Rated 3.5 Stars

Island Affair is cute and sweet. I loved that family played a major role in it and that it dealt with heavier topics. While I found it enjoyable it didn't fully work for me, the repetition among other things took away from my overall enjoyment. That said I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This was a fun, beach read romance.
Our main characters, social media influencer Sara, and firefighter Luis have great chemistry together. They both also stand really well on their own, and each has growth within the story.
I really enjoyed reading the relationship between these two characters over the course of this boyfriend-for-hire week-long vacation. The island was the perfect backdrop for this story.

I wish we had gotten to see more! due to the book being around 300 pages, we missed so much of their growth together. it also affected the ending, which felt abrupt. I wanted to see how our couple ended up!

Overall it was a fun quick read, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Oliveras.

Wow, that all happened quickly! I think this is the definition of whirlwind romance. I'll admit that it's hard to suspend my disbelief for two strangers to fall in love in under seven days, but, hey, it's a romance, anything goes. It was an enjoyable read, although there were some things I still want to be cleared up. I wish Sara's eating disorder had been explored more, as I am personally not convinced that she has it under control. There were too many times it was noted that all she ate were some sides or appetizers or nothing at all for me to believe her when she said she was fine. I also felt like Sara's issues with her family - her mother and sister in particular - could have been detailed some more. Maybe through flashbacks? But overall, this was a light, enjoyable read.

A very special thanks to NetGallery and Kensington for allowing me the pleasure of reading this amazing ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The chemistry between Sara and Luis was hot from the jump. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Sara is a social media influencer and the youngest in a long line of doctors. So you can imagine the hardships she faced not only being the youngest daughter but also not following into the family business. Sara's family decides to take a visit to Key West to celebrate her mother's diagnosis of being cancer-free.

Of course, all of the significant others are going to be there so Sara can't show up alone, but the douche bag boyfriend she is dating decides he doesn't want to come anymore. Incomes Luis to the rescue.

Luis is a firefighter who lives in Key West, who has a past he is avoiding. Luis is a natural hero who needs to be saving someone, so when he sees Sara is in need, he is more than willing to go along with this fake relationship to help Sara keep her family off her back. But not long into their fake relationship do the two start falling for each other.

I have to say from the moment that I "met" Luis, I was slowly falling in love with him. Who doesn't want a hunky Spanish speaking firefighter who is close to his family to come to their rescue? I know I can say that I definitely wouldn't mind that. And my heart went out to Sara because I felt like I could connect with her, always feeling like the odd one out in her family.

Overall the book was an enjoyable read. It made me want to go visit Key West again. The only thing I wish that there was an epilogue at the end of the book to be able to know what happened afterward to Sara and Luis.

The premise of a fake relationship sounded very interesting to me, as did the setting in Key West. I was really excited to read this book. I will have to admit I had to suspend belief at the beginning because the heroine Sara just got into a stranger’s car in an unfamiliar place and decided to completely trust him... But I knew the story had to get rolling somehow. I liked how Sara’s issues with her family rang true, but Luis’s problems seemed a little forced. I couldn’t really understand why he was mad at his brother (the reason behind it all didn’t really make sense to me) and how that had such a huge effect on his life & job. I enjoyed the build up to Sara & Luis’s relationship, but once that really got going, the book seemed to slow down for me. I even found myself skimming pages. The ending felt a bit rushed, as well.
My biggest problem with the book was the descriptions. I know the author was trying to really draw the reader into the world of Key West, but everything was so detailed that it took me out of the action constantly. Just knowing that they were driving down the road to the beach would have been enough; I didn’t have to know that they turned left at the light and what the parking space they got. The author also added in very specific details in the middle of a “scene,” like what color tennis shoes were or the shape of a bowl by the door. It drew me out of what was happening every time. And if I had to read about the bedspread with ocean life on it one more time I’m not sure what I would have done. Telling the readers about that one time would have been quite sufficient.
All in all, it was a quick, light read. I would probably recommend it to those who enjoy the “fake relationship” trope, tropical settings, or Latinx themes. But I am not sure I would read another book by this author.

