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Layla
From author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love.
When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.
Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.
When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.
Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2020
About the author
Colleen Hoover
80 books710k followersInternational and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women's fiction and paranormal romance.
I don't like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I'll claw my way out.
My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com
Founder of www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.
I don't like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I'll claw my way out.
My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com
Founder of www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40,277 reviews
February 8, 2022
You know where I draw the line when it comes to romances? At abuse and torture. Sigh.
When Leeds meets Layla, he knew immediately that she's the one. But soon into their relationship, Layla is attacked, leaving her with mental and physical scars. Leeds whisks her away to the place where they first met, in the hopes that that will bring them closer together. But soon, odd things start to happen. In trying to get to the bottom of it, Leeds grows close to Willow, a mysterious woman, and soon he's confused about where his loyalties really lie.
Whenever I see Colleen Hoover put out a book that crosses genres, I'm always salivating to get my hands on it. But it's not long into Layla before it becomes apparent that this story would be bogged down by a problematic narrative, and nothing can save it.
The story is told entirely from Leeds' perspective, and I have to say, he is the most despicable character I have ever come across. He is extremely self-centered and morally corrupt. What first starts out as manipulation of his girlfriend soon turns into gaslighting, which then becomes full-on physical restraint and emotional torture. Through it all, he justifies it by saying he can't stop himself and it's because he cares for Layla.
Honestly, the whole thing was so horrifying and hard to read, I had to take breaks after almost every paragraph. I definitely did not expect to be reading, in detail, one person emotionally torturing another person, all in the name of love.
But the crux of the issue is that Leeds isn't written as a villain. He's the main character of the love story, and we are supposed to sympathize with him and cheer him on. And when we get to the resolution, it obviously tries to justify what Leeds did. But that's problematic too because he did not actually know of these justifications when he committed his horrible acts.
I appreciate Hoover's attempts to cross genres, and find the mix of different ones in this story to be interesting and unique. But when it comes to execution, I'm honestly appalled by the results. To read it as it's written, with Leeds being the protagonist we should cheer for, is repugnant and beyond what I can tolerate, even in a story. Perhaps the moral here is that love justifies all, but if so, that is disturbing indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Verity
It Ends with Us
Regretting You
~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Leeds meets Layla, he knew immediately that she's the one. But soon into their relationship, Layla is attacked, leaving her with mental and physical scars. Leeds whisks her away to the place where they first met, in the hopes that that will bring them closer together. But soon, odd things start to happen. In trying to get to the bottom of it, Leeds grows close to Willow, a mysterious woman, and soon he's confused about where his loyalties really lie.
Whenever I see Colleen Hoover put out a book that crosses genres, I'm always salivating to get my hands on it. But it's not long into Layla before it becomes apparent that this story would be bogged down by a problematic narrative, and nothing can save it.
The story is told entirely from Leeds' perspective, and I have to say, he is the most despicable character I have ever come across. He is extremely self-centered and morally corrupt. What first starts out as manipulation of his girlfriend soon turns into gaslighting, which then becomes full-on physical restraint and emotional torture. Through it all, he justifies it by saying he can't stop himself and it's because he cares for Layla.
Honestly, the whole thing was so horrifying and hard to read, I had to take breaks after almost every paragraph. I definitely did not expect to be reading, in detail, one person emotionally torturing another person, all in the name of love.
But the crux of the issue is that Leeds isn't written as a villain. He's the main character of the love story, and we are supposed to sympathize with him and cheer him on. And when we get to the resolution, it obviously tries to justify what Leeds did. But that's problematic too because he did not actually know of these justifications when he committed his horrible acts.
I appreciate Hoover's attempts to cross genres, and find the mix of different ones in this story to be interesting and unique. But when it comes to execution, I'm honestly appalled by the results. To read it as it's written, with Leeds being the protagonist we should cheer for, is repugnant and beyond what I can tolerate, even in a story. Perhaps the moral here is that love justifies all, but if so, that is disturbing indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Verity
It Ends with Us
Regretting You
~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 8, 2020
I love CoHo, but this one didn't do it for me.
Leeds meets Layla and falls head over heels. After suffering a brain injury, Layla is not herself. Leeds meets Willow, a mysterious woman who can't remember her past. Leeds falls for Willow. He must make a choice between the woman he once loved or the woman he now loves.
Told from Leeds's perspective, I found him to be a self-absorbed a*sshole. I didn't feel like I ever really knew Layla. Willow, well, she was just kind of there. The characters were not fully developed, and the twist was no surprise.
I wanted to love this book, as it offers an interesting premise. However, in the end, it was not for me.
Many readers have Layla, so ignore me, and read it for yourself!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Leeds meets Layla and falls head over heels. After suffering a brain injury, Layla is not herself. Leeds meets Willow, a mysterious woman who can't remember her past. Leeds falls for Willow. He must make a choice between the woman he once loved or the woman he now loves.
Told from Leeds's perspective, I found him to be a self-absorbed a*sshole. I didn't feel like I ever really knew Layla. Willow, well, she was just kind of there. The characters were not fully developed, and the twist was no surprise.
I wanted to love this book, as it offers an interesting premise. However, in the end, it was not for me.
Many readers have Layla, so ignore me, and read it for yourself!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2022
Layla hinges on threadbare theories about the afterlife in an attempt to justify a shitbag country musician’s choice to gaslight the fuck out of his girlfriend because he fell in love with a ‘ghost’ (blah blah blah soulmates blah blah blah). 300 pages + one convenient twist later, and you have an entire novel of women (woman?) being manipulated, held captive, and briefly murdered so that one sad yeehaw motherfucker can have his happily ever after.
yes, this review is dramatic and poorly written, but so is the book :) anyway...thx for the laughs colleen <3
yes, this review is dramatic and poorly written, but so is the book :) anyway...thx for the laughs colleen <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
Okay! I am feeling like somebody pulled out my whole brain cells with tweezers and filled my head with rocks! When you google “dumb” word , you see my photo as salivas dripping down from my mouth, giving dumbfounded looks to the camera will appear on your screen! Because this is how I’m feeling after three long hours later I’ve finished Layla or let’s make a correction: the book literally finished me!
As soon as I started, I tried to go blind, not to relate with complex reviews which are somewhat true: yes, this book’s genre is not thriller or mindf*ck mystery like Verity. At least I have still my jaw at the right place at the time I finished this book. It didn’t drop! I’m not shocked, thrilled or truly impressed!
This is not also one of the angsty, tear jerker, whiny winey Colho romances( that’s me who gets whiny and need gallons of wines at every time I had an ultra emotional Colho experience)
I was okay but paranormal stories, if was blended with true emotions and heartfelt romance vibes!
But... let me tell you what really bugged me about this journey:
I didn’t like Leeds: our petrified hero from the beginning. I found him truly selfish, pitying himself, trapped with a woman he has no idea how to deal with her after she nearly died because of him! We have all rights to hate him, fantasize to torture him, punch him, kick him or declare him as the weakest boyfriend at Colho universe! But at the end of the book, we may sympathize with him when we learn the big twist. Actually I still didn’t feel anything good for him. But I stop thinking the worst ways to torture him for sure. But that’s it! He’s still not good enough!
And the paranormal parts: well, I have to say, the first third of the book was addictive. I didn’t want to put it down. My face was literally glued to my e-reader! I even stopped watching Bridgerton and kept reading and reading!
But when the paranormal parts start evolving, I slowly started to lose my interest. It starts to turn into some nonsense love triangle! And when the big revelation comes out, I turned into that dumb person I mentioned at the beginning of the book: I asked myself : who am I ? What am I doing here? Who is who? What? What? WHAAAATTTT?
Yes, the story turned into Paranormal Activity and Flatliners meet Ghost and worst season of American Horror Story!
That revelation was a little exaggerated for my own taste! I drank my whole bottle of Sauvignon Blanc but I was still giving blank looks to my e-reader, blinking nonstop and telling my husband : I solved the mystery, I’m Layla!
( I think I may have also sang Eric Clapton’s Layla at the top volume so he putted duct tapes to cover my mouth, see I already started turning into Layla)
And the final thing is the beginning of the book was too fast. It’s always a good thing to go straight to the point when you write a thriller. The fast pacing spins your mind and you are too hooked to learn what’s gonna happen next.
But the beginning part was about Leeds and Layla’s connection, showing us how they fell for each other. It was so instant and unreliable for me! I didn’t believe in their love. I didn’t connect with both characters. The book is about Layla but we didn’t learn more about her characteristics. As soon as we got some pieces of her, he got shot! And then we got trapped in Leeds’ head because he’s the narrator and you may imagine, being trapped in MC’s mind whom I didn’t like so much was not ideal experience for me!
Overall: I love paranormal stories. I loved mind bending books and I love eternal love stories but this book failed me with romance parts, confusing paranormal theme.
I’m giving 2.5 stars and of course rounding up to 3 stars for my love of Colho’s extraordinary writing skills and first third of the book which hooked me up desperately! But I was expecting sooooo muchhhh more!
