Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Layla

I literally just finished this book about half an hour ago and I'm still contemplating on what I just read. This book was soooooo odd. And not in a good way. Don't get wrong it was very addictive and easy to read just like all of Colleen Hoover's books. I blinked and I was on page 200. But it being a page-turner doesn't negate just how underwhelmingly strange this book was. I'd like to say that I did like the format from which it was told.

This story is told through alternating time perspectives in which Colleen shifts from Leeds (the main character) telling the events that lead them here then shifts to the regular chapters where he explains to the "detective" what has transpired. So basically we're in his thoughts the whole book.

Okay so first Leeds starts to explain how he and Layla (the love interest) met. And honestly to me I wasn't really feeling their relationship. It just consumed of them making lovey-dovey comments and having sex. It felt very one-dimensional/surface level. I felt pretty indifferent towards their initial encounter too. It was pretty insta-lovey as most of her books are. My only problem with insta-love is that we don't really don't get the lore of why a character is attracted to that specific person. Like I'm feeling their connection.

Anyways afterwards we started getting the plot of the story and the crazy things that were happening. And then about 85% we just get twist after twist after twist.

Spoiler

We find out that Willow is actually Sable, and that she took over Layla's body in the moments in which the two souls were in a state of limbo I guess. Because not only did Layla get shot by Sable, but Leeds also shot Sable when defending Layla . But oh wait, nope turns out Willow isn't Sable. And apparently Willow is Layla and Sable is occupying Layla's body which is actually Willow's body because Willow is Layla.

Confusing right. That's how I felt while reading this Especially because to me I don't think the author did a good job in making us believe her "twist" was true. Honestly it felt like the author was picking at things from her arsenal because a lot of the twist seemed too far fetched to me (maybe that was her intention). I just didn't like her execution.

Also, the "big twist" of the book was NOT GOOD! It felt like she was trying to justify Leeds actions. Like finding out

Spoiler

that Willow is in fact Layla and not Sable. That Sable took over Layla's body and Layla's just been walking in a state of limbo for the past several months. And because of that it just explains why Leeds felt such a strong connection towards Willow, the ghost, because Willow is actually Layla. And their love is so strong that he was able to "find her". And because we now know this that just justifies him almost drugging "Layla", cheating on her, depriving her of her sleep, tying her up and holding her captive, GASLIGHTING her, and most infamously him letting "Willow" take over her body without her consent.

Especially considering he didn't know what he knew now when he was committing those actions. He just knew that he was in love with a ghost and was willing to do whatever he could to keep this "ghost" in his life.

She does know how to romanticize abuse. Honestly I just felt like those "big twists" towards the end fell flat because Leeds and Layla's relationship wasn't this soulmate type relationship that the author was leading us to believe. Overall this book was okay, but I'm not saying I'd recommend it though.

Content Warnings

lacowie's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

edie_erkens's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

fyre's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5⭐

Content Warnings

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Pretty fun read! Took me a bit to get into it but once I did and the plot really started moving, it kept my interest. I guessed THE Plot Twist™ a bit before it was revealed but that didn't make it any less enjoyable for me, just made me want to hurry up and see if I was right lol.

Content Warnings

filipa_maia's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It is with a heavy heart that I give 3 stars (and not the usual 5 starts) to one of Colleen's books.

I had so many expectations for this book. Supernatural is one of my favorite genres and I had high hopes for the combination of two things that I love: books written by Colleen Hoover and dark and twisted themes. I was expecting something like Verity, but this book did not delivered that.

I had a really hard time to relate to the characters, none of them was likeable... the entire scenario was really weird. The entire story sounded like an episode from Ghost Whisperer (and not a particularly good one).

If the book did not made me cry, is not a Colleen novel!

P.S.: Obviously, I will still support Colleen, keep buying every single book and keep "hating her" for making me cry every single time...

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