I really liked the setting of this book. The author does an excellent job with little details that really help you picture Key West. Sara and Luis have good chemistry, and it was very wholesome to watch them help each other become better versions of themselves. Their backstories mirror each other in a good way and I was genuinely interested in learning more about Luis's and Sara's pasts. I also really appreciated the portrayal of Sara's anxiety and ED; it felt real and honest and I'm glad there were positive messages about going to therapy. The one thing I didn't like about this book was the writing style. I found it to be fairly repetitive. There was way too much telling vs. showing, and a lot of the personality traits of the main characters got hammered home a bit too often. Would've been a 4-star book if not for that. I would recommend this if you're looking for a sweet romance that also touches on some more serious issues.

Island Affair was a perfectly cheesy and upbeat escapist book I was looking for. This book would be wonderful to read on the beach or (in my case) when you want to pretend you’re on the beach. Set in Key West, the author does a fantastic job of describing the island setting in a way I felt like I could actually be there.

Sara Vance, a social media influencer, is on her way to vacation with her family, when she finds out her long-term boyfriend will not be joining her. Wanting to make the vacation perfect for her mother who has recently recovered from cancer, while also trying not to disappoint her “traditionally professional” siblings, Sara recruits Luis Navarro to pretend to be her boyfriend for the holiday.

This book had some cheesy moments as well as some things frequently seen in the rom/com genre (like the sexy firefighter with his own personal demons), but I don’t think it detracted from the book at all. It was lighthearted and fun, with a bit of steam thrown in there. I really loved the family dynamics between Sara’s family as well as Luis’. I wish we could have seen a bit more of Luis’ family, although maybe we will in the upcoming books.

I also really enjoyed Sara being a social media influencer as it’s something definitely topical for the day, but also something I had never read about. I’m sure we’ll see this career in a lot more books in the future as social media influencers become more and more prevalent. I also enjoyed reading about Sara’s eating disorder recovery. I thought the author did a good job of including this aspect while still keeping the tone of the book upbeat. I think it would have been interesting to see more conversation surrounding Sara’s job choice and her eating disorder. She mentions that her followers know about her ED but I would have loved more conversation on whether her following helped or hindered her during that time.

I really enjoyed this book and am eager to see what the next one in the series is all about.

I LOVE this cover! Just looking at it makes me wanna go on vacation, to a beach far away.

Luis are born and raised on Key West in Florida, and now he works as a firefighter there. After an accident the captain gives him a week off to rest. When he leaves the station he accidentally gets roped in as a temporary boyfriend to Sara. She just landed från New York and are meeting her family for a weeks vacation. Unfortunately her boyfriend stood her up so she convinces Luis to be with her this week. Reluctantly he agrees but since he doesn't have to work for a week, maybe this is what he needs? A fun week with a beautiful stranger?

I very much enjoyed this romance! The relationship between Luis and Sara was sweet and romantic but also had some serious undertone. There were some family issues that were addressed which made the story more believable.

It's a perfect read for the beach or the couch, you choose!

A mix of romance and woman's fiction, this fake boyfriend novel digs deep into family issues and how meeting the right person can be the strength you need at the just the right time.

Headed on the way to a family vacation, Sara Vance is stood up by her flaky boyfriend, Ric. In the heat of the moment, while Luis Navarro witnesses Sara getting dumped, he ends up getting recruited in replacement. Given his "hero complex" (he is a firefighter/paramedic) and he hates witnessing a woman in distress, especially a beautiful woman, plus he has a week of vacation with nothing to do, so he agrees to spend it with her and her family, never once thinking he would fall quite so deeply for her. Luis spends a great week showing Sara's family around Key West, but what happens when that week is over and everyone leaves? Things begin to feel too real and it's best not to get too attached, but the longer they spend together the harder that becomes. 

Sara already feels uncomfortable visiting her family, always the odd one out, so showing up without a date seems awful. Having Luis, a local firefighter agree to be her date/fake boyfriend for the week is the perfect solution until feelings start to surface. How can they work when she lives thousands of miles away. She knows she makes terrible decision, just look at the man who was supposed to originally come on this vacation. Sara knows it's best to keep things platonic between her and Luis, but that becomes really hard when their relationship feels so real.

While this was a cute and fluffy read, I didn’t particularly care for it. I felt that the “insta-love” at the beginning was way too cheesy and cringeworthy. I don’t know anyone who on a vacation sees some random person and is like be my fake boyfriend. Just didn’t seem realistic, and on the first day they already have feelings for each other? No thanks.

I did like the drama of the families and how both Luis and Sara had some family issues they had to deal with. I loved the vacation atmosphere and I was wishing it was me in Key West on vacation. I just can’t say as a whole that I enjoyed this book. It just felt too fake and too rushed. I know most people will love it, but I have to be reading a realistic romance.

