really really loved this book and so much with the characters. It gave me the feels and I was in love with the story and the couple. I will read more from Elena Armas. I just reviewed The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. #TheSpanishLoveDeception #NetGalley

I was influenced by #bookstagram to read this and I’m so sorry to say it didn’t live up to the hype for me. I really wanted to like it, but Catalina got me annoyed right from the start.

Most of what Catalina goes through with Aaron wouldn’t have happened if she were honest with herself. I also found myself getting annoyed at aspects of her character that were supposed to make her charming, quirky, and relatable.

Honestly, though, I think the writing was my biggest problem with the book overall. It was very juvenile and extremely repetitive. If I’m truthful, the repetitiveness is what killed the book for me. I know this is the author’s debut novel, but I expected more. I’ve read so many debut novels that don’t just follow the basic romance book recipe or feel like the author was trying to meet a word count.

These were my major problems with the book:

1.) The physical descriptions of Catalina and Aaron (which occur on almost every other page) didn’t add the sexual tension I believe the author intended.

2.) You can literally make a drinking game out out of the amount of times the word “blue” is used to describe Aaron’s eyes and the amount of times Catalina says “Jesus.”

3.) And, for the love of all thing holy, we get it! Catalina is small and Aaron is big.

This was fantastic! I loved the premise and how sweet it is! Catalina and Aaron fake dating for her sisters wedding is fantastic. Their passion is so well crafted and their relationship is beautiful. I love how funny and romantic this story was. A must read.

Review coming soon!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review will be published to my Instagram and TikTok page as well as any major retailer.

Lina Martín has been single after being burned in a relationship so badly that she left Spain for America. Now, her sister is getting married and the best man is her ex. And he's engaged. Desperate to avoid the pity, she tells her family she has a boyfriend. Now she only has four weeks to find the greatest actor willing to fly to Spain for a weekend. The only volunteer is the workaholic grumpy Aaron who gets on her every nerve. He family would never believe she was in love with a man she can't stand. But then they make a deal and the more time they spend fake dating, the more it feels real.
Oh, to have a man that treats you like Aaron with his Catalina . I liked seeing their interactions at the office, but it seemed to take forever for them to get to Spain. The charity auction part was funny and sweet and starts to show his true character. This slow burn book is true enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating gold.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I liked this book, but it would've been much better without being reminded every 2 seconds about Aaron's blue eyes or big/strong body. Also, was the milking comment really necessary? I cringed. Anyway, 3.25 stars, and thank you for NetGalley giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really, truly enjoyed this book. I think it was really a case of right time, right book for me. I was in the mood for a cheesy romcom and this book delivered. I’ve seen some mixed reviews on this book, but it really just hit the spot for me when I needed it! Is the main character, Catalina, a bit annoying at times? Yes. Is Aaron too perfect? Also yes. But that didn't keep me from devouring this book!

I found that the character development in this book was well done. This was a grumpy/sunshine book and thought both characters were good examples of this. Catalina was bright and bubbly, and could get annoying at times, but I felt it was very fitting for her character and how she is described. Aaron was perfection in my eyes. He was the perfect grumpy exterior with a soft interior. I loved that he was always checking in on her and making sure that she was okay. His patience with her was phenomenal and I loved how he was always trying to earn her trust and tell her he was there for her. I also loved that he would say things like “When I’m yours” and not just “When you're mine”. Loved that the possession went both ways there. Catalina’s growth throughout the book was marked as well, and I enjoyed seeing how she was able to heal from her past relationships.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the book as well, and liked that we got to see some of their life in New York before going to Spain. It helped the reader see how he was into her before she realized it, so it was like we were in on the secret with him. The auction bit was honestly one of my favorite scenes. I was cackling at it!

The tension and slow burn of this book was INSANE. You spend of 3/4 of the book with no actual spice, but with slow burn touches here and there. The build up is perfection. And when we actually get to the spice it was chefs kiss.

I adored her family and wish there had been some more funny times with them, but enjoyed what we got. I would love to read another book that was set in Spain with another family member. They seem like such a blast!

