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Matched to Perfection #1
His Perfect Partner
Ad executive Tomas Garcia shouldn't even be thinking about his daughter's alluring dance teacher, Yazmine Fernandez. Burned by a shattering divorce, he's laser-focused on his career and giving his young daughter, Maria, the secure home she deserves. Plus, he's certain that with her talent, Yaz will be leaving Chicago and heading back to Broadway as soon as she can. But Yaz's generous spirit and caring concern are sparking a desire Tomas can't resist and doesn't want to let go . . .
For Yaz, good-looking workaholics like Tomas simply can't be part of her life ever again. She owes it to herself to get back her confidence and fulfill the dreams her papa could not. She's glad to spend time with Maria and taste the family life she feels she can never have. And she's sure that she and Tomas can keep their attraction under control because there's so much at stake. But each unexpected intimacy, each self-revelation, makes the fire between them grow hotter with every step and every risk to their hearts . . .
For Yaz, good-looking workaholics like Tomas simply can't be part of her life ever again. She owes it to herself to get back her confidence and fulfill the dreams her papa could not. She's glad to spend time with Maria and taste the family life she feels she can never have. And she's sure that she and Tomas can keep their attraction under control because there's so much at stake. But each unexpected intimacy, each self-revelation, makes the fire between them grow hotter with every step and every risk to their hearts . . .
330 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 26, 2017
About the author
Priscilla Oliveras
18 books1,406 followersPRISCILLA OLIVERAS is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. She and her work have earned praise from the Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Redbook, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, among others. Priscilla earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and currently serves as adjunct faculty in the program and teaches the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. While she’s a romance genre junkie, Priscilla also considers herself a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.
To follow along on her fun-filled and hectic life, visit her on the web at https://prisoliveras.com/books/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prisoliveras, or on Twitter and Instagram via @prisoliveras.
To follow along on her fun-filled and hectic life, visit her on the web at https://prisoliveras.com/books/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prisoliveras, or on Twitter and Instagram via @prisoliveras.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
October 20, 2017
I was going to go into some detail, tearing into the exchange on page 15 (of the paperback), about why this was off-putting enough for me to abandon it. But I felt bad about it even before I'd written it. I've come to recognize that as a sign that I'm probably just being egotistical and not helping anybody. Suffice it to say that I bounced off of the writing and that I felt like the internal commentary of the characters contradicted the content of the scene, events, or dialogue. It was enough dissonance that I decided not to continue.
October 17, 2017
I picked up this book after a couple of people recommended it to me as a romance featuring a single dad. I did not expect what turned out to be an emotional roller coaster.
When this book first started, I didn't think I'd like it at all. I was almost ready to give up after the first chapter because of some major instalust. While I could understand the instant attraction between Tomás and Yazmine, I couldn't understand Tomás already thinking about what it would be like to come home and see her there!
I am so glad I stuck with this because it was such a sweet story. Yaz is a dance teacher who left NYC to return to her hometown a couple of years prior to the story beginning to care for her father, who was diagnosed with lymphoma. She is planning a father/daughter routine with some of her students as part of a holiday pageant. Among them is 5-year-old Maria, who is absolutely precious. I don't always like children in romance novels, but she won my heart and I felt she actually behaved as someone at her age level rather than being written as overly precocious or clever.
Tomás, Maria's dreamboat father, has missed every practice so far and has a reputation of being a workaholic. Yazmine is not impressed with him when he finally shows up to a practice and is quite cool towards him. As a result, they start off on the wrong foot. But after some chance encounters, Tomás meets Yazmine's father, who bonds with Maria and instantly takes a liking to Tomás as well. Yazmine also steps in as a temporary nanny for Maria, so she ends up spending a lot of time with her. I really loved the bonds that formed between their families. It never felt forced or unrealistic or like it was only a convenient plot device.
Despite their rocky beginning, Yazmine and Tomás become close friends. Tomás initially wanted to ask Yazmine out, but when he found out she is planning to move back to NYC eventually, he firmly places her in the friends-only category. He went through a painful divorce with Maria's mother, who gave him full custody in order to pursue a job overseas, and it's implied he hasn't really dated since. He understandably does not want to become attached to a woman who is not going to stick around. However, it's so clear that he is smitten with Yazmine, and their bond just becomes stronger when he acts as a source of comfort when Yazmine's father's health takes a turn for the worse and when Yazmine spends more and more time with Maria.
Yazmine, on her end, also struggles with keeping their relationship platonic. She loves Maria and she realizes she was wrong about Tomás caring more about work than for his daughter. But like Tomás, she knows it's not a good idea to start something if she's planning on leaving.
I never felt like their reluctance to move their relationship to the next level was due to them being stubborn, acting irrationally, or not communicating. I fully understood why they did not want to pursue a relationship, even though I knew somehow they would work it out and get their HEA. I would consider this a slow burn romance (and, fyi, there are no sex scenes, but it didn't bother me in this book). The majority of the book is them pretending that being just friends is enough for them.
Now, to move on to a more serious note. I didn't know much about the book before reading it, so I was unaware of a major plot element, which is Yazmine's father's battle with lymphoma. The rest of this review is a bit spoiler-y so I'm putting it behind a spoiler tag.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but it certainly won't be the last. The next book, Her Perfect Affair, is about Yazmine's sister Rosa and their family friend Jeremy. We meet both characters in this book, and I had a hunch they were being set up as a couple before I got to the teaser chapter at the end!
