Leila

M.K. Speaks
AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781456710996
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (5/11)

“Leila” by M.K. Speaks is the fictional journey of the main character Leila, a Colombian woman with a very traumatic upbringing, who dances and sings her way into the path of a man named Alejandro.  Not accepting of his love at first because it seems so foreign to her, she grows to fall deeply in love while the two begin a music venture together that brings about international success and Grammy awards.  Alejandro’s manager isn’t keen on publicizing the relationship, though, and it remains hidden for quite some time.  Throughout the course of their relationship Leila and Alejandro confess secrets from the past, but the secrets bring them closer in the end.  Love continues to triumph all the way to the end despite a non-fairytale ending. 

“Leila” has the makings of an engaging story.  There are characters with challenged pasts that find each other and fall in love.  However, the story did not move me as much as I hoped that it would.  Two likable enough characters find each other and fall in love as their music success grows.  Though there are a couple of people that serve as hurdles to their love, they aren’t menacing, and I don’t worry about their ability to remain together.  I realize the ending is certainly not rosy for the characters, but I wasn’t invested as I had hoped to be, and I wasn’t bothered by it.  There was not enough tension and suspense to move the story forward, just a lot of talk of love.  Alejandro seemed too perfect, and Leila seemed a victim who just could not believe that this man loved and cared for her so. 

Also, there was some time confusion to me.  I thought the story began in the 1990s, but the author made reference at one point to a character looking like a Kardashian sister which is a modern description.  Some situations seemed to be glossed over very quickly, too, such as Leila’s visits to a therapist which miraculously seemed to cure her insecurity. 
           
In “Leila,” Ms. Speaks has a great story to tell with a unique interesting setting in the Latino music world. I just could not connect it personally as much as I had hoped. 

Make comment on weblog

FTC Disclosure