To me, reading a rom-com has always felt more like a short virtual vacation. That "everything is going to turn out more than just fine" assurance is what we all need now and then, and so my decision to start reading The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas was not only fueled by the fact that the book is vastly popular (or the awesome deal in which Kindle had generously offered).
The plot summary is more or less like this: Catalina Martín is very desperate as her sister's wedding is coming closer, which is all due to the lie she has fed her whole family. By claiming that she is going to bring her American boyfriend over just so she can prove that she has completely moved on, Lina has a tough job in finding someone willing to play pretend and go to Spain with her. The worst part is, she has no other option to choose from other than her nemesis at work, the brooding and condescending Aaron Blackford.
It was obvious to me that I really enjoyed this book... at first. The Spanish Love Deception kind of reminded me of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (which, of course, I loved wholeheartedly), and I was convinced that it was a good kind of similarity. I was excited, and Lina seemed like a genuine, loving, but also brave character to go through this story with, thus I expected a lot from her. Aaron, on the other hand, was too perfect. It's hard to sympathize with flawless characters like him, but I admit I was really smitten at first.
Things were actually really fun before Spain. The build-up anticipation of wanting to see the two end up together, the yearning for more tension, and the excitement I felt for their chemistry... it was all there... pre-Spain. Everything felt too stretched out after that though. What should be an entertaining story I wanted to devour within days had turned into a story I hoped would end soon as it had gone a little too long.
That was quite a bummer. I missed the headstrong Lina who liked to argue with Aaron all the time, not the Lina who was at a loss for words for almost her entire trip because of Aaron's great abs, or his dreamy ocean blue eyes, or his marvelous abs (or have I said that already?). It seemed to me that this book had so much potential, but it chose to drag on too long while keeping the more interesting parts short.
But hey, please don't let this review restrain you from checking out this book. While it didn't end up making me feel the way I had wanted it to, the first half of this book still entertained me a lot. The Spanish Love Deception may be a book for you. It was still a cute book, overall, a good company to enjoy a few days with.
Actual rating: 3★
