“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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This was an entertaining, well-written book. Sara’s boyfriend no-shows for a vacation with her family and she begs Luis, a firefighter she meets after landing in Key West, to help her out and pretend to be her boyfriend. He will always help someone in need, though he is guarded after a bad experience in the past. As they get to know each other things start to feel more real and they wonder if they might have a future. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.
A fun romance tropical romance that would be a perfect beach read.
Sara Vance is a very prominent social media influencer. She is in recovery for a serious eating disorder, is coming into her own career and has a possible job expansion. Even with all the good news, she feels like the odd one out with her family.
Luis Navarro is a hot firefighter paramedic who is the Captain of the dive team and lives in Key West. His family has lived there for generations. He has a quiet strength and a laid back attitude. He always is willing to help out someone in distress.
Sara’s unreliable boyfriend is a no-show on her trip to meet and hang out with her family. Luis is the perfect man to play the part of her smitten fiancé.
He and Sara memorize their “how we met” story and are immersed in family dinners and tourist outtings. Soon their sharing secrets turns into kisses of chemistry.
When Sara’s ex suddenly shows up, there are explanations to be made.
When the time arrives for Sara to return home, will the romance between her and Luis fade or blossom into something more?
A great summer read, beach read. It was fun and i enjoyed watching their relationship bloom. Loved the setting of Key West. Such a beautiful place for a wonderful story. Looking forward to the next story in the series.
A sweet romance set in the Florida Keys with enjoyable characters and family conflicts. I did not give this book a five star rating because it was predictable, but I did enjoy the ending.
I really wanted to love this book! The cover sucked me in a beach love story yes please!! An island escape especially right now I’m all in. This book was so hard to read honestly I really didn’t like it. The idea was awesome and it had some really great potential but there were so many things that I could not focus on the story.
This is the first in a new series and I’m willing to read book two hoping it gets better.
“I’m not saying no to you..”
“More like to the sane voice in my head telling me there are a hundred reasons why this is a terrible idea, and only one that makes it right.”
I don’t read much in the way of standard romance or ‘love stories,’ so when I came across this title and it happened to center around a culture that is near and dear to my heart, I decided to give it a shot. I try not to limit myself by avoiding any particular genre, but admittedly this is just one that doesn’t get my attention easily.
‘Island Affair’ by Priscilla Oliveras is a very modern tale about a social media influencer named Sara who has had her share of difficulties. Recovering from an eating disorder as her career is starting to really take off, she heads down to Key West for a family vacation following a health scare with one of her parents.
Things with her siblings are complicated at best. They’re already hugely successful, having followed in their parents footsteps, which makes her a bit of an outcast. Not only did she not go into the family business, she’s also the only one without a settled life and family. She spends a lot of time on the outside looking in.
When her boyfriend tells her he isn’t coming, she feels like she’s going to be the disappointment again..
Lucky for her, she manages to score a last minute stand-in. A sexy firefighter named Luis Navarro overhears her argument with her boyfriend and asks if he can help. Unfortunately for him.. helping comes by the way of a pretend relationship.
“The sane part of him that had been thinking maybe she’d reevaluate her offer over lunch and together they’d come up with a Plan B shriveled up like the potted plant his mami had saved off his back porch last week. He’d been ready to toss the plant in the trash, but his mom balked. Something about it needing water, food, and conversation. Silly him, he thought he’d bought a fern, not a metaphor for a date.”
Luis is absolutely the best character in the book. I love him. I adore him. He deserves everything. He’s warm and funny, conflicted and intense. All the things that can make a character irresistible to me.
Coming from a big Cuban family, Luis is a local. Like Sara’s family, there’s a family business.. but in his case, that’s firefighting. Also like Sara’s family, there’s a deep divide. A fissure born between Luis and his youngest brother that he won’t discuss and completely refuses to mend.
He’s a mostly soft-spoken, strong, steady guy. Despite the painful betrayal he keeps locked away, he’s got a serious savior complex. Even the locals call him Saint Navarro.
