What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Thyself
Have you ever felt like you didn't belong? Like you were different!
Kellie Kingston knows that feeling all to well. You see Kellie is not who she pretends to be. Kellie is really Kaleb.
Kaleb wants to break free from Kellie. He knows he was born in a female's body with a male's brain.
So what happens when a small town tries to keep skeletons in their very dirty closets? Maybe people shouldn't judge a person by the gender of their body but the gender of their heart.
"Will the people of this small town ever be able to accept him for who he really is? Or will southern socialite secrets keep him hidden forever? Is there a way Kaleb can truly love himself and find that one true love who will accept him for who he is?"
Kellie Kingston knows that feeling all to well. You see Kellie is not who she pretends to be. Kellie is really Kaleb.
Kaleb wants to break free from Kellie. He knows he was born in a female's body with a male's brain.
So what happens when a small town tries to keep skeletons in their very dirty closets? Maybe people shouldn't judge a person by the gender of their body but the gender of their heart.
"Will the people of this small town ever be able to accept him for who he really is? Or will southern socialite secrets keep him hidden forever? Is there a way Kaleb can truly love himself and find that one true love who will accept him for who he is?"
227 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Layla Stevens
27 books266 followersI am 36 years old I am blessed to be the mom of a little girl named Sage who is the light of my life. {I call her Olga, and she hates it} I did not give birth to her but I choose her. I am blessed with great friends who have always had my back. I have a lot to learn in this world of writing but, so far I am enjoying the ride. I am always willing to help out anyone who is in need all you have to do is ask.
I can be reached anytime on face book https://www.facebook.com/tiffanisande...
And my author page https://www.facebook.com/authorlayla.... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Layla-...
And of course twitter @authorLayla
And I have also entered the blog world http://laylastevensauthor.wordpress.com/
I look forward to you all reading my book. I hope that it sparks something inside of you that says wow!
I can be reached anytime on face book https://www.facebook.com/tiffanisande...
And my author page https://www.facebook.com/authorlayla.... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Layla-...
And of course twitter @authorLayla
And I have also entered the blog world http://laylastevensauthor.wordpress.com/
I look forward to you all reading my book. I hope that it sparks something inside of you that says wow!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 18, 2015
Am primit cartea de la Layla ca sa ii fac un review onest.
Pot spune ca mi-a placut, insa in acelasi timp mi-a si displacut. E frumos ca a scris despre o problema care inca e de actualitate si pe seama careia inca se fac o gramada de scandaluri. Transsexualitatea. Nu stiu daca autoarea are pe cineva in familie care e transsexual sau a discutat cu cineva despre asta, insa vreau sa zic ca numarul transsexualilor in cartea asta e prea mare. Actiunea se desfasoara intr-un orasel care nu e asa imens, unde se intampla o gramada de lucruri. Tranzitii peste tranzitii, crime din ura, furturi de copii etc.
More on Jurnalul lui Kathy .
Pot spune ca mi-a placut, insa in acelasi timp mi-a si displacut. E frumos ca a scris despre o problema care inca e de actualitate si pe seama careia inca se fac o gramada de scandaluri. Transsexualitatea. Nu stiu daca autoarea are pe cineva in familie care e transsexual sau a discutat cu cineva despre asta, insa vreau sa zic ca numarul transsexualilor in cartea asta e prea mare. Actiunea se desfasoara intr-un orasel care nu e asa imens, unde se intampla o gramada de lucruri. Tranzitii peste tranzitii, crime din ura, furturi de copii etc.
More on Jurnalul lui Kathy .
October 30, 2015
When I picked up this story to read, I wasn't sure what it was about. When I found out it was transgender story, I was a little worried whether I would like it or not. This story is an amazing story of a journey of discovering ones self. Kellie never felt right in her body. She's not Kellie but Kaleb. Kaleb's journey to becoming who he was suppose to be is not easy. He has people who are accepting of him and other who are not. There are a few twists that I didn't expect. This is definitely is must read!!
A copy was received for a review.
A copy was received for a review.
