Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Kiss Countdown

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

10 reviews

bujo_bellel's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really liked this book, I loved learning more about Amerie and Vincent, I loved spending time with Vincent's family and I loved Gina and Amerie's parents. I really loved seeing the sparks fly between Amerie and Vincent and them slowly falling in love. I loved the scenes where they are at Vincent's family cabin and seeing Amerie slowly falling for him and his family being able to tell that they were in love even when they didn't really know. The fact that he saved his mother's wedding ring for her after what happened was so touching, the fact that his mother knew that she was the one and gave him the ring!! I'm glad that Amerie's career as a self-employed event planner is working out well, especially with her loyal customer from Johnson & Johnson and that she believed in her only and didn't want any of the other event planners. I liked reading about their family dynamics and how they also had conflict instead of being happy all the time. I'm glad that Amerie was able to heal Vincent's relationship with his family and that they were also able to get back together :)

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savannahsshelf's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

4.25⭐️ loved this so fun!! I really enjoyed this book and loved Vincent, loved the representation of Sickle Cell and Vitiligo. Loved that this was all about Black success and Black love without being tragic just overall a great read!

This being a debut is wild like I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

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booklovinmamas's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Etta Easton’s debut novel, The Kiss Countdown, is a delightful, fun, and sweet romance with a STEM theme. As a self-professed science geek, I was immediately drawn to this book. It also included one of my favorite tropes, fake dating, which is why I couldn’t pass it up.

The fake dating trope may always be predictable, but for this reader, it’s the way the characters meet, agrees to a fake date, and eventually realize they are in love with one another that always makes me love this trope. Etta Easton did a great job on her debut novel, making me fall hard for Amerie and Vincent and root for these two to become more.

The initial meeting between Amerie and Vincent was far from ordinary, with a coffee mishap leading to their first encounter. This unconventional start sets the stage for their journey of character development and growth, which I found particularly engaging to read about.

Amerie is a character who is going through struggles in life, but she is handling them, and she has Vincent there to help her, even when he first meets her and doesn’t know her well. Vincent is also going through struggles, but he is dealing with family issues. This is when the fake dating between Amerie and Vincent can help with one another’s struggles, and this is why these characters complement one another. They were destined to meet in that coffee shop.

The Kiss Countdown is a sweet, slow-burn romance that is full of tension and family drama that definitely kept me turning the pages. It is told solely from the FMC’s POV, which means you won’t get the MMC’s POV, but the way Etta wrote the story, you already know his feelings for the FMC through her POV and his actions. He was such a ‘Cinnamon Roll,’ and I loved him for it.

I give this book four stars, and I can’t wait to read more books from Etta Easton.

Trope(s)/Element(s):
🚀Fake Dating
🚀Forced Proximity
🚀Family Drama
🚀Astronaut Hero (Cinnamon Roll Hero, too)
🚀Event Planner Heroine
🚀Slow Burn Romance

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kimib79's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A cute fake dating, forced proximity romance. I was going to rate it higher, but the third act break up bullcrap made me dock it a half star.

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atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Flew through this so fast because it was so cute! Be still my heart.

I instantly loved the chemistry between Mimi and Vincent. It felt very real and kind of reminded me of Janine and Gregory’s chemistry from Abbott Elementary. The slow burn was 🔥

I think fake dating can be a trope that is difficult to come off as believable. And in this case, the reasonings actually seemed plausible. Their first meeting was absolutely adorable and their continued flirting was such a great slow burn.

The 3rd act conflict wasn’t my favorite but the characters explained themselves in a way that didn’t totally make me hate it.

Loved seeing Vincent be a confident black astronaut. I don’t think I’ve read a book with astronauts before or where a character has space knowledge. I related to the characters not having confidence in themselves and being anxious in certain situations. I enjoyed that Mimi wasn’t whiny and knew what she wanted out of her career.

I’m all for characters taking chances, owning up to their mistakes, and finding love with people deserving of it.

Overall really liked this book and will look for more from Easton in the future.

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karissabubble's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

🚀💗✨️ This was such a great read, with fake dating, funny astronomy puns, and a very sweet romance with reasonable doubts.
The romance between Amerie and Vincent was very sweet, and often funny too.
I absolutely loved the complexities of family relationships, loss, and fear.
For those who are wondering if it has 🌶....yes a little.
Although it was a bit rushed towards the last few chapters, I really did love it and wished for more!

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booknerderika's review against another edition

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lighthearted

4.0

This was a sweet rom-com and had me smiling throughout. There were some tropes I could do without (

3rd act breakup

), but aside from that it was a decent story. I don't have too much to say, I read this right after some heavy books so it was a much needed refreshing fun read.

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bookfortbuilder's review

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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bookishkellyn's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A fake dating scheme between two attractive people comes to a head when real feelings get involved and they fail to keep it player. It was cute but frustrating because the story is told entirely from Amerie’s point of view and fueled by her assumptions. Oddly enough, Vincent seemed more fleshed out. I was stumped by quite a few of Amerie’s decisions and reservations, especially when it came to Vincent who was such a complementary love interest. Despite my gripes, the author was in her rom-com bag with the chemistry between the characters (and the picnic scene).

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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An enjoyable fake dating romance. She needs a client list and a place to live, and he needs someone to play the girlfriend he told his mother he had. He's an astronaut with a moon mision coming up fast, and she's a disgraced event planner. What could possibly go wrong?

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the free electronic advanced reader copy.

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