"Their Perfect Melody" by Priscilla Oliveras
I thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary family love and real life struggles story.
I chuckled and I shed a few tears while in the company of Lili and Diego.. and my memories of this story still have me smiling. I was one of the lucky ones who received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley. This is one of those stories that you just have to read another chapter before you can put the book down... and then maybe just a little bit more than that!

This was very good reading. It had romance, drug addiction, cops and their struggles with family, and hope. I loved that Lili worked with struggling women who needed help to be safe. Diego was a cop whose sister was one of those women. But as men often do, he wanted to be in control all the time. The story moved along well and I enjoyed all the characters. I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review

What's better than a Latin romance? Their Perfect Melody. The chemistry between the characters are undeniable and the storyline is top notch. TPM tells the story about how family always comes first and most importantly, love. I couldn't put this book down.

I'm sorry that I didn't realize how large a part the domestic violence aspect of the plot would be. I find it triggering and will not be able to continue reading the book. I think this should have been made clearer in the blurb.

I loved this book! After spending time with the other two Fernandez sisters, it was a pleasure to be back in the fold with the youngest! I find such comfort in Priscilla Oliveras' books! They are like coming home and spending time with some of my favorite people!

Another fantastic story, wonderful characters and of course, the happily ever after I adore!

Their Perfect Melody was just the perfect way to end this sweet trilogy. I've had a lot of luck with these books and with Priscilla Oliveras' writing and I can't wait to see what else she writes in the future. I just know I'll be first in line to grab whatever she publishes.

In Their Perfect Melody, we get Lili's story, who happens to be the youngest Fernandes sister. I loved the glimpses that we saw of Lili in the previous book, so I was happy to see her shine. As with her sisters, she was a strong independent young woman with a heart of gold. She had devoted much of her career to helping women in need. Lili was brave and kind, and just the perfect heroine for this book. When her latest case brings her in the face of danger, she meets Diego, a police officer. Diego was a protective hero who was dealing with his own issues with his sister. Besides being a cop, he was passionate about music and was a talented guitar player. When they first meet, they butt heads, but over the course of the book, they develop a companionship that developed into more.

Their romance was really sweet. I especially loved how they bonded over their shared love of music and their passion for doing community work for those in need. Their relationship was incredibly satisfying to a romance lover like me. Once again, family was a huge part of the book. Both Diego and Lili were close to their families and how both their families placed such important roles in their lives. It was great to see the previous couples as well as their bonds with the characters.

I can't recommend the Matched to Perfection series enough. They have a lot of great things going on for them, and this last book was just delightful!

Diego Reyes is a Chicago cop whose sister has made a lot of bad choices. Lili Fernandez is a counselor for women in bad situations. They are both from the Puerto Rican community so have many things in common but still have difficulty connecting. Diego wants to protect and "help" his sister and Lili, but sometimes comes on a little strong. Ms. Oliveras has a way of describing a situation or a place that paints a very clear picture of what is happening. You can practically smell the wonderful Latin foods and see the rundown but proud neighborhoods and people.

This book contains explicit descriptions of domestic violence, and there are references to it in this review.

When I put out a call on my Twitter for Latinx OwnVoices romances, I didn’t hear from many people – but my curiosity googling led me to the work of Priscilla Oliveras and her new Matched to Perfection series about the Illinois-based Fernandez sisters.  I loved the first two books in the series, so I was delighted to read Lilí’s story in Their Perfect Melody.

An advocate at a local shelter for victims of domestic violence, Lilí Fernandez is furious, frustrated and scared when an admittedly cute police officer stops her from entering the apartment belonging to her friend and client, Melba. Melba had called Lilí panicked and afraid for her life because her abusive and alcoholic husband Tito was trying to break down the bathroom door intending to beat her, and all Lilí wants to do is be sure that Melba’s safe.  Pushing past the officer, she barges her way into the apartment, finding Melba has sustained only a few minor injuries, and Tito long gone.

Officer Diego Reyes has become somewhat hardened to the unfairness of the world courtesy of his job, but he still believes in justice, which is why he starts protectively hovering over Melba and Lilí.  He also has a guilt complex over what happened to his older sister, whose descent into addiction also badly affected their mother’s health; he is determined not to let another woman down. When Lilí sweeps Melba off to her condo in The Loop instead of letting her stay home where Tito might assault her, Diego flat out wonders if she’s crazy. He loves Chicago and his middle-class lifestyle on the West Side, and Lilí’s classy manner, tough as heck attitude and designer outfits raise his eyebrows (and other portions of his anatomy). What Diego doesn’t know is that Lilí grew up lower-middle-class in a close-knit, Catholic Puerto Rican community and has only recently become a part of the fancy elite due to her sister Rosa’s marriage into the upper crust (in Her Perfect Affair); Chicago flows through her blood as heavily as it does his.

