samchase112's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The slowest of slow burns, whose deliciousness was tempered by my frustration — and the high page count. Armas’s characters are impeccable and lovable as always, however! Mostly just makes me want to read TSLD again…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Dementia and Violence
Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual harassment
mhairi_reads's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Forced proximity, fake dating, slow burn.
POV: First person dual POV - Rosie & Lucas
Ending: HEA
This can be read without having read The Spanish Love Deception first. However this wasn’t as good as the Spanish Love Deception 😞. Lucas Martin is no Aaron Blackford and that’s all I have to say on that 😛.
We follow Lucas Martin, Lina’s pro-surfer cousin and Rosie Graham, Lina’s best friend. Their paths cross when they both find themselves in Lina’s empty apartment whilst she is on her honeymoon. They agree to live together as roommates while Lucas is on holiday from Spain and Rosie’s apartment ceiling gets repaired. Rosie has quit her job with InTech to become a full time romance writer but she has an upcoming deadline, whereby she needs to submit a draft of her second book and to top it off she has the worst case of writer’s block.
After confiding in Lucas they hatch a plan to go on four experimental dates where Lucas will show Rosie what dating can really be and the one rule … they won’t fall in love with each other. But I mean these dates!!! OMG Mr Martin has set the bar high for every other man who dares to date a romance reader. These dates were absolutely beautiful to read about and I really loved seeing the effort Lucas put in for Rosie. It was heartwarming!
Unfortunately I don’t have too much to say on this one because it wasn’t my favourite. Rosie wasn’t my favourite FMC of all time. I really couldn’t connect with her the way I did with Lina sometimes I just felt the writing was slightly off. I didn’t fully become invested until much closer to the end hence the three and a half stars.
⚠️ Content Warnings: Parent abandonment, PTSD and panic attack depiction, traumatic event, sexual content, gaslighting (very brief scene), Alzheimer's.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Forced proximity, fake dating, slow burn.
POV: First person dual POV - Rosie & Lucas
Ending: HEA
This can be read without having read The Spanish Love Deception first. However this wasn’t as good as the Spanish Love Deception 😞. Lucas Martin is no Aaron Blackford and that’s all I have to say on that 😛.
We follow Lucas Martin, Lina’s pro-surfer cousin and Rosie Graham, Lina’s best friend. Their paths cross when they both find themselves in Lina’s empty apartment whilst she is on her honeymoon. They agree to live together as roommates while Lucas is on holiday from Spain and Rosie’s apartment ceiling gets repaired. Rosie has quit her job with InTech to become a full time romance writer but she has an upcoming deadline, whereby she needs to submit a draft of her second book and to top it off she has the worst case of writer’s block.
After confiding in Lucas they hatch a plan to go on four experimental dates where Lucas will show Rosie what dating can really be and the one rule … they won’t fall in love with each other. But I mean these dates!!! OMG Mr Martin has set the bar high for every other man who dares to date a romance reader. These dates were absolutely beautiful to read about and I really loved seeing the effort Lucas put in for Rosie. It was heartwarming!
Unfortunately I don’t have too much to say on this one because it wasn’t my favourite. Rosie wasn’t my favourite FMC of all time. I really couldn’t connect with her the way I did with Lina sometimes I just felt the writing was slightly off. I didn’t fully become invested until much closer to the end hence the three and a half stars.
⚠️ Content Warnings: Parent abandonment, PTSD and panic attack depiction, traumatic event, sexual content, gaslighting (very brief scene), Alzheimer's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Dementia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol
cady_sass's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
1. Main character named Lucas
2. Other main character had her first kiss with Jake Jagielski
3. First date at a record store
4. “Pick me” speech in the rain
This definitely isn’t one tree hill fan fiction but there are way too many odd similarities. I mean, Jake Jagielski???? Lmao
(this was 100% a hate read)
2. Other main character had her first kiss with Jake Jagielski
3. First date at a record store
4. “Pick me” speech in the rain
This definitely isn’t one tree hill fan fiction but there are way too many odd similarities. I mean, Jake Jagielski???? Lmao
(this was 100% a hate read)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Cursing, Violence, and Alcohol
mezzoanddolce's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Violence
macykey's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I am a hole for Lucas Martín, a Lucas Martín girlie, a stan, his biggest fan. We all need a Lucas Martín in our lives. But this book was a little lacking for me. The writing was a little more elementary than TSLD and there were some parts that didn’t fit in the plot. For instance, the whole Olly bit. I feel like that could’ve been reworked
, Also, I wish we would’ve gotten more about Lucas’ situation, but it just seemed kind of tertiary.
