The Kiss Countdown

By: Etta Easton

Narrated by: Angel Pean

A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut.

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.

©2024 Etta Easton (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Sexy, humorous, and filled with witty banter, Etta Easton’s charming debut dazzles! Fans of the fake dating trope will absolutely love this book.”—Farrah Rochon, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Hookup Plan

“Etta Easton's The Kiss Countdown is a funny, fresh, and voicey debut that will keep you smiling--and swooning--until the very last page. I adored it!”—Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man

"Easton delivers a sparkling fake dating rom-com that is both delectably tropey and utterly believable...The Kiss Countdown is a tribute to unexpected romantic connections, crackling chemistry, and the value of family."—Entertainment Weekly

This had so much potential

The storyline and narrator were on point. But overall it’s a 3.5. To be 28, Mimi is a bit immature. The continued conniption fits she threw had me wanting to ground her. She was rude in the coffee shop, she was rude on the trail, she was rude at home, she was just rude. And this story could have truly been great.

The book I didn’t know I needed

This book gave me all the feels! It was a beautiful yet sizzling romance that had me cheering for the couple from the start. It’s funny, relatable, and not nearly as predictable as I thought. This book will make any skeptical single woman believe that there’s hope. Vincent is an amazing character who makes you love him from the start and the chemistry between him and Amerie is intense! Loved it!

Great read

The cutest love story. I enjoyed the storyline and the ending of the main characters

Love a good fake dating romance

This is a fun listen. The characters are relatable and I love that this book was family centered.

The Cabin Stay Made me feel all cozy

I loved this book and the characters (hopefully we get a sequel) I just wish the climax had been a little bit different is all.

Such a great storyline!

I was obsessed with this story! So many good twists and turns! It was a great display of black family dynamics. And the black love was everything!

Happy Ever After

I enjoyed this story. The pretending to real love is always a good one. The characters were endearing. The narration was on point. I highly recommend it.

A fun romp

A very cute, fluffy read where an astronaut and an event planner fake date. There wasn’t too much depth to the story but I had a really great time reading this book. There romance was very sweet but did seem to happen quite fast in terms of timeline and without Vincent’s POV I was left wondering which parts were for the fake dating plot and which parts were his real feelings coming through. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted, good time!

good plot

I like books like this, not too spicy either!
Spicy level out of 5 id say a 3.

Shooting for the Stars

This was such a refreshing listen. From the characters to the voice actor/actress I could not help but find myself smiling, laughing, and crying with the characters. The slight nods to things important to me growing up in Houston and references to universities that I have ties to or have attended l, this book brought me a lot of joy. Well done! I look forward to other offerings from this author and hopeful this voice actor!