Thank you for the free copy of The Spanish Love Deception for my honest review. TikTok and Booktube hyped this book up so much and I was very intrigued by it and impressed that it earned such fame as an indie published book. The arc for me on this one was meh/too wordy in the beginning, fun and cozy in the middle, and never ending cheeze by the end. I wish this had landed differently for me, I really do. The premise of escaping to a family wedding in Spain with a fake date was such a selling point! And then there was hardly any setting building while in Spain, way too much inner monologue from Lina about her BLUE EYED hero, and gooey, cringey dialogue that had me eye rolling and talking back to the book. While I loved the Spanish phrases that Elena Armas included-it gave life and depth to Lina and her family-, there was nothing else that defined their Spanish culture. It was such a missed opportunity in my opinion. I really do hope that the editor helps pare this book down a bit because it is hefty and longwinded, which ultimately impacted my enjoyment of this cute story. Despite my issues with this book, I don't know if I will be able to turn away from the upcoming sequel. There might be just enough pull to have me checking it out.

ive seen this book everywhere and it came higjly recommended. i liked the story but there was a bit that seemed to be a little fatphobic but alas, thats in almost everything we consume. very excited to have finally read this one

Loved this cute and funny rom com! Hit just the right spot for my book craving. You know when you’re craving something and you pick up the perfect book, ahhhhh blissful. ( although I could really do with less “blue eyed” descriptions. Felt like there was a description of his blue eyes on every page and it became pretty tedious.


Would recommend to those looking for a fun, fast paced, work rivals, enemies to lovers, fake dating, romantic comedy!

The Spanish Love Deception is a slow-burn, "enemies-to-lovers" and fake relationship rom-com that is very reminiscent of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. In fact, the similarities and parallels between the two books are quite uncanny: the plot is similar, the main characters are similar - right down to their characteristics (physical appearance, mannerisms, inner monologues, etc.), as well as, their workplace rivalry (oh, AND their creepy, sexist boss!). It's obvious that Armas drew inspiration from The Hating Game but the plot was just different enough for me to enjoy the book.

Catalina Martín is single and lives and works in NYC. She's dreading going back to Spain for her sister's wedding in the upcoming weeks. When she finds out that her recently engaged ex will be there, she tells her family a little white lie: that she will bring her American boyfriend to the wedding. After all, she wants people to believe that she has moved on and is happy - but how will she find someone to play her boyfriend in just four weeks?

Cue in Catalina's broody, 6'4" coworker, Aaron Blackford. They've worked together for two years and she's despised him ever since she caught him talking badly about her right after she started working there. Aaron overhears Catalina's plan for her sister's wedding and offers to go with her. He's quite adamant about playing the fake boyfriend in her charade (hmm, I wonder why?).

Aaron infuriates Catalina and she can't think of anything worse than Aaron going with her. But when she can't find a suitable date (which I find implausible living in NYC and all!), she takes him up on his offer. Will they both be able to keep up with this lie the three days they're in Spain? Or should Catalina come clean and face the consequences of her deception?

It's so obvious from the beginning that Aaron likes Catalina (he's even told her that he's interested in her several times), but for her to not see it and question his intentions for most of the book got old really quick. That being said, I found her inner monologue to be quite tedious and eye roll-inducing at times. I felt like it really drew out the story and the book was probably 50-100 pages longer than it needed to be. As I mentioned before, the plot was just different enough for me to enjoy the book, but it was such a slow burn that nothing really happened until three-quarters of the way in. The book had a good amount of steam - nothing too crazy, but the tension between them is what made the steamy bits good.

If you are a die-hard The Hating Game fan (#TeamTHG!) then you may not like this book. But if you don't mind a similar premise with the promise of an HEA, then you'll enjoy the book. Overall, I'm glad I read the book and am definitely interested in Armas' newest release: The American Roommate Experiment (due to be out next year)!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one had me at first-all the cuteness and all the feels, even if Aaron seemed socially awkward with women. But once sexy time happened, it was annoyed. Not realistic. Weird talk. Not handling feelings. Just no, full review on goodreads.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Thank you so much for allowing the opportunity to read it.

After having read this book, I've read that the author was a TikTok sensation who received her offer after her video went viral. I'm almost glad I didn't know that going into it because not knowing anything at all about the author or the books allowed me to give a completely unbiased review. And truly, this book was very special.

