Colleen Hoover has made a name for herself in the world of contemporary romance and psychological thrillers with various popular novels. But in today’s post, I want to focus on her standout novel, “Verity,” and share with you a collection of works that are approximately similar to “Verity.”
Whether you’re drawn to the emotional depth of the characters, the twisty plot, or the sheer unpredictability of the story, the books I’m about to recommend promise to evoke similar feelings and themes. Let’s dive into a world where each page turn reveals secrets and truths, much like “Verity,” and discover stories that captivate and resonate with readers who crave that same intensity and complexity.
Books like Colleen Hoover Verity
Let’s explore this collection of books like Colleen Hoover Verity and discover stories that captivate and resonate with readers who crave that same intensity and complexity.
1. Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult’s
This gripping novel deals with the issue of race in America. Ruth, an African American labor and delivery nurse, is prohibited from caring for a white supremacist couple’s newborn. When the baby dies in her care, she’s charged with murder, leading to a dramatic trial that forces Ruth, her white public defender, and the baby’s heartbroken parents to confront their beliefs about race, privilege, and power.
2. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
A thought-provoking dystopian novel set in a society that appears utopian but is devoid of pain, diversity, and emotion. Jonas, a 12-year-old boy, is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memories, tasked with storing all the painful or pleasurable memories of life before Sameness. As Jonas uncovers the truth behind his world’s facade of perfection, he decides to escape.
3. The Ghostwriter, by Allessandra Torre
Best-selling author Helena Ross has a story that needs to be told before she dies. With only three months to live, she hires a ghostwriter to pen her final book—a confession of her darkest secret, one she’s kept for over 20 years.
4. The Perfect Couple, by Elin Hilderbrand
When a bride-to-be is found dead in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony, everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash digs into the best man, the maid of honor, the groom’s famous mystery novelist mother, and the bride’s own dark past, shocking secrets about the victim begin to emerge.
5. The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
This psychological thriller centers around Rachel, a woman who fantasizes about a seemingly perfect couple she watches from her daily train commute. When she witnesses something shocking, she gets entangled in a missing person’s investigation, while struggling with her own personal demons.
6. Where The Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
A heart-wrenching coming-of-age tale set in the marshlands of North Carolina. It tells the story of Kya Clark, known as the Marsh Girl, who’s survived for years alone in the marsh she calls home. When a popular local man is found dead, the town suspects Kya, leading to a captivating murder trial.
7. The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah
This novel follows the Allbright family—Ernt, Cora, and their daughter Leni—as they move to the Alaskan wilderness in 1974. Unprepared for the harsh winters, Ernt’s mental state deteriorates, leading to a cycle of violence that threatens to engulf them all.
8. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Set in Nazi Germany, this novel tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside Munich who steals books before and during WWII. Liesel’s story is narrated by Death, offering a unique perspective on human life, loss, and love.
9. The Wife Between Us, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
This psychological thriller unveils a complex love triangle involving an ex-wife, her wealthy, charming ex-husband, and his young, naive fiancee. The plot is cleverly designed to keep readers second-guessing the true nature of their relationships.
10. The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides
This psychological thriller revolves around Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who becomes mute after shooting her husband five times. Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, is determined to unravel the mystery behind Alicia’s silence and unearth the truth.
11. The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah
This powerful story set during World War II follows two French sisters—Vianne and Isabelle—as they resist the occupying Nazi forces in their own ways. Their individual journeys speak of courage, resilience, and the will to survive during the hardest times.
12. The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin
This novel explores the lives of the Gold siblings, who, as children, visit a psychic who predicts the dates of their deaths. The narrative then traces how this knowledge influences their decisions and relationships throughout their lives.
13. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evelyn Hugo, a reclusive former Hollywood star, chooses an unknown magazine reporter to write her biography. She narrates the intricate stories of her career, her seven marriages, and the immense love and loss she experienced throughout her life.
14. The Lost Girls of Paris, by Pam Jenoff
This historical fiction novel is centered around a ring of female secret agents during World War II. When an abandoned suitcase filled with photographs is found years after the war, a woman begins unraveling the stories of twelve brave women and the truth about their disappearance.
15. The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton
A century-old mystery takes root in this enchanting novel when Nell, abandoned as a child in 1913, embarks on a quest to discover her origins after her adoptive father’s death. Her journey leads her to the misty shores of Cornwall, to a beautiful estate where a dreadful secret lies hidden.
16. The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware
This gripping thriller follows Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist, who believes she’s witnessed a murder on a luxury cruise. As she attempts to investigate, she’s met with disbelief, leading her to question her own sanity.
17. Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
Set in the perfectly planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, the novel explores the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. This exploration of motherhood and identity sparks a controversy that divides the community.
18. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
This psychological thriller is a disturbing exploration of a marriage gone terribly wrong. When Amy Dunne disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary, her husband Nick becomes the prime suspect. Told through shifting narratives, the story reveals disturbing truths about love, deceit, and the darker side of marriage.
19. The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty
In this novel, Cecilia Fitzpatrick stumbles upon a letter from her husband, to be opened only in the event of his death. Curiosity leads her to open it while he’s still alive, revealing a shocking truth that intertwines her life with that of two other women, Tess and Rachel, altering their lives forever.
20. The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
This gothic suspense novel centers on reclusive author Vida Winter, who has fabricated her life story for decades. As she nears the end of her life, she hires biographer Margaret Lea to tell her true story, leading to a tale filled with twins, ghostly presences, hidden secrets, and a tragic fire.
21. Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
A romantic novel that narrates the unconventional love story between Louisa Clark, a quirky and cheerful woman, and Will Traynor, a wealthy young banker left paralyzed from an accident. Their lives intertwine when Louisa is hired as Will’s caretaker, leading to a deep bond that changes them both in ways they didn’t anticipate.
22. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
Set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, the novel features three main characters—Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter. Skeeter, a white woman, seeks to reveal the hardships faced by Aibileen and Minny, Black maids working for white families. Their collective stories give a voice to the racial disparity of the time.
23. Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate
This gripping novel is based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families. It’s a heartbreaking tale of a family torn apart by the corrupt adoption system, told through the alternating perspectives of Rill in the past and Avery in the present.
Final thoughts
In wrapping up, Colleen Hoover’s ‘Verity‘ has undoubtedly set a high bar for lovers of twisted narratives and profound character explorations. The novels listed are just similar reads; they are invitations to worlds that challenge our perceptions, tug at our heartstrings, and provoke our deepest thoughts, much like ‘Verity’ does. Each book is a journey into facets of human emotions and experiences—from the moral quandaries in ‘Small Great Things’ to the historical depths of ‘The Nightingale’, and the psychological mazes in ‘The Silent Patient’.