Wow.. is he lovely though. He’s patient and kind. He doesn’t push sensitive topics. Mostly he just let’s people get to where they need to be on their own pace.. with a little help along the way. Oh.. he might nudge.. but he doesn’t push.
“I don’t know how the three of us manage to fit in your truck..”
“Three?”
“You, me, and your ego.”
“Funny..”
“I’ll be here all week. Maybe you can catch my show.”
“Ha, I’m in your show, sweetheart. All the…What did you call me? Oh yeah, all the hunky parts.”
Looking back.. I did like Sara most of the time, despite the character being a bit of a Barbie wrapped in a cliche. She’s inherently a good person at least.. and she’s fallible. She’s also willing to own her mistakes, which you’ve got to respect.
It was enjoyable watching them try to navigate the untruths while also trying to avoid people who knew him in the area.. because that was impossible.. and left them quite the balancing act.
What I loved about the story though was that regardless of the imperfections in them.. they seemed really good for each other. Both Luis and Sara grew and benefitted from the other’s presence.. and even with the lies they were telling.. their good intentions were so genuine.
If you’re looking for a light romantic story with a good sense of humor, you’ll enjoy this book. There are a couple of tear-jerking moments, but that just gave the story broader depth.
(More reviews like this at Betwixt The Sheets.)
(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)
By chapter 4, I had already known this wasn’t for me. I just wasn’t interested in Sara or Luis fake fiancee storyline nor relationship, and just became bored by the content. “Island Affair” can definitely be a hit or miss for readers and this was surely a miss for me.
When two people with broken pasts make a deal in paradise, what could possible go wrong? Everything, right?
“Island Affair” gives us the story of Sara, a girl forever the family’s black sheep and Luis, the family’s fixer. Both have issues from their past that are holding them in place but a week together can change everything if they are willing to step out of their comfort zone.
This is a cute rom-com with lots of fun moments, a lesson in forgiveness and a dose of love — for both yourself and others.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy!
This book was a perfect escape! The characters were loveable, realistic, and memorable, and their banter was fresh and fun. The setting added a lovely element, making this book both a perfect mental vacation, as well as the perfect vacation read. This is the first book in the series and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Sara needs a fake boyfriend real fast, when she meets Luis at the airport, he will be the perfect fit. Sara has arrived in Key West for a mandatory family vacation. Luis is off of work for the next week, so it will work out perfect. But will one week be enough for these two? They both have family issues that will come into play during the week.
This is the perfect read since so many of us are not able to vacation right now, with the wonderful descriptive writing of Key West it makes you feel like you are there. It is on my bucket list to visit. Loved the chemistry that Sara and Luis shared, very likeable characters. Both families are very important through out the story. Can’t wait to visit again. I highly recommend this book.
Cute and fluffy with an island setting–what more could you want? 🙂
Island Affair is the first in Priscilla Oliveras’s Keys to Love series, following the Navarro family of Key West. Luis Nevarro and Sara Vance’s story is a fake relationship/close proximity/holiday romance story, and it was a lot of fun to read. Though the time period from initial meeting to agreeing to fake dating/spending the week with Sara’s family is waaaaay too short, it’s worth it to throw caution to the warm tropical winds and just go with it. Sara and Luis were really cute together, and even if things moved a little on the fast side it was still what I needed to get my mind off of current events. And the rest of Luis’s family? They were pure gold on the page. I can’t wait to see more of these guys!
The Key West setting was drawn so vividly, I could swear I was right there with the characters tasting the salt water tang to the air and feeling the sun on my skin. I don’t even like all the components of Cuban sandwiches, but somehow she had me craving them–Ms Oliveras did a great job of drawing readers into the world she created here, and I didn’t want to leave.
I was a bit bummed that the story ended so abruptly–there’s not a lot of turnaround time between the grand gesture and “the end”. I was honestly surprised when I turned the page and realized that there wasn’t any more story there. Here’s hoping she makes it up to us by giving us plenty of glimpses into Sara and Luis’s future in the next books–this was my first book from this author, but definitely not my last!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This was my first book by this author, and I’m definitely interested in continuing with the stories of Luis’s siblings!
