3.5 ⭐️

a super cute read! a vice principal hellbent on winning money to update their school’s library & a teacher who’s dad is the principal who pulled the library funding in the first place, spend their summer in a mars simulation to win the prize money.

I loved the premise & the characters themselves, it just felt too insta-lovey for me. the attraction was instant and then then they were confessing their feelings after they were mean to each other for the first 1/3 of the book??? I really did love Brianna and Roman as characters, and the other teachers who joined them in the simulation were SO fun!

would still recommend if you like a more insta-lovey, rom-com feel with forced proximity and a super fun concept! Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

The Love Simulation stands alone, but I found it nice to have read The kiss Countdown about her brother, Vince, the astronaut. A few scenes from that are referenced, and we get to know Brianna's family there.

Brianna is a vice principal and has advocated for money to be spent on upgrading the school library. The principal instead reallocates the money to a middle school athletic field. And his son, Roman, seems to be working with him against Brianna.

The story felt as much focused on the Mars simulation and the efforts for the library as on the romance. My favorite aspects were learning about what the simulation experience included. And of course, I was thrilled to see the emphasis on valuing a well stocked school library where all kids can find books about kids who look like them.

For me, the romance was fine. But the pacing felt a little off, with some parts being quite slow and others being too quick. Relatedly, I would have preferred more chapter breaks. One chapter was more than an hour long in the audio format. Other chapters were much shorter.

Sisi Aisha Johnson narrated the 10 hour audiobook. I loved her narration. I found myself switching to the audio format to enjoy her performance. I was especially impressed with her voicing of Roman.

4.5 stars rounded up

I wanted to love this book. The premise of passionate educators competing for money to fund a school library was one that speaks to me. Unfortunately, The Love Simulation just didn't hit for me.

There's nothing wrong with it, per se. The writing is tight and there were plenty of moments that gave me a chuckle. This is really a case of "it's not you, it's me." I struggled to connect with the main character, Brianna. Despite being in her early 30s and having experience as a high school guidance counselor turned vice principal, Brianna lacked the maturity I would expect for someone in either of those positions.

In addition, while I found her insistence on maintaining a professional distance from the teachers she supervises during the school year believable enough, when she carried that insistence on remaining aloof into the Mars simulation, I just couldn't relate. These were people she had to live with in a confined space for six weeks and who she would need to depend on for her simulated survival. If there were ever a time to put that professional distance aside enough to become friends with people, the simulation seems like the time to do it. However, as someone who is self-employeed in a field where I don't need to supervise others, I'll be the first to admit my inability to identify with Brianna is most likely because I don't have a comparable frame of reference.

I also found the characters of Angie and Jordan annoying for various reasons. During the simulation, Jordan - who is supposed to be the team leader - is, by turns, overbearing or ineffectual. Angie spends all of her time in the simulation complaining that she should be on summer vacation (never mind the fact that she volunteered to be part of the project) and refusing to eat any of the food provided, opting to subsist on snacks she packed in her luggage instead. I think if I'd been in Brianna's shoes, I would have sabotaged their space suits within the first week.

Ultimately, I struggled to finish the book. That being said, I do think other readers will love it. If you enjoy contemporary romance, prefer something with low spice, and you're looking to diversify your reading, the author and all of the characters are Black, so this would be a good addition to your TBR. The Love Simulation might not be my cup of tea, but Etta Easton could very well be someone else's new favorite author. I hope other readers will check out her website and enjoy her work.

One thing I really love about Etta is her writing, no doubt about it. I was hoping to really love this, I think it started off extremely funny and quirky. I love the this idea was very unique. A Mars Stimulation with your crush and workplace boundaries!? Oh wow! But like with the first book, this was okay. I do believe if we got Roman’s POV sprinkled throughout it would have been even better! Thank you Berkeley for the ARC!

Summer break from school brings Brianna, a vice principal, and Roman, a science teacher, together in a friendly competition. Sparks fly between them, but Brianna’s determination to win casts a shadow over their budding romance. If she succeeds, she’ll secure a much-needed library upgrade for their school. However, Roman has his own plans for the school’s future. As the competition unfolds, an enemies-to-lovers dynamic emerges, testing their resolve and challenging their perceptions of each other.

