Book Review: Layla by Summer Stanton and Claire Marta

 

Book Description

Thomas Harrow is new to Carnal Pleasures. Though an accomplished Dominant, not everyone is impressed with him at first sight. In an effort to prove that he belongs, he sets up a public demonstration that has a disastrous end. Layla Marks is a dreamer who works behind the scenes at the club. Night after night she watches the playing, secretly longing to be apart of the lifestyle. The pair couldn't be more different: Thomas is demanding with little patience for Layla's naiveté. With a rocky start already between them, they enter into a tentative D/s relationship, hoping that the other can be what they need. But Thomas is not the only one who covets the shy beauty, and Layla soon finds herself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.*The Carnal Pleasures series will be a mixture of various M/M and M/F pairings following the lives of the employees and patrons of the club. While this series has romantic elements, not all books will be romance. Due to language and explicit sexual interaction, it is recommended for readers 18 and up*

My Review

Layla is a cleaning lady at Club Carnal Pleasures. She isn't one of the people who play at the BDSM club although she does watch some of the scenes as she's doing her job. Things are going well for her and for the most part the people who play there leave her alone. She's shy and keeps to herself for the most part until Thomas, the new Dom walks in and mistakes her for someone else. The mix up puts these two on a course that they never intended because they are complete opposites. Thomas is a dragon shifter as well as a Dom. Layla on the other hand is another kind of paranormal creature but most people can't tell what she is and she likes it that way. 

But secrets have a way of coming out and hers come out in a big way. I like Layla but I didn't like Thomas at all. He's bossy, overbearing and never seems empathetic with Layla for what she's going through. He just barrels ahead and does what he thinks is best in any situation and then doesn't understand why she's upset with him. He never came across as sympathetic towards her or understanding at all. 

Poor Layla goes through a lot because of her stalker. I really would have liked Thomas more if he seemed to have more emotion but in my mind I just pictured this stone faced guy who thought he knew best and you should just agree with him. Again, not likable at all. The fact that this ends on a cliffhanger just sealed the dislike for this book. The storyline had real promise, the dialogue was good and the other characters were very likable and relatable. For those reasons I enjoyed and kept reading this book. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon