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Verity by Colleen Hoover
Genre: Thriller/Romance
Pages: 336
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy: Bookshop.org
This post contains spoilers.
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 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 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 to love her.
My Thoughts
Going into Verity, I genuinely had no idea what to expect. This is actually the first book I’ve read by Colleen Hoover, and I only picked it up because a friend recommended it to me. From what I’ve heard, it’s very different from her other books, and honestly, I can see why people say that. The darker, more unsettling tone is exactly why my friend thought I would enjoy it.
What stood out to me most was how increasingly uncomfortable the story became as it went on. There’s this constant feeling that something is deeply wrong, but you can never fully tell whether Lowen is actually uncovering the truth or if she’s slowly losing her grip on reality. I fully expected the story to reveal that Lowen was simply an unreliable narrator who had spiraled into paranoia, so the direction the ending took genuinely surprised me.
The atmosphere of the book was probably my favorite part. It leans heavily into psychological suspense, and the tension keeps building in a way that makes even ordinary moments feel creepy. Every strange noise, movement, or interaction had me second-guessing what was real.
At times, though, the book became unintentionally hilarious. Lowen getting jump-scared constantly had me laughing out loud more than once, even though I don’t think those scenes were supposed to be comedic. Honestly, part of me likes to imagine Verity sitting there enjoying the chaos she was causing.
One thing I was slightly disappointed by was the direction of the ending. I had convinced myself that Jeremy would ultimately turn out to be the real villain and that Lowen would end up helping Verity escape. I think that twist would have made the story even more disturbing and layered. Instead, the ending is very ambiguous, so it could be Jeremy was abusing Verity, or it could be Verity is truly evil. I wish it had been more clear-cut instead of being left up to the reader to decide which was true.
I also wasn’t very invested in the romance between Jeremy and Lowen. Compared to the psychological tension and mystery elements, their relationship felt bland to me. I especially struggled with how quickly Lowen accepted stepping into the role of homewrecker. Because of that, the romance never fully clicked for me emotionally, even though the thriller aspects absolutely kept me hooked.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Verity was a strange, unsettling, and surprisingly entertaining read. While the romance didn’t work for me, the psychological tension and constant uncertainty kept me turning pages because I needed to know what was really happening. It’s one of those books that leaves you questioning everything, especially once you start thinking about the ending. If you enjoy dark thrillers with unreliable narrators, disturbing atmosphere, and twists that keep you guessing, this one is definitely worth experiencing.
If you want to experience the unsettling twists and psychological suspense of Verity for yourself, consider purchasing a copy through Bookshop.org. Every purchase helps support independent bookstores while also supporting Notes from the Shelf at no extra cost to you.
Check out other Thriller Reviews:
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
59 Minutes by Holly Seddon
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