Layla by Colleen Hoover: Romantic Novel or Novelistic Romance..?

Colleen Hoover is one of those writers whose books are thrust on you by the world if you are even slightly interested in reading. Initially a self-published writer, she became established through great word of mouth. It is the social media and BookTok that made her immensely popular. Recently I also saw that many people loathe her writing, those who have and who haven't read her included. Many consider her a substandard writer who exploits the public yearning by writing exploitative content. There are criticisms about the portrayal of toxic relationships and cliched plotlines in her books. 

For me, the more people are gushing over a book, the more reluctant I am to pick it up for reading. It's only very recently that I tried another famous writer, Freida McFadden, just to experience her writing. So when I saw that some of Hoover's books were available on Kindle Unlimited, I decided to try one. I selected 'Layla', but only after picking it did I hear that it's not representative of her other writings as this one has a paranormal theme. I also heard that the relationship themes in it, which are her most celebrated and much-detested element, are repeated in this one too. So I decided to forge ahead with it and try to understand what makes a phenomenally favorite writer. 

The book starts with Layla being bound and locked in an upstairs room by Leeds, her lover and fiancee. It immediately reminded me of 'The Housemaid' by Freida McFadden, in which we find a similar element. There is another man, probably a detective, sitting in the room downstairs, and Leeds starts narrating his story to him. Leeds met Layla at the same house, which used to be a bread and breakfast. Layla is attacked by someone and sustains a critical brain injury. Leeds has brought her to the place where they first met, hoping to rekindle their relationship. But he experiences some crazy paranormal activity and starts rethinking his commitment to Layla. 

Let me clarify one thing at the onset. The book contains a lot of lovemaking scenes. I felt that the entire book is a long romantic orgy, and the plot is just an excuse to distract the reader. Initially, the depiction of romance felt well-written and different from the normal style that we find in romantic novels. But when it continued till the third chapter, it lost its novelty, and when paranormal activity began, it was a relief. But the paranormal soon became an excuse to insert more romance and lovemaking into the plot. It's not that her writing style is bad; in fact, it's the only factor that made me read on till the end. 

After reading the entire book, I also realized that removing or toning down the romance would have affected the plot seriously because they form an integral part of it and play a great role in unfolding the mystery. The book also has a protagonist, the narrator in first-person, who does essentially selfish things. Each of his decisions could turn catastrophic in the long run, if not for a final twist in the tale. He comes off as a highly toxic man from the onset of the story, and none of his actions until the ones just before the climax made me change my opinion. 

But I believe he is a probable character, as I have often seen people like him around. People who get upset when life doesn't turn out the way they want it to and who are ready to take the next refuge when life chucks it at them. As the plot was narrated from his point of view, I could understand Leeds, even when I wasn't able to empathize with him. I suspect that's what the author was trying to achieve. 

'Layla' by Colleen Hoover is a romantic thriller novel with paranormal elements that explore themes like loss, identity, deception, and self-discovery. Though I won't claim that reading it made me want to read other books of hers urgently, I could try some of hers in the future if they're of a similar quality as this one.