Colleen Hoover is a name that most people associate with romance novels, and for good reason. With heavy hitters like November 9, It Ends with Us, and Maybe Someday, Hoover has solidified her place in the contemporary literary scene as a master of emotionally charged, character-driven storytelling.
However, one of her most recent books, Verity, has gained much traction for its vast departure from Hoover’s status quo. Instead of a budding romance between the deuteragonists and some obscure interpersonal conflict meant to act as the sole source of tension, Verity is a psychological thriller exploring themes like parental infanticide, unreliable narrators, and obsession.
The book follows our protagonist, Lowen, an author barely scraping by after her mother passes away. To avoid eviction and jumpstart her career, she agrees to meet with Jeremy Crawford, the husband of a much more famous author, Verity Crawford, who has been comatose following a car accident. Unsure of why she was chosen, Lowen is initially hesitant and probes Jeremy for more information, who eventually reveals that she was Verity’s favorite author. Lowen’s contract stipulates that she will finish the last three books of Verity’s nine-book series. To do this, she will perform “research” at Verity’s house, combing through her notes and office to find anything that can inform her vision for the next novels.
In the midst of this research, Lowen stumbles upon an autobiography of Verity’s life, which opens the floodgates into the much darker side of the book. Verity is exposed as an obsessive, murderous, and completely disturbed individual, seemingly devoid of empathy. She details horrifying events, including her twisted perception of motherhood and her disturbing confessions about her children. It seems like Verity isn’t who everyone thought she was, and with weird occurrences like doors locking without Lowen’s knowledge or eerie sightings of Verity moving when she shouldn’t be capable of doing so, the tension escalates. Is Verity truly incapacitated, and is there more to this family than Jeremy lets on?
Overall, despite the many plot holes and poorly placed intimate scenes, I found Verity thoroughly entertaining. I finished the book in two nights, preferring to read in the pitch black for maximum effect, letting the eerie atmosphere fully consume me. The many twists and turns, along with the complete lack of clarity on who to trust and what was going to happen next, made for a truly unsettling experience—one that scared me much more than books by some dedicated horror authors. Hoover’s ability to craft an atmosphere of dread is impressive, keeping the reader on edge with a constant undercurrent of tension.
The book handled the mystery portion really well, and I often found myself flipping pages faster and faster just to uncover the next big reveal. Hoover masterfully weaves in suspense, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. However, this was punctuated by a budding romance between Jeremy and Lowen that really left a bad taste in my mouth—especially considering Jeremy is engaging in this relationship while living with his comatose wife and traumatized son. This subplot felt jarring and, at times, out of place, pulling me out of the psychological tension rather than adding to it.
Additionally, while the middle of the book was gripping, the beginning and end were weakly executed. The slow start made it difficult to fully immerse myself at first, and the ending, in particular, felt tacked on as an afterthought, seemingly designed to add an unnecessary layer of complexity when the book was already intriguing enough on its own. Instead of tying up loose ends, it created more questions in a way that felt less like intentional ambiguity and more like rushed storytelling.
That said, Verity delivers on its promise of psychological thrills. It’s the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you turn the last page, leaving you questioning everything you thought you knew. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced, spine-chilling thriller that keeps you guessing. It will disappoint slightly in some areas, but I don’t think it’ll diminish the sheer thrill of the ride. The book has its flaws, I still think it is a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys darker stories.
