Fantastic! I loved the peek into a life of an astronaut, and the main romance was very good! I very much enjoyed this one.

This is cute, but I felt frustrated with Amerie, the female MC, several times for her consistent lying to herself and everyone around her 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

It’s one of the better fake-dating reasons I’ve read though — they’re each trying to fool someone!

It’s more of a 3.5 for me; but bumping to 4 because I do enjoy reading romances with Black characters and want to see more of them!

This one started off strong for me but then it fell flat about a third of the way through. I started to dislike Amerie and didn't get what Vincent saw in her. It baffled me when she made an issue of him being gone all the time. She knew what she was getting into - he is an astronaut!

I found myself liking Vincent more than I liked Amerie. He was a hot nerd through and through. The second he started explaining to her about stars and planets, I was a goner.

This was a slow burn but maybe a bit too slow for me.

I had some mixed feelings about this book. I would say I liked it but there were some things I didn't like.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: mention of death of a loved one

It was such a sweet love story. I love how both of these characters found their HEA. And the supporting cast of characters just added that extra little something to make it even more special.

Such a great romance! Thank you Berkley Publishing for sending me this e-arc. This book had me smiling and giggling from the very start. The chemistry between Amerie and Vincent was so well written!
Even though I’m not usually a fan on the third act breakup, I think it added a great element of vulnerability to the story and Amerie’s character development

I’ll definitely be ordering a physical copy once available in stores

OH MY GOD. This is undoubtedly going to be one of my favorite reads this year. This story was SO cute and had some of my favorite tropes. Only one bed, taking care of her when she’s injured. *swoons* I’m in love. The chemistry between the MMC and the FMC was INSANE. And the trajectory of their relationship was just so well-paced. And the tension?! Immaculate. Plus the fun and intricate side characters helped push this book over the edge. I loved it.

This was a fun read and I am so obsessed with the book cover. I love book covers that embody and showcase black love!! I love that Vincent had a unique career as an astronaut, I’ve never read a book with an astronaut let alone a Black one so that worked for me!

I liked Amerie but I loved Vincent more. I did feel empathy towards her and her difficulties with trying to redefine herself as she launched her own business. The only thing missing from this story for me though was I felt like there was a lack of passion between both Amerie + Vincent. I wanted to feel more swoony with them and felt like they kinda, maybe lacked some chemistry…

Other than that, it was cute and a perfect read for February! 💕

I Loved this one!!!
I used to want to be an astronaut when I was a kid.
Their chemistry is undeniable. I liked that they had some type of character development through out and it was not just about the romance but about relationships as a whole.

sometimes you pick up a book and you just KNOW that you’re going to love it. that is how i felt picking up ‘the kiss countdown’ by etta easton.

you have amerie who’s life has pretty much fallen apart. she almost lost her mum, she was fired from her dream job and her boyfriend dumped her. enter vincent (read this ‘ken is an astronaut’. if you know you know and you will once you read this book) whose sole focus in life at the moment is his work. he can’t do distractions. the two end up in a fake dating fiasco after running into amerie’s ex and decide to keep the charade up to keep his family off of his back until he has to take off… literally.

this book had me laughing out loud within the first 12 pages. it was so cute and i really enjoyed the strong family bonds being at the heart of the story!

overall i would recommend this book for fans of:
- fake dating
- friends to lovers
- strong familial relationships
- interesting careers
- well developed characters with fantastic personalities!!

thank you so much to netgalley and berkley publishing group for an e-arc!

Amerie is jobless, and about to lose her apartment so she decides to start her own business. When she unexpectedly runs into her ex and his beautiful new girlfriend, she panics and pretends to be dating the annoying man she met when she spilled his coffee all over him.

Vincent plays along with Amerie, but he needs a partner leading up to his space launch in three months. In return Amerie will get a free room.

Of course, the two don’t plan on actually being pulled towards each other.

First off this book was fantastic for a debut. It read like a more seasoned author wrote it, so I am excited to see what comes from this author next!

This book was a lot of fun. Both Amerie and Vincent were easy to like and had lots of likeable qualities, and only a few minor annoying onesThis book found the sweet spot with the slow burn. It felt very realistic, and that the relationship took a natural progression towards the hook-up. The biggest hang-up I had with this book was the pacing. While I understand that the romance was a slow burn, the pacing was rather slow for me and I kept getting distracted, which makes for a frustrated reading experience for me. This won’t deter me from reading the authors subsequent works, but it did knock off about half a star from my rating overall just because it hindered my enjoyment.

I think that this one would have been amazing had it been a dual point of view and I hope that is something the author considers for the future!

Thank you so much to Berkley Pub, @BerkleyPub, Berkley Romance, @BerkleyRomance, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

The fake dating trope has lost a lot of magic for me in recent years but The Kiss Countdown made me a fan again. This book is more sweet than spice, super cute. Sometimes it gets heavy but quickly lightens the mood. Definitely recommend

Etta Easton's debut romance brilliantly weaves familiar tropes into a fresh narrative. With elements like fake-dating, complex family dynamics, and an astronaut protagonist facing a space mission deadline, the story is captivating. Set in a neighborhood near NASA, the author masterfully captures the setting. Amerie and Vincent's journey is a delightful rollercoaster, making it a must-read. Excited for Etta's next work!

The Fake Dating lovers will get a kick out of this one. Also, anybody that loves a THOROUGHLY smitten and besotted love interest - Vincent is your guy. He was down bad and it was apparent to everyone but Amerie and we love to see it. Vincent also had some smooth operator moments and we love that too. This book had feelings coming from every direction and the complicated family relationships and the realities of life of with a chronically ill family member hit me directly in the emotions. Honestly, how dare this be a debut?

