The Spanish Love Deception: TikTok made me buy it! The Goodreads Choice Awards Debut of the Year

Read this book in 2 days! It quickly caught my interest in the first few chapters which is always important for me. Starts innocent and fun and grows to be the perfect mix of steamy and romantic but not too cheesy. I did not expect it to be explicit but that was definitely a good surprise. It’s fast paced and keeps you wanting to read more. I would recommend if you’re looking for a quick and uplifting romantic story. I particularly love the fact that the protagonist is Spanish as I felt it was very relatable (being Spanish myself) and I have never read a similar story before. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

There’s something about a hate-to-love relationship that’s rather “comical”. One thing I loved most about the book was that the protagonist (Catalina) is an engineer. Very rarely I find books where the female protagonist is in the STEM field, so it was refreshing. Some realistic issues were highlighted such as how females are treated in the working world (especially in STEM). I liked how that was brought about and dealt with. The writing was captivating and engrossing. Hence why I couldn’t put it down and powered through despite being sleepy! I was just dying to know what happens next. A large part of the book is “descriptive” i.e. Catalina having long monologues. It didn’t bother me too much since it had substance. I enjoyed the dialogues between the characters, of course. The events seemed stretched out but they were described in great detail so I suppose that’s okay. Oh and I loved the FRIENDS references! I knocked off a star for 2 main reasons: 1. I think the amount of detail for the sex scenes were unnecessary for a rom-com. It pushes this into the “erotica” boundary. I felt that Aaron was a little dominating at some points which made me uncomfortable reading. (Each to their own I guess) 2. Aaron’s character. On one hand I think his confidence is somewhat appealing but on another hand it didn’t make much sense as to what he was trying to achieve (trying not to give away spoilers here). It just didn’t seem realistic to me, but then most characters are written with an “unrealistic perfection” - especially the male lead. Overall, a good book which will keep you hooked.

5 stars 3 spice Omg I can not explain my feelings behind this book. The entire time I was reading I didn't get the 5 star feeling and even when I was towards the end I was thinking that this isn't a 5 star book. However when I finished it I was like ughhh maybe this is a 5 star read. The plot This is about 2 office workers Lina and Aaron who have thisc like rival thing going on until Lina needs a date to her sisters wedding and Aaron offers himself to her. So yes this book is a fake dating story and similar to the love hypothesis its written in a way that doesn't get boring even though it's a slow burn. Anyway that's the general gist of the plot- like I said before I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did I originally thought that with thw slow burn aspect I would get bored and have to drag myself though it work was anything but the case because I qas hooked and gripped from page 1 something about the writing and the characters just made this book. Speaking of characters I would like to announce that Aaron Blackford has joined my book boyfriend list because this guy is actually perfect. Now ✨️the spice✨️ I had heard so many mixed things about this spice factor in this book from its very spicy and intense to its got barely anything and is YA. So I'm here to clear things up this book has 2 spicy scenes one of which beignvan entire chapter. So yes it is spicy. But not as intense and extreme as I head heard. However will all of that this the spice in this hit me like a moving train as in I had to put the book down- I had goosebumps-. Overall this book is 100% worth the hype maybe even slightly underrated and defo worth a read.

I really wanted to like this book. A nice, schmaltzy story, with misunderstands, lusting from afar and a passionate romance that succeeds against all odds with charismatic main leads. And at first that was what I got. Catalina Martín needs a date to her sister’s wedding to show up her ex who is attending with his new fiancé. And the only person who’ll agree to go with her is Aaron Blackford, her co-worker that she does not get on with. It is very obvious to the reader that Aaron has it bad for her but she doesn’t see it. But the sparks begin flying between them and soon she can’t hold herself back from admitting that maybe she has feelings as well. Frankly I could have eaten the first half of this book with hot fudge and chocolate. The way it builds up is very satisfying. We learn little hints about who Aaron is under the suit he wears at work. He relaxes and lets Catalina in as they enjoy the wonderful weekend in Spain, getting involved with her family and trying to pretend they’re dating. Sadly the second half isn’t as good. Once they do admit their feelings to each other the sparks kinda fade. There’s less of the snappy conversations and less revelations about Aaron’s character. And it was at this point that I realised that most things we learned about Aaron are never mentioned again and don’t have any baring on his character. He mentions liking dogs but we don’t see him interact with any. He says he likes animated movies (Up is his favourite) but again that doesn’t come back at all. It leaves his character a bit hollow. Honestly it seems like the only consistent thing about him is that he likes Catalina and does so with an intensity that is a little disturbing. Not least because, while up until now there’s been a nice snappy back and forth between him, she just kind of melts into him at this point. Also, and I know this is a weird complaint, but Catalina is oddly…uninvolved when they have sex. Aaron picks her up, moves her limbs into the positions that he wants and generally takes the lead. She enjoys this and the book doesn’t ever say anything about it, it just seems really odd to me. With her personality I’d really expect more of a give and take in bed but, as with the relationship side of things, she very quickly becomes very submissive. Finally, I didn’t like the how the last conflict of the book was resolved. They were building up nicely to a point about how much harder it is for women working in the corporate world in general and in engineering specifically. This came to a head and was then resolved in an almost superficial way. There was no grand revelations to any of the male characters that, yeah, that kind of thing is a difficult issue. In general the plot seemed very conflict adverse, which is fine but it was actively setting up those conflicts and then just avoiding them. All in all it wasn’t a bad book but I’ve read better ones with the same plot.

