Colleen Hoover is no doubt an amazing author — I mean, half of her books end up on the most read books list on GoodReads — but “Verity” is jaw-dropping.
The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, who is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin, until she accepts a job offer that will change her life.
Jeremy Crawford, the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his wife has written, since Verity has become seriously injured and is unable to complete the series herself.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping she can find some sort of material to guide her in writing the series. What Lowen doesn’t expect to find in Verity’s office is her unfinished autobiography that Verity never wanted anyone to read.
Throughout the autobiography, Verity makes bone-chilling admissions about her relationship with Jeremy and her recollection of the day their daughters died. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing the contents would devastate the grieving man, but not for long. Lowen realizes that he could benefit from reading his wife’s words.
Before reading this book, I truly believed that Colleen Hoover could only write a great romance novel, but I was far from the truth.
The writing in “Verity” is immersive and captivating, with detailed descriptions that paint vivid pictures of characters and their surroundings. Colleen Hoover’s writing always has me wanting more, and she writes in a way where it is as if you are living through the exact moment the characters are going through. She never fails to put every ounce of emotion into her writing, and I can feel it as I read her books.
Besides her phenomenal writing overall, her characters, especially in “Verity,” are beautifully done, complex and well developed.
Verity Crawford comes across as a complicated character with a lot of trauma and tragedy surrounding her life. Throughout the entire book, readers are given the impression that Verity is a woman with a history of mental instability and trying to control her environment at any cost.
Jeremy Crawford, on the other hand, presents himself as an equally complex figure. He seems like the perfect caring husband that anyone would swoon over, but at other times, his actions raise eyebrows and suspicion over his true intentions.
Lowen Ashleigh also has a troubled past, which she tries to keep under control, but her proximity to Jeremy and revelations about Verity start to unravel her carefully crafted façade.
The most interesting part of this book was the dynamic between these intriguing characters. Verity, Jeremy and Lowen all have a very complicated and dangerous relationship that keeps readers guessing and anticipating what is going to happen next. These characters all have a darkness that surrounds them, and at times you can’t help but hate almost every character — yet you can’t help but be drawn into and invested in every single one of their journeys.
The plot of this book is masterfully crafted, and the pacing keeps the reader engaged throughout as multiple plot twists keep the story unpredictable.
I had heard a lot about this book — mainly from TikTok — about how amazing it was, or that people were staying up all night just to finish this book. I wish I could say they were exaggerating, but they were not. I ended up finishing the book in two days, as I would stay up until 3 a.m. because I could not seem to put the book down. Even when I would go to sleep, I would wake up in a cold sweat and have nightmares from the book. That was how scary it was to me.
I usually don’t have books that are able to evoke such intense emotions from me like crying or laughing, so when a book can make me do that, I immediately love it more. However, a book that can make me have nightmares is my new obsession. I have never had a book that would do something like that for me and I loved it! Having nightmares over a book may not be for everyone, but it was definitely right up my alley.
“Verity” is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and suspenseful romantic stories, but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I don’t think I would have it be someone’s first Colleen Hoover book, but definitely add it to the TBR. Colleen Hoover always creates engrossing tales of love, loss and betrayal that will keep anyone turning the page until the very end. The characters are well developed, and the story is full of tension, making it an overall enjoyable and captivating read.
Rating: 4.7/5