Layla

Can a ghost put all the air back into one’s life when the man had no idea he was even suffocating?

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1. LAYLA by Colleen Hoover

SYNOPSIS

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.

BOOK REVIEW

When Colleen Hoover announced her very first paranormal, I don’t even know what I expected it to be. Something closer to traditional realms of vampires or shifters or anything else really, but definitely not what turned out to be Layla.

To think about it, the book isn’t actually the first of a kind by the author. As an unshameful CoHo stan, I’ve read every single book by her including Never Never, which was fairly similar to Layla in terms of paranormal activity or something of the same nature. Now, I didn’t like Never Never, but I thought it was because the book was co-written with Tarryn Fisher and thus, lacked the character of one of my most favourite authors if you know what I mean. But after the last page of Layla was finally turned after painful weeks of dragging my reading, I realized that non-contemporary works by Colleen are simply not for me.

You shouldn’t be discouraged from reading the book though. The writing was amazing as usual. Very edgy and suspenseful and catchy. And the twist at the end simply blew me away.

“It was like someone let all the air back into my life when I had no idea I was even suffocating.”

What threw me off though was the initial setting. Leeds and Layla met for the first time at the latter’s sister’s wedding and fell head over heels in love with each other. And I was like… What? Already?! So, yeah, insta-love at its best I would argue.

“Falling in love with her was weightless, like air was breezing through my bones. Falling out of love is fucking heavy, like my lungs are carved from iron.”

Then came emotional cheating with a ghost named Willow who turned out to be not what it seemed like. I’m not going to spoil things here but let me tell you, the ache from reading felt real and it hurt… But sadly, it was not because I connected with Leeds or Layla but rather—because I hate cheating in general, especially if the very act is described with so many powerful emotions CoHo style…

I’ll have audacity and repeat once again that Layla wasn’t a bad read, but I did anticipate something completely different. I cannot say much but the book does end on a good note, but it seemed way too convenient and quite abrupt.

If you’re curious to read a paranormal activity/ghost book with romance as a distracting factor, give Layla a definite try!