Below is the review I've written that will post on my blog on 2/1 and will simultaneously also post on my social media outlets. I've also posted on Goodreads, BookBub and posted to my Pinterest Page.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was a complete joy and I wish the author much success with her career. If there's anything I can do to help promote her efforts, I hope you'll reach out.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4509841621

WEBSITE LINK (will not become live until 2/1/2022): https://charmstrongbooks.com/2022/01/27/review-the-spanish-love-deception/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2671032191?source=link_share

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/165225880071245896/

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REVIEW:

Without giving a lot away about this book, this is an enemies to lovers, based upon misunderstandings, fake-dating trope--a trope that's like candy for me. Not just candy, but candy like really good Godiva Chocolate Truffle. I just never get tired of this trope and could read it all day, every day.

Before I go any further, I should also point out that I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review--which is the only thing you'll ever receive from me anyway, so we're all good. With that in mind, let's go. To put it mildly, I completely loved this everything about this book. I loved the writing, the story, and especially the characters. But what I loved the most about it was the slow burn that introduced us to Lina and Aaron and made us, the readers, fall in love with them so completely that we were rooting for them to finally find their way together. There was no rush to consummate their relationship before they were both bought-in. Instead, by the time their relationship was consummated, it was like they'd finally won the race and were being awarded the championship prize. And the feelings it produced as a result were worth every second of the wait.

I highly recommend this book and offer it a completely unprompted 5-star rating. It releases February 1 and is available everywhere books are sold.

I am always here for a good romantic comedy book! I knew where it was going from the beginning, but I still enjoyed getting there! (And I definitely have a book crush on one character, just saying.) I hope we get more from Armas—- and soon!!! thank you to Atria books and netgalley for the ARC!

Yes this loads tropes upon tropes but it's fun. It's a fake romance, it's enemies to lovers, it's cross cultural. Catalina and Aaron are colleagues who don't like each other (but there's sparks). Her sister is getting married- in Spain- and she needs a date. So who does she take? Aaron. You know what's going to happen but Armas has a sprightly take on the tale. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately this overhyped novel didn't work for me.

For starters, I didn't find the main character likable. No reader needs to be told dozens of times about the MC's interest in the color of the Love Interest's eyes. Aside from that, a lot of Lina's thoughts were heavily repetitive.

This claims to be an enemies to lovers but I think this would've worked better as friends to lovers. Imagine if they were workplace friends or something equivalent?!? Aaron is clearly into Lina from the beginning and there is no banter suggesting otherwise outside of Lina's inner monologue creating this "nemesis" theme. The very theme that her friend Rosie debunks within the first third of the book.

Speaking of its length, this novel would've benefitted from a trim of ~100 pages and adjustment of pacing. The majority of the novel has nothing really to do with the wedding in Spain.

When I first started reading The Spanish Love Deception, I immediately saw similarities to The Hating Game. But there is reason the enemies to lovers trope is so popular. Watching Lina start to see Aaron in a new light and fight her growing attraction to him was so much fun! And their interactions with her large Spanish family was such a delight! I also appreciate when a rom-com brings in a more serious issue, and this one did a decent job of raising examples of some of the misogyny and harassment that women deal with in the workplace, especially in STEM fields. The resolution was satisfying in a way reality unfortunately often isn’t. I will happily recommend this one to my romance-loving customers.

Thanks to Atria Books for the ARC I received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but I also have mixed feelings. The first chapter was a bit rough. I'm glad I continued because I did find myself enjoying it at times. Other times I would have to re-read a sentence as I could not believe that was what actually was written. In the end I'm always a sucker for a hate to love trope and would still recommend it if that is a trope you love.

Lina and Aaron… OMG! I was not expecting this book to be so steamy. I loved the rivals to fake dating while the boy was obsessed the whole time. I loved the culture that Armas brought in this book. I would recommend this 100 times to everyone!

This was definitely a cute romance, but I don’t think it was anything super original or special. I knew this blew up but I don’t understand why. It was good, but it wasn’t anything I haven’t read before. The writing was fast pace and it didn’t take me long to read!

I found this book to be very frustrating. I could not get into it at all. After reading 4 chapters I had to give up. I felt the story wasn't going anywhere, and that by chapter 4 I had not yet been captured. I am not sure why the hype behind this title, but it will not be one that I can recommend.

Why did I sleep on this for so long? Oh my goooooooosh. This was a sloooow burn and the buildup was SO worth it. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book and I am so excited that Rosie is getting her own story!!

The Spanish Love Deception is a "fake dating" trope with a little bit of "enemies to lovers" thrown in. The entire time Catalina has known Aaron, she has hurled insults at him all in response to an overheard conversation from years ago. When Catalina (or Lina) is invited to her sister's wedding, she can't bear the thought of going alone. Especially since the best man is her ex-boyfriend. Aaron slips in and offers to be Lina's fake boyfriend for the wedding weekend in Spain. As the two spend more and more time together, Lina realizes Aaron isn't as bad as she first thought. Emotions run high as Lina worries about what her co-workers will say if she gives in to these feelings.

