Key West is one of my all time wang to visit destinations. I absolutely loved the setting around this book. I enjoyed how it mixed the summer romance with fake relationship. It took me a while to get into the book due to the rushed "arrangement." Unfortunately I got kidnapper bad ju-ju vibes when Luis and Sara met. I mean couldn't they have agreed to the fake relationship at least after some ice cream on the beach to calm Sara's nerves? It was very rushed and felt unrealistic.

I started to really get into the book once I was able to get to know the characters and the fake relationship started to mix boundaries. Luis was so extremely hard headed for being so willing to help Sara push down her internal walls. I was so happy when Luis was finally able to come to terms with his own baggage. Overall the story was a super sweet and lovely summer romance.

I really enjoy island romance stories, though there really aren't that many out there that I've discovered. Island Affair sounded promising, so I thought I'd give the author a try since I'd never read anything by her.

Luis and Sara were very likable characters and I was easily drawn into the story. They both had their own bit of problems in the past but seemed perfect for one another. The beginning seemed a bit fast at times but did seem to slow down as the story progressed, which I was thankful for. But it just seemed that something was missing and I can't quite put my finger on what it was. I don't want to say that parts of the story were flat, because it did hold my interest and I felt a connection to it, but there were certain parts that could've had a little more pumped into the story line.

The author did convince me that Key West is a beautiful place and I'd love to be able to visit one day. I could really feel her passion towards Key West and maybe that was what was missing in the story--the passion for the story itself. I'd also like to point out that the cover is absolutely gorgeous, but it doesn't connect me with the story at all.

A solid four and a half stars!

I was THRILLED to receive this to read, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for the ecopy of this book. I will be posting a full review on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram! Many thanks.

This book was provided as an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the dynamic between Sara and Luis. Even though they met by chance, the electricity between them was so evident from their first meeting. I also loved the family dynamics that the author delved into. Luis’ family being all nosy and in each other’s business, I loved how Luis’ mom was getting updates from people all over the island that he had been seen with a girl. His mom has eyes everywhere! Then Sara’s family, fractured but trying to come back together. This book had a lot of layers, and I enjoyed that. From Sara’s eating disorder, thinking she was the black sheep of the family since she didn’t go into medicine, to Luis’ savior complex always trying to save but also needing to save his relationship with his little brother. I liked the ending, and I could totally see this as a movie.

REVIEW | Island Affair
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What I loved: I’m always into the fake dating and forced proximity trope! I also really enjoyed the tropical Florida keys setting. It was beautifully described. Can we also talk about the lovely cover for this one? So swoony.

What I didn’t love: There was something about the voice in this book I didn’t quite connect with. I also didn’t love the insta love, particularly for a fake dating trope which I always find is a bit better suited to a slower burn.

Either way, this was a cute read but it didn’t stick out as a forever favourite. Massive thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for this ARC 💗

This book made me feel like I was really in the Keys. The descriptions made me feel like I was there with Luis and Sara.

This book is the perfect rom-com type beach read that I so love from time to time. Although some things were of course a little far fetched because it’s a rom-com the characters were so well developed and lovable. The story line was interesting and although predictable it was also just a perfect beach read. I would definitely recommend it to be on your summer must read list!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book- all thoughts are completely my own.

Island Affair is a cute romance about two people faking their relationship and then it turns into something more. This is my first time reading a book by Priscilla Oliveras and I really liked it. The characters shine because of their different personalities and make for an entertaining read.

Sara is a social media influencer who has had her own fair share of struggles. She is in recovery from an eating disorder and everyone wants to know how she is doing. She doesn't have the best track record with men so when her boyfriend doesn't show up to meet her family in Florida she panics.

Luis comes to her rescue. He is a firefighter paramedic and can't help but rescue those in need. When he chats with Sara and she asks him to be her fake boyfriend for the trip, he says yes.

I like that they bring out the best in each other and challenge one another. Luis is so laid back and Sara is used to running around. They are the perfect balance.

As they spend more time together, those fake feelings are becoming real. It's so cute to witness these two fall in love!

I give Island Affair 4 stars. The friendship that turns into something more is beautiful to read about. There are so many cute, funny, and lively moments in the book. Definitely a must read for romance lovers.

