Reviews with content warning for Violence - Verity

The build up and big reveals were very contrived. I think I was thrown off because I cared so little about the characters. I like thrillers that build suspense through narrators that are confused and can’t trust themselves due to factors out of their immediate control, but Lowen didn’t seem to hit that. If anything, I felt she was too blinded by Jeremy to have any self-preservation and I couldn’t sympathize. Hard to feel concerned for the main character’s safety when you feel like she keeps repeating bad decisions and ignoring her gut instincts because she’s too busy thinking about a headboard.

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bookedfortheweekend25's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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raptorq's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read this book because everyone says this is the best Colleen Hoover book to read and I know that she writes a lot of messed up things, so I went into this thinking she is going to try and make a thriller but it’s probably going to be more romance . . . boy was I wrong, this is so fucked. Please check trigger warnings and contents warning before reading this book because there are mentions of child abuse and violence.

This book is based on Lowen Ashleigh and she is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts a job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford who is the 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 house, 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 one of her daughters 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 being to intensify, she recognises 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.

You know when a book is brilliant when you start becoming paranoid whilst reading it and you are scared to go sleep. Holy shit. My brain would not turn off thinking about this book, it doesn’t help that I decided to read this book whilst being home alone. It freaked me out. Throughout this whole book, I was sure I knew the plot and that I was going to be disappointed and then something would happen and I would want to throw this book at all. It's so twisted and disturbing. All the way to the end my head was like I know this and yes good ending and then the last chapter!!!

The only think I would have liked to change would have been a definite answer on what happened to those girls and if it was an accident or not because for a few pages I thought Crew was the one behind it and it was a mother protecting son book and that Crew was a psychopath.

I always know that Colleen’s books are going to be traumatic and never normal, but this has got to be close to the top of mind-fucking books I've read.

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melissann42's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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ellie_girl2929's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book made me feel so many emotions. I can’t explain how my mind can be confused but also contain everything I just read. This book was so unpredictable and I never really read this genre/style of writing but I loved it and this was the first Colleen Hoover book I read. I had so many thoughts and possible scenarios going through my head while reading trying to figure what I think could come next. This book felt so real that I thought it could possibly come to life. I never felt like that towards a book before and I loved it.

To answer Lowen’s question “Which truth was she manipulating?” I think Verity was truly sick in the head to make up anything in that matter. I feel like Verity did kill Harper and that her manuscript was all truth. I feel like Verity made that letter up in case she got caught and Jeremy really did report her to the police.> This book made me so spooked that I thought Verity could jump out the book. My mistake for reading a bit at night.

I really felt that Verity was cruel inside with her whole thought process. Every time Lowen described when Verity had her eyes on her, was at the top of the staircase, or on the floor crawling I was so scared because every detail that was described felt so real to me. I even thought if I turned around Verity would be in my room.

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