Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

3 reviews

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews because I don’t like leaving them. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

This was such a beautiful romcom! Key West was where the author spent her adolescence, and I just find so much enjoyment in reading about settings that are so clearly special to the author! Sara Vance, a social media influencer from New York City, arrives in Key West for a family vacation and is expecting her boyfriend Ric to arrive. However, he no-shows and she breaks it off with him for being unreliable, among other things. She bumps into Luis Navarro, local firefighter, and asks him if he’d be available to “step in” for Ric since this vacation is meant to be stress-free for her mother Ruth, who just entered remission after fighting cancer. Luis, whose nickname is “Saint Navarro,” has no problem helping Sara, but over the next week, these two start to fall hard for the other and it no longer feels fake. *chef’s kiss* to the execution of this trope, because I loved the tension! 

I thought this would be a super light & fluffy beach read, & while it still technically fits the bill for that, Priscilla fleshed out these characters and their arcs so well! I was not expecting Sara’s ED journey, mentions of therapy, and her general ideas of her self worth to come up. The desire to simply be “seen” and loved for who you are, rather than being tended to as a project to be fixed, is SO REAL OMG! I really related to Sara’s inner thoughts as she attempted to use what she’s learned in therapy to stay present and focus on the positives, rather than spiraling and looking for subtext! My overthinking brain felt for her🥺

I also was not expecting the devastating reality of Luis’ loss and heartbreak over six years ago. I thought the representation of fraught family dynamics was incredible; the tension and sadness between Luis and his brother Enrique was palpable, and the way their other family members discussed the estrangement felt quite authentic too. 

Overall, while the romance was so much fun and a beautiful story, I appreciated the family dynamics just as much! I thought both the Navarros and the Vances felt realistic and I loved every scene with them. I am so excited to get to know more of them in depth as I continue this series 

Steam rating: 1.5/5 — lots of foreplay / hot & heavy make out sessions described but Priscilla closes the door/fades to black 🥲

cw: eating disorder, car accident, death of a loved one, estranged family members, infidelity, betrayal, mentions of cancer (in remission), death (the MMC is a firefighter & unfortunately sees so much loss in his job), injury detail, feelings of low self worth, self regard and self love

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kbairbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Cute! This is such a fun, fresh, tropical beach read that was full of funny, heart warming, sexy, and heart pulling moments. I love the personal growth in the characters and the heart to hearts that were had. It was hard to read about the familial struggles but I liked how all of it was dealt with.

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morganperks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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