Colleen Hoover’s Verity is a suspenseful thriller novel that tells the story of Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who desperately wants to hit it big with one of her books. Then, out of nowhere, she is offered a job by Jeremy Crawford, husband of Verity Crawford, a best-selling author. He gives her a chance to ghost-write the remaining books she hasn’t finished because of unforeseen circumstances. It’s an offer she readily accepts, even if it seems too good to be true on the surface.
What seems like a straightforward job is anything but when she comes across an unfinished autobiography written by Verity Crawford. Its contents tell Verity’s most intimate thoughts, including the truth of her daughter’s death. The manuscript shocks Lowen to her very core.
Lowen intends to keep the manuscript’s contents a secret to spare Jeremy’s feelings. She begins to think differently once her feelings for the bestselling author’s husband start to shift into something unexpected.
She then changes course and becomes convinced that Jeremy should read the manuscript. If he were to know the truth of what Verity had done, then his love for her would vanish, and he would leave her in the wind. When this inevitably happens, she will wait in the wings to comfort him and be there for Jeremy in his time of need.
Colleen Hoover is the writer of this intricate and suspenseful tale. She is an NYT bestselling author of twenty books. One of her books, Confess, has even been made into a web series available on Amazon and iTunes. In her spare time, she helps run The Bookworm Box, a subscription service that lets readers receive signed novels in the mail from all over the world.
If you loved reading Verity by Colleen Hoover, and are looking for similar novels, then here are some books similar to Verity that you definitely need to check out!
Best Books Like Verity to Read in 2023
1. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca tells the tale of Mrs. Maxim de Winter, the second wife of a man she knows virtually nothing about. She is a young woman who finds herself living in an isolated mansion full of unknown secrets. Among the halls lurks Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper with an ominous aura everywhere she goes.
Every morning, the threatening Mrs. Danvers engages in the oddest of behaviors, laying out clothing that no one in the household wears. Yet, it seems like it is to be worn by someone. She finds herself unable to shake off the odd behavior of not only the housekeeper but also the malevolent aura that consumes the entire household.
It ultimately leads the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter to seek answers about Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca. A mysterious and beautiful woman who seems to haunt every nook and cranny of her new mansion home.
2. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient focuses on Alicia Berenson, a famous painter married to an equally renowned fashion photographer. They seem to have a perfect life, living in a good area of London in a house sure to bring envy to any passerby.
One night that perfect image is shattered when Alicia shoots Gabriel point-blank in the face five times. After the incident, Alicia is kept at the Grove, a secure facility, and remains tight-lipped. She won’t talk about what happened that night or her motive for shooting her husband.
Enter Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist who visits the Grove to get Alicia to talk about the night she shot her husband. He has been waiting for the chance to speak with Alicia to get the truth out of her. Sometimes, though, the truth doesn’t always set you free.
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is a story where what you see is just scratching the surface of the truth. Meet Nick Dunne, a man who finds his wife missing and on their fifth wedding anniversary, no less. Naturally, as the spouse of the missing, Nick is the first person the police focus their attention on.
Even in the face of accusations of Amy’s friends claiming she feared her husband, he proclaims his innocence. The evidence grows when police find what they describe as strange and suspicious searches on his computer. Nick quickly dismisses this, telling the police he knows nothing about that.
As time passes, the police, media, and even Amy’s parents begin to suspect Nick is responsible for his wife’s disappearance. Despite his odd behavior, he maintains he is innocent throughout it all.
Where is Amy, and did her supposedly loving husband Nick have anything to do with it?
4. Confessions by Kanae Minato
Kanae Minato’s Confessions tells its story through different voices, offering a unique look into the characters’ minds. Yuko Moriguchi is suffering. She has recently called off an engagement and believes her young daughter Manami is the only thing left in her life of any value.
When an accident occurs at Yuko’s middle school, she sends in her resignation. By this point, Yuko has given up and is ready to walk away from the teaching world altogether.
On Yuko’s last day, she is determined to give one last lecture to her entire class. The tale she weaves is one for the ages and leaves her students in shock. By the end, Yuko hopes to get her revenge against the students she blames for her daughter’s death.
It’s not your typical revenge tale, but that’s what makes Yuko’s story so intriguing.
5. Layla by Colleen Hoover
Next in the list featuring books like Verity is Colleen Hoover’s Layla, written from the point of view of a man named Leeds. He falls head over heels in love with a woman named Layla. Convinced they are soulmates, he is left shaken when Layla is attacked and left for dead. She recovers, but all is not well with Layla.