Island Affair is your typical fake dating trope set in the beautiful backdrop of Key West.  I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover - its so bright and cheerful and screams take me away to this beautiful island. Sara, a social media influencer and Luis a firefighter from Key West meet by chance just as Sara's boyfriend stands her up for a vacation with her family who is expecting Sara to show up with a boyfriend.  I find myself having to suspend reality and remind myself that this is just a work of fiction with the dating a complete stranger storyline. The story is not all light and fluffy though- the characters are dealing with real serious issues. This is my first book by Priscilla Oliveras and I liked that she was really descriptive of the Key West area.

Isn’t it every girl’s dream to go on vacation and meet the man she’s been hoping for? Well, for Sara – she was planning to meet her current boyfriend, but when he stood her up when he was supposed to meet her parents, she found her dream replacement “boyfriend for hire” in Luis.

Island Affair is a cute romance between local “Conch” fireman Luis Navarro and New York social media influencer Sara Vance. This story has all of the things you want in a typical romance novel – a meet cute, a fake boyfriend with feelings that turn real, and family drama that allows each character to grow. They take care of each other in ways they didn’t know they needed, but both find ways to come to peace with their insecurities in order to care for each other.

This book made me want to get in the car and drive to smell the salty sea air and put my toes in the sand. I got the feel for vacation and while it wasn’t too steamy, the reader could feel their romance.

I really enjoyed the peripheral family characters that made up the rest of the book – without them there wouldn’t have been much drama or anything to resolve. In fact, I thought that the resolution happened too quickly in some cases, but I’m glad that all ended happily. I did miss an epilogue to learn a little more about how these two characters carry on their potentially long distance relationship, but I imagine it will be discussed in future books in the series – which I would definitely read to find out more!

Trigger Warnings: family issues, eating disorders, death of a loved one (pre-story)

Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Island Affair is the first book to a brand new series called Keys To Love. The story is set in Key West with the island as a backdrop to this romance story. The author's love for Key West is very evident in this book. I loved the island setting and how the location felt like an integral part of the story highlighting the Cuban culture, food, and scenery all around. I love fake-dating trope and I was excited to start on this one. Though the story started out kind of insta-romancey, the characters had good chemistry and their banter and conversations made it easy to accept them as a couple. The whole story happens in the span of a week, so if you can suspend disbelief at the possibility of 2 people falling for each other in such a short time-frame, you will enjoy this story. Sara and Luis were adorable and I loved how sweet and nice Luis was. He is definitely what I would call a good hero. Sara is a strong character with baggage that makes her vulnerable and insecure at times. Her struggle with eating disorders is also realistically portrayed, even though the author doesn't delve deeper into the issue. The family dynamics and how each of them deal with their respective families were an interesting contrast to see. Both of the characters were wonderfully written and their family backgrounds and the importance of familial bonds were one of my favorites parts of the story. I love how they dealt with complicated issues and helped each other out as well.

The book is a fun romance read with likable characters and fun family dynamics. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series. The story would have much more amazing if the characters didn't meet in such a coincidental way and jumped right into the deep end head-first without any hesitation. Overall the book was really good, I enjoyed the characters, their strengths, and how they were willing to come together as a family to grow into a better unit. The setting of the story was really good with the love for the island shining through the pages. The Cuban references, culture, and Spanish phrases all added to the story very well. The couple and their dynamics were very good with excellent chemistry. Yes, it felt very quick but I still enjoyed it and they had more conversations, some tough ones too before they became an official couple. I am giving the book 4 stars and highly recommend checking it out.

Oh wow!!!!

Ok this book was better than I thought it will be. I am all for romance novels, I love them all there is not one I hate. But this one was so different, mainly because it’s very relatable, being Hispanic and all, everything, down to the language was something that made me love this book even more.

So Sara is in Key West on a family vacation to celebrate her mother beating cancer, and she had her boy friend who was going to come over and stay with them as well, until he bailed on her.

Then there is Luis, he works at the fire station, and was sent out on temp leave for a week, he is Cuban, hard worker and he has this huge Savior complex it can be rather annoying, lol, but hella sweet.

Anyway he bumps into Sara right when she dumped her boyfriend on the phone, and here comes Luis wanting to know if he can help her with anything, and POW! there it is for you, she wants him to fill in as her boyfriend, just to make her family happy. But this is the thing these two have so much going on, Sara is a influencer, she is the youngest of 3 other siblings who are so much older than she is and over achievers, her relationship with her sister is crappy, and Sara feels that she is a burden. Luis has his own demons as well, which I am so happy he was able to fix at the end of this.

