ISLAND AFFAIR:
Thank You to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Priscilla Oliveras for the opportunity to read this book in advance for my honest opinion. All opinions are mine!

The perfect blend of sassy and sweet with a splash of Cuban flair, this romance will have you wishing you were on a summer vacation in Key West.
Sara Vance has made a name for herself as a social media influencer. Between her blog and her media pages she has amassed over 500,000 followers and counting and landed a meeting that could see her expanding her New York business to Miami. That doesn’t stop her family, who are all doctors, from worrying if her career is well, an actual career. It also doesn’t stop her family from worrying about her recovery from an eating disorder that saw her in inpatient care and therapy. Tensions have mounted and Sara has found herself as the odd man out with nothing in common with her family. Now her parents wants to get together in Key West to celebrate their mothers recovery from cancer, and spend time as a family. The only problem? Sara may have hinted to her mother that her boyfriend was going to be proposing soon and promised he would come on the trip and he just bailed on Sara over the phone.
Luis’s family has roots in the Keys going back generations, and being part of that family also means being a firefighter for the Key west Fire Department. After responding to a horrible accident that saw a young woman killed, Luis is put on a week long vacation to get his head on right. A few years before he had lost his fiance in an accident that left him angry and hurt, reeling from her deathbed confession involving his younger brother. It’s as he’s leaving the station that day that he first sees Sara Vance. Never one to walk away from someone needing help, Luis soon finds himself ensnared in a crazy plan to spend the week pretending to be Sara’s boyfriend.
They only have to make this believable for the week, but suddenly sweet kisses are snuck when no one is around and secrets are told and trust is built and the week doesn’t seem like long enough anymore.
Ugh I loved this one. I had a cheesy grin on my face pretty much the entire time I read and for a good while after finishing the book. The chemistry between these two was immediate and steamy and I really loved how complementary their personalities were! I am now dying for a vacation with the clear Key West waters ad white sand. If you’re looking for a book to take you away, look no further!

I am so glad that I grabbed this ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. I was immediately sucked into this rom-com from the beginning. I love the diverse characters and the setting in Key West. The entire time it felt like I was there and a part of the story and island describe. The characters were well thought out, detailed, and their interactions with each other were amazing. I loved getting sucked into their banter and watching the story blossom. I struggled a little during the part about ED, but it was well worth reading through. I was pleasantly surprised and engulfed up until the very end. The pacing was also spot on for me as well.

I really appreciated the turning point, or the "thing meant to break them up" being more towards the ending. It really kept you engaged until the last page. The ending felt a little abrupt, but the open ending leaves the reader to imagine the life they think they would live as well. I would love to see more books from this author set in Key West. I felt like the description and detail put into the setting was well thought out to the point I felt like I was walking the streets of Key West with them.

This was a totally good read for summer, when you're at the beach and feeling that ocean breeze.

The story follows social media Influencer Sara Vance on her trip to Key West together with her parents. The perfect family holiday or so it was supposed to be. When Sara arrives at the airport, her boyfriend Ric that was supposed to be spending the week with her family for the first time, bails and leaves her all alone. With the fear of disappointing her parents and making this holiday stressful for her mom, that had been fighting cancer for a few years and was now cancer free, she decides to ask the hot firefighter man standing right next to her that had heard her fight with Ric to pretend to be her boyfriend. Luis Navarro had just been dismissed of his duties for a few weeks so that he could clear his head and have some "me-time" is abruptly approached by this beautiful-blue-eyed-blonde-woman that made is breath be taken away. Since he had nothing better to do and seeing the desperation in her voice and being the "Santo" Navarro he decides to help her.

I really liked the banter between Sara and Luis and their sort of attraction at first sight instead of the whole love at first sight trope. With the development of the story we learn that both characters have dark secrets that they wish for the other not to find out. Sara having an OSFED when she was a teenager and still trying to deal with the relapse that might happen anytime if triggered by any of her family members. And Luis trying to deal with the loss and forgiveness of those that he had once trusted.

