I ended up not finishing the book. I gave up around 20% in. I greatly enjoyed the characters and the families...except for Ale. He was so static in his anger, and very self centered. I may go back to it another day, but I'll probably stall every time he talks to his dad about a super long grudge.

Anchored Hearts is the 2nd book in the Keys to Love series. I didn't read the first book so I can say without a doubt, you don't need to read these in order as they are all complete standalones.

This story is about family, Key West and second chance romance (with a side of the mami's getting involved). Alejandro, a now famous photographer, left his home right after high school because of issues he had with this father. He has never returned and he has felt a disconnect with part of his family because of his relationship with his father. But with leaving the Keys, he also left a very important part of his life. Anamaria was his high school sweetheart and they had plans for a future, but she couldn't leave. She was too attached to her family and things that were happening at home. She couldn't just follow her boyfriend around while he was living his dreams, could she?

I really enjoyed the way Priscilla Oliveras wrote the book and how she incorporated the Cuban culture and language all throughout. That was the part I connected with the most. Although I am not Cuban and don't speak Spanish, I could understand what was being said by how she wrote the dialogue. I think with these characters and their story, the culture was so important. It brought the families together and in one aspect, it kept them apart. It almost seemed like the romance and the connection between our two main characters was secondary. I could feel that they were still friends and still had undeniable chemistry, but I wasn't as invested in them as I was with their family and those relationships. That may be odd, since I know we are supposed to be concentrating on their romance, but it didn't bother me and I liked the cast as a group.

This is a perfect holiday/beach/vacation read. It takes you to sunny Key West and you get to see the culture, family dynamics and live with Alejandro as he recuperates at his family home. We also get to see Anamaria come into her own and learn what she wants out of her life independently from her family AND from Ale. While it took me a couple chapters to really dig in, after that, I was invested in the whole crew and what was going to happen to these two souls that obviously belonged together. But my most favorite part took place in the art gallery and what Alejandro showed and how it affected the community. It brought me to tears. SO much so that I had to look up a little history of that time.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It really reflected the culture of an area and I love the inclusivity we are seeing more and more in books. I felt like I was part of the families and them scheming to get the two characters back together after many years apart. I wasn't totally blown away, but the slow build of a second chance romance was still entertaining and I would definitely check out more of her books.

Have Alejandro and Anamaría come full circle?

Photographer Alejandro Miranda had said he would never return to Key West after arguing with his papi about working in the family restaurant but his mami guilted him in to coming home after breaking his leg. Returning home, Alejandro had to face his former girlfriend Anamaría Navarro that he left for his photography when she wasn’t ready to leave her close-knit family.

Anamaría wasn’t very happy dealing with Alejandro after his return but family pressure to help him out but when he volunteered to help with a photoshoot made her realize just how much she had missed him.

I loved the part about Alejandro’s photo exhibit because it reconnected his family.

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

This is the second book in the Keys To Love series. This book follows Anamaría Navarro and Alejandro Miranda. They were in love as kids, and had planned a future together. But things didn’t work out that way for them. And now, over a decade later, he’s back because of an injury. And the tow can’t avoid running into each other or the attraction they both still share.

I really loved this book. The characters are well written and have their own insecurities and flaws. Watching them rekindle the love they had for each other, even though they fought it. You feel for them, in the struggles that they each face. And you are hoping that they can work things out and make a relationship work.

Thanks to Kensington Books (Zebra) + Netgalley for the e-ARC of "Anchored Hearts" by Priscilla Oliveras.

A second chance romance set in Key West full of Cuban culture, slow burn romance, and lighter on the steam. I highly recommend it.

💛REVIEW💛
Anchored Hearts is set in the beautiful Key West of Florida, and is the story of Anamaria Navarro and Alejandro Miranda, childhood sweethearts who have been apart for twelve years, but find themselves back together in their hometown after all this time.
Priscilla Oliveras writes a beautiful second-chance romance, detailing perfectly the two Latinx families and their love and loyalty, their memories and culture and their food! 😋
As teenagers, Anamaria and Alejandro were together all the time, along with the other Navarro siblings, Luis, Carlos and Enrique, but choices, and eventually stubbornness kept Alejandro away from Key West as he followed his dreams of photography, while Anamaria set her path in fitness and food nutrition, while also working as a paramedic with the fire department. Back on the island now, prepare for meddling mothers, memories and a slow-burn (that does steam up!) romance!

