Verity
Synopsis: Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts an unexpected job offer. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books of a successful series his wife is unable to finish due to medical reasons. Lowen moves into the Crawford mansion to review Verity’s notes. Verity is in some ill defined catatonic state, and Lowen also discovers that the couple’s twin daughters died in the months preceding Verity’s auto accident. Naturally, Lowen and Jeremy become attracted leading to complications.
Review: Where does one begin? I hated this book on so many levels it actually kept me up at night. The writing was weak, the characters implausible, and the sad, worn romance novel tropes infuriating. It’s not terribly long and not terribly challenging , so it actually was a fairly quick read, and thankfully so. The plot had enormous holes that did not make sense, and the “twist” at the end was a lazy plot device in my opinion. Was I supposed to be shocked? It just made me roll my eyes. SPOILER: Verity “fakes” her condition. Doctors, nurses, specialists, brain scans, and tests, and no one could tell she was just lying really really still?! Excuse me. I didn’t like ANY of the characters, and the romance between Lowen and Jeremy was not only completely predictable, but bewildering in the lack of emotional foundation. Jeremy had all the depth and complexity of cream of wheat. There was a lot of sex in this book, and it was just boring. This was my first Colleen Hoover book and it is also, emphatically, my last.
Rating: 1/5
Recipe: Here’s something millions of people love, and I despise—a Rice Krispie treat.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
10 ounce package of marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
1) In a large saucepan melt butter over low hear. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat
2) Stir in Rice Krispies
3) Press into 9 x 13 pan coated with cooking spray. Cool and cut into squares.