Gosh is this such an amazing and funny romance book! The pining was sooo cute! They both couldn't stop thinking about each other it was so dang swoon worthy! loved this book!

I mean, could I have read this book at a better time? Probably not. I just binged all four seasons of For All Man Kind, so a romance with a cinnamon roll astronaut sounded perfect, and oh my god was it. So sweet and warm, aching and steamy. A DELIGHTFUL romance!

This book was a great debut! The setting and the premise were well done and the fake dating to help each other out was adorable. I had a hard time with the main characters, on their own they were great and you really would like them, but sometimes when they would interact it was a little flat and choppy. The side characters were enjoyable and fun along with the family members. It wasn't a favorite but an enjoyable light read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Hello Book friends!

Today I’m reviewing The Kiss Coutdown by Etta Easton. In this contemporary romance we follow struggling event coordinator Amerie Price and NASA astronaut Vincent Rogers, in this swoon-worthy debut romance about finding your person and making room for love.

Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in-between, this romance debut is not to be missed.

Now, let’s chat about the book itself.

Charming, delightful, Easton’s debut checks all the right boxes for the perfect fake dating romance. Amerie and Vincent are my new favorite OTP, and the bond they have for their families is what makes this such a heartwarming story. And how an accidental run in (literal) and a spilled Americano can be the spark to an epic romance story. 👩‍🍳😘👨‍🍳

I loved every moment spent with these characters and I think romance readers will too. If you’re a fan of fake dating trope and an adorable meet cute, then be ready to fall head over feet for The Kiss Countdown.

I’ve been so excited for Etta Easton’s debut, THE KISS COUNTDOWN, since it was announced, and was blown away by this beautiful, hilarious romance!

Amerie is at rock bottom—fired, dumped, and with a rent increase that’ll leave her homeless. So when she runs into her ex with his kind, beautiful new girlfriend, she does what any logical person would do. Tells them the hot astronaut she just ran into (literally) is her boyfriend. What she doesn’t expect is for Vincent to also need a fake partner to keep his family off his back while he prepares for a moon expedition.

The deal is simple. Pretend to be his girlfriend for his family in exchange for the spare room in his house while she gets herself and her new business on their feet. But Amerie didn’t count on the pull toward Vincent, and their fake interactions keep getting more real. With the countdown on, they have to decide if what they have is written in the stars, or if it really was fake all along.

I’m so in love with this book! I spent the whole time giggling and squealing because they were just so adorable from the jump. Vincent is so clearly all in with her, and I’m such a sucker for a man who knows what he wants 🙌🏻 Amerie is perfectly, lovably grumpy, and all the teasing between them had me flying between laughing and swooning! All the side characters—Vincent’s lovingly pushy family, Amerie’s adorable parents, and her hilarious best friend—rounded out an already amazing love story!

THE KISS COUNTDOWN releases on April 9th! Make sure to get that pre-order in! I can’t wait to see what Etta comes up with next!

✨ARC REVIEW✨

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕂𝕚𝕤𝕤 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕓𝕪 𝔼𝕥𝕥𝕒 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕟

𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 💫

Quick Synopsis: A struggling event planner and a handsome astronaut must decide it their take relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut novel by Etta Easton. What started as a one-off lie in the local coffee shop, Moon Bean, morphs into a the 3 month arrangement leading up to Vince’s mission to the moon, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business. What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life-or shoot for the stars.

Omg I SO enjoyed this book. It gave all the romcom vibes I needed. I knew when I read the blurb it was going to be something I was interested in. Not everyday you see an African American Astronaut as a beautifully crafted cinnamon roll MMC. This book was such a breath of fresh air. I was smiling, kicking, giggling the whole way thru the book. I loved the determination Amerie had to get her business off the ground, I was rooting for her the whole way through the book. The two as a couple were meshed together that didn’t seem super forced, but was quick enough to have me swooning.

(𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴)

ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ:
* ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ 🤝🏾
* ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀꜱ-ᴛᴏ-ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ 🫶🏾
* ʜᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ꜱʜᴇ’ꜱ ꜱɪᴄᴋ 🥹
* ᴄᴀᴍᴘɪɴɢ ᴛʀɪᴘ ⛺️
* ʙᴏꜱꜱ ʙᴀʙᴇ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ 💅🏾👠
* ɴᴇʀᴅʏ ɴᴀꜱᴀ ᴍᴍᴄ 🔭🚀
* ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴠɪʙᴇꜱ 🏠
* ᴍᴜᴛᴜᴀʟ ᴘɪɴɪɴɢ 😘
* ʜᴀᴘᴘɪʟʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

This is a debut novel by Etta Easton and if her writing proves anything, it’s that she’s got such a long career writing more happy lovely romance novels like this. I very much impressed and look forward to more works by this author. I can’t wait for everyone to love Vince & Amerie like I do.

Thank you to @netgalley & @berkleypub for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: 4•9•2024
#TheKissCountdown #NetGalley

Amerie Price, a recently jobless event planner, faces a looming threat of losing her apartment due to rising costs. When she unexpectedly encounters her ex and his new girlfriend, she improvises by pretending to date Vincent Rogers, the man she accidentally spilled coffee on earlier.

Vincent, needing a faux partner to deflect family pressure regarding his upcoming space mission, agrees to Amerie's plan. As they spend more time together, their mutual attraction intensifies. Yet, Amerie grapples with uncertainty—is their connection genuine or merely a product of their charade?

The plot engaged me, but Amerie's actions sometimes left me puzzled. While her family issues were relatable, her handling of setbacks felt immature, almost adolescent. It seemed like she could benefit from significant introspection or counseling.

Overall it was a cute read and I found most of the characters to be charming.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏🩷🚀
This is a wonderful and fresh debut novel. It’s safe to say I’m completely wowed!! Firstly, I’m always happy to try a romcom with diverse characters so when I saw this stunning cover I knew instantly I NEEDED it like my next breath.

4.5⭐️

<i>Brief Summary: Mimi is at her favorite coffee shop when she runs into her ex boyfriend(who lives no where near her shop..just thought I should mention). During their conversation he asks if she is alone or with someone. She immediately glances around states she is with her “boyfriend” and grabs Vincent who she knows because she wasted coffee on his shirt a few days ago 🤭 Since he did her a favor she now owes him and she must pretend to be his girlfriend for his sister’s NYE party and mother’s special event.</i>

“𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓶𝓲𝓭𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼, 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓾𝓽 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼”

<b><u>Tropes</b></>
💫fake dating—fake engagement
💫reverse grumpyXsunshine
💫forced proximity
💫He falls first

Mimi is down on her luck and is having a hard time getting clients for her new party planning business. On top of being broken up recently and worrying about her family’s health/finance dilemma. She has a LOT on her plate. She’s independent, strong, caring, selfless, and I admired her resilience after dealing with her many hardships. I was so happy she met the fine as wine astronaut because she needed someone to relax her and make her smile 💓

“ 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼, 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾.”

Vincent is sooooooo sweet and charismatic. You can’t help but smile and laugh with every interaction 😊🤭 I love how he brings Mimi out of shell and pushes her to be adventurous and try new things. He’s so thoughtful and he pays attention to detail 👏🏼 There is nothing not loveable about this man. He’s oh so perfect.

And I have to mention the best friend Gina!! She was so supportive and a GREAT friend to Mimi. Every girl deserves to have and be a ride or die bestie like her, she was truly a gem. I loved her sarcasm and how she was always a ray of sunshine for her friend.

<b><u>Spice Rating</b></u>
1/5 🌶️
scenes aren’t overly descriptive and it’s towards 65 percent mark so it’s a slow burn. Normally, I’m a freak and want details but this worked for me.

There is a 3rd act breakup 🙄🙄 but it made sense and was resolved rather quickly. I’m still upset though 😂 and I’m petty that’s why it’s a 4.5 instead of full 5 star rating

<b>Do I recommend? YES!!</b> It’s cute and lighthearted but also has some heavy subject matter(loss of a sibling and parent w/ sickle cell). The banter was so cute and funny. There’s an unlimited amount of cute and swoony moments to make your heart skip a beat 🩷💕 it also includes an epilogue with a happily ever after for the girlies who need this like me 😊

Thank you Netgallery, Berkeley Publishing Group and Etta Easton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun romance. It was more spicy than I usually like. For some reason I didn't think it would be that
hot when I requested the ARC from netgalley. I do appreciate the publisher and NetGalley letting me read this. If you like the fake dating/fake fiance trope, and you don't mind the spice, you will enjoy this book. I liked the characters. I liked the setting.

