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judithprr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Minor: Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
sofieskj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book! I loved it soooooooo much like, aghhhh. The enimes to lovers, and then the vibe that he loves har and has al ways loved her. The grumpy x sunshine vibe. And the fake dating. I belive that this was my first fake dating book, and i will say that it was a good one to start with. And the hight difrences was a good bonus;). I sooooo bad want to give this book a five star, however writing this reveiw a bit after reading it i dont really remeber detalse from the book, however the book is still amzing. And is definatly worth a read. The are emotional, intamet, ahppy and goffy moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
readwithria's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The tagline for The Spanish Love Deception is “pretending to be in love never felt better,” and boy, was it true!
I adore this book! Lina and Aaron have the most adorable relationship, I love how it develops, and this book has solidified my love for the fake dating trope. I have nothing but compliments for Elena Armas and her writing! ¡Bien hecho!
I adore this book! Lina and Aaron have the most adorable relationship, I love how it develops, and this book has solidified my love for the fake dating trope. I have nothing but compliments for Elena Armas and her writing! ¡Bien hecho!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Terminal illness, and Grief
rensreading's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i went into this with no expectations and got a lot more than i bargained for.
i liked catalina up until the last 2 chapters. she felt like a real life person i could come across on the street. most romance mc’s aren’t very dimensional so armas did very well with hers. she was strong, stubborn, but also prone to panicking because of the rough stuff she had gone through in life.
as for aaron, i didn’t like him when he said nothing to defend lina from gerard in that meeting where she gets assigned to organize an event she has no idea how to put together, but he grew on me. it became very clear that he had liked her a long time before she ever considered him even being nice and i liked that about him, but then he started getting weird about how much she ate and about her health. it reminded me of christian gray and that is not someone you want to be compared to, fellas. he very quickly dropped that “how much have you eaten today” thing though so i was relieved about that. but then he started to try and seduce lina at weird, inopportune moments and that gave me mad second-hand embarrassment. he ended up being pretty okay in the end.
what did give me the ick was a spanish woman using the word “savages” in a playful manner when spain is just as much of a colonizer country as england and the fact that after beinggroomed and manipulated by her first boyfriend/old professor , LINA is the one left to pick up the pieces. her family give her so much shit for how she drifted along in life after being traumatized by him and all the people that jumped on the bandwagon to harass her but are cordially polite with said ex-boyfriend of hers. what the fuck?
i did like that she caught onto the fact that he groomed her when she sees him in spain again though. he says something like “we’re both adults now” and she goes ballistic “compared to when? to when we were dating and you said you loved me and made me feel so special?” GOOD FOR HER! i hope daniel gets fucked by a cactus or something. it’s the least of what he deserves.
and then we hit the last chapter and im hit with so much cringe.in my opinion, that very last act “breakup” was also unnecessary as fuck. there went the rational woman lina had finally worked herself into being. she had done a lot of work on herself and i get her trust issues aren’t going to be in tip-top shape, but we didn’t need a novela worthy drama arc to rush her into going where she was already headed, yknow? that was unneeded and it ruined a bit of her character development as well.
also armas, you robbed us of the martin family meeting aaron’s dad in the epilogue. ABSOLUTE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR! JAIL!
in terms of spice, i’d give this a solid 2/5 🌶 there were 2 explicit smut scenes and 2 heavy petting, semi-public makeout sessions.the dirty talk wasn’t all that surprising, but the mild spanking was. it was okay though. they weren’t really detrimental to the plot but they did add a nice enough kick to keep things very interesting. not bad
i think i’d give this book 3.75 stars if i wanted to get very specific with my ratings. it wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t bad either. a good and enjoyable experience for the most part 😊
(why were there so many twilight references btw??)
i liked catalina up until the last 2 chapters. she felt like a real life person i could come across on the street. most romance mc’s aren’t very dimensional so armas did very well with hers. she was strong, stubborn, but also prone to panicking because of the rough stuff she had gone through in life.
