This book was a fun, sweet romance anchored with some more serious issues. It follows the “fake boyfriend” trope and the main characters have great chemistry. I appreciated the sensitive handling of the long-term impacts of disordered eating and cancer recovery. There were also elements of how grief and guilt can effect relationships with others. I enjoyed the exploration of family dynamics because most families are more complicated than they seem. This will make a perfect beach read this summer.

Thank you to Priscilla Oliveras, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute book!

I really enjoyed the setting in Key West, I actually planned a trip (that I can't take) while reading this book. I also really enjoyed Sara and Luis' relationship and how it grew, though I would have liked to see more. I could have used another chapter about how they are doing now that she's home. I also felt like the characters were not that deep, but had issues forced upon them. They each only seemed to struggle with one thing and that one thing affected their relationships with their families. Those aspects didn't seem necessary to the story. I would have loved to have seen more time spent on them developing their own relationships.

Overall I liked this book but didn't love it.

I love a good holiday romance! Toss in a fake relationship and I'm sold!

Sara is visiting her family, and feels very much that she needs to impress them as she deems everyone else in her family to be perfect. This was the most frustrating part for me. She was so wrapped up in "not meeting expectations" that at times it was hard to see her true personality. Sara is also in recovery from an eating disorder. I thought this was handled very well.

Luis was adorable and regular stand up guy. Nothing too flashy. He had his own issues for sure, but really wanted what was best for Sara.

As to be expected Sara and Luis' fake relationship turns real, and has the requisite blow up. This was all very much needed as it brought everything for Sara out in the open so that she could have a better relationship with her family.

This author is so good! I love the diversity of her characters and the steam level. Very readable and with wide appeal

I wish I was on the beach when I read this book! Island Affair is a fun and flirty romance novel. Both Luis and Sara had well-developed back-stories, and I thought Priscilla did a great job incorporating those back-stories into their budding relationship. I enjoyed watching the two of them fall in love, but I also enjoyed reading about how they navigated relationships with their individual families.

Although the book was fun and I really enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, I struggled to really dig in to the book because the premise of it is so unbelievable. What are the odds that they'd run into each other at the same part of the airport at the perfect time, and both agree to a week-long pretend relationship? Then again, romance novels aren't usually meant to be realistic.

I also found slight issue with the way Sara was described. When we were reading from Luis' POV, Sara was often referred to as "slim", but anyone who has knowledge of eating disorders knows that not everyone with an ED is slim––some EDs are characterized by weight gain.

Island Affair is a flirty, cute read with two charming and developed characters. A fun book if you're looking for an escape to the beach.

This was such a fun read! It was like reading a Rom-Com movie. The characters even talk about how they know this sounds like a girly movie. Filled with characters you root for the whole time and an ending that makes your heart happy. It has twists and turns along the way to keep things interesting. A great vacation read.

So this book reminded of The Wedding Date. I actually like this book a little better then that book simply because I feel like the plot is a little more developed in this book. This book is very detail oriented. The first six chapters take place on the same
Day. My ELA teacher would be ecstatic. With that being said, both main characters have some issues and I enjoyed the way the relationship developed and hit some bumps in the road. It is a cute story where you are cheering them on till the end.

What sets this apart from the usual fake-fiance novel? The characters and the terrific setting! Sara has a sort of rat of a boss and a real rat of a boyfriend, who doesn't show up just when she really needs him because she's about to spend time with her boisterous (and somewhat obnoxious) family. Luis, a firefighter who lost his fiancé in an accident, is there when she finds out. They make an immediate and unlikely agreement that he'll step in and represent himself as her love. Haa. You know how this is going to go, don't you? Oliveras has added in some very real issues and made then part of the story, which deepens it. The characters are good, the writing zippy, and the story fun. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A perfect escapist read.