Already bound together and invested in Melba’s fate, Diego and Lilí work to bring Tito to justice as he takes to stalking Lilí to figure out Melba’s whereabouts. At the same time, Diego and Lilí  are drawn together and discover a number of shared interests – helping abuse victims, teaching the vulnerable… and music.  Lilí, once a wild child who would dance every dance at every club in Chicago, finds herself muted, unable to enjoy the music as she once did, her reaction - like Rosa’s self-blame and Yazmine’s (her other sister and heroine of His Perfect Partner) intense drive toward dancing perfection - to their mother’s tragic death in a car accident and their father’s failure as a dancer.  In Lilí’s case she’s also struggling with the aftermath of the rape of a close friend years ago, which is what drew her to her line of advocacy.  Diego plays guitar, and his music is the best connection he has back to roots that were shaken apart after his mother’s death and his sister’s struggles with addiction.  Moved by one another and touched by a sense of emotional affinity, Lilí and Diego are slowly falling for each other – but are they too stubborn and scarred to allow romance to touch their hearts?  Or will Tito strike and rip them apart forever?

Their Perfect Melody is an undeniable bite of delight; part tender romance, part thriller, it combines a beautifully realized sense of cultural identity with a beautiful, steamy romance.

Lilí is smart, spirited and conscientious; family means everything to her, she’s a Cubs devotee and she cares a lot about the people whose safety and trust are placed in her hands.  A similar sense of devotion comes from Diego, whose cynicism clashes interestingly with his intractable faith in order and justice.  They share many similarities and a lot of bedrock commonality that causes their pairing to make a lot of sense; their romance is easy to root for right from the start, and each is allowed their moment of frailty and weakness.

The book has a beautifully strong cultural identity that made me nod my head eagerly in familiar recognition; that’s what dinners I’ve attended feel like, happy nights with my family and music.  There’s also a grit provided by Diego’s sister’s addiction and Melba’s abuse that doesn’t clash with the happy, hopeful storyline. There are no easy answers for any of the characters involved.

The books’ flaws are minor, and most of them don’t relate to its structure. The blurb doesn’t mention how much of the  domestic violence plot absorbs the narrative – it’s actually a much more prominent plot element for the first half of the book than the shared musical interest that is played up in the synopsis.  Speaking of, it’s really awkward to watch our hero and heroine have their first stirrings of lust for one another at the scene of a domestic violence incident.  I’d rather that had waited just a tiny bit, at least until they had gotten Melba off to safety.  But otherwise I liked the spark and heat between the two of them, and all of the various plot elements come together well.

Their Perfect Melody is a very nice, well-balanced romance.  More importantly, I recognized myself and my family in this story, which was a beautiful thing to see and feel that made the story a rich reward to read.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo

I haven't read the other books in this series and although this was a stand-alone it did mention other characters from previous books and, as with most series, it probably would have been nice to have read them first. But it didn't really detract from the story.

This book is about Lili and Diego. Lili is the youngest of the sisters from previous books, and works in a centre helping women in need. Diego is a cop. They meet when one of Lili's clients from the centre is attacked by her husband and calls Lili to help, along with the police. Lili and Diego immediately clash, but as the book goes on they warm to one another. It turns out that Diego also helps out at a centre Lili also helps out at, Diego with guitar lessons and Lili with self-defence classes. So they are both caring people helping those less fortunate in their community.

Diego did think he knew best a lot of the time though and instead of letting Lili just do her job he tried to protect her from various situations, which was a bit annoying as she was more than capable of looking after herself most of the time. But he came around eventually.

A light, quick, enjoyable read.

An incredibly charming contemporary romance and an excellent conclusion to Oliveras's trilogy, THEIR PERFECT MELODY is going to be a must-buy this holiday season. Lili's character has really benefited from appearing in the first two books and I was incredibly invested in seeing her happily ever after by the time I got my hands on this book. I tend to be a little hesitant about heroes with careers in law enforcement, because they tend to be extremely alpha, but guitar-playing Diego is a charmer who lives his life like the Fernandez sisters: familia primero. I'm already looking forward to rereading the entire series.

