If you couldn’t tell by the blog title, this post is a review of Colleen Hoover’s book Verity. It goes without saying that Colleen is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read her books, and they have yet to disappoint. I love her writing because she creates dangerous love interests that go above and beyond the line between right and wrong. It’s almost as if there is no line. Her characters make you question whether someone who intentionally hurts someone can be considered a villain. And most importantly, she gives us talking books full of life and charm!
I’ll start by saying this is one of the best suspense novels I’ve read in a very long time. Colleen Hoover has delivered an utterly fascinating novel, a gripping, heart-achingly beautiful story that I never wanted to end. But at the same time, she also provided a story that made me feel so many different emotions and was never melodramatic or overly dramatic. No excess fat and needless chapters were dedicated to unnecessary or tacky drama or romance. Her characters were mysterious, authentic, and relatable; her writing was excellent; and the story itself was perfectly paced with the right amount of action, drama, and romance.
In Verity, we meet Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who accepts a job offer from Jeremy Crawford, the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford. Lowen arrives at the Crawford’s ready to sort through Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started on writing the remaining books in the series. Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover an unfinished autobiography in the chaotic office that Verity never intended for anyone to read.
Verity is a novel that will grab your heart and hold it in its hand, squeezing until all you can think about is what you have to do next. You’ll want to keep reading because there’s no way the book could end satisfyingly because of how it makes you feel—and then you realize that’s precisely what makes it so good.
If you’re looking for a suspense novel that will make you feel like a better person for having read it, this is it. Verity isn’t just a story about romantic love: it’s also about family, friendship, and how we treat each other as human beings. It’s about how we deal with loss, cope with pain, and forgive ourselves when we’ve done something wrong. And most importantly, Verity shows us how one person can make a difference in someone else’s life.