I really liked the setting of this book. The author does an excellent job with little details that really help you picture Key West. Sara and Luis have good chemistry, and it was very wholesome to watch them help each other become better versions of themselves. Their backstories mirror each other in a good way and I was genuinely interested in learning more about Luis's and Sara's pasts. I also really appreciated the portrayal of Sara's anxiety and ED; it felt real and honest and I'm glad there were positive messages about going to therapy. The one thing I didn't like about this book was the writing style. I found it to be fairly repetitive. There was way too much telling vs. showing, and a lot of the personality traits of the main characters got hammered home a bit too often. Would've been a 4-star book if not for that. I would recommend this if you're looking for a sweet romance that also touches on some more serious issues.

Island Affair was a perfectly cheesy and upbeat escapist book I was looking for. This book would be wonderful to read on the beach or (in my case) when you want to pretend you’re on the beach. Set in Key West, the author does a fantastic job of describing the island setting in a way I felt like I could actually be there.

Sara Vance, a social media influencer, is on her way to vacation with her family, when she finds out her long-term boyfriend will not be joining her. Wanting to make the vacation perfect for her mother who has recently recovered from cancer, while also trying not to disappoint her “traditionally professional” siblings, Sara recruits Luis Navarro to pretend to be her boyfriend for the holiday.

This book had some cheesy moments as well as some things frequently seen in the rom/com genre (like the sexy firefighter with his own personal demons), but I don’t think it detracted from the book at all. It was lighthearted and fun, with a bit of steam thrown in there. I really loved the family dynamics between Sara’s family as well as Luis’. I wish we could have seen a bit more of Luis’ family, although maybe we will in the upcoming books.

I also really enjoyed Sara being a social media influencer as it’s something definitely topical for the day, but also something I had never read about. I’m sure we’ll see this career in a lot more books in the future as social media influencers become more and more prevalent. I also enjoyed reading about Sara’s eating disorder recovery. I thought the author did a good job of including this aspect while still keeping the tone of the book upbeat. I think it would have been interesting to see more conversation surrounding Sara’s job choice and her eating disorder. She mentions that her followers know about her ED but I would have loved more conversation on whether her following helped or hindered her during that time.

I really enjoyed this book and am eager to see what the next one in the series is all about.

I LOVE this cover! Just looking at it makes me wanna go on vacation, to a beach far away.

Luis are born and raised on Key West in Florida, and now he works as a firefighter there. After an accident the captain gives him a week off to rest. When he leaves the station he accidentally gets roped in as a temporary boyfriend to Sara. She just landed från New York and are meeting her family for a weeks vacation. Unfortunately her boyfriend stood her up so she convinces Luis to be with her this week. Reluctantly he agrees but since he doesn't have to work for a week, maybe this is what he needs? A fun week with a beautiful stranger?

I very much enjoyed this romance! The relationship between Luis and Sara was sweet and romantic but also had some serious undertone. There were some family issues that were addressed which made the story more believable.

It's a perfect read for the beach or the couch, you choose!

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.

While this was a cute and fluffy read, I didn’t particularly care for it. I felt that the “insta-love” at the beginning was way too cheesy and cringeworthy. I don’t know anyone who on a vacation sees some random person and is like be my fake boyfriend. Just didn’t seem realistic, and on the first day they already have feelings for each other? No thanks.

I did like the drama of the families and how both Luis and Sara had some family issues they had to deal with. I loved the vacation atmosphere and I was wishing it was me in Key West on vacation. I just can’t say as a whole that I enjoyed this book. It just felt too fake and too rushed. I know most people will love it, but I have to be reading a realistic romance.

I am a total sucker for the "fake dating" romance trope and this was no exception. I loved the idea behind the plot - a woman who has spent her whole life feeling not good enough for her high achieving family gets a hot stranger to pretend to be her boyfriend for her family's week-long vacation - but unfortunately some of the elements fell flat for me. For one thing, I felt like the backstory of Sara's nanny being Latina was unnecessary and led to a feeling of tokenization and stereotyping of Latina women and mothers. I also felt that the "issues" that Sara and Luis both had - each dealing with an emotional drift from a sibling - were dealt with too quickly and resolved too easily. That being said, I did love the relationship between Sara and Luis and how it developed, and the level of steam was perfect!