The story does have a slow start but when they start scheming to fool her parents and start to know one another better and understand each flaws and fears the story starts to pick up the pace. I liked how the plot developed however I do think that Sara and Luis fell in love for one another too quickly which made it a tiny unrealistic for my own liking. I also loved the whole Cuban culture represented throughout the book and get to know better some of its costumes. I do think however that to someone who already knows Spanish some lines might be unnecessary. Since the author decide to translate every single line of whatever the character is saying in Spanish in the line right after.

“No puedo creer esto, ” he murmured. That made two of them. She was having a hard time believing she’d concocted this crazy plan herself.
"No puedo crer esto!" he murmured.
That made two of them. She was having a hard time believing she concocted this crazy plan herself."

"Cuidado con lo que pides.
Sí, Mamá Alicia, Sara silently promised, she'd be careful what she wished for."

I get it that it has to be translated otherwise the person who's reading won't know what the character is saying, but for me that already knows Spanish was just redudant and threw me off of the story. However it does get less and less or I just got used to the translation coming right after a Spanish phrase. That would be my only complain in this book which is great.

The ending was pretty predictable but a good ending nonetheless and I totally recommend reading this book! It was a really good must read adult summer romance.

This was my first book to read by Priscilla Oliveras and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely read more of her books in the future and there will be a sequel to this book involving some of the same people (focused on either Annamarie or Enrique?) which I will definitely obtain. I read this book all in one day - it was an easy read that quickly made me feel connected with the characters.

The story starts off with a young woman, Sara, getting off an airplane in Key West where she is to meet her highly successful family of doctors for a 7 day family vacation (that they have never taken before). Sara is the youngest in the family and she feels alienated because she does not have a medical degree - in fact, she earns her living from being a social media influencer. The rest of her family finds this to be a career that they don't understand (and obviously not worthy of choosing as a career) so they always tend to treat Sara differently. They feel she needs a man that can take care of her - because surely no one can survive just from being a social media influencer, right? So when Sara's "boyfriend" (actually someone she chose because she felt like her parents would approve of him, but she hasn't felt the "sparks" with him herself) calls her as she lands to inform her he isn't coming for the family vacation, Sara panics. No one in her family has ever met Ric - they have only heard of him through phone conversations with Sara. She needed Ric to be there to keep her family from worrying about her - it's far easier to deflect than to confront the issues head on anyway.

Luis, a firefighter battling some of his own demons, is leaving the airport where he had been visiting his brother (also a firefighter, but stationed at the airport terminal) hears her side of the conversation with Ric and afterwards, he asks Sara if she is okay. She looks at him while thinking in her mind maybe she could just find a pretend boyfriend for the next seven days. Luckily for her, Luis has the next seven days off work due to his personal issues. Surprising both of them actually, Luis agrees to be her pretend boyfriend and they agree to keep it strictly platonic. What comes next is the next seven days of adventures with her family, some of Luis' acquaintances that spot them together while being "touristy" and even with Luis' family. There is drama, happy times, sad times and even some humor.

I was provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinion above is mine without biases.

This was a cute book that I read over the course of a weekend. I enjoy a good fake relationship trope, however I felt this one was a little hard to believe. The meet cute between Sara and Luis is a little unrealistic, but they had good chemistry. I also liked that it dealt with some heavier subjects that romance novels sometimes don't touch upon. There were a few parts where I felt the book dragged but overall it was a nice read!

This was a sweet rom-com novel with a fake relationship trope set in a picturesque tropical setting. I could definitely see this as a movie a la The Proposal. The chemistry between Sara and Luis was sizzling, as much as they tried to stop it since they’re only pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend to get Sara’s parents off her back.

Thought there’s plenty of romance and lightness in the story, it also deals with some heavier topics: familial problems, betrayal, eating disorders. I appreciated that they were done tactfully well.

I was bored through chunks of the novel though. There was lots of, I don’t know what to call it, inner monolouging? and info dumps that didn’t add a whole lot to the story. However, this stems from my personal problem with adult realistic fiction, and is in no part the novel’s fault. I just don’t like that style of writing.

