“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 was looking for a fun “tropical” romance, and Island Affair delivered! If a sizzlingly hot firefighter with a burning desire to assist and a fake relationships isn’t enough to draw you in, then the heat that simmers between Luis and Sara will. This book isn’t just a simple beach read though, it tackles serious topics, like complicated and destructive family dynamics and eating disorders. I’ve already downloaded the second book in the series!
Sara Vance is a successful social media influencer but her overachieving family has always made her feel like she’s not enough. Both parents, her sister and her brother are all doctors and some of them don’t seem to understand the path she’s taken. All of this led her to develop an eating disorder, from which she is in recovery. She has just landed in Key West for a week’s vacation with her family when her boyfriend Ric calls to tell her he won’t be coming. Sara feels the pressure to reassure her family that she’s doing okay. Maybe it’s fate when she stumbles across hunky firefighter Luis Navarro. She asks him to play the role of doting boyfriend for the week.
Luis is a Key West native, a Conch. His Cuban family has lived there for generations and he cannot imagine living anywhere else. He’s earned the nickname San Navarro for his propensity to be the saint and save those around him. Helping Sara seems like the perfect thing to do, especially since he just got a 7-day forced vacation from his job. However, Luis is dealing with a huge betrayal in his past and it affects his life in every way. As Luis and Sara play the lovebirds, they start to develop real feelings for each other. Maybe this could be something that lasts longer than 7 days. Will Sara be able to show her vulnerability and tell Luis that she wants more? Will Luis be honest about the past so he can move forward to a future with Sara?
I enjoyed this book and it would be a perfect beach/vacation read. Luis is such an appealing character – protective, sweet, and caring yet struggling with something from his past. His close relationship with his family is beautiful. I loved all of the Cuban cultural references from the Spanish language to the food and the Key West setting is vibrant and dramatic. Sara’s insecurities are understandable yet she has such an inner strength in her that Luis helps her find. I know we need some tension but I just wanted them to be together already! 🙂 This is a quick, romance with interesting characters and a beautiful setting that will take you to Key West through its pages. My one complaint is that every romance book needs an epilogue! I know it’s the first in a series but just give us a little glimpse of where Luis and Sara are in the future.
I really loved this book. I was excited to read that it is the first in a series. First, the setting is Key West, a place that I love. The story is full of Key West references and descriptions and I felt like I was back there.
Second, I found this book to have funny parts and a sweet romance. The way Sara and Luis first meet up gives you a hint that things won’t go as they seem. Sara is outside the airport on the phone with her boyfriend Ric, whom she subsequently breaks up with in the same conversation. Sara’s whole family is coming to Key West for a relaxing family vacation and to celebrate her mother’s cancer free diagnosis. Sara was counting on RIc to come to meet her family for the first time. Sara already has family insecurities and showing up without a boyfriend is not an option in her mind. Luis, a Key West firefighter and all-around good guy, overhears the breakup and senses Sara needs help. She proposes that Luis pretend to be her boyfriend for the week and he agrees.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and the whole way the story comes together. I like how Spanish phrases are worked into the storyline and they seemed to fit naturally, especially when the characters are talking to themselves. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a happily ever after set in Key West with likeable characters.
Island Affair is basically the perfect beach/vacation read. It takes place on Key West, one of my favorite places in the United States, and really shows all the awesomeness the the island has to offer.
When renowned social media influencer arrives in Key West to celebrate her mom’s remission from cancer, she wants everything to be perfect. But when her jerk of a (ex)boyfriend decides not to show, she recruits the help of hunky local firefighter Luis to be her stand-in boyfriend for the week. Maybe now her parents won’t see her as such a disappointment and understand she truly is thriving. What starts out as fake dating turns into a vacation fling turns into something more…
I loved this book so much. I loved Sara, I loved Luis–I even loved Sara’s family. They were truly shown as a realistic bunch, instead of a caricature, and you see them grow and learn. The discussions of Cuban and Key West culture, the food, and must-see spots around the island were a cherry on top of a beautiful romance. For those curious, I would say this is like a door-half-open romance, in that it’s not so “clean” I’d read it with my mom, but it’s not quite open door either. I think Oliveras did a pretty nice balance for those looking for an in-between!
