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Matched to Perfection #2
Her Perfect Affair
The Fernandez sisters have always had big dreams, and the talent and drive to pursue them. And in this sunny, spicy new series, each one will discover that success is that much sweeter when love follows . . .
Rosa Fernandez doesn't act on impulse—she's the responsible one, planning her career with precision, finally landing a job as the librarian at conservative Queen of Peace Academy, confining her strongest emotions to her secret poetry journal. But she's been harboring a secret crush on dreamy Jeremy Taylor, and after one dance with him at her sister's wedding, Rosa longs to let loose for the first time. She deserves some fun, after all. So what if she doesn't have a shot with Jeremy, not with his wealthy pedigree and high profile lifestyle. But one dance leads to one kiss, and soon Rosa is head-over-heels . . .
The adopted son of a prominent Chicago lawyer, Jeremy has a lot to live up to—especially with his birth father in prison—the perfect example of a bad example. With a big promotion and a move to Japan in the works, Jeremy is worlds away from settling down. But sweet, steady Rosa is a temptation he doesn't want to deny himself, at least for now. Yet when their simple fling turns complicated, everything they've both worked for is threatened—except the red-hot intimacy they've found together. Can forever really grow from just-for-now?
Rosa Fernandez doesn't act on impulse—she's the responsible one, planning her career with precision, finally landing a job as the librarian at conservative Queen of Peace Academy, confining her strongest emotions to her secret poetry journal. But she's been harboring a secret crush on dreamy Jeremy Taylor, and after one dance with him at her sister's wedding, Rosa longs to let loose for the first time. She deserves some fun, after all. So what if she doesn't have a shot with Jeremy, not with his wealthy pedigree and high profile lifestyle. But one dance leads to one kiss, and soon Rosa is head-over-heels . . .
The adopted son of a prominent Chicago lawyer, Jeremy has a lot to live up to—especially with his birth father in prison—the perfect example of a bad example. With a big promotion and a move to Japan in the works, Jeremy is worlds away from settling down. But sweet, steady Rosa is a temptation he doesn't want to deny himself, at least for now. Yet when their simple fling turns complicated, everything they've both worked for is threatened—except the red-hot intimacy they've found together. Can forever really grow from just-for-now?
321 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 27, 2018
105 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
Priscilla Oliveras
13 books1,473 followersPRISCILLA OLIVERAS is a USA Today bestselling author and Tall Poppy Writers member who writes stories that stir your heart. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she brings authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latine culture with readers. Her books (including His Perfect Partner, Island Affair, and West Side Love Story) have earned Starred Reviews and praise from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, O, The Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and more. Priscilla earned her Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and now serves as adjunct faculty in the program while teaching the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go.com. A long-time romance enthusiast, Priscilla’s also a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who enjoys practicing the art of hammock napping and never says no to a slice at her favorite Brooklyn neighborhood pizzeria.
Find out more about her at https://prisoliveras.com and catch up with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/prisoliveras or on Instagram and other social media via @prisoliveras.
Find out more about her at https://prisoliveras.com and catch up with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/prisoliveras or on Instagram and other social media via @prisoliveras.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
July 27, 2020
After being massively impressed with Priscila Oliveras' debut romance, I fully expected to have a similarly successful experience with Her Perfect Affair. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be, and instead I spent most of the book trapped with a moody, hormonal heroine, a bland whitebread hero, and a style of drama that I can only describe as "much ado about nothing." Oh, and Catholic Guilt. Never forget the Catholic Guilt.
Her Perfect Affair is a fairly textbook example of the "surprise pregnancy after a one-night stand" trope. Rosa and Jeremy hook up at a wedding, don't speak to each other until the test comes back positive, and then Jeremy proposes instantly while Rosa balks for ~reasons~ that may or may not make much sense. It's not usually my favorite kind of story—mood swings, strange cravings, and morning sickness rarely send romantic signals, in my opinion. (Sometimes an author can make it work, though!) This was especially the case with this book, since Rosa's pregnancy does not progress smoothly at all, and her doctor prescribes bedrest. Ick.
In general, Rosa Fernandez already has a lot of issues re: guilt and insecurity. She holds herself responsible for her mother's death in a car accident (the reasoning for this is super flimsy), and overall, she thinks of herself as ugly, a failure, etc. Toss in a pregnancy out of wedlock that she feels will surely disappoint her entire Catholic Latino community, and there is a lot of self-flagellation going on in a single book. Being completely honest, I understand that the "shame" of getting pregnant without being married is a reality for many, many people...but yikes, I don't want to read about it in a romance novel. Or any novel. And I'm also not down for the "shy and bookish" heroine who's convinced no man could possibly love her (even though she's described like some kind of sexy Latina hot librarian fantasy). No. Stop. The shy, unsexy librarian trope needs to die.
So...yeah. Not to be that reader who hates on the female protagonist, but Rosa was really not working for me. And, all thing being equal, I found Jeremy to be an absolute snore-fest as well! He has the weird angst about not be his dad's "real" son because he's adopted and his bio dad is a criminal or whatever. Considering his parents obviously loved him, I felt that point of tension was just as contrived as Rosa self-flagellating for causing her mother's car accident. It felt like both protagonists were just reaching up their butts to find reasons to hate themselves, you know?
Anyway.
So there's the pregnancy, and Jeremy wants to get married but Rosa doesn't. That it, that's the plot. Obviously, Jeremy eventually wins Rosa over. Rosa accepts his proposal by reading a super cheesy poem in public (so cheesy! why god, why). And all is right with the world. Except it's not, because what a weird book? Most of the conflict in Her Perfect Affair felt contrived and, again, like Oliveras was making a big deal about very small issues.
Bonus note: Jeremy's vapid blond ex-girlfriend is the "villain" of a couple scenes, and I really could have done without that. Because of course we must contrast the shy, Latina librarian heroine with the tall, skinny, blonde bitch who's out to steal her man. Also Oliveras wrote that the ex-girlfriend's "sidekick" was (and I quote): "a few too many candy bars shy of being slender" and just NO. This person's weight was not relevant, except as evidence for how awful a person she is. Way to code fatness as synonymous with evil. WHY do authors do this? Yeah, gross. I was not impressed by the author's treatment of either the ex-girlfriend or the ex-girlfriends "sidekick."
In sum: this book did not really work for me. Rather than doing something unique with the tropes and archetypes she picked out, Oliveras just wrote a samey-same story. I felt that in comparison to the first book in this series, the characters' Puerto Rican culture wasn't explored nearly as much (except in the context of Catholic Guilt), so that was a let-down as well. All in all, I finished Her Perfect Affair with an indifferent shrug and a bit of an eye-roll.
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Her Perfect Affair is a fairly textbook example of the "surprise pregnancy after a one-night stand" trope. Rosa and Jeremy hook up at a wedding, don't speak to each other until the test comes back positive, and then Jeremy proposes instantly while Rosa balks for ~reasons~ that may or may not make much sense. It's not usually my favorite kind of story—mood swings, strange cravings, and morning sickness rarely send romantic signals, in my opinion. (Sometimes an author can make it work, though!) This was especially the case with this book, since Rosa's pregnancy does not progress smoothly at all, and her doctor prescribes bedrest. Ick.
In general, Rosa Fernandez already has a lot of issues re: guilt and insecurity. She holds herself responsible for her mother's death in a car accident (the reasoning for this is super flimsy), and overall, she thinks of herself as ugly, a failure, etc. Toss in a pregnancy out of wedlock that she feels will surely disappoint her entire Catholic Latino community, and there is a lot of self-flagellation going on in a single book. Being completely honest, I understand that the "shame" of getting pregnant without being married is a reality for many, many people...but yikes, I don't want to read about it in a romance novel. Or any novel. And I'm also not down for the "shy and bookish" heroine who's convinced no man could possibly love her (even though she's described like some kind of sexy Latina hot librarian fantasy). No. Stop. The shy, unsexy librarian trope needs to die.
So...yeah. Not to be that reader who hates on the female protagonist, but Rosa was really not working for me. And, all thing being equal, I found Jeremy to be an absolute snore-fest as well! He has the weird angst about not be his dad's "real" son because he's adopted and his bio dad is a criminal or whatever. Considering his parents obviously loved him, I felt that point of tension was just as contrived as Rosa self-flagellating for causing her mother's car accident. It felt like both protagonists were just reaching up their butts to find reasons to hate themselves, you know?
Anyway.
So there's the pregnancy, and Jeremy wants to get married but Rosa doesn't. That it, that's the plot. Obviously, Jeremy eventually wins Rosa over. Rosa accepts his proposal by reading a super cheesy poem in public (so cheesy! why god, why). And all is right with the world. Except it's not, because what a weird book? Most of the conflict in Her Perfect Affair felt contrived and, again, like Oliveras was making a big deal about very small issues.
Bonus note: Jeremy's vapid blond ex-girlfriend is the "villain" of a couple scenes, and I really could have done without that. Because of course we must contrast the shy, Latina librarian heroine with the tall, skinny, blonde bitch who's out to steal her man. Also Oliveras wrote that the ex-girlfriend's "sidekick" was (and I quote): "a few too many candy bars shy of being slender" and just NO. This person's weight was not relevant, except as evidence for how awful a person she is. Way to code fatness as synonymous with evil. WHY do authors do this? Yeah, gross. I was not impressed by the author's treatment of either the ex-girlfriend or the ex-girlfriends "sidekick."
In sum: this book did not really work for me. Rather than doing something unique with the tropes and archetypes she picked out, Oliveras just wrote a samey-same story. I felt that in comparison to the first book in this series, the characters' Puerto Rican culture wasn't explored nearly as much (except in the context of Catholic Guilt), so that was a let-down as well. All in all, I finished Her Perfect Affair with an indifferent shrug and a bit of an eye-roll.
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October 10, 2018
Priscilla Oliveras had a successful debut romance with His Perfect Partner, the first in the Matched to Perfection series about three Puerto Rican sisters finding love amid the laughter and tears of everyday life. I enjoyed that story, though I did find it quite emotional as the women deal with their father’s cancer diagnosis. There are happier times ahead as Her Perfect Affair begins with a wedding celebration for the couple from book one. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable romance where a seductive night together leads to unintended consequences (that’s a euphemism for ‘Oops! We made a baby!’).
Rosa has always been the responsible Fernandez sister. She doesn’t make hasty decisions and she has a plan for her life. At the wedding of her older sister Yazmine, Rosa throws caution to the winds when she gets the chance to spend the night with her secret crush, Yazmine’s best friend Jeremy Taylor. As luck would have it, despite using precautions Rosa ends up pregnant.
Jeremy comes from a wealthy society family, though they have had their share of heartache. Surviving an abusive relationship, Jeremy’s mother married a wonderful man who raised Jeremy as his own. They’d hoped he’d follow in his step-father’s footsteps and become a lawyer but Jeremy insisted on going out on his own, building his own career in information technology. He’s been raised to always do the right thing, and that means proposing marriage to Rosa, whom he’s also secretly cared for a great deal. But Rosa shocks him when she refuses his proposal.
Rosa knows that the easiest thing to do would be to marry Jeremy. Her new job as librarian at a Catholic school could be in jeopardy, and she is aware that gossip in her church may be unkind. She dreads telling her two sisters about the pregnancy, as well as other relatives who will be disappointed in her. But no matter what happens, she refuses to marry out of obligation. She wants a marriage built on love and respect. She’s willing to be co-parents with Jeremy even if it’s the more difficult route. Can Jeremy show Rosa that together they can have everything, including love?
What a lovely romance! It’s on the sweeter side, with on-page kisses but off-page love scenes, though the consequences are the same. Rosa so rarely lets herself be impulsive and the one time she does, it comes back to bite her. I admire her for her convictions, for her willingness to take responsibility for her actions and for her not taking the easy way out. She’s especially concerned about her new job at the Catholic school, because although they haven’t yet enacted a morality clause in their employee contracts that would give them the right to terminate employees for infractions (such as being unwed and pregnant) they could still make things difficult for her. This is particularly distressing because she’s started an after school poetry group that has become a popular oasis for some of the local teenagers. For her, poetry is a way to express her thoughts and feelings and she keeps a poetry journal to confide in. Being engaged would make sharing the news of her pregnancy a lot easier but she’s holding out for love.
As for Jeremy, he’s what friends of mine on social media would call a ‘cinnamon roll hero’ – patient and kind, generous and thoughtful. While he believes marriage really is the solution, when Rosa declines his offer he initially wants to push the issue. When she won’t budge, he resolves to do whatever he can to help ease her pregnancy symptoms and support her any way he can. Some readers may find the story a bit challenging if they are sensitive to scenes of nausea and vomiting because Rosa throws up A LOT. In fact she spends almost the entire story dealing with morning sickness as a result of having the pregnancy condition of hyperemesis gravidarum, which is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and dehydration. Jeremy steps up the plate, learning how to make a special tea taught to him by Rosa’s godmother, and spending nights at her house as a caregiver to make sure she has everything she needs. In his care and attention he demonstrates his true feelings of love for Rosa, not the romantic ones but the ones that will make a marriage endure. As he and Rosa spend time together, they come to realize that their feelings have strengthened and in fact become real love. While it takes Rosa longer to realize this than Jeremy, they eventually end up on the same page, and are ready to make that lifelong commitment, not just for their child, but for themselves.
The story is infused with the close family ties and culture of the Puerto Rican Fernandez sisters. From liberally sprinkled Spanish expressions, to traditional foods and celebrations, the author who is herself Puerto Rican has brought the warmth and love of her own personal experience to the romance. Jeremy has to prove to Rosa’s family that he will make a worthy father for the baby and partner for Rosa, regardless of whether they marry or not. From this family background Rosa also challenges Jeremy to reconcile with his parents, with whom he’s had a strained relationship for some time. It’s quite nice to see him taking her advice and shows that they have equal opportunities to support each other. Her Perfect Affair is a family focused, heartwarming romance.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Rosa has always been the responsible Fernandez sister. She doesn’t make hasty decisions and she has a plan for her life. At the wedding of her older sister Yazmine, Rosa throws caution to the winds when she gets the chance to spend the night with her secret crush, Yazmine’s best friend Jeremy Taylor. As luck would have it, despite using precautions Rosa ends up pregnant.
Jeremy comes from a wealthy society family, though they have had their share of heartache. Surviving an abusive relationship, Jeremy’s mother married a wonderful man who raised Jeremy as his own. They’d hoped he’d follow in his step-father’s footsteps and become a lawyer but Jeremy insisted on going out on his own, building his own career in information technology. He’s been raised to always do the right thing, and that means proposing marriage to Rosa, whom he’s also secretly cared for a great deal. But Rosa shocks him when she refuses his proposal.
Rosa knows that the easiest thing to do would be to marry Jeremy. Her new job as librarian at a Catholic school could be in jeopardy, and she is aware that gossip in her church may be unkind. She dreads telling her two sisters about the pregnancy, as well as other relatives who will be disappointed in her. But no matter what happens, she refuses to marry out of obligation. She wants a marriage built on love and respect. She’s willing to be co-parents with Jeremy even if it’s the more difficult route. Can Jeremy show Rosa that together they can have everything, including love?
What a lovely romance! It’s on the sweeter side, with on-page kisses but off-page love scenes, though the consequences are the same. Rosa so rarely lets herself be impulsive and the one time she does, it comes back to bite her. I admire her for her convictions, for her willingness to take responsibility for her actions and for her not taking the easy way out. She’s especially concerned about her new job at the Catholic school, because although they haven’t yet enacted a morality clause in their employee contracts that would give them the right to terminate employees for infractions (such as being unwed and pregnant) they could still make things difficult for her. This is particularly distressing because she’s started an after school poetry group that has become a popular oasis for some of the local teenagers. For her, poetry is a way to express her thoughts and feelings and she keeps a poetry journal to confide in. Being engaged would make sharing the news of her pregnancy a lot easier but she’s holding out for love.
As for Jeremy, he’s what friends of mine on social media would call a ‘cinnamon roll hero’ – patient and kind, generous and thoughtful. While he believes marriage really is the solution, when Rosa declines his offer he initially wants to push the issue. When she won’t budge, he resolves to do whatever he can to help ease her pregnancy symptoms and support her any way he can. Some readers may find the story a bit challenging if they are sensitive to scenes of nausea and vomiting because Rosa throws up A LOT. In fact she spends almost the entire story dealing with morning sickness as a result of having the pregnancy condition of hyperemesis gravidarum, which is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and dehydration. Jeremy steps up the plate, learning how to make a special tea taught to him by Rosa’s godmother, and spending nights at her house as a caregiver to make sure she has everything she needs. In his care and attention he demonstrates his true feelings of love for Rosa, not the romantic ones but the ones that will make a marriage endure. As he and Rosa spend time together, they come to realize that their feelings have strengthened and in fact become real love. While it takes Rosa longer to realize this than Jeremy, they eventually end up on the same page, and are ready to make that lifelong commitment, not just for their child, but for themselves.
The story is infused with the close family ties and culture of the Puerto Rican Fernandez sisters. From liberally sprinkled Spanish expressions, to traditional foods and celebrations, the author who is herself Puerto Rican has brought the warmth and love of her own personal experience to the romance. Jeremy has to prove to Rosa’s family that he will make a worthy father for the baby and partner for Rosa, regardless of whether they marry or not. From this family background Rosa also challenges Jeremy to reconcile with his parents, with whom he’s had a strained relationship for some time. It’s quite nice to see him taking her advice and shows that they have equal opportunities to support each other. Her Perfect Affair is a family focused, heartwarming romance.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
March 28, 2018
I really enjoyed this as much as book 1 in the series. Jeremy and Rosa were so good together and as individuals. While this one was a low heat level like book 1 (one closed door sex scene) there were some steamier make out scenes ;) with lots of great tension.