I was excited to read Island Affair because I love a good fake-dating trope, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I thought the main characters had good chemistry together, but I couldn't get excited about their story. One thing I did like was how the author portrayed a character with an eating disorder. I have never come across this in a romance book before, and I think the author handled it really well.

When I think of Priscilla Oliveras’ books, 'joy' is the word that comes to mind. I don’t consider her novels fluffy romps (at least not the ones I’ve read so far), but there’s a deeply joyful quality to her stories that never fails to lift my mood. Island Affair deals with deeply emotional topics, but there’s also a 'happy to be alive' quality to it that left me a very satisfied reader.

As the book opens, both Sara Vance and Luis Navarro are somewhat at loose ends. Luis has an unwanted week of mandatory leave from his job as a firefighter so that he can deal with the psychological impact of working an accident that brought up memories he would rather not acknowledge. Sara, on the other hand, is being faced with a week’s vacation in Key West with the family that always makes her feel inadequate.

While she has a successful career as a social media influencer, Sara comes from a family of high-achieving doctors and she feels like she can never meet their expectations. She had planned to bring her boyfriend to the week of family togetherness, but he calls to cancel just as she arrives in Key West. As luck would have it, Luis happens to be walking out of the fire station. The two meet and just like that, Sara has picked up a fake boyfriend for the week.

It’s a little crazy, but I was in the mood to just roll with it, so I kept going. As it turns out, this was a good decision because the ensuing story is not only fun but also warm and charming. In the opening chapters, one can feel the distance between Sara and her family, and it really is awkward. However, even before romantic feelings develop, it’s clear that Luis has Sara’s back. That made me like him right off the bat even though as a reader, I knew he and Sara were keepings secrets from one another.

There’s not a lot of external plot action in this book, but as we see Sara and Luis navigate a week of family vacation together, there’s a lot of emotional development going on beneath the surface and Oliveras handles it adeptly. It quickly becomes clear that Luis has the gift of being able to talk to and connect with lots of different types of people, and this comes in very handy as he quickly wins over both Sara and her family. Throughout the book Luis acts as something of a bridge, helping Sara learn how to relate to the family she has long held at arms’ length.

And then there’s the connection between Luis and Sara. Their budding romance feels natural even when the circumstances bringing them together are anything but. Not only do we see Luis fitting in beautifully with Sara’s family, but we also get to see Sara in Luis’s hometown, complete with chance encounters with his friends and an impromptu family dinner. These scenes show people from two very different backgrounds getting comfortable with each other, and convinced me that this whirlwind romance could work.

There's a plot twist thrown in near the end that felt unnecessary. The story had plenty of tension to it without that plot point, and it jerked me out of the story just a bit. However, aside from that, I enjoyed this sweet and emotional novel. If you need a pick-me-up during this challenging year, give Island Affair a try. This book is first in a new series, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

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I dived into this book thinking it would have been a nice read with a fake fiancé trope but it surprised me because it was so much more.
Island Affair is also a story of self acceptance and forgiveness, mixed up perfectly with a lot of laugh, attraction and the hot sun of The Keys.

Luis, a firefighter, and Sara, a social influences, meet at the Key West airport by accident.
After he has overheard her disastrous phone call with her boyfriend who has stood her up for her family holiday he decides to be her plus one for the week on the island.

This is only the beginning of their journey I recommend you to pick up Mrs. Oliveras book as soon as possible to know how it will end, I can guarantee that you won’t regret it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.~* 5 SMOKING HOT STARS*~.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am in LOVE with 'Island Affair'!

I fell in love with these characters in 1 single, throbbing heartbeat! They were so relatable, funny, and full of cheesy love! I fell for these characters on such a high level that I kinda forgot that these a fictional characters! <3

(Deep Breaths Rhianna, Deep Breathes)

Oh Lordy, Lordy. Here we go again. *Screams in FanGirl*. Where do I even start?

<3 Sara Vance and Luis Navarro <3

Sara Vance is one of the most known social media influences out there. She is giving the public, what they want and in return she isn't stuck in the long family tradition of Doctors. Undergoing recovery from an eating disorder and her mothers success in beating cancers butt, the Vance family is on a trip. A long needed one. Sara has a plus one to bring though, her boyfriend. Until that falls through too, and all shes left with is a phone call saying he isn't coming after she lands herself in Key West. Now she is going to be causing stress to her mom. The one thing they can't do. Until she's face to face with Luis Navarro.

