📣 a sweet contemporary that will have you cheering on the vice principal FMC ✏️

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 if you could join an outer space simulation, would you do it? I think I would, if the reward was big enough 🤣.

What’s Brianna Rogers to do when her shady boss takes away the funding her school’s decrepit library needs? Join a Mars simulation with the teachers that work under her, of course!

I’m not sure how often/if ever this premise would happen IRL, but it makes for a clever mix of high & low stakes in this contemporary romance. None of the people that Vice Principal Brianna is on the simulation with are in real danger, but in some ways, it’s still stressful when they get themselves into bad situations 🤣.

& oh boy, the move Brianna pulls against MMC Roman when the shit hits the fan is such a boss move. I loved it.

The Love Simulation is a sweet & satisfying contemporary with some steam that also highlights the struggles one might have if they feel mediocre in a family of high achievers. If you’re looking for some space-related romance, check this one & The Kiss Countdown out!

4 ⭐️. Out 03/04.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

This was a really cute read and if you love forced proximity and romcoms you will enjoy this one. This book follows the fmc who is the voice principal of their middle school as she struggles with a job that she loves and the school's principal. The fmc has a crush on the principal son who is also a teacher in the school but has all the professional boundaries put in between her and all the teachers in the school. They both participate in a space simulation where they are forced into a tight space with a few other teachers to earn money for a new library.

I really liked the school/teacher plot, and I found the struggles of the FMC very relatable in regards to her job. I thought the space simulation aspect to be very cool as well. I like that this author always has a space-related aspect to her books. The romance was cute and a slow burn. I enjoyed both characters but I wanted more in the romance aspect. They had very cute moments but there was a bit of miscommunication and it felt a bit surface level. It was still a cute and steamy read when they got together. Thanks to Berkley for this arc for an honest review.

The pacing was good and the side characters were well developed – I think if you're a teacher, you'd probably really enjoy this book. However, I struggled a bit with this one. There just wasn't enough tension, the "enemies to lovers" was a stretch at best, and some of the dialogue was cheesier than a Hallmark movie. I had a hard time buying into the story. Love the cover, though, for what it's worth!

More Black STEM LOVE from Etta Easton. I loved this follow up to her debut. It was so good, soft and cozy with the perfect amount of pining and mutual admiration that I love from MCs.

This is a lovely second book in the series! And I really appreciate the inclusion of Brianna being a success but still feeling like there was a lot more to do. It felt very appropriate for a lot of us in our late-twenties/early-thirties, and having to manage both those feelings and an 'inappropriate' relationship with someone. The book had a good story arc and the characters were engaging, so it was both a quick and highly enjoyable read.

The Love Simulation is such a fun new twist on the forced proximity trope! I really enjoyed watching Brianna and Roman learn to trust each other and see their struggle to have a personal and professional relationship without crossing any ethical boundaries.

Brianna's love for books is something that I think a lot of readers will relate to. Would I go to pretend mars for a new library? Maybe? Depends on how needed and nice... I also think readers will relate to Brianna's struggles with finding the right career she is passionate about. You can know what you love and still struggle to find the correct job.

This is a story that focuses more on Brianna's development. It might have been fun to see Roman's POV and how he grew over the story but it would have been tricky with this story so I understand why Etta Easton chose not to include it.

3.5/5

"The Love Simulation" by Etta Easton is the follow up to 2024's "The Kiss Countdown" by the same author. These books are interconnected standalones so you can enjoy this book without having read The Kiss Countdown. The Love Simulation follows Brianna, a vice principal at a middle school that is in desperate need of a new library. Brianna is invited by Jordan, one of the teachers at her school, to take part in a Mars simulation that can win them money for the school. After reluctantly agreeing to participate, she learns that Roman, a teacher and son of the principal who has been a pain in her side all school year, is also participating. Brianna can't shake this feeling that Roman has been sent to sabotage the mission but she ends up falling for him anyway. I found the story to be cute but I think this slow burn was too much of a slow burn for me. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll likely still enjoy this one!

There is so much to love in Etta Easton's sophomore novel, The Love Simulation. Public school educators, a Mars simulation, a mission to fund the school's outdated library, and of course, the totally off-limits, forced proximity, will-they-won't-they, FMC and MMC. Interspersed with warmth, spice, and humor, this is a cozy little romance that might even having you learning a thing or two about life in space.