The ending felt extremely sudden, but I’m hoping Anchored Hearts (book two) can shed some more light on where these characters ended up!
TW/CW: eating disorder
5 stars – 9/10
Island Affair has been on my TBR for a while and I’m so glad I picked it up recently. The cover is gorgeous and I’ve been wanting to read more romance by Latinx authors.
Sara is meeting her family for a vacation in Key West to celebrate her mother’s victory over cancer. Despite Sara’s social media influencer career taking off, she feels like her family of doctors don’t see her as successful. Her boyfriend decides to bail on her for the trip after she’s already landed in Key West and along comes sexy fireman Luis Navarro. Sara asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for the week so that her mother won’t stress during their relaxing vacation. Luis and his family have lived on Key West for generations. He’s a good guy who happens to have a week of mandated time off from work, so he agrees to help Sara out of kindness.
I’m a sucker for fake relationship romances and this one was wonderful. Sara and Luis spend time together enjoying Cuban food, dancing, and exploring the island. The more he gets to know her, the harder it is to be the nice guy there just as a friend. Luis also has his own heart-breaking baggage causing him to keep his heart guarded. Can Sara break down his wall? And does he want her to? As they continue to lie and pretend in front of her family, the lines begin to blur, especially when he calls her carino and caresses her hips or when she tugs on his belt loops to bring him closer. I’m sure you can tell that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Luis and Sara’s island romance story.
Very Vivid And Vibrant. This is one of those hyper-descriptive books that wants you to know the exact color of the dresser in the room where the lead couple first “gets together”. That wants you to be able to smell the exact scents around them as they first open up to each other. That wants you to be able to hear the various island sounds all around them as they go from secluded beach to downtown party. That wants you to be able to taste the Cuban inspired flavors of Key West. In other words, this is one of the most sensual – as in, the literal dictionary definition meaning “devoted to or preoccupied with the senses or appetites” – books I’ve ever read. Oh, and there is a solid romance in here too. Yes, one that perhaps wraps up a bit too tidily a bit too quickly, but eh, that is a common feature of many RWA-strict romance books. As the introduction to a new series, it introduces at least two characters what are obvious targets of subsequent books – without being overly obvious as to which is in the *next* book. And it seems to indicate that it will be a series with call it “medium” ties between the books – characters from each book will show up in other books, but you’ll still be able to read any book in any order (provided you’re not averse to hearing that a lead couple in one romance book actually wound up together – shocker, I know 😉 ). So there really was a lot to like here overall, and only minor quibbles ultimately as far as anything at all to nitpick on. Very much recommended.
This was a perfect book to read as most of the nation finds itself experiencing record breaking colder weather. The tropical setting was
Sara is on her way to becoming one of the biggest influencers on social media out there— enough so that she makes a living from it. I repeat this is not her side hustle but her main slab of bacon *impressed*. But she is not as impressed with herself…her success is tainted by how she thinks her family views her.
Luis is an island local in Key West scarred by a his brother’s betrayal and his ex’s death. He is on a mission to redefine his view on life and love but he doesn’t know it until he meets Sarita!
I enjoyed the whole book and how the characters had an awareness of the things that haunted them and were slowly able to give into each other.
Trigger Warnings: ED and toxic familial issues
Classic pretend boyfriend.
Forced to take a week of vacation due to his reaction to an accident scene, Key West firefighter Luis Navarro is at loose ends. Spend his days fishing and brooding? Or take his brother’s advice to “shake things up?”
Sara Vance is more than willing to ditch her current boyfriend, but the timing is all wrong. She’s promised his participation in the family vacation. When Luis overhears a portion of her phone call and offers help — she gets a wonderful, awful idea.
Ms. Oliveras brings Key West alive as a supporting character in this delightful, fast-paced romance. Now I want to visit — and check out the fire fighters.
This fake relationship is just the ticket to warm sandy beaches and dreams of a Floridian vacation on a page. Priscilla turned this romcom into a perfect fictional escape for me with the overcast February skies outside.
