For starters, I think the author made the right choice in limiting the amount of characters present in this novel to just a few main ones. This decision alone obviously made it easier to focus in much greater depth on the people present, to spend more time with them as readers, and as a result, become more invested in their fates and inner worlds. I don't want to say too much, but I thought it was excellent. Hoover expertly leads us on a winding trail of lies and manipulation. As the story is essentially Hoover - an author - writing about an author reading about another author, there's this constant sense that someone is lying to you-- but who is it? Now, that's not so easy to tell. The story takes you through everyone’s fears and darkness. Lowen starts to see everyone from another perspective and begins questioning their behaviour. However, that does not stop her from falling in love with Jeremy. He was and still is one of the best men she has ever known. Verity did not deserve such a man. The only thing she ever did was hurt him without him even knowing. She deserves what happened to her. Also, this book isn’t as twisty as some mystery-thrillers. Instead, the romance aspect of it takes precedence for much of it, with our protagonist falling for Verity’s husband, Jeremy Crawford.

This was straight-up hilarious. The funniest creepy book ever written. Did I hear that people cried while reading this? I sure hope it was tears of laughter (or pain) because y'all need to explain. Anyways now I can say I wasn’t lying when I told people every day of my life in a bookstore or library for the past year that, sure, I’ll give Hoover a try. Mission accomplished. is it like a Mr Rochester thing? Because this book does seem constructed around Jane Eyre nods in many ways. Now, Lowen Ashleigh is on the brink of losing everything she has in life, which isn’t much, but also on the verge of losing herself. Then, like a miracle – or a curse? – an opportunity that she could never have expected presents itself.Whoever thinks that letter was real, explain this comedy (which is actually much funnier with context I promise). I was half fully hoping Verity would chase her petrified ass around the house to really seal it in, the traumatisation and future years of therapy that is.

For two reasons, actually. One, it is so compulsively readable that it's almost impossible to put it down until you've finished it. And two, it is seriously creepy and disturbing. Warnings for depictions of child abuse and some graphic violence.

Detailed Plot Summary

The mid-career success story of Colleen Hoover, a fortysomething Texas mother of three who has written more than 20 novels across multiple genres, is partly a testament to the power of social media. And yet that’s only a piece of the equation. As far as current sales go, Hoover is without rival. To my own disappointment however, we never get there. For essentially the entire first half of the book, we are strung along in a chase to figure out what life-altering tragedy occurred to Lowen. This event is talked up to be almost so horrific that it has undoubtedly transformed our main character. Only, it is beyond dissatisfying. Upon discovering the reason I audibly said, “That’s it?” while reading. Verity follows Lowen, a writer who has been hired to take over the series of a famous author of thrillers, Verity Crawford. As she’s moved into Verity’s home to conduct research for the bestselling series, she stumbles upon what appears to be Verity’s autobiography. Speaking of the handsome man, Jeremy is depicted as an attractive, kind and caring father and loving husband. Verity is absolutely obsessed with him, and soon Lowen starts falling for him as well. I’m not completely convinced of his perfection and there were a few hinky things that I was left wondering about at the end. But a lot of it is left open to interpretation. The novel is an entrancing, nightmare-inducing, unnerving, and mindboggling novel that will be sure to stay with the reader for years to come. Now, let’s move deeper into our book review and meet Lowen and the Crawfords. The Pain Under