The love of Leeds’ life is suffering from some post-traumatic stress disorder issues from the violent attack that nearly killed her. To help her and their relationship, he brings her back to the bed-and-breakfast where they initially met. All this action does is push them further and further apart, and all the while, Layla’s behavior keeps getting worse.
He finds comfort in a woman named Willow, who is also staying at the B&B. They get closer, and ultimately, Leeds finds himself torn between two women, unsure which to focus his attention on and help.
6. The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre
Alessandra Torre’s The Ghostwriter is about Helena Ross, a famous romance novelist who has had 10 out of 15 of her books become international bestsellers. Told from a first-person point of view, Helena is determined to take the next three months to write one last book that will shake everyone in the world to its core.
This book will tell of one day four years ago in Helena’s life that she has been avoiding. Everything she told her family, friends, police, and even the world was a lie. Her last work will tell the truth of what happened that day four years ago.
By the end of it, it could end up in Helena’s untimely death, but at least the truth will be out there. The story will undoubtedly be one for the ages and be Helena Ross’s most famous work yet.
7. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs focuses on Jane, a dog walker who has just moved to the city of Birmingham, Alabama. She is financially struggling, often taking items from her clients living in the upscale community of Thornfield Estates. Hey, they’re rich. It’s not like they will notice when a few unimportant items go missing.
One day, Jane meets the recently widowed Eddie Rochester, whose wife, Bea, and her best friend had died in a boating accident with their bodies never found. Feelings between the poor dog walker and the wealthy widower grow. Yet, the shadow of his deceased wife, Bea, seems to hang around them, something Jane desperately wants to escape.
Only time will tell if Jane can live up to the legend of Bea, a self-made woman who was not only successful in her business but also in the looks department. It’s a hard act to follow!
8. The Push by Ashley Audrain
Ashley Audrain’s The Push showcases a new mother with a difficult past who desperately wants to outrun it. Blythe Connor sets out to be a great mother that she never had when her daughter Violet was born. However, as the days and weeks drag on, she begins to wonder if there is something off about her daughter, who doesn’t act like most children.
Fox, her husband, brushes her off and says it’s all in her head. When Blythe gives birth to her son Sam, the experience is positive and so unlike the one she had with her eldest child. This leads Blythe to wonder if it is just her or if there truly is something wrong with Violet.
It’s a book that doesn’t shy away from complex topics that involve women, children, and the overall idea of motherhood. Once you read it, you’ll walk away with an entirely different perspective and consider it one of the best books like Verity!
9. Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Talking about the books similar to Colleen Hoover’s Verity, we have Alexandra Andrews’ Who is Maud Dixon? next on the list. The novel weaves a suspense story that focuses on a woman named Florence Darrow, someone whose biggest goal in life is to become a famous writer. After some stumbles in her personal life (like an affair with her boss, for example), Florence lands a job as an assistant to Maud Dixon, real name Helen. She is a famous novelist whose identity remains a secret from the world.
When Helen invites Florence on a trip to Morocco to do research for her new novel, Florence jumps at the chance. Everything changes when the two end up in a car crash that kills Helen and sends Florence to the hospital.
Initially, she is horrified, but then it dawns on her that nobody knows what Maud Dixon looks like. If Florence were to take up the mantle of Maud Dixon rather than Helen, no one would be the wiser.
10. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
Liv Constantine’s The Last Mrs. Parrish features a protagonist that we can relate to on some level. Amber Patterson is a woman who considers herself to be invisible and the type to fade into the background. Nothing about her stands out. This is the exact opposite of Daphne Parrish, a typical blue-eyed, blonde-haired beauty with all the power and money she could ever want.
Amber despises Daphne and her perfect life, feeling like she is the one who deserves it and not Daphne. A plan soon starts to form that will see Amber getting close to Daphne and interjecting her into life.
It works, and Amber becomes a good friend to Daphne. She travels with Daphne, even spending time with Daphne’s two daughters and her husband, Jackson, an equally wealthy and successful individual.
Amber’s plan seems to be working until something from Amber’s past threatens to ruin everything!
11. Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Untamed Shore is a novel set in Baja, California, in the year 1979. Protagonist Viridiana is a bored young woman who wants more than her small fishing town can provide for her. She wants what she sees in the movies and is desperate to have it.
When three tourists of considerable wealth decide to spend the summer in her little town, Viridiana interjects herself in all their lives. They give her all the excitement she has been craving for years and years now. Finally, there is an escape from her boring little fishing town.
Everything is thrown upside down after one of the tourists ends up dead. Immediately, Viridiana lies so she can protect these new friends of hers. Questions linger, and Viridiana ends up wondering just who these tourists she decided to lie for actually were.
