The Spanish Love Deception

The romance genre is largely devoted to stories of individuals whose affection for each other must overcomes difficult challenges. In this respect, it can be said that “love conquers all” is the underlying theme of all romance novels. Elena Armas proceeds to demonstrate the power of this theme in different respects. First, the narrator-protagonist Lina is a person so wounded by a failed past relationship, an instance of false love, that she will not entertain the possibility that love can be real and lasting—even after her ideal partner, Aaron, reveals his integrity and sincerity. Despite Aaron’s many sacrifices, she is still unwilling to speak the “four letter word” (372). But in the end, when he finds himself in need of support, Lina opens her heart to trust. To overcome rejection of love, love itself proves a powerful force.

Armas also describes the power of love as transformative. When Aaron starts working at InTech, he is against forming emotional attachments that may interfere with his job. He expresses this by rejecting Lina’s friendship and telling Jeff that he does not want to work with her. Over the next 20 months, however, his perspective undergoes a complete transformation.