November 23, 2016
Love Thyself by Layla Stevens
Kellie / Kaleb Kingston was raised in a deep Southern family. As a child and a teenager she was forced by her mother to enter beauty pagents. How ever inside she felt empty and incomplete. She turned to self harm for years and when her mother finally told her father, her father accepted her as a he andid was accepting.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well played out, we'll thought out, and we'll written. This book was my first from Layla but won't be my last. I encourage anyone that loves to read, to read this book...
Kellie / Kaleb Kingston was raised in a deep Southern family. As a child and a teenager she was forced by her mother to enter beauty pagents. How ever inside she felt empty and incomplete. She turned to self harm for years and when her mother finally told her father, her father accepted her as a he andid was accepting.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well played out, we'll thought out, and we'll written. This book was my first from Layla but won't be my last. I encourage anyone that loves to read, to read this book...
October 10, 2015
Love Thyself is unlike any story I've read.
From the first page I was curious to know where the plot line was going and let me just say I was not disappointed.
With the twist and turns of this book I was hooked throughout each page.
The feels, the sadness and the ways in which I was able to understand what the characters were going through made this read a great story through an extremely emotional topic.
Well done Ms. Layla :)
From the first page I was curious to know where the plot line was going and let me just say I was not disappointed.
With the twist and turns of this book I was hooked throughout each page.
The feels, the sadness and the ways in which I was able to understand what the characters were going through made this read a great story through an extremely emotional topic.
Well done Ms. Layla :)
August 8, 2016
Content warnings: sex, paedophilia, prostitution, mentions of miscarriage, cheating, violence, transphobia, hate crimes, suicide, death, talk of medical procedures, childhood abuse by parent, molestation
Review can be found here at Blow Pop's Book Reviews.
Review can be found here at Blow Pop's Book Reviews.
October 10, 2015
Kellie wants to be Kaleb. When she finally tells her dad she is shocked by his response. She learns a lot about the people she thought she knew. The secrets will blow you away. Cant wait for the second book and learn more about Kaleb <3
November 26, 2016
Wow such a powerful read with so much emotion it got me asking why have I not read this book before. I was hooked from the first page and I really didn't want to put it down but real life called so it took me longer to finish than I would have liked. I loved our main character, there was so much too him and I felt his pain as he told us his story. Well done Layla this is an amazing five star read that everyone has to try.
February 12, 2017
Hmmm where do I start? The love of a family can be so distorted and blind.
Author Layla Stevens for writing about a topic which unfortunately is still controversial, she is a new author to me and one who I will continue to follow. Layla writes a story about a transgender teenager who struggles to keep her mother happy by participating in beauty pageants. This family has so many secrets that breaks my heart and at time angers me.
You can feel the emotions from each character and you can feel where they are coming from. Whether right or wrong they all believed they were doing the best thing for them or other family members and the family name. Layla’s writes beautiful about topics which will trigger much emotion within you.
This is definitely not a romance, this story is about transgender, abuse, bulling and human trafficking. How you sometime have no clue as to what the people closest to you can have dark secrets hidden and will do anything to keep them hidden.
I do recommend this book and for those who are sitting on the fence due to the topic, hop off of it and dive in, you will not regret it.
Author Layla Stevens for writing about a topic which unfortunately is still controversial, she is a new author to me and one who I will continue to follow. Layla writes a story about a transgender teenager who struggles to keep her mother happy by participating in beauty pageants. This family has so many secrets that breaks my heart and at time angers me.
You can feel the emotions from each character and you can feel where they are coming from. Whether right or wrong they all believed they were doing the best thing for them or other family members and the family name. Layla’s writes beautiful about topics which will trigger much emotion within you.
This is definitely not a romance, this story is about transgender, abuse, bulling and human trafficking. How you sometime have no clue as to what the people closest to you can have dark secrets hidden and will do anything to keep them hidden.
I do recommend this book and for those who are sitting on the fence due to the topic, hop off of it and dive in, you will not regret it.
October 31, 2015
Alright, first off I want to pat the author on the back. Layla has written something totally different, and way out of my normal reading with Love Thyself. I really think it takes a lot of courage to write something so different, but in a good way. When I first started this book, I was very interested in what was going on, what could happen. You name it, I was sucked in. I instantly had a connection with Kellie/Kaleb and I really felt horrible for her/him. I wanted to pull Kellie/Kaleb out of the book world and away from her/his horrible mother. Since Kellie/Kaleb can remember she/he has always wanted to be a boy. I cannot for the life of me begin to understand what it would be like to not feel as though you’re not in the right body or feel completely different because you were born the wrong sex. Kellie wants to be Kaleb. I wanted that to happen for her/him just so she/he wouldn’t have to feel the way she/he did and could actually be happy.