Sara is the overlooked kid in an overachieving white collar family. Doctors are everywhere and, while she is successful, her influencer social media business is not up to par. In a desperate move to not look like the family screw up, she makes an agreement with Luis, a local fireman who happens to have time off, to pretend to be the boyfriend who ditched her.
I love the trope, the setting, the cohesion of both families, and all the yummy food descriptions. This is a closed door romance with some serious sizzle. I wish I could head down and take a seat at a table at Miranda’s after enjoying a day at the beach. Luckily I have the e-arc to dive right in to Anchored Hearts.
Great way to spend a few hours in Key West!
Island Affair was an enjoyable book however it took me a a while to get into it. The story is slower. I like the characters and the setting. I like the chemistry between the characters.
I loved this book! Such a fun story and while the storyline (fake relationship turns into real feelings but almost ends in disaster) has been done countless times before, I loved Priscilla Oliveras’ take on it. Sara and Luis were both likable characters that I was rooting for them from the beginning. They definitely brought out the best in each other! Also, her descriptions of Key West were vivid and make me want to visit ASAP! I can’t wait to read more in this Keys to Love series!
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras is the first in the new Keys to Love series. I enjoyed this contemporary romance set in the Florida Keys. Having been to the Keys myself, the author’s vivid descriptions have me longing to return for another visit.
Sara Vance is a tourist and blogger who grew up feeling as an outsider in her overachieving family. Shortly after arriving at her family vacation destination, she gets a call from her boyfriend advising her he will be a no show.
Luis Navarro, dependable local firefighter, has earned himself the nickname of St. Navarro. This is because he is known for jumping in and helping others, usually without a thought for himself. He just discovered there is no way to get out of his “forced” time off.
One crazy scheme turns into a story about dealing with the pain of one’s past, having the courage to overcome it and move forward with an open heart. The story is rounded out by family antics and drama on both sides. I just adore Luis’s family.
If you are looking for that perfect summer beach read this is your book. For that matter, read it in the winter if you need a warm up! I look forward to learning more about the Latin people and culture in future stories.
I was gifted an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review.
Fun, sweet, sexy and romantic. This book gave me everything I want from a romance story.
Luis Navarro, a firefighter in Key West, gets himself in quite a predicament. He is known by his family and friends as San Navarro. He can never do wrong. But his nickname is challenged when he meets Sara Vance, a social media influenster, who is vacationing with her family and was supposed to be introducing her boyfriend to everyone. Sara has always felt like a failure compared to her siblings, so she wanted to impress everyone with her new boyfriend. When Luis overheard the conversation between Sara and Ric and then Sara breaking up with Ric, he decided to play the part of the boyfriend. What could go wrong? Apparently, it’s hard to keep a secret from a big Cuban family and the islanders who know everyone and their everything.
This book was such a great read. I was totally got into Luis’s family. They were close and I enjoyed the banter between him and his siblings. Sara’s family had a lot of drama and things that needed to be worked through and as the story went along, it became emotional in some scenes as secrets were revealed. I wanted Sara and Luis to be together from the very start. Even thought they were so different, they seemed to bring out the best in each other. They were a fun couple. And Luis was totally swoon-worthy. After reading Sara’s description of him reminding her of Vin Diesel, I actually read his parts in Vin’s voice. This is the start of a new series and I can’t wait to read the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves rom-coms.
Recommended: sure
For a quick fun read, for a fairly predictable plot that carries comfort, for characters resolving their personal issues.
Thoughts:
If you love the “fake dating” trope, then you probably won’t be disappointed. There is a bit of insta-love, but just take it with a bit of salt from the rim of a cocktail and enjoy the overall story.
When a book is based on a fairly popular plot line or trope, like this one is, then there has to be something else to set it apart from the countless others like it. For Island Affair, I was happy to see that set itself apart with characters who had deep-rooted personal issues that got in the way of their love, but also of their own lives. The honesty with which the characters face their problems was refreshing, and prevented the book from falling back onto the usual conflict where everything would be prevented if they had just talked to each other.
