“I finished Island Affair with a big smile on my face. I can’t decide what I adored more: Luis and Sara’s love story; their relationships with their complicated and difficult and loving families, or the setting of Key West, which sounded so beautiful I wanted to jump on a plane. I can’t wait to read more by Priscilla Oliveras!”
—New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory
USA Today … Jasmine Guillory
USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras launches a new romantic comedy series set in Key West, Florida and filled with humor, Latinx culture, and fun family dynamics perfect for summer beach reading…
Sought-after social media influencer Sara Vance, in recovery from an eating disorder, is coming into her own, with a potential career expansion on the horizon. Despite the good news, her successful siblings (and their perfect spouses) have a way of making her feel like the odd one out. So, when her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé . . .
Luis’s big Cuban familia has been in Key West for generations, and his quiet strength feeds off the island’s laidback style. Though guarded after a deep betrayal, he’ll always help someone in need—especially a spunky beauty with a surprising knowledge of Spanish curse words. Soon, he and Sara have memorized their “how we met” story and are immersed in family dinners, bike tours, private snorkeling trips . . . sharing secrets, and slow, melting kisses. But when it’s time for Sara to return home, will their fake relationship fade like the stunning sunset . . . or blossom into something beautiful?
“A captivating love story.”
—Farrah Rochon, USA Today bestselling author
“Priscilla Oliveras writes about families and love with warmth and charm. If you love nuanced characters and big emotions, read her books.”
—HelenKay Dimon, author of The Secret She Keeps
“Don’t miss this lovely beginning to Priscilla Oliveras’s new series. Can’t wait to take my next trip!”
—Jamie Beck, USA Today bestselling author
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I laughed…. I cried… and I couldn’t put it down. Meet Sara Vance, a social media influencer trying to prove herself to her family and Luis Navarro, struggling to move on from the past. Luis, a firefighter in Key West, steps in to help Sara – helping others is what he does best – survive a planned family vacation when her boyfriend no shows on the island. With a seven-day mandated break from work, he figures this will give him something to do while helping someone in distress. However, neither Sara nor Luis realize just how much this week may help them heal one another. Priscilla Oliveras pens a story filled with such detail that you’ll feel like you’ve been to the Island and leave you yearning to go in real life. She quickly captures the reader with a unique writing style that draws you into the Navarro and Vance families, and accurately portrays the struggles that many families face in their own lives. You’ll quickly become connected to the story line and will find yourself rooting for both Luis and Sara to overcome the struggles they face. This book will touch your heart and draw you in and leave you with a smile on your face. **I received this book as an ARC from the publisher to provide an honest review.
I have to say that I really loved this story by Priscilla Oliveras! My best friend in college had a big, loud Cuban family, so I can totally relate to the family dynamics in the book. Sara was a strong, but silent member of her family. She never felt like she truly belonged because she wasn’t a physician like her parents or her sister. When she propositions Luis to be her boyfriend for the week she doesn’t expect it to develop into anything. Luis cannot deny that he’s attracted to Sara. He’s so patient with her and very encouraging. Although there were problems in both families, Sara and Luis were great for each other! Luis encouraged Sara to settle things with her sister and Sara told Luis the same regarding his younger brother. Oliveras made this a slow burn romance that brought the steamy factor at the appropriate moments. If you like Jill Shalvis, you will love Priscella Oliveras! Island Affair was a fabulous story and a perfect beach read! 5 stars
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.
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.
Steamy romances are not normally my usual read, however, this was a great book. If you don’t mind steamy romances than grab this book and enjoy a little getaway. Oliveras does a great job of fleshing out the characters and bringing them to life on the pages of this book. She brings you into the world of Sara Vance and struggles with self esteem, growing her business and dealing with her family and the struggles they have as a family unit. The relationship between Sara and Luis is fun and tender. Oliveras draws you in from the first few pages and makes it hard to put down this book.
By annie5151
A light and breezy romantic story!
I love the cover, it drew me to the book right away!
Key West is the perfect setting for a romance and some family issues thrown into the mix.
I liked Luis and Sara, both strong characters with some side issues.
It had just the right amount of romance without getting into too much detail.
The book was descriptive, made me want to go to Key West even more.
I did think it dragged in some parts, maybe it was a little too mired in their past issues.
Luis and Sara’s families were so different but still interesting
I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to more by this author.
It is the perfect beach read
Thanks to Bookish First for the early copy
Thank you Kensington for the ARC
Sara and Luis were great together! It was like the forces of fate knew they needed each other and boom they found one another.
I was wondering when the shoe was going to drop. The book was great, their time together was great. Sara and Luis had their moments and it seemed to be going way to well.
Sara’s family took to Luis like they have been an old married couple. Luis’s family the same just with a Spanish twist.
Great book, easy to read. Touched on a few things woman and maybe men deal with today.
