Thanks to Kensington Books (Zebra) + Netgalley for the e-ARC of "Anchored Hearts" by Priscilla Oliveras.

A second chance romance set in Key West full of Cuban culture, slow burn romance, and lighter on the steam. I highly recommend it.

💛REVIEW💛
Anchored Hearts is set in the beautiful Key West of Florida, and is the story of Anamaria Navarro and Alejandro Miranda, childhood sweethearts who have been apart for twelve years, but find themselves back together in their hometown after all this time.
Priscilla Oliveras writes a beautiful second-chance romance, detailing perfectly the two Latinx families and their love and loyalty, their memories and culture and their food! 😋
As teenagers, Anamaria and Alejandro were together all the time, along with the other Navarro siblings, Luis, Carlos and Enrique, but choices, and eventually stubbornness kept Alejandro away from Key West as he followed his dreams of photography, while Anamaria set her path in fitness and food nutrition, while also working as a paramedic with the fire department. Back on the island now, prepare for meddling mothers, memories and a slow-burn (that does steam up!) romance!

I enjoyed this second-chance romance a lot! We have glimmers of their past, as well as written from dual POV so we get to know both Anamaria’s and Alejandro’s thoughts and feelings. The Cuban culture and beauty of Key West 100% are the core of Anchored Hearts, with the author seamlessly flowing through the two languages so it is simple for the reader to follow, but also get an appreciation of the language and Cuban culture. The two families are fun and vibrant, with love and loyalty their main attributes, I certainly laughed and smiled throughout reading! Totally recommend Anchored Hearts for all romance readers! ⚓️

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to netgalley for the early copy of this book I received. I’m sharing my honest review.

Second Chance Love
Family Reconciliation
Latino Representative

I just really enjoy reading the Keys to Love series. This can be read as a standalone also but do yourself a favor and read the 1st book cause it's pretty darn amazing! I really loved the character of Anamaria, such a strong Latina woman. I also fell in love with the character growth of Alejandro. I'm looking forward to reading more about the Navarro Family in the books to come.

This is the second book in the "Keys to Love" series, and I adored the way the author wove in bits of the tropical setting throughout the story. I liked the slow burn of the second chance romance between the main characters, and I loved reading about their extended families. Overall, however, I struggled with the writing. It felt a bit abrupt to me.

Priscilla has created an absolutely charming story set in beautiful Key West. It was so nice to be back in the world of the Narvarro family. Second chance romance! Very low spice but not mad about it.

2.5 stars

I REALLY wanted to enjoy Anchored Hearts; I read the first book in the series last year, and even though I felt like there was something missing at the time, I remember enjoying the book overall.

After telling the story of Sara and Luis, this second book focuses on Luis' sister, Anamaría, and her ex-boyfriend's return after leaving her (pretty much without an explanation) years prior. This is a second-chance romance, which I love, and I also enjoyed the focus on the characters' cultural background, which I remember also really appreciating when I read the first book.

Both characters were likable and I was rooting for them, but the pace was just way too slow for me. I was close to DNFing a bunch of times because certain moments or descriptions went on for way too long, and while I do enjoy a slow burn, in this case I felt like it took so long that all the excitement was gone when it did happen. Unfortunately, it was one of those books I finished because I really wanted to, but I can't say I truly enjoyed it.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the light and breezy summer read that was Island Affair, Anchored Hearts did not strike a chord with me. Granted, I’m not a second chance romance fan unless they're executed properly, but this felt like it was full of the cringey things that I hate about the trope. I can list at least five different plot devices that I'd love to never read about again, and I just couldn't get into the love story. Beyond the miscommunication and stereotypical backstory, neither Alejandro nor Anamaría really won me over. It may have been my detachment to the love story, but I was not rooting for either of them.

