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*EDIT to add… I found out this author usually writes Young Adult books. This book is NOT a Young Adult book. It is for mature readers. Consider it a rated R book.
Verity’s Back-of-Book Description
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin. When Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, asks Lowen to complete the remaining books in a contract his permanently injured wife is unable to fulfill, Lowen has no choice but to accept. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home with the intention of only staying one or two nights—long enough to sort through Verity’s chaotic home office to collect all the notes and outlines she’ll need to start writing the first novel. But the more time Lowen spends with Jeremy Crawford, the less of a hurry she is in to leave.
While there, Lowen uncovers a hidden manuscript. An autobiography containing chilling admissions Verity planned to take to her grave, including the truth behind the events that turned their lives upside down. A truth that, if revealed to Jeremy, would further devastate the already grieving father. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript a secret, allowing Jeremy to continue to believe Verity is merely an innocent, unfortunate victim of circumstance. But as Lowen’s feelings for the devoted father and husband deepen, she wonders if keeping Jeremy in the dark is in her own best interest. After all, if Jeremy were to read his wife’s autobiography, the disturbing truth would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
A chilling standalone romantic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.
My Thoughts
It always amazes me when people gift me a book that, when I finally read it, I actually like it! I mean, buying a book can be tricky – you have no idea if the other person likes that author or that genre.
But this is one of those situations. Verity was given to me by my stepsister for Christmas. Until then I had never heard of the author and to be honest, I didn’t even know ‘romantic thriller’ was a genre. But you guys…I know now.
Before I get any further in this I have to say…the book is CRAZY ya’ll! I liked it very much. But some of the plot and subject matter was insane to read. It is fiction, so you know that going in. But I suppose I’ll slap a trigger warning on here for anyone who has lost a child. I don’t want to give too much away so that’s all I’ll say about that.
Oh, and there are also some pretty detailed sex scenes (hence the romantic thriller part).
Ok, so back to the review.
I liked this book a lot. I started it on a Thursday on vacation and finished it on the way home on a Saturday. I should have slept on the plane, but I just couldn’t put this book down. It was so gripping and (again) crazy!
It’s written in the first-person point of view and mostly in one character’s voice. There are, however, a few chapters where we are reading the words of another character. The author does a fantastic job of introducing those two main characters and letting us get to know them by “walking in their shoes” so to speak.
The other characters introduced were also well written,I thought. We get to know just enough to keep them mysterious (where appropriate) or to care about their well-being.
The settings were all perfectly laid out, leaving just enough to the imagination – I had no trouble picturing every scene. Honestly, with some of the subject matter, the things I was picturing were a little crazy and intense…you’ll see what I mean when/if you read it!
There was so much action and suspense in this book! Every line on the page is advancing the story and gripping your attention. Some of the lines are quite shocking to read (or listen to if you’re into audible) but they all lead you to the even crazier ending. It’s a crazy thrill ride, guys.
Buy it now!
Favorite Quotes From Verity
“I was difficult. An emotionally challenging puzzle he wasn’t up for solving. Which was fine. I wasn’t in the mood to be solved.”
“The good thing about sins is they don’t have to be atoned for immediately.”
“…the things lurking around inside the mind can be just as dangerous as tangible threats.”
“I hate it when he says nice things at the height of my irritation.”
“I have to stop looking at my life through my mother’s glasses.”
“I think the idea of me is better than the reality of me.”
“Some families are lucky enough to never experience a single tragedy. But then there are those families that seem to have tragedies waiting on the back burner. What can go wrong, goes wrong. And then gets worse.”
In Conclusion
I’m just gonna say it – 5 stars from me. Verity set out to be gripping and shocking and it accomplished those goals flawlessly. I have already recommended it to several friends, one of whom read it quickly and said she loved it. She reads psychological thrillers almost exclusively and she said this was amazing. So if my word wasn’t good enough, there’s that too.
This author has written a lot of other books, most of which I think are different than this, as Verity was published independently of her other work. (*I found out her other books are Young Adult. So, yeah…this one is very different probably.) Whatever the other stuff is about, I think I will probably check them out – if they are written this good, I’m bound to enjoy them.
I will continue to recommend this to people looking for thrillers and suspense novels. Just keep the fact that I said it was shocking in mind, and go forth…be shocked and thrilled.