This is the first I’m giving a Colho book less than four stars! Feel free to boo me , I don’t care! I like my place at the unpopular reviewers’ regency!
As soon as I started, I tried to go blind, not to relate with complex reviews which are somewhat true: yes, this book’s genre is not thriller or mindf*ck mystery like Verity. At least I have still my jaw at the right place at the time I finished this book. It didn’t drop! I’m not shocked, thrilled or truly impressed!
This is not also one of the angsty, tear jerker, whiny winey Colho romances( that’s me who gets whiny and need gallons of wines at every time I had an ultra emotional Colho experience)
I was okay but paranormal stories, if was blended with true emotions and heartfelt romance vibes!
But... let me tell you what really bugged me about this journey:
I didn’t like Leeds: our petrified hero from the beginning. I found him truly selfish, pitying himself, trapped with a woman he has no idea how to deal with her after she nearly died because of him! We have all rights to hate him, fantasize to torture him, punch him, kick him or declare him as the weakest boyfriend at Colho universe! But at the end of the book, we may sympathize with him when we learn the big twist. Actually I still didn’t feel anything good for him. But I stop thinking the worst ways to torture him for sure. But that’s it! He’s still not good enough!
And the paranormal parts: well, I have to say, the first third of the book was addictive. I didn’t want to put it down. My face was literally glued to my e-reader! I even stopped watching Bridgerton and kept reading and reading!
But when the paranormal parts start evolving, I slowly started to lose my interest. It starts to turn into some nonsense love triangle! And when the big revelation comes out, I turned into that dumb person I mentioned at the beginning of the book: I asked myself : who am I ? What am I doing here? Who is who? What? What? WHAAAATTTT?
Yes, the story turned into Paranormal Activity and Flatliners meet Ghost and worst season of American Horror Story!
That revelation was a little exaggerated for my own taste! I drank my whole bottle of Sauvignon Blanc but I was still giving blank looks to my e-reader, blinking nonstop and telling my husband : I solved the mystery, I’m Layla!
( I think I may have also sang Eric Clapton’s Layla at the top volume so he putted duct tapes to cover my mouth, see I already started turning into Layla)
And the final thing is the beginning of the book was too fast. It’s always a good thing to go straight to the point when you write a thriller. The fast pacing spins your mind and you are too hooked to learn what’s gonna happen next.
But the beginning part was about Leeds and Layla’s connection, showing us how they fell for each other. It was so instant and unreliable for me! I didn’t believe in their love. I didn’t connect with both characters. The book is about Layla but we didn’t learn more about her characteristics. As soon as we got some pieces of her, he got shot! And then we got trapped in Leeds’ head because he’s the narrator and you may imagine, being trapped in MC’s mind whom I didn’t like so much was not ideal experience for me!
Overall: I love paranormal stories. I loved mind bending books and I love eternal love stories but this book failed me with romance parts, confusing paranormal theme.
I’m giving 2.5 stars and of course rounding up to 3 stars for my love of Colho’s extraordinary writing skills and first third of the book which hooked me up desperately! But I was expecting sooooo muchhhh more!
This is the first I’m giving a Colho book less than four stars! Feel free to boo me , I don’t care! I like my place at the unpopular reviewers’ regency!
June 1, 2022
I hate Leeds so much. He doesn't have a single good trait. And I still haven't recovered from the part where he ate a strand of Layla's hair.
~ 0.5 stars; The fact that I didn't like a book with my namesake is tragic.
~ 0.5 stars; The fact that I didn't like a book with my namesake is tragic.
November 22, 2020
4.5 stars
All I could think after finishing this book is what the fuck did I just read? but like in a good way I think? This is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and it’s pretty bizarre and strange and I don’t think I’d necessarily recommend this to everyone... but I was very highly entertained by this. And my mind was blown many times. I know this book will probably get a lot of comparison to Verity, but this book is nothing like Verity, it’s a completely different monster. This is Colleen’s first paranormal romance, and I didn’t realize just how paranormal and creepy this book would get - I was kind of obsessed with it 😅
I would recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible because it’s quite the journey.
All I could think after finishing this book is what the fuck did I just read? but like in a good way I think? This is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and it’s pretty bizarre and strange and I don’t think I’d necessarily recommend this to everyone... but I was very highly entertained by this. And my mind was blown many times. I know this book will probably get a lot of comparison to Verity, but this book is nothing like Verity, it’s a completely different monster. This is Colleen’s first paranormal romance, and I didn’t realize just how paranormal and creepy this book would get - I was kind of obsessed with it 😅
I would recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible because it’s quite the journey.
December 22, 2021
I’m going to keep this one short and get straight to the point: I hate liars, and I hate cheaters.
If I wanted to read a book about a cheating or lying protagonist, I would have. The only story I have read with cheating as part of the plot is Forget Me Not by Q.B. Tyler. I knew there was cheating, and I knew what I was getting myself into, which is why I didn’t allow myself to be affected by it when I reflected on my final thoughts. Although I don't like and accept cheating at all, no matter what reason, fictional cheating I can stand as long as I mentally prepare myself. If I am not ready to read a book with cheating characters or want to read it, I won't. In this case, cheating and lying were two things I didn't know were big on the plot, so my mood was completely faltered.
I’ve read two books by CoHo, those being Confess and It Ends with Us, which I didn’t like. Given that I was not too fond of this one either, I can see where my relationship with this author is going. Unfortunately, I am someone who needs to continue reading books from an author I have read. Yeah, it’s a curse, I know.
Layla follows the story of Layla and Leeds, who meet during Layla’s sister’s wedding and instantly feel a spark between each other. However, while their relationship is off to a good start, a tragedy strikes them both and causes Layla to fight for her life. After some time, Layla has recovered physically, but she is still struggling with her emotional health. To help this, Leeds decides to take Layla back to where they met, but strange things start happening around the house and with Layla. It doesn’t help that Leeds begins forming a connection with Willow and makes him reflect on his feelings towards Layla.
Back to my point: I hate liars, and I hate cheaters.
While it was one of my first times reading a romance novel with the pov of a male character (which I didn’t mind, to be honest. I like the change), Leeds has got to be one of the most pathetic characters I’ve come across reading. This man is an example of why I question love and loyalty. Emotional cheating is defined as "a particular type of secretive, sustained closeness with someone who isn't your primary partner. It's one person making a unilateral decision to cultivate nonsexual intimacy with someone other than their primary romantic partner in a way that weakens or undermines the relationship." (Source)
In my opinion, what Leeds does is emotionally cheat.
To start off, here are some quotes as to why I think Leeds emotionally cheated:
We’re supposed to sympathize with Leed’s character and actions, but I don’t understand how. When we first meet him and are introduced to his relationship with Layla, we find out he has her wrists tied up, and she is locked up in a room. We don’t know the reason why, we don’t know what’s happened, and we don’t know what’s about to happen. All we know is that he is having an interview with a man who is recording what he is about to say. I knew then that Leed would be too problematic for my liking.
We’re then thrown into how Leeds and Layla meet. Her sister's wedding, some horrible dancing with a horrible band, instant attraction, talking, sex, and then back to the interview. The cycle repeats except, of course, the events change.
After the accident (which was a shooting where Leed’s obsessive ex shot Layla), Leeds decides to take Layla back to where they met. He never told her this, though, because he wanted to keep it a surprise since he also planned to propose to her. Not only that, but according to the doctor, it could have helped Layla with her memories or overall health. While this is true and believable, I believe Layla had the right to know she was going back to a place like that. It would have helped her prepare and not get a panic attack on her way there, as well as avoiding feeling dizzy and not well. Still, he didn’t mention it to her. This is where the lying started, and I found myself questioning how these actions would be justified. They didn’t really get better, and when Willow entered the room, it made things worse.
Willow is a ghost Leeds forms a friendship with and begins to develop feelings for. Part of this has to do with the fact that Layla “feels distant” to him, as if the psychological trauma she endured never happened, as if her memory loss isn’t taking place, as if she’s not struggling to try to accept the fact that she was brought back to a place filled with dark memories without her even knowing beforehand. See, Willow is a ghost who can snap into Layla's body. Leed finds this out and begins talking with her through that switch. It literally became something he wished was real. This is where I saw the second red flag. His actions, later on, didn't help at all. From lying to Layla about who he is talking to, to lying about why she appears in places she doesn't remember, to even going out of his way to try and drug Layla by putting a sleeping pill in her wine so she can fall asleep quickly so Willow can snap into her body. He thought about Willow, wished he could talk to Willow instead, and wished Layla wouldn't leave because then Willow would leave. This all happened all while dating Layla, all while not knowing the truth, which is why I found everything unjustified and overall terrible.
Hence why he ties her wrists.
Well, not entirely, but part of it.