Great read - I have not read the first 2 books in the series but would like to go back and read them now.

I liked how the chapters were told from both Lili and Diego's point of view.

This is the third book in the series, I recommend you start from the beginning because I truly believe you will not enjoy it or appreciate the story if you dont. The way these sisters interact you will definately enjoy, which is one the reasons I recommend reading from the very beginning, that being said I found this book to be ok. I enjoyed the meeting of Lili and Diego I think you will like. I really approved of Lili's work at the center, helping those in need but Lili herself I wasn't crazy about, which kind of surprised me because she was always portrayed as the clown or the happy one who didn't take much seriously. Diego was too macho, I like alpha's dont get me wrong but I dont enjoy machismo, so yeah was totally not crazy about him. All in all was an ok read, I would rush out to get a copy.

Growing up, Lilí María Fernandez was affectionately known as the family “wild child.” The life of the party, she loved to dance, especially salsa, merengue, and bachata, and often sang beside her father during rehearsals for his trío group. But tragedy and loss have drawn out Lilí’s caretaking side, compelling her to become a victim’s advocate. These days, the special rhythms of the past seem like a distant memory. Until she meets Diego Reyes . . .

A police officer with the Chicago PD, Diego also has a talent for playing classical Spanish guitar. And Lilí soon finds herself inspired by his passion—for the music, for her, and for their shared love of familia and community. Can Diego reignite Lilí’s fun-loving spirit, persuade her to balance work and pleasure—and embrace her wild side once more?

I have not read the first two books in this trilogy but feel that I need to in order to learn more about Lili’s character. I had a lot of time to read during Tropical Storm Gordon and this well written romance fit the bill. Readers will care about each character in the story. Thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Third in the Matched to Perfection series, this is a charming read about Lili, the youngest of the Fernandez sisters, and Diego. The chemistry between Lili and Diego kept me turning the pages. I also enjoyed how the Spanish language is seamlessly interwoven in the conversations.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Well written, heart warming romance

Their Perfect Melody is a wonderful addition to Priscilla Oliveras' Matched to Perfection series. While this book does read well as a stand alone after reading the book you'll want to read more about this wonderful caring family of sisters.
Lili and Diego have a great first meet ( which I won't spoil). I loved how their instant attraction developed into so much more. The author does a very satisfying job of showing a little of that sexual chemistry before the bedroom door closes. There was a subplot regarding Diego's sister Lourdes that I thought was handled very thoughtfully. It was also great to see what Lili's sisters and their families are up to. I look forward to reading many more of Pricilla Oliveras' books in the future.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

I reviewed this title for a library publication and loved it. Great heat with Lili and Diego. I like his arc, how he grew to open up more to keep Lili. Both made mistakes and their scenes with family members were particularly enjoyable! Thank you for letting me read this one!

I don't know if I've missed something by not reading the first two of this series. I read an excerpt of this and was immediately intrigued by the premise. But then, no... They're just... Hardheaded, prejudiced and plain boring, if I'm to be completely honest.

I liked Lilí's work at the center, with the women in need, but I did not like her personality. I liked how Diego cared, but not him in general. I did not like the feel of the family, but like I said, maybe that's because I haven't read the sisters' books. And the romance wasn't all there.

It's hard to pin down exactly what I disliked about this book. It is the overall feeling when I read - how the language doesn't speak to me, the characters who I felt nothing for, the romance, which felt more than a little stilted. the struggle I had even getting past the second chapter. It doesn't flow, I guess, is the problem here. That said, it wasn't a terrible story and I liked the premise.

Thank you Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC!

/ Denise

This book rounds out a really charming trilogy about the Fernandez sisters. At last, we get the story of Lili, the youngest. In the earlier books, she's presented as the family clown: the person who gets everyone laughing. Here, we get to see her more serious side as a caring young professional.

We also get more of the fabulous Fernandez family. The sisters' relationships with each other has always been my favorite parts of Oliveras' books and this book is no different.

I did kind of want to smack Diego a few times. Hardheaded macho men aren't my cup of tea, especially when they're trying to boss the women in their lives around. He means well, but it still bugs. He does, of course, come around, but if this was real life and not a novel, I'd be pretty sure there would be yet more bumps in their road because of his overbearing ways.


I was given an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.