That's all unfortunate, because there's a lot about the author's writing that I enjoy. In Island Affair, I grew to love the family dynamics, as well as the vibrancy of the culture and environment. That's still a big part of Anchored Hearts, but it all gets muddied by the fact that family is also what broke these two apart. Ultimately, I was very disappointed by this. Second chance fans might find it more successful, but this really didn't work for me. I appreciated receiving an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this second chance romance.

Another fantastic book from Oliveras's Keys to Love series! Alejandro and Anamaria were young and in love and dreaming of their future when Alejandro decides to follow his passion in photography leaving Key West and Anamaria behind. Over ten years later, an accident sends him back home to recover where he ends up reconnecting with his first love.

There is so much to love about this book. Oliveras has a way of transporting you from your couch down to the keys. The descriptions, the language, the food all make you feel as if you're right there. The Cuban and LatinX culture and families are fantastic. There is such familial love and pride in this book. One thing that I particularly thought was done well is the second chance romance. The reasons that these two were separated years ago are still there and there are added obstacles with Anamaria's growing business. It feels so real and impossible for these two which raises the stakes and really has you invested and hoping for their happily ever after.

Anchored Hearts is that perfect light, romance that gives you escape, a story of family, and leaves you smiling the whole way through. I'm loving this series and cannot wait for the next installment.

Anchored Hearts: An Entertaining Latinx Second Chance Romance by Priscilla Oliveras, between the two very promising characters, Alejandro Miranda & Anamaría Navarro. It's good to read about a Latinx romance for a change, except for the original European and American romances.

I liked how the plot made me dive into a completely new world of Puerto Rico. The plot is sweet, and very straightforward. Both of them had met again after years, where they were madly in love during their school times. I have not read the first book in the series, but this can be read directly I guess.

But nevertheless, the book is a perfect summer and beach read, while enjoying it with a simple mocktail. The diversity and characters aspect was something I enjoyed as well. The story definitely is a slow burn romance and more about second chances.
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Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC!

Okay, if you mention ropa vieja in a book, I'm already hooked. But top that off with the badass Anamaria and her smoking hot love interest Alejandro and you've got the recipe for a fantastic romance!

Included as a top pick in bimonthly April New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

This series is so fun & makes me want to visit the Florida Keys so much!
I really loved the second chance romance element of this book and gah how I rooted for them to be together.
I didn't like this one as much as the first book, Island Affair but I still loved getting to know the family and the romances and I am definitely planning to finish the series.

What a loved best about this book was the bilingual nature. The book is set amongst the homogenous culture of the Florida keys both Latin and American and this is reflected in the conversations between characters in both Spanish and English. When reading the first book I thought this would be hard but I realised that they contextualise then slightly elaborate in English even when there is Spanish dialogue.
Despite absolutely love the sexy characters and culture rich environment I wanted a new love story that was different from having sexy fun to falling in love or even the artificial enemies to lovers trope. However, it was different from the trope of the first book from the series which means the author has potential of having more great books and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This second book in the Keys to Love series, follows Alejandro and Annamaria reuniting 12 years after they parted ways, on not so great terms, and figuring out what they mean to each other now. Their meddling mothers always try to reunite them in their schemes, force them to be civil to one another and eventually venture into a second chance, slow-burn romance.

I truly enjoyed seeing the family dynamics between all the siblings and parents, and how even though everyone is in each other's business, it all comes from a place of love and pride. The Cuban food, references and history was a wonderful glimpse into how this community comes together. The family was definitely my favourite thing about this book. One small criticism I had about the writing style was that there were moments where it was just too descriptive (the state of his injury, I cringed, or what streets they turned onto). I did enjoy seeing Spanish dialogue (I am a Spanish speaker) and liked how the author translated the dialogue in English a few lines later so no one misses out or has to look up translations.

