Verity

There is a disadvantage to years of obsessively reading thrillers and crime fiction, you expose your brain to so many creative ways to look at characters and find hidden details. There was a point in my life, some 5 years ago when I was largely disappointed with the so called ‘bestsellers’ in this category. I can recall very few thrillers that I really enjoyed, Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were both exceptional. But equally disappointing were The Girl on The Train and I Am Pilgrim. It was then that I decided to skip this genre all-together. The unfulfilling climax was not worth the hours spent on the build-up, not to mention the price tag that accompanies these so called bestsellers. Instead, I took up a subscription to Kindle Unlimited which offered me various crime, thriller and romance reads, whenever the mood required.

A couple of days ago I saw Verity listed under the Kindle Unlimited catalogue. I remember reading a raving review on an Instagram book account a few weeks ago and I decided to take the plunge and indulge myself in some thriller. It was a perfect mid-week selection. After having read 5 books in a month, I had started to fall into a reading slump. But thanks to Colleen Hoover’s intriguing story line and intelligent writing, I not only enjoyed the book but came out of it invigorated and ready to hop back on my TBR pile. When I began reading Verity, I was almost certain that i’ll give it up shortly. But then one page led to another and pretty soon I was zipping past chapters, eagerly waiting to find out the ending. 

What is the book about?

The protagonist, Lowen Ashleigh gets a golden ticket to improve the quality of her life when she’s employed by Jeremy Crawford to ghostwrite the remaining books in popular series his wife, Verity, is unable to finish due to an unfortunate accident. Lowen reluctantly accepts the offer – her low self-worth and Verity’s huge fan following being the major detriments to the arrangement. But bills have to be paid, so in order to understand Verity’s writing process and to collect material for the series, Lowen moves into the Crawford mansion. “Just a matter of a few days” Lowen tells herself as she tries to make herself comfortable in a strange house. But nothing prepares her for the horror she unleashes upon herself when she finds Verity’s autobiography. 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 intensifies she makes a decision which will have lasting, horrific effects on all three – Lowen, Jeremy and Verity.

Verity by Colleen Hoover is Bold, All-consuming, Unputdownable and Merciless. The book is equal amounts of suspense and drama and steamy romance. It will give you the chills, making it a perfect Halloween read for those who dare not open a Stephen King novel.