The Spanish Love Deception

Elena Armas

54 pages 1-hour read

Elena Armas

The Spanish Love Deception

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

A 28-year-old engineering team director from a small coastal town in Spain who now lives and works in New York City. She overworks herself at the InTech engineering firm to compensate for missing colleagues and prove her competence. Desperate to show her family she has moved on from a painful breakup, she tells them she is bringing an American boyfriend to her sister's upcoming wedding.

Key Relationships

Colleague and Reluctant Date of Aaron Blackford

Best Friend of Rosie

Harassed Coworker of Gerald

Sister of Isabel

Ex-Boyfriend of Daniel

Cousin of Charo

Niece of Aunt Carmen

Granddaughter of Abuela

Employee of Jeff

Colleague of Héctor

Colleague of Kabir

A tall, former college football player who works as a team director alongside Catalina at InTech. Known for his stern, all-business demeanor, he initially rejected Catalina's friendly overtures when he first started at the firm. He surprises her by offering to pose as her American date for the wedding in Spain.

Key Relationships

Colleague and Volunteer Date of Catalina Martin

Estranged Son of Richard Blackford

Son of Dorothea

Subordinate of Jeff

Former Teammate of TJ

A mid-management engineering director at InTech who routinely makes sexist remarks toward his female colleagues. He specifically targets Catalina, implying that she should handle party planning because of her gender. He relies on his connections in upper management to protect his job security.

Key Relationships

Antagonistic Coworker of Catalina Martin

Coworker of Rosie

Subordinate of Jeff

Supporting Characters

A supportive coworker at InTech who serves as Catalina's closest friend in the office. She frequently tries to pull Catalina away from working late by tempting her with treats from their favorite coffee shop. She easily picks up on workplace dynamics and the underlying tensions between her colleagues.

Key Relationships

Best Friend of Catalina Martin

Coworker of Gerald

Catalina's sister, who is preparing for her upcoming wedding in their hometown in northern Spain. She is highly inquisitive about her sister's personal life and skeptical of Catalina's vague descriptions of her new relationship.

Key Relationships

Sister of Catalina Martin

Fiancée of Gonzalo

Future Sister-in-Law of Daniel

A 40-year-old college professor and Catalina's former lover from Spain. He is serving as the best man at the upcoming wedding because his brother is the groom. His past relationship with Catalina ended bitterly and prompted her move to New York City.

Key Relationships

Ex-Boyfriend of Catalina Martin

Brother of Gonzalo

Future Brother-in-Law of Isabel

Isabel's groom and Daniel's brother. He participates in the various bachelor and bachelorette activities leading up to the wedding in Spain.

Key Relationships

Fiancé of Isabel

Brother of Daniel

Catalina's unfiltered, red-haired cousin who lives in Spain. She eagerly inserts herself into the couple's business and insists on staying in the vacation apartment with Catalina and Aaron during the wedding festivities.

Key Relationships

Cousin of Catalina Martin

Daughter of Aunt Carmen

The boss and directors' supervisor at InTech. He plans to step down from his role and hand his position over to Aaron, bringing changes to the company's structure.

Key Relationships

Boss of Catalina Martin

Boss of Gerald

Aaron's father and former football coach. He lives in Seattle and has a fractured relationship with his son following the death of Aaron's mother.

Key Relationships

Estranged Father of Aaron Blackford

Widower of Dorothea

Cared for by Martha

Aaron's late mother, whose passing significantly impacted her family and led to the fracturing of Aaron's relationship with his father.

Key Relationships

Late Mother of Aaron Blackford

Late Wife of Richard Blackford

Charo's mother and Catalina's aunt. She is deeply protective of her family and directly questions Aaron about his relationship with her niece.

Key Relationships

Aunt of Catalina Martin

Mother of Charo

Catalina's grandmother in Spain. She attends the wedding festivities and closely observes the interactions between Catalina and Aaron.

Key Relationships

Grandmother of Catalina Martin

A former football teammate of Aaron's who attends the charity bachelor auction in New York. He casually flirts with Catalina to provoke a reaction from Aaron.

Key Relationships

Former Teammate of Aaron Blackford

The human resources manager at InTech. She handles personnel disputes and advocates for employees' rights regarding harassment.

Key Relationships

HR Representative for Catalina Martin

Investigator of Gerald

A mid-management engineer at InTech who attends directors' meetings alongside Catalina, Aaron, and Gerald.

Key Relationships

Colleague of Catalina Martin

A fellow director at InTech who works alongside Catalina and is present during team management meetings.

Key Relationships

Colleague of Catalina Martin

Often referred to as the Lady in Red, she is an older woman who aggressively bids on Aaron at a charity bachelor auction.

Key Relationships

Admirer and Bidder of Aaron Blackford

The woman who runs Around the Corner, a local coffee shop frequented by Catalina and Rosie.

Key Relationships

Barista for Catalina Martin

Another of Catalina's cousins in Spain who helps run a series of contests and activities for the wedding party.

Key Relationships

Cousin of Catalina Martin

The organizer of the charity bachelor auction that Aaron attends to raise funds for animal rescue.

Key Relationships

Event Organizer for Aaron Blackford

Richard Blackford's caretaker in Seattle who helps manage his health and daily needs during his illness.

Key Relationships

Caretaker for Richard Blackford