The Kiss Countdown
by Etta Easton
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Reviewed by PJ
Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie's favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.
Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, 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. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he's exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she'll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.
PJ's Thoughts:
I'm a total pushover for a fake dating trope and this one was a delight. First of all, he's an astronaut? Yes, please! Okay, so maybe not in real life. Like Amerie, I'm a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to certain things like heights, twisty mountain roads, and, oh, I don't know, waving farewell to your beloved as he soars to the moon?!? But, I'm getting ahead of myself. First we have to get these two together.
Easton has crafted a fun, relatable, slow-burn romance that had me jumping into this unexpected relationship with both feet. From the coffee shop meet cute, through meeting the family, to a fake engagement, the breakup, and the reunion, these characters kept me by their side, cheering them on and flipping pages from beginning to end. I enjoyed the exploration of Amerie and Vincent not only through their one-on-one journey but through the interactions with their families as well. Those family dynamics were spot on with the parents and siblings so well developed that I felt like I had actually met them in real life.
While the romance between Vincent and Amerie is a slow burn, I felt the chemistry between them from the start. The banter between them sparkles even before they begin to catch feelings. Once that starts, we begin to delve a bit deeper into what makes each of them tick, revealing their vulnerabilities, fears, hopes, and more. I love how smitten Vincent was and how hard he tried to hide it. It takes Amerie longer to overcome her fears but once she does, she goes after her man in grand style. It's all about facing our fears.
If you're looking for a fun romance filled with laughter, family, slow-burn romance, one very sexy astronaut, a ride-or-die girlfriend, and a heroine you might just want to be besties with (I did), pick up a copy of The Kiss Countdown. It's sure to make you smile.
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Have you read a romance with an astronaut hero?
Would you go into space?
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, April 26 will receive a print copy of The Kiss Countdown.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
I am never going up in space - EVER! It is amazing that they ever find anyone who will jump into a tin can and say "yes of course shoot me off into space - can't wait" ! I do not remember reading a book which included an astronaut. I do believe that any romance with an astronaut as hero would be interesting. I believe that they are heroic to the nth degree. We live in a world where certain people are heroic and we sort of take them for granted. But, aren't we lucky those heroic people exist for us? I watched on 9/11 when policemen and firefighters ran into the Towers when the normal reaction would be to run as far away as you can go. Aren't we lucky there are heroes among us? Thanks for the review and the introduction to a new to me author.
ReplyDeleteI read "A Cosmic Kind of Love" by Samantha Young... really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any books with an astronaut hero or heroine. Now that my kids are adults, I would absolutely go into space!
ReplyDeleteI have read A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young and also Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. The hero and heroine in Ali's book are actually engineers working for NASA. I would never go into space! I've always gotten motion sickness, besides being a scaredy-cat! Thanks for the review, PJ!
ReplyDeleteI have seen an astronaut crew close up, but never met one personally. We were at Edwards AFB when Sally Ride landed there. It was not the planned landing site, so all the dignitaries and press were at the original site. They put out a call on base for anyone available to show up to welcome them back. We had a front row seat.
ReplyDeleteMy husband said he would take the opportunity to go into space, but I wouldn't. I'm not that much of a risk taker.
Forgot I was on my laptop and it doesn't post my name, Patricia B., for this and the above comment.
DeleteWhat a cute premise! I have some of Emma Barry's series on my TBR, but haven't had a chance to read them yet! As for whether I would go... maybe? It isn't something I have a strong desire to, but I imagine it would be fascinating!
ReplyDelete--flchen1
I haven't read a romance novel with an astronaut. I would love to since it is fascinating and new for me. I would not go into space as i have bad motion sickness and vertigo. So many who have say it is amazing and unforgettable. I am sure that it is unbelievable and you never forget that experience.
ReplyDeleteNo I would not like to go to space.
ReplyDeleteI’ve really enjoyed Emma Barry’s astronaut romances, so this sounds right up my alley, thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI would not go into space because I have a fear of the bone density loss that comes without gravity haha