From how I see it, Leed’s emotional cheating is justified in the end with the truth. He knows his actions are wrong, but he does them anyway. He lets Willow snap into Layla's body and talks to her that way. He continues lying to her when she snaps back and is confused about where she is. I found nothing justified, but instead, I found Leed to be toxic. He played with Layla and used her emotions, her body, and her sanity. While still recovering from trauma and physical injuries, Leed’s actions are done to show that he cares and loves her. Regardless of the ending and plot twist, I felt his actions unforgivable. I felt pity for Layla throughout the entire book (after the accident) because of how she was being used. I thought she was being held against her free will, even though both Leeds and Willow say that isn't the case. I disagree. Her body was literally borrowed by Willow against her free will. Willow would snap to her body, and this was something Leeds preferred. Layla would appear from one place to another and be confused as to why she was where she was at. Leeds would lie to her or pretend nothing strange was happening. In fact, he found himself becoming attracted to Willow (did I mention she is a fucking ghost?) because of how easy it was to talk to her. He and Willow both knew what they were doing was wrong, yet neither did anything stop them from continuing.
And the whole "I'm doing this because I love you?" bullshit? Yeah, I didn't buy it.
Not only that, but I couldn’t sympathize with any character whatsoever, especially Leeds. As the reader, we’re supposed to feel some positive emotion, yet I only found anger towards him. What started as a solid and mediocre relationship turned into lies, manipulation, and gaslighting. It all became a repetitive cycle of emotional playing. Not only that, but I found the story boring as a whole. Even the plot twists were something I shrugged off and read through as if they didn't mean anything (because, really, they didn't).
When I heard this was paranormal, I thought it would be about a ghost or someone haunting the couple's house, making their life complicated in ways. While it is, it isn't how I expected it to. I didn't think Leeds would become attracted to Willow as if the past 8 months with Layla were nothing to him. Seriously, this man really started imagining Willow blowing him when it was Layla, yet he doesn't even know what Willow looks like. But, one way or another, he managed to hope. He even admitted that his feelings for Layla were basically gone and moved on to Willow.
There was nothing I felt towards this book, the characters, and whatever the book's message is. I don’t even remember what I thought I would expect from this book, but what I got was definitely not it.
Side note: Not sure if this counts as a spoiler or not, but this book starts off with part of the ending and plot twist. Layla is tied up, and while the characters know the truth, we don't. You question why Layla is tied up. This is something that definitely impacted my overall feelings as well because I started feeling bad for Layla with what Leed was doing, so after finding out the truth, it didn't really change much, which is why his actions weren't justified for me.
If I wanted to read a book about a cheating or lying protagonist, I would have. The only story I have read with cheating as part of the plot is Forget Me Not by Q.B. Tyler. I knew there was cheating, and I knew what I was getting myself into, which is why I didn’t allow myself to be affected by it when I reflected on my final thoughts. Although I don't like and accept cheating at all, no matter what reason, fictional cheating I can stand as long as I mentally prepare myself. If I am not ready to read a book with cheating characters or want to read it, I won't. In this case, cheating and lying were two things I didn't know were big on the plot, so my mood was completely faltered.
I’ve read two books by CoHo, those being Confess and It Ends with Us, which I didn’t like. Given that I was not too fond of this one either, I can see where my relationship with this author is going. Unfortunately, I am someone who needs to continue reading books from an author I have read. Yeah, it’s a curse, I know.
Layla follows the story of Layla and Leeds, who meet during Layla’s sister’s wedding and instantly feel a spark between each other. However, while their relationship is off to a good start, a tragedy strikes them both and causes Layla to fight for her life. After some time, Layla has recovered physically, but she is still struggling with her emotional health. To help this, Leeds decides to take Layla back to where they met, but strange things start happening around the house and with Layla. It doesn’t help that Leeds begins forming a connection with Willow and makes him reflect on his feelings towards Layla.
Back to my point: I hate liars, and I hate cheaters.
While it was one of my first times reading a romance novel with the pov of a male character (which I didn’t mind, to be honest. I like the change), Leeds has got to be one of the most pathetic characters I’ve come across reading. This man is an example of why I question love and loyalty. Emotional cheating is defined as "a particular type of secretive, sustained closeness with someone who isn't your primary partner. It's one person making a unilateral decision to cultivate nonsexual intimacy with someone other than their primary romantic partner in a way that weakens or undermines the relationship." (Source)
In my opinion, what Leeds does is emotionally cheat.
To start off, here are some quotes as to why I think Leeds emotionally cheated:
I’m supposed to crave her, to want her tongue in my mouth, my hands on her body, to push myself inside her. But it’s not what I want right now. All I feel right now is overwhelming impatience.
I’m not soaking up any of the words because I can’t stop thinking about Willow. Layla did agree to give me a few more days in the house, but we’ll still eventually have to leave. Willow will be alone.
Neither of us speaks for a moment after she says that. It’s tough, because we both know this is wrong, but I think we’re both hoping the other one doesn’t put a stop to it. We obviously enjoy each other’s company or we wouldn’t be doing this night after night.
Sometimes, when I look at Layla, I wish she were Willow. At breakfast, I catch myself wishing I were chatting with a cheerful Willow over coffee, rather than Layla complaining about her headache.
During the day when I’m chatting with Willow on the computer, I spend that time wishing she could take over Layla and I could talk to her face to face.
And now . . . as Layla slides her tongue up the length of me, I kind of wish it were Willow doing this to me.
It’s easy to pretend Layla is Willow because Layla’s face is the only one I can attribute to Willow when I think about her. I wrap my hand in Layla’s hair and watch her for a moment . . . wondering what this would feel like if it were Willow inside of Layla right now. Would Willow use her tongue like that? Would she make the same noises Layla makes?
I imagine how Willow’s kiss would feel. Would it feel the same as Layla’s kiss?
Would sex with Willow feel different than sex with Layla?
Would she arch her back the same way Layla does when I push into her?
Everything about this moment is wrong. Layla thinks she’s pleasuring her soon-to-be fiancé while I’m pretending she’s the ghost I’ve been slowly falling for.
Now all I feel is remorse, because it wasn’t until ten seconds ago that I realized I’ve already moved on to another cycle.
I’ve moved on to Willow.
It’s Willow I want to talk to when I wake up. Willow I want to see before I close my eyes. Willow I want to spend all my time with during the day.
I prefer Willow over Layla now, in almost every way, and it’s a heavy, appalling, shameful realization.
“Do you think what we’re doing is wrong? Using Layla like we’re doing?”
“Of course it’s wrong. Just because we’re able to do this doesn’t mean we should be doing.”
I’ll still pretend Layla is Willow every time I kiss her.
I never thought I’d feel more for someone than I felt that night. But right now . . . I’m feeling everything I can feel in this world, coupled with everything I could feel in Willow’s world.
If she leaves, I won’t get to see Willow again.
“She’s prettier when you’re inside of her,” I say.
“I don’t want to marry her, Willow.”
“Then you shouldn’t have proposed,” she says quickly.
“What was I supposed to do? Let her leave?”
Willow rolls over and sits up. “Yes.” She makes it sound so simple.
But is it right to let her think she’s losing her sanity?
We’re supposed to sympathize with Leed’s character and actions, but I don’t understand how. When we first meet him and are introduced to his relationship with Layla, we find out he has her wrists tied up, and she is locked up in a room. We don’t know the reason why, we don’t know what’s happened, and we don’t know what’s about to happen. All we know is that he is having an interview with a man who is recording what he is about to say. I knew then that Leed would be too problematic for my liking.
We’re then thrown into how Leeds and Layla meet. Her sister's wedding, some horrible dancing with a horrible band, instant attraction, talking, sex, and then back to the interview. The cycle repeats except, of course, the events change.
After the accident (which was a shooting where Leed’s obsessive ex shot Layla), Leeds decides to take Layla back to where they met. He never told her this, though, because he wanted to keep it a surprise since he also planned to propose to her. Not only that, but according to the doctor, it could have helped Layla with her memories or overall health. While this is true and believable, I believe Layla had the right to know she was going back to a place like that. It would have helped her prepare and not get a panic attack on her way there, as well as avoiding feeling dizzy and not well. Still, he didn’t mention it to her. This is where the lying started, and I found myself questioning how these actions would be justified. They didn’t really get better, and when Willow entered the room, it made things worse.
Willow is a ghost Leeds forms a friendship with and begins to develop feelings for. Part of this has to do with the fact that Layla “feels distant” to him, as if the psychological trauma she endured never happened, as if her memory loss isn’t taking place, as if she’s not struggling to try to accept the fact that she was brought back to a place filled with dark memories without her even knowing beforehand. See, Willow is a ghost who can snap into Layla's body. Leed finds this out and begins talking with her through that switch. It literally became something he wished was real. This is where I saw the second red flag. His actions, later on, didn't help at all. From lying to Layla about who he is talking to, to lying about why she appears in places she doesn't remember, to even going out of his way to try and drug Layla by putting a sleeping pill in her wine so she can fall asleep quickly so Willow can snap into her body. He thought about Willow, wished he could talk to Willow instead, and wished Layla wouldn't leave because then Willow would leave. This all happened all while dating Layla, all while not knowing the truth, which is why I found everything unjustified and overall terrible.
Hence why he ties her wrists.
Well, not entirely, but part of it.
