This title is one I've seen all over Bookstagram and I was keen to get involved in the hype!

Lina, who moved to the US to work at a tech company after a bad break up, is due to fly home to Spain for her sister's wedding. The best man at the wedding is her ex. Lina therefore decides she needs to bring a date to the wedding and ropes in a co-worker, Aaron, who she doesn't even get on with, to be her fake boyfriend.

As you can probably tell from my synopsis, a lot of things didn't make sense to me, not least the giant lie and how it was so unnecessary. The fact that the easier Spanish was translated but the bits which really needed a translation weren't, was also frustrating for me.

Unfortunately this book wasn't one for me but enemies to lovers is a popular trope and I know a lot of people have enjoyed it, so I'm in the minority! I would try another of this author's books in future, though, and as always am super grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Aaron Blackford, need i say more...

Much like everyone, I stumbled across this read through TikTok and knew i desperately needed to get my hand on it. Elena manages to create the ideal book boyfriend, the perfect amount of enemies to lovers to only reveal that Aaron has been secretly pining for Lina the entire time.

The way in which Aaron anticipates Lina's every need, and the way in which they become the ultimate power couple, I honestly fell in love.

I cannot wait for the next instalment!

i absolutely adored this book. i loved the character and everything about it. aaron >>>> the book was absolutely amazing and i would recommend it to everyone. the plot is amazing.

I love a good enemies to lovers, but this didn't hold my interest as much as I hoped it would. Still enjoyed it though so it can't have been too bad.

Actually, I'm not finished. I'm on page 180 and it is my last page - I simply can't continue. Until now I should be in love with the plot and the characters but I'm not. I'm bored, there is nothing happening, it's dragging on and on and on and really, if I'm only annoyed than it's a sign it's not a book for me. The writing style is heavy and not easy to read, there is so much unneccessary drama and not coming to the point, the banter feels so forced and I can't get Aaron at all. At all.
I've actually, very quickly, started to skip reading the descriptions and focused on the dialogues, but it also didn't help. So better mark it as DNF and get on with my life.
Unfortunately, NG wants me to rate the book - sorry.

This was a really nice easy read with loads of amusing banter to keep the story moving at a great pace. Probably if I’d noticed how long the book was I might have been put off reading but to be honest it was such a well written story with a great set of characters that I didn’t really notice the length at all. Really great summer read and I will definitely be looking for other books to read by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to a review copy of this novel.

Not for me unfortunately. I’ve read a lot of enemies to (presumably) lovers stories of late and this didn’t stand out enough to keep me going with it. Moving on to something else

I had heard a lot of hype around The Spanish Love Deception so I was really curious to see if it lived up to my expectation, and my first impression after just I've just finished reading it is that it is a great story. This is a very lenghty book but at no point did I think that the story dragged nor did I want to rush through it. I enjoyed it immensely and helped me disconnect a lot.

One other thing I was worried about was the fact that a big chunk of the story is set in Spain. Being from Barcelona myself, I sometimes read books set in Spain that don't reflect the actual reality of visiting Spain but Elena Armas (being Spanish herself) described the north of Spain perfectly. I could picture myself sitting in a bar stool, eating pinchos and having a culin of cider.

I am now very excited to get my hands in her second novel, especially as I see the main characters already appeared as secondary characters in the first book!

I couldn’t help myself indulging in one of my guilty pleasures, an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romance.

I’m going to beat you to it so yes, it does show similarities to The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, some might even find it too similar but I don’t get why would they be disappointed, I couldn’t be happier. When I had finished reading that first office romance novel I wanted more of it, much more in fact, and my prayers were answered when I discovered The Spanish Love Deception.

This novel had everything I wished for, the slow burn, the attraction and I adore novels with major love declarations. I want to be cocooned in love and feel the emotion dripping from the pages. Elena Armas certainly made the characters say the right things, they would melt the coldest heart.

