LAYLA BY COLLEEN HOOVER (INCLUDES GIVEAWAY)

12/18/2020

Colleen Hoover is a wonderful writer and I've enjoyed nearly all of her books. While this one wasn't my favorite I can certainly appreciate the book and where she took the story! I wasn't expecting that epic twist (you won't want to miss it!).

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: December 8, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 300 pages
Format: eBook. ARC from the publisher.

From #1 New York Times bestselling 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.

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READ MY BOOK REVIEW

My Rating: 3 Stars
Genre Paranormal Romance

It breaks my heart to say this BUT… This is not my favorite read from Colleen Hoover ? It’s not a bad book, but I think I was over it before all the good stuff happened. There was a lack of buildup and the character were almost deplorable. I mean I started to HATE Leeds because of his actions. He was falling for.. a ghost? And hurting the person he was supposed to love? I seemed so silly until the plot changed directions. Now, I am glad they changed directions and I LOVE where Colleen took the story. It does take some time to get there (and answers are aplenty) so I urge readers who have mixed feelings for the story in the beginning to keep going. You won't be disappointed!

That being said, I recommend readers try this one out for themselves because I know it’ll be a hit among the masses. Just because I didn’t care for it as much as I have for her other novels doesn’t mean other readers won’t go crazy for it!

Check out my specific likes and dislikes below

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? Despite my misgiving for the characters, the ending was INSANELY GOOD. I wasn’t sure how Colleen would resolve the issues facing Leeds and Layla, but she did it gloriously.

? The book FELT like a paranormal romance. I know Colleen hasn’t dabbled in the genre before, but she did a wonderful job with it for a newbie. I bet it wasn’t easy but putting her own spin on it made it unique. BRAVO!

? Colleen used a fresh perspective on the paranormal genre making it stand out amongst all the other ones I’ve read. This will be an unforgettable novel no doubt about it!

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? Leeds came off as a self-absorbed loony tune. It made NO sense to me that he could possibly develop feelings for a ghost that he couldn’t see. He even went far enough to HURT the woman he supposedly loved in the process. It was a little too much for me.

? The buildup was SLOW.

??????? ?? ??

While Layla may not have been a favorite read of mine, it is a book worth exploring. Colleen Hoover uses her magic and makes this one heck of an unforgettable read.

?? ??????: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

READ AN EXCERPT

Layla leans in and I expect her to kiss me, but instead she whispers, “Play me something,” against my mouth. Then she moves to the couch and lies down. “Play something worthy of that piano,” she says.

She crosses her legs at her ankles and lets one of her arms dangle off the couch. She runs her finger against the hardwood floor while she waits for me to start playing, but I can’t stop staring at her. I’m not sure there’s another woman on this planet who could make me want to stare at her without blinking until my eyes dry up, but she’s looking at me expectantly.

“What if you don’t like my music?” I ask. “Will you still let me kiss you?”

She smiles gently. “Does the song mean something to you?”

“I wrote it using pieces of my soul.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” she says quietly.

I spin around on the bench and place my fingers on the keys. I hesitate for a moment before playing the song. I’ve never performed it for anyone before. The only person I’ve ever wanted to sing it for is my father, and he’s no longer alive. His death is the reason I wrote this in the first place.

I’ve never been nervous while playing Garrett’s songs onstage, but this feels different. This is personal, and despite the fact that there’s only one person in the audience right now, it feels like the most intense audience I’ve ever performed for.

I fill my lungs with air and slowly release it as I begin to play.

That night I stopped believing in heaven
I can’t believe in a god that cruel
Can you?
That night I stopped praying on my knees
But I don’t pray standing either
Do you?
That night I closed the door and closed the
window
I’ve been sitting in the dark
Are you?
That night I learned happiness is a fairy tale
A thousand pages read aloud
By you
That night I stopped believing in God
You were ours, he didn’t care, he
Took you
So that night I stopped . . .
I stopped . . .
I just
Stopped.
That night I stopped.
I stopped.
I just stopped.
That night I stopped.
I . . .

When I’m finished playing the song, I fold my hands in my lap. I’m a little hesitant to turn around and look at her. The whole room got quiet after I played the last note. So quiet—it feels like all the sound was sucked out of the house. I can’t even hear her breathing.

I close the cover to the piano and then slowly spin around on the bench. She’s wiping her eyes, staring up at the ceiling.

“Wow,” she whispers. “I wasn’t expecting that. I feel like you just stomped on my chest.”

That’s how I’ve felt since I first laid eyes on her tonight.

“I like how it ends,” she says. She sits up on the couch and tucks her legs beneath her. “You just stop in the middle of the sentence. It’s so perfect. So powerful.”

I wasn’t sure if she’d realize the intentional ending, but the fact that she does makes me all the more enamored of her.

ABOUT COLLEEN HOOVER

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including the bestselling women’s fiction novel It Ends with Us and the bestselling psychological thriller Verity. She has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three years in a row—for Confess (2015), It Ends with Us (2016), and Without Merit (2017). Confess was adapted into a seven-episode online series. In 2015, Hoover and her family founded the Bookworm Box, a bookstore and monthly subscription service that offers signed novels donated by authors. All profits go to various charities each month to help those in need. Hoover lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.colleenhoover.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorColleenHoover/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleenhoover
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5430144.Colleen_Hoover