Verity by Colleen Hover – Book Summary

This is a summary based on my understanding of the novel. Please also note that this summary contains spoilers. You may want to read the entire book first before proceeding

Prior to meeting her agent and a publisher, Lowen witnessed an accident. There was blood all over her shirt, and a man named Jeremy assisted her and even gave her clothes.

She later on found out that it was Jeremy who hired her. His wife, Verity Crawford, got into an accident and they would need her assistance in writing the continuation of her series. Lowen was hesitant, but she eventually agreed since her mother just died and she’s about to get kicked out from her apartment.

She packed a suitcase, rented a car then went to Jeremy & Verity Crawford’s house. She planned on staying there for 2 days so she can go through her notes. She stayed in the masters bedroom since Jeremy and his son, Crew, is staying on the upper floor so they can be closer to Verity.

Read more: Verity by Colleen Hover – Book Summary

While she was going through Verity’s notes, she found a manuscript, it was Verity’s autobiography. She convinced herself that she needed to read it to adopt Verity’s writing style better.

The autobiography started with how Verity & Jeremy met. She described their sex life in detail. It wasn’t disturbing at first – not until it got to the Chapter where Verity got pregnant. Jeremy was very happy – she was not. She doesn’t like having anyone who takes away Jeremy’s attention from her.

Until she gave birth, Verity is still not fond of her daughters. They had twins – Harper and Chastin. Eventually, Verity grew fond of Chastin, but she despised Harper. This started when she had a dream about Harper killing Chastin.

Chastin died first. She had a peanut allergy. She was at a sleepover at a friends house, Harper was also there. Everyone was aware of her peanut allergy, they weren’t just aware that their snacks had peanuts. Chastin slept, and never woke up. Verity blamed Harper about that.

A few months after Chastin’s death, Jeremy is still not like how he was before. They rarely have sex, and Verity thought that he is still depressed. She thought that a death of another child might help. She staged an accident for Harper. While Jeremy was out to get groceries, Verity took the kids to the lake. They rode the boat. Verity whispered to Crew to hold his breath, then tilted the boat. She saved Crew, and took her time to go to Harper. She prentended to be hysterical when the police came, even when Jeremy came.

When Jeremy arrived, Verity realized that she made a terrible mistake. The death of Harper won’t make their relationship better. It made everything worst.

Also, Jeremy suspected her. He asked a lot of questions. When he asked why he asked Crew to hold his breath, Verity knew that she got busted.

Verity realized that her life is ruinied because Jeremy no longer looks at her the same way — she ended her autobiography about crashing herself into a tree.

The End of the autobiography.

Lowen didn’t read this autobiography in one sitting. She read it chapter by chapter for about 2 weeks. Jeremy offered that she stay longer after hearing that her application to rent an apartment has been denied.

Jeremy and Lowen also fell in love. They both know its wrong but they did it anyway. They had sex multiple times in the masters bedroom as Crew and Verity slept.

During her stay Lowen suspected that Verity has been faking her illness. Verity simply stairs into thin air, and has always been unresponsive- however Lowen got clues. Crew cassually mentioned before that her mom talked to her. Lowen thinks Verity turned off the television, then even muted it one time. Also, the first time she and Jeremy kissed in the living room, she saw Verity looking at them. Jeremy didn’t see her, when he checked, she was lying motionless on her bed.

Since she’s now very suspicious, Lowen once asked Crew if his mother talks to him. She ended up asking him about what happened in the lake – Crew bit on a knife, drew blood, and Jeremy had to take him to the hospital.

Since no one else is at home (the nurses are only around during day time), Jeremy asked Lowen to stay to be with Verity.

Lowen is scaredof Verity, so she took the baby monitor from the basement and set it up in Verity’s room. Even after almost an hour, Verity is still motion less. Then, she found Verity move. Lowen went to Verity’s room angrily and was ready to confront her.

Lowen was forcing Verity to wake up, and Jeremy saw her in that situation. It looked bad, she looked like she was trying to harm the helpess Verity – Jeremy asked Lowen to leave.

Feeling like she got no choice, she showed him Verity’s autobiography. She asked him to read even a part of it. After he did he confronted Verity.. he threatened her that he would give the manuscript to the police if she doesn’t answer him.. then she answered him. She was conscious althoughout after all.

Consumed with anger, Jeremy choked Verity. Lowen stopped him, but only to warn him that this may lead him to prison. Lowen suggested he kill her without any evidence. Jeremy put his fingers towards Verity’s throat until she died. Jeremy and Lowen panicked but they came up with a plan about how Verity died.

Seventh months after Verity’s death, Lowen is in New York.. she is pregnant woth Jeremy’s child, and they are about to live together. They sold the house he had with Verity and they are now planning to live together with Crew and their new baby.

Before they sold the house, they decided to get some things from there first. Crew cassually mentioned about a spot on the floor in Verity’s room where he keeps his things. Lowen went their and checked that spot – she found a letter.

It was a letter written by Verity, addressed to Jeremy. In the letter she said that she hopes Jeremy would find it after she leaves with Crew. She explained that her autobiography was just practice writing, that it was suggested by her agent in preparation for her next novel. It’s called antagonistic journaling. None of the violent things she did that she mentioned in the manuscript were true. Jeremy actually read the manuscript, and she was sad that he actually believed that she was that kind of person. She loved her children, and was not addicted to sex and to him contrary to what she wrote. Verity narrated that after reading the manuscript, Jeremy got so angry that he choked her. He passed out, the found herself inside a car – Jeremy was driving, staging an accident. She pretended to be unconscious as she waits for her opportunity to escape. She ended the letter expressing her love to Jeremy.

Lowen was shocked. She took part in killing Verity and she was innocent afterall? She also acknowledged that Jeremy, the man she fell in love with, was actually the one who staged her accident…

When someone knocked on the door, Lowen tore up the paper and flushed it in the toilet. She wants to make sure no one else reads it. She wants to make sure nobody else knows – she won’t even tell Jeremy about it, to protect him.

The End of Verity by Colleen Hover.