The only small fault I found in this novel is that hating is rather a strong word to use this time, Lina shows some hostility towards Aaron but I never sensed any retaliation from his side, or anything that made me dislike him. Okay, maybe the fact that Aaron’s tall was also repeated a few times too many but other than that I had a pretty good image how this Greek God with blue eyes looked like. I fell for his gentle and caring character even more than for his features though. I believe Lina was a bit naive when she didn’t know if what they were saying and doing was fake or real but I could only root for her to open her heart and let Aaron in.

This is an existing trope done so many times over so I’m not going to say it’s the most surprising novel but there were a few special touches to it, like Lina being Spanish (I loved the sparse Spanish spoken here and there) and part of the story taking place with her family in Spain as well as the topic of her experience of having a relationship with someone in a position of power. It explained Lina’s fear and struggle in the present and made me more understanding why she was holding back.

Overall a great debut with a HEA (that scene in Seattle!) that was more emotional than I expected. I’ve put the follow-up The American Roommate on my wishlist to read next!

Cited by many as the romance book of the year, ‘The Spanish love deception’ follows two co workers, Catalina and Aaron, as Lina is caught up in a web of lies that climaxes in her taking Aaron (the token office douchebag) to her sisters wedding in Spain, as her “boyfriend”. The only issue is - they can’t stand each other.

~

This was a nice and easy read. The writing was fluid and easy to devour, and the relationship was believable, well-developed and sweet, as was the relationships between the main characters and the side characters. Aaron’s backstory in particular fleshed him out well and gave explanation as to how he appears when we first meet him.

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However, there were definite areas where the book falls flat. The dialogue always felt a little out of place and unrealistic which took away from the story at points, the authors best writing always came during Catalina’s inner monologue, which was strong and consistent throughout.

Furthermore, as expected from adult romance, there are NSFW scenes at the end of this book and honestly these were.. not greatly written. A particularly memorable scene includes him asking her to be milked - these just catapulted you out of the story and became more of a source of comic relief than any real profound excitement for the newest developments in their relationship.

Thank you to netgalley for the copy.

A quick, easy and really cute read that was well written with an adorable storyline and well developed characters. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of The Spanish Love Deception in return for an honest review.

This is a book that has received a lot of attention on social media and I have been meaning to pick up for a long time. I’m so glad I did! I loved the relationship and banter between Lina and Aaron and of course Lina’s family. This is an enemies to lovers trope although it is clear from the beginning that both have strong feelings for each other and I enjoyed watching this play out and the development of their relationship.
This was a fun, easy to read romcom that I really enjoyed. I am eagerly awaiting the next book by Elena Armas ‘The American Roomate Experiement’ which I can’t wait to read as well!

This was so cute. It was a little tropey in some parts, but Aaron Blackford you have my heart. I loved the family dynamic that Armas explored and the importance of self love and self worth. I also loved the entire romance, even if it felt a bit whirlwind and over the top at some points. All in all, I read this book in one sitting because I simply couldn't put it down and I will not settle for anything less than Aaron Blackford, thank you very much.

I’m definitely not the target audience for a book like this I don’t think! I found it to be more annoying than anything else, the enemies to lovers thing is just not for me. I’m sure romance fans will enjoy it but it definitely wasn’t my cup of tea! 2.5 rounded up!

Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister's wedding. Especially when her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiralled out of control. Now everyone she knows – including her ex-boyfriend and his fiancée – will be there.

She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic for her and aid in her deception. NYC to Spain is no short flight and her family won't be easy to fool. . . But even then, when Aaron Blackford – the 6'4", blue-eyed pain in the arse – offers to step in, she's not tempted even for a second. Never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling and insufferable man.

But Catalina is desperate and as the wedding gets closer the more desirable an option Aaron Blackford becomes.
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Simon And Schuster Uk
I just reviewed The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. #TheSpanishLoveDeception #NetGalley

"I'll be your date to the wedding"

Another book from the series BOOKTOK MADE ME READ THIS. Here we have:

💃Enemies to allies to lovers✅
💃Kinda work rivals romance✅
💃Workplace romance✅
💃Fake dating✅
💃Forced proximity✅
💃Women in STEM✅
💃Slowburn✅
💃One bed trope✅

"This is the part you'll play in this whole Spanish love deception. My made-up boyfriend."

