I reviewed this book for Booklist. I absolutely loved it, even more than the first in the trilogy. I love to see a badass female firefighter and a second chance romance! Fantastic!

(my review will be published in Booklist, but I'm giving it 5 stars on my personal channels too.)

Anchored Hearts by Priscilla Oliveras is one of my top romance books for 2021! Taking place in the spectacular setting of Key West, Anchored Hearts reunites two lost lovers. Anamaria has her act together. She’s a paramedic, comes from an incredible cuban family with three brothers and has a booming personal training and nutrition program that she’s built from the ground up. After nursing a broken heart over a decade ago, Anamaria has sworn off love. That’s until her former high school beau, Alejandro, returns to their close community on the island. Alejandro fled Key West to explore the world as a now famous photographer. He left behind his family’s restaurant business and Anamaria’s heart. Alejandro is nursing a traumatic leg injury and a series of conspiring close net families put Anamaria back into his life. This book was fun, sexy and incredibly real and raw. It was a rare treat to really enjoy all the characters in this book and while I thought I knew from the beginning how the story might go, I loved the journey Oliveras takes us on to get there. I was sad to finish Anchored Hearts and really enjoyed my time with the characters. It takes an incredible author to weave together a story where ambitious individuals don’t have to give up on their own dreams to explore life and love together. I cannot recommend Anchored Hearts enough. Put it at the top of your to-be-read pile and enjoy!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book in the series, Island Affair. Although I didn't like Anchored Hearts as well, I still enjoyed this book. Ive been waiting for Anamaria's story ever since the end of the last book. Anchored Hearts is a well written, second chance romance. I enjoyed continuing to learn about the Cuban-American culture. As with the first book, family is a big part of the plot. I love stories about big, meddling families. It's what I loved most about this one. At times, the story seemed to drag on a bit, but for the most part, I would recommend this quick, fun read.

I really wanted to like this book because the premise was SO CUTE and features a female lead who’s a first responder - which is one of my favorite plot devices in romance novels. But instead, to borrow a line from the My Favorite Murder podcast, toxic masculinity ruined the party again.

Like...is Alejandro supposed to be a sympathetic character? Are we actually supposed to root for him to get the girl? Because what I gleaned from all of his gratuitous brooding is that he’s still mad at Anamaría for not abandoning her own career goals and leaving behind her very close-knit family (including her dad who’d recently had a heart attack!) in order to follow him around the globe as he tried to break into the photography world. And he expected her to happily avoid Key West forever because he has issues with his own dad? Are you kidding me???? No. No way, this man goes straight into The Pit. Get a fucking therapist and leave poor Anamaría alone because she’s totally killing it without you.

Outside of Alejandro-the-whiny-bitch-baby, I liked the other characters a lot and I enjoyed the Cuban-American culture we got to explore in this book along with the tropical Key West setting. The writing was pretty good and so was the dialogue between characters, but the love story that was told here was a big, fat *fart noise* for me. Even when Alejandro and Anamaría did get back together, there was no chemistry and it felt super awkward. It was like that storyline in the tv show ‘Friends’ where they tried to get Joey and Rachel together and everyone at home was physically cringing while watching them kiss.

Thanks to Zebra/Kensington and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Anchored Hearts by Priscilla Oliveras.

I loved Island Affair last year and was so excited that there was a second book in the Keys to Love series.

This is a slow burn/second chance romance between Anamaria, who is a firefighter/EMS and also runs a fitness side business and Alejandro who was her high school boyfriend, who is a travel photographer. Their well meaning but interfering mothers get involved when Alejandro returns home after an injury and the mom's work their magic to get Anamaria to stop by to help since she has some medical knowledge.

I loved their families and how close they are, their strong Cuban heritage and the mixing of Spanish/English dialogue in the book. Reading this book makes me want to be in Key West eating the delicious food and exploring their paradise!

This was a fun and enjoyable book to read and I highly recommend checking it out (along with Island Affair too!). Plus they have such fun covers!

This was a sweet second chance romance that was easy to read. I enjoyed reading about Anamaria & Alejandro and their history. It is also story of their family, and at times, the family story takes over the story of whether Anamaria & Alejandro will get back together. Luis & Sara's story sounds great, so I need to read that, & it sounds like Enrique gets his own story, which would be intriguing.

