By Faith Zochowski
This week’s blog features yet another Colleen Hoover book that fits the spooky season aesthetic! Verity is a captivating romantic thriller filled with jump scares, unraveling secrets, and a riveting affair that is sure to make you read it in one sitting.
The story follows Lowen Asleigh, a struggling author on the brink of a nervous breakdown. The book opens with Lowen witnessing a man being killed on the street, and a handsome stranger helps her clean herself up on the way to her big meeting. Shaken up, she goes to the meeting and discovers the handsome stranger, Jeremy Crawford, is also in attendance. He is the husband to Verity Crawford, a bestselling author who is unable to finish her three remaining books in her series because of her serious injuries from her car crash. At the meeting, Lowen is asked to complete the remaining books, which is the job of a lifetime. She reluctantly accepts, knowing how big the shoes are to fill.
Lowen goes to Vermont to gather Verity’s research and materials to begin finishing the series and plans to stay for a few days. She feels uncomfortable being around Verity – who can no longer walk or talk – as well as Jeremy and Crew, the couple’s five-year-old son. Nonetheless, she begins sorting through piles of notes and outlines soon to discover a manuscript written by Verity titled So Be It. As Lowen begins reading it, it becomes apparent that Verity never wanted anyone to find what she had written in the manuscript.
The manuscript details how the couple met, but as she reads further and further, Lowen discovers harrowing truths about the deaths of their twins. Verity even includes her point of view of what happened the night of the accident. Lowen swears she sees Verity watching her multiple times and becomes very uneasy in the house. She vows, though, to keep the manuscript from Jeremy, knowing it would break him.
During this time, Lowen and Jeremy become close, bonding over the loss in their lives. It is obvious they are attracted to each other, and they begin to have a secret affair. As they get deeper and deeper into their relationship, Lowen bears the guilt of not telling Jeremy the truths about his wife. When she is alone with Crew, he tells her things about his mother that don’t add up, and Lowen becomes extremely anxious. Crew accidentally cuts himself, leading to a hospital visit and Lowen left alone with Verity. She proves her theories correct during this time and tells Jeremy, finally showing him the manuscript.
To avoid major spoilers, readers, I will leave you with one more fact about this book. Lowen discovers a letter from Verity at the end of the novel, which potentially debunks the secrets revealed in the manuscript and has fans of the book divided, having to pick a side: letter or manuscript?
Be sure to also check out the new edition of the book, featuring an exclusive new chapter!
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