4.5 Stars

This author continues to surprise me with her writing. She fills her books with warm characters with well-built back stories that invite you into the story immediately and this story was no different. Moreover, this story had a really engrossing plot that sucked me in from the start and was filled with lots of emotion that made me feel for both characters.

Diego Reyes is a police officer with a love for playing his guitar. He's a man that will do anything to keep people safe, especially those he loves and the person he's falling for is Lili. Can he keep her safe? While, Lili Maria Fernandez used to be the 'wild one' of her and her siblings until tragedy and loss turned her life upside down and made her want to become a victim's advocate. Now she's helping women move past the troubles in their lives and move forward to a brighter future for themselves. Can she once again find her wild side and let someone in? Someone that isn't willing to give up on her.

Diego is amazing and I loved his confidence, his protective side and everything he does to win Lili's trust and show her how right they are for each other. While Lili, she is strong, brave and I loved how caring she was to the women she was helping. I also enjoyed how Lili once again found her fun-loving side because of Diego. He's someone she needs in her life and I'm glad she gave him a chance. Furthermore, I enjoyed the secondary characters in Lili's sisters. They share such a close relationship and their interactions bought more to the story, as Lili needs them just as much as she needs Diego.

Overall, Ms. Oliveras managed to deliver an engrossing and emotion-filled read in this third book of her Matched to Perfection series and I can't wait to read more stories from this author.

I tried really hard to get into this book and it's completely possible it was just my mindset at the time. I can see myself enjoying Their Perfect Melody at a later date but right now, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

I loved the setting of Their Perfect Melody and this author does a wonderful job of creating a delicious sort of tension between the characters. Her writing is really lush and brings everything to life so well.

really like this family and have enjoyed all three of the sisters' stories. I'm actually sad that this is the conclusion to this trilogy as I will miss the Fernandez family. I love how family-centered this series is and how skillfully Oliveras twines both family life and Puerto Rican culture throughout. I mentioned in the first interview that although I'm not Puerto Rican there are still many aspects of the family dynamics of the Fernandez sisters that I completely relate to.

Lilí and Diego start out butting heads a lot. They both bring their own issues from their pasts to the relationship and those issues spark mistrust and misunderstanding. They are undeniably attracted to one another, but run into conflict because of their prior experiences. Eventually, they start communicating in ways that help them to better understand one another and are able to move forward. Lilí's sisters, Yazmine and Rosa, are present throughout this book and the reader gets to continue watching their sibling bonds strengthen and grow as they did through the first two books.

If you're a fan of contemporary romance you can't go wrong with this delightful trilogy.

this story gave mixed feelings... the opposite attracting is a standard theme, but it also gave the link of needing the family to pull it together. Each character brought something to the table and in the end, they were able to overcome the differences between them for love.

In this third book in the Matched to Perfection series, Priscilla Oliveras has crafted an absolutely delightful story of how opposites attract and repel but end up being perfect for each other. On the surface, there is no way these two people could see eye-to-eye about anything. Their constant struggles to understand the other person and to make them understand themselves seem endless and purposeless. What is even the point? And yet, there are those tantalizing connections with each. Music and investment in the community’s youth breaches the divide to unite them, and the peace it brings allows other links to bind them to each other.

Family is a theme Oliveras returns to again and again in this story and that is at the heart of what makes this story so heartfelt and true. Both characters are loyal and strongly connected with their families, and seeing this in the other makes them feel kindly toward each other. It is as if a person at one with their family is an inherently good person. What a wonderful lens through which to look at another person. In the process of forging bonds with each other’s familia, they draw closer to each other and trust blooms between them. Will this trust be enough to bridge the gap between their different ideologies?

Oliveras is an expert in the minutiae of emotions and knows how to narrate an absorbing story. This is a book not to be missed.

https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/12/31/keira-soleore-romance-rec-their-perfect-melody-by-priscilla-oliveras/

I love reading about Latinos written by a Latina author. I think it's really important to support this authors and for me is very touching to see characters like me, I'm not Puerto Rican myself but as a Latina I feel like this characters represent me and my culture.

I liked that Lily and Diego talked in Spanish sometimes, and I think the author did a great job at portraying the kind of relationships that Latinos have towards our families. I loved Lily's relationship with her sisters.