I DNFed this at 30%. It just wasn't for me, which was surprising because I was very excited about the Key West setting. The characters had only spoken to each other twice by the time I stopped. It was a lot of world building which was just moving too slowly for me as far as a romance goes. This book has a lot of good things going for it, just wasn't my jam.

I enjoyed Priscilla Oliveras’ Island Affair last year and was happy to be approved for an advance reader copy of the second book in the series. Anchored Hearts is a slow burn second chance romance. Anamaria, the only Navarro daughter, is our main character. She is a fire-fighter/EMT like her father and brothers, but also has a fitness and nutrition side hustle that’s starting to become a full time job. Her first love and first heartbreak, Alejandro is reluctantly back in Key West recovering from a accident that left him with a broken leg. Anamaria and Alejandro’s mothers are scheming and keep throwing them together.

The question isn’t really can Anamaria and Alejandro forgive each other, they were teens and now they are adults who bring maturity and experience to their past. The central issue is whether Alejandro can make peace with his father – or at least co-exist with him in the same city. It takes Anamaria and Alejandro a while to get there, and I appreciated it because they had a lot to work through before I would believe they could make an adult relationship work. I would have liked a little more from Alejandro’s father in the bridge building department.

One of the things I particularly liked about Anchored Hearts was the confrontations that didn’t happen. Alejandro doesn’t have to be told what he did to hurt Anamaria, he figures it out and makes an effort to act on those realizations. I like seeing a male love interest recognize where they made an error without another character leading them to it by the hand. I’d like to see more of it too.

Family is at the center of this romance. Anamaria has made choices that keep her close to home and family. Alejandro has escaped, or run away from his family, depending on how you look at it. Oliveras builds towards her resolution stone by stone. It’s not a surprise, but surprise isn’t the point. She gives her characters an emotionally satisfying resolution. There’s some good pining and yearning, but the scene fades to black when the sexy times get going.

As a fat woman with concerns about the fitness and nutrition industry I was interested to see how Oliveras handled Anamaria’s fitness and nutrition business. Anamaria’s interest comes from both her work as an EMT and as a result of the heart attack her father suffered when she was in high school. She’s focused on encouraging heart healthy eating, but not explicitly on weight. There wasn’t any fat shaming, and there was a nod to health at any size.

Priscilla Oliveras has a real gift for description. She brings Key West to life in a different way than she did in Island Affair. In that book, Key West felt very touristy, which was appropriate for Sara and Luis’ story. Here Key West is home with tree shaded neighborhoods, backyards, and the smell of diesel mixed with the sea. Alejandro is a photographer and Anamaria’s brother, Enrique, is a once and future painter. The descriptions of their work were vibrant, and I wanted to google them more than once so that I could look for myself.

There is a lot of Spanish in the book, and though my Spanish is not great, it was reminiscent of the bilingual homes I grew up around. It would have been weird to me to have a story centered on a Cuban American community that didn't have a lot of Spanish.

I’m pretty sure Anchored Hearts has set up the romantic interest for Enrique and the conflict. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the third book, whenever it’s ready.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hello from a new Priscilla Oliveras fan! Sign me up for the fan club!

I adored this book and the families in it. This is the second in the series, which unfortunately I did not realize prior to picking it up. I actually have Island Affair on my to be read shelf, but I had not read it yet. Even though I now know how that book ends up, I will be reading it very soon.

Anchored Hearts follows Alejandro and Anamaria, former high school sweethearts, in their adventures of being thrown back in each other's paths by their meddling mothers. Both of their parents are Cuban immigrants and the culture is strong throughout the book. The book is written in English, but has Spanish spoken throughout by the characters. Do not worry if you do not understand Spanish, the phrases are cleverly translated in the text around it. The Spanish is not complex at all. I am by no means bilingual, however I do understand a bit of Spanish. I understood most of the phrases in the book. It definitely made the Cuban-American culture of weaving between Spanish and English in a conversation feel truly authentic.

I have to take a minute to talk about the cover art. I just want to display this book on my shelf with the cover out. It is bright and eye-catching!