If you love adult romance, I’d say give this one a try! It was a nice romantic escape.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington publishing for providing me with an ARC.
DNF 20%
I am felling frustrated that i can't read more of this novel, i tried so hard to continue but i can't.

Star rating : 4.5/5

I absolutely adored Island Affair. The minute Oliveras began describing the Key West setting, I could feel myself being transported there. At times, it felt like the sights and sounds of Key West were a character in and of themselves, and I mean that in the very best way possible.

I was really impressed with the pacing of the story. The entire book takes place over a one week period, but it doesn’t feel rushed or unbelievable. Luis and Sara’s relationship felt authentic, moving quickly from just met, to lust and more. Their chemistry is electric, their banter sexy but not over-the-top and there was just enough steam.

Family is at the heart of this story, for both characters. Sara is vacationing in Key West with her family, celebrating her mother’s remission after a battle with breast cancer. Sara has always felt as out-of-place in her family and her relationship with them is strained because of it. Scenes with Sara’s family are uncomfortable at times, but the growth from all characters in that unit is so rewarding.

Luis, a local firefighter, had recently been given a one week leave from his Captain and is encouraged by his older brother to live a little, which has him agreeing to Sara’s plan. His family is loud, large and act as the perfect balance to Sara’s.

If you’re looking for an escape, this book is a must-read. Immerse yourself in the vibrant Key West setting and enjoy!

(Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-ARC.)

3.5 Stars.

Lovely, fun and enjoyable read, but altogether too short. My biggest qualms are that she got in a strangers car at the airport? And then the ending was so rushed.

HOWEVER, the rest of it was sweet and a great fun romance read. I loved the characters and their family dynamics.

Fake dating a common romance trope because it is so good! Sara is the black sheep of her family but joins them for a week in Key West to celebrate her mom's remission. The whole goal of the week is not to stress out her mom or rock the boat, so when Sara's boyfriend stands her up she is desperate. She meets Luis Navarro, handsome Key West firefighter, in the airport parking lot where he is stewing over being forced to take some time off from his job for R&R (exactly the same amount of time that Sara is in town, imagine that!) Luis agrees to be Sara's stand-in boyfriend for the week to keep his mind off work and of course, things escalate as they both push each other to mend broken family relationships.

Sara and Luis have great chemistry in this book so I was really rooting for them. They both have large and complicated family dynamics which brought a lot of depth that romance novels can sometimes lack. Oliveras does a beautiful job bringing in the life and culture of Key West in her descriptions - you can almost feel the island breeze as you read! Snuggle up with a fruity cocktail and enjoy this quick and heartwarming read.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Island Affair // by Priscilla Oliveras

From the #netgalley description: "...family dinners, bike tours, private snorkeling trips . . . sharing secrets, and slow, melting kisses."

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras is a fun beach romance novel with a Latin twist. Social Media Influencer Sara Vance is stood up last minute at the Key West airport by the boyfriend she is supposed to bring to her family vacation - a vacation that is supposed to be stress-free and relaxing for her mother who is recovering from a serious illness. Desperate to not disappoint the family she has been wanting to impress for so long, she propositions the hot firefighter she meets outside the airport. Luis Navarro, who was just put on a mandatory break by his boss and who usually never does anything like this, surprises both Sara and himself when he agrees to be her pretend boyfriend. Last-minute studying and a lot improvising in front of her and his family has them stumbling through the week and over some not-so-pretend feelings. Will one week be enough to work through their past issues and mistakes or is this just a flash-and-burn beach romance after all?

The premise sounded very unbelievable to me (obviously I don't read many romances) but after I read the #firstlook on @BookishFirst, I knew I wanted to read this one anyway because I just cannot say no to a smoking hot Latino firefighter. Unbelievable or not, I enjoyed this novel a lot! The tensions between Sara and Luis, both sexual and related to their past troubles, keep you on your toes and the two completely different family dynamics are both so easy to relate to. I really like how Oliveras regularly used Spanish phrases throughout the book but kept the story flowing well with the translations. Was it a little predictable? Definitely. Did I care? Not at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this beach read and am excited for the next one!

