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adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Car accident, Abortion, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Car accident, Abortion, Murder
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was wicked and twisted and gosh, it’s been a while since I flipped through a thriller
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Twisted. This is the best word to describe this book. It may be creepy for some, but if you're used to reading thriller/scary/suspense books like me (hello Tess Gerritsen), you might find it boring and predictable. It's CoHo, so you know you're still on for a ride.
I'm still team manuscript, though.
Don't forget to check TWs before reading this book. If you get triggered by child abuse and mental health easily, this book might not be for you.
I'm still team manuscript, though.
Don't forget to check TWs before reading this book. If you get triggered by child abuse and mental health easily, this book might not be for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Car accident, Abortion, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, Grief
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Child death, Abortion, Murder
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
getting straight to the point- if you've read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and then read Verity, you know exactly what im gonna talk about in this review.
I feel like Colleen Hoover read Rebecca and decided that she wants to write Rebecca Fanfiction, and thats how this book was born. so many of the plot points, character arcs and plot twists have been picked up from Rebecca and just directly thrown into this book, so i made a list of those :)
Rebecca and Verity:
- Title is the wife’s names (Rebecca and Verity)
- Nameless character-character with more than one name (lack of identity)
- Older man falling in love dynamic
- Wife dead/can’t move around by her self so incapable of doing things
- The house’s description, the driveway, everything
- Trusted maid/nurse who judges the main character and doesn’t like her (Mrs. Danvers and April)
- Verity’s office- Rebecca’s morning room
- The conflict of not being as good as Verity/Rebecca
- Landscape surrounding the house
- Husband killing the wife and getting away with it
i honestly tried so hard to like this book but it just wasn't for me. the main reason for this was the fact that the author's originality was lost amongst all the points she took from Rebecca. even the writing just wasn't doing it for me. i feel like it lacked nuance and wasn't refined.
SO MANY of the things in this book were disturbing to an extent that it was physically hard for me to continue reading. the way in which the things were described was so traumatic and unnecessary, i feel like this shouldn't have been the case and it shouldn't have been written in the first place. (please read the trigger warnings before reading the book)
i don't know what else to say about this apart from the fact that i didn't like this book.
the only good critique is that Colleen Hoover is fairly good at writing horror/supernatural elements and i would've enjoyed this book much more if i got to see more of that.
I feel like Colleen Hoover read Rebecca and decided that she wants to write Rebecca Fanfiction, and thats how this book was born. so many of the plot points, character arcs and plot twists have been picked up from Rebecca and just directly thrown into this book, so i made a list of those :)
- Title is the wife’s names (Rebecca and Verity)
- Nameless character-character with more than one name (lack of identity)
- Older man falling in love dynamic
- Wife dead/can’t move around by her self so incapable of doing things
- The house’s description, the driveway, everything
- Trusted maid/nurse who judges the main character and doesn’t like her (Mrs. Danvers and April)
- Verity’s office- Rebecca’s morning room
- The conflict of not being as good as Verity/Rebecca
- Landscape surrounding the house
- Husband killing the wife and getting away with it
i honestly tried so hard to like this book but it just wasn't for me. the main reason for this was the fact that the author's originality was lost amongst all the points she took from Rebecca. even the writing just wasn't doing it for me. i feel like it lacked nuance and wasn't refined.
SO MANY of the things in this book were disturbing to an extent that it was physically hard for me to continue reading. the way in which the things were described was so traumatic and unnecessary, i feel like this shouldn't have been the case and it shouldn't have been written in the first place. (please read the trigger warnings before reading the book)
i don't know what else to say about this apart from the fact that i didn't like this book.
the only good critique is that Colleen Hoover is fairly good at writing horror/supernatural elements and i would've enjoyed this book much more if i got to see more of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Vomit, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh. my. God.
I am always hesitant to by books by popular authors (especially ‘tiktok’ popular authors) for two reasons. 1) they are usually overrated and 2) I don’t want to seem like someone who reads for the ‘trend’. So because of this I was hesitant to buy this CoHo book, and was almost too embarrassed and was going to put it back. But I’m so glad I didn’t.
Unlike most of CoHo’s books, this is primarily a thriller that follows world renowned author ‘Verity’. But once verity was in a car crash she is no longer able to continue her best selling series, so Lowen is hired to continue on for her. But when Lowen enters Verity’s office, what she doesn’t expect to find is her intimate autobiography about the milestones in her life.
HOLY CRAP this book was so good. This book is a couple firsts for me: it’s the first time have ever been left really freaked out by a book but it’s also the first time I literally have not been able to put a book down. I read half of this book in one sitting and was up till like 2:30 trying to finish. It was THAT good.
