This series just really makes me want to go back to key west and explore the places I didn’t get to last time. (but also just anywhere tropical!) The Cuban heritage also had me craving Cuban food!

Thank you @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the glimpse of Anamaría in island affairs and I loved her character here! I liked that even after so much time has passed, Anamaría and Alejandro still pushed each other and saw each other in ways that no one else could. I will say that the end fell a little flat for me as I wanted a few more things resolved. But in the end I enjoyed the journey Anamaría and Alejandro had in this book and how sometimes what we see isn’t always the truth. And maybe we were set up for book 3?!?!

Rating: 🧪🧪🧪🧪 / 5

I loved reading about the Cuban American family and the dynamic of this family in key west. To me, the families and setting were the stars in this book.

I enjoyed the main characters, however their slow burn second chance romance took some time for me to become fully engaged with. I kept wanting them to feel like the focus of the story, their romance, but it was more about family. It’s a personal preference.

I think this is a great beach read for the summer.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

I've seen this book all over Instagram for the past few weeks. Such a cute cover! Loved the Key West setting, the Cuban family dynamics, and the way the author was able to interweave so much Spanish dialogue without clunky translations. However, I am not a fan of the overall writing style - a lot of excessive description, hyperbole, and repetition. That being said, the resolution did make me a little misty-eyed. Unfortunately, much of the book also had me rolling my eyes.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was better than I thought it was going to be and a momentary break from all the thrillers and nonfiction I have been reading. The chemistry between the main characters was great and I love the characterization as well. Of course there are meddling family members and each is fiercely loyal to their family dynamic. Glad it was not predictable and the ending fit with the rest of the story.

I did not know there was a book that preceded this book but it did not detract with understanding the story, Love the Key West setting and was able to practice some of my Spanish. A decent quick read! Recommended if you want a family read with romance, somewhat of a rom com too.

Thanks to Netgalley, Priscilla Oliveras and Zebra Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Available: 4/27/21

📖 "Anchored Hearts" by @prisoliveras will be released on April 27, 2021

📸 Alejandro Miranda hasn't been home in over a decade when he took his camera and turned his back on Key West, his familia and his first love... but now he finds himself back home due to an injury that will take months to heal.

👩🏻‍🚒🏃🏻‍♀️Anamaría Navarro now has her life on track, in addition to being a firefighter and medic, she is also finally making her dreams come true as she pursues the path of turning her side hustle as a fitness trainer into her full time time job.

🦩 Meddling mothers make it hard for Ale and Anamaria to avoid each other as they scheme to get the two back together.. will they learn to trust each other again or will they let their pride get in the way?

☑️ This book definitely paints Key West in such a light that you picture yourself transported into the sunshine and warmth wishing you could lounge in the Keys yourself!
☑️ Loyalty to Family is big in this novel and hits a note throughout especially when Ale and his father really work through their issues.
☑️ Female Empowerment was the underlying theme to Anamaria's character - she was supported throughout by her family and Ale's to chase her dream and to put herself first for a change.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
If you're looking for an easy read with a love story that centers around family and loyalty - this one is for you!

I really loved the chemistry between the characters. I felt drawn in to the story and each detail which is a big thing for me. It didn’t feel rushed at all. I haven’t read the first book but I will have to pick up a copy!

Anchored Hearts is the second book in the Keys to Love series by Priscilla Oliveras. These stories take place in Key West, Florida among the Cuban American community. I love the community and family connections portrayed in these books and how family and friends stick together and want the best for their children while still maintaining their cultural roots. In this book, prodigal son, Alejandro, has returned to his family after being injured. He has not been home in 10 years and is estranged especially from his father who believes that family means nothing to Alejandro because he did not want to go into the family restaurant business. Tension is thick and his mother is doing her best to bring the family back together again. Not only does his mother want to bring the immediate family back together, but she also wants to reignite the flame between Alejandro and his childhood friend and high school sweetheart Anamaria. Both were heartbroken when their relationship ended and really have no desire to revisit that heartbreak. But loyalty to family and family friends won't allow them to be kept apart for long and the story works toward their happily every after.

I read the first book in this series, Island Affair, and really loved it. I thought that Anchored Hearts was a wonderful follow up to the first book and a nice second-chance romance. I didn't connect to this couple quite as much as I did to Luis and Sara, but I did enjoy the romance. My favorite part of the story was about how Alejandro was able to mend fences with his father and realize how important his family and community truly was to him. Once he was able to do that, all the pieces of his life fell together again. I recommend this book and series and look forward to the next installment. This book is a stand alone and can be read and enjoyed without reading Island Affair.

My sincere thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

Alejandro is back in Key West for the first time in 13 years after suffering an accident. He hasn’t seen his old love Anamaria since they parted all those years ago.

With Alejandro back for only a limited time, his mother and Anamaria’s mother are pushing them together. It’s under the guise of Anamaria helping him with his recovery but nobody is fooled.

Alejandro left years ago to pursue his dream photography career, this lead to a huge blow up with his dad. His dad wanted him to take over at the family restaurant some day and basically disowned Alejandro.
Because of his fractured relationship with his dad, Alejandro has stayed away all this time.

Anamaria had finally started to follow her own dreams when he comes back into her life.

Could they have a second chance? Or is their love cursed because of his father?

I liked the characters but I enjoyed the first book more. I wasn’t sure about these two. Alejandro seemed very stubborn and somewhat cranky to me. And Anamaria seemed to be in the dark about how bad things were with Alejandro’s dad. I found that frustrating at times. You don’t get to tell someone else that they have to get over their own family issue. I’m not saying Anamaria used these words, but I felt like she was either unaware of the degree of the strain between Alejandro and his dad or she was putting an unfair amount of pressure on Alejandro to fix it.

I read this book as an early edition on NetGalley. If the author were to read my review, I’d like to mention something that might be worth changing before the final edition goes out. It’s a choice of wording that felt off to me.
Anyway, to the author, if you read my review and you are interested in my thought please send me a message.

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing.

I want to thank Netgalley, Kensington Publishing, and Priscilla Oliveras for the opportunity to read this book before it is published.

Anchored Hearts is the second book in the Keys to my Heart series by Oliveras. The first book, Island Affair, centered around Luis Navarro and a woman, Sara, that he "rescued" when she needed him most. Anchored Hearts delves into the story of Luis' younger sister, Anamaria, & her up and coming business. She is on her way to being a very successful nutrionist/health influencer while also working for the Key West Fire Department, following in the footsteps of her father and brothers. She found her way to nutrition after watching her father suffer from a heart attack that derailed what she had thought were her life plans. After being side tracked for a few years, she is finally on her way to making her life what she wants it to be. Alejandro Miranda is her first love and her first real heart break. He wanted her to follow him around the world while he became a world famous photographer. Alejandro was doing this in spite of his father's objections to it. His father expected him to take over the family business and do what he had done. Alejandro rejected that idea and set out to make a name for himself, while fracturing his relationship with his father and putting the rest of his family in the middle. Anamaria and Alejandro are thrown back together when Alejandro comes back to Key West to recuperate after a fall in a rain forest that left him with a severely fractured tibia. Anamaria is sent to make sure that Alejandro's surgery sites are healing properly and to make sure that he follows the orders of the doctor and PT. Will Ananmaria and Alejandro be able to heal their hearts? Will they be able to forgive each other?

I loved this story. I loved delving deeper in to the ways of the true Key West residents, not just the visitors like in Island Affair (which I also loved). Anamaria is a true renaissance woman who does a little bit of everything. She is also very centered on family ties and how to deepen them, but she is also a woman on her own. Alejandro was a great love for her. They had to grow up from their teenage selves to be able to see each other as the unique people that they are. Another great part of this story was the fact that some of the characters in Island Affair made repeat appearances, but they weren't just in the background, like I've see with other books that are part of series like this, they had guest star roles. Sara, Luis' fiancé, is an amazing friend and mentor to Anamaria and plays a pretty big role in Anchored Hearts as well. It was fun to visit with them again as well.

