Book Review :: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
ISBN: 1668002531
Published by Simon & Schuster
on 23 February 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance
Pages: 487
Goodreads

Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiralled out of control. Now everyone she knows—including her ex and his fiancée—will be there and eager to meet him.

She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is no short flight and her raucous family won’t be easy to fool.

Enter Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man.

But Catalina is desperate, and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. And she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.

Last updated on 15 February 2023

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What is The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas about?

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas is the story of Catalina (Lina) Martin who is desperate for a date to her sister’s wedding back home in Spain. After telling a teeny white lie about having an American boyfriend, Lina is really stuck for options when she realises she actually needs to take someone with her. So when colleague Aaron Blackford offers to help her out, she really has no choice but to accept.

The two head off for Spain, much to Lina’s dismay, and Aaron has to meet her family, fake the boyfriend, and stop himself from actually falling for her. And Lina has to do the same.

“You are all that, Catalina. You are light. And passion. Your laughter alone can lift my mood and effortlessly turn my day around in a matter of seconds. Even when it’s not aimed at me. You… can light up entire rooms, Catalina. You hold that kind of power. And it’s because of all the different things that make you who you are. Each and every one of them, even the ones that drive me crazy in ways you can’t imagine. You should never forget that.”

My thoughts on this story

I actually enjoyed this book. I was a little hesitant because it’s always on lists of spicy books and I’m not usually a fan of too much 🔥 in the books I read. But the story around their inevitable romantic encounters was really sweet and it was fun to read.

That being said, there were some things that I didn’t love about the story.

Things such as the amount of time it took for Lina to accept Aaron’s help (come on, woman! He’s doing you a favour! This doesn’t need to take a whole chapter), and there were moments where the story dragged quite a bit. I think if it were even 50 pages shorter, we’d be all good. The dialogue seemed out of character at times, and Aaron did go from ‘condescending and insufferable’ to wanting to jump her bones very quickly.

But it was a mostly enjoyable read, and I would like to pick up The American Roommate Experiment, Armas’ next book, when I get the chance.

But I’d love to know!

Have you read The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas? What did you think?