A social media influencer meets her match in a hunky firefighter in this smexy and sweet vacation romance.
I adored Sara and Luis as they meet in the cutest way possible, then romp their way across the Key West, pretending to be engaged, meeting each other’s large and well-meaning familias, and helping each other overcome their past issues. A lovely setting, wonderful characters and the fake fiance trope, Island Affair is a must read, people.
A cute romance taking place in the atmospheric Key West. The author does a great job of setting the scene, making me feel like I’m there. The characters in this story were very fleshed out and felt like real people. Luis and his family dynamics were one of my favorite parts of the story, and he was a sweet, and caring hero which I liked. And his relationship with Sara was very swoony as they tried to fight their undeniable attraction but ultimately fell for each other. This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! It was a cute romance, with enjoyable characters, and some deeper issues as the heroine recovers from an eating disorder. I can’t wait to read this next one in this story about Annamaria and return to Key West. Thank you to BookishFirst and Kensington Books for the ARC!
I can stare at the cover all day long!! This takes you to Key West, a perfect escape. It’s a fun & entertaining fake fiancée trope about overcoming personal issues, the importance of family, and living in the moment. The author beautifully makes you feel part of the story as a member of the family, feeling the sun and water, and eating lol! Thanks to Kensington Publishing Co. and NetGalley for this wonderful ARC. Kensington Publishing Co. and NetGalley for this ARC.
I’m a little bit in love!
Sara Vance, a sought-after social media influencer in a bind, and Luis Navarro, a firefighter going through a tough time and harboring a massive chip on his shoulder, are as different as can be, but when Sara’s flaky boyfriend ditches her in Key West during arguably her family’s most important vacation ever, it’s Luis to the rescue.
A lifetime of growing up under the shadow of her parents and much older brother and sister – all of whom are doctors – has left Sara a little gun-shy when it comes to people’s expectations. Considered the black sheep of the family, Sara has chosen to pursue a career in social media and has fought valiantly against the eating disorder she developed in high school. Now her boyfriend’s no-show threatens to ruin the vacation meant to force Sara’s mom, who just recovered from cancer, into blissful relaxation. Enter Luis.
After seeing a distraught Sara at the airport, Luis accepts her crazy proposition to step in as her faux boyfriend for the week-long vacation. Luis has his own baggage, including an on-going feud with his youngest brother that began with a betrayal and the inability to move on from that fateful day when his fiance perished in a car accident. When his boss suggests (read: forces) Luis to take a week off to get his head on straight after a tough job, Luis assumes that his forced holiday will end in boredom. He never intended to play the knight in shining armor but that’s just what he does. He agrees to pose as Sara’s boyfriend for the duration of her stay, but juggling nosy parents, meddling siblings, and outright lies is easier said than done and Sara and Luis find themselves wondering if one week will really be enough for a lifetime.
This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! The story was as cute and sweet and funny as you’d expect a rom-com to be. The characters are dynamic and fleshed out, each with their own struggles and obstacles to overcome. Although they fight it for a good chunk of the book, their chemistry is undeniable and it’s incredibly sweet how they interact with one another. I initially thought that this would be a slightly cliche story where the male lead comes to the female lead’s rescue because she can’t save herself and then just fixes everything. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t really the case. True, Sara does desperately need Luis’ help and, true, Luis forces her to step outside her comfort zone to build relationships with her family. But ultimately the relationship is far from one sided. Sara encourages Luis to mend bridges in his own family and overcome his past to make way for his future.
This was a fun and heartwarming read that I would highly recommended both for it’s delightful characters and beautiful setting.
I wanted to say a sincere thank you Priscilla Oliveras, BookishFirst, and the Kensington Publishing Corp. for the free copy of Island Affair. It was just what I needed during this dreary time of year!
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras is a new series of light, modern romances (Keys to Love).
This book is mainly placed in Key West. Here, we see the introduction of Luis and Sara. Both have complicated paths, problems that they themselves are dealing with and problems with family members as well. They are roped together through an improbable situation where Luis is now the “pretend” boyfriend for Sara to bring home to her family. Stories ensue, however the passion, romantic feelings, and genuine care and interest are created and flamed to a roaring fire that is real, and through each other, Sara and Luis find solace, hope, love, and forgiveness.
I enjoyed this book as I liked both main characters. I enjoyed the concept, which is not new, however the author was able to create a fresh, new spin that made it feel unique. I thought both characters had passion, chemistry, and brought the best out in each other. I loved the location and the literary descriptions of the the landscapes. I loved the ending, although, I would have loved to find out more. I also loved the Spanish thrown into the narrative. I speak Spanish (ok well I am better at reading and writing vs conversing but I am working on that) as a way distant second language, so I loved reading its addition throughout the book.
I loved the book and can’t wait to read the next in this series.
5/5 stars
Thank you Kensington and BookishFirst for this ARC copy and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.