If Colleen Hoover has one million fans, BookTok is one of them. If Colleen Hoover has one fan, It would be BookTok. And if Colleen Hoover has zero fans, BookTok simply wouldn’t exist.
While her other books, It Ends With Us and Ugly Love, took the BookTok world by storm, a different Hoover book has been all over avid readers’ FYPs: Verity. A kind of departure from her more romantic work, Verity is a psychological thriller that’s dark, twisted, and bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. But don’t worry, there are still those classic Hoover spicy scenes we know and love (and reread, obviously).
I finished Verity in a single sitting. And after taking a minute to reflect with a WTF just happened?, I found myself scouring the internet for a comparable read. I needed something just as chilling, steamy, and darkly intense to satisfy the craving Verity left in my literary palette. Needless to say, I found my fix.
Ready for a ride? Here are 5 books like Verity to add to your TBR, ASAP.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
If you loved the psychological thriller aspect of Verity, Lock Every Door will definitely give you that spine-chilling plotline you’ve been craving. The story follows Jules (hey, that’s my name!), a woman who takes up the job of an apartment sitter after losing both her job and relationship. However, the new job comes with rules, secrets, and the task of unmasking a killer.
Lock Every Door is a thrilling story that will have you guessing and gasping with every single twist and turn. It’s original, fresh, and the perfect read for your upcoming spooky season. Get ready for an all-nighter with this one!
UNTAMED SHORE BY SILVIA MORENO-GARCIa
While summer has come to an unofficial close, Untamed Shore will give you that summertime feeling no matter what season it is. This thriller takes place in 1979 Baja California and centers around Viridiana, a young woman who daydreams about more than just her shoreside life. Yet, her life is turned upside down when her life becomes intertwined with three American tourists who offer her a new life of glamour, wealth, and a whole lot of secrets. What follows is a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal—with a naive Viridiana in the middle of it all.
Untamed Shore has the perfect balance of thrill and spice, and is perfect for anyone who needs a break from reality for a few hundred pages. It’s a definite slow-burn, but the build-up and pay-off are extremely strong.
The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin
For fans of the more romantic aspects of Colleen Hoover, The Lies That Bind is the perfect mix of emotion, romance, and suspense. Cecily Gardner is recently heartbroken and sitting at an empty bar in New York City when she forges an unexpected, and electric, connection with a man named Grant. Their spontaneous relationship leads Cecily to embark on uncharted romantic waters, until Grant goes missing in the chaos of 9/11. Desperate to find him, Cecily soon discovers that she’s not the only person trying to track down Grant—and that her whirlwind connection may have never been who she thought he was.
While it’s not as dark and twisted as Verity, The Lies That Bind it’s still a story about uncovering the truth. Deeply emotional and gripping, this story is sure to keep you hooked from page to page.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
While controversial, Where The Crawdads Sing has been a BookTok staple for as long as I can remember. If you haven’t gotten around to reading it (or seeing the movie), Where The Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya Clark, “The Marsh Girl” who opens herself up to the love and attention of two young men from town. But, when death strikes, Kya’s new life is flipped upside down with crime, betrayal, and the possibility of murder.
If you’re looking for a book that’s just as suspenseful and exciting as Verity, then you’re in luck. Where The Crawdads Sing is an excellent balance between coming-of-age and crime-drama, and you won’t be able to put it down.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Finally, Gone Girl has to be one of the most iconic female-centric thrillers in the game. On the fifth year wedding anniversary of Nick and Amy Dunne, the unthinkable happens—Amy goes missing. But what should be a heartwrenching event quickly turns sour, as we being to learn about the lies, deceit, and twisted nature entangled in the seemingly perfect marriage.
Gone Girl is an absolute ride, and there’s a reason why this novel continues to be talked about years after its publication. There are twists, intensity, and enthralling events on every single page, and if you haven’t read it yet…add to cart ASAP.