Luis Navarro is a firefighter, paramedic, and dive captain for the Key West Fire Department. He’s a stand-up guy, ask anyone. He didn’t earn the nickname San Navarro (which he HATES) for nothing. But, he’s been emotionally closed off for the last several years, even from his big, close, Cuban familia. He went through a terrible ordeal, and he refuses to talk about it, or deal with it, so it just keeps getting buried, and then popping up at inopportune times, like at work. After a bad accident he worked a few weeks before, he’s been in bad shape, and his Captain orders him to take a full week off. He’s mad, but he knows there’s not much he can do. Now, he just needs to find something to keep his mind occupied for the next 7 days.
Sara Vance is in a bind. She’s just arrived for a big family vacation in Key West, but her boyfriend, now her EX-boyfriend, has decided not to show up after all. Sara has always felt like the odd man out in her family. Her 2 siblings are much older than her, and all her parents and siblings are doctors. Sara decided to go a different way, and she’s now a fairly successful social media influencer. But, her parents, siblings, and their spouses, are all about to show up and she’ll be the extra, again. She doesn’t know what to do. Her mom has just gotten a clean, cancer-free, bill of health, after fighting for a while, so this trip is supposed to be nothing but R&R, with NO STRESS. Sara doesn’t want her mom worrying about her, yet again. So, when she runs into Luis outside the airport, and he asks if she needs help, she’s hoping to convince him to help her by being her fake boyfriend for the week. No big deal, right?!
Sara and Luis had big chemistry from the beginning, but they decided not to act on it, as to not further complicate their already tenuous situation with her family. They get along great, and due to their close quarters, they end up sharing more info with each other, more quickly, than you typically would with a stranger, which forces a close bond between them. They both really help each other deal with issues, within themselves, and within each of their families. They were really good for each other, and I enjoyed watching them slowly figure that out. There wasn’t as much steam as I’m used to in my reads, but I enjoyed their connection. I feel like I would’ve FELT it more though, if we’d seen, instead of being told after the fact. That’s just my personal preference.
Sara and Luis both had large families, each with their own myriad issues, and they really leaned on each other for help in dealing with them. They were truly there for each other, in a way neither of them had experienced in a long time, if ever, so they really cared for the other right away. When they each shared the issues that they have faced with each other, you could feel their bond forging tighter and tighter, and worried about what they would do when the week was over. I enjoyed Luis’s relationships with his siblings, and how hard Sara tried to connect to her siblings, for really the first time in adulthood.
This was a sweet, heartfelt story about two people, with missing pieces, who fit together perfectly, if unexpectedly. They not only fit together, but fit into each other’s lives and families, beyond what they ever expected. Also, Key West was really a character unto itself, and I enjoyed seeing Luis’s love for his island shine through. I’ve never been there, and it made me long to see it for myself. I enjoyed the story, though I would’ve KILLED for an epilogue! I’m definitely interested in reading about Luis’s siblings, and how they will find love in the Keys.
This is a fun book set in Key West. We have a fake boyfriend plot along with some family issues. Sara is in Key West for a family get together with her family which has successful siblings and spouses. She is dreading it because she feels judged by her family. She meets Luis, a firefighter, and convinces him to pretend to be her boyfriend. There is fun dialogue and an engaging romance in a beautiful location. I could feel the sunshine as I read this book. Sam and Luis are such well written characters and they come to terms with their past in order to move on together. The family dynamics are so well written in this book too. It’s a true fun romantic book. I received a copy of this book and this is my honest review.
Island Affair is the first in a new series and starts right off with Sara, social media influencer, being stood up by her boyfriend for a week long vacay in Key West with her super successful family…after she’s already arrived at the airport. She happens to bump into a Key West firefighter that was just leaving the airport firehouse from visiting his brother, and he was just told by his captain to take a week off. There were insta sparks and a lot of cheesiness that had me eye rolling.