I liked Diego at first, he made some unfortunate comments but he apologized and he was overprotective but he always wanted to keep Lily safe. And he did a lot of work for his community. He didn't have bad intentions but I don't think his actions were the best. I had problems liking him because I felt like sometimes he didn't respect Lily's boundaries (not in a sexual way). I liked him more when he was "Diego the man" and not "Diego the machista (misogynist) cop".

In the end I loved Lily but I couldn't love the hero.

Overall= Latino rep + sisterly bonds + Amazing heroine + chemistry off the charts.

And right now I'm reading "Her perfect affair" and I'm loving the hero Jeremy so I'll definitely read more of Priscilla's books.

I was waiting for Their Perfect Melody to come out before starting the series (I already had the first two), but I couldn't resist and read this first. Yes, Virginia, I read out of order. Horrors!

I didn't have any problems with the introduction of several characters who already had their stories told in previous books. Yaz and Rosa's presence here, along with their respective partners, actually made me want to read their books even more. I'm an older sister so I relate very well with the two of them in the way they behaved towards Lili. Truth is, as a Filipino, I can relate to a lot of elements in Priscilla's stories: strong family ties, female friendship, music, food, and yes, even Diego's machismo.

I really liked that both Lili and Diego are good people with noble intentions. While that stemmed from their jobs, it's also because of people in their lives. They're both strong-willed characters with enough vulnerabilities to balance their personalities.

Some heavy subjects were tackled in this book - domestic violence and drug use among them, but there were also lighthearted moments like the baseball game and all the teasing and matchmaking.

I enjoyed this book primarily because of Priscilla's writing. As a fellow writer of color in romance using #ownvoices to champion main characters who are not the norm, I have much admiration for her work and am inspired to produce quality books just like she does.

CW: partner/domestic violence, assault, substance abuse and recovery, grief, reference to past rape

This is a tricky review to write as I have two schools of thought so I’m going to review the story and then review the depiction of Lilí’s job as a domestic violence caseworker.

First, the story. Oliveras excels in bringing her characters to life. Lilí and Diego are strongly developed, although they drove me nuts in places, and their chemistry was palpable from the moment they met. They’re both devoted to their families and their work and it was fascinating to see how that devotion could put them at odds. They don’t start off on the right foot but life keeps bringing their paths together and in turn, their respect and interest grows.

The Puerta Rican family at the center of this trilogy is the best part. I loved Lilí’s sisters and cousin! True, Yaz and Rosa could be overbearing and overprotective but by the end, they come to see Lilí’s strength and are able to back off a bit and trust she knows what she’s doing.

Diego’s relationship with his sister Lourdes was much more complex due to how he’s dealt with her substance abuse. He thinks he knows exactly what she needs to do to get on the right path but that puts an understandable strain on their relationship. Suffice it to say, Diego has a lot to learn and I really liked how this was handled, although I could have done with less of his macho attitude getting there.

Lilí and Diego are largely adversarial through the story, either fighting with each other, fighting their attraction, or staying locked up in their own fears and worries instead of trusting the other person. Some of this made sense, some did not. I found myself more frustrated with Lilí, most of which I’ll address below, because what she viewed as disrespect for her profession was really Diego understanding the need for boundaries. She needed to listen and support Diego, not get involved where she wasn’t invited. But Diego also needs to do some emotional labor and learn to share his feelings and actually process the trauma from his past.

The inevitable fallout made sense and I was relieved Diego’s grand gesture was about a promise of the relationship, not a huge declaration of love. They need to just date for a while. But I do think they’ll be great together if they each work on themselves and their relationship and I was happy with the resolution.

This leads me to what did not make me happy: the depiction of domestic violence and the portrayal of Lilí’s job as a victim’s advocate.

Lilí did so many things you should not do if you work for a domestic violence agency or women’s shelter and it hurt my social worker heart. She gives her personal cell phone number to a client (a huge no-no), then doesn’t answer the unknown number until the client calls again, then races off to the scene of an assault without checking in at work or making sure the police were contacted. She refers to her clients as friends, which is not okay. She tells her sister her client’s name, which is a major ethical violation.

Time and again Lilí ignores normal procedures, which are there to keep employees and clients safe. I believe this is supposed to make us see her as compassionate and dedicated to her job but all I could see was the severe lack of boundaries and ethical violations. She’s essentially building codependent relationships with her clients. She also took so many unnecessary risks, like going to a victim’s home to pick up their belongings without a police escort. Now my background isn’t in domestic violence but I did liaise with agencies as part of my medical social work job in the past so it’s possible there are agencies who don’t have these protocols and procedures in place but then I’d have to question why because most of what Lilí did with her clients goes against the grain of the social work and case management professions. That’s also why I struggled with some of the plot points, which heightened the drama but would not happen with any of my colleagues.

