Verity

Title: Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
First Published: December 7, 2018
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 336
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Thriller
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Rating:


Synopsis:

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.

Buy the Book: Amazon

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Review

This book was a crazy one, it was not at all what I was expecting and I had a blast reading it regardless. Lowen is a writer hired to finish a popular series of books written by Verity, and the uncomfortable family secrets she discovers while researching for the novels. It is a romantic suspense thriller and an audacious one at that, but that’s what made the book great.

The core plot is interesting, there’s good chemistry between the leads, Verity is a true mystery, and the thrills are actually pretty damn thrilling. I actually found myself creeped out at times, and when all the pieces started to fall together I couldn’t help but gasp and sometimes laugh at how diabolical the characters are. The book is full of obsession, lies, manipulation, and domestic abuse.

While I liked both Lowen and Jeremy alright I had a hard time rooting for their romance, even if they seemed good together. Infidelity is uncomfortable to me no matter the circumstances. Lowen gets really wrapped up in Jeremy’s past with Verity, understandable with intruding on a marriage, but there is one particular part of a sex scene that was flat-out gross and creepy on her part. The strongest character of all though was Verity herself, despite essentially doing nothing the entire book. Verity really fucked with Lowen and also me as a reader and I soaked it all up.

The ending I didn’t buy personally, I saw it as a final red herring to fuck with Lowen and by extension the reader, and it was perfect. It tracks with my view of the characters. The story dares the reader to decide what is real and what is fiction even to the very end. A fiendishly dark and fun read.

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