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.

This was so good. STEM and NASA meets Black romance. I enjoyed this debut from Etta Easton. It was a romance for romance lovers. Def recommend

It was such a cute read! I have never read an astronaut romance before, but I will for sure be trying to find more to read. I love the fake dating trope, so this was an easy read for me.

Etta Easton creates a rich world of characters and grounds the fake relationship plus enemies (kind of) to lovers in the world. The problem for me isn't the wackiness of the scenario. It's fun to see Amerie's need for a spur of the moment fake boyfriend dovetail with Vincent's need for a fake girlfriend. The tropes are fun and well plotted, but the main character I should love and be rooting for falls flat. The world around her is loveable, but she only has her moments in the middle.

Fake Dating trope at its best! She just wants to look like she has her life together and moved on when she sees her ex. He needs a fake girlfriend as a buffer for his family events. But is it as fake as they profess it to be? I loved this story!

This fake dating/forced proximity romance was adorable. The families of the MCs were such an integral part of why this book is so enjoyable. Amerie's mother is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs. Vincent's family is amazing, even with the long-term tension they've been dealing with.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in the romance genre, especially readers who enjoy great families along with their MCs.

It's hard to imagine a fake romance trope between an event planner and an astronaut working . . . but it does here. Whether this book grabs your interest because you want a Black love story or because you want a modern take on "my lover is a sailor who is away for months at a time," Easton is able to get the reader to suspend disbelief long enough to fall for the characters. I've never met an event planner OR an astronaut in real life, so I can't speak to how realistic the descriptions were, but Amerie's obsession with her mother's chronic illness (sickle cell anemia) feels real, as does Vincent's inability to function within his family structure. No traumas are delved into deeply enough that the book becomes depressing, but it adds depth to the plot. So few people actually go to the moon that it remains a somewhat jarring choice throughout the narrative, but the love between the characters is so well-developed that it's hard to hold onto that concern. Absolutely recommend.

This was a super quirky and lovable read! I absolutely LOVE the fake relationship trope and this book did it justice. I also love space and anything astronaut so I immediately picked this book. I love all the little details it added to it.

My first initial reaction to this book is "AWWWWWWWWWW" and I stand by that reaction fully. I loved this book and I wish I could re-read it again for the first time. I could see this as a bookclub book at my library and I know my patrons will love this book as well.

Amerie (Mimi) Price has almost hit rock bottom: in the space of just a couple months, she nearly lost her beloved mother to chronic illness, she lost her job, and her boyfriend broke up with her. And though she's ready to kick off her own planning event business, she's struggling to get clients, and her rent has gone up so much that she has to find a new place to live. So when she bumps into a gorgeous guy at her favorite cafe and causes him to spill his coffee, it's just par for the course, right?

But the second time she runs into the same guy at the same cafe, she also runs into her ex, panics, and claims the hot guy -- Vincent -- as her new boyfriend. Vincent goes along with it, but when his sister overhears, Mimi and Vincent are caught in the lie and have to keep it going. Because as it turns out, Vincent is an astronaut who's off on a mission in a few months, and he has already claimed to have a girlfriend to get his mom off his case. So why not fake-date Mimi? And since she's in search of a new place to live, why not invite her to move into his spacious apartment?

This opposites-attract, fake-dating romance was the dose of serotonin I needed! Mimi's struggles felt all too real, but I really appreciated how she owned her mistakes and kept working hard toward her dream of running her own business, and her worry and frustration as an only child of a mother with severe health issues was one I could completely relate to. Vincent was a dreamboat from the start, with his obviously dazed and attracted reaction to Mimi, and every new facet he revealed made me like him even more. Other characters brought plenty of humor and support: Gina, Mimi's best friend; Camille, Vincent's sister, and her husband Lance; and both sets of parents.

Of course, you know from the start that they will find their HEA, but the journey to get there is what makes this book sing. From the forced proximity of living together leading to their getting to know each other, to the week spent with Vincent's family and feeling more pressure as a couple, Mimi and Vincent have to balance work, family, their individual personal baggage, and their growing attraction with the looming deadline of Vincent's launch -- and the potential end of their relationship. So when they reach their HEA, you know it's real.

A stellar debut from author Easton. 4 stars.

CW: death of a sibling, parental chronic illness and disability

Thank you, Berkley Romance and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

God I love fake relationship tales and I really dug this one. Down - like reeeaaally down- on her luck Amerie runs into her ex and his new flame at a coffee shop in Houston. That is, after she ran into and spilled coffee on astronaut (yep!) Vincent. To save face with the ex she pretends that Vincent is her boyfriend. Vincent is in need of a fake partner to get his mother off his back before he takes off for a moon mission. Poor dear. So he goes along with the ruse. Guess what happens next?

You can’t help but root for these two. They are real but also bewitching, quirky and so lovable. It doesn’t seem possible that Amerie, so scared of life and daredevil stuff, overcomes her greatest fears, taking a leap of faith to secure the relationship she wants with Vincent and at the same time taking a real live leap from a yacht (!) to physically get to him.

Both sets of parents, Vincent’s sisters and Amerie’s best friend are all the types we’d want in our families or friends group. We learn a little about about the moon and galaxies while Amerie and Vincent reach for the relationship stars - did I really just write that hokey sentence? Because it sure wasn’t the author of this book. She writes beautifully and enchantingly. This book was a solid 5 for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the story and I really felt like Vincent and Mimi had forever potential, which is always a wonderful note to end on.

All the sex scenes were cringe AF. Wishing the author had chosen fade to black.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.