Things I liked about this book:
It was comical. I found myself laughing out loud in places, especially toward the beginning. The romance was believable. The pop culture references were well placed. The characters and their quirks were actually believable. The Spanish representation was well done. As someone who took 2 years of high school Spanish, I could understand most of the Spanish dialogue either by interpretation or context. The supporting characters were phenomenal! Rosie is hilarious and every family has a "cousin Charo".

Things I didn't love:
The fact that Aaron was into Lina was obvious from his first appearance, yet NOTHING happens between the characters until about 75% of the way through the book. I can understand slow burn, but I thought this was entirely too slow. The title is misleading because very little of the book is about the deception. Most of it is about Lina lusting after the way Aaron looks. I think you could play a drinking game for every time she mentions his "ocean eyes". In fact, the wedding barely happens in the book. Lina is standing at the front one moment and the next she and Aaron are leaving.

In conclusion, I almost DNF'd this book but by the time I realized I wasn't enjoying it like I should, I was over halfway through. If you like slow burn romance with a dash of enemies to lovers then you'll probably enjoy this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I enjoy fake relationship troupes and this one does it very well. Catalina (Lina) Martin works as an engineer in NYC. She told her family in Spain she has an American boyfriend and now needs a fake one for a long weekend home to attend her sisters wedding. She will be the maid of honor but compounding the issue is her ex is the best man. Co-worker Aaron Blackford surprisingly offers to play the part when she hears her discussing the dilemma with her co-worker/best friend. She feels Aaron has always been condescending and not friendly and she can't understand why he'd want to help her out.

This book has a lot of hype and does compare a little weakly to "The Hating Game". It is best to take it on its own merits. My favorite people are Lina's extended family. They are loud, embracing, genuinely fun and caring for Lina. There is a taste of Spanish culture with the food descriptions but otherwise the wedding could have been anywhere. The story is told first person from Lina's POV and she spends a lot of time in her head instead of in conversations with Aaron. Aaron of course is gorgeous and the perfect fake boyfriend.

I recommend the book to contemporary romance readers. The chemistry could have been built a little better between Aaron and Lina. Once they are together everything gets wrapped up in a rush. Also like others have said this could easily be 100 pages shorter. But I think readers will enjoy the story. I know I will look forward to the next book from Elena Armas. Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fun rom-com with this book! I kept seeing it showing up as recommended on my GoodReads, and I loved the premise-enemies to lovers, fake dating, and a trip to Spain-sign me up! I started this one on a lazy Saturday morning, and finished it by that evening! Even though you know exactly what’s coming in this one, it was a fun, sweet, and VERY spicy read. I laughed out loud at our MC, Catalina and all her confusion. 💕Aaron, our main man, was swoon worthy ( I mean….wow) and I loved how patiently he waited for his happy ending. If I had only one tiny criticism, it would be that it went on maybe a smidge too long. There were a lot of inner thoughts with Catalina (which I liked), but sometimes it took me too far out of the action.
Overall, this is a great romcom, and for fans of The Hating Game or The Love Hypothesis, this is must-read. I smiled from beginning to end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5-@lucywrazor4

(Review posted on Instagram on 1/23/22 on @woodfordgirlsread

A great romance read! The story moved at a good pace and quickly became a page turner. This was a very anticipated read and lived u to its expectations!

4.6 - SQUEE. This was a good one! It is perfect for fans of The Hating Game & The Love Hypothesis, with all the magic of Tessa Bailey. There were a lot of similarities - many even too many, but I loved it anyway. Aaron and Catalina work are both team leaders under a mutual boss, and have hated each other almost right off the bat. I mean, Catalina has, but has Aaron? When Aaron suggests that she bring him as her fake boyfriend to Spain for her sister's wedding, she has no other choice, but has no idea why he would offer to save her little white lie. Their interactions, their electric-charged touches... sizzling! Aaron is nearly a perfect specimen - he loves her crazy and wild, mile-a-minute wackiness. Sometimes Lina would get in her own head too much, but after learning her past experience and the trauma it caused her, it excused a lot of her issues. The chemistry was electric, his honest admissions to her were heart-pounding. LOVE. Even at the end when you were wondering what would happen when they returned home, and of course have some sort of conflict, it turned out ok. A little unrealistic perhaps with the outcome at work, but hey, maybe they do things differently in Spain. ;)