I enjoyed this second-chance romance a lot! We have glimmers of their past, as well as written from dual POV so we get to know both Anamaria’s and Alejandro’s thoughts and feelings. The Cuban culture and beauty of Key West 100% are the core of Anchored Hearts, with the author seamlessly flowing through the two languages so it is simple for the reader to follow, but also get an appreciation of the language and Cuban culture. The two families are fun and vibrant, with love and loyalty their main attributes, I certainly laughed and smiled throughout reading! Totally recommend Anchored Hearts for all romance readers! ⚓️

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to netgalley for the early copy of this book I received. I’m sharing my honest review.

Second Chance Love
Family Reconciliation
Latino Representative

I just really enjoy reading the Keys to Love series. This can be read as a standalone also but do yourself a favor and read the 1st book cause it's pretty darn amazing! I really loved the character of Anamaria, such a strong Latina woman. I also fell in love with the character growth of Alejandro. I'm looking forward to reading more about the Navarro Family in the books to come.

This is the second book in the "Keys to Love" series, and I adored the way the author wove in bits of the tropical setting throughout the story. I liked the slow burn of the second chance romance between the main characters, and I loved reading about their extended families. Overall, however, I struggled with the writing. It felt a bit abrupt to me.

Priscilla has created an absolutely charming story set in beautiful Key West. It was so nice to be back in the world of the Narvarro family. Second chance romance! Very low spice but not mad about it.

2.5 stars

I REALLY wanted to enjoy Anchored Hearts; I read the first book in the series last year, and even though I felt like there was something missing at the time, I remember enjoying the book overall.

After telling the story of Sara and Luis, this second book focuses on Luis' sister, Anamaría, and her ex-boyfriend's return after leaving her (pretty much without an explanation) years prior. This is a second-chance romance, which I love, and I also enjoyed the focus on the characters' cultural background, which I remember also really appreciating when I read the first book.

Both characters were likable and I was rooting for them, but the pace was just way too slow for me. I was close to DNFing a bunch of times because certain moments or descriptions went on for way too long, and while I do enjoy a slow burn, in this case I felt like it took so long that all the excitement was gone when it did happen. Unfortunately, it was one of those books I finished because I really wanted to, but I can't say I truly enjoyed it.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the light and breezy summer read that was Island Affair, Anchored Hearts did not strike a chord with me. Granted, I’m not a second chance romance fan unless they're executed properly, but this felt like it was full of the cringey things that I hate about the trope. I can list at least five different plot devices that I'd love to never read about again, and I just couldn't get into the love story. Beyond the miscommunication and stereotypical backstory, neither Alejandro nor Anamaría really won me over. It may have been my detachment to the love story, but I was not rooting for either of them.

That's all unfortunate, because there's a lot about the author's writing that I enjoy. In Island Affair, I grew to love the family dynamics, as well as the vibrancy of the culture and environment. That's still a big part of Anchored Hearts, but it all gets muddied by the fact that family is also what broke these two apart. Ultimately, I was very disappointed by this. Second chance fans might find it more successful, but this really didn't work for me. I appreciated receiving an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this second chance romance.

Another fantastic book from Oliveras's Keys to Love series! Alejandro and Anamaria were young and in love and dreaming of their future when Alejandro decides to follow his passion in photography leaving Key West and Anamaria behind. Over ten years later, an accident sends him back home to recover where he ends up reconnecting with his first love.

There is so much to love about this book. Oliveras has a way of transporting you from your couch down to the keys. The descriptions, the language, the food all make you feel as if you're right there. The Cuban and LatinX culture and families are fantastic. There is such familial love and pride in this book. One thing that I particularly thought was done well is the second chance romance. The reasons that these two were separated years ago are still there and there are added obstacles with Anamaria's growing business. It feels so real and impossible for these two which raises the stakes and really has you invested and hoping for their happily ever after.

Anchored Hearts is that perfect light, romance that gives you escape, a story of family, and leaves you smiling the whole way through. I'm loving this series and cannot wait for the next installment.

Anchored Hearts: An Entertaining Latinx Second Chance Romance by Priscilla Oliveras, between the two very promising characters, Alejandro Miranda & Anamaría Navarro. It's good to read about a Latinx romance for a change, except for the original European and American romances.

I liked how the plot made me dive into a completely new world of Puerto Rico. The plot is sweet, and very straightforward. Both of them had met again after years, where they were madly in love during their school times. I have not read the first book in the series, but this can be read directly I guess.

But nevertheless, the book is a perfect summer and beach read, while enjoying it with a simple mocktail. The diversity and characters aspect was something I enjoyed as well. The story definitely is a slow burn romance and more about second chances.
_____

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC!

Okay, if you mention ropa vieja in a book, I'm already hooked. But top that off with the badass Anamaria and her smoking hot love interest Alejandro and you've got the recipe for a fantastic romance!