,
Spoiler
him being a stripper because of a girl he wasn’t even dating didn’t make any sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/injury detail, and Sexual content
Minor: Trafficking
izzieisaloser's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I liked this book but I think I liked The Spanish Love Deception more then this one. Is that controversial I don’t know but it’s the truth.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that Lucas and Rosie couldn’t be together other then that his visa was up. AND SHE CONFESSED HER FEELINGS AND HE WALKED AWAY, asshole.
But anyway they could of been together from the VERY BEGINNING there was NOTHING holding them back.
that’s all that’s why it lost a star because I feel like there should of been a reason that they couldn’t of been together.
I loved that it was dual POV and wish all books were. I love male POVS in books.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that Lucas and Rosie couldn’t be together other then that his visa was up. AND SHE CONFESSED HER FEELINGS AND HE WALKED AWAY, asshole.
But anyway they could of been together from the VERY BEGINNING there was NOTHING holding them back.
that’s all that’s why it lost a star because I feel like there should of been a reason that they couldn’t of been together.
I loved that it was dual POV and wish all books were. I love male POVS in books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Violence
abigail_moffat's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/injury detail
curicastic's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Elena Armas: How dare you.
Quite honestly, "The Spanish Love Deception" was a masterpiece and that's why I'm giving this a 4.5, because that one is a solid 5... but, damn, Armas knows how to write romance.
Lucas Martín was the opposite of Aaron Blackford but I was still there for it. He's a sunshine, golden retriever boy whose mouth is fast as dirty.
Rosalyn Graham is a ballsy heroine that just left her work to become a romance writer. She's analytic, structured and shy.
Both of them make a tasty, wholesome, cute and saucy mix. Far for being an enemies to lovers, this is friends to lovers but it still hits the jackpot. Their conversations are fresh, their conection whilst a little too easy sometimes is deep. They're exactly what the other needed, hot wrapping on top.
I loved this book. I was a little worried it would be too much "love on first sight" but being a (sort of) spin off where we already had the characters a little bit situated... it made me think of the happenstance of meeting someone new, and perhaps the forced proximity being like throwing alcohol into a fire. Everything is on flames, warm and cozy.
I wonder if Rosie's trouble writing was Elena Armas' fight as well, but if it was... well, she doesn't have to worry because this book made me smile, made me giggle like a lunatic, it made a tear fall off my eye. This totally lives up her novel debut and I hope we continue reading more of her work.
Quite honestly, "The Spanish Love Deception" was a masterpiece and that's why I'm giving this a 4.5, because that one is a solid 5... but, damn, Armas knows how to write romance.
Lucas Martín was the opposite of Aaron Blackford but I was still there for it. He's a sunshine, golden retriever boy whose mouth is fast as dirty.
Rosalyn Graham is a ballsy heroine that just left her work to become a romance writer. She's analytic, structured and shy.
Both of them make a tasty, wholesome, cute and saucy mix. Far for being an enemies to lovers, this is friends to lovers but it still hits the jackpot. Their conversations are fresh, their conection whilst a little too easy sometimes is deep. They're exactly what the other needed, hot wrapping on top.
I loved this book. I was a little worried it would be too much "love on first sight" but being a (sort of) spin off where we already had the characters a little bit situated... it made me think of the happenstance of meeting someone new, and perhaps the forced proximity being like throwing alcohol into a fire. Everything is on flames, warm and cozy.
I wonder if Rosie's trouble writing was Elena Armas' fight as well, but if it was... well, she doesn't have to worry because this book made me smile, made me giggle like a lunatic, it made a tear fall off my eye. This totally lives up her novel debut and I hope we continue reading more of her work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/injury detail
dayingst's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Injury/injury detail
ellelockley's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Rosie is Lina's best friend. She quit her job as a well-paid engineer to become a romance writer only to enter a creative slump. Lucas Martín is the only one that can pull her out. I did really enjoy this book and I think Lucas and Rosie were such beautiful characters and because their flaws were so well written and developed, it made them seem more human. They're relationship was really beautifully written. There were a few bits that were uncomfortable and cringy to read (cough shower scene cough) and I don't think the s3x scene were very well written in my opinion. Even though I preferred the plot of the spanish love deception, i prefer the leads in this book. I'm also spanish so I can relate to the family dynamic which I really like. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a slow burn romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Violence