From how I see it, Leed’s emotional cheating is justified in the end with the truth. He knows his actions are wrong, but he does them anyway. He lets Willow snap into Layla's body and talks to her that way. He continues lying to her when she snaps back and is confused about where she is. I found nothing justified, but instead, I found Leed to be toxic. He played with Layla and used her emotions, her body, and her sanity. While still recovering from trauma and physical injuries, Leed’s actions are done to show that he cares and loves her. Regardless of the ending and plot twist, I felt his actions unforgivable. I felt pity for Layla throughout the entire book (after the accident) because of how she was being used. I thought she was being held against her free will, even though both Leeds and Willow say that isn't the case. I disagree. Her body was literally borrowed by Willow against her free will. Willow would snap to her body, and this was something Leeds preferred. Layla would appear from one place to another and be confused as to why she was where she was at. Leeds would lie to her or pretend nothing strange was happening. In fact, he found himself becoming attracted to Willow (did I mention she is a fucking ghost?) because of how easy it was to talk to her. He and Willow both knew what they were doing was wrong, yet neither did anything stop them from continuing.
And the whole "I'm doing this because I love you?" bullshit? Yeah, I didn't buy it.
Not only that, but I couldn’t sympathize with any character whatsoever, especially Leeds. As the reader, we’re supposed to feel some positive emotion, yet I only found anger towards him. What started as a solid and mediocre relationship turned into lies, manipulation, and gaslighting. It all became a repetitive cycle of emotional playing. Not only that, but I found the story boring as a whole. Even the plot twists were something I shrugged off and read through as if they didn't mean anything (because, really, they didn't).
When I heard this was paranormal, I thought it would be about a ghost or someone haunting the couple's house, making their life complicated in ways. While it is, it isn't how I expected it to. I didn't think Leeds would become attracted to Willow as if the past 8 months with Layla were nothing to him. Seriously, this man really started imagining Willow blowing him when it was Layla, yet he doesn't even know what Willow looks like. But, one way or another, he managed to hope. He even admitted that his feelings for Layla were basically gone and moved on to Willow.
There was nothing I felt towards this book, the characters, and whatever the book's message is. I don’t even remember what I thought I would expect from this book, but what I got was definitely not it.
Side note: Not sure if this counts as a spoiler or not, but this book starts off with part of the ending and plot twist. Layla is tied up, and while the characters know the truth, we don't. You question why Layla is tied up. This is something that definitely impacted my overall feelings as well because I started feeling bad for Layla with what Leed was doing, so after finding out the truth, it didn't really change much, which is why his actions weren't justified for me.
March 31, 2021
Hands down one of the best books I have read in a very long time! Where is the 10 star button Goodreads?? Give it to me now!!
You know that book that you open up and you instantly feel a connection to? The one that even if you put it down, you can't stop thinking of? That you carry around everywhere with you? THIS is that book for me! I have been in a bit of a book funk, taking at least a week to read a book...this was less than a day...I seriously didn't want it to end.
I went through so many emotions with this book. First I was curious, then furious, stunned, hopeful and on the edge of an anxiety attack during the last couple of chapters. WOW! Just WOW! This book was brilliant, creative, well thought out. The concept is so brilliant and captivating and it made me pause and think...could it?
I loved, loved, loved that Layla's sister was a nurse (nice touch CoHO, well done, I as a nurse approve)! As her bio reads, she doesn't like to be boxed into a genre....well she killed it!! Absolutely killed it! I have read only two CoHo books- Verity and this one and I can't sing enough praise for both!
Big huge shoutout to myself for asking for this book for Christmas! Well done self and thanks to my husband who bought it!
You know that book that you open up and you instantly feel a connection to? The one that even if you put it down, you can't stop thinking of? That you carry around everywhere with you? THIS is that book for me! I have been in a bit of a book funk, taking at least a week to read a book...this was less than a day...I seriously didn't want it to end.
I went through so many emotions with this book. First I was curious, then furious, stunned, hopeful and on the edge of an anxiety attack during the last couple of chapters. WOW! Just WOW! This book was brilliant, creative, well thought out. The concept is so brilliant and captivating and it made me pause and think...could it?
I loved, loved, loved that Layla's sister was a nurse (nice touch CoHO, well done, I as a nurse approve)! As her bio reads, she doesn't like to be boxed into a genre....well she killed it!! Absolutely killed it! I have read only two CoHo books- Verity and this one and I can't sing enough praise for both!
Big huge shoutout to myself for asking for this book for Christmas! Well done self and thanks to my husband who bought it!
September 21, 2022
SSBC pick for December 2020!
"For Beckham. When I die, you'll be the first person I haunt. You are so much fun to scare."
Am I the only person who lives for finding out the dedication in each Colleen Hoover book? No? Just me? Ok, let me start again.
"The supernatural is the natural not yet understood." -Elbert Hubbard
Finally! A PNR from CoHo, something I've been desperately hoping for and eagerly anticipating since she announced it forever ago, and if you're the type of person who isn't really into paranormal romance, you may still enjoy Layla. The story has a very mainstream feel and is surprisingly grounded for something containing a supernatural plot, while maintaining the author's approachable writing style. Two things before you glaze over and skim the rest of this review: 1) This book is not a thriller. It is a slow burning love story, and it does have a nice addition of some suspenseful build-up, but again, this is not a thriller. Please do not go into this book assuming it is a thriller and then complain about it not being a thriller after you finish. 2) This book is not Verity, although I could definitely see fans of that book enjoying this one. But again, Layla is not the next Verity.
"I think about the idiots in scary movies that never run when they should, but I empathize with them now. The need to disprove the thing that's scary is greater than the need to run from the potential harm it might bring."
When I finally picked up my arc of this book, I decided to go in as blind as possible. I didn't even re-read the synopsis, because I wanted to experience the story with as open a mind as possible and without any possible clues along the way. This was a smart move, because the story begins with "The Interview", and proceeds by alternating with these snippets of the present and flashbacks leading up to said interview. Once we catch up, everything is in the present tense and that's when the story really takes off in regards to action and conflict.
I don't want to say a lot about the plot, because spoilers galore, but what I will say is this read like a supernatural locked room mystery in some ways. Dare I say that Colleen was twirling her imaginary mustache while devising her schemes? There is one clue dropped early on that allowed me to guess the "what and who" was going on, but I didn't know the exact why or how it would all play out in the end, so I was left with a satisfactory blend of feeling smart but also kind of dumb. The thing that sets this story apart from your average paranormal romantic mystery was the emotion behind it all; the sense of loss at the beginning of what was panning out to be an exceptional relationship, the burden of caring for those with not only physical injuries, but mental ones as well, and the conflict behind what we feel is right and the guilt that sets in for wanting something different, or more.
If you're curious about Layla, please give it a try. It stands well on it's own merits, it's a fast read, and this is the perfect time of year to cozy up with a creepy, but not scary, book by the fireplace.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
"For Beckham. When I die, you'll be the first person I haunt. You are so much fun to scare."
Am I the only person who lives for finding out the dedication in each Colleen Hoover book? No? Just me? Ok, let me start again.
"The supernatural is the natural not yet understood." -Elbert Hubbard
Finally! A PNR from CoHo, something I've been desperately hoping for and eagerly anticipating since she announced it forever ago, and if you're the type of person who isn't really into paranormal romance, you may still enjoy Layla. The story has a very mainstream feel and is surprisingly grounded for something containing a supernatural plot, while maintaining the author's approachable writing style. Two things before you glaze over and skim the rest of this review: 1) This book is not a thriller. It is a slow burning love story, and it does have a nice addition of some suspenseful build-up, but again, this is not a thriller. Please do not go into this book assuming it is a thriller and then complain about it not being a thriller after you finish. 2) This book is not Verity, although I could definitely see fans of that book enjoying this one. But again, Layla is not the next Verity.
"I think about the idiots in scary movies that never run when they should, but I empathize with them now. The need to disprove the thing that's scary is greater than the need to run from the potential harm it might bring."
When I finally picked up my arc of this book, I decided to go in as blind as possible. I didn't even re-read the synopsis, because I wanted to experience the story with as open a mind as possible and without any possible clues along the way. This was a smart move, because the story begins with "The Interview", and proceeds by alternating with these snippets of the present and flashbacks leading up to said interview. Once we catch up, everything is in the present tense and that's when the story really takes off in regards to action and conflict.
I don't want to say a lot about the plot, because spoilers galore, but what I will say is this read like a supernatural locked room mystery in some ways. Dare I say that Colleen was twirling her imaginary mustache while devising her schemes? There is one clue dropped early on that allowed me to guess the "what and who" was going on, but I didn't know the exact why or how it would all play out in the end, so I was left with a satisfactory blend of feeling smart but also kind of dumb. The thing that sets this story apart from your average paranormal romantic mystery was the emotion behind it all; the sense of loss at the beginning of what was panning out to be an exceptional relationship, the burden of caring for those with not only physical injuries, but mental ones as well, and the conflict behind what we feel is right and the guilt that sets in for wanting something different, or more.
