3 stars - this book was cute and fun. I liked the premise and the chemistry between the characters. Some parts were a bit slow, and I wasn’t expecting the “fade to black” scenes which were a bit disappointing. Luis was a bit too macho for me, but otherwise I liked their relationship. I would recommend if you’re looking for something cute and breezy, and don’t mind the “fade to black” scenes!

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: Island Affair
Author: Priscilla Oliveras
Format: 🎧
Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩

Part of my Project NetGalley! This was cute. I enjoyed the location, the tropes, and was kept entertained. It did feel a little long at times and I think it would have benefited from a little editing. That being said, it was sweet and fun and just what I needed with all the snow and negative temperatures outside.

Highlights:
• Fake dating
• Navigating difficult pasts
• Set in Key West
• Family integration

This was a mediocre romance for me. I struggle a lot with instalove because I have a hard time believing the storyline and it’s also hard for me to find connection.
I don’t think there was anything in this story that I haven’t heard some version of before and I ended up speeding it up just to finish.

I wasn't able to read this before it was archived. Hopefully I will get a chance to read it in the future.

This was definitely not what I expected but I still enjoyed it. I picked this up as a “fluff”, no thinking beach read and it ended up going much deeper than that. I really liked the fake dating trope but I felt like there was no chemistry between the main characters. It still made me want to keep reading to find out what happened though. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

I read 30% of this book and I can't continue. There is something with the writing style that I am not clicking with. I also have no desire to pick it up. I have tried a few times to get more into it but the book is not drawing me in and it is putting me in a reading slump.

3.5 stars — This was definitely a cute romance, but in the end I was bummed with the hero’s refusal to look at his own issues until he really had no choice.

Luis has the nickname of “Saint Navarro”, and he’s definitely the kind of guy always trying to help others, which is admirable. I did appreciate his easygoing nature, and his passion for his hometown. But wow…the guy is stubborn. And has a bit of that toxic nature where he’s too proud to seek help or listen to the many people who love him who want to see him actually figure his shiznit out. Watching him ice out anyone who tried to address his issues was…NOT admirable. Honestly, even when Sara was talking to him about her OSFED, and asking him to trust her, he just wouldn’t say anything and I was disappointed in him.

Sara was a much more interesting heroine. She’s driven, but it comes from a different place than just ambition. My heart ached for the scars she had from childhood…I thought they were really interesting, because the hurts she suffered were not intentional, and I think so many of us can relate. I appreciated seeing her struggle to accept how her family had changed, and let down some of her walls — I think I would have been bummed if that had been easy, because it becomes habit after awhile. Basically her growth was very believable.

They were pretty cute together. I wasn’t blown away, but I did enjoy their teasing and banter. I was surprised that it was fade to black, but it worked okay for me.

I will say that I honestly don’t understand how they’ll make it work in the future. I would have liked an epilogue or something, because they didn’t address any of that long lasting stuff. Ah well, it is what it is.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this review copy. I unfortunately think I am not the audience for this romance novel. I was a bit confused in the beginning and really didn't care for the story at all. I wasn't interested in the characters but I did like the island vibe. I made it halfway through but DNF'd because it was just a bit slow for me. I'm not sure what was missing for me but I just think it's not for me.

2.5 stars.
It was supposed to be adorable and cute rom-com. But it felt sort of random and boring...
The main characters had no chemistry.

DNF
At this time, I'm no longer interested in this title. Thank you for the opportunity to read the book and I apologize for the inconvenience.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I really enjoyed this one! Fake relationships is one of my favorite romance tropes, and I feel like Priscilla Oliveras did a fantastic job with this love story. It wasn't just fluff -- it tackles some deep subjects (like Sara's eating disorder). Oliveras wrote two well rounded characters and gave them wonderful chemistry!

I will definitely be checking out the next book in this series!

Perfect beach read! I loved reading this during the winter because it felt like I was escaping away on vacation with the characters. Highly recommend for fans of Emily Henry.

I tried really hard to get into this book and it's completely possible it was just my mindset at the time. I can see myself enjoying Island Affair at a later date but right now, it just wasn't for me.

I say yes please to all the fake dating stories! I really enjoyed this book from the romance to the Key West atmosphere. I enjoyed the family dynamics and will definitely read the companion books.

Priscilla Oliveras writes such heartfelt and sentimental romances. She really captures big families with lots of love in them. Island Affair is a fake dating romance that's perfect to read by the pool. Oliveras writes such easy-to-consume romances with believable tension and attraction. Oliveras also delicately tackles a character in recovery for an eating disorder within this book.

this book got me. Fake dating during a family vacation, um yes please! Sara Vance is in recovery from an eating disorder and I think that was a little hard to read, having been in "recovery" from one myself. I felt like the characters were relatable and had fantastic chemestry!

Closed door, fake relationship in a beautiful place.
Good book to read on a sunny beach or snuggled under a blanket in the winter when you want an escape to a sunny locale.

Family dynamics, forgiveness of others, learning to move on after life’s obstacles.

CW - cancer, car accidents, off page deaths and eating disorders.

Read via audiobook.

I wanted to like this book - a romance in an island setting? Sounds perfect for the summer. However, the writing in this one... wasn't great. Phrases we used and re-used. If I have to read "the sensitive spot behind her ear" once more I may just quit reading. There were plenty of breaths characters didn't know they were holding (another pet peeve of mine) and constant references to her blue-green eyes. There was so much of the same description, it took away from the story.

Other issues I had: the whole set-up. Sara arrives in Florida, realizes her boyfriend isn't joining her for a family vacation and instead of just telling her parents that he was a loser and she can do better, decides to proposition a random guy? Seriously? And then the random guy just says yes? Honestly, this would have been better had it turned out to be a murder mystery because who does that? And not only does the random guy say yes, but then they are attracted to each other? But of course. This is so unbelievable, it's almost funny.

This is supposed to be a family vacation but the grandkids weren't invited? Odd. Minor, but odd.

And last, Sara's eating disorder. This was mentioned as her "big issue" and then discarded for most of the book. The family of someone with an eating disorder should not be pressuring her to eat all the time. Also, this isn't something that comes and goes when it is convenient for the storyline. If the author wanted to include an eating disorder to try to make this more than a fluffy storyline, it should have been present throughout. Talk of random "triggers" and vague references to a therapist is just minimalizing what people with eating disorders truly have to go through. If Sara, as she claims, attended inpatient therapy, this was serious, and her family should know better.