Anchored Hearts is a sweet second chance romance set in Key West that I couldn't resist getting lost in, dreaming of tropical locals, palm trees, and warm sand between my toes.
When I read an excerpt on Bookish First, I was hooked and immediately requested it on Netgalley without realizing it was the second book in the Keys to Love collection. But it wasn't a problem because each book can be read as a stand alone, focusing on different siblings within the Navarro familia. I already had the first book, Island Affair, on my TBR but now I'm even more excited to pick it up.
Anchored Hearts is Anamaría Navarro's story, a character who's easy to like. She has joined the family trade as a firefighter and paramedic but she's also a part-time personal trainer, devoting her time to helping those in her community to make healthier lifestyle choices. She'd had dreams of traveling the world with her life-long friend turned boyfriend, Alejandro Miranda--a budding photographer--after high school graduation, but when her father had a heart attack she couldn't leave the family she loved so much, assuring Alejandro she would join him later. Alejandro couldn't wait to leave Key West, eager to escape the strained relationship with his own father who expected his son to work at the family restaurant, Mirandas. But when the weeks turned into months without Anamaría joining him, the miscommunication and hurt between the couple led to a permanent separation.
Twelve years have past since Alejandro, now an award-winning photographer, has been home to Key West for an extended visit, but a fall as he was trying to catch the perfect shot has forced him home to recuperate. Thanks to their close families and some meddling by Alejandro's mother, these two find themselves back in each other's orbits, unable to fight their unresolved feelings and frustratingly strong attraction.
I enjoyed this dual point of view story, which helped me to empathize with each character. Sometimes it can be frustrating knowing what both romantic leads are thinking but not saying to each other. Oliveras does a convincing job of making me understand the reasons these two have stayed apart, despite their very strong feelings for each other after so many years. She had me rooting for them and trusting they would evolve and learn from their mistakes.
While I enjoyed so much of Anchored Hearts, it wasn't perfect---but nothing so big it pulled me out of the story. The author often includes street names and directions within the story---which would be great for someone who lived in Key West or travelled there often, but didn't serve much purpose for me.
I was impressed with how well Oliveras developed her side characters. I could tell which brother of Anamaría's the first book had been about--Luis--without reading a synopsis. I'm sure those who have read the first book will enjoy seeing Luis and Sara again. And I'm pretty sure by how this one ended who and what a subsequent novel would be about, which was a fun tease.
I'm happy I picked this one up, and I look forward to reading more by the author!
When I read an excerpt on Bookish First, I was hooked and immediately requested it on Netgalley without realizing it was the second book in the Keys to Love collection. But it wasn't a problem because each book can be read as a stand alone, focusing on different siblings within the Navarro familia. I already had the first book, Island Affair, on my TBR but now I'm even more excited to pick it up.
Anchored Hearts is Anamaría Navarro's story, a character who's easy to like. She has joined the family trade as a firefighter and paramedic but she's also a part-time personal trainer, devoting her time to helping those in her community to make healthier lifestyle choices. She'd had dreams of traveling the world with her life-long friend turned boyfriend, Alejandro Miranda--a budding photographer--after high school graduation, but when her father had a heart attack she couldn't leave the family she loved so much, assuring Alejandro she would join him later. Alejandro couldn't wait to leave Key West, eager to escape the strained relationship with his own father who expected his son to work at the family restaurant, Mirandas. But when the weeks turned into months without Anamaría joining him, the miscommunication and hurt between the couple led to a permanent separation.
Twelve years have past since Alejandro, now an award-winning photographer, has been home to Key West for an extended visit, but a fall as he was trying to catch the perfect shot has forced him home to recuperate. Thanks to their close families and some meddling by Alejandro's mother, these two find themselves back in each other's orbits, unable to fight their unresolved feelings and frustratingly strong attraction.
I enjoyed this dual point of view story, which helped me to empathize with each character. Sometimes it can be frustrating knowing what both romantic leads are thinking but not saying to each other. Oliveras does a convincing job of making me understand the reasons these two have stayed apart, despite their very strong feelings for each other after so many years. She had me rooting for them and trusting they would evolve and learn from their mistakes.
While I enjoyed so much of Anchored Hearts, it wasn't perfect---but nothing so big it pulled me out of the story. The author often includes street names and directions within the story---which would be great for someone who lived in Key West or travelled there often, but didn't serve much purpose for me.
I was impressed with how well Oliveras developed her side characters. I could tell which brother of Anamaría's the first book had been about--Luis--without reading a synopsis. I'm sure those who have read the first book will enjoy seeing Luis and Sara again. And I'm pretty sure by how this one ended who and what a subsequent novel would be about, which was a fun tease.
I'm happy I picked this one up, and I look forward to reading more by the author!