I was really angry when Kellie/Kaleb told her/his mother and the mother’s reaction. It was beyond frustrating to read how she acted and treated Kellie/Kaleb. It really broke my heart. I was overjoyed when Kellie/Kaleb’s father was the one to help her/him. I wanted to fist bump the dad for that. I will say, this is where things get a little confusing. A lot of secrets are revealed back to back, and I’m still trying to process everything. I do feel the author went a little off track and even though it was addictive to read, at times I questioned why it was so important. It was if I was reading two different books and the author just combined two different ideas she had. Kellie/Kaleb literally had to endure so much in such a short amount of time and I honestly don’t know how she/he got through any of it.
Overall the story was good and very interesting. I’m glad I did take the chance on it and if you like books with a lot of angst and drama, this is the book for you. I did learn some new and interesting facts in reading this one and you should at least give it a try.
I was really angry when Kellie/Kaleb told her/his mother and the mother’s reaction. It was beyond frustrating to read how she acted and treated Kellie/Kaleb. It really broke my heart. I was overjoyed when Kellie/Kaleb’s father was the one to help her/him. I wanted to fist bump the dad for that. I will say, this is where things get a little confusing. A lot of secrets are revealed back to back, and I’m still trying to process everything. I do feel the author went a little off track and even though it was addictive to read, at times I questioned why it was so important. It was if I was reading two different books and the author just combined two different ideas she had. Kellie/Kaleb literally had to endure so much in such a short amount of time and I honestly don’t know how she/he got through any of it.
Overall the story was good and very interesting. I’m glad I did take the chance on it and if you like books with a lot of angst and drama, this is the book for you. I did learn some new and interesting facts in reading this one and you should at least give it a try.
October 26, 2015
I am giving this review on behalf of Kats Book Promotions/ Katsindiebookblog. This particular book had me stepping out of my normal read, and I was NOT at all disappointed in it one bit. Kellie, aka Kaleb, is living in your typical southern socialite world where money and power runs all. But what happens when your only daughter feels like she is a boy instead of a girl? Would you be willing to risk it all for your only child to be happy or are you too far gone with the class you just don’t care whether or not anyone is happy other than yourself? Kellie has been shoved into beauty pageants after pageants, forced by her mother. Many a times she has tried to break free and show her dislike for them but the fight was futile. Drastic measures were taken but still the cry for help went ignored, at least till that one faithful day. Finally her dad stepped in once he realized what was happening. Ever since the one faithful day, everyone’s world got turned upside down.
This book has many twists and turns, ups and downs, there is no straight and narrow with this book. Once you think you have something figured out, guess again! This story will have you on your toes begging to find out what happens next. You will definitely need to set some time away so you can read this all in one sitting, because if you don’t you will be walking around begging you did because all you will want to know is what is going to happen. One of my best reads this year, and that’s saying a lot since I almost read a whole book at least every other day! Do not pass up this opportunity, you’ve been warned!
This book has many twists and turns, ups and downs, there is no straight and narrow with this book. Once you think you have something figured out, guess again! This story will have you on your toes begging to find out what happens next. You will definitely need to set some time away so you can read this all in one sitting, because if you don’t you will be walking around begging you did because all you will want to know is what is going to happen. One of my best reads this year, and that’s saying a lot since I almost read a whole book at least every other day! Do not pass up this opportunity, you’ve been warned!
December 31, 2015
Love thyself by Layla Stevens
I didnt know who Layla Stevens was but the cover had me hooked. I told myself don’t read reviews, don’t read the Blurb. Just Start the story. And that is exactly what I did and didn’t regret it at all! This book was amazingly well written. I love the opening paragraph
“I was taught from an early age, Love Thyself, Be who you want to be, never judge, but when you come from a family that does nothing but judge well you’re simply screwed.”
