In August 2012, I watched the first episode of Amor Bravío. I was learning Spanish and thought it would be a good idea for me to watch television shows in Spanish. I never expected to get hooked, but I did. I couldn’t miss an episode and started recording it. Even though I could barely understand what they were saying, the story of Daniel and Camila drew me in.

As a writer, my fascination with this show has made me wonder why this telenovela caught my attention and kept it. I blame it on the characters and good storytelling. The hero and heroine, Daniel and Camila, are everything a super couple should be.

Daniel is kind-hearted, he’s a protector, and he always tries to do the right thing, even if it means sacrificing something he truly wants, like Camila. His one fault is that he lies, but for the most part, he does that to protect people.

Camila is strong and independent. She doesn’t need a man to take care of her. But Camila is stubborn and will never ask for help, even when she needs it.

Together Daniel and Camila are magic. Of course, like any romance, the writers had to find a way to tear them apart and that’s where the villains come in, Isadora and Dionisio.

Isadora is all about the money. She killed her first husband by poisoning him over time so she could inherit his money. She tries to kill her second husband in the same way to get his money and ranch.

Dionisio is obsessed with Camila. He wants Camila and her ranch all for himself. When Daniel and Camila finally get married, Dionisio finds Daniel’s first wife, Miriam, who was supposed to be dead and brings her to Mexico. I admit as a former soap opera fan I should have seen that one coming, but I like everyone else that night was saying, “No está muerta!” (She’s not dead!)

Dionisio then arranges for a doctor to tell Daniel that Miriam has an aneurysm and she’ll die if anything upsets her. Daniel doesn’t want anything to happen to Miriam so he leaves Camila and doesn’t tell Miriam that he’s in love with Camila and married to her.

With only a few episodes left before Amor Bravío ends, Camila and Daniel are still apart, but I know that they will get their happy ending and I will celebrate when they do.

I learned more than Spanish from this telenovela. Despite the language barrier in the beginning, I kept watching because of the sexual tension between Daniel and Camila. It was so strong that it was almost tangible. It taught me how important that sexual tension is to any romance story and to up the ante to keep that tension there. I realize that sexual tension is an obvious element to any romance story, but it’s not always easy to write and keep fresh. Amor Bravío did it well. I’ll miss this telenovela.