Laura’s Review of Layers Deep (Layers Trilogy, #1) by Lacey Silks

If you enjoyed The Arrangement: The Ferro Family (The Arrangement, #1-13) by H.M. Ward, If I Were You (Inside Out, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones, and Naked (The Blackstone Affair, #1) by Raine Miller then you will LOVE this book!!!

Basic Summary

He needs her to save a friend.

She needs him to plan her revenge.

Their pasts scar them Layers Deep.

Their passion distracts them…

…and distractions can be fatal.

      Tristan Cross is battling emotional demons from the past.  He lives in a world where trust is earned, loyalties are tested, and love is impossible.  That is, until he meets Allie Green.  She’s the only woman who can help him find a kidnapped friend and to top it off, she captivates him.  All he has to do now is persuade her to work for Cross Enterprises, his top investigations firm.

      Allie Green is a rookie cop seeking revenge and she’s willing to sell her soul to get it.  With an opportunity to use Tristan Cross’s resources Allie calculates her time for payback.  As vengeance boils her blood she can’t keep her mind off her new boss and Allie finds it difficult to keep her employment professional.  With the mouthwatering Tristan Cross distracting her, she struggles to prioritize an undercover job she’s been assigned and her hunger for revenge.

     

      And when you’re ready to give up your life to save someone else, distractions can be fatal.

               

First Impressions

The beginning of the book kind of just drops you right into plot no leading up no explanation no background information just bam! Which I like when books get to the point but I needed more details and I needed a starting line for character development none of that was really given.  Allie’s name isn't even mentioned until chapter three, which to me is so weird since the book is from her point of view and if you haven’t read the summary of what this book is about then you have no idea what her name is for three chapters.  Also, the only thing I know about her looks wise for the beginning part of the book is that she has curly hair, there is no mention of what color her hair is, what color her eyes are, nothing.  Tristan Cross is described a little bit better and when he is described certain things I know; like he has hazel eyes and he’s muscular but that’s it at a certain point Allie  talks about the “highlights in hair” but still not mentioning what color hair he has in the first place.

Also, in the beginning these two have just met, and there is no real lead in to their attraction it is just there, and during their first conversation Allie all of sudden says to herself “I couldn't let Cross know he was someone I needed more than the air I breathed.”  That’s not really something that should be said after a first conversation, maybe a little later in the story.

                                                           

What I loved

                I really like the sexual tension between Tristan and Allie a lot, right off the bat it’s hot and sexy and I couldn't wait for them to get down and dirty!   The sex scenes are awesome and the building attraction between the two was really good.  I really liked that they didn't get down and dirty with in the first five minutes of the book, I love scenes were it almost happens then doesn't because it give the reader their own type of foreplay ratcheting up the sexual tension between the characters and the reader. 

      I like the story line in this book; it separates itself from the rest of the Fifty Shades of Grey genre of rich powerful alpha hotties falling in love the damsels in distress.  I think Allie is more on equal footing with Tristan in this series than other series that I have read that are similar.  I like that there is more drama in this book than usual, the story isn't just about their attraction to each other, there is mystery and drama going on around them.  The premise with Tristan’s friend being kidnapped and asking Allie immediately puts the reader on edge and just as much as I wanted Tristan and Allie to get it on I couldn't wait for her to go on assignment for Tristan.

      There are definitely a lot of twists and turns in this book that kept me on my toes.  This book was definitely a real page turner and I love books that keep me guessing.  There was a lot of build up for Allie to try and help Tristan and when it all went down my heart was pounding! I liked the ending because it totally leaves you needing more!

Not So Much

                Some of the characters in this book were not the most likable people, towards the beginning of the book Allie’s best friend Laura basically told Allie that if she had sex to get a job it was no big deal and you should use what god gave you.   If any of my friends suggested I sleep with a soon-to-be boss to get the job they wouldn't be my friend anymore, no matter what my past may be.  No one should put their stamp of approval for basically prostituting yourself for a job, that’s beyond ridiculous.

     

      As far as details go in this book I just was really disappointed, there is no description of Allie and Laura’s apartment at all, or even where it is in Manhattan.  Those types of details are so important in a book because they add to the totality of a character and make them more real and likable. 

      There were a lot of inconsistencies as well in the book, one minute Allie is walking outside and she can fill snow in the air the next she’s wearing capris and stepping into an air conditioned car.  If it’s almost winter or if there is snow in the air then it’s way too cold for capris or having the air conditioning on in your car.  I live a half an away from NYC and no matter how unpredictable the weather is, it doesn't change that drastically trust me!  Also Allie says they have no time to go out and have fun let alone make dinner for themselves, and then Laura is described as being sexually adventurous sleeping with a new guy all the time so when does she get the time to meet all these guys?  Another major inconsistency was Laura basically tell her to use what god gave her to get a job then says when Laura first met her she thought she was a bitch who slept around.  That doesn't jive at all from how Allie describes Laura in the beginning, very inconsistent. 

       Also I didn't put it in this book summary that I always take from the actual descriptions of the book, but there was a warning at the end of the summary saying this is a series book and it contains a cliffhanger at the end of it and that Tristan and Allie will find their happily ever after in the other books.  Once again I’m critiquing a book summary because after reading that part the entire time I’m reading all I could think about is what the cliffhanger will be!  Don’t tell people what the ending is consisting of!!! I don’t care if it’s still a surprise let me be even more surprised!!! I get people hate cliffhangers but I don’t like that the summary basically gave away some part of the ending and then proceeded to tell me these two live happily ever after at some point.  So now I have a clue on what this first book will end like then know how the entire series will end, that’s not keeping the reader guessing!

Overall

        

         I really enjoyed the plot in this book because it made it pretty unique than just the typical rich sexy man erotica books that are very popular these days.  Tristan Cross is a great character and I definitely want to learn more about him!  The sex scenes in the book were awesome and sexual chemistry between them was scorching, I wish there was a little bit more of them but that’s just me. 

      The grammar mistakes in the book were kind of annoying after a while there wasn't ton of them but there was a good number. The details in this book were definitely lacking, I wanted more details of the environment around them.  I didn't feel like the author knew Manhattan at all since places were never mentioned where they were specifically, does Tristan live in Soho or on the Upper East Side?  Where was the restaurant they went to one night?  If you’re going to write a book in a popular city you got to give details of the place especially a city like Manhattan which would add to the overall feel of the book and make it more authentic.  The writing style just wasn't for me but I don’t usually like to judge specifically on that because everyone enjoys different writing styles.  I would've liked more establishment of the plot and the characters, more details of what was going on and explanations for their actions.  The chapters didn't always lead perfectly into the next like I would've liked.  The ending was pretty great with lots of surprises this author definitely leaves you wanting more Tristan and Allie in your life!  I know I had a lot of negatives for this book but I’m still intrigued enough to want to read the next book.