You can’t start this book with anything better than this. I fell in love with Kellie and Kaleb. Kellie is a strong person specially when facing her mother.But Kaleb isn’t weak either. He fights and fights to be free. I cried so much in this book. I felt every word. The love filled one and the hurtful ones as well. I love the unconditional love his father shows.
The one thing that did bother me was that there was way too much going on. From the Father’s secret and his struggle as a child. The mother and what she did and her sick mind. The uncle who is a bad ass, the cousin,the neighbor. There was way too much happening in one day. If this would of been spaced out to maybe a few months or even a year , it would of worked out better. But over all it was a good book. Kaleb’s story was well told when it came to the struggle and to the way he knew people would react to him. The way the mother was portrayed was very honest and real. The ending was very touching.
There was way too much happening at once and uber dramatic. I know the author worked hard on it, but the story was overwhelmed with drama. And not all of it was necessary. Also it was hard to believe some it.
I didnt know who Layla Stevens was but the cover had me hooked. I told myself don’t read reviews, don’t read the Blurb. Just Start the story. And that is exactly what I did and didn’t regret it at all! This book was amazingly well written. I love the opening paragraph
“I was taught from an early age, Love Thyself, Be who you want to be, never judge, but when you come from a family that does nothing but judge well you’re simply screwed.”
You can’t start this book with anything better than this. I fell in love with Kellie and Kaleb. Kellie is a strong person specially when facing her mother.But Kaleb isn’t weak either. He fights and fights to be free. I cried so much in this book. I felt every word. The love filled one and the hurtful ones as well. I love the unconditional love his father shows.
The one thing that did bother me was that there was way too much going on. From the Father’s secret and his struggle as a child. The mother and what she did and her sick mind. The uncle who is a bad ass, the cousin,the neighbor. There was way too much happening in one day. If this would of been spaced out to maybe a few months or even a year , it would of worked out better. But over all it was a good book. Kaleb’s story was well told when it came to the struggle and to the way he knew people would react to him. The way the mother was portrayed was very honest and real. The ending was very touching.
There was way too much happening at once and uber dramatic. I know the author worked hard on it, but the story was overwhelmed with drama. And not all of it was necessary. Also it was hard to believe some it.
December 29, 2015
Stevens tackles the topic of transgender with the story of Kellie/Kaleb, who is a boy trapped in a girl's body. Growing up, Kellie was forced by her mother to wear dresses, makeup, and compete in beauty pageants. As Kellie struggles with her identity and the need to transition, her father supports her decision, while her mother Cora Beth is against the idea. Kellie tries to get her mother to support, yet Cora Beth's stance against the decision hurts Kellie. As Kellie makes the decision to transition, her life is turned for a loop when secrets from Sterling and Cora Beth's past affect her.
I thought Stevens did a wonderful job of writing about the topic of transgender and she did a beautiful job of capturing the pain Kellie was going through as she struggled with realizing who she is and being rejected by her mother. Sterling, I loved how supportive he was of Kellie and the bond they had. I was surprised by the revelation of his secret, yet I think adding it in made his and Kellie's bond stronger and helped with the message of the story.
As for Cora Beth, she's the antagonist of the book and throughout it she voices her disapproval of Kellie's decision. There are times when I thought Cora Beth went overboard, in one scene she calls Kellie a disgrace. Whenever Cora Beth was harsh to Kellie, I wanted to reach through the pages, slap her, and tell her to stop hurting her child. In the end, Cora Beth ends up getting karma when her secret costs her the things she loves the most.
Overall, I thought it was a good story. The way Stevens was able to weave a story about family secrets and capture the message of loving yourself was great.
I thought Stevens did a wonderful job of writing about the topic of transgender and she did a beautiful job of capturing the pain Kellie was going through as she struggled with realizing who she is and being rejected by her mother. Sterling, I loved how supportive he was of Kellie and the bond they had. I was surprised by the revelation of his secret, yet I think adding it in made his and Kellie's bond stronger and helped with the message of the story.
As for Cora Beth, she's the antagonist of the book and throughout it she voices her disapproval of Kellie's decision. There are times when I thought Cora Beth went overboard, in one scene she calls Kellie a disgrace. Whenever Cora Beth was harsh to Kellie, I wanted to reach through the pages, slap her, and tell her to stop hurting her child. In the end, Cora Beth ends up getting karma when her secret costs her the things she loves the most.
