Verity by Colleen Hoover Published by Grand Central Publishing on October 5, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, FICTION / Thrillers / Psychological, FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 336
Format: eBook, Paperback
Source: Bought, Library
New York Times Bestseller
USA Today Bestseller
The Globe and Mail Bestseller
Publishers Weekly BestsellerWhose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us.
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.
I went into this basically blind after a friend read it and said “This is bonkers, you need to dust it off and read it so we can chat.” Bonkers is… mild. This has ALL the trigger warnings. Like ALL. Colleen Hoover crafted a book that is clever, twisted, and, at times, just plain horrific. Without a doubt, Hoover has a way with words. She absolutely nailed the creepy vibes in the atmosphere. It reached a point where I had to check and see if Verity was labelled horror by other readers.
Lowen, Jeremy, and Verity’s story was like a train-wreck; horrific but impossible to look away. Well, that’s not completely true. I had to put it down at 75% for a few days because the violence against children and adultery was too much. Until that point though, I was binge reading it with a sick fascination. I hated all the characters, Crew being the exception.
Lowen was a fragile individual with an interesting back story. I didn’t root for her, especially as her fascination with Jeremy grew. I really wanted her to not make the horror film girl choices and just head off to her new apartment. Let’s just do the bare minimum and move on to your own books shall we? Just leave this twisted mess behind? Because Jeremy has some serious predator vibes that I am not behind. I’m not talking alpha male predator, I’m talking someone needs to have him evaluated and possibly keep him away from vulnerable populations.
In the end, I placed this in my “dark romance” category but I don’t feel its a romance. Sure, there is a minor twisted romance within the story, but by and large it is a suspense/thriller. Even though this is a story I HATED, I am thoroughly impressed by Hoover’s clever plotting and twisting. I was never sure if Lowen could be considered a reliable narrator. In fact, I’m still convinced there is something hidden from the readers. It’s a case of enjoying how the story was told (talented author), but hating the story (batshit insanity reigning supreme). Clearly, I’ll definitely read CoHo in the future but I suspect I’ll need to be in the mood for an angsty read. As long as I check out “Triggers Ahoy” warnings first.