I am a total sucker for the "fake dating" romance trope and this was no exception. I loved the idea behind the plot - a woman who has spent her whole life feeling not good enough for her high achieving family gets a hot stranger to pretend to be her boyfriend for her family's week-long vacation - but unfortunately some of the elements fell flat for me. For one thing, I felt like the backstory of Sara's nanny being Latina was unnecessary and led to a feeling of tokenization and stereotyping of Latina women and mothers. I also felt that the "issues" that Sara and Luis both had - each dealing with an emotional drift from a sibling - were dealt with too quickly and resolved too easily. That being said, I did love the relationship between Sara and Luis and how it developed, and the level of steam was perfect!

SYNOPSIS | Sara Vance is visiting Key West, Florida with her family when her boyfriend stands her up. Instead of admitting this embarrassing situation, she elicits the help of Luis Navarro, a local firefighter, to pretend to be her smitten boyfriend for the week.

MY THOUGHTS | I think if you liked The Unhoneymooners then you will really like this story too. Overall I enjoyed the reading experience and there was certain aspects that I really liked (e.g. how the author integrates Spanish and naturally explains what the words mean), but there were also other aspects that I really didn't like (e.g. the entire storyline with Luis's ex-fiancé and younger brother and how the actual sex scenes were fade to black).

She's Sara Vance, a social influencer who has just been stood up by her boyfriend who was supposed to join her on a family vacation. He's Luis Navarro, a firefighter who has just been given a week off which he doesn't have any plans to fill. Since this is a romance, you know she's going to talk this total stranger into posing as her boyfriend on the family vacation.

And you also know how it's going to end, But there are some extra bits along the way. Unusual depth within the family relationships, complicated health concerns with side dishes of awareness and education, and a very nice travelogue of the Florida Keys.

There is some graphic sex, but it's gentlemanly -- Luis never pressures Sara and is always prepared to back off if she wants him to.

All in all, it's a perfect beach read -- and fun to read if you're only wishing you could get to the beach.

The island setting of The Keys is the perfect backdrop for this romantic escapade. Luis is a fireman for the Key West Fire Department, who suddenly finds himself ordered to take a mandatory seven day break to relax from a traumatic incident. Although Luis is resistant to the orders, he doesn’t have an option. This is when he meets Sara, who arrives by plane at the Key West Airport. Luis overhears Sara’s phone conversation and realizes she has a predicament. Her family, including her parents, siblings and their spouses are arriving soon from Arizona. They expect to meet her fiancé - but there isn’t one. Sara desperately concocts a plan to placate her family for the next seven days. With optimistic skepticism, Luis agrees. But the chemistry and attraction between Luis and Sara is already in motion with a momentum all it’s own!
The author writes this with humor and authentic emotions. You’re drawn to the characters and the depth of their feelings. The story is intriguing and this will be one book you can’t put down. The setting, plot, characters and writing style are all a perfect combination for a great, fun read!

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Priscilla Oliveras

Thank you @netgalleh for a copy of Island Affair. Overall, I enjoyed the book and loved how well the author created such a beautiful get away with Key West. I found the story like a bit too unbelievable for Carlos to jump on board to be the fake boyfriend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Island Affair -- it was a book I could imagine reading pool or beachside, instead of mostly from my couch while staying inside and had my dreaming of a Key West vacation!

This is your classic "fake date" where someone needs a boyfriend for an important family gathering and oops, they fall in love. Even though you knew where it was going the writing was solid, the characters were likeable and went a little deeper than you'd expect, the descriptions of Key West made you want to hop on a plane and it was fun.

A great escape book for those who love a good rom-com!

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Social media influencer, Sara has been stood up by her boyfriend at the start of her family vacation in Key West. When she runs into hunky Firefighter Luis at the airport she talks him into standing in as her boyfriend for the week to impress her type A family.

This book was everything I needed to “escape” to a tropical paradise. You can tell that the author grew up in Key West because her love for the location shine through in this book. The descriptions really transported me. I adore a fake dating trope and man am I loving a good guy hero lately. Whew! Luis was sexy, sweet, attentive, family oriented, Spanish speaking..... swoooooon! I loved the Cuban cultural references and Spanish terms thrown in.

I definitely got Unhoneymooners and Emma and Luke vibes from this one. It is a very light, sweet read that will bring a smile to your face. Highly recommend reading it while visualizing yourself on the beach.... with Luis.

HUGE Thank You to @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The cover is so gorgeous I cant wait to grab a hard copy!

⚠️: eating disorder, tragic death

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Apr 28, 2020

Island Affair is a delightful vacation read, I was able to read it in half a day. This was my first book from this author, and I found it to be an enjoyable read. I loved the chemistry between Luis and Sara, Sara has a complicated family dymanic that she must work through in this storyline. I would definitely recommend this read to others.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and Kensington and this is my fair and honest review.