When this book first started, I didn't think I'd like it at all. I was almost ready to give up after the first chapter because of some major instalust. While I could understand the instant attraction between Tomás and Yazmine, I couldn't understand Tomás already thinking about what it would be like to come home and see her there!
I am so glad I stuck with this because it was such a sweet story. Yaz is a dance teacher who left NYC to return to her hometown a couple of years prior to the story beginning to care for her father, who was diagnosed with lymphoma. She is planning a father/daughter routine with some of her students as part of a holiday pageant. Among them is 5-year-old Maria, who is absolutely precious. I don't always like children in romance novels, but she won my heart and I felt she actually behaved as someone at her age level rather than being written as overly precocious or clever.
Tomás, Maria's dreamboat father, has missed every practice so far and has a reputation of being a workaholic. Yazmine is not impressed with him when he finally shows up to a practice and is quite cool towards him. As a result, they start off on the wrong foot. But after some chance encounters, Tomás meets Yazmine's father, who bonds with Maria and instantly takes a liking to Tomás as well. Yazmine also steps in as a temporary nanny for Maria, so she ends up spending a lot of time with her. I really loved the bonds that formed between their families. It never felt forced or unrealistic or like it was only a convenient plot device.
Despite their rocky beginning, Yazmine and Tomás become close friends. Tomás initially wanted to ask Yazmine out, but when he found out she is planning to move back to NYC eventually, he firmly places her in the friends-only category. He went through a painful divorce with Maria's mother, who gave him full custody in order to pursue a job overseas, and it's implied he hasn't really dated since. He understandably does not want to become attached to a woman who is not going to stick around. However, it's so clear that he is smitten with Yazmine, and their bond just becomes stronger when he acts as a source of comfort when Yazmine's father's health takes a turn for the worse and when Yazmine spends more and more time with Maria.
Yazmine, on her end, also struggles with keeping their relationship platonic. She loves Maria and she realizes she was wrong about Tomás caring more about work than for his daughter. But like Tomás, she knows it's not a good idea to start something if she's planning on leaving.
I never felt like their reluctance to move their relationship to the next level was due to them being stubborn, acting irrationally, or not communicating. I fully understood why they did not want to pursue a relationship, even though I knew somehow they would work it out and get their HEA. I would consider this a slow burn romance (and, fyi, there are no sex scenes, but it didn't bother me in this book). The majority of the book is them pretending that being just friends is enough for them.
Now, to move on to a more serious note. I didn't know much about the book before reading it, so I was unaware of a major plot element, which is Yazmine's father's battle with lymphoma. The rest of this review is a bit spoiler-y so I'm putting it behind a spoiler tag.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but it certainly won't be the last. The next book, Her Perfect Affair, is about Yazmine's sister Rosa and their family friend Jeremy. We meet both characters in this book, and I had a hunch they were being set up as a couple before I got to the teaser chapter at the end!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
May 20, 2018DNF @ 60%
I really like Yaz & Tomás, but I’m just not feeling this book rn :(( I’ve been reading it for over a week and I have 0 motivation to pick I up. Gonna try some other stuff & maybe I’ll get back to this at another time
I really like Yaz & Tomás, but I’m just not feeling this book rn :(( I’ve been reading it for over a week and I have 0 motivation to pick I up. Gonna try some other stuff & maybe I’ll get back to this at another time
September 2, 2017
A copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This was a totally satisfying contemporary romance. Perfectly paced, hit every beat exactly right. It was a joy to read, start to finish. The main characters have wonderful chemistry, and the conflict was very well drawn and had my holding my breath at certain points. This is one of the best romances I've read in 2017, and its going on my list of comfort rereads.
His Perfect Partner has a couple tropes that I adore, and it hit the core notes of them. I love watching characters fall for single parents, get wrapped up in both child and parent, and fall in love with them as a family. This was completely satisfying on that front: sentimental, swoony, with an adorable child I fell for too. It also hits the mark for a holiday romance, and I loved that about it. So much of the story holds that kind of sweetness and celebration, that centering of family and care. The MCs start off as antagonists, and I really appreciated the way their relationship developed. It was very satisfying to watch them go from being angry and glaring to caring about each other.
It is not as much of a classic dance romance as I anticipated it would be; we spend more time with Yaz as a dance teacher than as a dancer, but I didn't find myself disappointed there. I really liked the dance teacher aspect a lot. And it definitely made sense given the direction of the story, and the struggle Yaz was grappling with in her own arc. I really liked her arc, thought it was well drawn and compelling, and the pacing of the culmination of it felt exactly right and had me holding my breath. His arc was also satisfying, and really worked for me. This is one of those romances where you want to shake both the MCs and demand they wake up and see whats in front of them; I enjoy those a lot.
One of the central aspects of this story was a parent who is ill, and the way that ripples through a family, and impacts all of them. I was so invested in them as a family by the middle of the book, cared about all three sisters and the father so much, that this arc was intense for me as a reader. As it should be. I really appreciated that this was part of the story, and the care with which this portrayed. It made for an emotional, cathartic read, one that really made room for that emotion and felt like it held it.
All of the central characters in this story are Latinx (the heroine and her family are Puerto Rican and the hero and his family are Mexican American), and I really appreciated how deeply culturally specific so many aspects of the story were, and how much the romance was partly about shared values like familia primero. The interweaving of Spanish and English is part of how the story is told, in both the MC's internal thoughts and in how characters communicate with each other. I really appreciated that aspect of the storytelling. I had no trouble following with my rusty Spanish from a few years study in high school many years ago. There are enough context cues for these moments that I think it would likely be easy to follow for non-Spanish speakers. The Spanish is italicized, which I know is a bit of a contraversial choice, so I wanted to note that.
