Review: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

I never thought I’d be the person writing scathing reviews of books. I usually stop reading books I don’t like and politely tell people that “it just wasn’t for me”. But as I sat down to write my review for The Spanish Love Deception I became angrier and angrier at the way this misleading enemies to lovers rom-com turned out. The next thing I knew I had a full-on rant review. Buckle up because I have a few things to say about this book.

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Blurb

“Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year.“

That would certainly be tomorrow’s headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call.

Four weeks wasn’t a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic–from NYC and all the way to Spain–for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along my charade. But that didn’t mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6’4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me.

Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister’s wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie?

Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.

Rant Review for The Spanish Love Deception

***Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers***

• Pacing: Medium
• Character driven
• Single main character
• M/F romance
• Fake dating and “enemies” to lovers tropes (see below for why “enemies” is in parthases)

The Spanish Love Deception was marketed as an enemies to lovers rom-com, so naturally, I expected both characters to hate each other in a comically exaggerated manner. Instead, it turned out that the love interest, Aaron Blackford, was just a misogynistic jerk who couldn’t communicate. He spent nearly the entire book treating the main character, Lina, like shit and then had the audacity to demand she trust him completely after a single weekend of treating her like an actual human being. She had every right to be angry and hate him.

But. BUT. There’s more.

When Aaron and Lina plan to begin their fake dating escapade, it’s revealed that Aaron is about to be promoted at the company they both work at. This would make Aaron Lina’s boss. In the past, Lina dated her former college professor and their relationship completely blew up in her face. After that experience, Lina was hesitant to enter a new relationship at all, much less one with her future boss. She tells Aaron that she doesn’t want to fake date anymore, but he completely dismisses her concerns. They end up fake dating anyway and begin to fall in lust love.

I might have been able to forgive Aaron for this, but no. There’s more. When Aaron and Lina return to work newly in love after he doesn’t treat her like shit for *checks notes* ONE SINGLE WEEKEND, Lina again brings up that she doesn’t want to date someone that is going to become her boss. And you know what Aaron does instead of making sure she’s comfortable in their budding relationship?

HE.

GETS.

ANGRY.

AT.

HER.

FOR.

NOT.

TRUSTING.

HIM.

Let me recap everything Aaron has done hitherto.

1. He treated her like shit for no reason
2. He dismissed her concerns about fake dating before he becomes her boss despite her having a negative experience with a power dynamic in a relationship.
3. After abusing her for the entire time they worked together, he tells her to trust him and get’s angry when she’s still worried about the power dynamic.

And finally. After everything Aaron does…

Lina apologizes to him.

I rest my case.

Would I still recommend this book?

No.

Where to find The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Have you read The Spanish Love Deception? What did you think of Aaron? Let’s discuss in the coments!

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