I love how Priscilla Oliveras centres family as an important theme. The potential one between Rosa and Jeremy (she's carrying his child), Rosa's sisters and Jeremy's parents, as well as the family Rosa has created with her poetry students. I loved seeing those different dynamics at play.
While we get to see the early stages of Rosa's pregnancies it's not easy, as she's diagnosed with the same condition her mother had. One that requires bes rest and certain foods to help with her upset stomach/nausea. It was so interesting seeing the puerto rican remedies for this and one of my fave scenes is Jeremy being taught what to prepare for Rosa by her god mother.
I loves Jeremy! He's such a sweetie and cares about Rosa so much. I cackled when he had no idea what type of olives to get when he's sent out to get the items for the meals and returns with allll the types of olives. Lol.
I also appreciates how when Rosa calls him out on things or points out how he messed up he listened. He really wants to show Rosa how much he cares.
Both And Rosa's gesture at the end to show Jeremy how much she cares about him too. It was sooo sweet!! And shows such growth as she was always scared to share her poetry in public. I thought the gesture was pretty great while still being true to who Rosa is :)
And the glimpses we got of Yaz and Tomas as a family unit, i liked that a lot. I always look forward to getting a peek at the previous couple's life even as the focus remains on the new couple. Oliveras does this nicely as Yaz and Tomas' wedding opens the book.
Lili, the youngest is next up to have her story told and she intrigues me so i cant wait to read her book!
I love how Priscilla Oliveras centres family as an important theme. The potential one between Rosa and Jeremy (she's carrying his child), Rosa's sisters and Jeremy's parents, as well as the family Rosa has created with her poetry students. I loved seeing those different dynamics at play.
While we get to see the early stages of Rosa's pregnancies it's not easy, as she's diagnosed with the same condition her mother had. One that requires bes rest and certain foods to help with her upset stomach/nausea. It was so interesting seeing the puerto rican remedies for this and one of my fave scenes is Jeremy being taught what to prepare for Rosa by her god mother.
I loves Jeremy! He's such a sweetie and cares about Rosa so much. I cackled when he had no idea what type of olives to get when he's sent out to get the items for the meals and returns with allll the types of olives. Lol.
I also appreciates how when Rosa calls him out on things or points out how he messed up he listened. He really wants to show Rosa how much he cares.
Both And Rosa's gesture at the end to show Jeremy how much she cares about him too. It was sooo sweet!! And shows such growth as she was always scared to share her poetry in public. I thought the gesture was pretty great while still being true to who Rosa is :)
And the glimpses we got of Yaz and Tomas as a family unit, i liked that a lot. I always look forward to getting a peek at the previous couple's life even as the focus remains on the new couple. Oliveras does this nicely as Yaz and Tomas' wedding opens the book.
Lili, the youngest is next up to have her story told and she intrigues me so i cant wait to read her book!
dnf
November 1, 2022DNF at 41%
Too much Catholicism (and specifically Catholic guilt) for my taste.
10/31/22
Too much Catholicism (and specifically Catholic guilt) for my taste.
10/31/22
April 5, 2018
Puerto Rican school librarian heroine and an unspecified white tech bro hero and a Harlequin Romance vibe. It had no on-page sex, which I know some people are always looking for.
November 22, 2021
Oh I love Rosa. I found myself truly relating to her so much...
This book goes into more in depth romance and swoony moments. Even more details to the closed door steamy scenes, I would call these door cracked open scenes.
As per usual the Puerto Rican Culture is so beautifully portrayed. Loved this love story.
This book goes into more in depth romance and swoony moments. Even more details to the closed door steamy scenes, I would call these door cracked open scenes.
As per usual the Puerto Rican Culture is so beautifully portrayed. Loved this love story.
July 30, 2018
The first book in this series, His Perfect Partner, was one of my favorite romances last year. In that book, you could tell there was something between Rosa and Jeremy, so I was quite excited to read this one.
As hinted in the first book, Rosa has a major crush on Jeremy. In fact, that sounds a bit juvenile--Rosa is pretty much in love with Jeremy. But they are very good friends and she doesn't want to mess up their friendship. Jeremy, who has just moved back to Chicago, was a rock for her after her father's death, and he is considered a close friend of the entire family. Little does Rosa know that Jeremy is also interested in potentially exploring a relationship, but he has no idea how she feels, and he is waiting for a sign from her that she may want to take things further. So when Rosa and Jeremy have a ONS at her sister's wedding, he's disheartened the next morning when she wakes up really embarrassed. (I should note that this is a closed door romance. There is kissing but no sex depicted on page.)
Rosa is the "good" Fernandez sister, and having a ONS is totally unlike her. She is embarrassed for coming onto Jeremy and freaked out that she's ruined their friendship. That was... kind of frustrating, because she ignored him and didn't even try to talk to him about it, but I kinda got it, too. It was so out of character for her.
But that's the least of her worries because despite using protection, Rosa gets pregnant. When she tells Jeremy, he immediately suggests getting married because it's the Right Thing to Do. Thus begins the sometimes tiring back-and-forth between Rosa and Jeremy.
I don't often see the let's-get-married-for-the-baby trope(?) in contemporary romance because it seems like an outdated concept, but don't we all know people who have gotten married because of a pregnancy? SO MANY. And how many of those ended up in divorces? SO MANY. I totally understood why Rosa freaked out over this. And Jeremy was really pushy at the beginning, especially when Rosa has complications with her pregnancy and is ordered to work half days and rest. But Jeremy does back off and I thought he was a total cinnamon roll hero. There are a lot of things he does to show Rosa he cares about her--try to learn Spanish, go shopping, learn how to make food and tea that will not upset her stomach. Even though Rosa felt he was overbearing at times--and he was--he wasn't an asshole.
There is a lot here to do with Catholic guilt. And that is a real thing, let me tell you. Rosa works for a religious private school, she's a practicing Catholic who attends Mass every week with her family, and she's very involved in the Latino community as well, which is also connected to the church. There are possible serious repercussions for her job that she worries about as well as her fear that she has let everyone down by getting pregnant out of wedlock. But while the book grapples with these topics, it doesn't lose itself in Guilt and Shame. Just like the first book, family and community play a very important role in a positive way. I love the scenes of Rosa with her sisters; I love when they reminisce about their parents; I love their family friends who fuss over Rosa to show they care about her. Jeremy also has a strong relationship with his parents, even thought they have some issues to work out.
The slightly lower rating is because I just didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the last one. There were too many instances when a simple conversation between Rosa and Jeremy could've cleared things up. I hated the ongoing miscommunications. Rosa in particular really pushes Jeremy away towards the end when I thought things were finally heading in the right direction. It was frustrating as a reader. There is also this guilt Jeremy has over his birth father and honestly... I'm kind of tired of the I Won't Be Like My Terrible Parent thing in romance. There's also a catty ex-girlfriend and a very memorable instance of blatant fatphobia that really took me out of the scene and was disappointing to read in an otherwise wonderful book.
I can't wait for the next book, which is the story of the youngest Fernandez sister!
As hinted in the first book, Rosa has a major crush on Jeremy. In fact, that sounds a bit juvenile--Rosa is pretty much in love with Jeremy. But they are very good friends and she doesn't want to mess up their friendship. Jeremy, who has just moved back to Chicago, was a rock for her after her father's death, and he is considered a close friend of the entire family. Little does Rosa know that Jeremy is also interested in potentially exploring a relationship, but he has no idea how she feels, and he is waiting for a sign from her that she may want to take things further. So when Rosa and Jeremy have a ONS at her sister's wedding, he's disheartened the next morning when she wakes up really embarrassed. (I should note that this is a closed door romance. There is kissing but no sex depicted on page.)
Rosa is the "good" Fernandez sister, and having a ONS is totally unlike her. She is embarrassed for coming onto Jeremy and freaked out that she's ruined their friendship. That was... kind of frustrating, because she ignored him and didn't even try to talk to him about it, but I kinda got it, too. It was so out of character for her.
But that's the least of her worries because despite using protection, Rosa gets pregnant. When she tells Jeremy, he immediately suggests getting married because it's the Right Thing to Do. Thus begins the sometimes tiring back-and-forth between Rosa and Jeremy.
I don't often see the let's-get-married-for-the-baby trope(?) in contemporary romance because it seems like an outdated concept, but don't we all know people who have gotten married because of a pregnancy? SO MANY. And how many of those ended up in divorces? SO MANY. I totally understood why Rosa freaked out over this. And Jeremy was really pushy at the beginning, especially when Rosa has complications with her pregnancy and is ordered to work half days and rest. But Jeremy does back off and I thought he was a total cinnamon roll hero. There are a lot of things he does to show Rosa he cares about her--try to learn Spanish, go shopping, learn how to make food and tea that will not upset her stomach. Even though Rosa felt he was overbearing at times--and he was--he wasn't an asshole.