Outside of one particular case, we don’t see much of what Lilí does at work. There’s more of a focus on her volunteer work at the community center. That’s fine but it does mean some of the threads of her client’s case are never properly tied up, nor do we get to see what happens in the aftermath of pressing charges and starting over.

If this wasn’t enough, there’s also a fair amount of victim-blaming that’s never challenged, not even by Lilí who is our presumed expert. I would have liked more exploration of why people stay in abusive relationships and I would have especially liked for Diego’s assumptions to be handed to him on a silver platter. Cops can certainly benefit from education and I would have hoped he would have had a better understanding, since his own family had been affected by partner violence.

I enjoyed Diego and Lilí’s romance overall and if not for these issues, I would have given it a higher rating. But alas, the issues are there. I’d point you to Oliveras’s other work first.

Although the premise was good, the execution felt forced. The Spanish texts were mostly well edited, but were inserted throughout in parts that didn't flow naturally. I give the author credit for highlighting the Latin culture of the characters, but I have seen it done in more seamless ways. As for the romance, the instant attraction also felt forced and I had hard time becoming immersed in the story.

A sweet story that shows us even the wild child can become a voice for the lost and that even those not looking for love can find it... this is such a sweet story.

This is the last book about the three sisters. In this one Lili the youngest is working at helping women at a women’s abuse center and is also a victim’s advocate. The book opens with her arguing with a police officer that she called to the scene and that she needs to get inside. He of course is not letting her in. this would be the theme for most of the book. Diego Reyes a Chicago police officer finally lets her in when his partner asks for her and that is when he finds out what she does. That first meeting does not go well between them and when the next time they meet at the youth center he is surprised that she is there. Thinking that she is some high society women just coming down to the city to make herself feel good? He finds out later that is not the case. She also argues with Diego just because she likes him but he thinks he knows everything. When that begin to take the kids on a few trips from the center they find out that they have some things in common and music is one of them. She even takes him to her house and he meets her sisters and their husbands. After that it starts to go downhill when he won’t talk about himself and when his sister shows up she asks for Lil’s help not his. It is here that he lets his anger take a hold of him and tells her things that he later regrets but he cannot apologize because she won’t talk to him. She misses him but she knows she must move on. Read this story to see what happens and if he can get her back?

I’ve very much enjoyed reading about Ms. Oliveras’ Fernandez sisters. There is such an amazing feeling of family, of warmth and support, and I adore the glimpses of Puerto Rican culture. While much of the subject matter (drug abuse and intimate partner violence) is heavy, Ms. Oliveras manages to balance it with Lilí’s optimism and the Fernandez family warmth. I think it would be possible to read this as a standalone, as while the characters from the rest of the series make frequent cameos, enough of the series background is explained.

Lilí and Diego meet when she receives a call from one of her domestic violence clients, only to find the police, in the form of Diego and his partner, guarding her apartment (frequent readers of the series will realize this picks up where Julia’s novella left us). Though she’s frustrated with his refusal to let her through, they both feel a spark of attraction towards the other person, and both admire the others’, well, stubbornness. When Lilí makes the questionable choice to take her client home with her for the night, against Diego’s protestations, he insists on giving her his phone number. That spark is still there when she reaches back out to him for help, and especially when they run into each other while volunteering at the youth center, where Lilí teaches girls self defense and Diego teaches guitar. But Lilí’s dated a cop before, and she fears that Diego will also be unable to accept her and her commitment to her job. Is it just the same old song and dance, or the start of a brand new melody?

“Sees the good in everyone, doesn’t she?” Ryan shook his head slowly from side to side.
Well, she didn’t seem to have trouble finding fault in him, Diego noted. He kept that thought to himself.


I liked Lilí a lot. In the other books, she came off as the clown of the family, and while some of that is still there, a lot of has been lost under the grief from her parents’ death. She is still feisty, smart, and dedicated to her family, however. She also sees the good in everyone, which Diego thinks blinds her to a lot of the dangers that come with her job, but I thought was exactly what her clients and the kids she worked with needed. I struggled with Diego. He’s the picture of machismo, and basically every alpha trait that I can’t stand. He dismisses Lilí’s expertise and refuses to let her in, out of fear of bogging her down in his family drama. He was downright aggressive with some of Lilí’s clients, and completely unable to empathize with what they’re going through. While past family trauma explained a lot of his behavior, I didn’t like that a cop – who would be expected to deal sympathetically with victims – would react that way. Lilí herself is frustrated with his black and white thinking, and that he discounts her experience and training working with DV victims, even when it’s his own sister. I didn’t leave the book with the feeling that he’d actually changed or come to understand why his approach was so harmful.