This book is about Sara Vance, a social media influencer who is beginning her vacation in Key West with her family. Upon her arrival, she discovers that her current boyfriend isn't making the journey to join the vacation. He's bailed on her, and she panics. Not wanting to disappoint her parents, who she feels disconnected from, she enlists the help of sexy firefighter Luis, who she happens to run into at the airport. Luckily for Sara, Luis has just been placed on mandated leave from his job to work through some personal issues he faced in the past. As the two develop a plan to be a couple, they realize that their connection is blossoming into something far more real.
I liked this book! I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but I decided to round up because it did get better towards the end. The book was well written, the setting well described and interesting. I liked how light and beautiful the setting was. The characters were likeable and the story enjoyable. I enjoyed spending time in this story. The setting offered a lightness to contrast the darkness of what the characters were dealing with. The love story was sweet! Issues I had with the book include how terribly unrealistic it was, at times it was repetitive and extremely cheesy. I thought the beginning dragged on and on and right when I finally connected, it was almost over. I simply didn't find that deepness in the characters, despite their tough backstories. I wanted to connect with them so I would want to continue reading. I suspect this didn't happen until the end because it was predictable. Some parts felt rushed, some felt dragged. However, in the end, this was a feel good, light and fun book with likeable characters. It was a good read!

The book has it all drama, romance and humour! The connection between both characters is written well! I do think that it could have finished earlier than it did though, but a good read overall

Well that was a sweet, breezy little read! I've never read anything by this author before, but that gorgeous cover paired with a fake relationship plot made Island Affair impossible to resist. It's the light, beachy kind of read that I was looking for - but it also has an incredible amount of depth, with plenty of serious moments sprinkled throughout the book. Though it's a tried and true storyline with an element of predictability, the characters are real and complex with complicated backstories that are fully explored. I loved the level of depth Oliveras was able to achieve in a relationship that - let's be honest here - sparks over the course of less than a week. There were times when the author's excessive descriptions seemed a little much, but they helped give the characters a real, fleshed out feel.

The story follows Sara, a social media influencer who has always felt like the outsider in her family. When the guy she's been dating bails on her at the last minute, she's left in a lurch - her family has planned a stress-free trip together to celebrate her mother's remission from cancer, and Sara may have embellished the seriousness of their relationship in an attempt to make her mother happy. At a loss for what to do, Sara meets a kind, caring firefighter who is willing to step in. Luis has his own family drama, and helping a beautiful stranger with her problems seems like the perfect escape. As Sara and Luis spend the week together, their friendship - and the spark of something more - grows as they dig deep and get to know one another.

This straddles the line between romance and women's fiction, with family being a huge component to the book. Sara and Luis are the heart of the story, but their closeness comes from facing their demons head-on, and it was an interesting journey to read. It's definitely more laidback than the contemporary romance I normally read - there's a seriousness to the story that gives it weight without being angsty, and though it's sexy, there are no explicit scenes. There were a few times that I struggled with just how descriptive and serious the tone was, but that would really be my only complaint. Sara is an interesting and dynamic heroine, while Luis is such a kind, compassionate hero. I also loved the inclusion of Luis' heritage - so often minorities are depicted in over the top, stereotypical ways, but it felt natural and realistic here. It's an understated romance that was a breath of fresh, and I'd definitely read more by the author in the future. My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this tropical romance.

Sara is desperate to prove herself to her Type A family full of doctors. Luis is a Firefighter in Key West being forced to take time off because of his reaction to a bad accident he responded to. They run into each other just as Sara’s boyfriend stands her up for a family vacation. Faced with a week off, Luis agrees to act as her boyfriend during her family vacation.

This book was so fun! I really enjoyed the writing style and the banter between the families and also Sara and Luis. It was such an easy read - I didn’t want to put it down at all! The chemistry between Sara and Luis was great. I got very Wedding Date (movie) The Wedding Date (book) and The Kiss Quotient vibes from this, all of which I really loved. “Fake dating” is one of my favorite romance tropes and this one delivered for sure.

HOLY MOLY was this a great, fun read!! I started off reading this book thinking it would be just another easy romance chick-lit read, but I was so surprised by the depth of this book. Both Sara and Luis have incredible back stories as well as immense character growth with each turn of the page. I found myself unable to put down the book as the sparks flew between Sara and Luis! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Island Affair is an entertaining and well written romance. Good plot, fun characters and a beautiful setting. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Book Review
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Island Affair | Priscilla Oliveras
Pub Date: 4/28/20
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RATING: 2.5/5
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SYNOPSIS: Luis is a Cuban firefighter and Sara is a social media influencer. They agree to pretend to date while her and her family are in the Keys for vacation.
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REVIEW: This cover stole my heart and I was ready for an island getaway. Unfortunately this book didn’t quite do it for me. I loved the multicultural aspect of Luis & Sara, and thought the inclusion of some deeper issues (eating disorder trigger) was written very well. I just realized through this novel fake relationships isn’t my fave trope and Luis and Sara’s chemistry just wasn’t there for me. There wasn’t any tension or angst between them, but at the same time there wasn’t any crazy drama (if you don’t like that). If you don’t want a drama filled romance and enjoy the couple getting along pretty much the whole book along with a tropical setting then this book is for you!
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thank you @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for this eARC to read and give an honest review!