If you're curious about Layla, please give it a try. It stands well on it's own merits, it's a fast read, and this is the perfect time of year to cozy up with a creepy, but not scary, book by the fireplace.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
October 23, 2020
UPDATE: holy crap you guys. i just got an email from the publishers letting me know i will be getting a new ARC
with an epilogue!
i dont want to say im the reason for it, but i definitely feel like my wishes manifested it into the world. and its so, so good. so y'all are welcome. lol.
________________________
i am so here for CoHo branching out beyond her traditional contemporary romance stories. it just proves she can write human emotions so aptly, no matter the situation.
this story is a roller coaster of a journey. i am always amazed at how much CoHos writing can make me feel. whilst reading this, i was constantly contemplating how well two people can really know each other, how fast and genuine love can develop, how much effort is enough to show someone how things used to be and the best way to act when certain feelings have changed. i love that there are no boundaries to this story. its thought-provoking and emotionally compelling. even with the paranormal aspect!
my only minor critique would be the lack of epilogue. the ending is quite abrupt and it leaves a nagging feeling like the story is incomplete. i would love more than anything to see what the characters are doing sometime after the events in the novel, just to have more complete closure.
but regardless, this is another satisfyingly wonderful CoHo story and i would never expect anything less from the queen herself.
my eternal gratitude to montlake for the ARC! <3
↠ 4.5 stars
________________________
i am so here for CoHo branching out beyond her traditional contemporary romance stories. it just proves she can write human emotions so aptly, no matter the situation.
this story is a roller coaster of a journey. i am always amazed at how much CoHos writing can make me feel. whilst reading this, i was constantly contemplating how well two people can really know each other, how fast and genuine love can develop, how much effort is enough to show someone how things used to be and the best way to act when certain feelings have changed. i love that there are no boundaries to this story. its thought-provoking and emotionally compelling. even with the paranormal aspect!
my only minor critique would be the lack of epilogue. the ending is quite abrupt and it leaves a nagging feeling like the story is incomplete. i would love more than anything to see what the characters are doing sometime after the events in the novel, just to have more complete closure.
but regardless, this is another satisfyingly wonderful CoHo story and i would never expect anything less from the queen herself.
my eternal gratitude to montlake for the ARC! <3
↠ 4.5 stars
July 7, 2022
4.5 stars!! SO many twists and turns that I didn't see coming at the end. And such a unique plot. I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one. Romance Thrillers are quickly becoming one of my favorite two genres paired together. Another great CoHo book!!
Read
February 11, 2023goof level is over 9,000 on this book. had no clue what to expect going in as i did not read the synopsis but honestly nothing would have prepared me for this anyway.
January 1, 2021
The first 70% had my sense of loyalty warring with my guilt (👎), and the remaining 30% had me feeling all sorts of mushy (👍).
Typically in a normal romance, it’s the other way around—y’know, when you’d lower the rating because something you didn’t like happen somewhere in the last 1/3 of the book. This is not your avarage romance. It’s . . . peculiar. There are creepy elements, but it’s not scary. It’s compelling and emotional, which basically sums up anything CoHo writes.
The characters aren’t fully developed, and the romance doesn’t feel organic. However, the mystery keeps you invested, the paranormal element is fascinating. I guess, it’s kind of the point, which is that all of those things are meant to be complementary to each other rather than having only one as the main focus while the rest supports it, if that makes sense.
The book is told from the male character’s (Leeds) point of view. He asks someone whom you’ll know as the interviewer to help him make sense of what he’s experiencing. Imagine this person is sorta like Sam and Dean from Supernatural. Except, less cool and this book is actually less fun. Regardless, this could totally be an episode on the show.
In short, I hated the first 70% but loved the remaining 30%. If you’re looking for a similar type of romance, I recommend Chase the Butterflies by Monica James.
(Read as an Audiobook)
“The only thing Layla did wrong is fall in love with me.”
Typically in a normal romance, it’s the other way around—y’know, when you’d lower the rating because something you didn’t like happen somewhere in the last 1/3 of the book. This is not your avarage romance. It’s . . . peculiar. There are creepy elements, but it’s not scary. It’s compelling and emotional, which basically sums up anything CoHo writes.
Vague Spoiler
I had an assumption as to what was going on. For a time, I thought I had it right because the characters thought so too. But then the plot twist . . . BAM! And I was . . . relieved. When I thought about it, the twist was pretty self exlpanatory. I couldn’t catch on to it because I was too busy fretting and seething that Leeds was practically cheating on Layla with Willow.“Sometimes, when I look at Layla, I wish she were Willow.”
So yeah, Leeds actions didn’t sit well with me for the majority of the book. I was genuinely concerned for Layla. I found Leeds and Willow’s constant togetherness distasteful despite the fact that I also thought they were sweet. At this point, I was questioning why the book was called Layla instead of Willow. LOL, if only I’d paid more attention. I’d make a terrible detective.
The characters aren’t fully developed, and the romance doesn’t feel organic. However, the mystery keeps you invested, the paranormal element is fascinating. I guess, it’s kind of the point, which is that all of those things are meant to be complementary to each other rather than having only one as the main focus while the rest supports it, if that makes sense.
“Every single second with her felt like an awakening. Like I’d never really opened my eyes until she came along. I was blind but now I see.”
The book is told from the male character’s (Leeds) point of view. He asks someone whom you’ll know as the interviewer to help him make sense of what he’s experiencing. Imagine this person is sorta like Sam and Dean from Supernatural. Except, less cool and this book is actually less fun. Regardless, this could totally be an episode on the show.
“Perhaps what we desire can sometimes be so strong it overpowers our fate.”
In short, I hated the first 70% but loved the remaining 30%. If you’re looking for a similar type of romance, I recommend Chase the Butterflies by Monica James.
(Read as an Audiobook)
January 8, 2021
2.5 ⭐ rounded up because the ending saved it a little.
The GOOD
- I love that Hoover blends genres and I appreciate the uniqueness of this book. I'm sure I've never read anything like it and the way she thinks outside the box is awesome.
- the overall message of the story.
The BAD
- I couldn't take the plot seriously so I never really felt interested or invested it what was happening.
- too many bland, flat sentences that repeated themselves.
'𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙖 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨'
'𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙨. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨-𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙬𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙗'
The UGLY
-Leeds. He's the leading man in this 'love story'. He's also manipulative, abusive, selfish, judgemental, unsympathetic, a liar who routinely gaslights his girlfriend yet seems to consider himself a victim in everything.
The entire book is written from his first person narrative and I found it to be an unpleasant experience.
The GOOD
- I love that Hoover blends genres and I appreciate the uniqueness of this book. I'm sure I've never read anything like it and the way she thinks outside the box is awesome.
- the overall message of the story.
The BAD
- I couldn't take the plot seriously so I never really felt interested or invested it what was happening.
- too many bland, flat sentences that repeated themselves.
'𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙖 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨'
'𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙨. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨-𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙬𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙗'
The UGLY
-Leeds. He's the leading man in this 'love story'. He's also manipulative, abusive, selfish, judgemental, unsympathetic, a liar who routinely gaslights his girlfriend yet seems to consider himself a victim in everything.
The entire book is written from his first person narrative and I found it to be an unpleasant experience.
December 15, 2020
WTF did I just read?
Hmmm… now that I've finished, I'm not even sure what genre to categorise Layla as? I would've said psychological thriller until the last 20%. And, Leeds made me too uncomfortable to view him as any type of romantic leading man, so not a romance either? And saying he made me uncomfortable isn’t a spoiler as the first sentence will likely make you feel the same way. And if that's not enough to convince you that Leeds is a creep and a weirdo then the fact that he was utterly consumed with Layla from the moment he laid eyes on her in chapter one, and that he freely admitted he had nothing in his life pre-Layla should’ve sent Layla running for the hills.
Leeds way of loving wasn't cute, it wasn't sweet – it was smothering and all kinds of wrong. He wanted a relationship where life was perfect, and his partner was happy and upbeat 24/7. But as we all know, life is not like that, and neither are relationships, people are complicated, therefore it wasn't long before things fell apart, and quickly spiraled out of control… and, naturally, I relished every bat-shit, crazy twist. Yep, you guessed it, I loved it.
Since Leeds was the sole POV, we were privy to his innermost thoughts (most of which made me want to gag), and Colleen Hoover impressed me no end with the way she had his character justify and dismiss his obsessiveness and unhealthy behaviour. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how he was going to act and react, and just how nuthouse the plot was going to get. The answer – insanity times infinity.
There was a supernatural aspect to the story as well, which upped the bizarreness, and I was blown away by how clever and uniquely executed it was and how seamlessly it gelled with the plot without being too out there. The isolated setting also increased everyone’s paranoia, and my nail-biting. In my eyes, Layla has superseded Verity. Honestly, I've never read anything quite like it. How does CoHo come up with this stuff? I raise my glass to this incredibly versatile author.