as for aaron, i didn’t like him when he said nothing to defend lina from gerard in that meeting where she gets assigned to organize an event she has no idea how to put together, but he grew on me. it became very clear that he had liked her a long time before she ever considered him even being nice and i liked that about him, but then he started getting weird about how much she ate and about her health. it reminded me of christian gray and that is not someone you want to be compared to, fellas. he very quickly dropped that “how much have you eaten today” thing though so i was relieved about that. but then he started to try and seduce lina at weird, inopportune moments and that gave me mad second-hand embarrassment. he ended up being pretty okay in the end.
what did give me the ick was a spanish woman using the word “savages” in a playful manner when spain is just as much of a colonizer country as england and the fact that after being
and then we hit the last chapter and im hit with so much cringe.
also armas, you robbed us of the martin family meeting aaron’s dad in the epilogue. ABSOLUTE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR! JAIL!
in terms of spice, i’d give this a solid 2/5 🌶 there were 2 explicit smut scenes and 2 heavy petting, semi-public makeout sessions.
i think i’d give this book 3.75 stars if i wanted to get very specific with my ratings. it wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t bad either. a good and enjoyable experience for the most part 😊
(why were there so many twilight references btw??)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
it’s never made clear how old lina was when she met daniel, but she was definitelymarywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After getting burned in a relationship with a power differential, Catalina flees Spain for New York, starting over, climbing the misogynistic corporate ladder, and vowing not to make the same mistake twice. Her family’s pity is suffocating as Lina struggles to trust and avoids romance, but now her sister’s getting married, and the whole family can’t wait to meet Lina’s new American boyfriend…whom she may have made up at the thought of facing her family, and her newly engaged ex, who is also the best man. ¡Ay, Dios! When her irritatingly handsome work nemesis, Aaron, overhears her predicament, he offers himself as her wedding date, and no matter how much she wants to, she can’t turn him down. And that’s how Lina and Aaron end up fake dating, in Spain, amidst the lovefest of wedding festivities and the chaos of Lina’s family. But their Spanish love deception turns into a sexy and intoxicating slow burn romance that has Lina wondering, Is it love, or is it just pretend?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
now_booking's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4-4.5 Stars!
I admittedly am not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers romances. They stress me out and I personally don’t understand the point of investing so much banter and negative energy in someone you purportedly despise but here we are. I decided to read this and I actually really enjoyed it. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it in audio and Scarlette Hayes did such a good job on it, or perhaps it’s because from the beginning, it is beyond obvious that the hero is gone over the heroine and is being the trope of “somewhat emotionally-stunted character struggles to show their feelings.” Nonetheless, there’s something in this that really worked for me and I loved it.
The premise is that Catalina needs a fake date to attend her sister’s wedding in Spain after lying to her family about being in a relationship so they wouldn’t worry about her still being broken after a devastating break up back home. Her only option seems to be the incongruous offer from her work nemesis, Aaron, who agrees to play the part of her boyfriend in front of her family. But being thrown together makes them dig deep into the animosity between them.
I think my favourite part of this is the exploration of sexism in academia and in the work place. There are scenes where Catalina’s experience reflects the inherent bias and misogyny that exists in professional spheres where women are expected to fulfill certain roles or tropes just because of their gender, or they’re subject to gossip and innuendo if they are succeeding in their careers. I also really enjoyed the discussion around “staying neutral” versus how best to support those that are being harassed in the workplace. I did not necessarily agree with Aaron’s conclusion but I thought it was a good conversation and it made me think. I think this theme was a really important part of this novel and that the author did a good job discussing this within the plot and making the trauma Lina had experienced around this really tangible.
I found the writing especially in Lina’s stream-of-consciousness mind to be cute and laugh out loud funny. There is a lot of internal monologuing in this and Lina’s mental voice is strong, and so if this is not something that you typically like, consider if this might be the book for you. I would almost say that most of this book is Lina’s internal monologue. In audio, it was fine, the narrator did a fantastic job interpreting the character, but if you’re reading it on the page, I suppose it would be a matter of taste. I typically don’t like the deception-fake relationship trope but it worked here for me. Consent was also dealt with in a stellar way, as well as workplace relationships. As a multicultural romance, I thought this did a fair job reflecting the cultural dichotomies that existed between Lina and Aaron. I think it did matter that she was from Spain and it was integral to her character.