“They shared a soft smile, the unbreakable bonds of music tying them together. First years ago with their respective parents. Now with each other.”


Besides that, though, there were so many things I liked. Lilí and Diego both share a love of music, especially classical guitar. Diego’s mom loved the band Lilí’s dad played in, and the song she used to insist he play for her was Lilí’s parents’ favorite song. Music is a big deal to her family, and it’s been a thread throughout the series. The Fernandez sisters – and cousin – are such a warm family, and I loved seeing how they drew support from each other, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with the others’ actions. Though Lilí laments that they treat her like a child, to me it came off more as concern. It was good getting to catch up with each of the couples and their new families.

I think, overall, this would be more a 3.5 for me. It has all the warmth, the familia that I’ve come to love from Ms. Oliveras, but I had issues with Diego. So, overall, I’m sad to say goodbye to the Fernandez sisters, but I’m very eager for whatever Ms. Oliveras writes next!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A little music, baseball, a hot Latina woman, a sexy Latin cop and we have all the ingredients for a sexy sweet love story. And did I mention both are very much about family.

It was interesting to read this one with the Spanish language mixed into the English. I haven’t read anything like that and I really loved it. I definitely refreshed my high school Spanish and I think learned a little more. The story was based around the job that Lili does and Diego’s desire to protect her from herself. She is very giving to her Domestic Violence victims and that worries Diego to no end. It’s funny to watch him try to protect her and she thinks he either doesn’t understand her or is trying to take away her independence. Soon they realize they both have an affinity for family and music.

Their love song is sweetly woven into the tapestry of this story about learning to let go, loving again, and trusting in family. Priscilla does an outstanding job of showing us how Diego works through his guilt over his dysfunctional family and Lili’s attitude towards dating cops and lets us see how they discover their feelings for one another.

I can see why this series is so popular. Be sure to check out the stories of Lili’s sisters in Her Perfect Affair and His Perfect Partner. As a first time reader of Priscilla’s work, it sure was a pleasure to pick this one up.

Lili is a strong, independent, but she could also be reckless, and impulsive but she has giving heart. Lili is a Victim’s Advocate and works at the center. She works with abused women to help them cope and heal and go on with their lives. One of Lili’s clients-Melba- calls Lili and the police for help when her husband threatens her and it turns violent. When Lili gets there Diego- A Chicago cop - is standing guard and won’t let Lili in to do her job. Lili finally does get into Melba and offers to let Melba stay with her at her apartment until Melba decides to go to the woman’s shelter. Lili wants Melba to press charges but Melba has to be the one to initiate it to the cops. Diego seems angry when she doesn’t press charges right away. Diego has issues with his sister Lourdes who has made some poor decisions and is basically in the same place. Diego is overprotective of those he cares about and Lourdes is one of them. Diego can also be very bossy. Him and Lili don’t get along to well at first but that changes at times goes on. Diego also has a passionate love for music as does Lili.. Diego is also a talented guitarist. Diego follows Lili home even though she asked him not to. Lili had already had a bad relationship with a cop. She will do anything she can for her clients even if she puts herself into danger as she already knows how the system usually fails victims of domestic violence. Lili taught self defense at the center and Diego gives guitar lessons. I enjoyed this book a lot considering the topics throughout this book as well as the romance. I advise you read the previous books in this series and in order as it will make for a smoother read. I liked how protective Diego was of Lourdes as well as Lili but sometimes it was too much. I loved that both Lili and Diego loved music and connected there. I also really liked they both volunteered to try to help people in their community. I really liked the plot and pace of this book. Diego’s and Lili’s chemistry was hot. I also loved how important family was to Diego as well as Lili. But I was annoyed how Diego acted around Melba and at other times also and things he sometimes said. He was too bossy and overprotective at times. I loved that the author handled the subjects of emotional trauma, and domestic violence and the repercussions from them. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend. I wish i could have rated this 4.5.

Is there a real Diego Reyes in this world and can I please have him?? Their Perfect Melody was my first book by Priscilla Oliveras but the third book in her Matched to Perfection series. This book was sweet, full of family, and peppered with fun Puerto Rican culture.

