Review: The Spanish Love Deception

 Elena Armas and her TikTok sensation that swept book nerds off their feet.

It’s fair to say that most people who have been on the internet to look for their next read or have been around since 2021, that The Spanish Love Deception is an immensely popular book. There are hundreds of people who would swear by this book being the best romance book of 2021, and there are a lot of contenders for that title. This review won’t contradict that view, as I will profess that I did enjoy my time reading the novel, however, I won’t proclaim that it is the greatest book to have ever existed.

“Because it was all you were willing to give me. And I’d rather have you hating me than not have you at all.”

The Spanish Love Deception is your classic, fake relationship, wedding date story, where a girl from an office needs to have a fake date to her sister’s wedding in Spain because of a previously bad relationship. The common and almost predictable tropes of this book make it slightly too unrealistic in the way that certain things pan out over the course of the story, and sometimes make it seem a little too contrived. I mean, it was a little too predictable when it was revealed that the main love interest of the woman had been in love with her since they first met several years ago. If he hadn’t then there was no way that he would have fallen in love with her over the course of the novel as there aren’t really a lot of things that she does that would make anyone swoon. Instead, most of the novel talks about what the love interest does for the girl to make her fall in love with him.

It’s almost like this book forgot that love is a two-way street, and there needs to be some moments of him falling for her too.

“I wasn’t pretending, Catalina. Not for a minute. It was all real for me. That’s why it meant so much.”

Not to do the book too hard down by this, but there are some memorable moments within the book that make it a classic swoon-worthy read for any romance enthusiast. But I would be wary about how much people have talked up this book. Just, open it up with an open mind and you might not be too disappointed with what you read.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this book. It was the first romance book of its kind that I had ever read, and I wasn’t much of a new adult romance reader before. However, it is because of this book, and the perfectly articulated spice scenes, that I have developed a newfound love for the genre. There is just something about the way that Elena Armas constructs her romance that makes it flow perfectly well. I enjoyed reading this book for every moment and wished I could read it again after I had finished.

“When I finally kiss you, there won’t be any doubt in your mind that it is real.”

I would definitely read this book again and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for their next romance classic. Although there are a few predictable romance scenes and common book tropes that can be spotted from a mile away, it still manages to make a wonderfully beautiful romance for anyone to enjoy.

Rating:

• Romance: 5/5
• Spice Level: 2/5
• Relationship Chemistry: 4/5
• Green Flag Bias: 5/5
• Realism: 3/5
• Enjoyment: 5/5
• Writing Quality: 4/5
• Re-read ability: 4/5
• Overall: 5/5

Fanfiction: My Secret Love Affair

 There is a lot of prejudice about fanfiction. Is it just a load of 12 year olds trying to write really bad stories about their favourite characters? Or is it just a minefield packed with smut? And I would harbour the question to those people who have these prejudices towards fanfiction: have you ever read any fanfiction? Have you ever gone through the long slog of trying to find the perfect fanfiction for your heart’s desires? If not, then I don’t think you have enough expertise in the field to comment.

I have been in the mine field. I have seen the smut, and the fluff, and the random BS stories you find on those sites, and I have seen it all. There are many things concerning fanfiction that I wish I could erase from my memory. Nevertheless, because of those experiences, and those haunting images and words, I have become a better reader and writer because of it.

There is a lot more to the world of fanfiction than people think, and those that brush it off as a source of smut and endless pipe dreams, then I will tell them that they are wrong. Fanfiction doesn’t just revolve around smut. There is so much more to it than that. Don’t get me wrong, you are bound to stumble across it, and sometimes, depending on the fandom, it is inescapable. But that is where your new skill as a reader will come into play.

As a reader of fanfiction, you learn to filter out what kinds of stories you want to read, what ones take your fancy and what ones are not worth your time. Most of this comes down to studying the summary. The summary of a story will tell you a lot about what kind of writer you are about to start reading, and sometimes they will offer a mature content warning to give you an idea as to how smutty their work is going to be. You have to decide for yourself what kind of mood you are in.

Do you want to read that kind of thing? Or are you looking for something more Vanilla?

