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Writer's pictureSelena | Beauty's Library

Verity Review

Updated: Jul 16, 2021

From being to end this is filled with unsettling details that would make anyone squirm.


Rating: 5/5

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.

 

Content Warning + Triggers: strong sexual scenes, graphic details that could be triggering for some, especially mothers.


Woah! This one shocked me even more than Layla did. If I haven’t already declared this, I probably have but well I’m definitely a Hoover fan! I will be reading everything she writes! This one took such an unexpected turn.


Shortly after I started I was immediately captivated. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I didn’t care. It was then I realized then I didn’t remember ever having read the synopsis but after those first few pages, I decided to just continue going in blind. I had absolutely no idea what I was walking into. Those first few pages literally made me go “what the fuck…” I heard so many people saying this was dark, but “dark” was an understatement. This book is unnerving through and through.


I heard so many people saying this was dark, but “dark” was an understatement. This book is unnerving through and through.

If you aren’t already familiar with the premise here’s the rundown we follow struggling writer, Lowen who’s given the opportunity of a lifetime, finishing the last three books of the famous author, Verity’s series as she got injured and is unable to finish them herself. Verity’s husband offers to have Lowen stay in their home while she goes through Verity’s office. What Lowen didn’t expect to find was an autobiography Verity had been writing, filled with unnerving details of her marriage with her husband.


Even if I knew this premise before starting, I honestly don’t think I could have been prepared for the contents of this book. From being to end this is filled with unsettling details that would make anyone squirm. Not only that, but all the details we learn through the book get almost completely upended by the ending. This ending really throws you off as you then ponder what to believe is true.


From being to end this is filled with unsettling details that would make anyone squirm.

One thing this book really reminded me of was V.C. Andrews. Now I’ve not gotten a chance yet to read any of her books, but they’re all on my list to read. And there’s definitely a chance this thought will no longer be true after I do read one of her books. But, my mom is a fan of V.C. Andrews, and she and I have watched all the lifetime movie adaptions of her books so far. And it’s these movies that I was thinking of while I was reading Verity. I saw a similar feel between all of those movies and Verity. I saw that same level of darkness, messed up family secrets, and drama in Verity that I got from the movies. And now from reading this, I want to pick up a V.C. Andrews book even more!


I had picked this up as a buddy read with a few others and it was so entertaining to discuss the events of this one and seeing what everyone else thought. And not only the events we talked about the actions of the characters and why they might have done or made a certain choice. This was such a great book to read and discuss with friends. Discussing this also pointed out details even I had missed, as well as I had pointed out details others may have missed. It was definitely fun debating on the truth to believe. Most of us were all leaning towards the same truth.


This book flows so well, there was never a dull moment. There was always a detail or event being focused on or coming to light that kept me on my toes. I truly didn’t want to put this one down. I was entranced all the way through to the end.


I truly didn’t want to put this one down. I was entranced all the way through to the end.

I think this is an amazing psychological thriller and I highly recommend this to those interested in this particular genre. However, this is not for the light of heart. Things definitely get intense and can be triggering for some, especially mothers. I don’t want to say too much without giving away any spoilers. I just want to give a heads up. This is not a light fluffy read.


Keep reading for more of my thoughts on Verity!

 

Warning! Spoilers :)


For those who have read this, I was definitely on team manuscript. I didn’t believe the letter. I think just about everyone in the buddy read I read this book with was also team manuscript. I was genuinely thrown by the discovery of the letter at the end. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t.


I just could not believe that Verity could have written that manuscript as a book to help future authors without some sort of forward or note of sorts that stated it as a piece of fiction. I also struggled to believe that a loving mother could write such horrific details about their own children in a fictional manner. It’s just sickening.


I did believe that the idea of writing a journal as a villain for an exercise to be true, but I didn’t believe that’s what Verity did or the idea behind the manuscript was. There were too many coincidences to believe the letter was the truth. Such as the scar on her daughter’s face and the fact that her son told her husband that she had whispered to hold his breath. Also, no sane person could act catatonic for months as Verity did.

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