Verity’s autobiography is r sane, the detailed emotions and feelings of this psychopath really honestly had me feeling so disturbed I couldn’t handle it. The way that CoHo wrote about Verity’s supposed movements and Lowen complete and utter terror had me shaking while reading even though technically nothing seriously scary had left me like that.
I also did enjoy the fact that there was a romance on the side, so that if you ever got bored of the thriller you’d have Jeremy and Lowen’s or Jeremy and Verity’s romance to keep you occupied anyway. Using these romances, CoHo perfectly timed this book to ensure that it’s literally impossible for you to get bored. Like I said, this is the first book that I haven’t been thinking constantly about how many more pages I have to go, I just read and read without even noticing that I was doing it.
But this book isn’t five stars for a few short reasons. For the first thing, I found Lowen to be an incredibly boring character. I mean where is that spice and excitement that Verity has. You expect me to believe that he never felt that immense love for Verity that he did for Lowen. Lowen is so boring how is that possible. But this is soemthing I’ve found in most books written in the 1st person perspective of a woman. It’s like they try to make the woman so bland so that everyone can imagine themselves in her position.
Another thing, that I’m not sure if it actually would’ve improved this book or not, but let’s be honest the writing is quite simple, there was nothing really there to read that would leave me with that feeling of: ‘omg this writer is a genius’. But then again CoHo really makes up for that through the intricate plot she creates so really I can’t complain.
Quotes that scared the crap out of me even if they were that scary:
“I want you to love them more than you love me. Our love for eachother is conditional. Our love for them isn’t.”
“My love for you is unconditional,” I said -p109
“A writer should never have the audacity to write about themselves unless they’re willing to separate every layer of protection between the author’s soul and their book.” - p61
“one should only walk away from an autobiography with, at best, an uncomfortable distaste for the author.
I will deliver.” - p61
Edit: This has put me into a reading slump because nothing else will amount to it
I am always hesitant to by books by popular authors (especially ‘tiktok’ popular authors) for two reasons. 1) they are usually overrated and 2) I don’t want to seem like someone who reads for the ‘trend’. So because of this I was hesitant to buy this CoHo book, and was almost too embarrassed and was going to put it back. But I’m so glad I didn’t.
Unlike most of CoHo’s books, this is primarily a thriller that follows world renowned author ‘Verity’. But once verity was in a car crash she is no longer able to continue her best selling series, so Lowen is hired to continue on for her. But when Lowen enters Verity’s office, what she doesn’t expect to find is her intimate autobiography about the milestones in her life.
HOLY CRAP this book was so good. This book is a couple firsts for me: it’s the first time have ever been left really freaked out by a book but it’s also the first time I literally have not been able to put a book down. I read half of this book in one sitting and was up till like 2:30 trying to finish. It was THAT good.
Verity’s autobiography is r sane, the detailed emotions and feelings of this psychopath really honestly had me feeling so disturbed I couldn’t handle it. The way that CoHo wrote about Verity’s supposed movements and Lowen complete and utter terror had me shaking while reading even though technically nothing seriously scary had left me like that.
I also did enjoy the fact that there was a romance on the side, so that if you ever got bored of the thriller you’d have Jeremy and Lowen’s or Jeremy and Verity’s romance to keep you occupied anyway. Using these romances, CoHo perfectly timed this book to ensure that it’s literally impossible for you to get bored. Like I said, this is the first book that I haven’t been thinking constantly about how many more pages I have to go, I just read and read without even noticing that I was doing it.
But this book isn’t five stars for a few short reasons. For the first thing, I found Lowen to be an incredibly boring character. I mean where is that spice and excitement that Verity has. You expect me to believe that he never felt that immense love for Verity that he did for Lowen. Lowen is so boring how is that possible. But this is soemthing I’ve found in most books written in the 1st person perspective of a woman. It’s like they try to make the woman so bland so that everyone can imagine themselves in her position.
Another thing, that I’m not sure if it actually would’ve improved this book or not, but let’s be honest the writing is quite simple, there was nothing really there to read that would leave me with that feeling of: ‘omg this writer is a genius’. But then again CoHo really makes up for that through the intricate plot she creates so really I can’t complain.
Quotes that scared the crap out of me even if they were that scary:
“I want you to love them more than you love me. Our love for eachother is conditional. Our love for them isn’t.”
“My love for you is unconditional,” I said -p109
“A writer should never have the audacity to write about themselves unless they’re willing to separate every layer of protection between the author’s soul and their book.” - p61
“one should only walk away from an autobiography with, at best, an uncomfortable distaste for the author.
I will deliver.” - p61
Edit: This has put me into a reading slump because nothing else will amount to it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abortion, Murder
Moderate: Vomit