Luis is given forced time off from his job. He is a firefighter along with his brother Carlos. Luis is given the time off after an accident he recently worked on. One similar to the one that altered his life years ago. Luis pretends to be Sara's fake boyfriend. I thought the fact that Luis is Cuban added extra flavor to the book.

This book was a classic romance with all the things we look for in a nice beach read. If you are looking for something easy to read that doesn't require a ton of thought and will relax you, this is your book!

First of all, I need to say that I love when the representations on the book are done right and Priscilla Oliveira did a great job as well as with Sara disorder and I really appreciate that, this book was an enjoyable read, although the way that started was a little unbelievable but if you can look past that you’ll probably enjoy this too.

In book TWs: eating disorders, anxiety

DNF at 27%.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover gave me The UnHoneymooners vibes and fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but unfortunately that wasn't enough for me.

The things I did like about what I read of the book were how Luis still came across as an alpha male without being a jerk or having toxic masculinity as his personality. A lot of times I see the two conflated with one another, and it was a nice surprise for me. The next part was the way Sara's anxiety and eating disorder were handled. I thought that they were both incorporated naturally into the story, and I liked that they weren't skimmed over either. Sara may not have told Luis about her disorder in what I read, but she didn't shy away from thinking about it herself, and it was talked about in a way that didn't come across as judgemental.
Priscilla Oliveras's writing style just didn't work for me at all, despite the plot being something I would normally devour in a sitting or two. I enjoy character driven stories, and I just never felt any connect between myself and the two main characters, Luis and Sara. There wasn't anything wrong with them, I just couldn't connect to them because of how they were written, which lead me to be unable to see or feel their chemistry.

Island Affair is told in dual POV, alternating every chapter, in third person limited past tense. In my opinion, third person limited past tense is difficult to write, and Oliveras didn't manage to pull it off. Rather than having each character learn about each other via observation, therefore letting the reader learn about the other with them, she chose to simply write everything as a known fact. Even though Sara and Luis have only known each other for a few hours, I'm expected to believe that they understand each other in a way nobody else ever has, to the point where they can just state what the other one is feeling.

Island Affair needed to have been told in a show, not tell fashion. It's distracting to read a novel written that way, and constantly pulled me out of the story because that's not how limited perspectives work. If she wanted to write in a more tell, not show manner, she should have gone with a third person omniscient, and had a narrator tell the story for the characters.

In general I also felt like she spent more time describing the background and the random people in it than focusing on the story itself. I understand that Key West is gorgeous, but is specifically didn't need to be treated as a third main character for any reason I could tell. The way Spanish was incorporated into the story felt... odd to me two. I'm not the right person to talk about it since I'm not bilingual in any language let alone Spanish, but because of how Oliveras used it, there was a constant repetition of what had just been said. I wish that space had been used to develop the characters instead of taking a singular sentence in Spanish and then repeating it again in English. It seemed really weird since it's all from the same POV which means that the Luis was thinking in Spanish and then the exact same thing again in English, for the reader's benefit.

Island Affair definitely has potential to be a favorite for readers who don't mind the writing style, but unfortunately that wasn't me. It had it's moments of humor and very swoony characters, so if you're looking for a fake dating rom-com this could be the book for you.

Thank you for letting me read this book. I enjoyed the fake dating trope. This story line had me sucked in. The storyline was good. It had a sort of unhoneymooners by Christina lauren feel. I felt like it was a smidge if a letdown. It drug on in a lot of sections but all in all I enjoyed it.

I was grateful to receive a free copy of Island Affair in exchange for an honest review. I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I thought it would be a cute and quirky read. For me it was an on and off again novel. There were parts that I loved, and then there were parts that dragged on.

I really enjoyed the way Luis and Sara met at the airport, and how Luis was convinced to play Sara's finance for a week. I also enjoyed the incorporation of Spanish and Cuban culture.

There were a few scenes where Luis and Sara went out exploring the Keys but a majority of the novel took place with family for family meals and card games. Those were the parts that drug on for me, and there were a lot of those moments. I also thought more could have been done with the moment where Luis and Sara's subterfuge was uncovered. The ending was also way to cliche.

Love the cover and the idea concept. However, I found the meeting between the main characters to be rather quick and lacking. Great setting and like the diversity.

Thank You NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.
This was my first time I've read anything by Priscilla Oliveras and I really enjoyed every word on the page! I look forward to reading more of this series.

This is classic fake relationship trope but with some nice heat to it. This is a perfect book to read beside the pool this summer. You can totally feel like you get lost in the story and feel like your on the beaches of Key West. This is a easy read that will have you cheering for the two to become a real couple.