This was a book that I bought purely because it was all over Instagram, but I am so glad I did. After it was compared to The Hating Game, one of my all time favourites, I instantly had high expectations and Spanish Love Deception met every single one. This book is about Catalina Martin who moved from a small Spanish town to New York City. When she tells her Mother she will be bringing her American boyfriend home to her sisters wedding, there is only one small problem... She doesn't actually have an American Boyfriend. This is where Aaron Blackford enters. Aaron, despite being Catalina's work enemy offers to be her fake boyfriend for the trip. Realising she has no other choice, she takes him up on the offer. One event after another, it becomes clear hate isn't the only emotion at play here. Will these two enemies be able to convince her family they are happily in love, without actually falling in love? I loved everything about this book. It was so well written, the plot was so good. I loved how Elena revealed small bits and pieces throughout the entire book that made me love Aaron more and more. I can absolutely see why this has blown up on instagram, if you haven't already read this then I would recommend you do! Overall it is a very funny and sweet enemies to lovers, slow burn book. I can't wait to see what Elena Armas comes out with next.

I loved this. My idea of a truly romantic love story. To start with Aaron seems cold and arrogant. Lina's first meeting with Aaron does not go well. For me the slow burn 🔥 hit the spot. She desperately needs a fake boyfriend for a family wedding. Aaron keeps offering his services. No Lina doesn't want to know. There's a hint here of how he really feels. I love the fact that this story doesn't rely on sex for page upon page as so.many do. They arrive at the wedding venue and their feelings slowly unfurl Although it is not a short story I never felt it dragged out or became repetitious. Aaron is a gorgeous book boyfriend. Lina is quite subdued as a character trying to deal with her conflicting feelings I personally loved this. I'm about to read the next book by this author. It truly was a lovely story

This was a great debut romance novel. I am beyond excited to read the next book in the series. ⁠ ⁠ I am a complete SUCKERRR for anything romcom, how can you not be? They are fun and highly enjoyable and TSLD is definitely now up there with some of my all-time favourites. ⁠ ⁠ TSLD starts of with Lina desperately needing a date for her sister's wedding back home in Spain, she has two problems; 1) she told her family she was bringing her boyfriend butttt she does not have one. 2) Her ex just happens to be the brother to the groom AND the best mate. This Ex is also a part of her reasoning for wanting to start fresh in America! ⁠ ⁠ Enter: Aaron. ⁠ ⁠ pain in her arse, stuck up, Aaron. Lina annoying work colleague. Yes, he is gorgeous but that doesn't matter when he is constantly making your life hell. Aaron offers, insists in fact, to help Lina out, by posing as her date for the wedding... what could go wrong?! ⁠ ⁠ This has some of my all-time favourite romance tropes and honestly, Elena NAILED the sexual tension between Lina and Aaron. OH MY GOD, It was killing me, I couldn't wait to finish this book so I may have read it in less than a day hahaha BUT it was totally worth it! ⁠ ⁠ GO BUY THIS BOOK for some much-needed escapism.

I don't know why it took me so long to read this but I'm so glad I finally picked it up and did because I loved it! It reminded me a bit of the love hypothesis which I also loved, I'm really liking the trope of the love interest being in love with the main character already but just biding their time for the right moment to show them and the main character just being completely clueless to the whole thing. Lina was fun and snarky which I enjoyed and I loved watching her slowly fall under Aaron’s spell and see her open up and get a sense of why she was the way she was and what happened to make her leave Spain. She deserved way better and I'm glad she found Aaron! Aaron, I knew I was going to love straight away, tall dark and handsome with the bluest eyes ever? Yes, please!!!! Also, the minute he was described as unfriendly and cold I just knew he was going to have a soft spot for a certain main character which is also a trope I love and I was not disappointed in the least. The plot was fun and enjoyable with a little bit of angst which I saw coming due to Lina’s history but it doesn’t take long for her to rectify so I have no complaints! Overall a sweet contemporary romance, and it's put me in the perfect mood for my upcoming holiday to Spain this summer!