Hmmm… now that I've finished, I'm not even sure what genre to categorise Layla as? I would've said psychological thriller until the last 20%. And, Leeds made me too uncomfortable to view him as any type of romantic leading man, so not a romance either? And saying he made me uncomfortable isn’t a spoiler as the first sentence will likely make you feel the same way. And if that's not enough to convince you that Leeds is a creep and a weirdo then the fact that he was utterly consumed with Layla from the moment he laid eyes on her in chapter one, and that he freely admitted he had nothing in his life pre-Layla should’ve sent Layla running for the hills.
Leeds way of loving wasn't cute, it wasn't sweet – it was smothering and all kinds of wrong. He wanted a relationship where life was perfect, and his partner was happy and upbeat 24/7. But as we all know, life is not like that, and neither are relationships, people are complicated, therefore it wasn't long before things fell apart, and quickly spiraled out of control… and, naturally, I relished every bat-shit, crazy twist. Yep, you guessed it, I loved it.
Since Leeds was the sole POV, we were privy to his innermost thoughts (most of which made me want to gag), and Colleen Hoover impressed me no end with the way she had his character justify and dismiss his obsessiveness and unhealthy behaviour. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how he was going to act and react, and just how nuthouse the plot was going to get. The answer – insanity times infinity.
There was a supernatural aspect to the story as well, which upped the bizarreness, and I was blown away by how clever and uniquely executed it was and how seamlessly it gelled with the plot without being too out there. The isolated setting also increased everyone’s paranoia, and my nail-biting. In my eyes, Layla has superseded Verity. Honestly, I've never read anything quite like it. How does CoHo come up with this stuff? I raise my glass to this incredibly versatile author.
September 27, 2022
Taki to niby thriller, a jednak chamski romans.
October 20, 2020
4 stars
Layla is the perfect creepy read for readers like me. I don't want anything too scary, but this is just spooky enough- especially great for fall.
Leeds and Layla meet at a wedding and they're smitten with each other from the start. They develop a strong connection and bond. Something happens that turns their lives upside down and their relationship hasn't quite been the same since. Leeds decides to go back to where it all began. The bed and breakfast where they first met. There he meets Willow, someone who needs his help. But helping Willow could come at the determent of Layla and he's not sure what to do...
Colleen Hoover always writes the best twists and this one threw me for a loop. Honestly, there was a time where I wasn't sure if I was liking it or the characters, but then BAM. It got me. It gave me just the right amount of feels and the ending, though I wish it gave me a bit more, was still satisfying.
Even though I wouldn't personally classify this as a romance, it had a strong romantic element that drew me in. I truly enjoyed figuring out what was happening along side our leading man, Leeds.
If you're a fan of paranormal stories on the ghostly side that are completely intriguing and compelling, this is the book for you. Hoover is one of the few authors that can get me to read something out of my comfortable romance zone, but I'm glad I picked this one up. I definitely didn't see it going in the direction it did, but I loved the twists and turns it took.
She’s the victim now, even though she’s unaware of it. The only thing Layla did wrong is fall in love with me.
Layla is the perfect creepy read for readers like me. I don't want anything too scary, but this is just spooky enough- especially great for fall.
Leeds and Layla meet at a wedding and they're smitten with each other from the start. They develop a strong connection and bond. Something happens that turns their lives upside down and their relationship hasn't quite been the same since. Leeds decides to go back to where it all began. The bed and breakfast where they first met. There he meets Willow, someone who needs his help. But helping Willow could come at the determent of Layla and he's not sure what to do...
Colleen Hoover always writes the best twists and this one threw me for a loop. Honestly, there was a time where I wasn't sure if I was liking it or the characters, but then BAM. It got me. It gave me just the right amount of feels and the ending, though I wish it gave me a bit more, was still satisfying.
Even though I wouldn't personally classify this as a romance, it had a strong romantic element that drew me in. I truly enjoyed figuring out what was happening along side our leading man, Leeds.
If you're a fan of paranormal stories on the ghostly side that are completely intriguing and compelling, this is the book for you. Hoover is one of the few authors that can get me to read something out of my comfortable romance zone, but I'm glad I picked this one up. I definitely didn't see it going in the direction it did, but I loved the twists and turns it took.
July 4, 2020
Well that was Different! A Fresh, Wholly Intriguing Storyline unlike any that I’ve EVER Read!
Way to change it up CoHo! Thank you for continuing to push the envelope.
So what is this about? A musician named Leeds and a woman named “Layla” (no, not that Layla, though I can’t get the Eric Clapton song out of my head and I’m not sorry about it!).
All I can say is that this is NOT what you think it is.
Interesting, intriguing and well, strange, it kept my attention throughout. At times, admittedly, I was shaking my head and yet, I could not tear my eyes away, swiping the pages of my kindle as quickly as possible to get to the satisfying end. Colleen Hoover ventured into a new genre with this one and she did so with gusto.
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake Romance and Colleen Hoover for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 7.2.20.
Way to change it up CoHo! Thank you for continuing to push the envelope.
So what is this about? A musician named Leeds and a woman named “Layla” (no, not that Layla, though I can’t get the Eric Clapton song out of my head and I’m not sorry about it!).
All I can say is that this is NOT what you think it is.
Interesting, intriguing and well, strange, it kept my attention throughout. At times, admittedly, I was shaking my head and yet, I could not tear my eyes away, swiping the pages of my kindle as quickly as possible to get to the satisfying end. Colleen Hoover ventured into a new genre with this one and she did so with gusto.
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake Romance and Colleen Hoover for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 7.2.20.
December 10, 2020
I don’t even know where to begin with my thoughts and feelings about Layla. I loved Layla so much. There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book. Layla was such a unique mix of romance, thriller and paranormal romance.
The story was so interesting. Instant love followed by a life changing event. Will Leeds and Layla become closer or farther apart from staying at the bed and breakfast?
I don’t read a lot of paranormal romance, but Layla has convinced me I need to read more.
I highly recommend Layla to fans of Colleen Hoover especially if you liked Verity. I also recommend Layla to anyone looking for a unique book and fans of paranormal romance.
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake/Amazon Publishing for Layla.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
The story was so interesting. Instant love followed by a life changing event. Will Leeds and Layla become closer or farther apart from staying at the bed and breakfast?
I don’t read a lot of paranormal romance, but Layla has convinced me I need to read more.
I highly recommend Layla to fans of Colleen Hoover especially if you liked Verity. I also recommend Layla to anyone looking for a unique book and fans of paranormal romance.
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake/Amazon Publishing for Layla.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
October 22, 2022
what CoHo can't write : good romance
what CoHo CAN write : assholes who try to justify their unjustifiable actions
so no wonder that's all she ever writes... in her "romance" novels.
br with @fidhaa (can't say u didn't warn me but i've got coho ptsd now 🙂)
what CoHo CAN write : assholes who try to justify their unjustifiable actions
so no wonder that's all she ever writes... in her "romance" novels.
br with @fidhaa (can't say u didn't warn me but i've got coho ptsd now 🙂)
September 1, 2022
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From a purely clinical, technical standpoint, this story is an easy four star review. But from an emotional standpoint, this was a one star experience and I am still pissed. As you may or may not know, this week, I'm doing a project called "Hype Week" where I am reading the books that are constantly parading around my feed on Goodreads and Instagram. And LAYLA has been batting its bookish eyelashes at me for a hot minute, and I've been like, "IDK, babe. I've been hearing some red flags about you." LAYLA is the fuckboy of books, and its "hero" is a supreme dirtbag skeaze.
***WARNING: SPOILERS***
So it's going to be impossible not to discuss this book and my thoughts in detail, and while I'm going to try not to spoil too much, there are a few twists I have to talk about so you know why I think this hero belongs in a clown college somewhere. Or maybe even jail.
First, imagine a story where a dude is a sleazy, wannabe musician. He dates women who make him feel good about himself. Like, his first girlfriend was a starfucker and saw him as the next Johnny Cash, or whatever, and he broke up with her because he thought her obsession with him was starting to get too needy and pathetic. Then he falls for a manic pixie dreamgirl who makes him literally feel like he's high all the time because she's such a hawt nympho. And then his jealous ex finds out about the new relationship and shoots MPD in the head. Suddenly the manic pixie is recovering from a head injury and not herself anymore. She's needy, too. Goddamn it, he didn't sign up for a relationship where he has to do any kind of legwork. But one day, post-brain trauma MPD gets possessed by a ghost and sleazy musician is like, "Wow, this ghost who's mind-raping my girlfriend right now is pretty hot." Suddenly, he's slipping sleeping pills into MPD's drinks to knock her out so he can get at that good ghost pussy, gaslighting MPD, and even telling the ghost "she looks prettier when you're inside her" because goddamn it, he's a man, and he just wants someone without problems.
And you don't want to know what he does to the MPD when she decides she wants nothing to do with this haunted house they're in, or the dude who seems to be keeping her there. But I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with jalse jimprisonment. In any other storyline, this dude would straight-up be the villain and would probably be killed off or sent to jail at the end of the book. But in this book, he's the "hero" and his psycho clown actions are justified to us, even though BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, he didn't actually realize he was doing a good thing. He was totally down to mind-rape just to feel an emotional connection to someone else, using his girlfriend's body as a dial-up server for supernatural phone sex. Whoop-dee-doo. An asshole is you.