Unfortunately the romance was something I didn’t particularly enjoy. When they say slow burn, they truly mean SLOWWWWW burn. It just dragged on a bit too long. The tip toeing back and forth, wasn’t entertaining for me. The miscommunication between why Alejandro and Annamaria left things and their reasonings for their initial breakup took far too long to be out in the open. The ending of how he was gonna wait for her to come back and vice versa, and they’d always be “anchored back home” felt like a bit of a let down. I was kinda hoping that they would become some traveling entrepreneur duo, and then coming back home together. Who knows, that may be the case in the potential next book in the series. (Really hoping for Ernesto and Natalia, fingers crossed.)


I received this ARC via Netgalley and Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

After reading this book, I’m ready to get on a plane and go back to Key West !
It was the first book I had read by Priscilla Oliveras but certainly won’t be the last - I’ll have to find the first in the Keys series Island Affair now, but it was absolutely possible to read this as a stand alone book.
The story is engaging and enjoyable with an emphasis on family and food. The descriptions are incredibly vivid, everything sounds interesting, you can just about smell the food off the page. I still want to try the Ropa Vieja at Miranda’s and I am a vegetarian 😂!
It is a slow burn, second-chance romance and it has it all: energy, love, and even humor. Anamaria and Alejandro, high school sweethearts, separated by circumstances and their own actual growing up are destined to find a way back to their relationship. I loved the witty banter between the characters and how the author built them up separately before bringing them together, it made them relatable in their own struggles.

Anchored Hearts is a wonderful warm Cuban family romcom - a vacation between the books covers, mix yourself a nice drink and enjoy !

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, Zebra for the digital advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Anchored Hearts is the second in the Key West-set Keys to Love series. It can work as a stand-alone. Once again, Priscilla Oliveras brings her signatures of culture and equal focus on familia and romance to the table, and while I wasn’t blown away by this one (having similar issues as I did with the first), it’s still a fairly enjoyable read.

While I can’t say I found the romance super memorable, I did like both Anamaria and Alejandro. They have a pretty straightforward second-chance romance: the relationship fell apart due to choices they made years ago, and are now older and wiser, yet still have feelings for each other.

The family dynamics are also great, and informs the romance in a compelling way. Anamaria has shown her devotion to her family by giving up on her and Alejandro’s shared dreams to care for her father following his heart attack and is now a firefighter like others in her family, while Alejandro is contending with the fact that he is returning to his family injured after leaving on somewhat bad terms.

This is a fairly lighthearted read, perfect for the warmer weather of spring and summer. If you love a sweet contemporary romance, you’ll surely like this one.

Thanks for an early copy! After reading Island Affair, I couldn’t wait to see what else the author had up her sleeve and this was no different! I enjoyed every bit and can’t wait for more!

Second chance romance! Anamaria and Alejandro were high school sweethearts and had great plans to travel the world together- but then her father had a heart attack and she didn't leave with him. Now, she's got s great job as a firefighter and an online fitness training business. He's forced home when he breaks a leg and. of course, they find themselves back in each other's orbit. This is distiguied from most of the genre by the emphasis placed on their boisterous families. I gotta tell you- I almost liked the family portions more than the romance! I loved the setting and wish Oliveras would have committed to the Spanish phrases. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a light, fun read.

This book was just an okay read for me. I think maybe I just don't connect with this author. I liked Am asa female leas a lot. She is smart, kind, and loving. Ale was harder for me to like as the male lead.

I really appreciate how seamlessly this author incorporates culture, language, and traditions into her books.

The love story itself was just a bit lacking.

I absolutely loved Anchored Hearts, it's the perfect summer-type read with loads of culture, which I loved.

I love the "second-chance" trope in romance books and this was the perfect one. I loved the slowburn, the setting, the family dynamic as families aren't as easy as a lot of books show us, their meddling was wonderful and made me laugh so hard, I loved that it was filled with lots and lots of culture and we got to see what Cuban families are like up-close, how they meddle in their kids' lives, how they love them and try to keep families together, etc.

Overall, it was a beautiful light-hearted romance with lots of culture and family and a definite recommend:)