Luis (the male lead) is Cuban and the author herself is Latinx, and is Puerto rican-Mexican, which brings authentic cultural elements which add a lot to the book. The focus on family for instance and the interweaving use of Spanish within the book was great.

Sara and Luis immediately meet and hatch a plan to be a fake couple right from the beginning ... yes completely not realistic but for a rom com it was normal right. I kinda wished for more a lead up to it but over all their story was cute and just the right amount of sweet and sexy . They both have some issues they need to deal with that with each others help they can over come them.

I would definitely recommend for anyone to pick this up and give it a read this summer and I'm looking for the next books to come out in the series.

This was just an average read for me. It actually reminded me of the unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. I did like the chemistry between our two main characters. I also enjoyed the fake dating trope as it's one of my favorites. Overall a cute, fast read so I recommend.

I had a really hard time with this book. Ive been constantly picking up and dropping this book since I’ve gotten it. For me, I was lacking the excited feeling of reading a new book or even feel invested in this story. If a book doesn’t captivate me 10 chapters in I have a hard time finishing it and sadly this was the case with this book.

I didn’t like Sara’s character from the beginning or how easily she was able to drop one relationship and move on to the next. I felt she was written poorly with with very little likability. I did enjoy Luis. He seemed endearing at the start but the underlying issues he was facing internally felt out of place for his character.

The writing was hard for me to follow. At times it felt choppy and sentences or paragraphs lacked smooth transitions. I would be reading if once scene and didn’t realize there was a change in scenes until well into the paragraph. I felt like some scenes early on were misplaced. I had a hard time seeing the two main characters in certain situations before any form of a relationship was established.

I did enjoy the culture this book had. It was refreshing to see two people speaking their native tongue. The author did a great job intertwining both English and Spanish. Having speak no Spanish, I completely understood the Spanish phrases because of the context surrounding them. I also loved the family dynamic between the two main characters. It was nice to see how different the family connection could be.

All in all this book was not for me. I had a lot of problems in the beginning which lead to me not finishing it.

Island Affair
Priscilla Oliveras
Publication date 4/28/20
3.5 stars

I really enjoyed Island Affair it was quick, fun, feel good story! Sara, a social media specialist has a family vacation planned. They are celebrating her Mom because after a battle of cancer she is now in remission. Sara is blindsided when her boyfriend flakes out and will be a no show. Louis is also having a bad day- he was just told by his boss to take the week off after an incident at the Firehouse. Sara and Louis meet at the perfect time. Louis is a kind hearted and compassionate guy, Sara asks him if he will pretend to be her boyfriend for the week. Sounds a little cheesy and like a movie but there is so much to the storyline and it may be fate that brought Sara and Louis together. They are both dealing with regrets, forgiveness, and letting go..... The island Affair will whisk you away to Key West and is bound to make you laugh and cry at the same time!
Thank you to NetGalley for this electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review.

www.instagram.com/donnasnotsosecretbookdiary

Twitter
@donna64619247

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12409011-donna-beiderman

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com

#islandaffair #priscillaoliveras #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #booknerds #booksofinstagram #booklife #bookofthemonth #bookbub #bookclub #bookclubs #bookclubbook #ilovereading #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookadvisor #betweenthechapters  #goodreadsgiveaway #goodreads #100bookchallenge
#BOTM #readacrossinstagram #readingnook #bookreviewer

For those of use who have been to Key West, this will be an enjoyable reminder of the sights and flavor. It may inspire others to visit. A cute meet and arrangement begin a sweet love story. As usual, I skipped the intimate details. The two families involved were interesting and realistic. A few tears may have been shed.. I look forward to reading the next one in this new series.

Island Affair is the perfect book to read on holiday or by the pool, due to the current lockdown situation, I was doing neither of these whilst reading but it definitely transported me to the idyllic beauty of Key West! I can see this being a huge hit for romance fans and readers who are in search of romance novels with more diverse representation. Luis (the male lead) is Cuban and the author herself is Latinx, and is Puerto rican-Mexican, which brings authentic cultural elements which add a lot to the book. The focus on family for instance and the interweaving use of Spanish within the book was great.

I think many readers are familiar with the 'fake dating' trope at this point but it never gets old for me! I liked reading as Sara and Luis meet and the plan is hatched and then executed - not without a few bumps in the road of course. I think I would have liked a bit more time before this occurred, it did feel a little fast but it was still fun to read so this is more of a personal preference in pacing. The romance itself had the right balance of sweet and sexy for me, with there being depth to their relationship as they get to know each other and encourage each other to sort out what has been bothering them. Luis is like the epitome of the romantic hero, the strong silent type with a heart of gold.

