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A review by atreegrowsinbooks
The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
emotional
funny
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
4.0
I love how Etta Easton writes her female main characters. They are smart and funny, strong and successful, but are also real people who aren't perfect. I appreciate that she doesn't write them as whinny. I loved Easton's first book, The Kiss Countdown, so I had high hopes for this one.
You can definitely tell that the tv show "Abbott Elementary" is an inspiration for the main characters Brianna and Roman (I also recommend watching that show, it's great!). The premise of the Mars simulation was silly, but I enjoyed the silly. It was nice to see Brianna open up and get closer to everyone in the group during the simulation, not just Roman. I also enjoyed that we got to see Brianna's desire and want for Roman. I also wanted to get Roman's POV, but it worked as a single POV.
The 3rd act breakup, while you kind of see it coming, still feels genuine which is nice. Most often those don't feel real, so I appreciate when it makes sense for the story.
Overall loved Brianna's and Roman's love and enjoyed the character growth for Brianna, but wished we could have gotten more from Roman. I didn't love this book as much as The Kiss Countdown, but I love fake dating over all other tropes (but forced proximity is still one I enjoy too). This still was a successful storyline and one I would recommend :)
I will for sure be reading anything that Easton writes in the future!
You can definitely tell that the tv show "Abbott Elementary" is an inspiration for the main characters Brianna and Roman (I also recommend watching that show, it's great!). The premise of the Mars simulation was silly, but I enjoyed the silly. It was nice to see Brianna open up and get closer to everyone in the group during the simulation, not just Roman. I also enjoyed that we got to see Brianna's desire and want for Roman. I also wanted to get Roman's POV, but it worked as a single POV.
The 3rd act breakup, while you kind of see it coming, still feels genuine which is nice. Most often those don't feel real, so I appreciate when it makes sense for the story.
Overall loved Brianna's and Roman's love and enjoyed the character growth for Brianna, but wished we could have gotten more from Roman. I didn't love this book as much as The Kiss Countdown, but I love fake dating over all other tropes (but forced proximity is still one I enjoy too). This still was a successful storyline and one I would recommend :)
I will for sure be reading anything that Easton writes in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Sexual content