Spanish Love And Deception

Amazing novel. It was my first time reading Elena Armas and have to say the enemies to lovers plot was brilliant the way she has mentioned even little details. So excited to read her other novels😍

After the release of THG, every single book in its genre that released after it was somehow, inevitably, similar to it in some way or the other. It’s been awhile since I entered the pages of an enemies to lovers romance and felt the story/character arc was so different from what I’d come to expect or read before—be it THG or any other book.It took me, however, two tries to get into the book. The first time I gave up at around 8%, finding the book a little … like there was colour missing. Somehow the second time around I pushed through the feeling and kept at it. I was surprised to find myself at 28% before I could realize it. I think for the most part a certain sense of disconnect stayed with me, I have absolutely no idea why. But as the events moved along and more emotions got involved, I was happy to be a part of the journey.The book wasn’t aaaaas funny as I was expecting it to be and I did skim read here and there, buuuut, I definitely enjoyed the characters, the situations, the relationships and the overall plot. I’ve just started to expect the miscommunication plot in every book and I was so pleasantly surprised that that wasn’t there in The Spanish Love Deception.The building up of the backstory was done really well. I remained curious but not irritated that the protagonist was talking about something that was yet to be revealed. The writing was endearing and Catalina was a relatable perspective to read through. The plot was fairly seamless and I didn’t have any complaints. The characters were many but fantastically introduced by the author and the protagonist in a funny and memorable way and they all stayed true to their roles. I enjoyed the complexity written into the script with regard to the emotional and relationship dynamics within the family, with one another and with the protagonist.My favourite part of the book (this part may be spoiler-y, please skip if you don’t wish to know) was the trauma-repeat trope that I enjoyed watching in Heartstopper and definitely enjoyed here as well. It was done more gently and well in the show, perhaps because of the time they had; but I still enjoyed it in the book. The trauma-repeat (as I have coined it) trope is where the protagonist has experienced a certain emotional struggle and trauma before and goes through another similar experience and breaks out of the internal fear created by the former. In this story (like with Heartstopper), the protagonist has had a difficult experience about a certain aspect of their relationship with their partner and it so happens this said aspect is present even in their next relationship. This is one of the hardest most emotionally and mentally scary and exhausting spaces to be in. Love is scary, but love that has hurt for the same reasons before is scarier. I love when the writing goes forward to show that the trauma experienced was of no fault of the person and at the same time shows how the person rises above it. This is a personal preference that I like to watch/read, but I’m aware that it may not be so pleasant for some readers, so do be cautious if it’s a trigger for you.I didn’t feel like there was too much angst between them, but I wasn’t complaining as it gives a lot of room for the reader to watch the growth of the emotional relationship between the MCs. The family and the chaos they bring is lovely, the healing and love that follows is lovelier. The lies in the book don’t overwhelm the storyline and take away from the enjoyment of reading the book, rather they sweetly become the truth and have the reader feeling warm and happy; which I’m immensely grateful for. I also enjoyed the protagonist breaking out of the stance of trying to make someone who hurt her feel better. I think we all fall into that hole sometimes and I’m glad there are books out there to remind us we don’t need to.Definitely a four star read for me. Happy reading and stay safe! I’m definitely waiting on the next book in the series.

I like it

paper quality is good, no miss prints ,great recommendation and great product

The books starts with Catalina's tension of not being able to find a date for her sister's wedding and that's the main premise of the book. When Aaron offers her to be her date without any thought, Catalina immediately gets suspicious. What follows after that os the rest of the book.Now, the only reason I'm giving it a four star is because it's a debut and a few changes in the book could've made it a better read. First, the heroine's inner feelings are described way too much that one point you'll find it tiring. It's not even an enemies-to-lovers book coz Aaron doesn't see her an an enemy.Second, the book is too descriptive, like it's not so necessary that everything has to be known in detail. Few dialogues and scenes could be omitted in the book.There's overdosage of romance in few parts of the book which many not be everyone's cup of tea.So, if you're a romance lover and okay with too much of descriptive writing, then go ahead with the book.

Great book for reasonable price.

I just LOVE slowburn romance and adding a fake dating & enemies to lovers trope to it is like a cherry on top! Catalina Fernandez needs a fake date to take to her sister's wedding in Spain, which unfortunately her ex-boyfriend would be attending with his fiance. As he is the groom's brother and his best man. Her breakup caused her a lot of trouble. So much that it made her flee from her hometown to New York to start her career. There she meets her colleague, Aaron Blackford whom she starts to hate (because of a small incident at their workplace.) The hate was obviously very much one sided. Because, everytime Aaron & Lina interacted, it seemed that Aaron was captivated by her.“You’ve never needed anyone to fight your battles, Catalina. That’s one of the things I respect the most about you.”Catalina was headstrong, dramatic, smart, independent and very much talkitive. (I loved that about her) But she was so blinded by her hatred for Aaron and she was just so oblivious till around 75-80% of the book, I got annoyed by that. I wanted to jump in the book, shake her and ask her, how can she not be in love already?“You are right.” His voice was unspeakably flat. “Being your friend has always been the last thing on my mind.”It was so obvious that Aaron was in love with her from the first chapter itself. How can he be so perfect? He was kind, caring, patient, protective and he noticed every single thing Lina did or said. He was too perfect to be true.“I don’t think I’d be able to deny you a single thing if you asked, Catalina.”But, as perfect as he was portrayed to be, Aaron also had a sad past. I feel like that wasn't explored much in detail as it should have been. It would have made me understand his character more. Throughout the story, I felt like I knew Lina more than him. (because the story was just in Lina's pov like any other Mariana Zapata book where we don't get the H's pov)“You feel complete in my arms. You feel like my home.”So, Lina had told her family that she has moved on with her life and has a boyfriend whom she would be bringing to her sister's wedding as her plus one and Aaron voluntarily offered to go with her as her fake boyfriend. With that being said, I want to ask, how can you not already have feelings for a man who travels all the way from NYC to Spain for you, tries to learn Spanish in a short amount of time and does not expect anything in return?“Because it was all you were willing to give me. And I’d rather have you hating me than not have you at all.”As soon as I read the blurb of this book, I was like- Yeah. This is my jam! And I wasn't wrong. This book was full of my favourite tropes, with a bunch of hilarious side characters, a loving family, a swoon worthy hero, funny banters and excess of tension and steam between the main characters. I have always loved the part in fake dating romances, when the relationship comes to a point where the main characters questions themselves if the situation is still fake or it is getting real.Also, the way this book handled the topic of race, accent, sexism and misconduct at workplace was perfect. But, I have to admit, it took me some time to adjust to the writing. The monologues felt a bit too long for my liking.Overall, if you love Mariana Zapata, Ella Maise & Sally Thorne's books, you should give this one a try, you won't regret it at all!

