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.

A straightforward, sweet, second chance romance.

Two high school sweethearts reunite after one takes a nose dive off a waterfall and winds up returning home to the care of his loving, but highly smothering family.

They are prime example of right person wrong time. These two truly haven't loved anyone else since their breakup over a decade ago. Poor communication, however, wrecked them. But time and distance has allowed them to mature. Grow into their own people. So when come together again sparks fly and happiness ensues.

Like the first book, this one was mostly predictable. But that being said, I found I enjoyed it a lot more because it did not have the insta-love vibe of the first book. Also we at least not a little more steam in this one, which I appreciate.

So again, another quick and easy beach/summer read to enjoy when you have time to spare.

Also, I'm thinking we aren't leaving Key West quite yet, and that Enrique will be getting his own book. Which I 100% support because I am honestly so curious him and his rather mysterious past.

High school sweethearts. I thought the first book was okay, and felt that way about this one too. I really enjoyed the culture and the details. The spark with the love story just wasn't there for me, because it was a slow burn.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Pub date: April 27

This emotional story of reunited lovers is drenched in Key West sunshine and seasoned with Cuban-Latinx culture. The slow burn romance at the heart of the story is enriched by the loving, layered, complicated family relationships. Highly recommend!

This book although written in English has a lot of Spanish which slows the reading down. It didn't flow as well as it should have. DNF


*************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion. from NetGalley.*****************************************

Anchored Hearts

My reading habits have changed dramatically during the last year. For someone who was a predominately YA Fantasy/Romance reader, I had to pivot when some themes and settings became too close to real life. Last year during the pandemic I was also introduced to @netgalley so most of my requests have been romance and rom com.

I’ve also been trying to look at where books are set so I can use them as a vacation on the page. “Anchored Hearts” by Priscilla Oliveras fit the bill. Set in Key West, Anchored Hearts is a second chance romance between two high school sweethearts whose families are close. Meddling moms close. Anamaria and Alejandro went their separate ways a decade ago, but they had unfinished business. Alejandro left to follow his dreams and Anamaria stayed home to sort out what she wanted her dreams to be. When an unfortunate accident sends Alejandro home to recuperate, the meddling mamas ensure AM and Ale will be pushed together to sort out their issues.

The Cuban culture, the charisma of Alejandro, and the resilience of Anamaria kept me reading. I would have liked a little more action, a little more dialogue, and less of the internal monologue. Additionally I would have liked a little more build up to Alejandro’s confession of love. It felt rushed. Maybe that is because this is 2 in a series and I didn’t read the first.

SERIES: Keys to Love no.2 ( it can be read as standalone)
GENRE: contemporary romance
TROPES: second chance, slow burn
CLIFFHANGER: no
RELEASE DATE: April 27th
RATING: 4⭐

Alejandro left his family and friends in Key West 12 years ago, after graduating high school.. and he never looked back. Due to his issues with his father, he never came back, even for a visit. His high school sweetheart Anamaria should have joined him in exploring the world. However, she chooses to stay in Key West. That leads to them breaking up. Now, Alejandro is back to get back on this feet after a climbing accident that left him badly injured. Medling mamas won't let them ignore each other. Can they move past all the hurt? Will Alejandro repair his relationship with his father? Are there a happy ending for them as mature adults?

As much as this book is about second chance romance, this is also a book about family ties, small community, and food. I love how the author wrote about different generations of the Cuban family and their dynamics.

In the times when our traveling is restricted this was a great escape to sunny Key West.
A perfect comfort read for all romance readers in a need of a feel-good escape.

Unfortunately, while I really enjoyed the fun of the first book in this series, this story just missed the mark in so many ways. The two leads didn't have much chemistry at all, and while everything about this story screamed "this is a romance", it didn't feel like it. The characters barely interacted in the first half of the story and then suddenly all their problems (which were never really talked through) disappeared and they started sneaking around. I would compare it more to the couple you know should never get back together because they're toxic rather than two people still in love getting a second chance.

The style this was written also didn't work for a summery, romantic read. I would say around 65-75% of this story was exposition and inner thoughts/events happening when the characters weren't interacting, and it threw the pacing off immensely. I could've realistically put this down at the 20% mark, because nothing had happened, but because I liked the first book, I continued on. I hoped it would pick up. Get better. It didn't.

Overall, I felt more chemistry between Enrique and Natalia the two pages they were speaking to one another at the end than the two leads in this story. It was quite a story that, sadly, I've already forgotten.

I thought this book was quite enjoyable, but it lacked the “it factor”. I really loved reading the witty banter, especially with the mothers. They were so funny! I did not feel that Anamaria and Alejandro were really meant to be together. It all just feel very forced. I loved reading about Key West though, and this book made me want to go back to Florida! I also thought this book gave a lot of insight into Cuban American life and what it’s like to chase dreams in a new country.

Anchored Hearts is the second book in the Keys to Love series. I enjoyed the first one but wasn't overly thrilled. Despite that, I still decided to request this one to see how it compared!

Anamaria and Alejandro were high school sweethearts-until Alejandro left to pursue his passion of photography around the world. He returns when he is injured on a shoot, causing drama when Anamaria is called on by his mother to care for him. the two haven't spoken in years, although the connection between them is still quite strong. Anamaria is pursuing her own passion of starting a fitness brand, which has been quite successful. Alejandro is dealing with family drama-namely his father not forgiving or speaking to him. Throughout the story the two run into each other over and over again, both through a plot to get them back together, and by chance. They discover if their connection is strong enough to rekindle or if they should let it go for good.

I didn't really enjoy this story. For some reason I did at times want to keep reading-but it took me so long to get through. I would pick it up and read a chapter, then leave it for a week, then pick it up and skim and skim. I found so much of it unnecessary, it was easily understood just searching for the dialogue. Their connection seemed overly cheesy and I cringed at times. I appreciated that the author included Spanish in both the first book and this story, but found it annoying that every Spanish line or word had to be repeated in English for the reader to understand, it made it even longer than it needed to be. The intimate scenes were very lacking and I found the way the characters spoke very awkward and hypocritical. At times it was hard swearing, then it was very G rated, so odd. I couldn't connect with the family intervention and found it so overbearing and traditions. Although the cover is beautiful, this story is a total miss. I could predict what would happen from the beginning, and I have a very strong idea of what the next story will be, Enrique and Natalia.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy!

I really enjoyed this second chance romance. Alejandro and Anamaria were a funny couple with a lot of baggage.

I"ve read Priscillia Oliveras previous books, and this is exactly what I have come to expect from her. Her books are always my go to books when I just want to get lost in a book and not think about anything at all. Loved Anchored Hearts!