This is very much a story embracing the fact that you have to love yourself before you can love someone else — or let yourself be loved. Sara is a role model, and I ended the book feeling as proud of her as I would any friend in the same situation. Luis is a bit more pigheaded, but there had to be some basis for conflict, right?
Please don’t be surprised that this had some pretty steamy scenes! It’s just shy of explicit, but certainly doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Oliveras gets through some hot and heavy foreplay before delicately letting the curtain fall on the scene. The emotional connection is nothing to sniff at either.
If you set your expectations right, you’ll certainly enjoy this book. It is still based on a very popular trope, so you probably won’t be blown away. That does not mean it’s not worth reading! For a beach read, an escape, or a bit of fun, this book is absolutely perfect.
Thanks to Goodreads for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
A light and fluffy summer read!
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras is the first in her Keys to Love series, set in the beautiful Florida Keys. Sara Vance is a social media influencer arriving in Miami to meet her farflung family for a vacation planned by her parents, mostly her mom. Despite her growing media numbers and possible contracts, she’s always felt the odd duck in her extremely successful family, where her doctor/surgeon sibs and their equally incredible spouses have her parents singing their praises while they worry openly about her struggles to overcome an eating disorder. When her flaky but great on paper boyfriend flakes, she recruits Luis Navarro, a local firefighter and dive captain to play her loving partner.
Luis’s family has been in Key West for eons, and swooping in to help someone in need is so much a part of who Luis is. He’s got a huge wall around his heart though, as a years-ago betrayal destroyed his faith in relationships and his once-tight friendship with one of his brothers.
Priscilla Oliveras’s Island Affair is a masterpiece. Sara and Luis are broken, wonderful people, in families who don’t always know to truly help them. It is incredibly beautiful and satisfying to see them become more of their best selves with each other and with the warm support of those who love them.
Ms Oliveras brings the boisterous Navarro family to life, and it’s easy to see how much they love each other, even if some of the warm pushiness can cross the line into too much for those of us more reserved. And the more straightlaced Vances are portrayed with loving light as well, as we and Sara have a chance to get to know them better during this special vacation.
While Island Affair does touch on some pretty serious issues, it does so deftly without minimizing their importance or making them the sole focus of the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed Island Affair and can’t wait to read more from Ms Oliveras.
This is one of those cute summer books that is great for reading on the beach or by the pool. This is a romcom story line with a sweet but predictable ending. I enjoyed the familial drama experienced by both main characters. It was good to read a novel where a family has the ability to forgive each other and come together in the end. I liked how the two main characters come together in order to help each other and by the end of the novel they have fallen in love. This is an over all feel good story with a beautiful cover. This is the first book in a new series by Priscilla Oliveras so I am excited to see whose story will be told in the next installment of the series. Really cute, really fun, relaxing summer read.
This book has a lot going for it. It was quick read and took me less than a day. The setting is Key West, FL and what could be better than that? It’s based on the fake boyfriend trope, which is not my favorite, but with a good plot can be fun. Sara, a social medial influencer (a first for me) and her family arrive in Key West for a family reconciliation vacation. Sara’s boyfriend stands her up and she needs someone to stand in for him. Up pops Luis a hot Latino firefighter who just happens to have a week off. This is all happens in the first two chapters.
Luis and Sara both have personal problems and issues with their families. All this comes to play while they try to convince everyone they are a couple. I did enjoy the blossoming relationship between them as they got to know each other and there were some great scenes and descriptions of Key West. Also, the chemistry between them sizzled.
I don’t think I really need to say a lot more as it was a bit predictable and I could already guess what was going to happen. Being a romance, there is of course an HEA, but I also felt the story could have used an epilogue.
All-in-all I enjoyed the book and gave it 3 – 3 ½ stars. My thanks go to Kensington Publishing for the chance to read this advanced copy.
This is an excellent beach read that is full of lovable characters and beautiful Key West settings. Seamless transitions between chapters and exciting story elements made this a quick read. Plenty of warm-fuzzy feelings for family and love spattered throughout.