An event planner and an astronaut—that’s a combination I never considered. Amerie (love that name) and Vincent make it work.

This one comes out on one of the best days of the year—April 9, 2024

The Kiss Countdown was okay. My favorite part of the book was the fake dating plot line. I thought the author did a great job with that trope. I did struggle connecting with the main characters, especially Vincent. I think this book would have benefited having some Vincent POV chapters. I thought Mimi's character could have been developed better. She read a little flat to me. I'm not sure what it was, but I just found this book kind of boring 😅 I really struggled with the last 30% of the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

Etta Easton's debut is out of this world charming with a unique presence and snappy characters. Vincent and Amerie's love story is tender, honest, and authentic, peppered with the right amount of wit and spice. I can't wait to see what this author continues to write!

Etta Easton's writing and humor shine in this excellent romantic comedy full of evergreen tropes and a romance to root for! Amerie is a struggling event planner who meets handsome astronaut Vincent about to embark on a trip to the moon. Amerie needs a place to live and Vincent needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back about a risky trip out of orbit. We have everything in here: fake dating/engaged, only one bed, supportive funny best friend, a hilarious heroine with inner dialogue that made me snort laugh, and an off the charts spicy scene. This is where the romcom genre is going, Etta Easton has elevated the genre entirely and I am in awe. Five shooting stars!

The Kiss Countdown was really cute and a very strong debut! I liked both main characters and enjoyed seeing them navigate their complicated relationships with family. Plus, fake dating is always a good thing in my book!

The writing was great but the relationship between the two MCs left something to be desired at times. I just felt like there was a disconnect. Vincent would have these funny or swoony moments but more often than not his character felt distant and flat. Also it’s a very slow burn!

Overall, I enjoyed this and think that while it did include some heavier subject matter (off page) it was still a pretty light and breezy read. I look very forward to seeing what Etta Easton whips up next!

I needed a cute romance and this delivered! I love space, so the main character in this book appealed to me as an astronaut. There was some spice, but nothing over the top, so it was a quick fun read. I could really feel Amerie's emotions - the author did a great job at conveying all the ups and downs of her journey. Great quick, fun read!

Slow burn on a whole other level! A marvelous debut novel that makes me want more from this author right now!

To say Mimi is down on her luck at the start of this novel is an understatement: she's recently been fired from her job as an event planner, dealing with her mother’s chronic illness, her rent has been increased to a level she can’t afford AND she's recently broken up with her boyfriend.

When she bumps into a handsome stranger, spilling coffee all over him, she has no idea her whole life is about to change for the better. You see, Vincent is a real- life astronaut who's looking for a fake girlfriend to appease his family. So in exchange for a few months of a pretend relationship - the end date being when he goes into space- she gets to live in his house free of rent, even after he leaves on his NASA mission. This means she can pursue her dream of starting her own event planning business.

But of course, they soon both catch feelings and have to figure out if they can make it work outside of this short-term deal.

I loved the characters -Mimi is a fabulous and caring main character that you root for form the first page, and Vincent is a gem- treating Mimi the ways she deserves from their first moment of their meet cute.

With themes of family duty, the importance of friendships, and Black Love, this wonderful debut is about following your heart where it may lead- even if it seems like a risk.

This is Easton's first novel and I'm excited to read whatever she writes next.

My thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

This was definitely a pleasant surprise--I'm usually not one for the fake dating trope, but there was a freshness to it that had me deciding to let bygones be bygones. While I do think this book could have benefited from a dual pov structure, Amerie was such an enjoyable character that, overall, I did not mind spending the entire book in her head. She did fall flat a few times, and some of her decisions were not examined enough (in my opinion). But, I just wanted more insight into Vincent, and I think some pov chapters from him would have been great. The rest of the characters were fun, and at the end of the day, I had a fun time reading this.

This book was exactly as I needed it to be, for the sizzling chemistry between the characters to take centre stage and thus become one of the crucial component right along with an entertaining plot for the evolution of their relationship, without sacrificing the emotional aspect of it all.

A Houston native I found this story to be so fun! I think this is a really intro into the genre that I would recommend to new readers just trying out the genre. I'm excited to see what else this author does.