Catalina needs a date to her sister's wedding and her rival Aaron volunteers as a tribute 🙋.
But she already told her nosy family that she has boyfriend👫, so to avoid pity Aaron's status updates from date to fake boyfriend.💃💃💃
Now all they need to do is convince her family that fake relationship is real.👀🫀 Easy. 💅💅💅

"'I'll give you the world', he said against my mouth. 'The moon. The fucking stars. Anything you ask, it's yours. I'm yours.'"

Where can I find a man like Aaron😩😩😩
That's on Amazon?!?!!!?!
The things he do ❤️👄❤️🤌🤌🤌😍😍😍
"You look like a dream"
Okey, shut up now. This can't get any cuter.
Also when he broke the bed🤭🤭🤭

"To those chasing dreams, never give up on them. We are not quitters, you hear me?"

Anyway go read this. It's amazing, funny and cute romance (with 🌶️😏) 10/5⭐

‼️GO READ THIS BOOK ASAP‼️

"'You're too good for Lucas' I hissed. 'I'll let you take part in the kidnapping of his dog though. Taco is too good for him'"

Also can't wait for Rosie and Lucas' book🐶

Tropes: slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers (albeit a little one sided) , grumpy x sunshine, fake dating, one-bed, workplace romance

Catalina Martín Fernández is officially my favourite firecracker. I admit it took me a little longer to warm up to lina, I wanted to shake her a few times when she kept denying her feelings but all is well,
as I loved her and her hilarious inner monologue by the end. Catalina was so funny, sweet and precious, she truly deserves the world. I was very much here for the women in colour stem rep and everything that encompassed - the good and the ugly (specifically the blatant sexism and discrimination within a male dominated industry and how Lina handled it all). I also wouldn’t say no to being adopted into the Martín family, the scenes in Spain were so enjoyable to read.

Aaron Blackrord. I repeat, Aaron Blackford.

The minute he was referred to as clark kent, I was a lost cause. Truly, I don’t think there’s a more patient, observant, caring and loyal (fictional) man. The way he paid attention to Lina and remembered the littlest details he noticed about her had me SWOONING. I stand by the fact that men written by women will always be superior and aaron evidence of this. If there was ever a reason for my ridiculously high standards in men, mr aaron blackford would be it.

I think my favourite thing about slow-burn romances is how sweet the pay-off is at the end and it’s done to near-perfection in The Spanish Love Deception.. The tension and chemistry between Aaron and Lina was off the charts, and I really enjoyed the build up from the longing gazes they shared to when they finally got together.

Elena Armas really took all the best tropes out there and gave it her own unique toucch. To me, The Spanish Love Decptions is the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud banter and romance, that doesn’t shy away from touching on real-life struggles. I etill can’t believe this was a debut, and can’t wait to read what Armas’ releases next (hello The American Roommate Experiment in September!).

4.5 stars
Fans of The Hating Game will no doubt love The Spanish Love Deception just as much.
There's not quite as much 'hating' going on between Aaron and Lina but I liked it all the same.
By the time the two main characters do eventually get together it feels totally earned and I was awaiting those scenes with much anticipation.
And those sexy scenes truly were sexy.
Apart from a few cringey words or sentences spoken mostly by Aaron, there was some real heat coming off those particular pages.
I was 100% in when it came to them getting together.
I also liked the way it transported me to Spain and to NYC.
I will say, I was glad that I was reading this on the Kindle app as it meant that I could easily highlight a passage or sentence that was in Spanish and translate it.
So that is worth bearing in mind if you don't speak or understand Spanish and are reading the paperback version.
And at almost 500 pages, it does feel a bit indulgent but this is the kind of story that sucks you in because of that. It was a world that I really enjoyed getting to put myself in.
It does take a bit to get going but once it does I was very much in it for the long haul (quite literally).
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what Elena Armas does next and I can't wait to read the follow up to this book later in the year.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.