4.5 stars (rounded up)! I really enjoyed this story. I love the rivals-to-lovers trope and the forced proximity. The story itself was pretty steady pacing and I found it was a really quick and easy read. I ended up finishing this book in two days.

The FMC was spot on when it comes to the youngest sibling and feelings of insecurities in my opinion. And I thought the MMC’s complicated relationship with his father was a good added layer. I liked the banter between the FMC and MMC. I especially loved the sister relationship between Brianna and Camille. I loved everything about that. I also truly felt for Camille who is trying to do it all being a mother myself. The twist with Roman and his father towards the end of the book was shocking and the scene where she locks him out felt like I was watching a movie. Great book!

This time around, we’re getting Brianna’s story who is Vincent’s sister from the first book. She has recently become a vice principal. The only problem is that she’s harboring a small crush on one of the teachers: Roman Major who is the son of the school’s principal. Did I mention that said principal has been making Bri’s life miserable for the entire school year?

The final straw comes when he allocates funds for library updates to build a new football field and Bri decides to take matters into her own hands. She ends up joining the team of teachers who are headed to a Mars simulation. The winners get a cash prize to be able to help out their school despite it taking place during their summer vacation.

At first, Bri is able to relax until Roman ends up replacing one of their teammates and she has a choice but to either ignore her feelings or confront them. The two end up tip-toeing around each other as the Mars mission is most important along with winning the money. However as the pool gets smaller, the two are unable to face their attraction any longer but it doesn’t come without its issues.

Honestly, the third-act conflict Etta Easton chose to add won’t be for everyone, but I loved it. I know why the characters made the choice they did and it was just delicious. While it’s slightly dramatic, it truly made me gasp and I can’t believe she did that. Frankly, it makes me respect Etta Easton all the more because making that choice couldn’t have been easy.

As much as I adored The Kiss Countdown, I can say that The Love Stimulation is even better and it’s clear Etta Easton is on the star path to becoming one of my favorite authors. I can only hope we get another book in this series in 2026.

This book was absolutely charming! I really enjoyed The Kiss Countdown, but I loved this one even more.

Brianna Rogers is known for acting on impulse, and when her school’s principal goes back on his approval for a much-needed library upgrade, she jumps into action. To raise funds, she joins a group of teachers participating in a six-week Mars simulation. Spending the summer with colleagues seems manageable—until a last-minute swap brings in Roman, her longtime crush, and the principal’s son, making things far more complicated than she expected.

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton is a beautifully written, Hallmark-style romance and the perfect way to ease into February after I have been knee deep in unhinged Urban Fiction.

Tropes & Themes: Forced proximity, workplace/forbidden romance, STEM, a touch of spice, and the ever-delicate balance between professional and personal boundaries.

FMC Brianna Rogers, a dedicated vice principal, is all about maintaining strict boundaries—until a series of unexpected events forces her into close quarters with Roman, the school’s charming science teacher. Their witty banter and undeniable chemistry had me grinning the whole way through!

While I loved the romance, I do wish the story had a dual POV. Since we only get Brianna’s perspective, Roman’s character depth felt a bit underdeveloped, leaving us to interpret his emotions and motives through her lens.

Beyond the romance, I really appreciated how the book tackled real issues—specifically, the importance of school libraries. Brianna’s passion for fighting to secure a much-needed library renovation, despite budget cuts favoring a state-of-the-art football field, resonated deeply. A Mars simulation challenge becomes her shot at securing funding, but it also means more one-on-one time with Roman… 👀

If you love rom-com-style romances with heart, humor, character growth, and just the right amount of spice (Brianna kept asking for "More" -iykyk), definitely pick this one up! I have The Kiss Countdown and definitely planning on reading it this month.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

#BookReview #TheLoveSimulation #EttaEaston #RomanceBooks #Bookstagram #ForcedProximity #WorkplaceRomance #STEMRomance #NetGalley #BooksWithHeart

If you’re into romance with a bit of tension, some fun competition, and a unique twist, The Love Simulation is definitely worth checking out! Brianna Rogers is a vice principal who’s determined to save her school’s library after the principal cuts the funding for it in favor of a football field. So, she jumps headfirst into a Mars simulation with a chance to win the prize money. But things get complicated when Roman Major, the handsome (and frustrating) science teacher and son of the principal, joins the team.

Their relationship has been full of ups and downs all year, and living in close quarters only makes things more intense. As they work together, Brianna finds herself falling for him, even though she’s not sure she can trust him. It’s a great mix of tension, chemistry, and a little bit of mystery. I couldn’t put it down!

This forced-proximity, workplace romance, in which a vice principal and the off-limits teacher she's attracted to both join a six-week Mars simulation, was...fine. Middling. Aggressively okay.

