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Verity (novel)

Verity is a 2018 psychological thriller novel by American author Colleen Hoover.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Verity is a 2018 psychological thriller novel by American author Colleen Hoover. It follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, who is hired to complete a bestselling series after author Verity Crawford is incapacitated, and then discovers a disturbing unpublished manuscript in the Crawford home. The novel blends suspense, romance, and moral ambiguity, and became a major commercial success.

Plot

Lowen Ashleigh is brought into the Crawford household to help complete Verity Crawford’s bestselling series. While there, she finds a hidden manuscript that complicates her understanding of Verity, Jeremy, and the deaths in the family.

Publication and reception

Verity was published in 2018 and was commercially successful, with strong reader response and award recognition. Sources describe it as having generally positive reviews and notable popularity beyond its release year.

Genre and themes

The novel is commonly categorized as a psychological thriller with romantic thriller elements. Reported themes include truth, deception, morality, grief, and the blurred line between fiction and reality.

Adaptation and cultural impact

Verity has remained widely discussed in popular book communities and reader-review platforms. Its sustained visibility has contributed to its status as one of Hoover’s most recognizable titles.

Key facts

  • The novel centers on Lowen Ashleigh, a writer hired to finish Verity Crawford’s book series after a disabling accident.
  • Lowen discovers an unfinished autobiography in Verity’s office that reveals unsettling claims about Verity’s family life.
  • The story is framed as a psychological thriller with romantic elements.
  • It was published in 2018 and is one of Colleen Hoover’s best-known works.
  • The novel received generally positive reviews and later won the British Book Award for Pageturner in 2023.
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Canadian context

The novel is widely read in Canada through the English-language book market and Canadian retailer and library circulation, and Colleen Hoover has a strong readership among Canadian audiences.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Verity?
Verity was written by Colleen Hoover.
What kind of book is Verity?
It is generally described as a psychological thriller, often with romantic thriller elements.
What is Verity about?
It follows writer Lowen Ashleigh as she finishes a series for injured author Verity Crawford and uncovers a disturbing unpublished manuscript.
When was Verity published?
It was published in 2018.
Did Verity win any awards?
It won the British Book Award for Pageturner in 2023 and the LovelyBooks Leserpreis for Romance in 2020, and it was also a Goodreads Choice Award nominee.

References

  1. Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verity_(novel)
    Supports: Author, genre, publication year, plot overview, and award mentions.
  2. Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59344312-verity
    Supports: Plot summary and reader-facing description of the novel.
  3. SparkNoteshttps://www.sparknotes.com/lit/verity/summary/
    Supports: Plot summary and character context.
  4. The Bibliofilehttps://the-bibliofile.com/verity/
    Supports: Synopsis of the premise and main characters.