For me, I wish we had gotten a bit more Aaron. This was mostly Lina’s book which was fine, but sometimes I was missing Aaron getting a word in edgewise. I mean admittedly Aaron is quiet and what he did have to say was impactful but I think this could have done with much more of him either having a voice or feeling more like this was his book as well. Again the author may have made the decision to focus on Lina’s story but taste-wise, I wanted more Aaron. I also think that some of the big resolution points were a little rushed and disempowering for Lina in my opinion.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this. It made me laugh and I thought it was cute and funny and enjoyable. I do recommend it!
I admittedly am not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers romances. They stress me out and I personally don’t understand the point of investing so much banter and negative energy in someone you purportedly despise but here we are. I decided to read this and I actually really enjoyed it. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it in audio and Scarlette Hayes did such a good job on it, or perhaps it’s because from the beginning, it is beyond obvious that the hero is gone over the heroine and is being the trope of “somewhat emotionally-stunted character struggles to show their feelings.” Nonetheless, there’s something in this that really worked for me and I loved it.
The premise is that Catalina needs a fake date to attend her sister’s wedding in Spain after lying to her family about being in a relationship so they wouldn’t worry about her still being broken after a devastating break up back home. Her only option seems to be the incongruous offer from her work nemesis, Aaron, who agrees to play the part of her boyfriend in front of her family. But being thrown together makes them dig deep into the animosity between them.
I think my favourite part of this is the exploration of sexism in academia and in the work place. There are scenes where Catalina’s experience reflects the inherent bias and misogyny that exists in professional spheres where women are expected to fulfill certain roles or tropes just because of their gender, or they’re subject to gossip and innuendo if they are succeeding in their careers. I also really enjoyed the discussion around “staying neutral” versus how best to support those that are being harassed in the workplace. I did not necessarily agree with Aaron’s conclusion but I thought it was a good conversation and it made me think. I think this theme was a really important part of this novel and that the author did a good job discussing this within the plot and making the trauma Lina had experienced around this really tangible.
I found the writing especially in Lina’s stream-of-consciousness mind to be cute and laugh out loud funny. There is a lot of internal monologuing in this and Lina’s mental voice is strong, and so if this is not something that you typically like, consider if this might be the book for you. I would almost say that most of this book is Lina’s internal monologue. In audio, it was fine, the narrator did a fantastic job interpreting the character, but if you’re reading it on the page, I suppose it would be a matter of taste. I typically don’t like the deception-fake relationship trope but it worked here for me. Consent was also dealt with in a stellar way, as well as workplace relationships. As a multicultural romance, I thought this did a fair job reflecting the cultural dichotomies that existed between Lina and Aaron. I think it did matter that she was from Spain and it was integral to her character.
For me, I wish we had gotten a bit more Aaron. This was mostly Lina’s book which was fine, but sometimes I was missing Aaron getting a word in edgewise. I mean admittedly Aaron is quiet and what he did have to say was impactful but I think this could have done with much more of him either having a voice or feeling more like this was his book as well. Again the author may have made the decision to focus on Lina’s story but taste-wise, I wanted more Aaron. I also think that some of the big resolution points were a little rushed and disempowering for Lina in my opinion.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this. It made me laugh and I thought it was cute and funny and enjoyable. I do recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
UM. I have many thoughts.
First and foremost, I really wanted to love this. Virtually everyone I know that has read it has gushed over it. And it had those romcom elements that usually make your heart swell and your mind go all melty with love.
Instead, this book just made me cringe. I hate to say that—but the cringe didn’t go away as the story went on. Normally, I love the enemies-to-lovers trope. The work romance trope. The back and forth. The slow burn. The one-bed trope. The TENSION. Unfortunately, all of those predictable nuances felt disconnected and forced to me. The storyline was very similar to The Hating Game—which I LOVED—and maybe that might have also been the reason this story made me so mad.