Luis Navarro is one of the so called Conch's. After living and growing up in Key West he has gotten used to the usually brush of tourists who would like his assistance going snorkeling or walking the beaches for private tours. He hasn't ever given much thought of tourists and what the ask for before. He is one always one to give the helping hand to anyone who needs it. But then he meets her. Sara Vance. Who would of known someone as beautiful as she could have such a large vocabulary of Spanish curse words? He's expecting the ask for a tour, but what she has planned is way more than what he thought. Pretend to be her boyfriend for a week. He is going to deny but who could say no to someone like her? After study guides and memorizing their "meet cute" stories, there ready for a week of pure relaxation and then everything ends. But what if a week could last longer than 7 days? Or will their flaming love burn as bright as the sun and set like nothing happened?

Take a trip to Key West, and get ready for the best ride of your life with 'Island Affair'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Huge thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this for free in exchange for an honest review*

Sara and Luis go from fake boyfriend to real boyfriend!

Social media influencer Sara Vance needed some help when her sort of long distance boyfriend cancelled a trip to Key West to meet her parents when she ran into Key West firefighter Luis Navarro who was on a mandatory break from work. Luis had a reputation for always helping people and when he ran into Sara crying, he decided to help her out by acting as her boyfriend. Luis knew that was going to be a problem since he was a Key West native and the chance of running into people that know him was high. Sara and Luis had planned out their story to tell her family but when her family wanted Luis to spend time with them that things started to become real.

I loved Island Affair because Priscilla Oliveras has written a book that makes you feel Sara and Luis fix their problems and each other s and finally realize they are in love and that a relationship is possible.

P.S. I want to read the next book about the Navarro family!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5

There was something missing in ISLAND AFFAIR but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Here is what I did like:
- Sara
- family dynamics from both families, would have loved to see them all in a room together
- the setting because despite it being April 21, it is snowing where I am so I am CRAVING sunshine

What I didn't like:
- the discrepancy between how much Sara opened herself up to Luis and how much he didn't open up to her. It felt unfair in the end.
- The writing a little too repetitive for me
- At the beginning it felt like a lot, their instant attraction and how much they were both THINKING while the other was waiting for an answer. I think it all came about a little too easily and left me kinda bored.


Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read. A little bit cheesy. With a lovely island setting and a summary vibe.

*Thanks to NetGally for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Sultry fun in the sun
5 stars

With such a gorgeous cover comes the promise of a sultry, fun, fake romance that turns all too real under the sun soaked backdrop of the Florida Keys. And what I had hoped for is exactly what I got with this really enjoyable tale.

We start with our hunky hero - Luis Navarro - who has suddenly found himself facing a very unwelcome 7 days off firefighter duty due to complications with a rescue. Luis is my absolute jam when it comes to a hero. He’s the strong, silent, brooding type but he’s also got a serious Prince Charming complex where he feels he needs to save everyone around him. And that’s why the meet-cute and subsequent crazy plan of playing fake boyfriend to Sara and Sara’s family, makes perfect sense!

As much as I had my swoon on for Luis, I really, really loved Sara. She had issues - don’t we all - but she was doing her best to overcome them and I loved that she was a bad boss b!tch but also a very real, and at times vulnerable girl. She was just someone you could like and also relate to.

The best part was definitely the way that Sara and Luis played off each other. From the start, they balanced each other out and could bring each other back around when they got too bogged down in their issues. But don’t worry - this book isn’t angsty at all. There are serious topics covered but while the book has depth, it doesn’t drown you with the seriousness of things. There’s a fresh and fun vibe that sits perfectly with the setting of the book. Key West - and the Florida Keys - is almost a character all itself. I definitely want to visit for more than just the weather!

There was a build up of the relationship between Sara and Luis but while we get some foreplay, as soon as it gets to the real deal, the door closes. While I normally prefer something more explicit when it comes to sex scenes, it doesn’t take anything away from Sara and Luis’s relationship.