This is one of those romances that does not include sex. There are a few heated kisses. That aspect of the story felt like it fit quite well with the arc of the romance, and worked for me.
Overall, I loved this romance, and highly recommend it. It is truly an impressively crafted and deeply satisfying debut, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series and get to spend more time with this family that has my heart.
Trigger warnings:
This was a totally satisfying contemporary romance. Perfectly paced, hit every beat exactly right. It was a joy to read, start to finish. The main characters have wonderful chemistry, and the conflict was very well drawn and had my holding my breath at certain points. This is one of the best romances I've read in 2017, and its going on my list of comfort rereads.
His Perfect Partner has a couple tropes that I adore, and it hit the core notes of them. I love watching characters fall for single parents, get wrapped up in both child and parent, and fall in love with them as a family. This was completely satisfying on that front: sentimental, swoony, with an adorable child I fell for too. It also hits the mark for a holiday romance, and I loved that about it. So much of the story holds that kind of sweetness and celebration, that centering of family and care. The MCs start off as antagonists, and I really appreciated the way their relationship developed. It was very satisfying to watch them go from being angry and glaring to caring about each other.
It is not as much of a classic dance romance as I anticipated it would be; we spend more time with Yaz as a dance teacher than as a dancer, but I didn't find myself disappointed there. I really liked the dance teacher aspect a lot. And it definitely made sense given the direction of the story, and the struggle Yaz was grappling with in her own arc. I really liked her arc, thought it was well drawn and compelling, and the pacing of the culmination of it felt exactly right and had me holding my breath. His arc was also satisfying, and really worked for me. This is one of those romances where you want to shake both the MCs and demand they wake up and see whats in front of them; I enjoy those a lot.
One of the central aspects of this story was a parent who is ill, and the way that ripples through a family, and impacts all of them. I was so invested in them as a family by the middle of the book, cared about all three sisters and the father so much, that this arc was intense for me as a reader. As it should be. I really appreciated that this was part of the story, and the care with which this portrayed. It made for an emotional, cathartic read, one that really made room for that emotion and felt like it held it.
All of the central characters in this story are Latinx (the heroine and her family are Puerto Rican and the hero and his family are Mexican American), and I really appreciated how deeply culturally specific so many aspects of the story were, and how much the romance was partly about shared values like familia primero. The interweaving of Spanish and English is part of how the story is told, in both the MC's internal thoughts and in how characters communicate with each other. I really appreciated that aspect of the storytelling. I had no trouble following with my rusty Spanish from a few years study in high school many years ago. There are enough context cues for these moments that I think it would likely be easy to follow for non-Spanish speakers. The Spanish is italicized, which I know is a bit of a contraversial choice, so I wanted to note that.
This is one of those romances that does not include sex. There are a few heated kisses. That aspect of the story felt like it fit quite well with the arc of the romance, and worked for me.
Overall, I loved this romance, and highly recommend it. It is truly an impressively crafted and deeply satisfying debut, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series and get to spend more time with this family that has my heart.
Trigger warnings:
October 6, 2017
This sweet romance hit me in the feels. Thomas was the type of hero every woman could fall for. Strong. Caring. Sexy. Yazmine's family struggles tugged at my heartstrings. This was a gorgeous debut. Can't wait for the next book in the series!
April 4, 2024
This felt like I was reading a romance fanfic on a forum in 2010, and it was the nostalgic moment I needed 😌. If you don’t like the single parent trope then this isn’t for you, but I don’t mind it and had a good time getting to know these characters. Yazmine teaches Tomas’s daughter dance and sees Tomas as the workaholic father who misses out on his child’s practices, but then she gets to know the real Tomas and falls head over heels for how sweet he is to those around him and especially to his little princesa. This is such a quick read, packed full of emotion around every corner. What was happening with Yazmine’s family felt like it was only there to propel her and Tomas’s relationship, and like I get that it’s WAS but don’t make me feel like it was y’know?
September 23, 2017
The author of this book stated in the beginning that this is her first book. I must say she did a wonderful job. A story full of joy, sadness, the yearning for love, and for me the love of a father for his daughter or daughters. Yaz, or Yazmine Fernandez is the oldest of three daughters. She has been home teaching dance in the same studio that she grew up dancing now for two years. Two years ago her father was diagnosed with cancer and it coincided with her plight in New York and she came home. Her other two sisters were able to stay in school and one thing of the story is family first. You met Tomas entering her dance studio and she believes that he is lost. She is with a group that is doing a father, daughter dance for the Christmas show for the studio. Once he enters you are immediately drawn to their attraction, but also by the change of a little girl sitting in the corner Maria. You now has shown more life than Yaz has ever seen running and jumping for her papi. That heat between the two main characters stay with them throughout the book and you are given glimpse into each ones defenses that they have created for themselves to protect them, but are they really. Tomas believes she is wanting and will leave to go back to New York to dance and does not want to give into his feelings and impose an ultimatum. The language, and the culture that are Puerto Rican, reminds me of the times when I first married into my wife’s Hispanic family over 37 years ago and her Nani’s and Tata’s house on Christmas morning or any day of celebration. The music, food, people, laughter, the author captured for me that feeling. The way she treats Rey and his illness and everything associated with that was does with respect and class. Having spent time with family members my wife and I going through the same. The author does everything the Latin way, and yet Tomas is with every step of the way. A very powerful story that I must say caught me off guard, but I am so very glad that I read this wonderful book. All of the characters even when you start to get to the end and you are introduced to Mr. Linton who “might look like Elmer Fudd, with his short, portly body and balding head.” Growing up on Saturday morning cartoons I knew exactly her description. This is just one of many throughout the entire book. A wonderful first book, a wonderful story. I thank the author for this beautiful story. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 22, 2018Flat characterization is a hard no for me and unfortunately this book is full of it, plus the telling instead of showing thing that also grates on my nerves. And I'm trying to get better at bailing on books that I'm not really enjoying so look at me bailing away!