There seems to be more to them than meets the eye!
12. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door is about a woman named Jules Larsen who has just started a new job as an apartment sitter at Bartholomew, an upscale building in Manhattan. The only rules she has to follow are no visitors, no nights spent anywhere other than the apartment, and not bothering any of the residents.
Despite the very clear rules, Jules ends up striking up a relationship with Ingrid. She is another apartment sitter who reminds her of the sister she lost eight years prior. To add to the uneasiness of it all, Ingrid disappears right after telling Jules that there is more to Bartholomew than meets the eye.
This puts Jules on the path to finding Ingrid. In her search, she discovers that other apartment sitters have gone missing from the building. A killer is lurking inside Bartholomew, and they have set their sights on Jules.
13. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife is a sordid tale that gives us a love story for the ages. In the first person’s point of view, one-half of the couple describes the love story behind their fifteen-year marriage as simple. He met a pretty woman; they had some kids, and then they moved to the suburbs. It is the stereotypical American dream.
The protagonist laments that on the outside, they are your average-looking couple. Their neighbors, family, friends, and even acquaintances would concede to this fact. However, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving.
Unbeknownst to others, this married couple has a secret they share. It is a secret they keep to keep their marriage alive and interesting. What is this secret? Well, it’s murder, and as long as they keep this secret, they will keep getting away with it as they have been doing for years.
14. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment brings us into Jess’s life, who is going through a common problem many of us have faced. After leaving her job and realizing she desperately needs a fresh start, Jess turns to her half-brother in Paris. She asks him if she could stay with him for a little while, and though he doesn’t seem happy with the arrangement; he agrees.
On the day Jess arrives, she finds her brother is nowhere to be found. She isn’t worried at first, but the more time passes, the more worried she becomes. To add to her problems, Jess has to contend with Ben’s strange group of neighbors, all of whom are odd in their own right.
Jess becomes determined to figure out why her half-brother went missing, and everyone, and I mean everyone, is a suspect. She won’t rest until she figures out what has happened to Ben.
15. November 9 by Colleen Hoover
Like Verity, Colleen Hoover’s November 9 is another critically acclaimed novel by the New York Times bestselling author. It tells the story of Fallon, who is set to move all away across the country from Los Angeles, California. On the day she is supposed to move, she ends up meeting a man named Ben, who is an aspiring novelist, keyword aspiring.
After spending the day together, Ben finds the inspiration he needs for his novel in Fallon. The years pass, and both of them live their own lives. Despite this, they still manage to find time to meet once a year on the same date that they first met.
It all seems perfect until Fallon suspects that Ben might have been lying to her the entire time for the sake of his damned novel. This leads to heartbreaking consequences for both Ben and Fallon, whose lives will be forever changed.
16. Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering
Carola Lovering’s Too Good to Be True is a novel that tells the story of Skye Starling. She has recently been proposed to by her boyfriend, Burke Michaels. Now Skye’s life is nearly perfect with her upcoming nuptials to an extremely attractive older man who swept her off her feet.
It isn’t long before Skye starts planning her wedding. Unbeknownst to her, there is more to Burke than meets the eye. For one, he is already married, and in notes to his therapist, he reveals that his reason for approaching Skye and asking for her hand in marriage is anything but innocent.
At the same time, we get a peek into Burke’s past through the eyes of a teenage girl named Heather. She has been dating Burke but is determined to leave him and find a new life in the big apple.
Eventually, all these stories will collide.
17. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
B.A. Paris’ Behind Closed Doors is one of the best books like Verity; it is about a couple named Jack and Grace. On the outside, they have a perfect life. Jack works hard as an attorney while Grace takes care of the household and her disabled younger sister. It is the bisectional, picture-perfect life, and this couple is living the American Dream.
Things are not always as they seem, however. Beyond the perfection are several oddities surrounding Grace. She never ventures out to meet friends, nor does she answer the phone. Even more surprising is the fact that the downstairs windows are all fitted with the best security money can buy in the form of metal shutters.
Something is odd about Grace and whether Jack knows about his wife’s strange behaviors is yet another question that begs to be answered. This just goes to show you that looks can become deceiving and only scratch the surface of the truth.
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of Verity, then these suspenseful mystery novels are ones you should check out. They all feature different plots and settings with an overall arching theme of a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Don’t worry if one of your favorite books didn’t make the list. It doesn’t make that book any less valid. We just believe these seventeen books are the ones that stand out from the rest and are books like Verity that every fan should read!