This was a marvelous read of fake dating and real swoon. I loved watching Easton weaves together insecurities, longing, and familial drama in such a beautiful way. This was a grand slow burn that literally shot for the stars and I loved it! I need more astronaut party planning rom coms in my life!

I really enjoyed the majority of this book. I thought I would settle on a 4 star but ended up giving it a 3.5

Both of the characters ( Amerie and Vincent) were extremely likable in my opinion. Reading a story with a black astronaut was dope. I loved their interactions and the slow burn allowed for the romance to feel realistic. However, once I realized our FMC was the one to gravel I had to doc half a star. The whole time I wanted to scream “AMERIE, STAND UP!”

I was also a bit annoyed with Amerie for stressing so much over time she was unsure of. I really wanted her to cherish and enjoy the present moment with her parents and wish we could have gotten just a little more of them together.

Finally, I wish we were given Vincent’s pov. We only know Amerie’s thoughts and feelings. Vincent’s story was worth telling and I would have enjoyed him sharing it.

This is a book I can see myself recommending! I enjoyed the writing style and loved the side characters. I would love to see Gina’s relationship play out! Will her and Mack actually make it the alter? Or even Vincent’s younger sister! Will she find love or continue to be the odd sibling out? Can’t wait to check out more from this author.

This was such a fun romcom! I am a sucker for the fake dating trope and this one did not disappoint! Also the fact that this "relationship" was between an astronaut and an event planner...SO FUN. I am in absolute awe that this is a debut from Etta and I will definitely be picking up whatever she writes next.

The last little bit of the book did something that I am not normally a fan of, which is why this rating is not higher. But all in all, I had a great time with this one and you need to add it to your tbr!

Huge thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book!

The Kiss Countdown is a beautifully written romance that explores what we should do for our families and if someone with an intense career can also have a love story.

Amerie and Vincent were such a great couple! She gives his life balance and he gives her a home. I loved that they both had careers they were passionate about that were really interesting to read about. I also liked how their initial fake dating situation let them be really honest with each other and in some ways support each other better than they would have otherwise.

One thing that was incredible about this book is how space metaphors are used throughout the book so successfully. It felt like the book had a theme that even the writing recognized. It also never felt forced or unnatural. I particularly liked this for the first non fake kiss scene. It was one of the most beautiful first kisses I have ever read.

I really enjoyed how this book explored the toll chronic illness and grief can take on a family. Etta Easton did a wonderful job showing how Amerie's mother's illness affected Amerie and her childhood. America has this idea that if you work hard you can have a wonderful life, but that doesn't factor in chronic illness, a broken healthcare system and biases in which disorders receive research funding. I love reading romances that discuss this kind of issue and I hope to see more of them in the future.

I recommend The Kiss Countdown to anyone who likes romance, particularly to fake dating and romances about stem career fans! I think you'll love this one to the moon and back (see I can do space metaphors too).

🌶️🌶️ - This book had several kissing and making out scenes as well as some fade to black style steamy scenes. I wouldn't consider it fully closed door but it was fairly low spice.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Amelie and Vince. They meet in a coffee shop when Amelie spills a cup on Vince. There is an instant attraction. Vince ask Amelie to be his fake girlfriend, she says yes. They start dating. They go on vacation with his parents. They both fall in love.

I have never read a book where the MMC was an astronaut and I think I’ve unlocked something new inside of me cause I need more recs! I’m a sucker for fake dating and forced proximity, so I was hooked from the start.

Amerie is trying to get her event planning business up and running on her own, but is financially struggling after helping her family with a medical bill. Her luck continues to backfire when she bumps into a man at a coffee shop and spills coffee all over him (and of course it’s the hottest man ever). Things obviously started on the wrong foot, and it doesn’t help that she runs into her ex a week later with a new girl at the same coffee shop. In comes Mr. Sexy Astronaut Vincent.

From there, Amerie convinces her ex that she’s dating Vincent, but Vincent could also use Amerie’s help attending a family event and offers her a place to live rent free.

From there, the two get to know each other and tension and chemistry build. I think I would’ve liked to see more of them getting to know each other, because it felt rushed and left me wondering how they had these strong feelings for each other when they’ve only been together for a couple weeks. There are tense moments between family members, a lot of head butting, and the break up seemed a little ridiculous.

The fake dating turned into a fake engagement and it all seemed really fast in the storyline and like there were too many tropes happening at once. Just a lot of little things and I’d rate it at 3.5 ⭐️ but I still enjoyed this and can’t wait to see what else Etta writes!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an e-arc for my honest review.

Tropes:
-fake dating/engagement
-forced proximity
-astronaut MMC
-only one bed
-opposites attract

Amerie Price has definitely has better months. She’s been fired from her dream job, broken up with her boyfriend, and discovered her mom’s medical bill that is going to eat away her savings. But, being the loving daughter that she is, she pays the bill instead of ruining her parents’ roadtrip - because who knows if it will be their last. Then she meets Vincent, an honest-to-god astronaut who needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back. Honestly, you know where this is going.

The Kiss Countdown is a sweet story, even if Amerie is unbearable at times. The connection between Amerie and Vincent wasn’t super convincing (what exactly do they have in common again?) and the sex scenes fell a bit flat. This is Etta Easton’s debut novel and she definitely has room to grow, but The Kiss Countdown is still a fun read. If you love romance for the sake of romance and the fake dating trope, you won’t be disappointed.