Desperate for money and low on options, writer Lowen Ashleigh takes a business meeting that will change her life. She is offered a contract to finish a book series by famed author Verity Crawford, who has suffered an accident, but who is still alive. Verity’s husband, Jeremy, invites Lowen to stay in their home, so that she may sort through Verity’s office and writing notes. Verity cannot speak or move, but she is still living in their home, confined to the master bedroom, where she is cared for by Jeremy and day nurses.

Lowen is hesitant to stay in the Crawford home, but as she is low on cash and being evicted from her apartment, the offer comes at an opportune time. She spends her days studying Verity’s notes and her nights growing closer to the handsome and charismatic Jeremy. As time passes, Lowen begins to suspect that Verity’s accident and resulting trauma may not be what it seems.

This was my first Colleen Hoover novel. I work at a bookstore and I’ve witnessed such an enthusiasm for Hoover’s books, that I needed to understand the hype for myself. All of Hoover’s other novels are shelved under romance, while Verity is considered a mystery. I tend to prefer mystery to romance, so I thought Verity would be the best choice for my first Hoover novel. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Verity leans more romance than mystery. It has a lot of steamy scenes, much more than an average mystery novel. Yes, it does have heavy elements of mystery and suspense, but quite often, more that I thought necessary, it dove back into romance. I’m not a prude and I don’t mind romance, but I have to confess that I wanted Hoover to get back to the mystery/suspense elements of the story.

I can see why Hoover is popular. Verity is a quick-paced, intriguing read with strong characters and great twists. I read it on a flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii, never putting it down to rest my eyes: a true page-turner. I loved the unsettling vibe of a strangers house and the intrigue of a “too good to be true” offer from the family of a prominent author. The concept for Verity was appealing and had me hooked from the first chapter. The ending is quite surprising and diabolical!

I enjoyed Verity enough that I am interested in stepping outside of my book comfort zone and reading one of Hoover’s romance novels. My stepdaughter read Hoover’s It Ends with Us and loved it. I might try that one next!