Thank you to the author, @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for this fun read in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! Island affair shocked me👀 I absolutely LOVED it! I am a sucker for a firefighter or any man in uniform actually🤷‍♀️ This book by Priscilla Oliveras was honestly just what I needed before working a 12 hour day tomorrow during a pandemic at the hospital! Light and easy to read. I smiled so many times and cried twice towards the end. Way too emotionally invested in Sara and Luis! A 5 star book without a doubt. I will need to own this and will be following the Author through her new series!
Thanks NetGalley and Kensington Books for my ARC!

I fell for the gorgeous cover and stayed for the romance. This romance was super sweet and definitely steamy. It does require more suspension of disbelief than the typical romance, in my opinion, but it was an enjoyable read. This gave me a break from day-to-day stress and I loved the Key West setting. The characters felt real and well-rounded, and I liked how part of their relationship involved a desire to better each other/improve their own personal lives. If you're looking for a light beach read with some chemistry, this is perfect.

I was lucky enough to win an early look at ISLAND AFFAIR through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the distraction, and please stay safe!

This was a really sweet, easy read. I’m not normally into insta-love so I was a bit skeptical going in (the story takes place over a week) but the development of Luis and Sara’s relationship was done so well! They had many real conversations early on, so their connection felt deep and believable. This story also had a great depiction of complex family dynamics in both leads’ families. I grew especially attached to Luis’s family which is great, since it seems like they’ll be showing up more in later books. Looking forward to whatever’s next from Oliveras!

I've been looking forward to this book. I needed a fake tropical escape from quarantine. Imagine a week in Key West or even just an opportunity to meet a random, hot stranger outside an airport-- inconceivable! Plus, this book has a Cuban fireman, Spanish, and there's a pretend boyfriend plot... What's not to love?

In all seriousness, though, I have never read a romance novel that was so mental health positive or that shined a light on a serious mental health issue while keeping things fun and light. Sara suffers from an eating disorder, and her therapist is mentioned casually early on, normalizing something that is still often stigmatized in this day and age.

This book has it all: a slow burn, delightfully awful romcom mishaps, and a story that encompasses both romantic and family love. In short, this was a romance both sweet and hot, the kind of juxtaposition I've only encountered in Mexican candies. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

This is definitely for people who like Jasmine Guillory or Christina Lauren. It is a fun, light read and meant to entertain. It was such an old concept but with a different twist. It was definitely good and could see this doing really well.

Key West was the perfect escape in my quarantine reading !
The Vance family heads to Key West for a family getaway to celebrate their mother's cancer treatments being finished. Upon arrival, Sara's boyfriend bales on her and tells her he isn't coming. She asks a local firefighter, who has just found himself with a week of unplanned time off, to fill the role. As they spend time together, it turns into more than an act.
I enjoyed the first book in this "Keys to Love" series by Priscilla Oliveras.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

This is a fake dating romance between a local firefighter in Key West and a social media influencer that is a tourist. I love fake dating and small town romance, especially in beautiful locations, so I was hopeful for this.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 15%. This book was not gripping me. I felt the writing style was very repetitive. It was a lot of tell instead of show. The author kept repeating "the importance of familia" to Luis, and dropping almost continuous hints about his rift with his brother without giving additional information. Also, I could not suspend my disbelief with the fake dating set up. They decide on this plan immediately after meeting in a parking lot where Luis hears Sara fighting with her boyfriend over the phone. They immediately start driving around together and making statements about each others personalities, except for they don't know each other at all! This would have made more sense if they ran into each other a few times before hatching the plan.

This ultimately wasn't a story for me. I will not be reviewing this story publicly until after release, so as not to negatively impact release. I will discuss this later on in the year.

Hi there,

I’m so thankful to be granted permission to read this title, thank you so much!

I want to be honest though, rather than leave a negative review on a book that’s just starting out....

I just couldn’t get into this book. I gave it my best shot, but neither character felt relatable to me and their story wasn’t flowing IMO. Again, my sincere apologies.