This was such a great read. Admittedly it started off a little slow as the characters and some of their back story is established. Catalina is in her late 20s and after a breakup gone bad she left her home country of Spain and has worked herself up the corporate ladder in New York but with her sister getting married she will be returning to Spain. The only small issue is she may have lead her family believe she will be accompanied by her boyfriend … a boyfriend she doesn’t exactly have.

That is until Aaron Blackford enters the picture. Aaron overhears her talking to a coworker about her predicament and offers to step in. Catalina may be short on options but bringing the man who has made it more than clear how he feels about her is not going to happen.

I loved getting to know these characters, it was so much fun to see their personalities come to life. This is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, he falls first, spicy contemporary romance, it is a bit on the long side but it was so enjoyable. I loved how especially the chapters set in Spain made me feel all the summer vibes, I visited the country many years ago and it was as if I had been transported back there.

Aaron Blackford … it is easy to see why this book was seen all over #bookstagram, this man is the epitome of a dream book boyfriend. He is fiercely protective, thoughtful and his love language is physical touch … need I say more.

I look forward to reading the sequel The American Roommate Experiment and hope to see a few glimpses of how Lina and Aarons relationship grows.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I saw this all over BookTok, so I was hopeful. However, I hated it from the first chapter. I do not get the hype. I gave up after 20 pages.

AARON BLACKFORD AARON BLACKFORD AARON BLACKFORD🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️

I-

No words.

Just Aaron blackford, cuz no words has me functioning right now.

Time to do an Amazon search on Mr. Mf Blackford

If you're looking for some spice, this enemies-to-lovers story will definitely satisfy! The heat in this book is delicious and super fun. However, I found the balance of spice to plot-line to be lacking, and the characters were not lovable to me. Normally, I want to root for the female character to get the guy, for that confession that he's actually always loved her, but I found the main character so irritating that I was not invested in her getting what she desired.

I could. not. put. this. down!!!

This is a BIG book! And I enjoyed every page. The romance is spicy. The banter is witty. The plot is fun! Definitely a must read for romcom lovers!

Elena Armas, you're inching your way to auto-purchase status for me!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishing team for the free ARC. Opinions and marketing for the book were posted on my personal social media sites and are all 100% my own.

I loved this fun romance story! A perfect mix of enemies to lovers with some spice. I loved the friendship and family aspects. It was a great summer read

The Spanish love deception I found was a delightful enemies to lovers. I love a good enemies to lovers and I think Elena Armas executed that trope perfectly.

I loved all of the summer vibes I got from this book. Also AARON BLACKFORD. Love him.

One thing I didn’t like was that It definitely could have been shorter.

In this slowest of slow burns, we see Catalina Martin fall into a fake dating scenario with her workplace enemy, Aaron Blackford, when she needs a date to her sister's wedding. One "small" lie to her family turns into a full-blown overseas getaway with the one person she can't stand.

It could have been worse. It could have been a lot better. And a lot shorter. With much less annoying characters. But I didn't completely hate it apparently because I finished it. Lina was a bit difficult for me to relate to, or even enjoy. Aaron made up for some of that- until he refuses to stand up for her in their workplace because she can "handle it". There was some fun banter but the whole thing was a bit off for me. Aaron is a bit over the top for someone who spent the last year acting as he did. Somehow, I am still intrigued enough about the follow-up book...

3/5

Always thankful for Netgalley and Atria for my copy in exchange for my review! All opinions are strictly my own <3

Catalina needs a date to her sister’s wedding. In Spain. And her ex and his fiance are attending. Desperate for a date, the least-likely prospect ever–her annoying, humorless, cold, (handsome) colleague Aaron–volunteers to go with her. They’ve rubbed each other the wrong way since his first week at InTech, the engineering consulting company they both work for. She says no, but… then she’s is voluntold to put on a full day fair for prospective clients (since women know all about party planning and socializing, ugh, misogyny) and Aaron doesn’t come to her defense in a meeting. He DOES step up to help her plan the event though, and after a bout of stubbornness, she accepts his offer. In return for being her date to her sister’s wedding, she agrees to accompany him to a social engagement, which turns out to be a bachelor auction to raise money for an animal charity. Then they’re off to northern Spain, where there is #JustOne!Bed, a Wedding Cup to compete for in the bachelor/bachelorette party games, and much drinking. They present a united front that fools her ex, her family, and themselves. The physicality of their relationship is sultry, slow and sexy.

Enemies to lovers works best for me when the characters are not out and out mean to one another. There is snarky banter and bad feelings but it turns out these two have just been misunderstanding one another from their first meeting. Lina’s attraction is slow growing and confusing, made more complicated by Aaron’s recent promotion.

I loved the Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout (generally easy to decipher in context when left untranslated) and Spanish cultural and geographical details, deftly defined within the structure of the narrative. Also we get a hint of Lina’s coworkers crush on her cousin (a teaser for Rosie and Lucas’s story takes place in The American Roommate Experiment).

This debut became one of my favorite romance books. It was a slow burn with the perfect amount of spice when needed. Looking forward to reading her second book! Aaron Blackford 👏🏽

Wildly popular and I can understand why. I wish the story was shorter. It was too long and drawn out

Catalina and Aaron enter the ultimate fake dating trope. I loved everything about this book! From work enemies to fake dating. It was just a joy to read! I’d highly suggest reading this one!

I want to thank the author and publishers and netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review! This one was on my list for quite a while and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it. I loved this story from start to finish, the characters were very developed and I loved their love!!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel published on Feb. 8, 2022.

There are two things that intimidate me . . . a super trendy book on TikTok and a romance close to 500 pages. And let me tell you, my fears were unfounded! I absolutely adored The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. And I love when indie authors get picked up by traditional pubs! I am such a sucker for a slow burn, and this book had that in spades. The burn between Catalina and Aaron was so perfect. I love a dark and brooding hero. If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend it! Don't let the hype scare you away.

A wedding in Spain. An infuriating man. Three days to convince her family she’s actually in love.

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.

Had a hard time finishing this book since I didn't really connect with the characters. I thought the Male MC was very nice and considerate towards the Female MC even though she hates him and believes that he's out to get her for a large part of the book.

Don't completely understand the hype around this book. The spice was good yes. But the book was way too long and drawn out.

I think my expectations for this one were too high because I've seen so many amazing things about it. I really liked it, but I didn't love it.

I was so excited to finally read The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. It such a gloriously fun contemporary romance. I see why it was a top favorite it 2021. A popular trope right now is work enemies and I love that Armas mixed it with fake dating. We have lovable lead characters and eccentric family members all around. This is just a great read that you must get your hands on.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Struggled to read this one as it wasn’t what I expected. They weren’t really enemies to lovers as I figured. I really liked Aaron as a character which how can you not love a man who’s favourite movie is up.