Overall, I really loved the book. I want an Aaron for myself. With this being her first book, I’m really excited to see what we get from Armas in the future!

My head is still spinning from all of the rom com ness of this one! It would make a wonderful movie and fans of the hating game will especially enjoy it. There were a lot of things I liked about the book but the main character made it really hard to keep reading for me sometimes. I know she was recovering from trauma.. but it was hard to keep rooting for her when she was determined to be so self destructive and ignore the blessings around her throughout the book. With it being a longer book, I wish I could have started liking her sooner because it did make it drag for me in places waiting for her to be a character I wanted to root for. I still enjoyed it and would recommend and maybe warn that you will be rooting for the make for a change as a female reader.

3.25/5

I saw so much hype surrounding The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas that I decided to buy a copy of the book even though I had an eGalley. The cover is beautiful, and the premise drew me in immediately. The story is told completely from Catalina's viewpoint, which worked for me to a large extent, but I would have loved to have Aaron's as well since he was quite the conundrum. He is that silent and brooding type, and for most of the book, you really have no idea what he is thinking. Reading from Catalina's POV was a lot of fun though, and I loved all her boss babe moments. I also thoroughly enjoyed the settings of both New York and Spain and especially loved the way that Armas brought Spain to life. On top of that, I also loved the bits of Spanish Armas used throughout while making sure the reader knew what it was.

This brings me to my major issue with the book and that is just that it is WAY too long. I don't know where Armas's editor was on this or why they thought almost 500 pages was a good idea, but for me, it was not. I was really glad I decided to listen to the audiobook, or I think it would have taken me quite some time to get through it, as much as I enjoyed the story and the characters. The audio was also amazing and narrated by Scarlette Hayes who really just nailed the entire thing. I loved her as Catalina, and she hit all the right notes with her voicing of this book. Because of this and the length, I do recommend the audiobook, but if you like big books this probably won't affect you as much as it did me. I think The Spanish Love Deception could have been more concise and easily around 300 pages instead, and even on audio began to feel like it would never end. I do believe this is a debut novel though and I loved Armas's humor, so I will definitely be giving her another shot with her follow-up The American Roommate Experiment.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The first 20% was a little difficult to get through, but then it got so much better and I loved it! Can't wait to read more from Elena!

After this received a Goodreads award, I was so excited to grab a copy! I enjoyed much of this book but thought it ran much too long. I thought the romance scenes were extremely off putting in the language of the male character and made me cringe at some of his sayings. Thank you for my copy but this was really not for me and will not be recommending!!

I really enjoyed this one because it was a perfect blend of angsty enemies to lovers and laugh out loud romcom, two of which are my favorite things in a well written novel.

This is a debut novel by Elena Armas and the hype has had some mixed thoughts and feelings. But, I must admit, with a captivating plot line of deception and banter, and characters that are chiseled with heart and depth, I was really glad I got to review this one.

Armas’ writing style is great and Lina & Aaron had sparks that sizzled between keeping me hooked and needing to know where their story would go. I stayed up long into the night with this one, turning page after page.

This one is definitely 4 stars and filled with laugh out loud moments and face palm moments that will make you want to slap the book shut and wonder “Why, Lina, Why”. 😂

I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author in the future and adding this one to my shelf in print! Well done on a great debut, Elena Armas!

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and Atria for providing my eCopy to review.

Deception, really? Yes, but who was deceiving whom?

Armas gives us a whirlwind enemies to lovers workplace romance with a fake relationship too. If you think it's too much, think again. Seeemingly hateful and yet tensikn filled pages give way to something people will covet. They say the easiest person to fool is yourself, what do you think?

Fall in love with Aaron one page at a time. Surrender you heart at the door because you won't get it back anyway!

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas has gotten a lot of attention in the romance community, and also became a NYT bestseller upon paperback release. I’d heard good things, although the book has also got some negative feedback, and I was excited to read it. I personally was middling on the book, I found it to be fairly average but enjoyable.