It is up to you. There are hundreds upon thousands of fanfiction stories out there, all to suit your interests. For me, I always look for a specific type of fanfiction. There has to be an element of slow burn romance, and I always love it when the writer perfectly builds up the tension between the characters. These things are what make good writers, and I believe is what makes them better than professional writers.

I mean, we’ve all seen the success of Ali Hazelwood’s fanfiction story. Now known to you as The Love Hypothesis.

Her story shows the world that fanfiction isn’t as sick and twisted as many have believed it to be. Sometimes, it can be perfectly well balanced, with a brilliant story and some of the sweetest love stories you will ever come across. There is something to be said about the love story of characters we have already gotten to know through various medium, replaced into a new story that takes their love in a different direction. They will always end up together, you know the ending, and yet there is something always so enticing about the journey.

After all, that’s what fanfiction fans live for. The journey. We don’t care about the end result; we strive off of the journey. And the love that can stem from it.

I don’t care what others will say about me when I admit to my love of fanfiction. It is who I am, and it is a part of how I got to where I am. Fanfiction will always be a major part of my journey and will continue to be as I grown and mature as a writer.

Finding Inspiration to Start Writing

 We’ve all been there. You have an idea, something that you want to write, but you just don’t have the energy or inspiration to get it started. Sometimes, you’ll be on the other side. You want to write, but you have no idea what to write. Very often, our brains will get stuck and fall into a well of procrastination and boredom, and sometimes it’s just a case of reigniting that fire you had before everything went downhill. Back to the time when you had the inspiration to write.

Here then, are some tips and tricks I sometimes use to help me get back on track:

1. Read Books

It seems fairly simple, just read it. Although this signifies everything that you want to achieve, sometimes reading what other writers have come up with can help to spark your creative streak. Whilst reading you can completely submerge yourself into their narrative and learn to understand what they want out of their writing. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your inspiration somewhere in between those words.

2. Watch Films and Television

I know it seems like I’m promoting procrastination, but this is not what I mean. By this, return to an old favourite, something that you have watched a dozen times over and know almost every line. Sometimes I find my inspiration from old episodes of shows I watched as a kid and scenes that I didn’t put that much thought into when I first watched them. Watching these shows from a different angle or different lens, focusing on different areas in the mise-en-scene can really help us to find that inspiration we were looking for.

3. Take a break

Sometimes, trying to force inspiration is not a proactive way of going about things. Sometimes, you just have to take a step back and realise that you just can’t do it. Things can get easier when you accept that you can’t do them and decide to leave them for a day. Often a fresh look at something can spark inspiration that you didn’t know was still there.

Most of the time, you just have to let the inspiration find you.

4. Hang out with friends

Although seemingly counterproductive to what you are trying to achieve, social interaction is sometimes a great way to spark that inspiration you seem to have lost. Speaking with others, and hearing how they talk can help your brain to construct dialogue, and you’ll find that story that you have been waiting to write just appearing in your head as though it has been there all along.

5. Find another hobby

Writing is often our hobby, and sometimes it is our job. But most of the time, when you get stuck with writing, it is best to find another activity to help you unwind. Something to take your mind off writing. It is never an ideal situation to try and force the inspiration to come. If you do this, you’ll find yourself worrying about whether you can truly write anything anymore. Sometimes, it is just best to find something new to occupy your time, and you’ll find yourself back to writing in no time.

6. Write Practice Chapters

Often the way to find inspiration to write is that you are trying to write a boring but important scene. In your heart, you don’t want to write it because you know that a more exciting scene is coming up and you just want to write that, but you know in your head that the story will only make sense if you write another scene before it. Sometimes, it is better and often easier, just to write the chapter that you want to write. No rule says you need to write your whole manuscript in one solid piece and chronologically. That’s what editing is for. If you have an idea for an exciting chapter halfway through the book, go on and write it, then come back to the chapter you need to write afterwards.

7. Playing Games

This is something I often do, and quite frankly, I’m not too proud of it. It is the highest form of procrastination, but I can’t help it. Video games have often helped me with my inspiration, by letting me follow an exciting storyline only to give me a great idea for my characters. These games have been handcrafted and written by expert scriptwriters, so in a sense I am watching theatre, but in an interactive way.