I love a good Colleen Hoover book. She is usually a solid read for me. I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but this was not it!!!! I don't really know what I want to share about it, because I don't want to ruin this book for anyone. I highly suggest you don't read reviews, because you can barely talk about this book without giving spoilers.

Let me just say that this is very different than any Colleen Hoover book I have read. I was not expecting this. This book creeped me the hell out for awhile. I found the whole premise interesting, though, if I had known in advanced, I may not have reached for it. So I am glad I didn't know. I loved the format of the book. You start out in an interview, and then the book goes back and forth between Leeds recollection over the past few weeks, and then back to present day in the interview. You get mad at Leeds for awhile, or at least I did. Basically your emotions are a roller coaster in this book. And when the end comes, it is the end, no epilogue. I sort of wish there was one, but it isn't exactly unfinished either. I think have just gotten used to there being just a little more at the end, you know?

Bottom Line: Read it! Go in to it knowing nothing. It will make it so much better.

**I received a copy of Layla from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀...“ -𝗝.𝗗. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿

Do you self a favor tonight. Go outside and look up at the night sky. When you see all of those stars... you will then know how many Colleen Hoover deserves for the amazing books she gives us readers! ✨

I’ll keep my review short and to the point:
𝗣𝗥𝗘👏🏼𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥👏🏼𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦👏🏼𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞👏🏼

𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿
I 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 to savor this one. I 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 to read slow to make it last longer but I just couldn’t. It was just too good!!! I had to see where it ended up, and just like with 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, CoHo blew my mind 🤯 in the best ways. I definitely recommend going into this one blind. It’ll be the perfect book to finish out your reads for this year. 📚 Alllllll of the stars for 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗮, out December 8th 2020! Pre-order your copy today!

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to @amazonpublishing and @colleenhoover for providing my review copy of 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗮!

Layla's mouth is duct taped as Leeds takes the interview. I liked the names . Leeds is being interviewed by the police. I liked reading about when Layla and Leeds first met. Layla is popping pills. I really liked Layla but I couldn't get hooked into the story

This is my second book from this author and she is amazing. I didn’t know where this story was going, but I was blown away. She knocked paranormal romance out of the park, I absolutely loved it!

When I heard about Colleen Hoover’s new book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. “Layla” is very different than the books I typically read. I went into this one with high expectations because.. “Verity” {Need I say more?}. While the writing was fabulous, the big twist was unexpected, and I loved the romance and the ending, the paranormal aspect was just difficult for me to get into. If you enjoy paranormal romances, then this one is for you! It will be released on December 8th.

Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite romance authors! I was super excited to hear that she was stepping out of her comfort zone to write a paranormal novel. Though I’m not a fan of the paranormal genre, I found this book entertaining and loved that Colleen continues to bring out the deep emotions from characters in her novels. I liked that as I was reading, I kept having theories on what was going on and what would happen next. The only part that didn’t work for me was that the book felt a bit too love at first sight. There were also some parts where I kind of wanted to see Layla’s perspective instead. If you’re a Colleen Hoover fan, this may be on your list already. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was a decent read.

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 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.

Do you have a favorite for 2020? This very well might be mine. Verity is one of my all time favorites, so when I found out that Colleen Hoover was coming out with a paranormal romance. I was all for it. I had no idea what a paranormal romance was before I read it, but now I get it and it was fabulous.

This book is pretty unlike anything I’ve ever read. I like to go into books blind, and some books I think others should go in blind as well. This being one of them. Be careful reading review on this one, trust me you don’t want this story spoiled for you.

I read this one in a little over 24 hours, and I could not stop reading it. This was the type of book you could call out of work for.

This book is beautiful and even creepy. If you have the ability to suspend belief and get lost in stories about love, you will adore this one. This is also one of those books that makes you want to cry at the end because it’s over and because you are left utterly speechless. And because it was just that damn good.

Many many thanks to @amazonpublishing for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review.

All I can say is WOW! This was the best ARC that I have read this year. I have never read Colleen Hoover (I own most of her books though), so I cannot compare to her other novels. I have heard amazing things about her, but this absolutely blew me away. I was sucked in from page one. It starts with an Interview & throughout it goes back & fourth from present day interview to different parts of the previous 8 months. It is told in a timeline (which I appreciated), so it was super easy to follow, She also didn't really give you any hints until right before (literally a paragraph before) the huge reveal. Honestly, if you were able to catch all of the predictions than kudos to you. I am usually pretty good at predicting stories & this one I had a little idea, but I did not predict everything, which was an amazing change of events. I loved how there was a paranormal aspect, I was on edge the whole time. It does get a tad creepy (more thriller like), but that quickly goes away. I would recommend this to anyone even if you aren't a fan of creepy novels. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

Deeply haunting and extraordinarily unique, this is a story that will burrow itself deep into your heart and mind and linger long after you finish reading it, just because it’s so different from any other story out there, and just that impossible to forget.

Colleen Hoover is THAT author and this is THAT story. That author who can manage to write a story in any kind of genre, and still tug at your heart strings and manage to blow your mind at the same time. That story that will grip and envelope you and open your mind to the seemingly impossible. Colleen Hoover is that author who can intertwine a love story with the supernatural world and leave you both shocked and breathless.

This is a story about love; deep love, true love, unrequited love, and how love can be so vast that it spans both time and otherworldly dimensions. Love that knows no bounds or restraints. About how love haunts us, in life and in death.

I was immediately drawn into this story from the very first word. Leed’s and Layla’s whirlwind meeting and love story was captivating and all consuming. The tragedy that began to fray and tear apart what was once a glistening, seemingly unbreakable love was disheartening yet all the more engrossing as the story unraveled. Layla’s mental state due to the tragedy that befalls them both and the strange events that began to occur as a result furthermore gripped me, as it was equal parts disturbing and intriguing. Once the supernatural aspect came into play, I was glued to the pages and the story they contained, filled to the brim with anxiety and a persistent ache in my heart, wondering how it was all going to play out.

This was a powerful, haunting story that was as disturbing as it was emotional. My heart strings sure got a workout throughout the entirety of this book!

I feel that it’s best to go into this one as blind as possible, if only for the best reading experience. But regardless of how much you know beforehand, and what your feelings end up being towards the book overall, it will certainly be a freshly unique reading experience for readers’, as there’s nothing out there quite like this story.

Once again, Colleen Hoover managed to tear my heart apart and turned me into a puddle of emotions. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ms. Hoover, and I was blown away by this powerfully evocative story.

4 1/2 mind blown stars!

Layla by Colleen Hoover left me dumbstruck. I liked the story, it’s a quick read and certainly got my brain swirling with theories. Actually, I started off thinking I didn’t massively enjoy this book, but the more I thought about it at length, I realised there was a lot going on that I appreciated, even if I had issues here or there.

Layla unfolds through the perspective of the character Leeds, across alternating timelines for a portion of the book.

For me, Hoover sacrificed a level of immersion for the reader because there wasn’t one character to really connect with. For almost the majority of the story, I found myself reading it caring about what the characters did, but not necessarily what happened to them.

I don’t feel Leeds was a strong enough protagonist - for the majority of the book he doesn’t inspire love or hate, but indifference. I felt distant toward him. I really think an alternating perspective from one of the female characters, Layla or Willow, would have been worthwhile. As it was, I needed to feel more connected to all the characters in a positive way, where I could empathise with them and more, but with the way the story progresses, I was robbed of that because I was so suspicious of everyone... which demonstrates how masterfully Hoover had me on tender hooks... it was just at the expense of likeable characters.

Layla definitely has an interesting take on the paranormal, and is probably my favourite thing about the book. It’s thought provoking to the point where you can’t help but consider existential questions like is what you know, really what you know about the world, and is there such a thing as the afterlife. Is Layla original? I haven’t read a book with this kind of story, so I’d say yes, but if anyone has feel free to let me know.

I felt utter sickness reading this book from 40% onwards. Before that it was intrigue and curiosity, but heaven above, I felt ill by the middle of the book. The last 15% was just unfiltered psychological horror for me. I was sweating, tense and even slightly breathless at the height. I was invested by the end so much so I would have been really irked if the story ended up any other way. I would have been livid!

Without a shadow of doubt Layla most definitely would benefit from an epilogue. The ending was far too abrupt and doesn’t feel complete. I think an epilogue is needed to round up the story more smoothly, and leave the story on a more settled note for readers.

Colleen Hoover has once again captured an under-the-skin uneasiness with Layla, which is totally different to Verity, so is evidence of how talented Hoover is. I didn’t particularly like the story’s execution and would have preferred a stronger reader-character connection, but the story was intriguing, thrilling and a total page turner by the end up. I’d love to see it as a movie. If you’re looking for an unusual ghost story, this has got to be it - and I say that in the best of ways. It’ll haunt you in one way or another!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was very different for Colleen Hoover and in her acknowledgments she shares she really had to stretch her imagination for this one. I definitely appreciate that she is expanding with her storylines and dabbling in different genres. And while paranormal romance isn’t my thing, I am glad I read this one. Let’s be honest-I will read anything from Hoover and that still remains true even though this one was a little too out there for me.

I don’t want to give away too much about this story- it is better to go in blind. In the beginning I just kept thinking to myself this is just strange, where is this story going? And then it picked up for me in the middle and I did find that I didn’t want to stop reading. I did guess one of the big reveals, but leave it to CoHo to throw in another big twist!

I encourage you to pick this one up for yourself because it truly was unlike anything I’ve ever read and for that reason alone this was a solid 4 star read for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for this advance reading copy.

Remember when Colleen Hoover wanted to try something different and wrote Verity? Remember what a wild ride that book was?
Well she did it again! And this time with a paranormal romance! I'm a huge romance reader but I rarely read paranormal romances. However this book got me hooked since the first sentence.

It's such a strange, intense, crazy and even creepy at times book. But in the best, most captivating way possible. You get the paranormal feeling all right but you can also connect deeply with the romantic part of the book. It's a ride. I was swiping the pages on my Kindle like a mad woman.

I loved how she wrote this book from the hero's perspective and totally nailed it. It was everything I expected from her and so much more. The twists, the turns, the atmosphere, everything worked well to bring such an incredible reading experience.

It's nerve-wracking, it kept me at the edge of my seat and the reveals that got me gasping. I finished in two sittings. She's that author. The author that leaves me thinking about her books for days after I'm done. I'll be thinking about this book no doubt.

The ending was brilliant even though I wished it wasn't that abrupt. I wanted to read an epilogue and see how the characters are doing after all those crazy events. But maybe that's the point? To leave me there wondering. Guessing, thinking, biting my nails, staring at the wall. Damn you Colleen.

Woah.... this book was SUPER dark and Eerily creepy. A creepy that haunts me... still... and kept me up at night trying to figure out what in the world was going on. So many time I almost walked away due to my frustration with Leeds and Willow... should have known something was coming. Well done, Hoover- well done!!!

** a huge thank you to Netgalley and the published for gifting me an ARC for a fair and unbiased review **

Thanks to Montlake for the DRC!

First of all, OMG.
Second of all, HOW DARE YOU Colleen Hoover?????

I finished this book last night, but I waited until now to post my review because I needed some time to process what happened.

Leeds and Layla meet at her sister's wedding. They’re all staying at the same bed & breakfast. He’s part of the band performing at the party. She’s there for her family, but honestly, isn’t really happy about it. She never liked her sister’s husband. While the band is playing, Leeds notices the way she’s dancing alone, and feels like she’s trying to tell him something. Later on, they meet by the pool, where they finally have the chance to talk. They feel an instant chemistry. What was supposed to be just a one-night stand, ends up being the best sex of his life. She also feels something very special for him, like never before. They know it’s time to go back to their normal lives, but they just don’t want to say goodbye. So, the next day, they decide to continue together. She won’t go back to her parents home. He won’t travel with the band.

He quits the band, planning to work on a solo album. He’s not famous yet, but every day he gets more followers on Instagram. One day, after posting a photo with Layla, he gets uncomfortable with the comments left by his fans. They offend Layla and make it pretty clear how much they hate her. He deletes the post, hoping she didn’t see anything. But it’s too late. His fans have already identified her. One fan, in particular, has even followed her account too. And that’s when things get complicated… Because this “fan”, actually, is his ex-girlfriend, Sable, who's obsessed with him. Truly obsessed. She even had a fan club dedicated to him before they dated.

A lot of bad things happen. They go through seven very difficult months.
In an attempt to save their relationship and go back to that special feeling from the beginning, Leeds takes Layla to spend a few days on the property where used to be the bed & breakfast where they met, which is now for sale.

And that's when things get even worse.

Everything I said until here happens in the first few chapters. It seems like the author rushed this part a little bit, because the worst issue was still to come.

I don't recommend this book for Colleen Hoover's teen audience. It contains many triggers related to PTSD, drug use and violence. I also do not recommend it for people who are afraid of ghosts. But if you read “Verity” and liked it, I think you’re good to go.

I loved the book for just one reason. Layla. No wonder the book has her name on the cover.
All her scenes, in some way, made me want to protect her. The more I felt like something was wrong, the more I wanted her to find her happiness. I loved her personality, her unusual comments and the way she sees our existence.

Leeds left me with mixed feelings. He knows he’s wrong. He says that all the time. Still, he doesn’t stop. Around 70%, he made me feel SO MUCH ANGER. SO. MUCH. ANGER. I wanted him to die. But, poor me, I couldn't even imagine what was coming in the next 30% …

This is the kind of book that won't work for everyone. There is an explanation for everything, the reader won’t go through all this suffering without knowing what happened and how it ends. The explanation is easy to understand. But at the same time, I know it will not please skeptical readers, who probably will read just to say this is all stupid and nonsense.

This book made me so mad, but I enjoyed it a lot. (lol, that happens, right?)
I love ghost stories. I just couldn’t put it down.
I just couldn’t give up on it without knowing if Layla would be okay.

Leeds Gabriel é baixista de uma banda não muito conhecida, e sua banda foi contratada para tocar em um casamento. Nesse casamento ele conhece a irmã da noiva, Layla, no qual ele sente uma grande atração. Eles se apaixonam e engatam num romance intenso. Layla é uma super apoiadora da vida profissional de Leeds. Mas, algo no passado de Leeds pode atrapalhar todo o presente e futuro deles. Após um acidente, Layla já não é mais a mesma, e o amor de ambos é posto a prova.

A história é narrada pelo ponto de vista masculino, e os capítulos são intercalados entre a história mesmo e uma entrevista, e essa entrevista te faz ter algumas suposições da história.

Olha, eu admiro a criatividade da Coho viu, esse livro me deu uma desanimada porque foi assim: alguns episódios aconteceram muito rápido, acredito que foi de propósito para poder desenvolver o foco da história que no caso é o "paranormal" só que essa parte pra mim ficou cansativa, e pelo livro ser narrado por um personagem masculino algumas atitudes dele me deixaram com muita raiva, eu fiquei 1 semana sem ler, eu não tava curtindo a enrolação; mais o ai o jogo virou... e virou de novo kkkk e acho que ela conseguiu prender todas as pontas, conseguiu deixar a situação bem real, que eu até fiquei me perguntando: "será que acontece de verdade?" e o melhor foi que ela conseguiu justificar as atitudes escrotas do protagonista. Eu não dei 5 estrelas, porque não foi um livro que me marcou e que eu vá ficar com vontade de reler um dia... mas com certeza é um bom romance!!

If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with Colleen Hoover. Her writing style, connection to the characters, and emotions I have with her reads are overwhelming. I would gladly jump at the chance to read her grocery list, because I know she can even make that a riveting read.

What I love about Colleen is she can write any genre and does it so effortlessly. She has always written contemporary romance stories, but man, her mind is completely wicked! And I’m so here for it! She proved it when she wrote Verity in 2018, which still has me talking about two years later. And now, she’s done it again with her first paranormal romance, Layla.

If you follow Colleen on Instagram and Facebook, you know she always updates her CoHorts with her current works in progress. I have been painstakingly waiting for her to release Layla, so when I was given an advanced copy, I couldn’t wait to read it. I felt like a small child on Christmas morning, but let’s face it, I feel that way any time Colleen releases a new read!

I found myself engrossed with the two characters, Leeds and Layla. They fell hard for each other until an unexpected attack leaves them with a lot of healing and grief to face. Leeds decides to take Layla away for a couple of weeks to rekindle their relationship, and returns to the bed and breakfast where they first met. But when unexplained things begin happening and Layla’s behavior becomes erratic, Leeds discovers a lot more than he ever wanted.

It kills me to not give a Colleen Hoover a five star rating, but it had a slow start for me, which is the only reason I dropped it down to 4.5 stars. This one is scheduled to release in December, so make sure you preorder it now! Even if paranormal reads aren’t your thing, you won’t regret giving this one a try!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

When Colleen Hoover announced that her next book would be a paranormal romance, I was excited but I had no idea what to expect. I never could have anticipated this.

Layla is twisted. Shocking. Strangely romantic.⠀
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I won’t summarize this book because I can’t say much more than what’s in the blurb without giving spoilers (this one would be a fun one to go into blindly anyway)... but I will throw out some pertinent words:⠀
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Stalker. PTSD. Hostage. Love triangle. Manipulation.
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After a certain point in the book, I kept thinking, “How is this romantic?! None of this is romantic!” But by the end, I was like, “WHOA! This is actually a really beautiful love story.” I guarantee you’ll think that too. You’ll be reading it and think, “She is nuts. This is not a beautiful love story. This is messed up. This is not okay.” And you’re right. It is messed up. It’s not okay. But then you’ll see what I mean.

I don’t say this about a lot of books but I feel like this one needs an epilogue... NOT because the ending was a let down (it was awesome) but because my head was still spinning at the end and I needed a little time to sit in the way it played out. And I needed to see how the characters would react to and deal with what happened. Because oh BOY was that an ending! ⠀
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Thank you, thank you, thank you to Colleen Hoover, NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this Advanced Reader’s Copy.

Layla comes out December 8, 2020. Make sure to preorder this one today because this is one book you won’t want to put down!
⠀
4.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 for Layla!

REVIEW | Layla by Colleen Hoover for release December 2020
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Leeds was entranced by Layla the moment he met her. But when a tragic accident leaves Layla with memory loss, odd behaviour, and PTSD, he brings her back to the bed and breakfast where they first met. But he soon finds there is something strange going on at the b&b.

This is my first paranormal romance and it was definitely an experience. Here are some thoughts:

👻CoHo’s writing is seriously addicting as usual. This is such a page turner! I binge read it.

👻As usual with CoHo books, the characters have small details that make them so real. And the dialogue is so realistic.

👻Some scenes were very spooky. But not terrifying. I would still recommend even if you can’t usually handle scary books.

👻This premise was definitely unique and interesting. I can’t say too much without spoilers, but I definitely encourage you to try it out, especially if you’re looking for something a little different.

Thank you to Montlake, Netgalley, and Colleen Hoover for this lovely ARC!

I will read anything that Colleen Hoover writes and in this case I had no idea what Layla was going to be about when I swiped the first page. Till the last page, I was sucked in to a story that is very different from what I normally read (and she normally writes) but I loved it. The emotional pull of this book was so strong I read it all in one afternoon because CoHo makes you care deeply for her characters and she finds ways to make you feel things you didn't expect in the strangest of circumstances. I don't want to discuss much of Leeds and Layla's story but in true CoHo fashion, this book grabbed my interest, pulled my heartstrings and left me wondering if maybe I should explore a new genre of fiction. I loved the way it was written from Leeds point of view and the added bonus of his song lyrics that read like heartbreaking poetry. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.