I will be recommending this book! I can't help but sing praises for this sweet novel. I am hoping with all my heart that there is a third novel and I hope it is all about Enrique!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Priscilla Oliveras for the opportunity to read an ARC of Anchored Hearts in exchange of my honest opinion.

I had a lot of hope for Anchored Hearts because I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Island Affair. And this book definitely met my expectations. I love how the main character is a female first responder who also runs her own business. This story wasn't just about the romance between the two characters but was also about solving each of their personal problems as well.. The author did an amazing job combining the two into an interesting book.

My favorite part was the gallery scene where Ale and his dad had a heart to heart about his photos and the fight that had left their relationship and the entire family split.

This story is the second book in the Keys to Love series. I haven't read the first book, but I was still able to enjoy this book. The author did a good job of explaining who people were and situations from the past. I felt that the author repeated herself a lot, but that may have to do with this being a sequel.

Anamaria and Alejandro were each other's first loves, and they both felt wronged by each other when they broke up 10 years ago. They now find themselves in Key West together and have to navigate the past hurts and their current feelings towards one another.

This book was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A special thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Island Affair, so Anchored Hearts is one of my most anticipated reads in 2021. It did not disappoint. The story picks up a year after Island Affair and follows Anamaria and her high school ex, Alejandro. The two parted on bad terms 12 years ago and neither wants to see each other again. Too bad they both have meddling mothers, who are determined to push the two together.

Alejandro left Key West with a chip on his shoulder, off to see the world without looking back. Now a famous photographer, he's less than thrilled to return home injured and dependent on his estranged family. Anamaria's fitness career is about to take off, but she's facing fear of failure and the comfort that Key West brings her. What happens when the pair can't resist the years of unanswered questions and unrequited feelings?

Anchored Hearts was a stellar second novel in this series. I absolutely love the Navarro family! Their meddling in each others' lives is hilarious, but it is also so endearing how they unconditionally support one another to reach their dreams. It was so fun seeing where Luis and Sara are a year later and I loved how their story continued in this book.
Key West is the perfect setting - the food, the sunsets, and the ocean. It's exactly what I want to read right now after a year in quarantine.

I really related to Anamaria's character as a personal trainer trying to figure out how her passion can turn into a viable career choice, especially as she has an already established career as a firefighter. There is a fear in the unknown and the author absolutely nails the struggle.

I am normally not a fan of second chance romances, but Anchored Hearts was well done. The chemistry is well-developed between the main couple and the shared background of their perspective families shapes their love story in a really authentic way. They share so much history, you can't help to root for them.

Overall, I loved this book and am hoping for a third book about the youngest brother, Enrique. He's so wild and carefree, I really want to see him settle down and have his world rocked by love.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. The side characters were also fun and the location just had me wanting to fly to warm weather immediately. I also enjoyed that it was a second chance romance but done in a way with low angst.I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you. It’s the romcom you need in your life.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this novel!

I read the first book and was so happy when I got this ARC. There's something very alluring with the setting being in Key West :)

It's a great romance even if Alejandro has his head up his ass most of the time...

I hope the third in the series are being written? I guess it's about Ernesto and a certain art consultant?

It was a good romance. I liked the setting, it was like getting away of lockdown a little bit. I also found it really funny. It was a light, easy read.

This is a decent contemporary romance based on second chance romance. It is about high school sweethearts that come to a fork in the road where he wants to see the world and she decides to stay in her hometown. Some miscommunication, some angst, and a whole lot of sexiness. It didn’t blow my socks off but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Than you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read Anchored Hearts.

A second chance at romance allows for sparks to fly thanks to years of separation, growth and better communication. Like book 1, "Island Affair", in this series, “Anchored Hearts” is a predictable romance but without the instant love factor like "Island Affair". This was a quick Summer-themed read which made me wish for a trip to Key West. This series isn't over yet -- I think we will get more from Oliveras when she returns to share Enriques’ story with us. Fingers crossed!

