Credence by Penelope Douglas

I have heard this book is terrible. I hadn’t found many positive reviews online. But I took a chance. I am so happy that I did. This story is wonderful. Spice? It has some. But it isn’t page after page. The story is captivating. Penelope Douglas weaves words that wrap around your heart and mind. How I read these books is: I want them to last so I enjoy every word. I enjoyed every page; having to stop every few pages to think about what was written. Uncle Jake was gentle, strong, and tears at your soul. Jonah is the golden retriever—full of love and gentleness. And Kaleb!!!!!!! Dark, wild—-🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶so hot. I didn’t like a little of the way the brothers treated her. But they found their way to love and respect.
It’s a stand alone book, which is what I like. This has become one of my favorite discoveries. It will be a very beloved book trophies on my growing shelves.

And from what I’ve gathered, many readers echo similar sentiments. While there’s an addictive quality to this novel and its page-turning nature, I have some reservations about the romance development it portrays.

Like other reviewers, I found myself engrossed in Douglas’s storytelling, unable to tear myself away from the book. The sensual and sexual tension compels you to read forward, even when you don’t see it as quite right.

The fast-paced narrative will also kee you hooked, eager to uncover what’s next in the story. There’s also some good writing bits and I’ll even add that Tiernan’s character development is well done where emotional journey and growth is concerned.

However, I couldn’t ignore some of the shortcomings and red flags in the romance department.
It’s clear that the romantic relationships will leave you feeling uncertain and conflicted, at times detracting from the overall enjoyment of the story.

It’s a taboo sort of story after all, involving an underaged, emotionally vulnerable, young woman, with her step uncle and his two sons, one of whom initiates an aggressive rape-like situation.
Even if you’re into dark romance (and personal fantasies are not on trial here), one may not be able to avoid feelings of discomfort.

In conclusion, “Credence” offers an engaging reading experience with its gripping plot and addictive writing style. However, some flaws in romance development may leave some readers wishing for something different.

This book does contain a lot of morally gray material, however I am not including that in my review. You should already know what you’re getting yourself into. In my opinion, I think the pacing is a little too slow in the beginning and by the end you are reeling from the amount of time that passes. I feel like there was no real character development for any of these characters besides Tiernan. By the end of the book, Kaleb is still volatile, Noah remains the same, and Jake gets casted into the father role. I enjoyed Jake’s character the most, but I wish we learned more about him. The author does not really touch on his background besides his ex. Nor is the mother of his children ever mentioned besides two or three times. The tension between Jake and Tiernan was perfect, but I feel like the steam was lost on Noah and Kaleb. I mean, what virgin girl would allow a threesome? Noah was obviously the right choice for Tiernan, but I feel like she treated him like crap. The author had so much opportunity to make Noah someone other than a sidekick. Though Noah was probably the character shown the most, he was always mundane. Kaleb as a character is great! I love seeing representation for mute individuals like him. However, it seemed like Tiernan and him fought everyday and suddenly she realizes she loves him? I was so confused as to why he suddenly changed. This book does have some mild SA. There should have been some trauma or at least something other than the three just moving on. I feel like there should have been more interaction between the two characters than just sex and fighting. Tiernan’s character is beautifully written. In the beginning, before she allows herself to feel emotions, I feel that her emptiness was a bit refreshing. This book speaks a lot about loneliness and there is advice in this book that is very insightful. In addition, the smut was a little lackluster. Felt rushed and went by fast. The imagery in this book regarding the nature was beautiful, too. A lot of the stuff that happened not regarding romance was kind of cheesy and easy to guess. Overall, I probably wouldn’t read it again unless I was bored.

Book is great and good quality