July 27, 2020
Priscilla Oliveras' His Perfect Partner was like a fresh-from-the-oven cookie. Warm, sweet, tasty, comforting and completely satisfying. This book hits all the right spots. For anyone looking for a charming (sex-free!) romance featuring two strong, complete individuals who do their best to respect their families and Latinx heritage, this is where you need to go. I really, really needed this—like a good chocolate chip cookie.
The story opens with Tomás walking in late to his daughter's dance class. Dance instructor Yaz has already decided to dislike him, since he's quite obviously an absentee, workaholic single father who spends more time on his phone than raising his five-year-old daughter, Maria. Except Tomás proves to be very charming, very genuine, and...not a completely horrible father. Reluctantly, Yaz forms a friendship with Tomás, even going so far as to fill in as a babysitter when Maria's nanny unexpectedly leaves.
Tomás and Yaz are attracted to each other, sexually and emotionally, but refuse to give their desires a name, since they're both convinced (incorrectly) that they could never work out.
At some level, His Perfect Partner is a book that could have been resolved if the hero and heroine had communicated better. That's not my favorite trope in any circumstance, yet I think Oliveras manages to subvert that expectation at some level. Yaz thinks she can't be with Tomás because she believes it's on her to be a famous dancing star, to make up for the fact that her father had to put his own dreams aside when Yaz was born. Tomás thinks he can't be with Yaz because she's leaving for New York and stardom soon, and he's been burned once by an ex who put career over family. They're convinced it could never work! Except...it totally could.
(Side note: putting career first is an acceptable thing and Oliveras doesn't shame Tomás' ex for that, but it's made clear that's not the kind of relationship he wants.)
So, obviously, there's a lack of honesty regarding life goals, wants, and ideals between the two protagonists. However, it's not something that a simple chat over coffee could have solved. Yaz has issues with her family that she needs to resolve individually, and I like that the author went there. Throughout the book, familia primero is a theme that gets emphasized, and I loved it a lot. Even if things between her and Tomás never worked out, Yaz still had her sisters, father, and friends to fall back on. Romances that demonstrate the importance of a support system are too few (but getting more popular!)
All in all, His Perfect Partner was a soft, delightful romance about real life. I felt like this book could actually happen, in a version of Chicago only a little different from our own. It was sweet, genuine, and loaded with vibrant characters who loved and supported each other from beginning to end. This is a very charming romance, and I'm here for it.
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The story opens with Tomás walking in late to his daughter's dance class. Dance instructor Yaz has already decided to dislike him, since he's quite obviously an absentee, workaholic single father who spends more time on his phone than raising his five-year-old daughter, Maria. Except Tomás proves to be very charming, very genuine, and...not a completely horrible father. Reluctantly, Yaz forms a friendship with Tomás, even going so far as to fill in as a babysitter when Maria's nanny unexpectedly leaves.
Tomás and Yaz are attracted to each other, sexually and emotionally, but refuse to give their desires a name, since they're both convinced (incorrectly) that they could never work out.
At some level, His Perfect Partner is a book that could have been resolved if the hero and heroine had communicated better. That's not my favorite trope in any circumstance, yet I think Oliveras manages to subvert that expectation at some level. Yaz thinks she can't be with Tomás because she believes it's on her to be a famous dancing star, to make up for the fact that her father had to put his own dreams aside when Yaz was born. Tomás thinks he can't be with Yaz because she's leaving for New York and stardom soon, and he's been burned once by an ex who put career over family. They're convinced it could never work! Except...it totally could.
(Side note: putting career first is an acceptable thing and Oliveras doesn't shame Tomás' ex for that, but it's made clear that's not the kind of relationship he wants.)
So, obviously, there's a lack of honesty regarding life goals, wants, and ideals between the two protagonists. However, it's not something that a simple chat over coffee could have solved. Yaz has issues with her family that she needs to resolve individually, and I like that the author went there. Throughout the book, familia primero is a theme that gets emphasized, and I loved it a lot. Even if things between her and Tomás never worked out, Yaz still had her sisters, father, and friends to fall back on. Romances that demonstrate the importance of a support system are too few (but getting more popular!)
All in all, His Perfect Partner was a soft, delightful romance about real life. I felt like this book could actually happen, in a version of Chicago only a little different from our own. It was sweet, genuine, and loaded with vibrant characters who loved and supported each other from beginning to end. This is a very charming romance, and I'm here for it.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
August 5, 2019
I really wanted to like this after reading "Their Perfect Melody" but I found it hard to create and/or form some sort of connection with the plot or characters. It was a dull read and more often than not I skimmed through the pages hoping, hell praying I would find something to draw my interest but sadly not. I just couldn't gather enough motivation to complete this read which cause me to put this in my dropped pile.
