Romantic Suspense Annotation: Verity by Colleen Hoover
- Title: Verity
- Page count: 331 pages
- Publication date: December 10th, 2018
- Publisher: Independently published
- Author + Author info: Colleen Hoover (http://www.colleenhoover.com/), a #1 New York Times and International bestselling author. Hoover has published nearly 20 books, writes new adult and young adult books under the genres of psychological thriller and romance. She is active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and runs her own charity subscription box service The Bookworm Box (which has donated to date over 1 million dollars to charities).
- Genre: Romantic thriller/suspense
- Time period: Contemporary Manhattan & Vermont
- Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Romance (2019). Verity was "2nd" place: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-romance-books-2019
- Fun extra: Has Facebook group page, "Verity Discussion Group."
Synopsis
After the famous writer Verity Crawford is unable to finish one of her popular book series due to sudden medial reasons, protagonist and struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh is given an offer by Verity's husband (Jeremy Crawford) to write the rest of Verity's series. It's an offer Lowen can't refuse; she's about to be evicted and has no other job prospects. To have full access and look through all of Verity's books, notes, outlines, drafts, etc., Jeremy invites Lowen to temporarily stay at the Crawford home in Vermont. After Lowen discovers Verity's draft of an autobiography, unsettling layers of mystery are added surrounding the lives of the Crawfords, including the untimely deaths of two of their three children.
The longer Lowen remains at the Crawford home, the more tumultuous the plot becomes, added by the fact Lowen is developing romantic feelings for Jeremy. Nothing is as it seems; or is it?
Appeal
Verity would appeal to an audience who wants a standalone, explicit romance that heavily includes features of a chilling, sometimes horrifying, suspenseful plot.
Personal Note
After the first chapter, I couldn't stop reading Verity; I ended up staying up all night to finish it! Definitely creepy at times, but it all added to the suspense that kept me reading. I'm still processing the twisted ending.
Personal Note
After the first chapter, I couldn't stop reading Verity; I ended up staying up all night to finish it! Definitely creepy at times, but it all added to the suspense that kept me reading. I'm still processing the twisted ending.
Key words
Romance, secrets, mystery, chilling, disturbing, thrilling
Subject headings (from WorldCat.org, https://www.worldcat.org/title/verity/oclc/1080637397#relatedsubjects)
Married people -- fiction
Secrecy -- fiction
Family secrets -- fiction
Women authors -- fiction
Subject headings (from WorldCat.org, https://www.worldcat.org/title/verity/oclc/1080637397#relatedsubjects)
Married people -- fiction
Secrecy -- fiction
Family secrets -- fiction
Women authors -- fiction
Reviews
I think because this was independently published, I couldn't find too many "professional" reviews of Verity, but there's plenty of Goodreads reviews. Of a rounded 81,000 reviews, Verity has 4.35 stars. There's several YouTube reviews of Verity as well; one of the reviewers I follow summed up her reading experience as, "I had the best and simultaneously most terrifying time reading this book. I loved it! I couldn't put this down!"
I think because this was independently published, I couldn't find too many "professional" reviews of Verity, but there's plenty of Goodreads reviews. Of a rounded 81,000 reviews, Verity has 4.35 stars. There's several YouTube reviews of Verity as well; one of the reviewers I follow summed up her reading experience as, "I had the best and simultaneously most terrifying time reading this book. I loved it! I couldn't put this down!"
Fiction read alikes
- Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. Mystery thriller that includes family drama, for those who want less emphasis on romantic elements.
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Includes romantic thrill undertone.
- The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot. A romantic suspense that includes main elements of thriller, secrets, and suspense.
![The Last Sister (Columbia River Book 1) by [Elliot, Kendra]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4128YGmVaoL.jpg)
- For those wanting to know more about romance books: Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained (2015)
- For those wanting to try writing their own suspense story: Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats.
- For those wanting a fun, light read after Verity: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman
![Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained: Expanded Edition by [Rodale, Maya]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41AocG2MD3L.jpg)
Brittany, this book sounds so good! Romantic suspense is my personal favorite so I love reading all of these annotations to get more books on my "to read" list! One of the read-alikes you mentioned, Then She Was Gone, is a great book as well. As I was reading your summary, that is actually the book that came to my mind before I saw it mentioned later so it definitely would be a great read-alike! I did have a question about the amount of romance vs suspense. Do you feel like the book was romance first, then suspense as the focus or vice versa? We have had a lot of patrons who want one or the other to be the primary plot with little sprinklings of the other thrown in, so I am curious to see your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteYou're right that I had anticipated it being more of a romance than actual action or thriller, and that surprise reflected in my annotation. I actually didn't read the synopsis before diving in, so that was probably another reason I was surprised with how intense it was. I think it is a romance first, since Lowen bothers to stay at the Crawford house and try to solve the creepy mystery (instead of leaving at first opportunity!) because she has feelings for Jeremy. In Verity's autobiography, we read of their oftentimes steamy romance, so I would say there's more romance. But it only required one moment of something creepy that offset the balance of being only a romance. You really should read it! It's likely one you'll read twice.
DeleteBrittany, this book actually sounds like one I would enjoy- considering that romantic suspense is not a genre I typically read. I like the fact that it seems to be super creepy- that always helps to keep the romance aspect from seeming too overwhelming for me as a reader. Also, I really like the extra stuff you found about the author and her following for the book. It seems like a great read.
ReplyDeleteIt reads very quickly, so I would definitely recommend giving it a chance! The creepiness is something I didn't think I would like, but ended up loving that about the book. I actually couldn't sleep very well the night/morning I finished it; but it was worth it!
DeleteThis is the genre that makes my veins go cold. I like romance novels but those that end with a nice, happy ending. However, I've heard a lot about this book and nearly picked it up at least once. The fact that you stayed up all night reading it and the extra plot details in your review make me even more curious. Maybe I'll have to give it a try once my immediate reading pile dies down. I've been told I have to read "The Silent Patient" too. I love nonfiction so I'm so glad you added those recommendations, and I will absolutely be adding "The Dangerous Books for Girls" to my list. Good job on your review!
ReplyDeleteI never thought I would get hooked to this genre, but now I'm totally cool with the idea of reading more adult romantic suspense books. I love watching romantic dramas, and reading romances by authors Jane Austen, but sometimes it's nice having other selections to mix things up. It's also nice that Verity is a standalone since we all always have an expansive to-read pile!
DeleteThis sounds great! Whenever I read books about authors, I always wonder how much the author puts themselves into the character- did you get that vibe at all? Also, the reading on Romantic Suspense made it sound like all the threats were external, so this sounds like a really cool take on the genre. I also like how you qualified your readalikes- that's really going to help a lot depending on what each person liked about the title. Great annotation!
ReplyDeleteIn the acknowledgements, the author shared that some of her doubts and insecurities as a writer was reflected in Lowen's character, who was a struggling writer. Although I sometimes feared for the author after reading how twisted and creepy some of the characters get! But Colleen Hoover seems like a wonderful person who has no qualms at all writing outside her comfort zone, nor writing things that might be chilling to readers.
DeleteExcellent annotation! I've seen this at my library but I haven't met anyone who has read it. Your summary, personal notes, and enthusiasm for this book definitely make me want to check this out! Full points!
ReplyDelete