This entertaining story is filled with delightful protagonists, engaging banter, and just the right amount of humor. The attraction between Brianna and Roman is undeniable, and the story unfolds as a slow-burn romance. But the contest itself—a Mars Simulation—adds an element of intrigue and keeps things interesting. The school environment serves as a captivating backdrop for their journey. In all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to end.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton is the perfect he-falls-first workplace adjacent rivals to lovers story. Brianna is a vice-principal who just wants to get a library remodel built after the old library was partially destroyed. Her principal is trying to get her out by any means necessary to get his son (Roman) the job so he uses the money assigned to the library remodel to a new football field. To keep her word, Brianna decides to participate in a reality show competition that would pay for the remodel with some of her colleagues who are there for their own reasons. Roman shows up out of now "Houston, we've got a problem" because she just knows he is there to sabotage her so he can get her job. However, not everything is at seems and they start developing a friendship that could easily turn into more.

Okay so I loved this book. This book reminded me of the book "The Martian" in a "what if this was a love story?" sort of way. I thought the book was fast paced and the characters were very lovable. I also really liked that Brianna was trying to keep her professional boundaries as much as she could while also integrating herself into the group. I also loved the end of the simulation which might be a controversial take, I don't know but it made a lot of sense. Basically, if you like a closed door rivals to lovers story I think you will really like this book!

Tropes: workplace adjacent, rivals to lovers, he-falls-first

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, and Etta Easton for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC!

Read this book! If you do nothing else please read this book! It is cute, fun, dramatic, and an all around good time. Our main characters Brianna and Roman are workplace colleagues that join a Mars simulation to win money for their school’s library. It is a workplace, forced proximity trope that is so fun to watch play out. The characters felt real and were full of life and I completely understood their emotions during the simulation. The author also paid special attention to the details of what it’s like on Mars which made it feel realistic to what they were dealing with.
With the relationship between Roman and Bri I loved watching them in their mutual pining and having it flourish into more during the simulation. There was obviously distrust on Bri’s side which made sense since Roman’s dad was horrible and her boss. However I felt the third act break up was a bit unnecessary. It was great for drama but I personally don’t like third act break ups even though in this case it made sense. I would have loved to see how they handled their relationship at work but the ending was still cute and satisfying. This was a great book and I definitely recommend it to everyone!

Etta Easton does it again! She stole our hearts with The Kiss Countdown—a fake dating romance between a Black astronaut and a struggling party planner. Now, she’s back with The Love Simulation, keeping the space vibes alive but adding a fresh twist that had me hooked.

This time, we’re following Brianna Rogers, a vice principal who is fed up. She’s sick of watching school funds disappear into football fields while the library gets left behind. So, what does she do? She signs up for a Mars simulation competition, where the winning team gets a major cash prize—one big enough to finally fund the library her students deserve.

But plot twist—Roman Major (yes, that Roman), the moody science teacher and son of the very principal she’s beefing with, joins the simulation last minute. These two have always had tension—some hot, some icy cold—and now they’re stuck in a fake Mars colony, forced to work together. And let’s just say, the chemistry? Undeniable.

Easton gives us banter, tension, and forced proximity done right. Brianna and Roman’s dynamic is full of fire, and the stakes? High. If you loved the mix of science, romance, and Black excellence in The Kiss Countdown, you’re gonna eat this one up.

So, if you’re into STEM romance, forced proximity, and a love story that’s literally out of this world, The Love Simulation needs to be on your TBR. Because one thing about Etta Easton? She delivers every time.

ETTAAAAA, I was not prepared for your pen game!

Hey world, I loved this book and will absolutely be reading The Kiss Countdown at some point. Let’s talk about why this was everything.

Brianna is a high-spirited vice principal who just wants to make her school better, but the principal is shutting her down at every turn. To make things worse, he is actively trying to push Brianna out of her position so his son—who just so happens to be her love interest—can take her job. See how it is already getting messy? But that is not even the main plot.

A group of teachers enters a six-week Mars simulation to raise money for the school library, and to Brianna’s surprise (or let’s be real, not surprise), Roman shows up. So now they are stuck together for six-ish weeks, and let me tell you, this is how you do forced proximity. Things unfold, tension builds, and they fall in love in the cutest way. Like, this man made paints for her. I think about that very often.

This book was so much fun, and I was fully invested. If you love forced proximity, workplace drama, and romance with heart, you need to read this.

Etta Easton is 2/2 with me. The Love Simulation was so sweet, I might have a cavity. I was fully engaged in the story from page one and I stayed engaged until I reached the end. I thought the workplace, light enemies-to-lovers vibes were perfect, add in the forced proximity and you have the ingredients for a great romance. Brianna was funny and frustrating, I think I enjoyed her loosening up the most. Roman is so swoon and I could tell from the beginning that he was smitten with the Vice Principle. There was just the right amount of tension in this one as well. I do have to say that I would have LOVED to hear from Roman, just a chapter or two but that’s the only thing I would change about this one!!! Thanks to Berkley for the ARC, all thoughts and feelings are my own.