There is a lot here to do with Catholic guilt. And that is a real thing, let me tell you. Rosa works for a religious private school, she's a practicing Catholic who attends Mass every week with her family, and she's very involved in the Latino community as well, which is also connected to the church. There are possible serious repercussions for her job that she worries about as well as her fear that she has let everyone down by getting pregnant out of wedlock. But while the book grapples with these topics, it doesn't lose itself in Guilt and Shame. Just like the first book, family and community play a very important role in a positive way. I love the scenes of Rosa with her sisters; I love when they reminisce about their parents; I love their family friends who fuss over Rosa to show they care about her. Jeremy also has a strong relationship with his parents, even thought they have some issues to work out.
The slightly lower rating is because I just didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the last one. There were too many instances when a simple conversation between Rosa and Jeremy could've cleared things up. I hated the ongoing miscommunications. Rosa in particular really pushes Jeremy away towards the end when I thought things were finally heading in the right direction. It was frustrating as a reader. There is also this guilt Jeremy has over his birth father and honestly... I'm kind of tired of the I Won't Be Like My Terrible Parent thing in romance. There's also a catty ex-girlfriend and a very memorable instance of blatant fatphobia that really took me out of the scene and was disappointing to read in an otherwise wonderful book.
I can't wait for the next book, which is the story of the youngest Fernandez sister!
March 30, 2018
I'll be honest, I really struggled with this book, and in particular the heroine. While I understood Rosa's reasons for being guarded and for not wanting to be in a relationship with Jeremy by default, she consistently refused to give him any agency for the choices he was making--it was all he was doing this because he had to, because it was the right thing, and she never once considered it was because he wanted to. And you know what, I get that was the point, that she had her own trauma that she was working through completely unrelated to an unplanned pregnancy, but that didn't make it any less frustrating to read.
(There's a moment where she calls Jeremy out for lying to her about his family situation, and has absolutely zero self awareness that she's doing the exact same thing to her family by not telling them that she feels their mother's death was her fault, and I wanted to shake her.)
And then, the whole thing turns on him finally admitting his feelings and then she reads a poem and they're together? The resolution just felt super rushed for the entire book of walls that she put up, and I didn't feel like I had adequate reason to believe that they were going to live happily ever after.
Disappointing after I enjoyed Oliveras's debut so much, but if there's a book about the third sister I will still check it out. Lili is cool.
(There's a moment where she calls Jeremy out for lying to her about his family situation, and has absolutely zero self awareness that she's doing the exact same thing to her family by not telling them that she feels their mother's death was her fault, and I wanted to shake her.)
And then, the whole thing turns on him finally admitting his feelings and then she reads a poem and they're together? The resolution just felt super rushed for the entire book of walls that she put up, and I didn't feel like I had adequate reason to believe that they were going to live happily ever after.
Disappointing after I enjoyed Oliveras's debut so much, but if there's a book about the third sister I will still check it out. Lili is cool.
October 26, 2018
3.5/5
His Perfect Affair was actually the first book I read from Priscilla Oliveras and it was while reading this book that I realized that I most definitely needed to go back and read the first just because I needed more of the Fernandez sisters. I know the heroine in His Perfect Affair did not work for everyone, but being a lover of flawed heroines, I didn't have as much of a big issue with her.
This book tells the story of Rosa Fernandes, who has a one-night stand with a good friend and winds up being pregnant. A good girl to the bone, Rosa was the sort of character who was responsible and spent much of her life not doing anything reckless. So, this one-night stand was completely out of character for her. Though her career as a librarian at a conservative Catholic school may be in jeopardy if the board found out about her out-of-wedlock pregnancy, she refused to marry Jeremy out of obligation. Instead, she kept her pregnancy from her beloved sisters and suggests co-parenting to Jeremy. It was obvious where Rosa's feelings were coming from in His Perfect Affair. As a reader, you want to shake her by the shoulders so that she sees the obvious good thing in front of her, but part of me also admired that she didn't want to force Jeremy in any way. She remained very staunch throughout the book when it came to her decision despite Jeremy's constant wooing and I'll admit that her bullheadedness could be just a bit frustrating. As you would expect, she did eventually give in to her attractions to him, but the road to getting there was not an easy one. Jeremy was such a star. He was just the most patient guy ever. He was a genuinely good guy and went to lengths to show Rosa that he was just the perfect guy for her. It's been months since I've read this book, but I still want to swoon thinking of Jeremy and all of his amazingness.
As you may have guessed, the romance was not always the easiest, but I never stopped rooting for them to find their happily-ever-after. I think Jeremy worked hard to get there and prove that he was genuinely in love with Rosa. As with His Perfect Partner, family was a strong element in His Perfect Affair. I love the Fernandes sisters and how close they are with each other. These sisters were willing to do anything for each other and that just melted my heart! I loved how we got to see so much of the Peurto Rican traditions and culture in this book.
As with the first book, His Perfect Affair is another romantic read I recommend if you are looking for something with strong elements of family.
His Perfect Affair was actually the first book I read from Priscilla Oliveras and it was while reading this book that I realized that I most definitely needed to go back and read the first just because I needed more of the Fernandez sisters. I know the heroine in His Perfect Affair did not work for everyone, but being a lover of flawed heroines, I didn't have as much of a big issue with her.
This book tells the story of Rosa Fernandes, who has a one-night stand with a good friend and winds up being pregnant. A good girl to the bone, Rosa was the sort of character who was responsible and spent much of her life not doing anything reckless. So, this one-night stand was completely out of character for her. Though her career as a librarian at a conservative Catholic school may be in jeopardy if the board found out about her out-of-wedlock pregnancy, she refused to marry Jeremy out of obligation. Instead, she kept her pregnancy from her beloved sisters and suggests co-parenting to Jeremy. It was obvious where Rosa's feelings were coming from in His Perfect Affair. As a reader, you want to shake her by the shoulders so that she sees the obvious good thing in front of her, but part of me also admired that she didn't want to force Jeremy in any way. She remained very staunch throughout the book when it came to her decision despite Jeremy's constant wooing and I'll admit that her bullheadedness could be just a bit frustrating. As you would expect, she did eventually give in to her attractions to him, but the road to getting there was not an easy one. Jeremy was such a star. He was just the most patient guy ever. He was a genuinely good guy and went to lengths to show Rosa that he was just the perfect guy for her. It's been months since I've read this book, but I still want to swoon thinking of Jeremy and all of his amazingness.
As you may have guessed, the romance was not always the easiest, but I never stopped rooting for them to find their happily-ever-after. I think Jeremy worked hard to get there and prove that he was genuinely in love with Rosa. As with His Perfect Partner, family was a strong element in His Perfect Affair. I love the Fernandes sisters and how close they are with each other. These sisters were willing to do anything for each other and that just melted my heart! I loved how we got to see so much of the Peurto Rican traditions and culture in this book.
As with the first book, His Perfect Affair is another romantic read I recommend if you are looking for something with strong elements of family.
April 11, 2018
Also on Romances Ever After as part of the Blog Tour.
I loved Priscilla Oliveras’ debut novel, His Perfect Partner, so I was pretty stoked when I got approved for the sequel ARC. While Her Perfect Affair didn’t manage to charm me the way its predecessor did, this book still has some strengths I appreciate.
Her Perfect Affair follows the second Fernandez sister, Rosa. Rosa’s the straitlaced one of the three sisters, the rules follower and ‘good girl’, until one night she decided to follow her heart and get together with Jeremy Taylor, a close friend of the family and a man she’s been crushing on for years. Like the first book, I really love that this book is unapologetically Latinx, from the Spanish integrated in the dialogues, the food, the strong familial bonds… I’ve always found myself easier to relate to ethnic families in lit seeing that I came from one myself, and it thrilled me to find similarities in a culture different than my own. I adore the tight bond between the Fernandez sisters. I love how they love and support each other despite their differences. I also love Rosa’s poetry club kids, they’re all standout characters on their own.
That being said, I wish I was more invested in the romance since that’s the thing I came here for. I love both Rosa and Jeremy as individual characters, but I had mixed feelings about them together. Jeremy, especially, has my heart—he was so kind and earnest, and he tried so hard, this man. Rosa was his ride or die, and it kind of pained me to see his sincere efforts constantly rebuffed. He simply couldn’t do anything right in Rosa’s eyes. I wanted to be understanding of Rosa’s insecurities regarding Jeremy, but the push-and-pulling got a bit tiring halfway through the book. I was amazed by Jeremy’s endless patience.
Overall, I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t love Her Perfect Affair as much as I wanted to, but I’m still sticking around to see Lili, the youngest Fernandez sister, gets her HEA.
I loved Priscilla Oliveras’ debut novel, His Perfect Partner, so I was pretty stoked when I got approved for the sequel ARC. While Her Perfect Affair didn’t manage to charm me the way its predecessor did, this book still has some strengths I appreciate.
