Psychological thrillers are typically my favorite genre, and one author whose name frequently pops up in the online reading communities I follow is Colleen Hoover. I’m aware there are strong, mixed opinions about her work, but it’s undeniable that she’s currently one of the genre’s best-selling authors. Surprisingly, I hadn’t read any of her novels until now, so I decided it was finally time to see what all the buzz was about. I chose to start with the book widely considered by both her fans and critics to be her best work—Verity.

I first discovered Verity through TikTok, where the BookTok community has been absolutely captivated by it. After reading it myself, I can certainly see why.

The novel follows Lowen, an author who’s had modest success but generally flown under the radar. After losing her mother and facing financial desperation, Lowen receives a mysterious job offer: bestselling author Verity Crawford has been severely injured and can no longer write. Verity’s husband, Jeremy, hires Lowen to finish the final three books of Verity’s immensely popular series, which uniquely tells the story from the antagonist’s perspective. Jeremy and Verity have already endured tremendous tragedy, losing both of their twin daughters in shocking incidents just six months apart. When Lowen moves into their home to research Verity’s notes, she stumbles upon an unfinished autobiography that suggests there’s something far more sinister behind the family’s tragedies than anyone suspected.

I know Colleen Hoover is a polarizing author, but this first experience with her writing completely hooked me. Verity had me gripped from the very first page—I finished it in just one day, unable to put it down. And that ending? It was a twist I never saw coming and left me questioning everything I thought I understood about the characters and their motivations.

If you haven’t read Verity yet, I genuinely encourage you to give it a chance. The shifting narrative between Lowen’s perspective and excerpts from Verity’s autobiography was an incredibly clever storytelling technique. The pacing was perfect, and it’s clear why this book has taken the BookTok community by storm. Even if you’ve decided that Colleen Hoover’s other books aren’t your style, Verity might just change your mind. It was the perfect cozy read during a rainy day stuck in my living room last week.Have you read Verity or any other books by Colleen Hoover? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!