The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas


Publication Date: February 23, 2021


Plot: Catalina Martín desperately needs a date for her sister’s wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiraled out of control. Now everyone she knows—including her ex and his fiancée—will be there and eager to meet him.


She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is no short flight and her raucous family won’t be easy to fool.


Enter Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man.


But Catalina is desperate, and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. And she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.


☆ Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas


Publication Date: September 6, 2022


Plot: Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well-paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn’t told her family and now has terrible writer’s block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina’s spare key while she’s out of town. But Rosie doesn’t know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking—for lack of a better word—on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, and an irresistible accent. Oh, and he cooks.


Lucas offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experiment to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: He’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control—but Lucas’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.


☆ Rating: 5/5 stars 

MY THOUGHTS:

Let me start out by saying—I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS about this series, so this review might be a bit of a long one 🤣


First, let's start with The Spanish Love Deception. For the longest, I wasn't going to read this book. I saw it everywhere (& I mean freakin everywhere) on Booktook, and I was just really trying not to buy into the hype and add yet another book to my TBR. However, after a friend of mine who is just an avid reader as I am read it and told me I would be obsessed, I had to try it, because she's never steered me wrong. Thank you, Alexandra, 😘 SHE WAS SO RIGHT.


I honestly don't even have words for this book. It's cute, funny, spicy, and literally everything you could want it a rom-com, which hellooooo is obviously my fave! This book has everything you could want in your favorite romance novel—fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and a man so perfect you know he was written by a woman 🤣 Elena truly knows how to write a fictional man. Aaron Blackford has truly set the bar so high for all the fictional men to come. He goes to Spain for Catalina, learns Spanish for her, and brings her more tacos than she asked for 😭😭


Aaron Blackford is going to be at the top of my book-boyfriends list for the rest of eternity, living in my head rent-free. If you want the perfect feel-good book, I will recommend this one forever.


Okay now, let's dive into The American Roommate Experiment - I HAVE THOUGHTS. My expectations were high after The Spanish Love Deception, but HOLY SHIT. I can't even describe this book in a few words so hold on lol. If you love over-the-top romance, THIS 👏🏻 IS 👏🏻 IT 👏🏻 I was SO giddy reading this book, grinning from ear to ear and squealing out loud more than once!


While Aaron Blackford is the blueprint for book boyfriends, Lucas Martin WHEW LORD! Lucas was the perfect man—a Spanish man that loves to cook, adores Rosie with every fiber of his being, and absolutely knows how to dirty talk 🥵 Rosie seems to have been written in a way where she isn't going to be everyone's favorite character, but she is so relatable & that's what I love about her.


The experimental dates in this book were EVERYTHING. Ladies & gents, if you want to learn how to plan a romantic date, Lucas Martin's plans should be your rulebook. Fake dating is honestly one of my favorite tropes, and I couldn't get enough. Also, the fact that Aaron and Rosie had their *show* which was so clearly The Vampire Diaries, and that made me love them even more 🤣


I've said it before and I'll say it again—I LOVE DUAL POVs. It made this book so much more special in that way. This book is absolutely adorable (**chef's kiss!**) A genuinely perfect escape. I still love to read fairytales, it's just a bit dirtier now. And Elena knows how to do it. YES MA'AM.


Anyway, Elena I love you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for these incredible masterpieces. 

FAVORITE QUOTES


“I'll give you the world," he said. "The moon. The stars. Anything. You ask, it is yours. I'm yours."


"I read you like you were my favorite book, Rosie. Like I’ve memorized you."


“How is it possible that it feels like you are breaking my heart, and I haven’t even had you yet?”


“You are all that, Catalina. You are light. And passion. Your laughter alone can lift my mood and effortlessly turn my day around in a matter of seconds. Even when it's not aimed at me. You... can light up entire rooms, Catalina. You hold that kind of power. And it's because of all the different things that make you who you are. Each and every one of them, even the ones that drive me crazy in ways you can't imagine. You should never forget that.”


“Because when I finally take those lips in mine, it will be the furthest thing from pretending. I will not be showing you what it would be like if you were mine. I’ll show you what it is. And I sure as hell won’t be showing how good I could make you feel if you called me yours. You’ll already know that I am.”

FAVORITE QUOTES


“I'll give you the world," he said. "The moon. The stars. Anything. You ask, it is yours. I'm yours."


"I read you like you were my favorite book, Rosie. Like I’ve memorized you."


“How is it possible that it feels like you are breaking my heart, and I haven’t even had you yet?”


“You are all that, Catalina. You are light. And passion. Your laughter alone can lift my mood and effortlessly turn my day around in a matter of seconds. Even when it's not aimed at me. You... can light up entire rooms, Catalina. You hold that kind of power. And it's because of all the different things that make you who you are. Each and every one of them, even the ones that drive me crazy in ways you can't imagine. You should never forget that.”


“Because when I finally take those lips in mine, it will be the furthest thing from pretending. I will not be showing you what it would be like if you were mine. I’ll show you what it is. And I sure as hell won’t be showing how good I could make you feel if you called me yours. You’ll already know that I am.”