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Catalina, who goes by Lina with friends and family, is desperate. Her sister is getting married back home in Spain, and it just so happens that the best man is Lina’s ex. And the end of their relationship was messy and affected Lina’s career. And she hasn’t really dated anyone else in the six years since then.
Lina needs a date. She needs a boyfriend, actually—or at least someone who can pretend to be her boyfriend. As she’s discussing the rapidly approaching wedding with her friend Rosie at work (in New York City), a coworker comes by and offers to be her date. What’s most shocking is that this is Aaron—the man who’s made it clear for the two years they’ve worked together that he doesn’t like her.
One thing leads to another, and she caves and asks Aaron to be her plus-one and pretend boyfriend.
Of course, sparks fly, and the two clearly have an attraction. Because this is that kind of book, it’s not really a spoiler for me to say happily-ever-after ensues.
The Spanish Love Deception runs with a common romance trope, that of people pretending to be dating who then fall in love. Tropes can definitely be fun, even if they’re predictable. This one just didn’t work for me. The first third of the book, the author is trying to convince us that Aaron really hates Lina, the way she thinks he does, while it’s clear he definitely doesn’t. It’s stilted and unbelievable. Particularly unbelievable is that Lina doesn’t see it since it’s clear as day. Sure, a little suspension of belief is necessary in these stories, but this one required far more than it should have, and I was shaking my head.
The story got more fun once they got to Spain and they a) pretend around Lina’s family and b) get cozy together. It feels more real and believable. Overall, though, I wouldn’t recommend this book; if you’re in the mood for the pretend-to-real trope, look for another novel. Plus, if you’re just looking for a romance novel, this goes above and beyond: its sex scenes (which don’t happen until three-quarters of the way through, at least) feel more like erotica than mainstream romance.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 50 uses of strong language, around 100 instances of moderate profanity, around 75 uses of mild language, and 100 instances of the name of Deity in vain. There are also a number of instances of moderate profanity and the name of Deity in Spanish. Sexual content includes several detailed sex scenes. One is quite lengthy and incredibly detailed. I thought I’d gotten into a bodice-ripper novel.
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