Her Perfect Affair follows the second Fernandez sister, Rosa. Rosa’s the straitlaced one of the three sisters, the rules follower and ‘good girl’, until one night she decided to follow her heart and get together with Jeremy Taylor, a close friend of the family and a man she’s been crushing on for years. Like the first book, I really love that this book is unapologetically Latinx, from the Spanish integrated in the dialogues, the food, the strong familial bonds… I’ve always found myself easier to relate to ethnic families in lit seeing that I came from one myself, and it thrilled me to find similarities in a culture different than my own. I adore the tight bond between the Fernandez sisters. I love how they love and support each other despite their differences. I also love Rosa’s poetry club kids, they’re all standout characters on their own.
That being said, I wish I was more invested in the romance since that’s the thing I came here for. I love both Rosa and Jeremy as individual characters, but I had mixed feelings about them together. Jeremy, especially, has my heart—he was so kind and earnest, and he tried so hard, this man. Rosa was his ride or die, and it kind of pained me to see his sincere efforts constantly rebuffed. He simply couldn’t do anything right in Rosa’s eyes. I wanted to be understanding of Rosa’s insecurities regarding Jeremy, but the push-and-pulling got a bit tiring halfway through the book. I was amazed by Jeremy’s endless patience.
Overall, I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t love Her Perfect Affair as much as I wanted to, but I’m still sticking around to see Lili, the youngest Fernandez sister, gets her HEA.
April 23, 2018
There are no words for how much I adored this book! It’s a Latinx contemporary romance with a librarian heroine and a surprise baby plot and it made me so happy. It also gave me a lot of feels because the characters are working through big internal conflicts, like self-worth and belonging, and it was so moving to watch them grow through the course of the novel. Rosa was such a booknerd and Jeremy was so supportive. These two had major feelings for one another but they both worried about losing their friendship or the other person not feeling the same way and it was the perfect amount of angst. I also loved how the Fernandez sisters supported each other! Pretty much a gushfest over here. This is book 2 in the series but it’s a standalone and now I need to get book 1 asap.
October 2, 2020
3.5⭐️ While I loved the first book in this trilogy, book 2 was just ok. The writing was great but I found myself annoyed with the heroine in story—very hot and cold. It also doesn’t help that this romance has one of my least favorite tropes. 😕
March 30, 2018
This was my first book by Priscilla Oliveras, though I wish I'd read His Perfect Partner, because Yas and Tomas and Maria sounded perfect together and cute as hell. Either way, so this was my first book by the author, and I was encouraged to request it by Lisa, who had read and liked the first book of the series.
I enjoyed quite a few things in this book, such as the story. The story and plot were strong, I really like the friends to lovers vibe going on here, and I liked the connecting between Jeremy and Rosa, and how much his support meant to her, even before the events of this book took place.
Another strong point for me was the importance of family, and their role within this story. I really enjoyed seeing Rosa interact with her sisters, how they supported her, and also brought Jeremy into the family. Same has to be said for Jeremy's family. I was worried for a hot second there, but his mom and dad were amazing and so supportive of him and his decisions.
But I'm rating this book 3 stars, so you know that something was off for me. My major issue was the pacing. I liked Oliveras writing style, but the pacing just didn't quite work for me. It's not a secret that I'm not a fan of the 3rd person POV, but it was more than that. It always felt like the writing took the longest time and route to go from point A to point B. Sometimes, a thought was initiated on a page, and concluded 4 pages later, because the narrator would get lost inside their own head. Sorry, but it just didn't work for me.
My other huge issue is the massive lack of communication between Rosa and Jeremy. While I understood Rosa's fears and her hang ups, she never tried to have an honest conversation with Jeremy. In fact, she started pushing him away right away, and would jump to conclusions without giving him the benefit of a doubt. I felt like Jeremy was never allowed to truly express how he felt, and that led to them dancing around each other and their feelings until the 97% mark. It was a bit infuriating.
While I really liked that this book is "unapologetically Latinx" (like Lisa said), I was not a fan of all the catholic guilt brewing inside of Rosa. I was happy with the development and reactions by other people, but some reactions were just too much for my agnostic brain to take in.
Overall, it was a enjoyable story, that dragged on a little bit too much. I did like the family a lot, and I'll possibly check out the rest of the series.
I enjoyed quite a few things in this book, such as the story. The story and plot were strong, I really like the friends to lovers vibe going on here, and I liked the connecting between Jeremy and Rosa, and how much his support meant to her, even before the events of this book took place.
Another strong point for me was the importance of family, and their role within this story. I really enjoyed seeing Rosa interact with her sisters, how they supported her, and also brought Jeremy into the family. Same has to be said for Jeremy's family. I was worried for a hot second there, but his mom and dad were amazing and so supportive of him and his decisions.
But I'm rating this book 3 stars, so you know that something was off for me. My major issue was the pacing. I liked Oliveras writing style, but the pacing just didn't quite work for me. It's not a secret that I'm not a fan of the 3rd person POV, but it was more than that. It always felt like the writing took the longest time and route to go from point A to point B. Sometimes, a thought was initiated on a page, and concluded 4 pages later, because the narrator would get lost inside their own head. Sorry, but it just didn't work for me.
My other huge issue is the massive lack of communication between Rosa and Jeremy. While I understood Rosa's fears and her hang ups, she never tried to have an honest conversation with Jeremy. In fact, she started pushing him away right away, and would jump to conclusions without giving him the benefit of a doubt. I felt like Jeremy was never allowed to truly express how he felt, and that led to them dancing around each other and their feelings until the 97% mark. It was a bit infuriating.
While I really liked that this book is "unapologetically Latinx" (like Lisa said), I was not a fan of all the catholic guilt brewing inside of Rosa. I was happy with the development and reactions by other people, but some reactions were just too much for my agnostic brain to take in.
Overall, it was a enjoyable story, that dragged on a little bit too much. I did like the family a lot, and I'll possibly check out the rest of the series.
December 30, 2018
My biggest complaint with this book is folks did not use their words! Rosa made some pretty big assumptions and it annoyed me and if she'd have just spoken out about her feelings a lot of problems could have been avoided. That being said Jeremey was also guilty of not using his words either. He was far too hesitant with Rosa and if he had just said what he was thinking/feeling when it happened he could have saved himself a whole heap of trouble.
It wouldn't have been as fun a book to read if they'd done that though.
I liked Rosa. A librarian who escaped into books when she was younger, was a rule follower, and was hesitant to take a risk and put herself out there after a bad experience and who then ends up pregnant after a moment of such risktaking? Yeah, she was my girl. It did frustrate me how she didn't have enough confidence in herself sometimes because she was awesome but I did like seeing that her self doubt didn't stop her from being successful it just held her back in her personal life from time to time.
Jeremy I was a little slower to warn to. He was a rich boy who kind of seemed like he didn't know what he wanted and seemed to have it easy. I warned to him as you saw all was not as it seems when it comes to his family and that he was determined to do the right thing with Rosa even though he went about it all wrong. He was sweet and I liked that he tried even though it went wrong. I wish Rosa had been a bit bolder like him. But that also wouldn't have been in character if she had.
This was another enjoyable read from this author. I love this family and am excited to read Lili's book.
It wouldn't have been as fun a book to read if they'd done that though.
I liked Rosa. A librarian who escaped into books when she was younger, was a rule follower, and was hesitant to take a risk and put herself out there after a bad experience and who then ends up pregnant after a moment of such risktaking? Yeah, she was my girl. It did frustrate me how she didn't have enough confidence in herself sometimes because she was awesome but I did like seeing that her self doubt didn't stop her from being successful it just held her back in her personal life from time to time.
Jeremy I was a little slower to warn to. He was a rich boy who kind of seemed like he didn't know what he wanted and seemed to have it easy. I warned to him as you saw all was not as it seems when it comes to his family and that he was determined to do the right thing with Rosa even though he went about it all wrong. He was sweet and I liked that he tried even though it went wrong. I wish Rosa had been a bit bolder like him. But that also wouldn't have been in character if she had.
This was another enjoyable read from this author. I love this family and am excited to read Lili's book.
July 13, 2019
I did not like this book at all.
I think the crux of it for me is that a lot of the romance seems to happen before this book even starts (I did not read book one, btw), so I never really got a sense of why they were interested in each other, which made it hard to root for their HEA. And frankly, nothing really even happened in this book. She got pregnant and kept pushing him away until all of a sudden she didn't and they got an HEA.
I also think a lot of important conversations happened off-page and a certain amount of necessary internal dialogue was missing to fully understand these characters and their decisions. I grew increasingly frustrated by Rosa's decision to continuously push Jeremy away for no apparent reason, especially when he was nothing but supportive of her decision to have the baby. And I could have lived without the added shame of her working at a Catholic school with a pending morality clause that would have warranted her getting fired for getting pregnant out of wedlock, especially since she did use birth control (which they repeatedly mentioned to justify how accidental her situation was).
Overall, this book was not for me, and I would have DNFed it fairly early on if I weren't reading it for a book club. I recommend checking out Renae's review if you want a more in-depth look at some of the issues with this book.
I think the crux of it for me is that a lot of the romance seems to happen before this book even starts (I did not read book one, btw), so I never really got a sense of why they were interested in each other, which made it hard to root for their HEA. And frankly, nothing really even happened in this book. She got pregnant and kept pushing him away until all of a sudden she didn't and they got an HEA.
