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.

Critic reviews

An Amazon Best Romance of the Month Pick!

“Filled with humor and heart. This is how you do fake dating.”—Rebekah Weatherspoon

“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

"Sweet and sexy — fake dating and close proximity are a stellar recipe for love."—NPR

"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

"In Etta Easton’s lovely debut, the struggling Houston event planner has three months before her new fake-boyfriend Vincent leaves the country...for outer space...This charming NASA-adjacent romance is certain to win Easton loyal fans."—Elle

“This book is perfect for lovers of positive representations of Black love. And, what’s cuter than an astronaut coupled with an event planner? Yes, opposites do attract in this fun read, indeed!”—Essence

“A sweet, sparkling love story unfolds in this debut novel written by Etta Easton!”—Woman’s World

"In her novel debut, Etta Easton plays out the fake-dating troupe to a t and hits this one out of the atmosphere…pun intended."—Daily Mom

"Easton has created unique and lovable characters and a clever setup in this sweet, funny, and spicy fake-dating romance.”—Booklist

“Easton takes her time building comfort and trust between the leads, making their love affair feel cozy and grounded, even as the plot around them moves at a fast clip. Easton is a writer to watch.”—Publishers Weekly

"Easton’s debut is perfect for readers seeking romance with excellent character development and STEM at its center. It’s a good read-alike for Denise Williams and Ali Hazelwood.”—Library Journal

“The space industry in Houston is a fun setting, though, leading to delightful space puns and general nerdery.”—Kirkus Reviews

Absolute delight!

I bookmarked Chapter 23, at the 8:06 mark too many times cos why was Vincent defusing all us so swiftly!
He’s so gentle with Mimi 🥹

“If you miss me, just say that…”
*Swoon*

New favorite

Loved this book! It has now become my new favorite. Slow burn but well worth the wait.

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.

So sweet, great space puns, hopeful!

Awww! This was really sweet. Fake dating and living together to help each other out. Slowish burn chemistry, family that loves each other very deeply. Astronaut and space puns.

Loved the narration, this was a good mix of romance, gradual buildup of strangers to fake dating to actual friendship to feelings to love.

Love a good fake dating romance

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