I loved going back to Key West and reading Anamaría and Alejandro’s story. Anchored Hearts was rich in culture and family! This is the perfect summer read.

I may not be able to travel yet, but thanks to Anchored Hearts by @prisoliveras I was able to escape to beautiful & sunny Key West. ⁣
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This is more than just a heartwarming second chance romance with all the angst & feels. We get a wonderful insight into the LatinX culture in this #ownvoices story that celebrates family, history and sense of community. My mouth is still watering with all the delicious food references and I found Anamaria and Alejandro's families endearing and relatable.⁣
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There's drama, meddlesome mamas, heavy expectations, regrets and above all there's LOVE⁣
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Spanish is woven throughout in a seamless way, which adds to the immersive experience and it was easy to follow with explanations provided in following sentences. @prisoliveras also touches on Operation Peter Pan, a program in the 1960s that evacuated Cuban children to USA - and the heartache for these separated families. This was something I wasn't aware of and loved learning about. ⁣
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The characters are well drawn and easy to root for. I loved the chemistry, tension and nostalgia from Anamaria & Alejandro's shared history and slow burn romance. The steam is mostly closed door and can easily be skipped. I found there was some repetition in rehashing their past issues and Alejandro's rocky relationship with his father, but overall the story was well paced.⁣
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#AnchoredHearts can be enjoyed as a standalone and is perfect for those looking for a feel good story. I can't wait to read more from @prisoliveras and head back to Key West.⁣

Thanks @greyspromo & Priscilla Oliveras for this gifted copy

A story of Anamaria and her childhood sweetheart Alejandro who parted ways when he was desperate to leave Key West and she was reluctant to leave her family. Although they both met new people along the way, they are reunited when Alejandro comes home to recover from a serious injury. A sweet tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for a fair review.

I am a huge Pris Oliveras fan, and this book did not let me down! I love the family dynamics and the way Pris writes her romantic characters. I’ve never been to the Keys, but through the vibrant storytelling, I can imagine each and every situation and place as if I was there with the characters. I also learned so much about Cuban-Latinx culture and the food.

The only thing that bothered me was the language used to describe the injury and subsequent wheelchair use for Alejandro. Serious lack of disability rep and the wheelchair descriptors were offensive. This wouldn’t stop me from recommending this book, but I would provide a warning.

I would read more of this series in the future!

Alejandro Miranda, a world-famous photographer, returns to his home in Key West, years after he announced to his family that he isn't willing to take on the family cuban restaurant, he had a big fight with his father and hadn't returned to his home ever since. Now he has a fractured leg after a hiking accident and he has no choice but to return to his family home to heal and face all the regrets of his departure - and also his ex-girlfriend, Anamaría Navarro. It's been years since the hurt of their break-up, after Alejandro left her back to travel the world, but after a long time Anamaría is over him and striving in her professional life, a firefighter paramedic like the rest of her family while also working on building her own fitness and training brand. But they both have bitterness and unresolved issues with each other, her feeling that she wasn't enough for him to make him stay, him betrayed after Anamaría backed off of their plan to travel the world together and decided to stay at Key West with her family. Alejandro and Anamaría are determined to steer clear off each other, but there's nothing they can do when their Cuban mamis start meddling with their lives trying to bring them back together. And maybe, after all this time, there are still true feelings in the way...

Priscilla Oliveras's second entry to her Key West romance series is a highschool sweethearts gone sour romance, about second chances in love and reigniting sparks you thought were long gone. It is also a story about family bonds and legacy, and finding all the ways you can stay true to it without betraying your self and your own needs, a story about the border lines between honoring your family and remaining anchored to it, while also spreading your own wings in the world. I found the love story between Alejandro and Anamaría a bit dragging, overanalysed narratively and without enough chemistry and swoon-worthy love scenes. All in all, it was a sweet book, transporting the reader to Key West and the cuban tradition, but certainly not one of the best love stories I've read.

I was able to review Anchored Hearts by Priscilla Oliveras and Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One of my favorite books that I have read so far this year!
I loved the storyline, the characters, and the fact that it was set in the Keys!
I loved the story of Sara and Luis.
It is a second chance romance that immerses you in the Cuban-Latinx culture in Key West, FL. I hope Oliveras continues this series!

Alejandro Miranda left Key West with a dream of becoming a famous photographer. And he did. He has traveled all over the world winning awards and magazine covers. After an accident Alejandro has returned to his big Cuban family in the small island town where he grew up. Mother coddles his every need but his papi has never forgiven him for leaving the family restaurant business which is struggling. Anamaria Navarro was Alejandro’s highschool girlfriend and her heart was broken in the aftermath of his departure. For all of his success Alejandro feels deep regret to have hurt the people he loves most in the world. As a firefighter and fitness instructor Ana agrees to help stretch and strengthen his injured leg and their chemistry is undeniable. As their busybody mothers cannot resist pushing them together every chance they get this romance takes some unexpected turns. #2 is her Keys to Love series, once again Patricia Oliveras delivers some hot romance in the Keys!

I’m a huge fan of Priscilla’s, I just adore her as an author and have loved being able to connect with her thanks to Instagram, even hosting her for a LIVE and hosting her for this book as one of my virtual book club, loveARCtually titles.

After falling in love with Sarah & Luis in book one of the Keys to Love series, I was thrilled to be able to read an advance reader copy of this one thanks to NetGalley + Kensington books! I didn’t think I could fall more in love with the setting, food and characters Oliveras wrote for us, but Anchored Hearts was even BETTER than book 1!

A perfectly written second chance romance, with a rich back story, with characters overcoming personal obstacles all while surrounded by the love and drama of a family. I LOVED both Alejandro and Anamaria individually and what they brought out in each other, now I’ll be impatiently waiting for book 3! This one gets 4.5 stars from me!

I could not get very far in the book. I feel like at least 50 pages of the book could have been edited out. I don't know if this got better as the story picked up but the first fifth of the book was way too bloated and over written, For every sentence that was necessary the next 2 or 3 could have been taken out. I completely lost interest in the story even though I actually felt the character's were interesting.
I do think the conflict between the two MCs was interesting and I enjoyed the family dynamics.

I found this book pretty boring and it was such a letdown because I enjoyed the first one so much that I requested an ARC of this one. The relationship between Alejandro and Annamaría felt flat and their individual story arcs felt underdeveloped. At the 30% mark, I was still working with the same information I had from the first five pages.

I think the key to a second chance romance is to show some kind of development with the characters or the relationship and there is just none of that here. They broke up mainly because Alejandro wanted to travel the world and she wanted to stay in Key West and it’s just never resolved by the time we get to the HEA. And the tension between Alejandro and his Dad is fixed in via Deus ex Machina.

There is also some potentially problematic stuff around how Alejandro’s injury is treated. He is temporarily in a wheelchair and is constantly hostile about it, at one point calling it a baby stroller. By the end of the book he’s walking but we never see how he got there.

I am still interested enough to check out the rest of this series but this installment was a disappointment.

A nice easy read. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I love the family dynamic, out makes you feel like you've been to the Keys. It is a slow burn, the first half of the book AM and Ale are just trying to avoid each other despite their meddling mamas. But when something happens and AM needs Ale's talent as a photographer they are forced to work together and it doesn't take long for them to rekindle their feelings. Ale also has a lot of familia drama he has to work out. All in all is was an enjoyable read.

Such a good summer read! My first by the author but certainly it won’t be my last. Loved the family dynamic!

I read this book a few months ago and overlooked the review (1000 apologies).

This is the first of Priscilla Oliveras' books I have read and thought it was simply wonderful. I had to stop and re-read some of the cultural references but it was an incredibly rich and enjoyable reading experience for me. I loved the scene that was set with the references to Key West and the strong sense of family, commitments, and obligations within relationships, family and community. This book is not only about the romance between the two main characters, but it broadly looks at the families of both characters and all their rich (and and sometimes hilarious) detail.

Anamaria is surprised when Alejandro returns home from his globetrotting and exploring. He's far from happy being home, laid up with an injury that renders him home bound for the short term. He's not sure how he is going to manage it either, coming face to face with Anamaria, who has gone from strength to strength in his absence. Alejandro and Anamaria explore the reasons for his staying away, and her continuing need to stay home. And there's the continuing pull of each other's hearts and minds towards one another, with the question being whose heart is going to be broken when Alejandro leaves again to fulfil his wanderlust.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to read and review. It was published in late April 2021.

I enjoyed reading this book that captured the Cuban culture, importance of family and the entertaining fun of romance. Key West as the background for this book was the perfect setting. For me, it is always interesting to read and learn about different cultures. This is the first time I've read a book written by this author, it won't be my last.

Quando jovens, Anamaria e Alejandro tiveram um relacionamento que terminou em muita mágoa e feridas para os dois. Alejandro queria viajar o mundo, deixar suas raízes para trás; Anamaría queria o oposto.

Doze anos depois, devido a um acidente, Alejandro está de volta a Key West e na vida de Anamaría. A paixão ainda existe entre os dois, mas será isso apenas o necessário para que voltem a confiar um no outro, sem medo de ter o coração partido?

Anamaria e Alejandro me conquistaram logo de primeira. A paramédica-barra-personal trainner é uma mulher determinada, gentil, solidária e bastante leal, principalmente à sua família. O fotógrafo é puro charme e brincadeira, mas também possui um grande coração, assim como Anamaría.

A química entre o casal é maravilhosa. É bem perceptível que os dois ainda se amam e, acima de tudo, se importam um com o outro. É bem o caso de pessoa certa no tempo errado. Quando jovens, os dois tinham objetivos e sonhos diferentes. Também podemos ver uma certa maturidade das duas partes, principalmente Alejandro, e como esse tempo separados pode ter sido o melhor para os dois.

Anamaría e Alejandro possuem também um ótimo desenvolvimento individual, principalmente o fotógrafo. No passado, a falta de apoio do seu pai foi um dos motivos pelos quais ele foi embora de Key West. Ao retornar, ele percebe que também possui uma parcela de culpa nessa ruptura. Já Anamaria está focada em alavancar seu trabalho como personal trainner e está mais que disposta a não deixar Alejandro ser uma distração em seu caminho.

A narração é feita em terceira pessoa, mas a autora consegue muito bem passar os sentimentos do casal. A ambientação também é bem feita e você se sente bem inserido na comunidade cubana de Key West.

Os secundários também roubam a cena. As famílias de Anamaría e Alejandro são bem próximos e bem engraçado ver a mãe de cada um bancando o cupido. Os Navarros e Mirandas me lembraram bastante a família de One Day At A Time: intrometida sim, mas que no fundo fazem tudo pelos seus amados.

Quando comecei a ler, descobri que é o segundo de uma série, mas de histórias independentes ainda bem. Claramente vou conferir o primeiro e ainda estou aqui na esperança da autora publicar a história de Enrique, um dos irmãos de Anamaría, que rouba a cena e tem bastante potencial.

The writing was good but it was very hard for me to get into. I felt like I had jumped into a show mid series. I simply couldn't get into the book.

I love this family so much. There's just something about the sibling camaraderie and the meddling moms that just really hits a special place in my heart.

In this book, we meet Anamaria and Alejandro. This is a second chance love story between two high school sweethearts. Alejandro moved away many years ago to pursue his passion and has always sort of resented Anamaria for not following him. Now, Anamaria is finally in a great place, she loves her job at the fire station and her business is growing and thriving. She's expanding and getting recognition when Alejandro unexpectedly comes into her life again. They really have to come to terms with their past and with each other's choices before they can even start to move on to the present. I loved how supportive they ended up being of each other's passions, they may have struggled with where they wanted the relationship to go and how they could get there, but they never failed to encourage each other professionally and build the other up. I couldn't get enough of that.

It was awkward at first, as they struggled with how to even be around each other and then struggled to see what their place was in the other's life. But, I loved watching them muddle through it because it made the end that much sweeter. The ending really got me, between Alejandro finally talking with his dad and Anamaria and him finally opening up to each other and telling each other what they truly feel and what they mean to the other. I loved it.

This is an emotional, second chance romance that is full to the brim with Latinx representation, delicious Cuban food, and beautiful descriptions of Key West!

Anamaria and Alejandro are an amazing duo, and I really loved getting to learn more about them. AM is a kind, determined woman who does not tolerate BS, and Alejandro is a go-getter photographer who can be a little petty at times. Their story is definitely the perfect embodiment of ‘right person, wrong time’ and the miscommunication trope plays a huge role in this. While I did enjoy the story (and am now craving lots of Cuban food), I don’t think I absolutely love Alejandro as a hero. He just seemed a little *too* selfish and petty for me, but seeing him with Anamaria, and seeing how much she loved and cared for him - in the past, and the present - made me warm up to him a little.⁣⁣

Overall, Priscilla's writing is wonderful and feels like a big warm hug for my heart and soul.

I am a big fan of this series and this installment did not disappoint. I really hope there is more to come but if not I look equally forward to reading anything from this author.

The first I’ve read in the series – I've been remiss! Pop Sugar named this one of the best romances to read in April – but they needed to go further....

Combining characters that leap off the page with the history and family ties, the honoring of parents left behind and traditions and customs from Cuba, this small community of people in the Florida Keys has captured the light, the life and the heart that we all hope to find. Oliveras brings us face to face (and into the hearts and minds of) with Anamaria Navaro and Alejandro Miranda after multiple years and contrasting dreams for the future separated the two young lovers. In the intervening years, both Ale and AM have moved forward, if not on, to create lives for themselves: Ale as a renown photographer and AM has taken positive steps to grow her own personal training / nutrition brand all while working as a Firefighter and EMT, and dealing with her active, concerned and very present family and mama.

But Ale fell and was injured on a shoot and needed care- after he’d left home with fundamental arguments and disagreements with his father – he’d not been back in over a decade. Leaving everyone and everything behind, even AM, the girl who shared his dreams and heart. He’s not happy being home, but the families are ecstatic – they want these two together, for Ale to return to the Keys, and for their expected connection to unite the families even more.

Full of flavor and heart from the mamas and their collective “Cuban Guilt” pile ons, to the growth for Ale in realizing just WHY AM couldn’t leave, and doesn’t want to, to the spectacular growth of AM’s personal site, her sister in law’s (or soon to be) influence and connections and AM’s finally realizing that she’s all that and a bag of Yuca chips ….... I loved the story, the tales of parents putting children on the Peter Pan lifts – to start new lives away from them in the US, the dreams left behind, the memories and the language that is both descriptive and adds flavor to every moment. I grabbed the first book (which I hadn’t read) and can’t wait for the next one. This is a series, and an author that I want more from. Now.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aUL /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>