Social media made me do it! Because many of you loved this romantic thriller by popular new adult author Colleen Hoover, I checked it out of the library. What did I think of Verity? Check out my Review of Verity by Colleen Hoover on Jen Ryland Reviews!
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Verity by Colleen Hoover
Published in October 2021 by Grand Central Publishing (previously published independently)
Synopsis: Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts a job offer from Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, 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. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography.
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.
Review of Verity by Colleen Hoover
I will start by saying that I am not a CoHo super-fan but very familiar with her work and have enjoyed some of her angsty new adult romances.
So I’m going to try to look at Verity, which to me was sort of a cross between a Gothic romance and a re-imagining of Misery, from both the romance side and the thriller side.
Verity had a LOT of interesting things going for it.
To my delight, Verity had many elements of a modern Gothic romance. Like Jane Eyre revisited! Romantic suspense is basically Gothic fiction – I did a whole post on that here.
In a typical Gothic, a young woman in dire economic straits (like an orphan) is hired to work in a house for an attractive guy with a sad, tragic past. He’s so dashing, so forlorn …. but could he be hiding something? Something dark and terrible?
Gothic Spoiler: yes, he’s usually hiding something. No, it’s usually not that terrible. No, it won’t get in the way of their undeniable love!
Verity opens on a dark and dramatic note!
I had to give Colleen Hoover credit for opening this romantic suspense with a meet-macabre. You’ve head of a meet meet-cute, like in a rom com?
Well, these two potential lovebirds meet over a gruesome accident, complete with blood spatter. It was a clever twist on this romance trope and set the tone for the darkness to come!
Immediately on arriving at her new job, main character Lowen finds the secret autobiography of Verity Crawford. I had MANY suspicions around this, but I will save those for my Spoiler Discussion Post of Verity.
Me, humming: I want your love, and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance...
Like most romantic suspense and Gothic fiction, the central question of Verity is whether Jeremy Crawford is a loving husband who has endured unimaginable losses, a victim of circumstance, or a more sinister figure?
And, like a lot of new adult romance, Lowen and Jeremy’s relationship is a case of insta-love, a trope hated by many readers, but necessary in a more plot-driven book where the couple’s relationship isn’t the center of the story.
Will YOU like Verity?
From my social media, I can see that Verity has its passionate fans, who loved the ending.
The book also has its detractors in the mystery and thriller community who found it too heavy on explicit love scenes and thin on suspense.
If you are a fan of new adult fiction, romance, or big twist domestic fiction by authors like Liv Constantine or Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks, I think you will like Verity.
If you are a more traditional thriller reader and prefer books that are intricately and methodically plotted or more character-driven, books with a well-developed setting, or books with a large cast of characters and a lot of suspects, you may not appreciate Verity.
I fell somewhere in the middle. Verity was a fun and compelling read. I thought the modern Gothic set-up was clever. As for what I thought of the ending, you’ll have to come to my spoiler discussion and find out!
What are other books like Verity?
I have seen people on social media say “I need more books like Verity.”
The Silent Patient by Alex Berenson also has a clever twist, though it’s not quite as much of a drama-fest as Verity.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney also features a throuple playing twisted games. Again, it’s not as emotionally intense as Verity.
You by Caroline Kepnes (which I didn’t review) also has that blend of twisted romance and psychopathy.
Have you read Verity? If you have, PLEASE come to my Spoiler Discussion for Verity by Colleen Hoover where we can discuss all the surprises, all the tropes, all the drama!
Want ALL the details on the brand-new epilogue in the hardcover for Verity?
Don’t want to buy another copy of Verity? No worries: I have all the details in my Verity Spoiler Post! The epilogue does NOT resolve manuscript vs. letter but you won’t want to miss it!
Do you have books to recommend like Verity? Tell me in the comments!
Leave me a comment? Did you love Verity??
I actually am in a book club where we had a poll: letter or manuscript: which was the truth. If the manuscript was true, then Verity is a psychopath. But if the letter is true as I think then I love your idea of that editor coming in at the end of the story. I skipped all the sex scenes. I don’t care for them in thrillers. I also dislike the whole “Mr. Rochester” man (great way of putting it). What idiots as you pointed out-have a conversation-instead of pretending all that time lying in your bed. Verity forgot where she printed out the manuscript? If it was an exercise or even if worse it was real, passcode protect it. And then Logan marries him?
Ooh, where do you come out? You think she’s telling the truth in the letter? I felt like the name Verity was a good clue that she was a reliable narrator. But why write the manuscript and then the letter? Why can’t these people have a conversation!!!
I used to love Colleen Hoover’s books but I think my tastes have changed since I first discovered her books 6 years ago. I’ve just read better books with more interesting characters. I do get the appeal but I think I’ve accepted if I’m looking for something new to read it probably won’t be one of her books.
She definitely has avid fans and I can see why. Her books are very readable and have a lot of drama! I was so curious to see what a thriller written by her would be like.
I love some of Hoover’s books and others don’t always work for me. This is one that I want to give a try though. Great review!
Normally I stay with the same authors I have always read, but my daughter Laura said mom you gotta read Verity and I am currently almost done, but WOW is all I can say what a fabulous read.
I though the whole book so far was absolutely amazing. I do wonder if Jeremy is going to try and kill Lowen in the end.
I agree, Dianna – but hold that thought!!!!
I am about to post a summary of the NEW chapter that appears in the Verity hardcover that came out last week and WOW is all I can say. It will be on this Spoiler Discussion for Verity but I will link it on this one as well.