Island Affair: A Fun Summer Love Story

"I'm not saying no to you.." "More like to the sane voice in my head telling me there are a hundred reasons why this is a terrible idea, and only one that makes it right." I don't read much in the way of standard romance or 'love stories,' so when I came across this title and it happened to center around a culture that is near and dear to my heart, I decided to give it a shot. I try not to limit myself by avoiding any particular genre, but admittedly this is just one that doesn't get my attention easily. 'Island Affair' by Priscilla Oliveras is a very modern tale about a social media influencer named Sara who has had her share of difficulties. Recovering from an eating disorder as her career is starting to really take off, she heads down to Key West for a family vacation following a health scare with one of her parents. Things with her siblings are complicated at best. They're already hugely successful, having followed in their parents footsteps, which makes her a bit of an outcast. Not only did she not go into the family business, she's also the only one without a settled life and family. She spends a lot of time on the outside looking in. When her boyfriend tells her he isn't coming, she feels like she's going to be the disappointment again.. Lucky for her, she manages to score a last minute stand-in. A sexy firefighter named Luis Navarro overhears her argument with her boyfriend and asks if he can help. Unfortunately for him.. helping comes by the way of a pretend relationship. "The sane part of him that had been thinking maybe she'd reevaluate her offer over lunch and together they'd come up with a Plan B shriveled up like the potted plant his mami had saved off his back porch last week. He'd been ready to toss the plant in the trash, but his mom balked. Something about it needing water, food, and conversation. Silly him, he thought he'd bought a fern, not a metaphor for a date." Luis is absolutely the best character in the book. I love him. I adore him. He deserves everything. He's warm and funny, conflicted and intense. All the things that can make a character irresistible to me. Coming from a big Cuban family, Luis is a local. Like Sara's family, there's a family business.. but in his case, that's firefighting. Also like Sara's family, there's a deep divide. A fissure born between Luis and his youngest brother that he won't discuss and completely refuses to mend. He's a mostly soft-spoken, strong, steady guy. Despite the painful betrayal he keeps locked away, he's got a serious savior complex. Even the locals call him Saint Navarro. Wow.. is he lovely though. He's patient and kind. He doesn't push sensitive topics. Mostly he just let's people get to where they need to be on their own pace.. with a little help along the way. Oh.. he might nudge.. but he doesn't push. "I don't know how the three of us manage to fit in your truck.." "Three?" "You, me, and your ego." "Funny.." "I'll be here all week. Maybe you can catch my show." "Ha, I'm in your show, sweetheart. All the...What did you call me? Oh yeah, all the hunky parts." Looking back.. I did like Sara most of the time, despite the character being a bit of a Barbie wrapped in a cliche. She's inherently a good person at least.. and she's fallible. She's also willing to own her mistakes, which you've got to respect. It was enjoyable watching them try to navigate the untruths while also trying to avoid people who knew him in the area.. because that was impossible.. and left them quite the balancing act. What I loved about the story though was that regardless of the imperfections in them.. they seemed really good for each other. Both Luis and Sara grew and benefitted from the other's presence.. and even with the lies they were telling.. their good intentions were so genuine. If you're looking for a light romantic story with a good sense of humor, you'll enjoy this book. (More reviews like this at Betwixt The Sheets.) (I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)

I'm a little bit love! I wanted to say a sincere thank you Priscilla Oliveras, BookishFirst, and the Kensington Publishing Corp. for the free copy of Island Affair. It was just what I needed during this dreary time of year! Sara Vance, a sought-after social media influencer in a bind, and Luis Navarro, a firefighter going through a tough time and harboring a massive chip on his shoulder, are as different as can be, but when Sara's flaky boyfriend ditches her in Key West during arguably her family's most important vacation ever, it's Luis to the rescue. A lifetime of growing up under the shadow of her parents and much older brother and sister - all of whom are doctors - has left Sara a little gun-shy when it comes to people's expectations. Considered the black sheep of the family, Sara has chosen to pursue a career in social media and has fought valiantly against the eating disorder she developed in high school. Now her boyfriend's no-show threatens to ruin the vacation meant to force Sara's mom, who just recovered from cancer, into blissful relaxation. Enter Luis. After seeing a distraught Sara at the airport, Luis accepts her crazy proposition to step in as her faux boyfriend for the week-long vacation. Luis has his own baggage, including an on-going feud with his youngest brother that began with a betrayal and the inability to move on from that fateful day when his fiance perished in a car accident. When his boss suggests (read: forces) Luis to take a week off to get his head on straight after a tough job, Luis assumes that his forced holiday will end in boredom. He never intended to play the knight in shining armor but that's just what he does. He agrees to pose as Sara's boyfriend for the duration of her stay, but juggling nosy parents, meddling siblings, and outright lies is easier said than done and Sara and Luis find themselves wondering if one week will really be enough for a lifetime. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! The story was as cute and sweet and funny as you'd expect a rom-com to be. The characters are dynamic and fleshed out, each with their own struggles and obstacles to overcome. Although they fight it for a good chunk of the book, their chemistry is undeniable and it's incredibly sweet how they interact with one another. I initially thought that this would be a slightly cliche story where the male lead comes to the female lead's rescue because she can't save herself and then just fixes everything. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't really the case. True, Sara does desperately need Luis' help and, true, Luis forces her to step outside her comfort zone to build relationships with her family. But ultimately the relationship is far from one sided. Sara encourages Luis to mend bridges in his own family and overcome his past to make way for his future. This was a fun and heartwarming read that I would highly recommended both for it's delightful characters and beautiful setting.

3.5 stars — This was definitely a cute romance, but in the end I was bummed with the hero’s refusal to look at his own issues until he really had no choice. Luis has the nickname of “Saint Navarro”, and he’s definitely the kind of guy always trying to help others, which is admirable. I did appreciate his easygoing nature, and his passion for his hometown. But wow…the guy is stubborn. And has a bit of that toxic nature where he’s too proud to seek help or listen to the many people who love hi