Overall, I thought it was a good story. The way Stevens was able to weave a story about family secrets and capture the message of loving yourself was great.
November 27, 2016
Kellie Kingston grew up as "southern royalty" but that is the opposite of what she really is. Forced to compete in pageants by her mother she asks to be called Kaleb and explains to her mom that she wants to be a boy. Ignoring her pleas, her mom, Cora Beth, forces Kellie to continue living her life the way that Cora Beth wants.
But Kellie rebels and soon finds a supporter with her dad, Sterling. Sterling has his own secrets and soon we find that this family has many secrets and will it cause the family's downfall?
I truly loved the idea of this book but I found it almost too much with anything that could go wrong went wrong. Everything seemed somewhat forced and not natural and unfortunately I found myself disconnecting with the characters and I really didn't want to.
There was so many bad things that happened that they just seemed to come one after another without giving the reader a break. Yet some things were resolved so easily that it didn't have a realistic enough feel to it.
I really loved the concept of the book and I look forward to reading more from the author as she has some great ideas.
But Kellie rebels and soon finds a supporter with her dad, Sterling. Sterling has his own secrets and soon we find that this family has many secrets and will it cause the family's downfall?
I truly loved the idea of this book but I found it almost too much with anything that could go wrong went wrong. Everything seemed somewhat forced and not natural and unfortunately I found myself disconnecting with the characters and I really didn't want to.
There was so many bad things that happened that they just seemed to come one after another without giving the reader a break. Yet some things were resolved so easily that it didn't have a realistic enough feel to it.
I really loved the concept of the book and I look forward to reading more from the author as she has some great ideas.
October 30, 2015
Kellie has known from an early age, she wasn't meant to be a female. She wants to be Kaleb. A mother that forced her to be in pageants no matter how badly she fought. Coming out with her secret to her father she learns he to has been keeping a secret. What transpires are many other secrets members of the family have been keeping.
This is not a romance. It is a story of transgender, abuse, bulling and human trafficking. How the people closest to you can have deep dark secrets that will pretty much do anything to keep them secret. It is wonderfully written. You can feel the emotions from each character and in a sense you can feel where they are coming from. Whether right or wrong they all believed they were doing the best thing for them or other family members.. Granted some took things a little to far. I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is not a romance. It is a story of transgender, abuse, bulling and human trafficking. How the people closest to you can have deep dark secrets that will pretty much do anything to keep them secret. It is wonderfully written. You can feel the emotions from each character and in a sense you can feel where they are coming from. Whether right or wrong they all believed they were doing the best thing for them or other family members.. Granted some took things a little to far. I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2016
Needs work
To be honest, three stars is me being generous. I really wanted to like this book, but it needs too much work for me. My main issues are with the writing itself, and the fact that it needs a lot of editing and formatting help. That should be fixed before Amazon picks up on it and flags it. Another problem area for me was the dialogue. It felt off, and unnatural. There was just about every problem any lgbtq person could possibly ever encounter. It felt forced, contrived. I also know a lot of trans people who would be opposed to calling them "a transgender". A transgender person is ok, but a transgender, has a negative association.
I think with some work this could be a decent story and I'm always happy to see important issues being brought up, but I don't feel this story was quite ready.
To be honest, three stars is me being generous. I really wanted to like this book, but it needs too much work for me. My main issues are with the writing itself, and the fact that it needs a lot of editing and formatting help. That should be fixed before Amazon picks up on it and flags it. Another problem area for me was the dialogue. It felt off, and unnatural. There was just about every problem any lgbtq person could possibly ever encounter. It felt forced, contrived. I also know a lot of trans people who would be opposed to calling them "a transgender". A transgender person is ok, but a transgender, has a negative association.
I think with some work this could be a decent story and I'm always happy to see important issues being brought up, but I don't feel this story was quite ready.
October 7, 2015
5 Amazing Stars
I was gifted the ARC of Love Thyself by Layla Stevens. First off let me say that Layla stepped out of her comfort zone on this book. It is not a romance but a LGBT Drama.