Everything about this book brought me happiness, that’s what Florida does to you, every time I go I there I’m always in better spirits, I highly recommend this book.

“As long as we allow the last to negatively affect our present, it’s impossible to build a positive future.”- Sara

I love a good fake romance to real love story, and Sara and Luis definitely delivered that! They both had issues to work through, and I loved that they helped each other get through them. The families, the setting, the food, and just everything in this book was so good!

Island Affair is a fun read set in Key West, all about the romance between a social media influencer and a firefighter. This was a good read overall, but did drag somewhat half way through. I liked the fact that Sara was in social media but it would have been nice for this to be explored more fully. Sara and Luis has great chemistry, but I didn’t feel they had much of a connection otherwise. Also, Sara’s issues with her family got resolved pretty quickly, and the reason why Luis has to take leave from work wasn’t fully addressed.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

“Good luck and welcome to the island.” Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

3.5 stars! And I missed finishing this before it was released...which was April 28, 2020. Oh well.

This was a light and fun love story. Set in Key West and has lots of glimpses of a more laid back lifestyle...is a story of 2 people who met by chance, decided to help each other out (well Luis helped Sara) by pretending to be a couple and falls in love. You know, thar kind of trope.

But it’s cute and Luis is great, though stubborn. Sara is interesting but has major issues with her family. Watching them, sorry reading them falling in love was cute. Nice little escape book for this time when the beach is not accessible to me.

And the cover is so pretty, I had to take a pic of it on my iPad for full color.

Thank you Kensington Publishing Corp for the arc of this book. Thanks also @netgalley for it.

Island Affair was a fun book, perfect escapist reading for these times. I really liked that Latin culture was weaved into the story, but I found the italicized Spanish to be a bit distracting. I realized that it's correct to italicize foreign words, but given that this is a novel that includes Spanish as an integral part of the character's essence, the italics' function to highlight that "foreign nature" seems jarring and I believe a bit of artistic license in foregoing that formatting rule would have been justified. Aside from that the Spanish was spot on, and I loved that. It's nice and refreshing to see us represented well.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Island Affair was just what I needed to snap me out of a recent reading slump. Priscilla Olivera's characters were easily likable and refreshing. I loved seeing the character development and the relationship growth between Sara, Luis, and their families. This book had a good balance of drama, flirtation, and romance. I loved the scenes with the Navarro family, especially their family dinner the first time they met Sara. Their loud voices, teasing, and stubbornness reminded me of my own family. The setting of this book also sounded incredible and I'm adding Key West as a place I'd like to travel to someday! I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series and would love to hear more of Enrique's story!

My review of this novel was published at All About Romance on April 28, 2020. The link can be found here: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/island-affair-by-priscilla-oliveras/

I also published my review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3178573979?book_show_action=false

The idea of this book was all there but the follow through wasn't that great for me. I had a really difficult time connecting with the characters and also seeing the connection between the characters. And the story was primarily written in third person, which isn't my favorite point of view.

Gotta love a how they met story that starts off as a hired date, in this case to impress Sara’s family. Her chance meeting with Luis is sure to result in some sparks between the two of them, as they pretend to be engaged during the celebration of her mother being cancer free.

How perfect that Luis is off from the fire station and needs a distraction - could there be something in it for him too? Maybe working through the very issues he’s been avoiding? Will they be able to keep both of their families from finding out the truth?

Great details in the writing, I’m especially impressed with the building of these two characters - the dual POV really helped keep the story moving. I loved how the characters flaws and obstacles were tackled & made them easy to enjoy, great quick read, thank you to bookishfirst for the first impression as well as Netgalley & Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for my review!

I really enjoyed this. When I finished it at 2:20 this morning, I should have gone to bed. Instead, I went on Twitter to say how much I liked it, then went to Amazon to 'Follow' the author so I would know when her next book comes out.

I like the fake dating trope. I know people have said that he agreed to go along with the scheme too quickly, that's part of the trope. The book literally can't proceed until that's put in place, so it needs to happen quickly.

I really enjoyed it. I loved the descriptions of the scenery, esp the sunsets. I thought the couple worked well, I believed they would work through their problems together. And that they would each come out stronger individually and as a couple.

I still think Sara was far more forgiving than I would. Her parents, esp the mother, were so self centered and focused on their careers that they were emotionally/psychologically abusive. And then later we find out that it wasn't just Sara affected by it over the years. I'd have just walked away from the whole group and cut contact. But I apparently have a lower tolerance for bullshit.