📖 ARC Review: Laila Manning by A.M. McCoy (Shadeport Crew #3)

Dorisa Bettencourt
Aug 23
2 min read

Some stories destroy you. Others put you back together. Laila Manning does both—and I loved every soul-shattering second of it.

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING

This book contains heavy emotional content and trauma recovery. Please check the author’s trigger warnings before reading. This is dark, raw, and incredibly powerful.

💫 Overview

“I was taken, broken, and for years, I lived in the dark… buried under the weight of what was done to me.”

Laila is a survivor. Her journey from pain to healing is not easy—but standing beside her is Zeke Evans: older, hardened, forbidden. He’s the Shadeport Crew’s second-in-command, her brother’s best friend, and the man who sees every broken piece of her... and loves her harder for it.

Zeke is terrifying to the outside world, but with Laila? He’s tender, patient, devoted. A man who would raze cities just to keep her safe. Together, they challenge every rule, tear down every wall, and prove that even the darkest love can bring light.

🔥 What to Expect

If you love:

🖤 Mafia romance with grit and vulnerability

🖤 Brother's best friend / forbidden love

🖤 Found family + loyalty that runs deep

🖤 Age gap, he falls first, “touch her and die” energy

🖤 A heroine who claws her way back to the light

You NEED this book in your life.

🌟 My Rating

⭐ 6 Stars (yes, SIX—it’s that good)

🌶️ 4 Chili Peppers of Spice

💀 Book Hangover Level: Irreversible

🖤 My Thoughts

I have no words. Actually—I have too many, but none of them feel big enough.

This book wrecked me. I cried. I swooned. I devoured every word like I was starving.

Zeke Evans? I’ve read hundreds of book boyfriends, and he obliterates them all. The way he sees Laila. The way he holds her through her pain. The way he knows what she needs without her speaking it out loud? That man is soft only for her, and it’s absolute perfection.

And Laila? She’s not just strong—she’s ferocious. She’s been to hell and back, and yet her heart is still open, still fighting for joy, still craving love. Watching her find peace in Zeke’s arms was everything.

This story is raw. It’s beautifully broken. And it’s the kind of love that feels earned.

“He could destroy me... and yet, I crave him.”

That line? It sums it all up. Because this love burns, but it also heals. And I’ll be thinking about it forever.

💬 Final Thoughts

Laila Manning is a must-read for anyone who loves their dark romance served with spice, emotion, and characters who will tattoo themselves on your soul.

If you want to be ruined and rebuilt, this one’s for you.

1000/10. Absolutely unforgettable.

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