The premise is that Catalina Martín is returning to Spain, to attend her sister’s wedding, and needs a date. Her ex is engaged, and she cannot show up pathetically alone. To her great surprise, her coworker Aaron offers to go with her. They’re not friends- after getting off on the wrong foot, they’ve been barely civil. Still, as the date grows closer, Aaron starts surprising Lina, and she wonders if her taciturn coworker might be better company than first impressions indicated.

I really did enjoy this book, though it didn’t blow me away. Catalina is a very vivid depiction of a young woman in recovery from trauma, trying to succeed in her field. She feels very human and flawed, and she’s self-aware of the ways in which she can’t fully realize her hopes. She hasn’t had a romantic relationship recently because of her inability to trust, and she’s not able to consciously take that step without great trepidation. She still does have close friendships and positive working relationships, but Lina has mostly closed herself off to love. Aaron is a little flatter as a character then I would like, but he works as a love interest and his characterization is at least consistent.

I also liked the trip to Spain itself. Lina’s family was the perfect blend of loving and concerned, involved in her life but not too meddling. Lina standing up for herself, both in a work setting and with her ex, were some of my favorite parts of the story. I think the romance was pretty strong as well, with the central obstacles being a lack of communication and Lina’s trust issues.

I did think the book was a little bloated, it could have been trimmed down in some places and that would have made the story stronger. The pacing was a bit off because of the story being so front-loaded. I will say, the readers who talked about how often Aaron’s blue eyes were mentioned, and how big he was were not exaggerating. It did get a bit distracting at times how many different ways the author found to talk about his blue eyes. I also saw a lot of similarities to The Hating Game, which made a big splash a few years ago. Obviously, there are going to be some common threads in enemies-to-lovers workplace romances, and it didn’t feel too derivative. I do think that if you’re going to write a book where the love interest is already in love with the protagonist, you need to lay more ground. I think the book would have also benefited from dual points of view, to give the reader context for Aaron’s feelings for Lina. I think for a debut, it really is a great start. I look forward to seeing what comes next for Armas.

I don’t know why this book is so hyped. The MC was irritating to the point that it became unbearable. Even though it is apparent from the first line itself that the hero Iikes her, she spends 80% of the book denying it. The hero had a super inconsistent character where the author wants us to believe that he speaks very less but then proceeds to dirty talk in the most weird way that it was cringey. Also, the steam was a flop.

Super mediocre, there are better books out there.

There were so many elements of this book I loved but they were overshadowed by my hatred towards Lina. There were so many times when I found my self internally yelling at her. Ugh. This book is 448 pages—it could have been cut by 100 pages. Also, there was no real conflict?

I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All expressed opinions are my own and do not reflect any stance or position held by the author or publisher. This did not affect my rating or review in any way.

In this rom-com of growth, family, and love is Elena Armas “The Spanish Love Deception”. After immigrating to America from Spain for employment is Catalina (Lina) Martin’s second chance at love. Initially thought to be a ending at finding love turned out to be but the start to an all new chapter in her life. Lina is intelligent, funny, and the kind of rom-com heroine whose story you cannot help but want to learn the conclusion to. That is what motivated me to continue despite initially finding the first 45% slow. In true romance novel fashion does its pace speed up to involve a variety of twists and turns. As someone who reads romance novels profusely this was a reflection of my experience with the genre and not this novel. The novels main trope may be an interest for future readers but is not the sole reason to read this novel. If you enjoy light hearted reads able to hold your attention for a period of time and want complete escapism. Then choose this novel. You will not regret the time you spent with Catalina and Aaron. Of five stars I gave the novel a 3.5 rating; however on goodreads gave the novel a four out of five. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The hype is real with this one. If you like good banter, slow-burn, and unrequited romance stories, this one if definitely for you.

Just a captivating full immersive love story that you can't and won't want to put down. Completely controls your mind, body and soul in only the way the best of books can.

The Spanish Love Deception is a fun rom-com featuring an enemies to lovers trope! Lina needs a date for her sister’s wedding in Spain and Aaron insists he’s the one. She strongly dislikes Aaron but she can’t think of anyone else so she reluctantly agrees. If you like rom-coms with witty banter and fake dating then you will enjoy this book. Not to mention, a good portion of this book takes place in Spain!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Atria Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.