Sara Vance is counting on an upcoming family vacation in Key West, Florida as the perfect occasion to prove to her highly successful doctor siblings and parents that, yes, she is making it as a successful lifestyle blogger, social media influencer, and small business owner and that, yes, she is getting her life together and even has a fiancé to prove it. The only problem? Her fiancé stands her up at the last minute leaving her scrambling.
Enter Luis Navarro, Key West raised, and hunky firefighter paramedic with the local Fire Department who finds himself with a week of time off on his hands and nothing to do. So, when he runs into a gorgeous tourist in trouble, he agrees to step into the role of pretend boyfriend for the week. The only problem is, as the two plan and execute a 90s rom-com worthy charade, they begin to realize that what started off as a convenient arrangement for both of them might quickly be turning into something more.
Kensington Publishing website.
Island Affair is Priscilla Oliveras’s first-in-a-series romance and it brings together all the elements of a perfect tropically inspired vacation read; a fake-relationship, plenty of hijinks, and of course, a romance as hot as the Key West sun. And speaking of Key West, the setting is absolutely a character in its own right and is brought to life through Oliveras’s evocative prose. The vivid and lush descriptions of idyllic island life, and shout outs to must-visit locations and mouthwatering mentions of the local cuisine will transport you directly onto the tropical island.
But the real heart of the story lies in the main characters’ family dynamics and relationships. Writing warm, heartfelt, and very real family dynamics has become a feature of Oliveras’s novels, and Island Affair is no different. Sara and Luis’s families are central to the narrative and key in the development of the story and each of the main character’s evolution. Sara’s complicated family dynamics especially come into play as she looks to assert herself as the only non-doctor in the family. Her journey to rebuild their fractured relationship is handled in an honesty and empathic manner and is as much an arc as her romance with Luis. Luis’s large, meddling, but loving Cuban American family also features plenty of complications of their own and several side characters you get to know and love.
The book also tackles a few serious issues such as mental health and eating disorders. Both Luis and Sara struggle with vulnerability and fractured family relationships based on past trauma. As they learn more about each other and weigh the risk of opening up their heart anew, each must decide how to heal and confront the fact that their pretend relationship might not be quite as pretend as they initially thought.
Island Affair is the perfect feel-good getaway read to pick up this summer that will transport you to the tropical beaches of Key West from your home. If you are looking for a fun and flirty romance filled with Latinx family dynamics, various great side characters, and a throwback 90s rom com feel, this is one you won’t want to miss!
Mariana Huerta was born in Mexico City and now lives in New England. She has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago and a background in Higher Education but books are her one true love. She also runs the blog Latinas Leyendo, which aims to highlight and celebrate books by and about Latinx folk. You can also find her book reviews on Twitter and Instagram as @latinasleyendo.