I wanted to like this book - I really did. I like STEAM books, and particularly love spacy things. That said. Ugh.

Brianna and Roman were fine on their own, but I just did not buy their "romance." There was no chemistry, and their whole relationship just seemed so shallow. Nothing connected them deeply beyond the plot, and there were really no conflicts or stakes. The "conflict" comes from miscommunication (my least favorite trope).

I did love the Mars simulation setting, though. 10/10 for setting.

The plot revolves around Brianna, a vice principal, and Roman, a science teacher, who unexpectedly end up competing together in a space-themed competition. Brianna has always kept her crush on Roman in check, maintaining professional boundaries. But with six weeks stuck together in the competition, will she be able to stick to those boundaries?
This was such a cute read and I loved the backdrop setting it’s different than the traditional setting.

This book was cute. Loved the banter between characters, loved the sibling connection and appreciated all side character personality.

3.5/5 ⭐
.5/5 🌶️

Cute sophomore read! This was a unique setting for an enemies to lovers plot. The simulation narrative was fun and I guess a lot less predictable than I anticipated. It was also a creative forced proximity scenario that didn't bring the ending we expected!

Overall, I enjoyed watching their friendship grow but feels we skipped a bit of depth in them falling for each other. I would have loved to see Roman a bit more vulnerable and Bri to have a bit more self assurance.

Thank you #netgalley and #berkley for the ARC!

This is a story that hit me in my core as it hit on many things that are not only important to me, but many of the struggle Brianna had are ones that I have experienced. When I can relate to a character, it makes the book that much more impactful. I think what I loved most about this was how real that Roman and Brianna's story was. There are times when you can read a romance book and everything is so obvious, I never expected the twist that came in this one and it was handled with absolute perfection. I'm excited to go back and read The Kiss Countdown.

DNF @42%

Absolutely nothing is happening with the romance. Unless you count everything the main character makes up in her head.

The Love Stimulation was such a fun surprise! The characters had amazing banter, and the tension between them kept me flipping pages. The balance of heartfelt moments and spice was just right, making this an addictive read. If you love cute romance, this one’s a must read!

This was such a cute, cozy read! It was on my radar because Etta Easton's The Kiss Countdown was one of my favorite books of 2024. Being a woman in STEM who has always dreamt of going to space camp and considers Dr. Mae Jemison one of her heroes, I knew that I had to read this. Brianna being the boss Vice Principal that she is aims to saves the school's library by competing to win a prize in a Mars simulation. There's one small thing, Roman, the son of her arch nemesis and boss, also comes along for the ride. But can she trust him? Once she sees him shirtless, can we even trust her to make the right decision?! Listen, I might not trust myself. LOL
I thought Brianna was delusional the entire time. (My bad girl.) I also wanted to see more of their interactions to understand why they were a match. It felt very much like instalove until I saw more in the last 20% of the book. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this little rom com. I look forward to reading whatever Easton writes next. Bonus points if it's science related too. Can we get Angie's story?

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton is a rom-com set against the backdrop of a Mars simulation. In this story we follow Brianna Rogers, a vice principal determined to win a grant for her school's new library, and Roman Major, a science teacher who complicates her plans. Easton's writing is engaging, with well-paced humor and heartfelt moments that make the characters relatable and endearing. The tension between Brianna and Roman, coupl.ed with the unique setting that they find themselves in, makes the romance in this story all the more enjoyable. This is a fun and heartwarming read that explores themes of ambition, teamwork and unexpected love. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an out of this world romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkely, and the author for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion. These thoughts are my own.

I so badly wanted to love this one as much as I loved this author's debut, but it unfortunately did not hit as hard for me.

Starting with what I did love: the setting. I thought it was such a fun spin on the forced proximity trope, and honestly would have loved to see more of the tasks and the overall vibes of the simulation explored. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters at the beginning. What can I say, I sometimes love the angst that comes from a misunderstanding of feelings like that.

As for Brianna, I loved and was frustrated by her in equal measure. I had so much respect for her dedication to improving her school's library, and I enjoyed her dynamic with her students. And watching her learn to build friendships with her colleagues was so wonderful. At the same time, I was *so* annoyed with how the third act conflict was handled. While I think it was warranted that Brianna be upset with Roman for not telling her the truth, by the end of the story he apologized, and I would have liked to see Brianna do more to apologize for what she did in the third act. The way that conflict unfolded gave me such an upsetting feeling, I just wish it had been handled and/or resolved differently.

Would I recommend this one? I don't know. On the one hand, there is a lot of things to enjoy about this story. On the other, there are some aggravating elements that make it hard for me to wholeheartedly recommend it.