Love, Ghosts, and Mind Games: A Deep Dive into Layla by Colleen Hoover

Brittany C
Mar 17
5 min read

Rating: 4.75/5 Stars

Colleen Hoover has a way of making me question my sanity every time I listen to one of her audiobooks. She could spin a tale about sentient toasters falling in love, and I'd still be all in—my full attention locked in like my life depends on it. Layla is no exception, but let me tell you, this book? This one is in a league of its own. It's weird, it's eerie, it's frustrating, it's romantic—it’s everything that makes you sit up and listen. No wonder it was chosen as the book club pick for Reader's Anonymous in March! Now that I've had some time to really process all the twists and turns and recover from the emotional roller coaster.

Join the book club here - fable.co/club/ra-readers-anonymous-with-brittany-932934520348?club_type=free

Spoilers ahead.

The Setup: Boy Meets Girl, Boy Falls in Love, Boy’s Girlfriend Gets Possessed (?)

We start with Leeds Gabriel (yes, Leeds) and Layla falling in love in a whirlwind romance that can only be described as “so fast it should have caused whiplash.” They meet at Layla’s sister’s wedding, and within what feels like minutes, they’re head over heels. Layla is this bright, chaotic, full-of-life kind of girl, and Leeds is your typical brooding musician with a guitar and a penchant for making questionable decisions. And boy, does he make some questionable decisions.

But just when things seem too good to be true, they are. Layla gets shot. Yes, shot. Leeds’ ex, Sable (who I will have words about later), breaks into their home and nearly kills Layla before getting gunned down herself. Layla survives, but she’s different afterward.

She’s not the same Layla he fell in love with. She’s distant, forgetful, and just… off.

And instead of, I don’t know, seeking therapy or giving her time to heal, Leeds decides the best thing to do is whisk her away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first fell in love.

Because that sounds like a great idea.

Things Get Paranormal and Leeds Becomes a Human Red Flag

Once they get to the house, weird things start happening. Doors are opening on their own. Layla is losing time. And then, there’s Willow—a ghost, a spirit, an entity that only Leeds can interact with.

At first, Leeds thinks he’s losing his mind. But nope, Willow is real. And she has a tragic story: she’s stuck in this house, and she can’t remember who she is.

And this is where the real mind games begin.

Leeds, being the genius that he is, starts communicating with Willow through a laptop. (Ghosts can use technology now—good to know.) And slowly but surely, he starts falling for her.

Let me repeat that. He starts falling for the literal ghost possessing his girlfriend.

This man is out here entertaining full conversations and emotions with a ghost while Layla—who was SHOT and is clearly dealing with trauma—is just trying to exist. The audacity of men, I swear.

The Twist That Had Me Reconsidering My Life Choices

Here’s where Hoover does what she does best: completely flipping the story upside down.

Willow isn’t just some random ghost. Willow is Layla.

Yep. Layla’s soul got displaced during her near-death experience, and Willow—who has been living in some weird limbo—is actually Layla’s consciousness, stuck outside of her own body. The Layla that Leeds has been taking care of? Just her body without her in it.

This is the point where my brain just about short-circuited.

Leeds, to his (rare) credit, figures this out and decides the best course of action is to bring Layla back into her own body. And the way he does it? DROWNING HER. He literally drowns his girlfriend.

But somehow, miraculously, it works. Layla and Willow become one again, and just like that, she’s whole. And Leeds? Well, he gets his Layla back.

And they just… move on.

Let’s Talk About That Ending

I’ll be honest, the ending felt too neat. Too convenient. We just spent the entire book unraveling this complicated, supernatural, psychological mess, and then it all wraps up with Layla magically remembering everything and deciding to stay with Leeds?

The man fell in love with her ghost form, cheated (emotionally? spiritually? I don’t even know) on her, then literally tried to kill her to fix things, and we’re just… okay with that?

I mean, sure, they love each other, and there’s this whole destiny element, but I was expecting a little more fallout. Maybe Layla grappling with what happened? Maybe Leeds needing to prove himself a bit more? Maybe a conversation beyond “hey, so I drowned you, but in a cute way”?

But nope. Love conquers all, I guess.

Sable: The Ex from Hell

We need to talk about Sable. The psycho ex-girlfriend who set this entire story into motion. She shot Layla. She traumatized Leeds. And yet, we barely get any backstory on why she did it. She’s just the typical unhinged ex trope.

I wanted more. Why was she obsessed with Leeds? What was their relationship actually like? Did Leeds give her any reason to act the way she did? I hate when thrillers throw in a villain just to have a villain without fully fleshing them out, and Sable felt like a missed opportunity.

Leeds: The Most Frustrating Love Interest Ever

Leeds might just be one of the most infuriating Hoover love interests I’ve listened to. He’s selfish, emotionally detached, and literally willing to risk Layla’s life to bring back the version of her he wants. He falls in love with a ghost, disregards Layla’s struggles, and is basically the poster child for what not to do in a relationship.

Did I still root for him? Yes, because Hoover is evil and makes me care against my will. But do I think he deserved Layla’s instant forgiveness? Absolutely not.

Final Thoughts: The Book That Had Me Yelling at My Speaker

Even though Layla is one of the most unhinged things I’ve listened to in a while, I loved it. It’s messy, chaotic, and completely different from anything else Colleen Hoover has written. The blend of romance, supernatural elements, and psychological tension is masterfully done. And while I do have issues with Leeds (who doesn’t?), the story itself kept me engaged from start to finish.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Would I also warn people that they might need to take a few breaks to process what is happening? Also yes.

If you love books that make you question everything, Layla is for you.

Just maybe don’t take relationship advice from it.

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