September 30, 2017
This was very sweet! I did occasionally want to knock heads together, but I got why the hero and heroine were resisting forming an actual relationship. Maria was an adorable plot moppet.
I am really looking forward to the other books in the series.
(No sex in this one, in case that either turns people onto the book or off it. I know it matters to some.)
I am really looking forward to the other books in the series.
(No sex in this one, in case that either turns people onto the book or off it. I know it matters to some.)
July 7, 2019
The romance binge continues. There was nothing ~wrong~ with this, honestly, but it was not my favorite type or romance and I'm probably running out of steam on this binge. It definitely doesn't help that I read Take the Lead first, and that one was steamier, more memorable and had better banter.
Content warning in this one for cancer and death of a parent-- yeah, it got kind of dark. I totally cried.
This is good for someone who wants romance where the surrounding plots and characters get equal importance. This is a "clean" romance, so if you only want a couple of kisses and maybe no sex (that I recall), this will also be great for you. I'd definitely read more from Oliveras.
October 18, 2021
4 1/2 "Familia Primero" Stars!
I loved this book. It was a sweet, slightly angsty story that would make a perfect Hallmark Movie. It also made me cry which was unexpected and unwanted, I must say. But even with that, I enjoyed it and I'll be reading Rosa's story very soon. I did a read listen combo and the audiobook was very good. Happy reading!
I loved this book. It was a sweet, slightly angsty story that would make a perfect Hallmark Movie. It also made me cry which was unexpected and unwanted, I must say. But even with that, I enjoyed it and I'll be reading Rosa's story very soon. I did a read listen combo and the audiobook was very good. Happy reading!
July 16, 2018
Cute romance! This is a debut novel with warm and lovely characters.
December 30, 2017
His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras is the author’s debut romance and the first story in her sweet romance series Matched to Perfection, about a group of Latina sisters who find love in unexpected places.
Yazmine Fernandez is a dance teacher at a local center, but used to live in New York and spent time on Broadway. She’s back home in Chicago with her sisters because her father is dying of cancer. She believes that she should be pursuing a dance career because it’s what everyone expects but truth be told, the idea of returning to New York doesn’t make her happy.
When she meets Tomas Garcia, the divorced father of Maria, one of her young dance students, she finds yet another reason to deter her from wanting to return to NY. They strike up an honest friendship, one where there are up front with each other that Tomas isn’t looking for a new wife (though his family thinks he should) and Yaz has every intention of leaving in a few months. But when they start having other feelings for each other, will they own up to them in time?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-his...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Yazmine Fernandez is a dance teacher at a local center, but used to live in New York and spent time on Broadway. She’s back home in Chicago with her sisters because her father is dying of cancer. She believes that she should be pursuing a dance career because it’s what everyone expects but truth be told, the idea of returning to New York doesn’t make her happy.
When she meets Tomas Garcia, the divorced father of Maria, one of her young dance students, she finds yet another reason to deter her from wanting to return to NY. They strike up an honest friendship, one where there are up front with each other that Tomas isn’t looking for a new wife (though his family thinks he should) and Yaz has every intention of leaving in a few months. But when they start having other feelings for each other, will they own up to them in time?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-his...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
April 4, 2018
The description of His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras intrigued me when the book showed up at AAR’s Steals and Deals. I snatched it up, and ended up discovering a new author to enjoy. This novel is something of an emotional roller coaster, and I couldn’t help rooting for Yazmine and Tomas.
Yazmine Fernandez comes from a close-knit Puerto Rican family in the Chicago suburbs, and has moved temporarily to New York to be near her sick father. She has been teaching classes at a local studio and there she meets Tomas Garcia, the single father of one of her students. As they get to know one another better, the attraction between them grows stronger, but the author sets up a very believable source of tension between them. Yazmine’s time in Chicago is only temporary, and Tomas isn’t looking for something temporary – nor is he looking to uproot his daughter. It’s a real dilemma, and one can sense the frustration it causes both parties. It’s a real dilemma, and one can sense the frustration it causes both parties. I found it hard to really get an understanding of Yazmine as a person at times in this book, but otherwise I really enjoyed this novel and the entire community Oliveras has created.
This was published at AAR as part of a review of RITA nominees we have read. If you're interested in the others, the article is here: https://allaboutromance.com/congratul...
Yazmine Fernandez comes from a close-knit Puerto Rican family in the Chicago suburbs, and has moved temporarily to New York to be near her sick father. She has been teaching classes at a local studio and there she meets Tomas Garcia, the single father of one of her students. As they get to know one another better, the attraction between them grows stronger, but the author sets up a very believable source of tension between them. Yazmine’s time in Chicago is only temporary, and Tomas isn’t looking for something temporary – nor is he looking to uproot his daughter. It’s a real dilemma, and one can sense the frustration it causes both parties. It’s a real dilemma, and one can sense the frustration it causes both parties. I found it hard to really get an understanding of Yazmine as a person at times in this book, but otherwise I really enjoyed this novel and the entire community Oliveras has created.
This was published at AAR as part of a review of RITA nominees we have read. If you're interested in the others, the article is here: https://allaboutromance.com/congratul...
March 4, 2020
This was a very sweet and entertaining romance. Tomas and Yazmine were both wonderful, lovable characters, and little Maria just totally captured my heart! I'm really glad to have read this one.
