Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating:❤❤❤❤❤
Backstory
Okay, so if you're in any of the same reading groups on Facebook that I'm in, (shout out to Black Girls Read Books Too), I'm sure your eyes rolled straight to the back of your head at the sight of this book. Verity, by Colleen Hoover, has had the book world in a chokehold for the longest time. As a matter of fact, seeing it down my timeline fifty times a day is what inspired me to go read it in the first place. I didn't have any expectations for it, because I hadn't read anything by Colleen yet but the billions of "wtf did I just read?" and "What side are you on?" types of comments had me intrigued. So I grabbed it and started to read it, with no idea what I was getting myself into.
Synopsis
Verity, by Colleen Hoover is written from the perspective of both Verity and Lowen. Lowen Ashleigh sees a man die on her way to a meeting with her publisher. A handsome stranger, Jeremy Crawford comes to her rescue after witnessing this horrific accident. They bond immediately over their own personal experiences with significant trauma. They separate, but then quickly discover they are headed to the same meeting with the same Publisher. Jeremy is married to Verity Crawford a bestselling author who is unable to finish her last three books due to an accident that has left her unable to write. Lowen is recruited to complete the series as a ghostwriter for Verity. Lowen takes the deal and travels to the Crawford residence in order to begin writing. Things start getting weird as soon as she arrives and Lowen quickly finds herself knee deep in the dark and twisted secrets of the Crawford family.
My Thoughts
I laugh at it now because I've had some time to process this complete mind eff (can't be cussing in here just in case some of you are saved and sanctified) before sitting down to write this review. One way or another, regardless of what side you are on, I think we can all agree that Verity is one crazy lady with a sick mind. But hey, the sick minds make the most intriguing stories don't they? Anyway, let's rewind a little bit so I can expand on the synopsis of this book and talk a little about what happens in the story.
Lowen is the main character of the book, and we meet her as she is getting ready to met her publisher for this amazing deal he was insistent she take. Lowen wasn't too enthused about it because she had just lost her mom and not to mention the publisher was her ex-sex buddy (scandalous!) but she went anyway. On the way there, after witnessing a pretty horrific accident (I mean seriously Colleen, what was the reason?) she runs into this random dude named Jeremy who offers to help her clean up before the meeting. They have an oddly vulnerable conversation for two complete strangers and then go on about their day.
Fast forward like ten minutes later, and Lowen realizes that this random Jeremy guy is the reason for the meeting. She has been tasked with ghost writing his wife's last book in her series because she had been in an accident and was no longer able to write. Blah blah blah. She ends up agreeing and thus the story begins. Seems simple enough right? NOPE. Fasten your seatbelt friendo because this is about the last normal thing that takes place in this book.
Without giving too much away, Lowen arrives at this man's house and is greeted by his creepy child. I would have absolutely turned around and left after that encounter, but that's just me and this book isn't about me now is it? After meeting everyone and locking herself in Verity's old office to start writing the book, Lowen not so subtly stumbles across an old manuscript. You'd think she'd put this manuscript back where she found it and mind the business that pays her, but you'd be wrong. She does not. Not at all.
After she discovers the manuscript we bounce back and forth between the manuscript point of view and Lowen's point of view and at this point, four months after reading it, I'm still not quite sure which woman is crazier. Verity admitted some pretty dark and ugly thoughts in this manuscript and honestly, Child Protective Services would have been my FIRST call after reading it, but Lowen just sucks it up and starts becoming obsessed with Jeremy.
She makes a ton of questionable decisions and finds herself doing the dirty do with this MARRIED man who she's known for a hot second. Now mind you, his wife, Verity is literally upstairs in her bed, forced to listen to this foolishness. The longer Lowen stayed in the house, the more creepy crap starts to happen and the more she gives the kooty-cat to a man that should be off limits. I really want to tell you exactly what happens but then what would be the point of reading the book afterwards? I will tell you this though, as SOON as I got the vibe that something was off in that house I would have gathered my things and noped right on out of there. But again, this book isn't about me.
Whew! This book grabbed me by the neck and kept me glued to one spot until I got to the end. The ending had such a twist that I just sat and stared into the distance for a few minutes after finishing it. I love a good twist, but what in the world? (Again, Colleen WHAT WAS THE REASON?) I even joined a support group on Facebook so I could figure out if I was the only one that got mentally beaten up by Verity. Thankfully, there are 27.7k other people that are just as confused as I was and still am. In my humble opinion, everybody in this book was super suspish. Jeremy included.
This book is under the thriller, suspense category which I do believe was a first for Colleen Hoover who usually sticks to romance type novels. Overall, I was impressed with this book. I'm not trying to hype it up, because I have seen some posts that coined this book as the best one they've read. I wouldn't go that far, but it is a really good read. So much so that I started looking for more books by Colleen and gave Verity to a friend of mine to see if she gets as mind boggled as I did. She has yet to finish it though, because life is hard sometimes, but I am patiently awaiting her thoughts. It's a quick read, so if you have some time and are a glutton for punishment like me, check it out.
Then come back and yell at me so I can tell you: "I told you so!"
Happy reading, babes! <3