Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Star Rating: 2/5

T.W. Child abuse, death, murder, attempted miscarriage

This was my first book by Colleen Hoover. To be honest, the only reason I picked this up is the hype around CoHo. Verity was everywhere when it came out, on Instagram, YouTube and even displayed across bookstores. So yeah, I decided to pick it up. The synopsis was quite intriguing too. I expected a gothic vibe from it like Mexican Gothic.

The book starts with a down on her luck author, Lowen Ashleigh. On the verge of going bankrupt, she meets a man. Jeremy Crawford offers her the opportunity of a lifetime. He asks her to visit their estate and finish the book series written by his wife Verity, who has suffered an accident and remains in a vegetative state. Jeremy gives Lowen access to Verity’s study where she finds her autobiography. She begins to read it and finds shocking details about Verity.

I’ve seen people either love this book or hate it, and I’m with the latter. Well, I wouldn’t say I hate the book. The premise was really interesting and I liked the first half of the book. It had a lot of potential but it failed to follow through. The main characters were bland and unlikeable.

Jeremy was boring. I’ve no idea why Verity went through so much trouble for him. Lowen was annoying. She keeps judging Verity but is equally nasty at certain points. Having an affair with the husband while the wife lies comatose in the same house with their son is not cool Lowen. No matter how much you try to justify it. The author forgot about her past trauma at some point. It just served as a plot point to bring Lowen and Jeremy together. Sorry, but I couldn’t feel bad about any of those two.

The plot was almost non-existent. Take out the sex scenes, and the book could have been over by hundred pages. I guess Colleen Hoover was trying to take a page out of Rebecca, but the book just came across as unbelievable and one-dimensional. There are so many plot holes that it just came across as stupid.

To get your copy of Verity, click here.