Solid Slow Burn Second Chance Finding Yourself Prodigal Son Story. Think I got enough tropes in that title? ;) But seriously, this was the second book in Oliveras' hyper-sensual stories of established adults finding love in the Florida Keys (Key West, specifically) while being bound by their Cuban immigrant parents and siblings. Here, we get the sister of our male lead from Book 1 (Island Affair) and the boy we already know she let go a decade ago from that story. Now, we get a lot more details of what happened according to each of them - and they don't exactly remember things the same way. Oliveras executes this dynamic well, with having the meddling mothers (seemingly a commonality among *many* cultures, let's face it ;) ) conniving to get the two together when the now-man finds himself stranded at home with a shattered leg. As they help each other with their respective issues in their current lives, old wounds get reexamined, sparks begin to fly, etc etc etc... this *is* a romance novel, y'all. That alone tells you where this thing is going. :)

But Oliveras also executes the Prodigal Son angle particularly well, at least from the son's side. Which I know at least a bit about, having lived my adult life hundreds of miles away from my own parents. (Somewhat interestingly as it relates to this book, while Alejandro grew up in Key West and fled to Atlanta as an adult, this reviewer grew up outside of Atlanta and currently finds himself in Florida - Jacksonville - in what will this year become the longest single place he's stayed since leaving Atlanta. :D) To be clear, I don't have *exactly* the same issues Ale does - my dad (and entire immediate family) and I actually get along great. But I know the general feelings and disappointments pretty damn well, well enough to truly sing Oliveras' praises on this particular storyline.

Finally, to address one criticism that seems common in the lower starred reviews: saying something in Spanish and then explaining it in English: I'm a native American that grew up in land still literally scarred by the American Civil War. While I took a few Spanish classes in high school, I was never even truly conversant, much less fluent. But I've studied a lot about a lot, and it is my understanding that such mixtures of languages are common in second generation Americans, as both Annamaria and Alejandro are here. Further, from a "real world" perspective of trying to sell as many copies of a book as possible, English is the most commonly spoken language in the world, for better or for worse. While Spanish is frequent and indeed dominant in certain regions, even many in those regions *also* speak English to some degree or another. And in most of the globe, more people are more familiar with English than Spanish. These are also simple, stone cold, undeniable *facts* - whether or not you like them or the reason they came to be. Thus, from a *business* side, explaining the Spanish in English - and in particular the way Oliveras does it in this series, more as a natural storytelling technique than a "Habla Espanol?" "Do you speak Spanish?" style common in at least some books I've read over the years, it makes complete sense. And for this reader that barely knows Spanish at all - the above sentence was a decent part of what I can easily recall, though there is likely a fair amount beyond that that I could comprehend in a situation where I'm surrounded by the language - it is helpful, appreciated, and *necessary*, as there would be large segments of the tale that would be completely unintelligible without the translation. Indeed, from a business side Oliveras' only other real options would be to 1) limit herself to only Spanish speakers and thus lose overall sales or 2) eliminate the Spanish completely and lose at least a fair degree of the authenticity she really excels in bringing out here.

And as others have noted, this reader too is hoping that the one female character introduced late in the book is truly the fit for the one remaining single Navarro sibling - and that we get to read that tale as well. Given the year spacing between Island Affair and this book, perhaps this time 2022? Until then...

Very much recommended.

Anchored Hearts is the second book in the Keys to Love series, but works just fine as a stand-alone read. Alejandro and Annamaría are childhood sweethearts. They break up when Alejandro follows his passion for photography around the world and Annamaría stays home to tend to her ailing father. Fast forward a decade, and Alejandro is back home is Key West recovering from a broken leg. Annamaría is running a successful fitness and nutrition business. Their meddling mothers conspire to keep them running into each other, and both Alejandro and Annamaría have to confront the unfinished business between them.

This is a sweet, second chance romance. Super slow burn and then mostly fade to black if you’re curious about the steam level. I thought the first half was drawn out, that there was too much of the book where the main characters aren’t even interacting with each other. The conflict between Alejandro and his father was underdeveloped and needed more back story. I did enjoy seeing Luis and Sara from Island Affair (book 1) play a role, and also really liked Annamaría as a main character - she’s strong and determined and I loved that.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for a review.

This story was fun! The main characters in this book aren't boring, and have great chemistry. Mix that in with some family drama and it becomes quite relateable. Would love to continue this series.