The Vance family were fun to get to know but it’s the Navarro family that really stole my heart. Well, maybe I’m reserving judgement on Enrique for the moment. They were exactly what I imagine when I think of a tight, loving Cuban-American family and it was great to see them interact with each other. I cannot wait to read Anamaría’s story (hopefully with Alejandro) and okay, fine, Enrique’s too.

I really loved Priscilla Oliveras’ writing style. It was interesting, fun and eminently readable. There are smatterings of Spanish dotted throughout the book, in keeping with the culture of the Keys and the Navarro clan. This helped me realise that my Kindle has a translation feature - who knew? - but you don’t really need it. Ms Oliveras cleverly words it so you know what’s happening even if you don’t understand or translate the Spanish. But I still looked everything up (because my Spanish is pretty poor and I need to know all the things!) and I was so smug by the end of the book that I was catching onto some phrases!

This is the first Priscilla Oliveras book that I’ve read and I loved her storytelling, her style and her characters. I will definitely be looking out for more of her books and especially the next books in this series. She packed romance, love, family and humour into this book - it’s exactly the pick me up I needed. 5 stars.

I received Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It was a lovely read and a nice vacation from sheltering in my house. There are a couple of heavier things about it that I'll get into later. Since both come up early in the book, there won't be spoilers.

Luis is a third generation Cuban American Key West native and like his father, brothers, and sister a member of the Key West Fire Department. His captain has just made him take some days off, which has left him grumpy and angry. Sara has flown into Key West for a week of vacation with her parents, siblings and their spouses. Her long distance boyfriend is supposed to join her, but he flakes. Rather than admit her now ex boyfriend stood her up, she asks Luis to pretend to be her boyfriend for the week. Let's all agree that in real life asking a man you've known for three minutes in a parking lot to pretend to be your boyfriend is a terrible idea and could get you murdered. But this isn't real life, this is a fantasy and in this fantasy we know Luis is a great guy and he and Sara will fall in love. But in real life, don't do that.

The fake dating a stranger trope can be a lot of fun, and Oliveras uses it well. Luis and Sara getting to know each other gives us an in to getting to know them and establishing the characters we will focus on later in the series. Oliveras' writing evoked the colors, smells and feel of Key West. Even though Spring is edging into Summer here in Texs, it's been a rather colorless Spring. Island Affair was a lovely read.

Content warnings: eating disorder, deaths as a result of car accidents in the past.

Where I feel cautious about this book is in the places where I lack familiarity about sensitive things. One of the main characters is in recovery from an eating disorder and has to deal with her family's concern. I am unqualified to judge whether Oliveras handles this well. I didn't read anything that concerned me, but I wouldn't recognize a problem because I don't have experience with eating disorders. What I do have familiarity with are the ways friends and family react to a stigmatized illness. The way Sara's family occasionally overwhelmed her with their concern felt very similar to my experience with friends and family after I had a particularly bad bout of depression.

Luis has a couple of areas where I, again, do not have the experience or perspective to make judgements  - He is Cuban American and a firefighter/EMT. The author has a Puerto Rican/Mexican American heritage. I have enough friends from enough areas of North, Central, and South America to know that the Spanish speakers of the Western hemisphere are not a cultural monolith. I read Island Affair as being loving and respectful towards Cuban American culture, but I wouldn't be the one to know if there were harmful stereotypes. If you are concerned about her portrayal of Cuban American characters check out some other reviewers.

The way Luis handles the tragedy in his past and how it affects his present is again an area where I can have empathy, but lack experience. Luis is forced to take time off after he was called to a car accident where someone died. There isn't a lot of discussion about the specifics of Luis' behavior, only that his captain wants him to take some time. Maybe the lack of detail is for the best. Oliveras makes it clear that Luis latches on to Sara partly to avoid dealing with his own issues, but part of the tension between them is Sara's refusal to need rescuing (except for the fake boyfriend part).

I enjoyed this book, and I think I enjoyed it even more after thinking about it. It has a nice mix of escapism and heft. I'm looking forward to seeing where she takes the rest of the series focusing on Luis' brother and sister.

One of the things I love about receiving ARCs from NetGalley is finding new authors, especially authors of color, to read -Priscilla Oliveras will definitely be one of the new authors that I start following.

