The Spanish Love Deception | Elena Armas| Book Review

Story plot: 3.5/5

writing: 4.5/5

Presentation: 4/5

overall: 4/5

Genre: Fiction

It’s her sister’s wedding and all Catalina Martin (Lina) wants is to not seem like a miserable and heartbroken girl who could not yet get over her ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend is definitely going to attend her sister’s wedding with his fiancé. She cannot imagine all those sad eyes and pitying looks that her relatives will throw her way. She just has to find a fake date who is willing to fly with her to Spain in less than four weeks.

Even with this looming stress, she would still not accept the offer from her colleague, Aaron Blackford, who strangely, himself offered to accompany her as her make-believe boyfriend. How can she take along someone who she can’t tolerate for a few minutes? That tall, huge insufferable man that she will do anything to dodge.

As time goes by, she realizes that he is her best choice. They both make an agreement to help each other and she takes him on a trip to Spain to be a part of her love deception.

My Thoughts on The Spanish Love Deception

To be really honest, I had low hopes for this one. I thought it had too many pages and it would be impossible not to put the reader to sleep but the Spanish Love Deception, really proved me wrong. It’s mushy and crazy and hot at the same time. The storyline is by far pretty predictable however there are some surprise plots. However, no actual plot twist can be seen. The absence of plot twists doesn’t really take away from the book and it still manages to make a mark.

The story revolves around Catalina and Aaron who aren’t really the best of friends at work but Lina, which is what her friends call her, always finds him around whenever she needs any help. It’s almost like he pops out of nowhere. The story progresses such that Aaron strikes a deal with her in which they can help each other in a ‘I scratch your back and you scratch mine’ way. The rest of the story well…as I said, is predictable but still fun.

Considering that this is really the author’s first book, I would say that is really commendable and I myself am looking forward to reading the other books from the same author.

Points of Perfection

The sizzling chemistry between the two main leads is worth the long read. Every little dialogue is so rich in emotions. The descriptions of intimacy are heated and yet they have a tender quality. Aaron’s concern for Lina and the small caring gestures are really heartwarming.

Aaron Blackford. Yes. The hot-as-hell main lead is actually a point of perfection. If you are the type who falls in love with story characters then I am sure Aaron will definitely take your breath away.

The relationship Lina shares with her family and friend Rosie is definitely a precious one. The personalities of her Spanish relatives are built up quite well. Friendly, energetic and somewhat gossip-loving, her relatives overall bring the story to life with their antics. 

Imperfections

The story is too long, and I am quite sure had the author finished it in 300 pages it would still be as interesting as it is now. The start is a very slow one which could have been shortened a bit. However, at no point does it seem boring.

With all the buildup and the title pointing towards a tremendous Spanish wedding, we didn’t get to see much of it. The wedding was wrapped up in a few pages without going into any details of it. That didn’t sit quite well with me considering that the rest of the events surrounding it were written in detail like the party before the wedding day. I was really expecting to be introduced to some adorable Spanish traditions that I had to google later.

Some of the reasons why Lina and Aaron disliked or avoided each other didn’t really feel real. There was definitely some made-up quality to it. Also, it would have been more fun if Aaron too avoided Lina from time to time. It wasn’t the typical push and pull and that stole away from how much more enjoyable the story could have been.

Overall, the Spanish Love Deception is a good light read and does well as a love story.