I also think a lot of important conversations happened off-page and a certain amount of necessary internal dialogue was missing to fully understand these characters and their decisions. I grew increasingly frustrated by Rosa's decision to continuously push Jeremy away for no apparent reason, especially when he was nothing but supportive of her decision to have the baby. And I could have lived without the added shame of her working at a Catholic school with a pending morality clause that would have warranted her getting fired for getting pregnant out of wedlock, especially since she did use birth control (which they repeatedly mentioned to justify how accidental her situation was).
Overall, this book was not for me, and I would have DNFed it fairly early on if I weren't reading it for a book club. I recommend checking out Renae's review if you want a more in-depth look at some of the issues with this book.
May 5, 2018
In this second book in the series you are set with the wedding that you were left with in the last book. The three sisters now must move on without their father and since the oldest one Yazmine is marrying you are wondering which sister this book is going to focus on. You finally realize that Rosa the middle sister who has been organizing her sister’s wedding is the one. Jeremy and Rosa hit it off in the last book and though he started off as Yazmine friend the two of them have been attracted to one another since they meet but have never acted on any feelings towards each other. Now tonight Rosa is letting Jeremy know that she wants him. In the morning everything goes haywire and Jeremy says the wrong things making her feel self-conscious and not good looking. He is also leaving for Japan for a few months. While he is in Japan they talk until one night when he gets freaks out and asks her not to call, this is also around the time when she finds out that she is pregnant and all of her dreams could be ended as soon as they begin. Yes she fights for her job with the church, yes she has her sisters in her corner, but what she really wants is for her guy to say three little words when saying I want to marry you, not that this is the right thing. She wants what everyone want love and he must say though words, will he? Read this wonderful story and find out. I will say that there are some very good scenes that make this book. Overall a good story. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 26, 2018
Having enjoyed book 1, His Perfect Partner, I was excited to receive an advanced reader copy of the next book in this series, Her Perfect Affair. Unfortunately, the second book was unfolding at such a snail pace by midway through I found myself no longer engaged in the storyline. The author was simply taking too long to tell this romantic tale. Other than the big reveal near the beginning, nothing significant was happening. I forced myself to finish it, and only accomplished that by skimming over large portions of it. I simply can’t recommend this one, folks. It was simply too boring.
Title: Her Perfect Affair, Series: Matched to Perfection (Book 2), Author: Priscilla Oliveras, Pages: 336, stand-alone but part of series,
Book 1 - His Perfect Partner
Book 2 - Her Perfect Affair
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)
Title: Her Perfect Affair, Series: Matched to Perfection (Book 2), Author: Priscilla Oliveras, Pages: 336, stand-alone but part of series,
Book 1 - His Perfect Partner
Book 2 - Her Perfect Affair
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)
June 26, 2018
I couldnt finish it. At first I was really enjoying it, but it didn't take long for it to lose my interest. I may have thrown the book down when she was diagnosed with HG, and instead of offering medication (which exists and works because I had HG my entire pregnancy) the doctor prescribes bed rest. I guess that was just a bit too much to make me suapend disbelief.
June 23, 2018
Wow! I can't say enough good things about Ms Oliveras! I may like this second book even better than the first, and that's a shocker.
March 27, 2018
Trigger warnings:
I enjoyed the first book in this series, His Perfect Partner, so I was looking forward to Rosa’s book. While there’s obviously extra depth to the story if you’ve read the previous book, I think this could be read as a standalone. Overall, this is a sweet ode to family and an exploration of obligation and sacrifice.
Rosa, the middle Fernandez daughter, is the caretaker of the family, who stepped up to become the replacement mom after their mother died in a car accident. She’s finally completed college, as per her plan, she’s happy to start work as the librarian at the Catholic school she attended as a child. What wasn’t part of her plan was to step outside her comfort zone and finally make a move on Jeremy, who she’s had a crush on since she first met him, at her older sister’s wedding. Jeremy’s only recently moved to Chicago after working in New York for a while. Jeremy’s adopted, and it’s given him his own hangups. His adoptive father, Sherman, is a founding partner at one of the premier law firms, but rather than going in to law, like his younger brother, he decided to pursue his master’s in IT. His personal expectation to live up to his stepfather’s example – and to avoid becoming his biological father – were so crushing he fled to New York. He’s also had his eye on Rosa. Her shy, retiring demeanor hides a core of steel, and Jeremy sees that, and is elated when she shows definite interest in him. Eight weeks later, though, an unexpected result from that night stresses their friendship and may destroy their chances at a relationship for good.
Rosa, despite her shy sweetness, is firm on what she wants from life – and it’s not a shotgun marriage to Jeremy. She wants the kind of loving marriage her parents had, and watching the negotiation between the two as they tried to figure out how they fit in each others’ lives was lovely. I’m not usually a fan of pregnant heroines because sometimes the emotional shifts are taken to the extremes, and while I felt Rosa was exceptionally stubborn and did blow hot and cold occasionally, it wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment. The descriptions of Puerto Rican culture were immersive and very enjoyable, and while there’s Spanish sprinkled throughout the story, it was all done in a way that even non-Spanish-speaking me could understand. From the food to the community ties, you could feel the warmth radiating off the page.
As for cons, since the focus of the book is on Jeremy and Rosa’s relationships, it’s pretty slow paced. At certain points in the book I did catch myself checking to see how many chapters were left just because I was getting frustrated with how many roadblocks Rosa kept throwing in the way of their relationship. However, I do think Ms. Oliveras presented good reasons why Rosa was so hesitant about a relationship with Jeremy, even if it felt like it took a while for both characters to come to the same conclusions.
Overall, this book was a lovely family-oriented romance with a strong, principled heroine and a cinnamon-roll hero. I’m very much looking forward to the youngest sister’s book!
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.
I enjoyed the first book in this series, His Perfect Partner, so I was looking forward to Rosa’s book. While there’s obviously extra depth to the story if you’ve read the previous book, I think this could be read as a standalone. Overall, this is a sweet ode to family and an exploration of obligation and sacrifice.
Rosa, the middle Fernandez daughter, is the caretaker of the family, who stepped up to become the replacement mom after their mother died in a car accident. She’s finally completed college, as per her plan, she’s happy to start work as the librarian at the Catholic school she attended as a child. What wasn’t part of her plan was to step outside her comfort zone and finally make a move on Jeremy, who she’s had a crush on since she first met him, at her older sister’s wedding. Jeremy’s only recently moved to Chicago after working in New York for a while. Jeremy’s adopted, and it’s given him his own hangups. His adoptive father, Sherman, is a founding partner at one of the premier law firms, but rather than going in to law, like his younger brother, he decided to pursue his master’s in IT. His personal expectation to live up to his stepfather’s example – and to avoid becoming his biological father – were so crushing he fled to New York. He’s also had his eye on Rosa. Her shy, retiring demeanor hides a core of steel, and Jeremy sees that, and is elated when she shows definite interest in him. Eight weeks later, though, an unexpected result from that night stresses their friendship and may destroy their chances at a relationship for good.
“Dios, he was such a good guy.
Her heart ached with that knowledge, because it also meant there was no way she could be certain whether he was here with her because he really wanted to be, or out of his sense of duty.”
Rosa, despite her shy sweetness, is firm on what she wants from life – and it’s not a shotgun marriage to Jeremy. She wants the kind of loving marriage her parents had, and watching the negotiation between the two as they tried to figure out how they fit in each others’ lives was lovely. I’m not usually a fan of pregnant heroines because sometimes the emotional shifts are taken to the extremes, and while I felt Rosa was exceptionally stubborn and did blow hot and cold occasionally, it wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment. The descriptions of Puerto Rican culture were immersive and very enjoyable, and while there’s Spanish sprinkled throughout the story, it was all done in a way that even non-Spanish-speaking me could understand. From the food to the community ties, you could feel the warmth radiating off the page.
As for cons, since the focus of the book is on Jeremy and Rosa’s relationships, it’s pretty slow paced. At certain points in the book I did catch myself checking to see how many chapters were left just because I was getting frustrated with how many roadblocks Rosa kept throwing in the way of their relationship. However, I do think Ms. Oliveras presented good reasons why Rosa was so hesitant about a relationship with Jeremy, even if it felt like it took a while for both characters to come to the same conclusions.
Overall, this book was a lovely family-oriented romance with a strong, principled heroine and a cinnamon-roll hero. I’m very much looking forward to the youngest sister’s book!
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.
June 12, 2018
Wow what a refreshing read. Best overall thoughts. This is a truly romantic book. A slowburn. Attraction is expressed right away with sex (no erotica in this) yet after that love is expressed through everyday actions. Things you dream your man would do. With characters with well defined characters I wish I could meet in person. I rarely rate a book like this five stars. I am more of an intense emotion, intense storyline reader. So this factor alone should encourage others to pick it up.