Included as a top pick in bimonthly April New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

This series is so fun & makes me want to visit the Florida Keys so much!
I really loved the second chance romance element of this book and gah how I rooted for them to be together.
I didn't like this one as much as the first book, Island Affair but I still loved getting to know the family and the romances and I am definitely planning to finish the series.

What a loved best about this book was the bilingual nature. The book is set amongst the homogenous culture of the Florida keys both Latin and American and this is reflected in the conversations between characters in both Spanish and English. When reading the first book I thought this would be hard but I realised that they contextualise then slightly elaborate in English even when there is Spanish dialogue.
Despite absolutely love the sexy characters and culture rich environment I wanted a new love story that was different from having sexy fun to falling in love or even the artificial enemies to lovers trope. However, it was different from the trope of the first book from the series which means the author has potential of having more great books and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a charming read full of celebration for Key West and Cuban-American culture. I loved these particular aspects about this one! The romance was also sweet and I ended up rooting for this couple although it took me a while to get there. Unfortunately the romance might be the weakest link of this read. The first half of this book is made up of a lot of exposition. It takes a long time to set everything up. We do not see the two main characters interacting much in this first half and this made the romance lag behind everything else.

The second half of this book is strong though! The romance picks up steam, in both senses of the word, and the storyline propels forward in a way that kept me engaged and wanting to know what was going to happen. This also worked great as a stand-alone novel although it is part of a series. I have yet to read the first (although reading this made me put it on my TBR!) and I did not have any difficulty following the storyline.

Another strength in the novel is the absolute fabulousness of the main character, Anamaria, who you cannot help but root for. She is starting a business, supporting her family, and also a firefighter/EMT. She works hard and it was easy to want her to find happiness. I just wish her story, and Alejandro's, did not take as long to get really get anywhere at all. The beginning was just...slow. No other words. You have to push through it to find the magic.

Because I do not like to work that hard in my reads, this fell into the 3 star category for me. I liked it a lot! I just hope the other books I pick up in this series go at a bit of a faster pace. My biggest takeway is it is a testament to how charming it is overall that I want to keep reading more of this series!

This second book in the Keys to Love series, follows Alejandro and Annamaria reuniting 12 years after they parted ways, on not so great terms, and figuring out what they mean to each other now. Their meddling mothers always try to reunite them in their schemes, force them to be civil to one another and eventually venture into a second chance, slow-burn romance.

I truly enjoyed seeing the family dynamics between all the siblings and parents, and how even though everyone is in each other's business, it all comes from a place of love and pride. The Cuban food, references and history was a wonderful glimpse into how this community comes together. The family was definitely my favourite thing about this book. One small criticism I had about the writing style was that there were moments where it was just too descriptive (the state of his injury, I cringed, or what streets they turned onto). I did enjoy seeing Spanish dialogue (I am a Spanish speaker) and liked how the author translated the dialogue in English a few lines later so no one misses out or has to look up translations.

Unfortunately the romance was something I didn’t particularly enjoy. When they say slow burn, they truly mean SLOWWWWW burn. It just dragged on a bit too long. The tip toeing back and forth, wasn’t entertaining for me. The miscommunication between why Alejandro and Annamaria left things and their reasonings for their initial breakup took far too long to be out in the open. The ending of how he was gonna wait for her to come back and vice versa, and they’d always be “anchored back home” felt like a bit of a let down. I was kinda hoping that they would become some traveling entrepreneur duo, and then coming back home together. Who knows, that may be the case in the potential next book in the series. (Really hoping for Ernesto and Natalia, fingers crossed.)


I received this ARC via Netgalley and Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

After reading this book, I’m ready to get on a plane and go back to Key West !
It was the first book I had read by Priscilla Oliveras but certainly won’t be the last - I’ll have to find the first in the Keys series Island Affair now, but it was absolutely possible to read this as a stand alone book.
The story is engaging and enjoyable with an emphasis on family and food. The descriptions are incredibly vivid, everything sounds interesting, you can just about smell the food off the page. I still want to try the Ropa Vieja at Miranda’s and I am a vegetarian 😂!
It is a slow burn, second-chance romance and it has it all: energy, love, and even humor. Anamaria and Alejandro, high school sweethearts, separated by circumstances and their own actual growing up are destined to find a way back to their relationship. I loved the witty banter between the characters and how the author built them up separately before bringing them together, it made them relatable in their own struggles.

Anchored Hearts is a wonderful warm Cuban family romcom - a vacation between the books covers, mix yourself a nice drink and enjoy !

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, Zebra for the digital advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.