The details of Key West and it’s visual beauty and delicious Cuban food came through the pages beautifully. It was nice being transported from a dreary, rainy, couple of days to paradise.
I liked the witty banters, I wasn’t sure if I’d like how family driven it was, but that seemed to work well for this story. There are some issues brought to light in the book, one is an eating disorder, but I think it was handled really well and not over done.
I’d give this 3.5/5 (rounding up to 4 for my sheer love of the Navarro family lol). It really was a good escape from currant affairs, I think this would be great for anyone who loves family driven, fake dating trope, insta romances.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for the arc and the opportunity to provide my honest, unbiased thoughts.
Rated 3.5 Stars
Island Affair is cute and sweet. I loved that family played a major role in it and that it dealt with heavier topics. While I found it enjoyable it didn’t fully work for me, the repetition among other things took away from my overall enjoyment. That said I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
I was privileged to read ISLAND AFFAIR prior to its release and I just LOVED IT!!! It’s not only an amazing love story full of unexpected situations, family drama, a hunky firefighter and a spitfire determined young woman, familia drama and familia closeness! Priscilla Oliveras detailed description of Key West points of interest is amazingly enchanting and will entice the readers to visit this sunshine paradise! Definitely a MUST READ!!!!
Both sweet and steamy, Island Affair is a fun and romantic read set in Key West. A social media influencer and a firefighter are both dealing with some serious issues in their personal lives and with family. Sara and Luis think they can help each other, and soon he’s playing the part of her boyfriend in a game of make believe. But the more they learn the more difficult it becomes to stay just friends. The serious issues aren’t downplayed, but they also don’t take away from the romance. This is the first in a new series and I look forward to the next book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.
Feel good romance all the way! With the start of her new Keys to Love series, Priscilla Oliveras takes us on an emotional journal filled with humor, drama and huge dose of familial love. In ISLAND AFFAIR we dive into a Cuban family in Key West and feel like we’re truly interwoven into this loud, boisterous, over-intrusive family right from the start. Great characters, good chemistry and a whole lot of heart!
Luis Navarro is such a great character! He’s kind, he’s helpful and he’s connected to his family in a powerful way. We quickly get details of an issue he’s trying to work through and then he gets distracted by the introduction of Sara.
Sara Vance is easy to like. She’s a bit down-trodden by her place in her family and feels stressed to make sure this upcoming family vacation goes well. She finds herself on the verge of disappointing her mother yet again, and simply can’t let that happen … a fake boyfriend should do the trick!
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a romcom rich in culture that has a lot of sass and so much family love! I really enjoyed both the Navarros and the Vances and can’t wait for more to come in the series.
This was a good read but it wasn’t a wow read for me, it was just ok. It was very far fetched, to say the least, yes I know it’s fiction but to almost cop feeling within a day was hard to except. There was a lot going on within these pages. Major illnesses not just one but two and two deaths from bad circumstances in the backstories were hard to read. The main characters had a lot of hang-ups and issues.
Now it’s not all bad. It is was very light in a lot of this book. The chemistry between Sara and Luis was off the chart. The family dynamics and their banter was what saved this book for me. As well as the writing style of this author, making it a pleasure to read.
Now I won’t be telling anyone not to read this book or rant about my dislikes. Everyone is different, this could be someone else’s 5-star read. As the saying goes different horses for different courses and all that. So I will recommend that you read this for yourself and make up your own mind.
Reviewer: Donna
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. Ms. Oliveras wrote a wonderful story which drew me right in, making me forget everything else and did not let me go until I turned the last page. I love that it was based in Key West one of my favorite places to go on vacation. This was the perfect book to read during this staycation. Island Affair transported me from the everyday woes and put me where I could almost feel the sunshine and the sand on my feet. I feel the story was well written the characters well defined and mostly likeable. This is quick, enjoyable and the perfect beach read. I’m excited to see what she has in store for us neXT!