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Verity by Colleen Hoover kept me up till 4 AM | Tropes, Summary, Review and Quotes
There are books that entertain you.
Then there are books that hijack your life and compel you to finish reading until your eyes are burning at 4 in the morning.
This was Verity for me. Colleen Hoover totally blew me away with this one. Though it was the last book of hers that I read.
I like to think that Hoover was bored one night of writing her romance novel and decided to try her hand at something viscerally dark, uncomfortable, and twisted.
And thus, Verity was born.
Book Overview:
Title: Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Psychological thriller, romantic suspense, mystery
My rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Verity by Colleen Hoover Tropes:
Psychological suspense
Domestic thriller
Dark romance
Forbidden romance
Unreliable narrator
Book-within-a-book
Morally grey characters
Twisted domestic thriller
Summary of Verity by Colleen Hoover
The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete the remaining books of a blockbuster series after its original author, Verity Crawford, is incapacitated in a devastating accident.
When Lowen moves into the Crawford home to sort through Verity’s notes, she uncovers an unpublished autobiography, which is actually a horrifying manuscript that reveals dark secrets about Verity’s family, her husband Jeremy and the horrific deaths of their daughters.
Book blurb:
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.
My review of Verity by Colleen Hoover
I don't know how else to explain or write it, but the entire atmosphere of the book is supremely ominous and uncomfortable. I could actually feel a pool of dread forming in the pit of my stomach every time I turned over a new chapter.
Just like Lowen, I guess. What I was reading was entirely too wrong, but I just couldn't help myself.
Speaking of which, the more I read about Lowen falling for her employer, the more I kept screaming at her to stop. Everyone knows that this form of forbidden love bodes nothing but trouble. She reminded me very much of Millie from The Housemaid. FFS, please stop sleeping with your employer, especially when you know how deeply troubled the entire family is.
Regardless, Ms. Hoover wanted to mess with us, and boy she succeeded.
The more I read, the more I thought, "Do such evil people really exist?"
And then I took one look at the news. Just like that, I had an affirmative answer.
Quotes from Verity by Colleen Hoover:
“I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me.”
“I’m beginning to think Verity writes from a villainous point of view because she’s a villain. Being evil is all she knows.”
“It was fascinating, seeing how Verity always writes from the antagonist’s point of view.”
“I can't explain the mind of a writer to you, Jeremy. Especially the mind of a writer who has been through more devastation than most writers combined.”
“As much as I try to forget where it all started to go wrong, I was cursed with this mind that never forgets a single thing.”
“When a person finds someone who makes all the negativity in their lives disappear, it’s hard not to feed off that person."
The Verity Movie Adaptation: Release Date, Cast, and Latest News
I'll be honest, I was never a fan of books being turned into movies. It is almost always a disaster. And with the recent onslaught of it happening a lot, I was even more unsure.
But, I recently saw The Housemaid and Off-Campus, which have turned out really well. So, not all hope is lost with Verity I guess.
The real convincing point for me was Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford. And watching her in the new trailer is AMAZING. And I cannot wait. We also have Dakota Johnson as Lowen and Josh Hartnett as Jeremy.
Final thoughts:
When you do finish reading Verity by Colleen Hoover, you'll be forced to sit back and think between the manuscript and the letter. And while a part of me wants to paint the man straight away as the villain, I am team manuscript all the way.
I bid you adieu with this lingering paranoia.
Farewell, my babies.
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