Verity

The past few months have been a roller coaster for author Lowen Ashleigh.  First her mother died following a difficult health crisis.  She cut off her relationship with her on/off boyfriend, who’s also her agent.  Then Lowen was offered the opportunity of a lifetime taking over a successful series from an author in failing health complete with a large advance.  The Crawford family also invited Lowen to stay with them and sift through paperwork and previous writings to help develop the future of the series.  There was strong chemistry between Lowen and the author’s husband Jeremy from the moment they met – something they both push away at first.  But when strange things begin to happen in the house, Lowen questions if she’s imagining it, or if there’s more to the picturesque family she’s getting to know. 

Verity is my first Colleen Hoover book.  Full of suspense and intrigue, Hoover develops her character’s backstories through the present-day dialogue and the appearance of a manuscript written by the eponymous Verity before her accident.  Hoover relates the characters stories to the typical American reader in everyday tasks – as example, Jeremy and Lowen take a grocery trip to Target where they run into Verity’s friends.  Hoover skillfully builds the romance between Lowen and Jeremy throughout the novel while allowing them to navigate and address the challenges their partnership brings.

I give Verity 4 out of 5 stars.  I am not much for suspense and thriller novels but found myself glued to these pages.  I enjoyed the way the Crawford family backstory and secrets are revealed at the same pace Lowen uncovers them.  However, I found Lowen’s willingness to go along with Jeremy’s plans later in the book uncharacteristic for a girl who was introduced as a more timid and shy individual.  I was also confused by the ending of the novel – did she…or didn’t she?  I tend to like my stories with neat endings to wrap up the journey, or the promise of a book 2 – this had neither.

I would recommend this novel for fans of thrillers and mysteries.  If you were the kid who loved ghost stories around the campfire – this one might be for you.  With themes of death and tragedy throughout (starting in chapter 1, scene 1), I would direct this novel to more mature audiences of at least 16.  I understand this book has been used for many book clubs, and I can understand why!  The discussion points and the “what would you do” questions abound!

I chose Verity for the Booklist Queen reading challenge prompt “a domestic thriller”.  Again, not my usual genre, but I enjoyed the book.  I understand this was also the first thriller for Colleen Hoover to publish – I’m interested in reading her other works to see how those fare as well.  Verity was the talk of all the book groups I’m in and has topped several best of lists.  Have you read it yet?  Leave me your thoughts in the comments! 

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: Be Where Your Feet Are, Scott O’Neil
• Current audio book: Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt
• Book I’m most looking forward to: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise, Colleen Oakley