The only negative I would have to say about this book is that the last 1/3 of the book, there were a lot of editing oversights. Whether the time frame didn't match as in other parts of the book or just simple editing (wrong word, no spaces, extra quotation marks, etc). it at times distracted me from what I was reading. This is definitely something I would look at before mass publication.

I truly love Oliveras' style of writing. Her characters are all lovable and you can tell that she loves what she is doing. The stories are all super relatable and fun, but not over the top. They're all down to earth characters with relatable story lines. I can't wait to see which Navarro sibling is next in line for a story. If I had to guess, I would say Enrique :)

"Alejandro being back in Key West for this short time had absolutely nothing to do with her. She planned to keep it that way. Her sights set on business, not her heart."

Oliveras draws us back into the gorgeous and heartwarming island setting with her new book Anchored Hearts. Although technically a standalone story, it makes the most sense to read these stories likes a series. I enjoyed her previous book, Island Affair, about Sara and Luis. The couple are brought back into Anchored Hearts as secondary characters.

Unfortunately, I did not love this story as much. While an enjoyable read that certainly made me enviable of the beautiful scenery and weather of Key West, I felt as though it lacked the depth that we saw in Island Affair. The author still places huge emphasis on the role of family in this community, but beyond family trouble, there's no other tension of sorts. I thought some points seemed unrealistic (but then again, what book doesn't do this at times?). The romance between Alejandro and Anamaria was sweet and they definitely had the back story, but again, something just didn't click for me and I wasn't super attached to them as characters.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a fun beach read, especially when read in companion with Island Affair. It wasn't a waste of time, just not the best book I've ever read.

I was rooting for all of the characters throughout the entire novel! What a joy to read about the Cuban "Communidad" and such a tightly knit family. The characters were very likeable and I am excited to go back and read the first novel of the series now. I am also excited that the series continues, so I can read more about their lives. The novel begins its conflict from page one and builds all the way until the end. As a reader, I relate to both Alejandro, the adventurous-photographer, and Anamaria, the fire-fighter/fitness guru, and their journeys to find success and happiness. An enjoyable read with true character development!

The second book in the Keys to Love series was addictive, charming, and entertaining. The story kept me engaged the whole time and I dreaded putting the book down when I needed to get some tasks done. I will be interested to see more books in this series. I hope to see a book with Enrique and Natalia.

Anamaria's new business, AM Fitness, is thriving and powerful. The business is gaining more traction and growing. When she is not training with her clients, Anamaria is working for the Key West Fire Department fighting fires and helping save lives. When she gets roped into checking up on her ex's recovery after a nasty accident leaving him with a broken leg, she finds herself getting pulled in a direction she does not want to go again. Alejandro is feeling cooped up in his parents' house with his overbearing mother and his angry father. When his high school sweetheart, Anamaria, winds up at the house to check in on him, he finds himself getting pulled in the past. After a trip to New York to bring Anamaria's business to a new level, she finds that her business could lead to more with the deal she just signed. While being in town, Alejandro's career takes a turn that he has been imagining for some time. Believing he cannot stay in town with how his father feels about him and his career, Alejandro wants to get home as soon as possible. As the two spend more time together, they both find themselves with feelings they thought were in the past. They both want to be encouraging of one another's careers, so they agree to keep things casual.

Okay first things first this is a closed door romance, not a lot of steam but a lot of sexual tension. I cried, I laughed, I loved loved loved the passion that Ale and Anamaria each have for their own paths and a path they can carve together. I loved both their Cuban families. The description of food had me hungry the whole book. I love how the author write about the family dynamics in Latinx communities and the pressure we are put under to make the sacrifices our parents made worth it.

I loved that Ale was able to grow and realize his mistakes without this big revelation. I loved how Anamaria was able to do the same. I loved watching their love rekindle again page by page. Clearly I loved a lot and I cannot wait to read more books by this author.

Something I really enjoyed was the emphasis on community here. As a girl who grew up in Miami and whose friends parents became her parents and vice versa this summarized what community means to me really well. Meddling families who mean well are part of my community and this book just felt like home in a way.