How I discovered it: Bookclub
Cover: First glance at the cover I was not excited and questioned the choice. I would not have picked this up on its own. The red banner on the top reminded me of cheesy harlequin. I know I am a horrible person and prejudiced. I did notice the woman on the cover was not white. And she is beautiful but the pose was again cheesy. Not a fan of the cover.
Start: I started the read and right away was not excited by the Spanish phrasing (changed my mind later). The definitions was inferred but I felt like I was missing out. The characters must have switched to Spanish, since Spanish expressed their thoughts better. I wanted to know each and every word. As the book went along I felt either I got used to it or the author got better at explaining the terminology. But Spanish played a key role in not only in expression but how and when it was used to whom it was used for. And without it the beautiful example of culture would have been lost. I just wish I knew Spanish.
Okay So as I start reading I meet a woman who seemed organized and well defined. She has a crush and questions her typical do right attitude and wants to take a shot at her wild side. The man is not as obvious at the beginning except for the way he reacts to the woman's change of character. He has good morals but there is a mutual attraction. The summary does not tell you this is a surprise pregnancy book. But I think its okay to mention since it is a huge part of the book and it happens so early in the book. And some people look for that in books.
Middle: The characters are doing a lot of thinking and holding it to themselves. I get frustrated with story lines that have the characters hold onto their feelings when all they have to do is talk and move on. I feel like its a way for authors to fill up pages. But do not give up reader. They do get the conversation rolling and its done with sophistication just like these wonderful characters. Its not completely resolved til the end but the book doesn't get completely stuck like a never ending record. So the story really gets moving. And I loved the characters so much that I enjoyed reading how they dealt with everything thrown there way and everything they are personally concerned with. I really wish I could meet Rosa in person. She has a very strong independent personality yet she is so balanced and honest and caring and understanding.
Ending: Oh its just right. You will feel so encouraged about family, love, and romance. I heard book makers want the cover to convey the feeling of happy ending. This cover not so much. But what was inside the book... the words create a story of a definite happy ending.
How I discovered it: Bookclub
Cover: First glance at the cover I was not excited and questioned the choice. I would not have picked this up on its own. The red banner on the top reminded me of cheesy harlequin. I know I am a horrible person and prejudiced. I did notice the woman on the cover was not white. And she is beautiful but the pose was again cheesy. Not a fan of the cover.
Start: I started the read and right away was not excited by the Spanish phrasing (changed my mind later). The definitions was inferred but I felt like I was missing out. The characters must have switched to Spanish, since Spanish expressed their thoughts better. I wanted to know each and every word. As the book went along I felt either I got used to it or the author got better at explaining the terminology. But Spanish played a key role in not only in expression but how and when it was used to whom it was used for. And without it the beautiful example of culture would have been lost. I just wish I knew Spanish.
Okay So as I start reading I meet a woman who seemed organized and well defined. She has a crush and questions her typical do right attitude and wants to take a shot at her wild side. The man is not as obvious at the beginning except for the way he reacts to the woman's change of character. He has good morals but there is a mutual attraction. The summary does not tell you this is a surprise pregnancy book. But I think its okay to mention since it is a huge part of the book and it happens so early in the book. And some people look for that in books.
Middle: The characters are doing a lot of thinking and holding it to themselves. I get frustrated with story lines that have the characters hold onto their feelings when all they have to do is talk and move on. I feel like its a way for authors to fill up pages. But do not give up reader. They do get the conversation rolling and its done with sophistication just like these wonderful characters. Its not completely resolved til the end but the book doesn't get completely stuck like a never ending record. So the story really gets moving. And I loved the characters so much that I enjoyed reading how they dealt with everything thrown there way and everything they are personally concerned with. I really wish I could meet Rosa in person. She has a very strong independent personality yet she is so balanced and honest and caring and understanding.
Ending: Oh its just right. You will feel so encouraged about family, love, and romance. I heard book makers want the cover to convey the feeling of happy ending. This cover not so much. But what was inside the book... the words create a story of a definite happy ending.
April 1, 2018
Rosa Fernandez has always been the sister that does the right thing ever since she lost her mom, but when she decides to have a night of fun with Jeremy Taylor, she never imagined she'd end up pregnant. Struggling to deal with the news, she can't help but shut Jeremy out. Luckily though, he's determined to prove he's not going anywhere. Will Jeremy be able to win Rosa's heart, or will she let the fact that they're too different with him being wealthy and having a high profile lifestyle keep them apart?
Having absolutely loved the first book of this series, I was really looking forward to reading this second story of Ms. Oliveras's Matched to Perfection series and I've got to say that this book was very engaging, fast-paced and had me loving the obstacles the main characters face on their journey to happy ever after including the roughness of Rosa's pregnancy, the heroine having to deal with Jeremy's witch of an ex and whether Rosa will give the hero a chance. Furthermore, the way this story started drew me into this story immediately, as Rosa only wants the best for her sisters and is determined to do anything she can to make Yazmine's big day run smoothly. However, it was from moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time where this story really takes off, as there's instant chemistry between Jeremy and Rosa that can't be ignored, especially not when Rosa deserves to let loose for once in her life.
As for the dialogue, it was riveting, but had me frustrated with the heroine at times, as she runs hot and cold towards the hero. However, in saying that, I could understand why Rosa kept pushing the hero away because she wants love and not a marriage of convenience for the sake of the baby. Moreover, the heroine is resilient, stubborn, smart, kind, hard-working and I liked the close bond she shares with her sisters. I also liked how Rosa supported Jeremy with everything to do with his family, as he's always felt like an outsider that feels like he constantly needs to prove himself. While the hero, he's confident, hard-working and I liked how determined he is to win over Rosa and show her that he's not going anywhere. He really wants a relationship with her, which is proven by everything he does for her that shows how much he cares. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero were the decisions he makes that bring him closer with his family and also show the heroine that she's important to him. Will she finally realize how much Jeremy cares for her and that he doesn't want to just be with her for the sake of their baby?
Overall, Ms. Oliveras has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was strong; the romance was wonderful and had me hoping the heroine would give the hero a chance; and the ending had me loving the hero's determination to win the heroine over, as he wants forever with her. However, it was what the heroine does that was delightful and had me smiling, as it's palpable she loves the hero just as much as he loves her. I would recommend Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope, the surprise pregnancy trope, or books by authors Kate Clayborn, Allison Charles, Peggy Jaegar and Elizabeth Harmon.
April 3, 2018
This is the second book in Priscilla's Matched to Perfection series, which features the 3 Fernandez sisters. The first book in the series, His Perfect Partner focused on the oldest sister, Yazmine. The third in the series, Their Perfect Meolody, which comes out in December, will focus on the youngest sister, Lilí. This middle book, though, focuses on the middle sister, Rosa, and her relationship with Jeremy Taylor. Jeremy is a family friend and someone with whom Rosa has wanted to pursue a relationship for a long time. At her sister's wedding, Rosa decides to make the first move toward a relationship with Jeremy, a decision that has unexpected consequences.
Although this is the middle book of a trilogy, I had no problem reading it as a standalone. I will read the other two as well, but didn't feel any confusion over having not read His Perfect Partner first. Oliveras's writing is honest and compelling, and Ioved getting to know the Fernandez family. Because Rosa is the quieter, peace-making sister who tends to over-think things, at times this book can seem a little slow (there are other reviews that had issues with this), but for me (an over-thinker myself) this aspect of the book simply felt true to Rosa's character. Both she and Jeremy have issues in their past that cause them to feel guilty and/or have a lot of self-doubt, and those are roadblocks they need to navigate before they can move forward with their relationship.
Overall this is a very enjoyable read about a couple I rooted for and a family I'm looking forward to getting to know better in the rest of the series.
Although this is the middle book of a trilogy, I had no problem reading it as a standalone. I will read the other two as well, but didn't feel any confusion over having not read His Perfect Partner first. Oliveras's writing is honest and compelling, and Ioved getting to know the Fernandez family. Because Rosa is the quieter, peace-making sister who tends to over-think things, at times this book can seem a little slow (there are other reviews that had issues with this), but for me (an over-thinker myself) this aspect of the book simply felt true to Rosa's character. Both she and Jeremy have issues in their past that cause them to feel guilty and/or have a lot of self-doubt, and those are roadblocks they need to navigate before they can move forward with their relationship.
Overall this is a very enjoyable read about a couple I rooted for and a family I'm looking forward to getting to know better in the rest of the series.
July 15, 2018
Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras delivered on heat, sassy heroines, and a romantic story. A young Puerto Rican woman is determined to stay the good girl. She works hard and does not allow herself to play just as hard. Until her sister's wedding, Rosa Fernandez finds herself wishing about a romance with a particular man. Little does she know, but fate has granted her a wish come true. It seems like the perfect story. But in reality Rosa gets a taste of it for a bit. A tease of what could be. The young man has a lot of pressure with family and his career. Rosa won't let him into her life, until he mends his family tension and decides where he wants to be with his career. But until he does, neither one is happy.
