The Spanish Love Deception

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-12

Chapters 13-21

Chapter 22-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

The Powerful Male and the Weak Female

Elena Armas’s use of traditional romance symbols and motifs pervades The Spanish Love Deception. The most frequently used of these is the dynamic of “strong” man and the imperiled, relatively “weak” woman. Aaron helps an overworked Lina prepare for a special event; he insists that she get into his car during a thunderstorm; he finds her collapsed in the hallway and cares for her; and he lovingly describes his feelings for her in the face of her sister’s skepticism. Aaron’s greatest rescue is his willingness to be Lina’s boyfriend at Isabel’s wedding in Spain.

Beyond rescuing, Armas accentuates Aaron and Lina’s strong/weak dynamic by contrasting the former’s impressive physicality and the latter’s petite build and self-consciousness; Lina literally refers to Aaron as a Greek god (227). Lina notes Aaron’s exploits, such as him scoring a winning goal while carrying his faux girlfriend. This is another convention of traditional romance novels: A magnificent man falling for a plain or subtly beautiful woman.

Despite playing into Aaron and Lina’s strong/weak dynamic throughout the novel, Armas plays against it in Chapter 27 by having Lina rise up without hesitation, board a plane for Seattle, search until she finds Aaron, and proclaim her love. This is a common convention of traditional romance novels as well: An uncertain woman rising up to redeem a magnificent but faltering man.

Pervasive Emotionalism

Armas depicts Lina as a perpetual bundle of emotions. Aside from a few moments—such as Lina sitting inebriated on a sidewalk outside a Spanish saloon and lying next to Aaron after making love—she is constantly anxious. She also expresses anger, frustration, gratitude, grief, and relief tied to her various relationships. This pervasive emotionalism causes the reader to take note of the few times in which Lina is emotionless, such as when her former lover Daniel takes off his shirt to play soccer; this sight doesn’t elicit a reaction from her.

While Lina is an emotional person who keeps her feelings under control, her red-haired cousin Charo is portrayed as a classically fiery Spanish woman—whose emotionalism is unfiltered. While Lina complains that she sees no emotions in Aaron, she herself controls her feelings, never allowing them to direct her actions. Ultimately, Armas portrays Lina as someone who must learn to trust her lover and work environment enough to express her true feelings.

Sense of Urgency

Chronological and physical deadlines pervade the novel, creating an ongoing air of urgency. Lina has a few weeks to find a date for her sister Isabel’s wedding, lose weight before the ceremony, and plan a special event dropped on her by her boss. The novel’s greatest physical deadline is the possible death of Aaron’s father Richard Blackford, which draws both Aaron and Lina across the continent.

However, deadlines are not the only source of urgency in the novel. Lina’s work life is one of perpetual, inescapable responsibility. When Rosie tries to slow Lina’s pace by tempting her with coffee and pastries, she refuses in lieu of urgent work. Even on the flight to Spain, Lina feels compelled to prepare Aaron for dealing with her relatives. Returning to the bucolic setting of her childhood, however, brings no relief from this urgency. Lina’s family members constantly make demands and march her from one location to another. Armas portrays Lina’s life as hectic, with considerations that demand her constant attention.