Layla — Colleen Hoover
Summary
When Leeds meets Layla at a wedding, they immediately fall for each other. Leeds is convinced that he will marry the girl he just met, bringing on a new relationship between them. All goes well between the two until Layla is involved in an accident and almost loses her life. After weeks of recovering, Layla pulls through but is left with a lasting emotional impact that doesn’t seem to set sail. Leeds brings Layla to the bed and breakfast where they first met in hopes of rekindling their relationship and healing the pieces of Layla that have remained broken after her accident.
Leeds is hopeful that bringing her to the place where they fell for each other would mend their relationship and bring them closer together while bringing back memories to Layla and taking her away from the trauma she’s endured. However, when they arrive, Layla starts acting in a way that cannot be explained, leaving Leeds concerned and confused. Not only is the love of his life acting unlike herself, but unexplainable things start to happen where they are staying.
Feeling out of touch with his girlfriend and reality as the things around him seem to get more unusual, Leeds comforts himself with the presence of another guest at the bed and breakfast– Willow. Up late at night writing his music, Leeds often finds himself in company with Willow. After many late nights of talking about everything and anything, Leeds becomes more trusting of Willow and more intrigued by her. However, the closer the two become, it seems, the further Leeds is from Layla.
After things start to take a sharp turn at the bed and breakfast, Leeds is left to decide between Willow and Layla.
Review
After reading the back cover of the book, I had a clear vision of what the story might look like. At the beginning of the novel, I thought I had confirmed my hypothesis. However, after digging deeper into the story of Leeds, Layla, and Willow, I was quick to realize that this is nothing like I thought it would be. Layla is most definitely full of unexpected turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you read on. Hoover does a great job of profiling each character and making it hard to predict what will happen next.
Reaching the end of the book, I was left astonished. I truly could not remember what it had been like reading the beginning of the book compared to the second half. If you love a good thriller or psychological thriller, this book is definitely for you. At the end of the novel, I was left shocked and questioning love, life, death, and what we are within.
As a deep thinker myself, I found it interesting to get into the head of each of the characters throughout the book and truly grasp their perspective. However, this means putting together all the narratives and figuring out what is truly going on. This is what I enjoyed most about the book— the element of piecing together a big puzzle. Even while doing this, some big shockers made me rethink my theories of what would happen next.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the alternative genre Hoover created in writing this novel. This book differed significantly from her other work, offering a refreshing change from the classic romance novel while retaining elements that her fans love— love.