The premise was cute, but I had difficulty accepting that NASA would run a weeks-long residential experiment with virtually zero preparation requirements. I could have come to terms with this had the characterization been more robust. As it is, there's just not enough of a foundation for me to sympathize with Briana or to appreciate her insecurities. I mean, we get this refrain of her being "the token wild child" who doesn't live up to the high bar set by her siblings and whose job history is sort of all over the place, but none of it seems grounded in the text. Not only do we never see anybody compare her, unfavorably or not, to her older sibs, but the last time I checked, moving from classroom teacher to guidance counselor to vice principal was the opposite of sporadic.

Ultimately, The Love Simulation is a quick read that desperately needed stronger character development and more rigor put into establishing the STEM premise.

3.5 ⭐️

I loved that we got more space information in this book. That was something I really wanted in book 1. I loved the simulation aspect of the story line. It felt like a reality tv show but with out the unnecessary drama. I really feel like this book could have benefited from dual pov. Not having Roman’s inner thoughts was frustrating. There were moments where our FMC would pretend to know what he was thinking, as if they were having these telepathy conversations. It would have been more enjoyable to know his actual thoughts and feelings. Also only getting Bri’s thoughts really made my girl seem thirsty! There were so many times where I wanted to tell her to STAND UP! If those thoughts were reciprocated from Romans POV it wouldn’t have felt so one sided.

Overall I love this authors writing style. Something about this book gave me abbott elementary vibes and I loved that. 🥰 I would recommend to anyone who wants a fun sweet romance.

This book was so adorable and cute! I loved the first book in this series, "The Kiss Countdown", but I loved this one even more.

Brianna Rogers has a reputation for jumping into things without thinking. But when the principal of her school decides to rescind his approval for a library upgrade, Brianna decides to join a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation to win money for their school. 6 weeks with her co-workers who be hard, right? But when one of the teachers is replaced by Roman, her crush, and the principal's son joins them, things get complicated.

I can't say enough great things about this book. It's sweet, emotional, and fun. Etta does a great job of really crafting a beautiful arc for Brianna and the premise is just chef's kiss.

I highly recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!

This book was so cute!

Middle school vice principal Brianna joins several colleagues, including her sort-of-rival Roman, a closed-off science teacher, in a Mars simulation to compete for a prize that will fund a library remodel at their school. Roman's dad is the principal, who has been making Brianna's life miserable since she became the vice principal. When Roman joins the simulation crew, Brianna can't help but suspect that he intends to sabotage the tasks the team must complete to win the money.

Forced into close quarters and filmed on a 24/7 livestream, Brianna has to contend with the loneliness of keeping strict boundaries between herself and her coworkers and decide whether she will give in to friendship with them. As time goes on, she also has to contend with giving in to deeper romantic feelings for Roman.

I loved the high-stakes feel of this book without the stress of actually worrying about characters dying tragic deaths. Because they must complete spacewalks and missions during their Mars simulation, the team of educators must work together and risk "dying" (having to leave the simulation) by running out of oxygen, getting lost on the red planet, and dealing with frequent dust storms. I also loved how Brianna slowly opened herself up to friendships and personal connections with her colleagues in a way that was only possible because of their close quarters in the simulation.

This book is connected with Etta Easton's The Kiss Countdown, but can be read as a standalone.

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you enjoy tropes like forced proximity and work place romance this is the book for you. This novel was such a cute, fluffy romance that I enjoyed from beginning to end.

This was my first book from Etta Easton, but I’ve had the Kiss Countdown on my TBR for a while now. After reading The Love Simulation i will definitely be moving that novel up my TBR.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this digital ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PUB date: 3/4/25

I thoroughly enjoyed The Kiss Countdown and was thrilled to see Etta Easton release another STEM-centered romance. As a fan of space travel, a love story featuring astronauts was an instant must-read. While The Kiss Countdown could have delved deeper into NASA’s world, The Love Simulation does a better job immersing readers in the Mars simulation setting. Similar to The Kiss Countdown, this book delivers swoon-worthy chemistry and witty banter.
That said, the story follows familiar romance tropes and is fairly predictable for fans of the genre. Easton excels at crafting a dynamic and strong female lead with Brianna, though Roman’s character felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison. Despite this, The Love Simulation is a light, feel-good read that’s perfect for a quick escape.
Thank you to NetGallery and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#TheLoveSimulation #NetGalley

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free digital copy!

This story was cute! This concept of this story was unique with the workplace and force proximity being a Mars simulation they have to take part in for to get money for their school library.