Because it had POTENTIAL!!! So much potential. But the writing in general was just so so repetitive, especially when it came to certain descriptive words and actions or thoughts made by the MC. It made the veryyyy slow burn even slower. The buildup just didn’t feel organic. And once the buildup rewarded the reader with that moment you’d been waiting for… I just could not. The love interest, which up until that point I actually grew to like, completely changed. This seems to be a common theme in certain romance novels: that the hot-and-heavy moments have to transform the characters into intense maniacs that, frankly, disturb me. Maybe that’s on me. Probably. But seriouslyyyy it felt like whiplash!! It just didn’t feel true to the characters, IMO. It felt a little like a cop-out just for the ~seductive shock factor~ idk.
I must have liked this book in some way to be this frustrated by it. The “ocean blue” eyes were mentioned no less than a thousand times. “My fake boyfriend”, or referring to any character by their relation to the MC instead of by name, drove me crazy. It wasn’t just once. It was multiple times, over and over even when you knew who they were. Also, the excessive use of names when talking to each other. No one talks like that irl!!
Elena Armas, girl, I know this was your debut book and I really do commend you for self-publishing it but— “I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous, I don’t know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street, I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man.”
Please don’t hate me I just gotta be honest ty!!!!
First and foremost, I really wanted to love this. Virtually everyone I know that has read it has gushed over it. And it had those romcom elements that usually make your heart swell and your mind go all melty with love.
Instead, this book just made me cringe. I hate to say that—but the cringe didn’t go away as the story went on. Normally, I love the enemies-to-lovers trope. The work romance trope. The back and forth. The slow burn. The one-bed trope. The TENSION. Unfortunately, all of those predictable nuances felt disconnected and forced to me. The storyline was very similar to The Hating Game—which I LOVED—and maybe that might have also been the reason this story made me so mad.
Because it had POTENTIAL!!! So much potential. But the writing in general was just so so repetitive, especially when it came to certain descriptive words and actions or thoughts made by the MC. It made the veryyyy slow burn even slower. The buildup just didn’t feel organic. And once the buildup rewarded the reader with that moment you’d been waiting for… I just could not. The love interest, which up until that point I actually grew to like, completely changed. This seems to be a common theme in certain romance novels: that the hot-and-heavy moments have to transform the characters into intense maniacs that, frankly, disturb me. Maybe that’s on me. Probably. But seriouslyyyy it felt like whiplash!! It just didn’t feel true to the characters, IMO. It felt a little like a cop-out just for the ~seductive shock factor~ idk.
I must have liked this book in some way to be this frustrated by it. The “ocean blue” eyes were mentioned no less than a thousand times. “My fake boyfriend”, or referring to any character by their relation to the MC instead of by name, drove me crazy. It wasn’t just once. It was multiple times, over and over even when you knew who they were. Also, the excessive use of names when talking to each other. No one talks like that irl!!
Elena Armas, girl, I know this was your debut book and I really do commend you for self-publishing it but— “I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous, I don’t know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street, I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man.”
Please don’t hate me I just gotta be honest ty!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Stalking
rthpr's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first half of the book was kind of slow and cliched, and there were plot points that felt a bit random and rushed, but overall I enjoyed it as the cheesy, happy go lucky, not too serious book that it is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Grief
hazychapters's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I've heard a lot of good things about this book and... it's a disappointment. The enemies-to-lovers trope wasn’t incredible, I didn't even feel like it was central to the story (unlike the fake dating one). The characters were just rude to each other which is quite annoying.
Lina was a bit childish and Aaron (who I liked at the beginning) completely changed his personality at 50% of the book. Everything was ✨miscommunication✨ and the difficulties Lina and Aaron had to face were swept away without real solutions.
The smut was weird and made me uncomfortable and the end was meh. I think the “sexism storyline” was too superficial, while it would have been really interesting if it has been explored with more depth. While the beginning was long, the end was completely rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent