Reviews tagging Infidelity

Layla, by Colleen Hoover

15 reviews

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Infidelity

Moderate: Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Medical content

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

sarah2438's review against another edition

1.0

This was so bad lol I thought it couldn't get any worse and then the twist with Sable and the attempts at explaining the paranormal just became too much. Leeds is a straight up psycho and this book is a case in point of why the ends DON'T always justify the means.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Eating disorder

charhollyx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A wild, wild ride. CoHo did an excellent job with her first paranormal romance and I ate up EVERY word. So many twists, so mysterious with the tension building each chapter and more unanswered questions rising. I loved it.
A few grammar errors which happens on kindle unlimited but I didn’t mind that one bit. Great story!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

anniehendricks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Torture, Eating disorder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Murder, Medical trauma, Death, Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

avelyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

lots of... problematic... characters, to say the least. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, and Confinement

Moderate: Grief, Eating disorder, and Chronic illness

sierranorgan's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No

3.0

What on earth did I just read?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Stalking

hannalizzy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I read this book all in one day because I was so intrigued by it. It’s such a unique and interesting concept, and I’m blown away by Colleen Hoover yet again. The story was framed in such an interesting way, I never knew which characters to trust or root for, and the plot twist made me audibly gasp with my jaw on the floor. It’s a little creepy and eerie, so this book would be especially fun to read during #spookyszn. I would love to see this made into a movie someday. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death, Murder, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse

196ahunt's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Confinement, and Violence

emilys_editions's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.75

Layla was an interesting book. My first CoHo read and it was a bit of a romance/thriller... Maybe? It was easy to read but slow and while I think the concept was good, the execution wasn't that great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Stalking, and Violence

Minor: Blood

lea_talisa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Moderate: Grief, Confinement, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infidelity and Drug use