Priscilla Oliveras writes well. The only thing that stops me from rating the book higher was due to the characters. The main protagonists kept pushing the off button. Rosa pushes Jeremy away countless times during the novel. Even her sisters said, she's crazy. While her fear of tying down Jeremy made some sense, it still didn't feel right. She never worked to keep him close to her. It was like, okay, Jeremy, it's all up to you. Whatever Jeremy chooses that would have been how the story ended. Rosa shows no sign of fighting for Jeremy. Jeremy not once really fought to persuade Rosa that he really wanted to be at her side more than nay thing. It just felt flat in this area. Otherwise, the rest was perfect.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
Priscilla Oliveras writes well. The only thing that stops me from rating the book higher was due to the characters. The main protagonists kept pushing the off button. Rosa pushes Jeremy away countless times during the novel. Even her sisters said, she's crazy. While her fear of tying down Jeremy made some sense, it still didn't feel right. She never worked to keep him close to her. It was like, okay, Jeremy, it's all up to you. Whatever Jeremy chooses that would have been how the story ended. Rosa shows no sign of fighting for Jeremy. Jeremy not once really fought to persuade Rosa that he really wanted to be at her side more than nay thing. It just felt flat in this area. Otherwise, the rest was perfect.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
January 11, 2024
The trials and tribulations of the 2nd Fernandez sister resonated with me a trifle more than those of the first. Rosa is just as emotionally strong as her sister Yaz, but manifests this strength in a more subtle way. She too cares a lot about her employ, but works in the interest of a greater good/higher power. Her drive is not anchored in vanity.
I can understand how some might perceive Jeremy as an unrealistic male character, but given the background development and his particular skeletons, his actions did not necessitate substantial suspension of disbelief. I’m sure everyone feels that way, but 20 years later, I still wish it could happen. Too bad I do not buy lottery tickets…
So I maybe able to over identify with these characters, and thus am possibly biasing my review in favor of Oliveras. I will say though that the friendship link is particularly weak. There is an explanation, but it is insufficient to not be merely deemed contrived.
I can understand how some might perceive Jeremy as an unrealistic male character, but given the background development and his particular skeletons, his actions did not necessitate substantial suspension of disbelief. I’m sure everyone feels that way, but 20 years later, I still wish it could happen. Too bad I do not buy lottery tickets…
So I maybe able to over identify with these characters, and thus am possibly biasing my review in favor of Oliveras. I will say though that the friendship link is particularly weak. There is an explanation, but it is insufficient to not be merely deemed contrived.
July 5, 2019
Found via this roundup of underrated authors. Despite the low rating I'm glad they brought the author to my attention and if my library picks up the first in this series i will look forward to reading it; looks much more my cup of tea. Rosa and her sisters were such wonderful characters, I'd be happy to spend more time with them.
There was a lot to love in this one, it just fell way short for me. Rosa figuring out what "doing the right thing" meant for her and her family, faith, and career was nicely nuanced and really interesting to read. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for Jeremy; it seemed like his whole personality was "nice guy trying to do the right thing" and not much else came across about him. Which made the chapters from his perspective kind of a slog, and left me with no clue what Rosa liked about him aside from his drive and moral code. And then there was his shallow mean girl ex, such an over the top tropey character that would have maybe fit in in a comedy but felt like a forced conflict with no real teeth in a more down to earth book. In a story with such a rich portrayal of women having each other's backs, she was cringe-inducingly out of place. I kind of ended up feeling like I'd have happily read Rosa's journey with herself, just not as a romance...
There was a lot to love in this one, it just fell way short for me. Rosa figuring out what "doing the right thing" meant for her and her family, faith, and career was nicely nuanced and really interesting to read. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for Jeremy; it seemed like his whole personality was "nice guy trying to do the right thing" and not much else came across about him. Which made the chapters from his perspective kind of a slog, and left me with no clue what Rosa liked about him aside from his drive and moral code. And then there was his shallow mean girl ex, such an over the top tropey character that would have maybe fit in in a comedy but felt like a forced conflict with no real teeth in a more down to earth book. In a story with such a rich portrayal of women having each other's backs, she was cringe-inducingly out of place. I kind of ended up feeling like I'd have happily read Rosa's journey with herself, just not as a romance...
May 11, 2018
Jeremy is dealing with his past as well as he can, trying to handle his own placement in his family. What he didn’t expect is Rosa Fernandez and what happens next.
Rosa the middle sister of the Fernandez sister holds a secret that could change her life in ways she never could imagine.
Rosa and Jeremy are in the getting to know you stage even though Jeremy has always been a part of her family growing up. Passions builds between them... more
Supporting characters are quite simply wonderful. Yaz and Lili sisters to Rosa, they left me laughing, crying and wishing I had a sister growing up. Tia Delores she is scary, but I warm toward her as I did with Jeremy’s family. I really like the way Priscilla Oliveras wrote the character of Jeremy’s mom Laura, I enjoyed her connection and honesty with Rosa.
The plot in Her Perfect Affair was delightful, I will say the Spanish language at times had me stumbling a few times. Thank you Priscilla Oliveras for giving the meaning in English as well. Be that is it may, I have to say this was one remarkable read. The characters are strong and interesting.
Rated 4 Stilettos by Deb!
Rosa the middle sister of the Fernandez sister holds a secret that could change her life in ways she never could imagine.
Rosa and Jeremy are in the getting to know you stage even though Jeremy has always been a part of her family growing up. Passions builds between them... more
Supporting characters are quite simply wonderful. Yaz and Lili sisters to Rosa, they left me laughing, crying and wishing I had a sister growing up. Tia Delores she is scary, but I warm toward her as I did with Jeremy’s family. I really like the way Priscilla Oliveras wrote the character of Jeremy’s mom Laura, I enjoyed her connection and honesty with Rosa.
The plot in Her Perfect Affair was delightful, I will say the Spanish language at times had me stumbling a few times. Thank you Priscilla Oliveras for giving the meaning in English as well. Be that is it may, I have to say this was one remarkable read. The characters are strong and interesting.
Rated 4 Stilettos by Deb!
March 29, 2018
This is the first book that I've read by Priscilla Oliveras, and I really enjoyed it. It did take me a bit to get fully engrossed, but I believe it's because I didn't read Book 1 first, even though this one is about another Fernandez sister. Rosa is the good girl, Catholic school librarian that no one thought would act on an impulse with Jeremy like she did. But she's had a secret crush on him for a while, so when the opportunity came up to hook up with him, she took a big chance that normally she wouldn't take, and it led to consequences that neither saw coming, especially with him about to relocate to Japan for work. And that's all that I'm giving away. I really loved both Rosa & Jeremy, so I was cheering them on all along. But the push & pull kept me on the edge of my seat with frustration. However, my favorite thing about this story were the family dynamics that were displayed, as her family was amazing, so they pulled out all of the feels during Rosa's whole journey. I want to read more of this series asap, and HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
July 1, 2018
Her Perfect Affair
By: Priscilla Oliveras
Narrated by: Carmen Vine
Heartwarming friends to lovers romance
Overall 5 out of 5 stars Performance 5 out of 5 stars Story 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 07-01-18
Priscilla Oliveras once again gives her readers a wonderful story in this the second book in the Matched to Perfection series about the Fernandez sisters. Rosa and Jeremy were interesting characters, both trying to figure out what they really need and want out of life. Their individual roads to self discovery twist and turn but eventually bring them to their HEA. The inclusion of Spanish dialogue gave a great flavor to the story and the author did a wonderful job of seamlessly letting this non Spanish speaker know what was being said by the other characters responses. There is a strong sense of the latino family and community in this series as well as wonderful cultural references. I enjoyed reading book one, listening to this book was an extra treat as the narrator did a wonderful job. I can hardly wait for Lili's story in Their Perfect Melody.
June 12, 2019
I love Priscilla Oliveras’ sweetly sensual romance novels filled with love of familia and Puertorrican culture. Oliveras’ love stories will make you laugh and cry! I love the Hispanic flare of phrases, food, culture and love of familia. In Rosa’s story, HER PERFECT AFFAIR, we can see clearly the difference in the Fernandez sisters. Yazmine (the oldest and heroine of book 1, HIS PERFECT PARTNER) is very sure of herself and her goals; Rosa, on the other hand, is very conservative and making sure the familia is taken care of and everyone is happy. Her reserved personality of always doing the right thing is challenged and for the first time she leaves out her inhibitions and takes a plunge for love.
I was just so emotional, anxious and totally immersed in Rosa and Jeremy’s story! A MUST read novel to follow the Fernandez sisters’ saga! I can’t wait to read about Lili’s story and find out how the familia is doing!!! Highly recommend the MATCHED TO PERFECTION series; you will absolutely LOVE IT!!!
I was just so emotional, anxious and totally immersed in Rosa and Jeremy’s story! A MUST read novel to follow the Fernandez sisters’ saga! I can’t wait to read about Lili’s story and find out how the familia is doing!!! Highly recommend the MATCHED TO PERFECTION series; you will absolutely LOVE IT!!!
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