VERITY

by Colleen Hoover

I have often extolled the joys of being part of a bookclub in my L&L reviews.  The biggest plus for me is that bookclubs force me to read some very good books that I would never have read otherwise. Sometimes, bookclubs force me to read an author I have heard of but haven’t yet read.  Colleen Hoover is a good example. She’s written many books, which seem to be everywhere, and yet I still hadn’t read one.  When Verity was selected as our bookclub read, I looked forward to being swept into one of her psychodramas.  Unfortunately, Verity did not sweep me in or captivate me.  Although Hoover’s premise is intriguing, her execution left me cold.  A young, struggling novelist is hired to finish the books of a famous author who has become physically incapacitated and can’t finish them herself.  Hoover uses every trope imaginable to develop the drama between the bedridden wife, the ingenue writer and the dedicated/evil husband. The book contains all sorts of shocking topics: murder, sex, child abuse. But the elements that Verity lacks–credibility, unpredictability and empathy–render the book salacious rather than compelling. For that reason, Verity is not my cup of tea. (Liz)