This book talks about several topics that have touched many lives from transgender issues, sex trafficking, bullying, abuse, murder, and lies. I could not put this book down, I felt like I was Kellie when it came to some issues. Despite how you feel about this type of book, this is a must read.
Kellie is a teenager that has tried several times to tell her mother that she was born into the wrong body. Kellie takes her pain out on her body in several different ways. After Kellie comes out to her parents, things have taken a dramatic turn. Kellie learns about some secrets that her parents have.
I was gifted the ARC of Love Thyself by Layla Stevens. First off let me say that Layla stepped out of her comfort zone on this book. It is not a romance but a LGBT Drama.
This book talks about several topics that have touched many lives from transgender issues, sex trafficking, bullying, abuse, murder, and lies. I could not put this book down, I felt like I was Kellie when it came to some issues. Despite how you feel about this type of book, this is a must read.
Kellie is a teenager that has tried several times to tell her mother that she was born into the wrong body. Kellie takes her pain out on her body in several different ways. After Kellie comes out to her parents, things have taken a dramatic turn. Kellie learns about some secrets that her parents have.
January 12, 2016
Holy Pink Tacos!!! AMAZING!!!! MIND BLOWING!! TWISTS!!! TURNS!!! SHOCKING!!! Layla did an amazing job with Love Thyself. OMG what a page turner it was. With this story you are reading about Kellie who is not happy as Kellie. Lots of things come about through this whole story and let me tell you so well worth reading. ONLY 18 and older though. If you don't like reading certain subjects then this might not be the book for you. I wasn't sure it was would be for me but let me tell you HOLY PINK TACOS I don't regret reading this. I was on the edge of my seat and wanting to know what was going to happen next.... LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! More than 5 stars it really is.
December 5, 2016
When you read the blurb for Love Thyself by Layla Stevens, you might get an inkling of what she plans ahead but WOW, she has touched on so much in this story, my fingers kept clicking and before I knew it I was done.
When I read the sentence "Have you ever felt like you were different, like you didn't belong?" I thought to myself, well, yeah, who hasn't!? BUT not to the extent that Kellie/Kaleb has in this story and what an amazing way to tell this story.
This is out of my normal queue of reading material but I'm SO glad I read it and I look forward to reading more in the future. Thank you Layla for the emotional, heartfelt ride through this interesting story.
When I read the sentence "Have you ever felt like you were different, like you didn't belong?" I thought to myself, well, yeah, who hasn't!? BUT not to the extent that Kellie/Kaleb has in this story and what an amazing way to tell this story.
This is out of my normal queue of reading material but I'm SO glad I read it and I look forward to reading more in the future. Thank you Layla for the emotional, heartfelt ride through this interesting story.
October 21, 2015
Love Thyself was packed with drama. But at the center of the story, and the most important part, there was Kellie. Kellie is a teenager struggling with gender identity. But when Kellie decides to transgender into Kaleb support and secrets come from the most unlikely places. Ultimately, Love Thyself is a story of acceptance, and a reminder that everyone wants to be loved and accepted for who they really are.
October 23, 2015
AMAZING
Such a touching story...it's powerful and meaningful..you get twists and turns heartache and pain..than you have love and acceptance...I loved this book and will recommend it to every..way to go Layla u rocked it
Such a touching story...it's powerful and meaningful..you get twists and turns heartache and pain..than you have love and acceptance...I loved this book and will recommend it to every..way to go Layla u rocked it
December 1, 2016
I loved the story and could not put the book down. I loved the characters and their ups and downs. I look forward to reading more from this author
November 12, 2017
I received this ARC book for an honest review. This author did a good job describing the ups and downs that transgender or anyone in that community go through. As having a family member who has gone through this, its fairly accurate in everything.
Kellie wanted to be Kaleb and throughout her whole life she felt like she didn't feel like she was in the right body. She had a hard time getting her mother to understand that.
But then there are other family secrets that get you sucked into the book and keep you hooked in.
Kellie wanted to be Kaleb and throughout her whole life she felt like she didn't feel like she was in the right body. She had a hard time getting her mother to understand that.
But then there are other family secrets that get you sucked into the book and keep you hooked in.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews