ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born on December 11, 1979 in Sulphur Springs, Texas, Colleen Hoover is a prolific American author known for her gripping contemporary romance and psychological thrillers. Hoover graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce with a degree in social work. However, soon after, she shifted her focus to writing.
Hoover’s debut novel, Slammed, quickly garnered attention. She followed it up with a string of bestsellers, including Hopeless, Verity, and It Ends With Us. Her works have received numerous accolades, including multiple Goodreads Choice Awards.
Hoover’s style stands out for its emotional intensity, sharp dialog, and unexpected twists. She skillfully blends heart-wrenching romance with raw, often dark themes. Her works explore themes as diverse as love, trauma, and redemption. Her compelling storytelling continues to captivate readers, consolidating her position as an influential figure in contemporary literature.
SYNOPSIS (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Verity belongs to the cozy mystery subgenre, where the crime occurs in a small or confined setting, such as a lodge or summer home. These stories often involve a specific profession of people and revolve around a central theme.
The story begins with Lowen Ashleigh’s life taking a dark turn when she witnesses a horrific accident, leaving her covered in blood. A struggling writer with her career in tatters, Lowen is numb to the world around her. Enter Jeremy Crawford, a stranger who helps her in the chaos, sparking an intense, unexpected connection. Jeremy is married to Verity Crawford, a bestselling author now incapacitated by a car crash. Jeremy offers Lowen a lucrative deal to finish Verity’s final series, an offer she can’t refuse.
Relocating to the Crawford’s eerie Vermont home, Lowen begins to sift through Verity’s notes. While doing so, she stumbles upon a chilling manuscript titled So Be It. This unpublished autobiography reveals Verity as a manipulative, sinister figure, hinting at her possible involvement in the death of her twin daughters, Harper and Chastin. As Lowen delves deeper, the line between reality and paranoia begins to blur. Strange occurrences – locked doors, disappearing objects, and eerie noises – suggest that Verity might not be as helpless as she seems.
Meanwhile, Lowen’s growing attraction to Jeremy further complicates matters as they inch closer to a forbidden romance. The tension escalates when Lowen shares Verity’s dark secrets with Jeremy, leading to a shocking confrontation. Verity finally drops her comatose act, revealing her prolonged manipulative game. However, before she can explain anything, Jeremy, in a fit of anger, starts strangling her. Coming to his aid, Lowen suggests they should make it look like a natural death. And that’s how Verity ends up getting murdered at the hands of Jeremy and Lowen.
Just as they prepare to start anew, Lowen discovers a hidden letter from Verity, claiming the autobiography was a fictional exercise. Initially, this endeavor had helped her set an antagonist tone for her novels and later became a therapeutic drill to overcome the grief of losing her twins. This revelation casts doubt on everything. However, Lowen decides to destroy the letter, keeping the truth from Jeremy. With the past shrouded in mystery, they leave Vermont behind, the chilling secrets of Verity Crawford forever haunting their new beginning.
WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT VERITY
Verity by Colleen Hoover stands out for its expertly crafted sequencing and razor-sharp storytelling flair. The vivid, scene-by-scene writing pulls readers into the narrative, making them feel as if they’re witnessing each moment firsthand. Every twist and turn keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
Narrating from the antagonist’s perspective is an absolute masterstroke. Furthermore, Hoover’s characterization of Verity is so unnervingly accurate that it will make your stomach churn.
From its very release, Verity was destined for cinematic adaptation, which Amazon MGM Studios announced in May 2024.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ABOUT VERITY
Verity is like a sensational roller coaster: it jostles you at every turn, keeping you hooked with its constant jolts and jumps. It is fast-paced and flashy, but lacks real substance. In fact, the plot itself is a fleeting buzz with no lasting impact.
The excessive number of explicit sexual scenes pushes the boundaries of its genre, from thriller into erotica. Plot inconsistencies and implausibilities – such as the faked comatose state, the staged murder, the conveniently discovered manuscript, the hidden letter, and some unexplained incidents – are glaring and numerous. This leaves the book with too many obvious loopholes.
The final chapter feels redundant, a forced attempt to create an open-ended twist that falls flat. In fact, the timing detracts from the overall story line, making it seem like a desperate ploy to keep readers hooked. It gives the impression that the writer lost the courage to keep the villain sinister enough.
QUOTES
A writer should never have the audacity to write about themselves unless they’re willing to separate every layer of protection between the author’s soul and their book. The words should come directly from the center of the gut, tearing through flesh and bone as they break free. Ugly and honest and bloody and a little bit terrifying, but completely exposed.
What you read will taste so bad at times, you’ll want to spit it out, but you’ll swallow these words and they will become part of you, part of your gut, and you will hurt because of them.
I stretch truths where I see fit. I’m a writer.
Most people come to New York to be discovered. The rest of us come here to hide.
when a person finds someone who makes all the negativity in their lives disappear, it’s hard not to feed off that person.
Was it my destiny from the beginning to suffer such a tragic end? Or is my tragic end a result of poor choices rather than fate?
He seemed a little reserved and quiet, but now I realize all the quiet parts of him are just grief.
CONCLUSION
Verity by Colleen Hoover is a one-time read. The novel is a fast-paced thriller that retained its place on The New York Times Best Seller list for several months. Its relentless suspense and unpredictable plot twists make it a gripping page-turner, ideal for those who love carnival rides. That said, more seasoned fans of the genre may not mind missing this book.
A reverential admirer of words, Madhu loves watching them weave their bewitching magic on cozy afternoons.