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Credence

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Tiernan de Haas, a young woman who has been neglected her whole life, finds herself emotionally stunted and withdrawn following the sudden death of her parents. Seeking to escape the Hollywood spotlight, she travels to live with her father's estranged stepbrother and his two sons in a remote mountain town in Colorado. The story unfolds as Tiernan navigates the complex emotional journeys of herself and the three men, delving into unconventional relationships and pushing boundaries between love and obsession.

Credence by Penelope Douglas is an emotionally intense and gripping novel that explores dark and twisted themes through complex character relationships. The narrative follows Tiernan's journey of self-discovery and human connection, intertwining mystery and suspense with unique and well-developed characters facing their own demons and seeking resolutions in the remote town of Chapel Peak.

Characters:

The characters range from emotionally complex to problematic, reflecting deep-seated issues such as trauma and unhealthy relationships.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging and emotionally intense, effectively weaving together dark themes with character-driven moments.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot is centered on complex and taboo familial relationships involving a recently orphaned girl and her step-uncle and cousins, resulting in dark and gripping themes.

Setting:

The setting is a snowy mountain cabin that enhances the feelings of isolation and intimacy among characters.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow initially but accelerates, creating a sense of urgency by the conclusion.
It’s strange. The tire swing in the yard is the only thing that makes it look like a kid lives here. There were never any drawings in the house. None on the fridge or walls. No children’s books on the...

Notes:

The book has a lot of taboo themes that surprised and entertained readers.
It's a reverse harem romance, which many readers found unique and different.
The protagonist, Tiernan, is dealing with the trauma of her parents' deaths and explores complex family dynamics.
The setting of the story is a remote cabin in Colorado during winter, which adds to the isolation and tension.
Readers experienced mixed feelings about the book, often going through shock and disbelief while reading.
The book contains explicit scenes, with some readers rating the steam level very high.
There are elements of BDSM, but they're described as light and accessible to readers who are not into BDSM.
Many readers mentioned the character development was lacking, particularly for characters other than the protagonist, Tiernan.
The pacing of the book received criticism, especially at the beginning when it felt slow to some readers, then rushed at the end.
The book is known for its morally gray aspects and has several trigger warnings, particularly concerning sexual assault and age gaps.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The novel contains numerous triggers including sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, trauma, and themes of consent.

Has Romance?

The book includes significant romantic elements, featuring numerous intimate relationships.

From The Publisher:

From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Douglas, comes a new standalone Three of them, one of her, and a remote cabin in the woods. Let the hot, winter nights ensue...Tiernan de Haas doesn't care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she's grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents' fame followed her everywhere. And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She's always been alone, hasn't she?Jake Van der Berg, her father's stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them. And as a part of them. She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching. One of them has her. The other one wants her. But he...He's going to keep her.*Credence is a full length, stand-alone romance suitable for readers 18+.

Ratings (212)

Incredible (50)
Loved It (55)
Liked It (41)
It Was OK (31)
Did Not Like (25)
Hated It (10)

Reader Stats (345):

Read It (209)
Currently Reading (7)
Want To Read (85)
Did Not Finish (7)
Not Interested (37)

4 comment(s)

Liked It
5 days

It was definitely an experience to read it and addicting but I can't really say that I liked it a lot or hated it. It definitely had its issues, and I just didn't like Kaleb or saw anything between them and the story line was definitely.. weird. It's not family by blood luckily but still had some serious issues. But can't deny I wasn't curious to see what was going to happen in the end. No stars on it. Maybe later but I just don't know what to rate it.

 
Did Not Like
6 months

Incest... A no for me

 
Loved It
6 months

Storyline

 
Loved It
8 months

This was exactly what I wanted but not at all what I expected.

 
 
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