Tomas Garcia and Yazmine Fernandez meet when she instructs his young daughter in dance lessons. There is a strong attraction between the two, and they truly like one another, but what they each want in the future is in conflict. They try very hard to ignore the attraction and interact only as friends, but it is very difficult, especially when Tomas becomes friends with the rest of the Fernandez family.
The story of these two genuinely nice people is a good one. I could have done without Yazmine setting Tomas up on dates, but other than that, I loved every aspect of this book!
Tomas Garcia and Yazmine Fernandez meet when she instructs his young daughter in dance lessons. There is a strong attraction between the two, and they truly like one another, but what they each want in the future is in conflict. They try very hard to ignore the attraction and interact only as friends, but it is very difficult, especially when Tomas becomes friends with the rest of the Fernandez family.
The story of these two genuinely nice people is a good one. I could have done without Yazmine setting Tomas up on dates, but other than that, I loved every aspect of this book!
October 22, 2018
4.5 stars. This was a really delightful, sweet story about two people locked into plans for their future -- plans that will not work with the attraction they feel. The characters were so likable that this book would appeal to any romance reader. The hero's young daughter was a little too perfectly adorable, but that is to be expected in a book like this. I "read" the book as an audiobook and the narration was excellent. It was a pleasure to enjoy the story.
February 1, 2024
*Trigger warning: death of a parent from cancer (on the page)
I have read other books by Priscilla Oliveras, but I wanted to read her backlist, so I picked up her debut. This is a category length romance between Yazmine Fernandez and Tomas Garcia, but it is also about family and professional careers that can change over time. Oliveras knows how to write loving, close families without going schmaltzy or showcasing perfection; Senor Fernandez's death hit hard, and she wrote grief in a way that made me cry but was also believable and not over the top. Each sister grieved in her own way and that helped flesh out each character.
But as a debut category length, this book relied on a trope that I CAN NOT STAND - the evil ex-wife. Tomas was an okay love interest, but his depiction of his first marriage and the divorce was misogynistic and Yaz ate it up without any consideration that she was only getting one (very biased) side of the story and there was no introspection from Tomas about his actions/faults that also led to the divorce. Overall, Tomas came across as a hypocrite.
Although I had an issue with the male main character, there was much to like with this book and I look forward to the other two books in the series.
I have read other books by Priscilla Oliveras, but I wanted to read her backlist, so I picked up her debut. This is a category length romance between Yazmine Fernandez and Tomas Garcia, but it is also about family and professional careers that can change over time. Oliveras knows how to write loving, close families without going schmaltzy or showcasing perfection; Senor Fernandez's death hit hard, and she wrote grief in a way that made me cry but was also believable and not over the top. Each sister grieved in her own way and that helped flesh out each character.
But as a debut category length, this book relied on a trope that I CAN NOT STAND - the evil ex-wife. Tomas was an okay love interest, but his depiction of his first marriage and the divorce was misogynistic and Yaz ate it up without any consideration that she was only getting one (very biased) side of the story and there was no introspection from Tomas about his actions/faults that also led to the divorce. Overall, Tomas came across as a hypocrite.
Although I had an issue with the male main character, there was much to like with this book and I look forward to the other two books in the series.
October 26, 2018
I read this series out of order - His Perfect Partner was the second book I read and to this date, I think this is my favorite of the series. Don't get me wrong, all of the books are just the most charming, but the couple in His Perfect Partner just about melted me with their cuteness.
Priscilla Oliveras writes such lovely and beautifully fleshed-out characters. You can tell that she takes her time with her characterizations because the feelings and emotions of the characters touch you from the beginning. Yaz was just all-around wonderful and her character arc throughout the book was beautifully paced. She was a dance teacher with aspirations beyond teaching. Unfortunately, she was grappling with a family illness that wouldn't allow her to chase after her dreams. Yaz was a sweetheart and her struggles and journey towards overcoming those struggles were realistically written. You will find yourself rooting for her and for her passion. Similarly, I adored Tomas. A single father who is entirely focused on giving his daughter, Maria, the best life he could, Tomas just stole my heart. He was an equally wonderful hero who was kind, gentle and patient. His devotion to his daughter just about destroyed me because it was so heartwarming to see. In his goal into giving Maria the best life he could though, he has become a bit of a workaholic. It was just so obvious though that his intentions were the purest.
Yaz and Tomas strike up an unlikely friendship that we as readers know will only blossom further. They made for a complementary couple that just clicked well together personality-wise. They talk, share laughter, and find small ways to push each other to overcome some of their struggles. You won't find explicit sex scenes in this book, but that does not mean the romance is lacking in chemistry. Family was also a strong theme throughout His Perfect Partner, and I just loved that! Yaz has a strong bond with her sisters, who were such colorful personalities, and her father. There were moments of sadness and happiness, but everything was beautiful! I would be remiss not to mention how wonderfully diverse this book was. We get to see a Peurto Rican family in their full glory here and Priscilla Oliveras does not hold back in any way.
All in all, this was a beautiful debut, with a beautiful couple, and it only left me eager to read more from Priscilla Oliveras. I definitely recommend this one to all of you romance love-birds.
December 6, 2017
This was a good book. I was so happy that I won it and started it as soon as it arrived as I loved the cover. This story I was hooked on as I had not been reading long and then realized I was done reading the book. It has sass,maybe yes maybe no and so much more. This is another author who I will be reading more of as she hit a ball out to the outfield with this book.