I love the dynamics between the characters involved. I understood Brianna's struggle of feeling closed off and feeling like an outcast due to her position as vice principal. I'm glad we got to see her open up more with everyone due the simulation. I think the romance between her and Roman was cute and I loved seeing them open up more with each other over the few weeks they spent getting to know each other. Nothing felt ridiculous and forced to me. Her reservations made sense, but I also like how honest and clear she was about them. I also like how when their conflict did occur they didn't beat around the bush. They got straight to the issue, and even though the conflict wasn't resolved right away, I appreciated that there wasn't uncertainty that gave me anxiety. LOL

I loved the kiss countdown from this author, so when I saw that she was coming out with a second novel I immediately submitted a request to read this arc. Brianna and Rome were so super cute, I can't wait for others to be able to read this one.

I loved this book! It was so sweet. If you enjoy Hallmark-style rom-coms that blend romance with a bit of science and some scandal, I think you will really like this.

The story follows Breonna, a vice principal who signs up for a mission to a Mars simulation in hopes of winning money to remodel the library at her school. Along the way, she finds herself smitten with Roman, who happens to be the principal's son and one of the teachers at the school. I especially love the silent conversations they share and how in tune they are with each other, especially during their charades games. Angie is hilarious, and I’m hoping she gets her happily ever after. I loved the character development and emphasis on self-discovery.

Thanks so much to @berkleypub, @berkleyromance, and @acebookspub for the free book!

I just love reading Etta Easton books. It’s always the cutest romance books to read. And The Love Simulation will make your heart swoon!

Brianna and Roman may have had interest in each other for a while, but they never acted upon it until now. They are literally both stuck together while they do a crazy space experiment for their school. And it doesn’t help that Roman is her boss's (principal's) son. It’s a bit of a problem, especially since she is technically his boss as well since she is vice principal. It just makes their romance more forbidden and intense than anything.

My first romance read of the year and I so enjoyed it. This book was completely my speed with the mixture of romance, humor, yearning, and science. I love books with original plots (can't get more original than being stuck with your crush in a Mars simulation). This was such a joy to read, I was locked in the entire time I was reading, which is when you know a book is good. Bri and Roman are a couple that will stick with me for a while.

I had a lot of fun reading The Love Simulation, my first by Etta Easton. It was a quick and engaging romance, with a good amount of space mixed in (I personally could have used more about what it was like in this Mars simulation, but that might just be me!)

Brianna and Roman both work at the same school — Brianna’s the VP, a job that her Principal wish had gone to his son Roman instead. The book starts at the school, giving us a chance to see what Brianna’s work life is like, and we get to know a bit about her family, too. Then she’s invited to participate in a Mars habitat simulation as a chance to earn much needed money for her school’s library. Even though Roman wasn’t supposed to be in the simulation… he of course does wind up there.

I think the book was most fun once we actually got into the simulation, not only with Brianna and Roman but also the other teachers on the team. There’s some great exploration of that group dynamic and interesting characters to get to know. I would have loved more of Roman’s story, but it is a single POV with Brianna’s perspective.

I’ll be looking for more from this author!

Super cute romance between a teacher and a vice principal. It reminded me of Janine and Gregory from Abbott Elementary.
Their chemistry and romance was really cute and I really enjoyed it. I thought the concept of the space simulation was really cool and it was really unique. I love how passionate the characters are about their students too. There are a few moments where the communication wasn’t enjoyable but the story overall was really good! I do wish there was a little more background into the main characters individual struggles but I would definitely recommend if you want a fun and light romance about teachers who want to make a difference for their students.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this arc!

I can honestly say that even into chapter 17 I had a very hard time liking Brianna’s character. I understand she’s trying to find herself and has two very high achieving siblings however she kept reducing herself and her accomplishments so much that it felt like it was beginning to take over her personality. That aside the storyline was well written. I do wish that Roman’s character arch was a bit more flushed out. I wanted to know more behind his relationship not just with his dad but his mother too. It definitely left more to be said.

📣 a sweet contemporary that will have you cheering on the vice principal FMC ✏️

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 if you could join an outer space simulation, would you do it? I think I would, if the reward was big enough 🤣.

What’s Brianna Rogers to do when her shady boss takes away the funding her school’s decrepit library needs? Join a Mars simulation with the teachers that work under her, of course!

I’m not sure how often/if ever this premise would happen IRL, but it makes for a clever mix of high & low stakes in this contemporary romance. None of the people that Vice Principal Brianna is on the simulation with are in real danger, but in some ways, it’s still stressful when they get themselves into bad situations 🤣.

& oh boy, the move Brianna pulls against MMC Roman when the shit hits the fan is such a boss move. I loved it.

The Love Simulation is a sweet & satisfying contemporary with some steam that also highlights the struggles one might have if they feel mediocre in a family of high achievers. If you’re looking for some space-related romance, check this one & The Kiss Countdown out!

4 ⭐️. Out 03/04.

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