Their Perfect Melody follows two inherent do-gooders in Lilí and Diego, the heroine and hero of our story. Lilí’s motivation as a social worker comes from a passion for victims that originates from personal experience. Diego’s as a police officer stems from a deep protectiveness for anyone he cares about, especially his deceased mother and troubled sister. Together their shared ideals were apparent as well as the many complexities that arise from their different approaches to the same goal.

My favorite part of this book was the expertly expressed sibling dynamics. Both Lilí and Diego had deep and complicated relationships with their families, which made them deeply relatable characters. The relationships between the characters and the easy way Priscilla invites you into the Latin culture, made this book stand above.

While I think the emphasis on social justice and family was fun and exciting, I do wish there had been more of an emphasis on Lilí and Diego’s relationship. They had good chemistry, but it often took a backseat to the other conflicts that arose within the story. The book took place over a short period of time, and I just wanted a little bit more between the two characters, most likely because I enjoyed them so much separately. There were also a few plot points that I felt were left dangling, mostly Lilí’s previous relationship with a police officer.

Overall, this was a sweet romance with intense moments taking place in the world the characters live. As a warning, there are scenes of domestic violence and abuse, but I think Priscilla approaches them with respect and tact. Their Perfect Melody was my first book from Priscilla, but it absolutely won’t be my last!

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Their Perfect Melody by Priscilla Oliveras. The story was about Lili Fernandez who through tragedy and loss, became a victim's advocate. When she was called by an abused wife, she met Chicago PD Diego Reyes who wouldn't let her in. He appreciated her spirit but also felt the need to keep her safe. I liked the story but felt it just dragged out to long for what needed to be said. I received an advance copy of this book by NetGalley for my honest review.

A good story, but I wasn’t as engaged as I’d like.

Oliveras’s new story Their Perfect Melody is a blend of inner city life with real issues amid a cop and a victim’s advocate falling in love. For me this story had a slow start and challenged me to finish.

As for characters, both hero and heroine are feisty and stubborn. They meet with heroine, Lili Fernandez literally running into Diego Reyes as they are both trying to do their jobs. There’s a minor case of insta-lust, but it’s paired with a little distaste as they clash. Diego sees Lili as someone who puts herself in unnecessary danger. Lili finds Diego’s protective nature distasteful and similar to her family’s tendency of dismissing her as being capable of handling herself since she’s too wild by nature and the youngest of three sisters.

What worked for me? The characters, the backgrounds, and the diverse experience brought by Oliveras to this story. I gained new insight, learned some new words, and found an appreciation for living in the city of Chicago. Not to mention an appreciation of Puerto Rican culture. The characters each had plenty of spirit and unique talents that really appealed to me. I love Lili’s strong nature and can appreciate her desire to show people how she is more than capable of doing the job she signed up for. Additionally, this is a sweet romance with some super sexy kissing scenes, but bedroom action is closed door.

What didn’t work? The pacing. Things started off slow, picked up speed, and then kept ebbing and flowing too much. I found myself able to walk away and not nearly gripped to turn the pages and see what came next. It took me more than two weeks to finish this book when I can read some in hours. Also, the external conflict resolved pretty quickly, and our hero Diego didn’t grovel as much as I thought he should. Finally, my other big question was how the heroine, Lili, grew. Besides her natural inclination to shy away from dating cops, I didn’t see much growth in her character at all.

Overall, I thought the story was decent. I finished the book and cared enough about the characters to do so. Some of my challenges with the story may have come from this being the third book in the series. I may have been more invested if I’d read earlier books in the series, though this story works as a standalone. This won’t be the last time I read Oliveras and I think this story works for those who like a touch of reality to their romance.

~ Landra

the youngest fernández sister, lilí meets her match in diego reyes in their perfect melody. at cross purposes when they first meet when trying to manage a domestic violence situation, he's a cop with the chicago pd and she helps run a center for battered women.

they are both principled and strong-willed, and have so much in common that it's crazy how often they find themselves on opposite sides of an argument. mainly it's because where lilí is reckless and impulsive and giving, diego is cautious and overprotective and strong. but they have such a strong sense of social conscience and justice.

at the end of the day, they make perfect sense together. and having them figure all that out is just lovely to read. i will miss this family, but can't wait to see what is next for this author, her books are one-click buys for me.

**their perfect melody will publish on november 27, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books (zebra shout) in exchange for my honest review.