The feminist in me was hoping that this was going to be a feminist deconstruction of the manic pixie dreamgirl trope, or that Leeds Gabriel (*snort*) was an intentionally unlikable character, kind of like the guy from Caroline Kepnes's YOU, and at the end of the book there was going to be some kind of comeuppance. Several reviewers mentioned a twist that CHANGED EVERYTHING and I was like, okay, bring it. And then the twist happened and I was like, "Ohh, so you're just gonna try to justify it to me and do me dirty like that CoHo?" After 300 pages of gaslighting, I was not ready to have the gaslight turned on me, the reader. Oh no. Fuck Leeds Gabriel and his stupid name. He sucks.
I don't want to spoil the ending but let's just say that if you accidentally do the right thing for the wrong reasons, you're not a good person. My envisioned ending would have been so much more satisfying for me but then it wouldn't have been a romance and this author's fans would have been mad. Books like these, to me, are just solid proof that people are willing to take just about any amount of shit from a male character as long as he has abs, but if a female character is even the slightest amount of grumpy, difficult, or bitchy, everyone starts hating on her in the reviews and saying how much she sucks.
C L O W N.
3 stars
January 31, 2023
3.5 Stars
April 25, 2022
100% the worst Colleen Hoover book i've read thus far.
I spent the majority of the book feeling pissed off, and the ending just ... no words.
How was that supposed to make anything better? (those who know, know)
Anyways.
I spent the majority of the book feeling pissed off, and the ending just ... no words.
How was that supposed to make anything better? (those who know, know)
Anyways.
January 5, 2021
Me immediately after finishing Layla: Another fantastic page-turner by Colleen Hoover! Binge reading at its best!
Me five minutes later: Waaaaaiiiiiittttt a minute…
The sub-4-star rating should have been a tip off. If a CoHo book isn’t hovering at 4.25 or above on GR, something is amiss. So what’s amiss in Layla? Its main character is THE ABSOLUTE WORST P.O.S. I’VE COME ACROSS IN A BOOK IN YEARS.
The story is told from the perspective of the male “protagonist” (more like contagonist, hey-O!) named Leeds. The first person present tense puts readers right in his shoes, so his scumbaggery sneaks up on you despite the opening sentence being, “I placed two layers of duct tape over Layla’s mouth before I came downstairs, but I can still hear her muffled screams as the detective takes a seat at the table.” At first read that’s a heck of way to kickoff a story, right? Very intriguing. What would cause our “hero” to do something like that to his girlfriend?
To say too much about the plot quickly enters spoiler territory, and I won’t do you like that. Colleen Hoover has been pushing herself into new genres lately (which I do admire), so that means when you pick up one of her books these days you don’t know if you’re getting a romance, thriller, or other. This is a mix of all three, with emphasis on the other. And the plot itself is actually very unique, clever and twisty. There really isn’t a common trope in sight…
…other than guy gaslights girl. (Oh and insta-love, but that’s kind of a given in a CoHo book.) That gaslighting though? Oof! I’m all for characters that break bad, but the author has to convey some level of awareness that it’s happening. Here we’re just supposed to keep rooting for him and a happy ending. Which I did, until I realized the gaslighting had happened to me too.
I'm going to keep reading Hoover's books, because she's been a must-read author for me since I loved "It Ends With Us" years ago. I just can't recommend that you read this one.
Me five minutes later: Waaaaaiiiiiittttt a minute…
The sub-4-star rating should have been a tip off. If a CoHo book isn’t hovering at 4.25 or above on GR, something is amiss. So what’s amiss in Layla? Its main character is THE ABSOLUTE WORST P.O.S. I’VE COME ACROSS IN A BOOK IN YEARS.
The story is told from the perspective of the male “protagonist” (more like contagonist, hey-O!) named Leeds. The first person present tense puts readers right in his shoes, so his scumbaggery sneaks up on you despite the opening sentence being, “I placed two layers of duct tape over Layla’s mouth before I came downstairs, but I can still hear her muffled screams as the detective takes a seat at the table.” At first read that’s a heck of way to kickoff a story, right? Very intriguing. What would cause our “hero” to do something like that to his girlfriend?
To say too much about the plot quickly enters spoiler territory, and I won’t do you like that. Colleen Hoover has been pushing herself into new genres lately (which I do admire), so that means when you pick up one of her books these days you don’t know if you’re getting a romance, thriller, or other. This is a mix of all three, with emphasis on the other. And the plot itself is actually very unique, clever and twisty. There really isn’t a common trope in sight…
…other than guy gaslights girl. (Oh and insta-love, but that’s kind of a given in a CoHo book.) That gaslighting though? Oof! I’m all for characters that break bad, but the author has to convey some level of awareness that it’s happening. Here we’re just supposed to keep rooting for him and a happy ending. Which I did, until I realized the gaslighting had happened to me too.
I'm going to keep reading Hoover's books, because she's been a must-read author for me since I loved "It Ends With Us" years ago. I just can't recommend that you read this one.
January 7, 2021
2 stars. Not the right book for me.
Paranormal and romance both aren’t my thing so it’s no surprise this didn’t work for me. I wanted to give it a shot because I’ve been seeing some fantastic reviews and I wanted to try something different but unfortunately this was not a good reading experience.
I never truly felt a connection to any of the characters, setting or storyline. I wasn’t “bought in” to what was happening and felt that the “twists” were predictable and obvious.
I have read and enjoyed other books by this author and look forward to exploring more of her work. I know this was a step outside of her writing comfort zone and I applaud her for that as there are many raving reviews from satisfied readers.
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan!
Paranormal and romance both aren’t my thing so it’s no surprise this didn’t work for me. I wanted to give it a shot because I’ve been seeing some fantastic reviews and I wanted to try something different but unfortunately this was not a good reading experience.
I never truly felt a connection to any of the characters, setting or storyline. I wasn’t “bought in” to what was happening and felt that the “twists” were predictable and obvious.
I have read and enjoyed other books by this author and look forward to exploring more of her work. I know this was a step outside of her writing comfort zone and I applaud her for that as there are many raving reviews from satisfied readers.
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan!
January 6, 2021
3.5 ⭐️
Colleen Hoover states in her author biography that she does not like to be boxed into one genre.
Although she writes romance, she likes to explore the others too.
When I heard she was writing her first thriller last year, (Verity) I picked up my first CoHo book, and I was riveted to every page! (although I did skim through the x rated sex scenes)
This too, bends genres, but the synopsis doesn’t tell you that.
And, I never tell MORE than the synopsis as I don’t want to SPOIL anything for anyone who likes to go in blind.
BUT, this genre mix is NOT for everyone, so if you are concerned, just read the “tags” on Amazon, so you can decide if this may work for you....or not.
I didn’t love this one, but actually it wasn’t because of the genre mix....
When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced that he will spend the rest of his life with her...
Until he meets Willow
WHO is she, WHERE did she come from and WHY is she hanging around?
There are INTERVIEW chapters which have an unknown man in a Jiffy Lube shirt, asking Leeds questions, as he documents the answers on an old fashioned tape recorder. Layla, meanwhile is tied up, in an upstairs bedroom while this occurs.
Alternating chapters, tell the “LOVE STORY” of Leeds and Layla, before and after the INTERVIEW.
WHAT could have happened to lead them to THIS?
WHO is the man?
I wanted Leeds to do some “behind the scenes” digging into Willow, as that would have added some substance to this intriguing tale.
But, unfortunately most of the book felt like a YA read to me, because each relationship was so simplistic, based on LUST.
And, that just wasn’t enough to keep me fully engaged.
The end did have a clever twist though, which had me guessing about which woman would come out Victorious...
A fun buddy read with DeAnn and Mary Beth!
Check out their reviews as well!
Colleen Hoover states in her author biography that she does not like to be boxed into one genre.
Although she writes romance, she likes to explore the others too.
When I heard she was writing her first thriller last year, (Verity) I picked up my first CoHo book, and I was riveted to every page! (although I did skim through the x rated sex scenes)
This too, bends genres, but the synopsis doesn’t tell you that.
And, I never tell MORE than the synopsis as I don’t want to SPOIL anything for anyone who likes to go in blind.
BUT, this genre mix is NOT for everyone, so if you are concerned, just read the “tags” on Amazon, so you can decide if this may work for you....or not.
I didn’t love this one, but actually it wasn’t because of the genre mix....
When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced that he will spend the rest of his life with her...
Until he meets Willow
WHO is she, WHERE did she come from and WHY is she hanging around?
There are INTERVIEW chapters which have an unknown man in a Jiffy Lube shirt, asking Leeds questions, as he documents the answers on an old fashioned tape recorder. Layla, meanwhile is tied up, in an upstairs bedroom while this occurs.
Alternating chapters, tell the “LOVE STORY” of Leeds and Layla, before and after the INTERVIEW.
WHAT could have happened to lead them to THIS?