I’m a sucker for a love story but I felt this was oddly predictable. The prodigal son returns home and deals with the repercussions from those he left behind. A rekindled romance on the horizon may be the best part although it dragged a bit. Overall I thought it was a good read. I finished it in an afternoon.

I found Anchored Hearts to be a pleasant read. I cant say that I loved the story, sometimes it felt like it was dragging on, but I did overall enjoy the relationship and the family aspect of it. I liked that she incorporated the Spanish language into it, but sometimes the on going translations seemed redundant. But I really loved the ending. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Not great; the slow burn was too much for me, considering the characters were technically already in love. Also, the way the author handled the wheelchair use was...unsavory. There is a comment about it being a baby stroller, and it's not pushed back on AT ALL, and it made me feel really icky.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After shattering his leg in an accident, Alejandro returns to his family home in Key West to recover. But a restful recovery comes hard as he must also deal with his mother's matchmaking and his father's hostility, still angry at Alejandro for turning his back on the family restaurant in order to pursue his photography dream. Complicating things even further is Alejandro's beautiful ex-girlfriend, Anamaria, who is still his mother's pick for her son.

Priscilla Oliveras gives us a collection of likable characters with realistic issues all set in a beautiful tropical locale. My only issue, and I'm certain I'm in the minority here, is that the author peppers her text so frequently with Spanish, then explains the Spanish, that I found it distracting.

While it seems there will never be any perfect ending for Alejandro and Anamaria, the author deftly pulls off a touching and satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I am a sucker for second chance romances and boy did Priscilla Oliveras deliver! I adored her first book in the Keys to Love series and Anchored Hearts was a fantastic follow up. This book has all of the elements readers loved from Island Affair, including meddling family members, mouth-watering descriptions of food, beautiful island scenery, and most importantly, sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Needless to say, I devoured this book in one sitting and cannot wait to read whatever Oliveras writes next (please let it be a story about Enrique!).
Anchored Hearts follows Anamaria, paramedic for the Key West Fire Department and fitness blogger as she reunites with her ex-boyfriend from high school, Ale. Ale is a world famous photographer now and he has no roots to speak of. Estranged from his father and constantly moving from shoot to shoot, Ale’s lifestyle cannot be more different from Anamaria’s. And yet, they cannot deny their attraction for each other. It is clear these two are meant to be, yet the universe keeps throwing challenges their way. Will they be able to make up for good, or is this just an island fling?

So last year was a year of many new to us authors thanks in massive part to joining bookstagram. One of those very authors was @prisoliveras. When I saw Island Affair - the first in her Anchored Hearts series - I knew right away I wanted to read it. I mean the cover alone! I listened to it on @audible_uk and loved it so I was really looking forward to the next book in the series and I’m so excited to have an ARC via @netgalley.

We return to Key West for the second part in this series following Anamaria and Alejandro, high school sweethearts separated by ambition and hurt feelings. The pair are thrust back together by their interfering Cuban mamis when Alejandro’s unfortunate injury sends him back to the island city to recuperate.

I love the setting of this series. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Key West twice and it has such a unique atmosphere. There’s definitely something for everyone and I could practically feel the humidity and here the jubilation of a sunset celebration at Mallory Square. Another thing I really love about this series is the Cuban culture that’s so important to the story and woven throughout.

As far as endings go it’s pretty predictable where this might end up but add in the tension inherent in a second chance lovers trope and the expectations of both Anamaria and Alejandro’s mamis the tension between the two characters is so heightened. Both characters have their own ambitions, in their own businesses and to travel but it’s led them on different paths in their lives. They’re careers are so key to this story and I loved the development and inclusion in the island culture.

This can absolutely be read as a standalone but why would you do that to yourself! Pick up the first in the series if you haven’t already - you won’t regret reading both of these slow burn romances.

#anchoredhearts #netgalley #keywest #islandliving #smalltown #secondchanceromance #cubanculture

A fun second-chance romance. Anamaría and Alejandro have steamy chemistry and are easy to root for. Their strong inclusion of their families to the story add depth.