The romance genre uses a distinct set of literary devices which can be traced back more than 200 years to foundational novels such as those of Jane Austen. The traditional romance novel stems from the regency subgenre—stories of upper class British lords and ladies searching for true love in the confining social milieu of Victorian England. Though the genre has since branched away from the repressed emotions of such literature, certain literary devices are still employed.

Elena Armas both uses traditional literary devices and plays against them. For example, a common plot device in romance is the faux lover becoming a true lover: In The Spanish Love Deception, faux boyfriend Aaron becomes the love of Lina’s life. Another common device in romance involves characters who initially dislike each other falling in love (the “enemies to lovers” trope): Aaron is cold toward Lina, and Lina doesn’t trust him because of it, yet the novel ends with them professing their love. Another device is the disruptive but well-meaning family: Lina struggles to console and find privacy when around her talkative relatives. Lina’s cousin Charo in particular is unfiltered, creating awkward moments by speaking obvious truths.