The Spanish Love Deception

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.