I also appreciated that the author chose to include Sara's struggles with an eating disorder in the past, and that she is in recovery and doing well. I think this will be encouraging for readers who may be experiencing something like this or have been through an ED in the past and I feel like it was sensitively approached. This was relatable to me in a lot of ways and representation of this kind is not something I've seen in a romance novel before so it was a refreshing element for sure.

Overall, probably more of a one time read for me but I did enjoy it and would recommend to fans of the romance genre and specifically the fake dating trope. It is a bit cliched at times but this is the ideal read if you're in the search for a wholesome romance novel with likeable characters and nothing too heavy!

This book probably wouldn’t happen in real life but it was a fun, enjoyable read. Sara Vance comes to Key West for a family vacation and with her boyfriend Ric. Ric doesn’t show up. Luis Navarro is a firefighter who is on a forced leave from his job. Meet-cute Sara and Luis. He agrees to be her “boyfriend “ for the week, so she doesn’t look like a failure. I loved this romance rich in family and culture. I can’t wait for more in this series.

Cute, rom-com type book. The characters were likeable and the setting in Key West was very imaginable as you read. I am not sure if it is because I do not usually read this genre, but I felt the writing was repeatable and it took along time to move the story forward. It definitely picks up a little half way through.

After being stood up by her fiancé before a family vacation in Florida, Sara decides to ask a stranger - hot firefighter Luis - to be her pretend boyfriend for a week. But things aren't as easy as they seem, and they find themselves falling for each other.⁠
⁠
I was very excited to read Island Affair because it sounds like the perfect Summer romance: there's the fake relationship trope, some (healthy-for-plot) family tension and, of course, a lovely vacation setting.⁠
⁠
I really liked how two completely different families were portrayed, I learned more about Key West and the Conch culture, and even though this was a light read, there was still space to explore topics such as grief, mental health and eating disorders, which I really appreciated. ⁠
⁠
As a whole, I liked Sara and Luis as a couple - both had their own issues and insecurities, and they helped each other get through them. I cared enough about their relationship to keep reading and see where it was going.⁠
⁠
However, I did feel like there was something... missing. It's hard for me to pinpoint what it was - at times I felt like it was just a little too slow-paced for me and I got bored, then I thought maybe I just didn't connect to the characters -, but whatever it was, it got in the way of me truly enjoying this book. It was still entertaining and fun, but not a solid, memorable read.⁠ That being said, I think this is still a lovely beach romance, so if you're into this genre, I'd say give it a chance.

Wowza, here's a steamy summer romance to kick off your summer reading list!

When Sarah's boyfriend ditches out on a family vacation, she asks Luis to play the 'pretend' fiance. Well, you know how that goes, right?

Loved this one!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own

The cover of this book is beautiful, and it was one of the main reasons why I wanted to read this book. The story is set on Key West, Florida. I've wanted to travel the keys for a long time, and am saving for a trip-of-a-lifetime. This book has the beautiful descriptions of Key West, provided by the author, who actually lived there.

The book starts with Sara landing on the island and finding out her long-distance boyfriend has cancelled on coming to meet her family. Luis, a local firefighter, notices her distress, and they get to talking and he agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend for the week.

I love the location, but I just couldn't imagine why (?!) you would bring a stranger to your family vacation as your boyfriend. I'd much rather than either making up a convincing lie (his mother had a heart-attack) or the truth (he's an ass, and we broke up). Then this friend I meet at the airport could blossom into something more. That's just me.

Happy publication day to Island Affair! And thank you @kensingtonbooks and @NetGalley for the egalley.
⠀⠀
You all know I love a rom-com but you may not know I LOVE Key West. I grew up a few hours north, in Miami, and have always loved this laid-back little island—so much that I even babymooned there about three years ago this month. Instead of the virgin mango piña coladas I drank during that trip, I paired this book with a Key Lime Pie Gose from @westbrookbrewingco here in Charleston.

This book is set on Key West and centers around a super sweet and super hot Cuban-American firefighter who saves the day (week!) by pretending to be an Instagram influencer’s boyfriend while she’s on vacation. Obviously, sparks fly.

I appreciate that Island Affair describes Latinx families in a way that was nuanced and familiar to me instead of being a token detail, though sometimes the Spanglish seemed a little forced, and that the book discussed grief, mental heath, toxic masculinity, and other issues frankly. It was very PG, which is not my preference, but I know many readers prefer that to more explicit romance. Overall, my only complaint is that I have NEVER IN MY LIFE heard a Cuban sandwich called a “Cuban Mix”—I actually Googled it 😂

Island Affair
This was a really fun, sweet book, and I'm really in the mood for lighter rom-coms right now. The characters were unique and their personal and family backgrounds were different from what I've seen in other stories. I loved the setting in the Florida keys and exploring some of the culture Luis helped expose to Sara.

Thank you to @kensigntonbooks for my copy!