This book was so adorable and cute! I loved the first book in this series, "The Kiss Countdown", but I loved this one even more.

Brianna Rogers has a reputation for jumping into things without thinking. But when the principal of her school decides to rescind his approval for a library upgrade, Brianna decides to join a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation to win money for their school. 6 weeks with her co-workers who be hard, right? But when one of the teachers is replaced by Roman, her crush, and the principal's son joins them, things get complicated.

I can't say enough great things about this book. It's sweet, emotional, and fun. Etta does a great job of really crafting a beautiful arc for Brianna and the premise is just chef's kiss.

I highly recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!

This book was so cute!

Middle school vice principal Brianna joins several colleagues, including her sort-of-rival Roman, a closed-off science teacher, in a Mars simulation to compete for a prize that will fund a library remodel at their school. Roman's dad is the principal, who has been making Brianna's life miserable since she became the vice principal. When Roman joins the simulation crew, Brianna can't help but suspect that he intends to sabotage the tasks the team must complete to win the money.

Forced into close quarters and filmed on a 24/7 livestream, Brianna has to contend with the loneliness of keeping strict boundaries between herself and her coworkers and decide whether she will give in to friendship with them. As time goes on, she also has to contend with giving in to deeper romantic feelings for Roman.

I loved the high-stakes feel of this book without the stress of actually worrying about characters dying tragic deaths. Because they must complete spacewalks and missions during their Mars simulation, the team of educators must work together and risk "dying" (having to leave the simulation) by running out of oxygen, getting lost on the red planet, and dealing with frequent dust storms. I also loved how Brianna slowly opened herself up to friendships and personal connections with her colleagues in a way that was only possible because of their close quarters in the simulation.

This book is connected with Etta Easton's The Kiss Countdown, but can be read as a standalone.

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you enjoy tropes like forced proximity and work place romance this is the book for you. This novel was such a cute, fluffy romance that I enjoyed from beginning to end.

This was my first book from Etta Easton, but I’ve had the Kiss Countdown on my TBR for a while now. After reading The Love Simulation i will definitely be moving that novel up my TBR.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this digital ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PUB date: 3/4/25

I thoroughly enjoyed The Kiss Countdown and was thrilled to see Etta Easton release another STEM-centered romance. As a fan of space travel, a love story featuring astronauts was an instant must-read. While The Kiss Countdown could have delved deeper into NASA’s world, The Love Simulation does a better job immersing readers in the Mars simulation setting. Similar to The Kiss Countdown, this book delivers swoon-worthy chemistry and witty banter.
That said, the story follows familiar romance tropes and is fairly predictable for fans of the genre. Easton excels at crafting a dynamic and strong female lead with Brianna, though Roman’s character felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison. Despite this, The Love Simulation is a light, feel-good read that’s perfect for a quick escape.
Thank you to NetGallery and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#TheLoveSimulation #NetGalley

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free digital copy!

This story was cute! This concept of this story was unique with the workplace and force proximity being a Mars simulation they have to take part in for to get money for their school library.

I love the dynamics between the characters involved. I understood Brianna's struggle of feeling closed off and feeling like an outcast due to her position as vice principal. I'm glad we got to see her open up more with everyone due the simulation. I think the romance between her and Roman was cute and I loved seeing them open up more with each other over the few weeks they spent getting to know each other. Nothing felt ridiculous and forced to me. Her reservations made sense, but I also like how honest and clear she was about them. I also like how when their conflict did occur they didn't beat around the bush. They got straight to the issue, and even though the conflict wasn't resolved right away, I appreciated that there wasn't uncertainty that gave me anxiety. LOL

I loved the kiss countdown from this author, so when I saw that she was coming out with a second novel I immediately submitted a request to read this arc. Brianna and Rome were so super cute, I can't wait for others to be able to read this one.

I loved this book! It was so sweet. If you enjoy Hallmark-style rom-coms that blend romance with a bit of science and some scandal, I think you will really like this.

The story follows Breonna, a vice principal who signs up for a mission to a Mars simulation in hopes of winning money to remodel the library at her school. Along the way, she finds herself smitten with Roman, who happens to be the principal's son and one of the teachers at the school. I especially love the silent conversations they share and how in tune they are with each other, especially during their charades games. Angie is hilarious, and I’m hoping she gets her happily ever after. I loved the character development and emphasis on self-discovery.

Thanks so much to @berkleypub, @berkleyromance, and @acebookspub for the free book!

I just love reading Etta Easton books. It’s always the cutest romance books to read. And The Love Simulation will make your heart swoon!

Brianna and Roman may have had interest in each other for a while, but they never acted upon it until now. They are literally both stuck together while they do a crazy space experiment for their school. And it doesn’t help that Roman is her boss's (principal's) son. It’s a bit of a problem, especially since she is technically his boss as well since she is vice principal. It just makes their romance more forbidden and intense than anything.

My first romance read of the year and I so enjoyed it. This book was completely my speed with the mixture of romance, humor, yearning, and science. I love books with original plots (can't get more original than being stuck with your crush in a Mars simulation). This was such a joy to read, I was locked in the entire time I was reading, which is when you know a book is good. Bri and Roman are a couple that will stick with me for a while.

I had a lot of fun reading The Love Simulation, my first by Etta Easton. It was a quick and engaging romance, with a good amount of space mixed in (I personally could have used more about what it was like in this Mars simulation, but that might just be me!)

Brianna and Roman both work at the same school — Brianna’s the VP, a job that her Principal wish had gone to his son Roman instead. The book starts at the school, giving us a chance to see what Brianna’s work life is like, and we get to know a bit about her family, too. Then she’s invited to participate in a Mars habitat simulation as a chance to earn much needed money for her school’s library. Even though Roman wasn’t supposed to be in the simulation… he of course does wind up there.

I think the book was most fun once we actually got into the simulation, not only with Brianna and Roman but also the other teachers on the team. There’s some great exploration of that group dynamic and interesting characters to get to know. I would have loved more of Roman’s story, but it is a single POV with Brianna’s perspective.

I’ll be looking for more from this author!

Super cute romance between a teacher and a vice principal. It reminded me of Janine and Gregory from Abbott Elementary.
Their chemistry and romance was really cute and I really enjoyed it. I thought the concept of the space simulation was really cool and it was really unique. I love how passionate the characters are about their students too. There are a few moments where the communication wasn’t enjoyable but the story overall was really good! I do wish there was a little more background into the main characters individual struggles but I would definitely recommend if you want a fun and light romance about teachers who want to make a difference for their students.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this arc!

I can honestly say that even into chapter 17 I had a very hard time liking Brianna’s character. I understand she’s trying to find herself and has two very high achieving siblings however she kept reducing herself and her accomplishments so much that it felt like it was beginning to take over her personality. That aside the storyline was well written. I do wish that Roman’s character arch was a bit more flushed out. I wanted to know more behind his relationship not just with his dad but his mother too. It definitely left more to be said.

📣 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.