I'm a high school educator myself, so I jumped at the chance to read a romance between a science teacher and vice principal. Etta did not disappoint! I'll admit I don't know a ton about astronauts and some of their terminology, but it wasn't overly complicated to understand. Brianna is so fiery and passionate about her mission to save the school library and I admired her determination. You get a lot of Brianna's internal dialogue about how badly she wants this man, but I didn't mind. The banter was fun and there were multiple laugh-out-loud moments. This was overall a super cute, somewhat nerdy in the best way romance and I gained some knowledge along the way! There were some deeper topics discussed so be sure to read warnings if needed.

The mission: save the school library!

Brianna Rogers knows she tends to jump into things, but she can’t resist a fight for what she believes in—especially when the school principal cancels the library upgrade she’s been working toward and decides a football field is more important. Her solution? Sign up for a Mars simulation over the summer to try and win the funding.

With an astronaut brother, she figures she’s got this under control…until Roman Major, the principal’s son and surprise addition to the team, shows up.

If you’re a fan of romance with a side of space adventure, this one’s a blast!

Brianna’s fiery determination and her undeniable chemistry with Roman make for some laugh-out-loud moments and plenty of swoons. From their witty bickering to those slow-burn moments that had me grinning, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

The story is a fun, heartfelt journey about two people navigating ambition, attraction, and, yes, even simulated Mars drama—all for the love of a library.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this free ARC

I was lucky enough to win a copy of THE LOVE SIMULATION by Etta Easton in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe holiday season!

Cute romcom with tons of science-y aspects! For lovers of space + romance!

What’s to love…
- Educator FMC + STEM educator MMC
- did I mention STEM - I love a science-y novel
- interconnected standalone
- Bookish book (I mean the whole point is to get money for the library!)
- forced proximity
- family forward story and characters

What I didn’t love…
- she’s obsessed with him from the jump (that’s never gonna be a favorite for me) - and we spend a lot of time with her internal thoughts regarding how obsessed with him she is…
- the rivals aspect of this is a lot more miscommunication than actual rivals and it makes the stakes pretty low

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was cute! I loved the fact that the FMC was an assistant principal and her love interest a teacher at the school (I am an educator so that immediately pulled me deeper into the story).

There were some moments where I got a little bored with the simulation details but overall it was a cute story!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

This is another sweet, spicy read from Easton, and I liked it just as much as The Kiss Countdown, to which it is a sequel (but could probably be read as a standalone). The characters are engaging as is the premise (I love the idea of a Mars survival simulation) and the humor and warmth aren't overshadowed in dealing with more complex and unhappier subjects. I'll be keeping Easton on my radar for sure!

For sensitive readers, this novel contains depictions of neglectful parenting, workplace harassment, graphic sexuality, and references to grief and trauma.

Reading The Kiss Countdown, and seeing the siblings interact absolutely made me want more of them! This book gave me everything I wanted and more regarding Brianna. The semi-focused unsure sister, still trying to figure things out felt so personal and i absolutely loved reading her journey. I can’t wait to read more for Etta!!

Brianna is a vice-principal who still hasn't found her real calling in life, but tiptoes around her interest for Roman, a teacher at her school and the principal's son. When they are thrown unexpectedly together in a NASA funded Mars simulation, Brianna has to decide whether Roman is telling the truth about his motivation - to help her complete the simulation and win funding for her struggling school.
This cute he likes only her story has a unique but creative premise to bring the leads together.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so this one was kind of a letdown for me. I'm really not into "instalove" as a trope, so when they were basically into each other from the start it just wasn't my vibe. I love Etta Easton's writing style, so I read until the end, but I just wish I could have seen more tension and growth between the two.

When a much-needed library renovation fund is reallocated for a new football field, VP Brianna struggles to find a way to help her students while the school's principal tries his best to thwart her. When a teacher proposes a contest that involves living in a space simulation for 6 weeks, Brianna agrees to participate as long as the money goes to the library reno. She never expected for her crush and potential nemesis Roman (the son of the principal) joins the expedition. Can the teacher pull together to complete the simulation and save the library?

This book was funny, with charming characters, a great STEM element and libraries. This is the first book I've read by Etta Easton, it will not be the last.

I’m still reeling from how much I loved this book! Brianna and Roman are absolute dynamite together. Their bickering, heated moments, and those unexpectedly tender scenes had me flipping pages faster than I could read. Watching Brianna and Roman navigate their fierce attraction while facing their own personal dilemmas was incredibly captivating. The emotional depth of their connection, combined with the steamy romance, made this book impossible to put down.