I have literally been trying to read this book for so long, I finally gave it a try like 2 days ago and finished it just now and I can say is WOW. A new favorite for sure. I love the fav dating trope so much and this book was surprisingly perfect at covering every fantasy I had about this trope, all the scenes were amazing and I don't wanna hear anyone criticize this book cuz god it deserves every hype in got on booktok and yt. I almost cried which I don't alot on books so u see... I can't explain it, just read it!

É um romance clichê muito fofo e leve! Eu amo enemies to loves e fake dating e amei a construção do relacionamento deles. A Lina é uma personagem interessante e o Aaron é apaixonante!

Ame ame ame... es hermoso, chistoso, cursi peeero no de una manera que te hace querer dejar de leer.Hace mucho un libro no me hacia sentir la emoción de estar leyendo.

Not only did the romantic relationship of the characters reel me in, but the funny word choices & comparisons that made me laugh.

Fake Relationship – Real FeelingsBy Valencia TurnerBelieve the hype from what you see on Instagram and TikTok. “The Spanish Love Deception” is wonderful. It’s an exceptionally well-written romance novel with heart, heat, family, friendship, and romance. This is a slow-burn romance and normally, I don’t like slow burn. I’m an impatient reader. I’m an even more impatient writer. I want to get to the first kiss immediately. I’m not sure why. I guess I can handle only so much sexual tension before I get frustrated and put the book down.Nevertheless, I couldn’t put this book down and it is a slow burn romance. It’s an expertly crafted novel with two complex characters who face real challenges in their personal and professional lives. So many things don’t go according to plan. That’s okay because Armas does a great job in weaving a narrative that is so engaging, you don’t really want to put it down. I devoured this book in less than a day. The simmering chemistry between the two leads pulls you in and takes you for a ride.The story centers around Catalina Martin, who needs a date to her sister’s wedding because the best man happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Not just any ex-boyfriend. Apparently he was THE Boyfriend. We later learn what this man did and, yes, he deserves to be an ex. This ex is also happily engaged, and Catalina doesn’t want to show up to the wedding alone. Enter Aaron Blackford; her grumpy but devastatingly handsome colleague at work. He offers to help her with her dilemma, agreeing to go to Catalina’s home country of Spain, meet the family, avoid the ex, and somehow survive the persistent questions from a slew of aunts, grandmothers, and nosy cousins. What ensues is a lush and emotionally detailed love story between two very stubborn people.The romance is subtle. It happens between glances, whispers, gazes, as well as promises made and kept. Catalina and Aaron banter and bicker throughout the novel and the reader can’t help but smile at how the story of these two plays out.Armas makes you wait for the steam that eventually comes in the novel. I will say, the wait is worth it…and this is coming from someone that doesn’t normally like slow burn romances. The payoff will make you squeal, swear, and fan yourself.Catalina and Aaron each have complicated backgrounds and demons they have to vanquish in the pursuit of mutual happiness. This isn’t just a story of flowers, roses, and rainbows. There are good guys and bad guys. Real life problems creep into the narrative, which makes it relatable. The reader connects with the characters, who are complex, imperfect, but not broken.The story is told solely from Catalina’s perspective. There are several novels that switch the point of view to help readers learn how each main character sees the world and the challenges they face. Armas sticks with Catalina’s first person perspective, while doing an excellent job of conveying how Aaron feels through his words and actions. We don’t need to hear his inner monologue because there are plenty of clues to how this drop dead gorgeous Clark Kent look-a-like feels about Catarina. It takes our heroine much longer to realize there is more going on than just an agreement between to coworkers. Clueless heroines frequently annoy me, but in this case, the reader completely understands Catalina’s hesitation to acknowledge her feelings.Yes, TikTok and Instagram made me buy this book, and I’m so glad that I did. I’m sure you will enjoy it too.

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas became a quick favorite of mine.The story follows sassy Lina, who needs a fake boyfriend to hide the biggest lie she's ever told her family. Her co-worker Aaron offers to help her out, but she doesn't want him to. But when she told her mom her boyfriend's name was Aaron, there was no way back.I loved Lina. She's a layered character like no other. She's proud of her body, yet allows how she thinks her family will act and react to make her doubt. It's what makes her so relatable. And then there's Aaron. I think he may be my new favorite book boyfriend!The chemistry and tension between Lina and Aaron were clear from miles away. And I especially like how they've grown together. I love a good 'enemies to lovers', 'workplace romance', and 'fake dating' novel.Elena's writing style really sells the book for me. To me, the pacing was just right, and I liked how the chapters never were too long, or too short. It kept me wanting to read on and on until there were no chapters left.This book made me laugh (more than once) and I won't deny that somewhere near the end, a tear or two have escaped my eyes.