdown. This read will have you swooning and rooting for Amerie and Vince. More astronaut MMCs, please!

This book was a fun time. There was just enough tension to keep it interesting, and by the end you just heave a huge sigh of relief that there is a HEA. The characters are great and the story is cute, so I'd definitely try another book by this author!

This was a cute cozy romance! Love the fake dating trope and most of all love the fact that this had a black astronaut and a black event planner! Overall a solid 4 stars!

I’ve been trying to read more debut authors this year and couldn’t resist this one as soon as I saw that cute cover and realized that one of the main characters is an astronaut!

Amerie Price is going through some things when we first meet her. She’s jobless, newly single, and in danger of being homeless. She’s trying to get her own event planning business up and running, but the struggle is real. She stops in at her favorite coffee shop, accidentally spills coffee all over an annoying but sexy stranger and then immediately turns around and runs into her ex and his new girlfriend. Amerie panics and tells them that she is dating the guy she spilled coffee on, and to her surprise, he plays along, but later asks for a favor in return.

It turns out that coffee guy is actually Vincent Rogers, a sweet, sexy astronaut who leaves in three months on a space mission. Vincent gets Amerie to agree to be his girlfriend for those months leading up to the mission so that his overbearing family will leave him alone about his love life.

I’m a sucker for the fake dating trope and watching those fake feelings gradually turn real over time, so this was a fun read for me. I also just really liked both characters. I enjoyed their chemistry and found them both to be relatable because of the family issues they were each dealing with.

If you’re in the mood for a fun, cute, heartfelt romance that is out of this world (sorry, couldn’t resist 😆), then be sure to pick up a copy of The Kiss Countdown.

Girlllllllllllll how do I end up fake dating an Astronaut??? I love the fake dating trope here, but I feel like it was dragged out longer than it should have. There really was no reason for them to actually start dating early on. Amerie and Vincent were very easy to like and their romance was mature. The only thing here is the pacing. It was a bit all over the place for me, but it was a debut. I would definitely read the author's next book.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed my time with this book. It was fun and fast paced. But ultimately, it was forgettable. Nothing about it stood out from other books I've read. The characters were likable, but bland. The story was fun, but familiar. I found Amerie's character a bit frustrating to read about, and she got very repetitive, however I really enjoyed Vincent. I don't think I've read a book with an astronaut love interest before, and I must say that was my favorite part. I think Etta Easton has potential, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

3.5 ⭐️

Etta Easton’s “The Kiss Countdown” is a feel-good romance that delicately navigates the challenges of starting over and the fear of vulnerability. The story centers on Amerie, a woman down on her luck who finds herself at a crossroads after losing her job, dealing with her mother’s illness and medical bills, and being dumped by her long-term boyfriend.

Enter Vincent, a nerdy yet charming astronaut Amerie meets at her favorite coffee shop. In a twist of fate, she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend. Vincent, to her surprise, agrees, and they concoct a plan to keep up the charade until his mission to the moon. What neither of them anticipates is that their pretend relationship would evolve into something genuine, pushing them to confront their fears, grief, and past traumas together.

The romance between Amerie and Vincent is heartwarming and filled with moments that made me feel tingly, culminating in the sweetest ending. Easton effectively captures the emotional highs and lows of their journey, making their love story both relatable and inspiring.

However, the pacing of the novel felt uneven. The fast-paced beginning drew me in, and the final chapters were gripping, but the middle section dragged a bit, slowing down the momentum. Additionally, the story is told solely from Amerie’s point of view. While this provides deep insight into her character, it also limits our understanding of Vincent. A multi-point perspective would have enriched the narrative, allowing us to connect more deeply with both characters.

Despite these minor shortcomings, “The Kiss Countdown” is a delightful read that beautifully portrays the power of love and resilience. I give it 3.5 stars for its heartfelt depiction of love and the courage to start anew.

I normally love fake dating, and I really love an astronaut MMC, but this story was just a little too slow for me. I put it down at some point months ago, and haven't felt the urge to pick it back up, so calling it a DNF @ 40%.

I really wanted to like this, but I found both the characters and their romance to be incredibly boring. The premise of a fake relationship between an astronaut who wants to get his family off his back for not settling down and an event planner down on her luck in various aspects of life was intriguing, but the delivery didn't do it for me. It felt like a chore to keep picking this up because I just wasn't interested. And even after giving it a break, I had no desire to continue with the story. Did not finish in the end, but if I had I'm sure a 3-star rating would suffice based on my feelings toward the book. I think it'll work for others, but it just didn't work for me.