SYNOPSIS | Sara Vance is visiting Key West, Florida with her family when her boyfriend stands her up. Instead of admitting this embarrassing situation, she elicits the help of Luis Navarro, a local firefighter, to pretend to be her smitten boyfriend for the week.

MY THOUGHTS | I think if you liked The Unhoneymooners then you will really like this story too. Overall I enjoyed the reading experience and there was certain aspects that I really liked (e.g. how the author integrates Spanish and naturally explains what the words mean), but there were also other aspects that I really didn't like (e.g. the entire storyline with Luis's ex-fiancé and younger brother and how the actual sex scenes were fade to black).

She's Sara Vance, a social influencer who has just been stood up by her boyfriend who was supposed to join her on a family vacation. He's Luis Navarro, a firefighter who has just been given a week off which he doesn't have any plans to fill. Since this is a romance, you know she's going to talk this total stranger into posing as her boyfriend on the family vacation.

And you also know how it's going to end, But there are some extra bits along the way. Unusual depth within the family relationships, complicated health concerns with side dishes of awareness and education, and a very nice travelogue of the Florida Keys.

There is some graphic sex, but it's gentlemanly -- Luis never pressures Sara and is always prepared to back off if she wants him to.

All in all, it's a perfect beach read -- and fun to read if you're only wishing you could get to the beach.

The island setting of The Keys is the perfect backdrop for this romantic escapade. Luis is a fireman for the Key West Fire Department, who suddenly finds himself ordered to take a mandatory seven day break to relax from a traumatic incident. Although Luis is resistant to the orders, he doesn’t have an option. This is when he meets Sara, who arrives by plane at the Key West Airport. Luis overhears Sara’s phone conversation and realizes she has a predicament. Her family, including her parents, siblings and their spouses are arriving soon from Arizona. They expect to meet her fiancé - but there isn’t one. Sara desperately concocts a plan to placate her family for the next seven days. With optimistic skepticism, Luis agrees. But the chemistry and attraction between Luis and Sara is already in motion with a momentum all it’s own!
The author writes this with humor and authentic emotions. You’re drawn to the characters and the depth of their feelings. The story is intriguing and this will be one book you can’t put down. The setting, plot, characters and writing style are all a perfect combination for a great, fun read!

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Priscilla Oliveras

Thank you @netgalleh for a copy of Island Affair. Overall, I enjoyed the book and loved how well the author created such a beautiful get away with Key West. I found the story like a bit too unbelievable for Carlos to jump on board to be the fake boyfriend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Island Affair -- it was a book I could imagine reading pool or beachside, instead of mostly from my couch while staying inside and had my dreaming of a Key West vacation!

This is your classic "fake date" where someone needs a boyfriend for an important family gathering and oops, they fall in love. Even though you knew where it was going the writing was solid, the characters were likeable and went a little deeper than you'd expect, the descriptions of Key West made you want to hop on a plane and it was fun.

A great escape book for those who love a good rom-com!

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Social media influencer, Sara has been stood up by her boyfriend at the start of her family vacation in Key West. When she runs into hunky Firefighter Luis at the airport she talks him into standing in as her boyfriend for the week to impress her type A family.

This book was everything I needed to “escape” to a tropical paradise. You can tell that the author grew up in Key West because her love for the location shine through in this book. The descriptions really transported me. I adore a fake dating trope and man am I loving a good guy hero lately. Whew! Luis was sexy, sweet, attentive, family oriented, Spanish speaking..... swoooooon! I loved the Cuban cultural references and Spanish terms thrown in.

I definitely got Unhoneymooners and Emma and Luke vibes from this one. It is a very light, sweet read that will bring a smile to your face. Highly recommend reading it while visualizing yourself on the beach.... with Luis.

HUGE Thank You to @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The cover is so gorgeous I cant wait to grab a hard copy!

⚠️: eating disorder, tragic death