Island Affair is the story of Sara Vance, social-media influencer and youngest child with a host of family issues, and Luis Navarro, Cuban Key West firefighter with a protector streak a mile wide. Sara and Luis meet when Sara travels down to Key West for a family vacation with her parents, siblings and their partners. After a lifetime of feeling like the family letdown, Sara wants to impress upon her family that she is successful and able to take care of herself by bringing her boyfriend Ric on the trip. But Ric (butthead) bails on her and Sara decides to proposition Luis to be her pretend boyfriend for a week. Recently free Luis, due to forced vacation from his boss because of an accident that brings up bad memories from the past, jumps all in with Sara - partially because of his protective streak and partially because he finds the diminutive but strong Sara intriguing. What follows is my favorite trope: pretend boyfriend turns into real friend turns into sexy lovers.

I really enjoyed this book and a lot of it had to do with the writing. Oliveras writes an authentic Cuban experience - Luis and his familia are absolutely endearing and I can't wait to learn more about Annamaria and Enrique's past loves! The descriptions of Key West, the food, the dancing - all of it felt so real and true. I also really liked Sara, surprisingly more than I thought I would. When I first read the blurb, I assumed Sara was going to be a white girl who "knew" some Spanish but she was so much more than that and Oliveras made her connections to the Latinx culture not feel fake.

I am so happy that I got to read this story from a new to me #LatinxRom author. I can't wait for more!

Island Affair is a romance novel, but it felt like much more than that. This isn’t your typical let’s pretend we are boyfriend/girlfriend for a week to fool our families story. Sara is a social media influencer who has always felt like an outsider with her family. When her boyfriend stands her up for a family vacation in the Keys, she turns to Luis to help her out as her partner for the week. Luis loves his family. He comes from a big close family, although there are some things in his past he can’t let go. Always being the one helping and rescuing everyone, he agrees to help Sara.
I loved both Sara and Luis, especially because they were not perfect, but perfect for each other. The book deals a lot with family, which I really loved. This was more of a closed door romance, but still had plenty of charm. It’s also the first one in a series, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

This is an enjoyable summer read! Perfect for the beach or any vacation because Oliveras does a wonderful job of transporting the reader to Key West and all things tropical. Readers get a real feel for not only the Key West landscape and laid back personality of the vacationers, but also Luis' Cuban heritage and love of his family.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book! I got a quarter of the way through before deciding this book was not for me. I loved the cover and the description sounded like something I would really enjoy. The setting made for a unique story focused on minorities that are not prevalent throughout the genre. However the attraction between the Luis and Sara felt too instantaneous to be believable - even in a romance novel. I couldn't get passed how quickly the story was moving, given the situation. I can appreciate raised stakes, but this one just felt a little too unbelievable. Maybe I'll pick it up again some other time!

Island Affair is an easy breezy story centred around a fake fiance trope, but in it I also found a story of love and hope and so many more elements that offer comfort and reassurance. And I really needed that in these crazy times! That the story is set in lush, tropical Key West is the cherry on top of a tasty summertime confection.

Sara Vance is a social media influencer who's in recovery from personal health issues when she's blindsided by a deadbeat boyfriend who jams out on a Florida vacation with her family. The "fiance," Luis Navarro, is a firefighter paramedic who's the silent and hot type but battling his own problems, who for reasons of his own agrees to play the part of Sara's fiance. Both the Vance and the Navarro families have complicated dynamics they're struggling with as well. There are definitely lots of issues here that need working through.

We all know how the love story will be resolved, but the fun is in reading how the real relationship gains traction while the deception is carried out. Sara and Luis's back-and-forth rang true for me, and I was moved reading about Luis's Cuban familia and the universe that's been created for this series. There's sweetness and steam and so much love on numerous levels, and I can't wait to read the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book for review.

Solid three star read. I enjoyed it, and it was an easy read, but I probably won’t remember it, and I was never itching to keep going or struggling to put the book down.

Also, 100% this books could have used an epilogue because it literally just ends. It could have been a much more fleshed out ending instead of the rushed result we got that left me with a lot of questions and kind of unsettled.

It was fine, it was cute, I’ll probably read the next one, but it isn’t one I’m going to rave about.


Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!