October 9, 2017
Review: HIS PERFECT PARTNER (Matched to Perfection) by Priscilla Oliveras http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-9Zj
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 3.5 Stars
This was a lovely debut novel with a Latin flair. Yaz and Tomás’s romance was a sweet and endearing slice of life, where each of them grappled with real issues and desires that we can all relate to. Tomás’s little girl added a fun tenderness to the story, as did Yazmine’s family. A nice quick read with a hint of more to come.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Kindle $3.99 http://amzn.to/2xCyLE3
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 3.5 Stars
This was a lovely debut novel with a Latin flair. Yaz and Tomás’s romance was a sweet and endearing slice of life, where each of them grappled with real issues and desires that we can all relate to. Tomás’s little girl added a fun tenderness to the story, as did Yazmine’s family. A nice quick read with a hint of more to come.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Kindle $3.99 http://amzn.to/2xCyLE3
Shelved as 'life-is-too-short'
November 15, 2017I think this was shaping up to be a nice romance/story, but it just wasn't working for me. Reminded me of Susan mallery or someone like that in style... Something just wasn't clicking.
July 29, 2022
Having already read the other two books in this series, it was more than past time to circle back and read Oliveras’s debut. The second book is still my favorite thing she’s written. She’s grown a lot as a writer since this came out but it was still fun to see all the Fernandez sisters and get to know Yazmine. She and Tomás were too hot and cold for too long and I didn't really sense the chemistry between them, despite being told repeatedly. I wish they’d realized it was possible for them to be together much sooner, as the obstacles didn’t really ring true. The plot relied more on melodrama, which typically doesn’t work for me and such was the case here, with a very over the top grand gesture that made no sense.
It’s not apparent from the blurb so I want to mention this story heavily deals with Yaz’s father who has cancer, including his decision to stop treatment and subsequent death. As a former hospice social worker, I was frustrated that hospice wasn’t involved from the moment Rey decided to stop treatment. There was no need for him to struggle with pain or symptom management and his daughters clearly could have benefited from the emotional support. If this would at all be sensitive for you, you’re probably better off skipping this one.
Characters: Yazmine is a Puerto Rican American dance teacher. Tomás is a Mexican American ad exec and single father. He has a 5 year old daughter named Maria. This is set in Oakton, IL, a suburb of Chicago.
Content notes: on page death of FMC’s father (lymphoma, story covers his decision to stop treatment), FMC’s ex cheated (past), past divorce (ex-wife signed away rights when Maria was 6 months old), past death of FMC’s mother (car accident), weight loss (grief-related), alcohol, acephobic line, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, use of “slave driver”, mentions of secondary character’s pregnant daughter being on bedrest, mentions of FMC’s mom have complications when pregnant with her, references to the dance studio owner having health problems, reference to past racial slur
It’s not apparent from the blurb so I want to mention this story heavily deals with Yaz’s father who has cancer, including his decision to stop treatment and subsequent death. As a former hospice social worker, I was frustrated that hospice wasn’t involved from the moment Rey decided to stop treatment. There was no need for him to struggle with pain or symptom management and his daughters clearly could have benefited from the emotional support. If this would at all be sensitive for you, you’re probably better off skipping this one.
Characters: Yazmine is a Puerto Rican American dance teacher. Tomás is a Mexican American ad exec and single father. He has a 5 year old daughter named Maria. This is set in Oakton, IL, a suburb of Chicago.
Content notes: on page death of FMC’s father (lymphoma, story covers his decision to stop treatment), FMC’s ex cheated (past), past divorce (ex-wife signed away rights when Maria was 6 months old), past death of FMC’s mother (car accident), weight loss (grief-related), alcohol, acephobic line, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, use of “slave driver”, mentions of secondary character’s pregnant daughter being on bedrest, mentions of FMC’s mom have complications when pregnant with her, references to the dance studio owner having health problems, reference to past racial slur
September 6, 2017
3.75 stars
For a debut novel, this is pretty much A+. I love Yazmine and her family; I love her relationship with her father and two sisters, I love how tight they are with each other. It took a while for me to warm up to Tomas, but his kid Maria is so adorable I want to adopt her.
The pacing of the novel is slow but I didn't mind it much because we get to see more buildup in the relationships between Tomas and Yazmine's family, and Yazmine and Maria, and Tomas and Yazmine themselves. I love that the story is rich in culture; I 89% understood the Spanish in the dialogues without having to look them up, which I'm very proud of myself.
The romance? SLOW BURN. I love seeing Tomas and Yazmine's relationship progressed from professional (Yaz is Maria's dance teacher) to friends to hey, I think I might love you. The only complaint from me about the romance is there is no sex???? I've been expecting it because their kisses are hot??? WHY DID YOU DEPRIVE ME OF THE SEX, MS. OLIVERAS???
Overall, it's a great read. I couldn't put it down! Super excited for Rosa and Jeremy's book next!
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
For a debut novel, this is pretty much A+. I love Yazmine and her family; I love her relationship with her father and two sisters, I love how tight they are with each other. It took a while for me to warm up to Tomas, but his kid Maria is so adorable I want to adopt her.
The pacing of the novel is slow but I didn't mind it much because we get to see more buildup in the relationships between Tomas and Yazmine's family, and Yazmine and Maria, and Tomas and Yazmine themselves. I love that the story is rich in culture; I 89% understood the Spanish in the dialogues without having to look them up, which I'm very proud of myself.
