02 August 2022

Sitting looking at a blank screen on my laptop, I have no idea where to start with this review. I found myself almost speechless after reading this book. Alicia read and reviewed this book in February this year and she has been telling me to read it ever since.

Verity is a powerful work of fiction that will get under your skin no matter how seasoned your reading palate may be. The author manages to shock you on every page. This is a dark story that leaves you in awe. You can expect a spicy read full of explicit details as you explore the mind of a passionate author who does not hold back when writing her biography. This is not a book I would have expected my teenage daughter to recommend, but what a mind-blowing read. Thank you, Alicia, for the recommendation.

This was my first encounter with Colleen Hoover and I believe not all her books fall in the psychological genre, but I am sold. I cannot wait to spend more time reading this author’s work. I found her writing to have a shock factor which kept me glued to the pages. I honestly could not drag myself away from this story. I enjoyed the characters, you quickly decide who you like and dislike in the book and as you read you are left wondering what is coming because something is coming to make you think again.

Lowen, a struggling author, accepts a job to finish a series written by a well-known author who was injured after a car accident. She does not know much about Verity Crawford or her series, but the money is too good to pass up. She agrees to stay in Verity and Jeremy’s house while she sorts through Verity’s notes. While working her way through the mountains of paperwork in Verity’s office, Lowen stumbles onto an autobiography which Verity most likely never intended for anyone to read. The more of the manuscript she reads, the more repulsed she is by Verity’s actions. All the while she is developing feelings for Jeremy and she knows sharing this manuscript with him could devastate him, but it could also help add some distance between Jeremy and Verity.

This book was a shocker from start to end. I found myself completely wrapped up in this story and could not flip these pages fast enough. The end left me speechless. I could not believe what I was reading. This is a brilliant work of fiction that left my head spinning.

The author created a remarkable cast in this story. Lowen the struggling author who has recently suffered a loss gives you the feel of a young woman searching for her place in the world. She is a little insecure and often doubts herself, leaving her to be the vulnerable character in the story.

When you are given a glimpse of verity, you meet a strong woman who knows exactly what she wants, and she will do whatever is necessary to get her way. This woman is cold and leaves the hair on your neck standing on ends. How the author managed to remain sain while creating this monstrous mother is beyond me. As for Jeremy at times I got the feeling this man was just a little too perfect. He is a loving husband; a devoted father and he never seems to put a foot wrong. That added to my curiosity as I raced through this book.

There is nothing not to love about this book. It is gripping, dark and twisty. A book that is guaranteed to keep you up all night.

Fans of dark, twisty tales are in for a threat when they reach for this title. While this author might not only write in the psychological thriller genre she created a mind-blowing reading experience with this book and I will keep an eye out for more like this one from her. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. However, be warned it does contain some rather steamy sexual content. (Enough to leave me cringing at the thought that my daughter read it!)