*minor spoilers ahead*
When Leeds meets Layla, he knows she is the one. However, their new relationship soon faces turmoil. Layla is left fighting for her life and struggles to recover physically and mentally after an unexpected attack. As a desperate measure to save their relationship, Leeds takes Layla to a special place of theirs in an attempt to start afresh. But that is when Leeds meets Willow, an unexpected guest at their house, and their connection deepens.
Layla is told in the first person from Leeds’s perspective, who we learn from the offset is a very intense individual, especially when it comes to his emotions. The book goes between Leeds and Layla throughout their relationship to the present day, where Leeds is being interviewed by somebody. This introduces the mystery element of the book and makes you question how reliable a narrator Leeds is.
I asked her what the anxiety felt like. She said “It’s like a shiver running through my blood”.
p53
Due to my lack of knowledge about this book before reading it, I was surprised to learn that Layla had paranormal themes as the book developed quickly from romance to thriller. Ghost stories are not my go-to and so I felt both intrigued and apprehensive to continue reading. I am amazed by how many genres Colleen Hoover can write in but was not surprised to see that sex and romance were still prominent in Layla, as with all her books.
I read this book on my Kindle and found I flew through the book quicker than usual, which was also helped by Hoover’s easily digestible style of writing. However, this did not stop Layla from becoming quite an uncomfortable read. Leeds gradually becomes a very unlikeable character; he is aware of his guilt but lacks remorse despite his incredibly immoral acts. The book introduces an interesting debate over morality which is prominent in the main plot twist making it intriguing to read. I didn’t expect the twist so that was refreshing but with the nature of the book, a ‘normal’ explanation would not have worked anyway.
I do wish we delved deeper into Sable’s character as I felt that was missing from the book and would have helped improve the paranormal narrative. Layla is not my usual type of book, so I am glad I gave it a go, but I do prefer Hoover’s other books, such as Verity.
3/5 stars
Soph's Library 