The romance? SLOW BURN. I love seeing Tomas and Yazmine's relationship progressed from professional (Yaz is Maria's dance teacher) to friends to hey, I think I might love you. The only complaint from me about the romance is there is no sex???? I've been expecting it because their kisses are hot??? WHY DID YOU DEPRIVE ME OF THE SEX, MS. OLIVERAS???
Overall, it's a great read. I couldn't put it down! Super excited for Rosa and Jeremy's book next!
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
May 31, 2018"Mexican polka"? Really?!
Okay, so, to be fair, I DNF'd this within the first chapter. The writing style was overly flowery and descriptive, to the point of being distracting. I'm also not fond of authors randomly dropping Spanish words into the mix unless it feels natural for a bilingual person to say. Code-switching is definitely a thing, and I do it regularly with other bilingual people, but rarely do we make sure to pick the specific words that would allow a non-Spanish speaker to still follow the conversation.
Also, I have NEVER heard a Latino person use the term "Mexican polka" to sincerely and honestly describe a type of dance. I can only imagine that the author was trying to refer to banda or norteña music. (Possibly cumbia, though that's actually Colombian in origin.) Definitely a turn-off. And, just to give her the benefit of the doubt, if her original draft of the book used the term "banda" and her editor made her change it so that readers could better understand, then her editor puede irse a la chingada. (See, that's how code-switching works.)
Okay, so, to be fair, I DNF'd this within the first chapter. The writing style was overly flowery and descriptive, to the point of being distracting. I'm also not fond of authors randomly dropping Spanish words into the mix unless it feels natural for a bilingual person to say. Code-switching is definitely a thing, and I do it regularly with other bilingual people, but rarely do we make sure to pick the specific words that would allow a non-Spanish speaker to still follow the conversation.
Also, I have NEVER heard a Latino person use the term "Mexican polka" to sincerely and honestly describe a type of dance. I can only imagine that the author was trying to refer to banda or norteña music. (Possibly cumbia, though that's actually Colombian in origin.) Definitely a turn-off. And, just to give her the benefit of the doubt, if her original draft of the book used the term "banda" and her editor made her change it so that readers could better understand, then her editor puede irse a la chingada. (See, that's how code-switching works.)
October 20, 2018
The romance and conflict were really well done in this book (it was a RITA finalist for Best First Book of 2017) but my absolute favorite thing about it was the way the hero's young daughter was portrayed. She was supposed to be, I think, five and she acted like she was five. That may not sound like a big deal, but it drives me crazy when authors stick a kid into the story and say that they're five or ten or whatever, but then have them act years older than that. I can never figure out if they don't know enough kids to depict them accurately or if they're deliberately trying to manipulate the reader into liking the kid (because everyone likes adorable small children) but have a plot need that doesn't really match the kid's age.
Thank you, Ms. Oliveras, for doing it right!
Thank you, Ms. Oliveras, for doing it right!
March 10, 2018
Overall, I liked this book. It's not the best contemporary romance I've read, but it was sweet, cute, and for a romance novel, fairly realistic, which I liked. (There were, of course, a lot of coincidences and contrivances, but that's to be expected in this genre). Yazmine Fernandez is the oldest of three sisters of Puerto Rican descent. She's a dancer, she's been working her way as a dancer in New York City, but has returned home to Illinois after a horrible breakup to care for her ill father. One of her dance students, Maria Garcia, is the daughter of single father and workaholic Tomas. Over the course of the story, Tomas becomes like part of the family and Yazmine starts to feel like she is a part of Tomas and Maria's family.
Like I said, this is a sweet romance. There's a lot about family in the book, which I liked, and the characters' cultures were prominent (Yaz's family is Puerto Rican; Tomas's is Mexican) but they didn't engulf the entire story (thankfully, this is an #OwnVoices story, so the cultural and language aspects were just part of the characters and story). I liked both leading characters,but there were times when things felt repetitive (Tomas is such a workaholic! Yaz has to go back to Broadway and be a star because of some weird guilt thing she has about her dad giving up his music career when Yaz wasn't even born yet!).
I think this is the author's debut novel. I can't wait to see how she develops as she writes more books.
Like I said, this is a sweet romance. There's a lot about family in the book, which I liked, and the characters' cultures were prominent (Yaz's family is Puerto Rican; Tomas's is Mexican) but they didn't engulf the entire story (thankfully, this is an #OwnVoices story, so the cultural and language aspects were just part of the characters and story). I liked both leading characters,but there were times when things felt repetitive (Tomas is such a workaholic! Yaz has to go back to Broadway and be a star because of some weird guilt thing she has about her dad giving up his music career when Yaz wasn't even born yet!).
I think this is the author's debut novel. I can't wait to see how she develops as she writes more books.
May 28, 2018
Sweet romance between a dance instructor and the dad of one of the children in the dance class. The couple has an obvious attraction from the start, but their goals are mutually exclusive--or so it would appear. As they get to know each other, they discover they want more of the same things than they first thought and as hard as they try, they can't seem to quite forget the other. It's a slow build with some realistic obstacles to overcome. There are nice Latin American details woven throughout, as all the major characters share this heritage.
September 23, 2017
His Perfect Partner is a great little book to read if you want a family romance and sweet love. The author did a nice job with the characters and the romance relationship was slow and sweet. I'm totally okay with this as it's more believable at times. There were some beautiful family moments with father and daughter and then some sadness too. But it all worked into a story I would recommend to anyone. Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book.
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