WHO is the man?
I wanted Leeds to do some “behind the scenes” digging into Willow, as that would have added some substance to this intriguing tale.
But, unfortunately most of the book felt like a YA read to me, because each relationship was so simplistic, based on LUST.
And, that just wasn’t enough to keep me fully engaged.
The end did have a clever twist though, which had me guessing about which woman would come out Victorious...
A fun buddy read with DeAnn and Mary Beth!
Check out their reviews as well!
February 23, 2021
Well, I'm going to be an outlier with this one. I didn't like Layla. Not because of Layla but because of Leeds.
Do I like Paranormal stories? Yes.
Do I like Romances? Yes, I do.
Do I like douchy boyfriends? A resounding NO!
Pinpoint my major problem with Layla? LEEDS.
He was condescending. He was making decisions without consulting his girlfriend (who doesn't ask his girlfriend before deciding to buy a home?). He abused his girlfriend's trust in him. He let Willow do whatever she wanted without taking into account anything Layla needed.
Without major spoilers, I had to say that this is COHO's weakest male character for me. I know, I know, some are going to love him but I'm not a fan AT ALL. There's is a scene with wine that completely severed any good emotion I had left for him. Douchbag is the least of what I can say about him.
I know I like happy endings with a good HEA but this one left a sour taste in my mouth. I was unhappy with what happened to Sabel.
Another thing that bothered me was the reason for bringing in an "expert". He didn't stay to help when he was needed the most.
Truly disappointing!
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Do I like Paranormal stories? Yes.
Do I like Romances? Yes, I do.
Do I like douchy boyfriends? A resounding NO!
Pinpoint my major problem with Layla? LEEDS.
He was condescending. He was making decisions without consulting his girlfriend (who doesn't ask his girlfriend before deciding to buy a home?). He abused his girlfriend's trust in him. He let Willow do whatever she wanted without taking into account anything Layla needed.
Without major spoilers, I had to say that this is COHO's weakest male character for me. I know, I know, some are going to love him but I'm not a fan AT ALL. There's is a scene with wine that completely severed any good emotion I had left for him. Douchbag is the least of what I can say about him.
I know I like happy endings with a good HEA but this one left a sour taste in my mouth. I was unhappy with what happened to Sabel.
Another thing that bothered me was the reason for bringing in an "expert". He didn't stay to help when he was needed the most.
Truly disappointing!
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
December 9, 2020
This creeped me out. And then it proceeded to blow my mind.
This is nothing like Colleen Hoover's previous works. And in such a good way, because it just shows how gifted this author is (trust me, I've read 19 of her books).
Layla is just this girl at her sister's wedding, where Leeds's band is playing. They meet and instantly fall in love. We know that from "The Interview" chapters, where Leeds is describing everything that happened between him and Layla to a mysterious man.
I went into this book blind, I only knew that it was paranormal. It really surprised me, especially since this book had a few horror elements that got me on the edge of my seat.
My only complaint is that this had a very limited scenario and cast of characters, so sometimes in the middle I lost a bit of the interest. But, guess what? The reveal is totally worth the wait.
Be sure to pick this one up in December: Colleen Hoover really knows what she's doing!
(NetGalley ARC)
This is nothing like Colleen Hoover's previous works. And in such a good way, because it just shows how gifted this author is (trust me, I've read 19 of her books).
Layla is just this girl at her sister's wedding, where Leeds's band is playing. They meet and instantly fall in love. We know that from "The Interview" chapters, where Leeds is describing everything that happened between him and Layla to a mysterious man.
I went into this book blind, I only knew that it was paranormal. It really surprised me, especially since this book had a few horror elements that got me on the edge of my seat.
My only complaint is that this had a very limited scenario and cast of characters, so sometimes in the middle I lost a bit of the interest. But, guess what? The reveal is totally worth the wait.
Be sure to pick this one up in December: Colleen Hoover really knows what she's doing!
(NetGalley ARC)
August 28, 2020
If anyone had told me on Wednesday that I was going to pick up a paranormal romance book and enjoy it - well, I would have laughed right in your face. Yet, here I am, having just turned the last page to Colleen Hoovers latest, Layla, with such a big smile on my face. I loved this.
I really don't want to discuss the plot. At all. Beware reading any reviews in fear of spoilers. I would have been pissed if someone had ruined this for me.
This is only my second CoHo book but I sure do see why so many readers adore her. There is just something about her easy breezy style of writing that hooks you right away. Not to mention I just love her humor. She is one author that I would love to chill with and have a couple drinks. She just seems like my kind of gal. The best part? She has so many more books for me to discover and that makes my heart happy.
If you're a CoHo fan then I know you already have your copy pre-ordered, however, if you haven't read her or you're a newer fan to her work like me then know that I highly recommend this. It's a genre I NEVER would have tried but I am so glad that I did. This time, anyways. 😉 4 Stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I really don't want to discuss the plot. At all. Beware reading any reviews in fear of spoilers. I would have been pissed if someone had ruined this for me.
This is only my second CoHo book but I sure do see why so many readers adore her. There is just something about her easy breezy style of writing that hooks you right away. Not to mention I just love her humor. She is one author that I would love to chill with and have a couple drinks. She just seems like my kind of gal. The best part? She has so many more books for me to discover and that makes my heart happy.
If you're a CoHo fan then I know you already have your copy pre-ordered, however, if you haven't read her or you're a newer fan to her work like me then know that I highly recommend this. It's a genre I NEVER would have tried but I am so glad that I did. This time, anyways. 😉 4 Stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 23, 2020
Addictive. Imaginative. Sexy
It's fascinating, Unputdownable read that leaves you spellbound with every chapter and you cannot turn the pages fast enough to try and find the next clue to this mystery.
Do you classify it as a love triangle?, a second chance romance?, a supernatural thriller?
Whatever box you try put it in, it just bulges out, encompassing ALL the elements and ALL the emotions that go with it.
"It’s the worst catch-22 imaginable. I can’t break up with the girl I’m falling out of love with, or I won’t get to spend time with the girl I’m falling in love with.”
Colleen proves yet again that she crosses genres, tropes and now Realms to deliver a soul-tearing saga of OTHERWORLDLY love, that belies all logic, thoughts and senses. It's all about FEELINGS.
Believer or skeptic, Paranormal reader or Earthly Romance reader, you shall not emerge unscathed or untouched by the intensely mystical story of bodiless, eternal love. The way it's meant to be.
"I’m just . . . nothing. I’m thoughts. Feelings."
The characters of Leeds, Layla & Willow are tied to each other, not just physically and emotionally, but their Connection transcends into the uncharted territory of metaphysical as well.
Relationship is tested beyond limits, senses are questioned but heart FEELS the Impalpable truth. The lines between morality and cheating get blurred, but do they really?
"I care about Willow. But I’m in love with Layla.”
The twists and turns had me mesmerized, the discarnate developments would make my head explode if I want too careful. I'm still in awestruck hangover from the book and every book deepens my loyalty as a reader to CoHo
Colleen's talent isn't dependant on any stars or reviews, her book's resonance doesn't dim over time, their chokehold on your heart doesn't diminish ever. I'm doubtful I'll ever forget this book wh7ch is quite momentous for a non Paranormal reader like me
Read it soon ladies and start believing in the unbelievable.
5 stars for Sensory Whiplash
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It's fascinating, Unputdownable read that leaves you spellbound with every chapter and you cannot turn the pages fast enough to try and find the next clue to this mystery.
Do you classify it as a love triangle?, a second chance romance?, a supernatural thriller?
Whatever box you try put it in, it just bulges out, encompassing ALL the elements and ALL the emotions that go with it.
"It’s the worst catch-22 imaginable. I can’t break up with the girl I’m falling out of love with, or I won’t get to spend time with the girl I’m falling in love with.”
Colleen proves yet again that she crosses genres, tropes and now Realms to deliver a soul-tearing saga of OTHERWORLDLY love, that belies all logic, thoughts and senses. It's all about FEELINGS.
Believer or skeptic, Paranormal reader or Earthly Romance reader, you shall not emerge unscathed or untouched by the intensely mystical story of bodiless, eternal love. The way it's meant to be.
"I’m just . . . nothing. I’m thoughts. Feelings."
The characters of Leeds, Layla & Willow are tied to each other, not just physically and emotionally, but their Connection transcends into the uncharted territory of metaphysical as well.
Relationship is tested beyond limits, senses are questioned but heart FEELS the Impalpable truth. The lines between morality and cheating get blurred, but do they really?
"I care about Willow. But I’m in love with Layla.”
The twists and turns had me mesmerized, the discarnate developments would make my head explode if I want too careful. I'm still in awestruck hangover from the book and every book deepens my loyalty as a reader to CoHo
Colleen's talent isn't dependant on any stars or reviews, her book's resonance doesn't dim over time, their chokehold on your heart doesn't diminish ever. I'm doubtful I'll ever forget this book wh7ch is quite momentous for a non Paranormal reader like me
Read it soon ladies and start believing in the unbelievable.
5 stars for Sensory Whiplash
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