Ce bouquin, j'avais envie de le lire depuis des lustres, je l'ai même acheté il y a un an, mais je voulais vraiment attendre que la hype de folie qui l'entourait retombe pour le lire à mon tour. D'entrée de jeu, je peux vous dire que pour moi, cette hype est justifiée car j'ai adoré ce roman, la plume de l'autrice, et ses personnages ! Bien sûr, l'intrigue n'a rien de novateur ou de surprenant, c'est du déjà-vu, mais puisque c'est bien écrit, que les personnages sont attachants et que c'est bourré de tropes dont je raffole, pour moi ça a vraiment un régal du début à la fin. On y trouve du ennemies-to-lovers (bon c'est très léger sur ce point), de l'office/rival romance (très léger là aussi, ça sert juste de point de départ), de la fake relationship et ... la cerise sur le gâteau : du slow burn !!! ♥ J'ai adoré la froideur et le côté sec et coincé d'Aaron, qui m'a invariablement fait penser à un certain Darcy (le père spirituel d'un sacré paquet de héros de romances si vous voulez mon avis !). J'ai un gros crush pour ce type de personnage qui semble tellement indifférent, mais chez qui on peut déceler, à travers un regard en coin, un petit geste anodin, la réelle nature des sentiments. Et c'est ce que j'ai vraiment aimé ici, voir Aaron jouer si bien son rôle, et se rendre compte très vite, en tant que lectrice, qu'au final, pour lui, c'est tout sauf de la comédie. Catalina est très attachante, sympa, c'est le genre de nana avec qui on pourrait être copine. On met un peu de temps à découvrir son parcours et pourquoi elle en arrive à avoir besoin de mentir à sa famille, certains la trouveront peut-être un peu aveugle, mais moi je trouve que c'est un personnage cohérent du début à la fin. J'ai beaucoup aimé voir Aaron et Catalina évoluer ensemble et tâcher de former une équipe. La première partie installe bien le décor et les petites hostilités du quotidien, tandis que la partie centrale consacrée au mariage est un vrai tourbillon d'activités, de moments partagés, et de personnages secondaires plus ou moins intrusifs ! La toute partie est très courte, n'apporte pas vraiment grand chose à mes yeux, mais correspond aux codes du genre. Je mentionnais plus haut qu'on était dans le registre du slow burn et wow, c'est vraiment bien exécuté ! Le moindre regard qui s'attarde, le moindre geste un tant soit peu tendre ou sexy , ou en tout cas qui sort de l'ordinaire entretiennent une tension de folie, c'est vraiment TOUT ce que j'aime, et tous ces papillons dans le ventre, tout ce kif ressenti lors de ma lecture, c'est vraiment la raison pour laquelle j'aime lire de la romance ! Vous l'aurez compris, cette lecture aura été un vrai délice pour moi ! ♥

I'll tell you, writing this review has something of a sarcastic edge to it. You may wonder why... as I read the various comments around about The Spanish Love Deception, I noticed that it is compared to, if not put on the same level as, The Hating Game. It's funny, because I personally didn't love The Hating Game (my rating was two stars), but I madly loved every single word of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. Catalina is desperate to find someone to accompany her to her sister's wedding in Spain, especially after a little white lie made her family think she was engaged and now everyone can't wait to meet the man who won their little girl's heart. Time is running out and Lina only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic. Now, imagine her surprise when Aaron comes to her rescue. At first she's tempted to respond negatively, but that irritating, insufferable and incredibly charming man could be her salvation. Lina and Aaron are colleagues, theirs not really a printer/computer hate relationship, but one of poking and skirmishing. What struck me about this novel is the relationship between our young protagonists. I would define this novel as an office romance/slow burn. Given the length of the book, the author has a way to take her time and develop the story in a consistent and linear manner. Just as our main characters evolve personally, so does their relationship. If you've read Zapata's books, you know what I'm talking about. No page is left to chance, in fact, if it had been a little longer I wouldn't have minded. By now I felt like family too. Lina is a young girl of twenty-eight, after a burning disappointment of love, she finishes her studies and armed with high hopes, leaves Spain, to land in the Big Apple and embark on her future work. She is a sunny person, always smiling, always has an answer ready and is also, as Aaron defines her, a bit "bossy". Aaron is the guy everyone wants to meet in their life. No, no, we're not talking about the classic bad boy, but a loyal person, with sound principles, really interested in the people around him, in their well-being and above all interested in Lina. Let's say that the whole world was clear about Aaron's interest in Lina, but here, as I told you at the beginning, having come out of a burning relationship, it's not easy for her to trust people and express her feelings freely. But Spain will work miracles. Coming to the conclusion, I wouldn't put The hating game and The Spanish Love Deception on the same level at all. In the first one we have a story between two children who tease each other in an office, in the second one we have a real love story, well developed and really well written. Elena Armas' win in the Goodreads Choice Awards was more than deserved.

Fake Relationship – Real Feelings By Valencia Turner Believe 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.

Muy contenta con este nuevo descubrimiento de la autora. Nada mejor que leer una historia de enemies to lovers, fake date que incluye un slow burn real. Tiene momentos de risas aseguradas. La autora Elena Armas consigue mezclar perfectamente la cultura española de la protagonista en un libro originalmente escrito en inglés. Es una lectura muy amena, rápida y romántica. Una combinación perfecta. Al terminar la lectura querrás tener un Aaron Blackford en tu vida.

bro way cheaper than in store and more convenient yk also this book my friend read it she said it’s a slow burn so u into that then i recommend