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. 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 Etta Easton is a certified hopeless romantic who now writes contemporary romance. Her stories are full of humor, relatable heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and Black joy. She lives in Central Texas with her husband and two young kids. Chapter One Homeboy has ten seconds to divert his eyes from my ass before I lose it. Ten . . . nine . . . I face the pastry case filled with freshly baked donuts and scones, frowning at the reflection of the man behind me. I say homeboy, but in reality, he looks old enough to be my granddad, with his full gray mustache and a pair of reading glasses perched atop his shiny head. Like most patrons flooding Moon Bean this early, he wears a business suit with wide tan slacks and a black blazer that lends no credibility to his character. Not when he's eyeing my backside like it's one of the butter croissants on display. One. "This is my first time here. What do you suggest I get, sugar?" he says, close enough for his Brut aftershave to wrap me in a choke hold. Nope. We are not playing this game. Not today, when I'm already on edge, anticipating the meeting that will help launch my new beginning-or see it fail at groundbreaking speed. I whip my head around and glare, reaching deep into that ancestral pool of fortitude handed down from generations of resilient women who perfected the mess with me and die look. In two seconds he slides back to a respectable distance and r