“It’s what you do when you’ve experienced the worst of the worst. You seek out people like you…people worse off than you…and you use them to make yourself feel better about the terrible things that have happened to you.”

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 321

Published: December 7th 2018

Rate: 4.5 stars

Goodreads 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 what really happened the day her daughter died. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would 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 to love her.

My Take

“I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me.” – when you read such an opening line, you know you are in for a wild ride. I just wasn’t ready for how wild it would turn out. I loved it! I have read Verity twice now and I am still shocked by the entirety of this book. I am pretty much well versed with Colleen Hoover, I mean, I have read 19 books by her I think by now I am aware about the twists she puts in her books so you would think I would be ready for anything she’ll write. Reader, I was not. Verity surpassed my expectations.

One thing I love about Colleen Hoover is her writing. It’s both engaging and straightforward. It’s addictive and makes you want to just keep on reading. This wasn’t any different in Verity. The book is such a page turner and both times I read it I finished it in a day. I have to say, Verity is a thriller book, with romance as a sub plot.  The book is quite dark in some parts and slightly heavy in the content. Collen Hoover spectacularly and successfully manages to build up on the suspense to a point I freaked myself out and honestly I avoided reading the book at night. (As a result of the mystic aspects, it’s not a horror book)

Verity is a book within a book and we have several plot points that had me on edge. I love how the story is narrated that made it easy for me to keep up with all the things going on. The plot twists that happen in this book are ones that will have you questioning your thinking. Verity is a total mind fuck and I think that is what that makes it a brilliant book.

“The world was her manuscript. No surface was safe.”

The characters in this book are brilliantly written. They come off the page so well. Their personality, their mannerisms, their way of life – all that and then some are so distinct and evoked strong emotions from me. Colleen Hoover writes some really questionable characters, from the morally grey to the outright villain, and in Verity she doesn’t give you clarity on who is who (which I love) and all through my reading I was asking, ‘who is the villain?’ Reader, months later and I still don’t have an answer. When I tell you this book is dark, I mean it. We have some chilling admissions and realizations in the book and my goodness, I am haunted by them till now!

Verity is a book that is all over the book community and is very much hyped and I have to say, believe the hype! Verity is a fast paced, haunting, thrilling book that will have you at the edge of your seat. It’s a book that I highly, highly recommend.

If you have read the Verity, #TeamManuscript or #TeamLetter?