Credence

Penelope continues to amaze me with her unique stories and flawless writing, and this book is no different. She has created an EPIC unconventional romance unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I could not put it down. This story is about 4 lost and broken souls and their journey towards healing. This is not for everyone but if you take the chance on it you will not be disappointed. “It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”—Frederick Douglas" This book is hard to label as any one thing because it has layers upon layers in it. The story is so unique, and Penelope has delivered it with such precision that it took a couple days to even wrap my head around what I read. The characters are all damaged in some way. And they handle that in their own way’s but what you witness is the process with which they took towards slowly healing from their broken places. This book is emotional and at times hard to read due to what’s happening, but each of their journey’s is a necessary one and so worth the ride. "His voice is deep but soft, like he’s a little bit scared of me but not scared of anything else." The development of each character and their individual personalities really pull this story together effortlessly. Penelope has this way of writing that draws you completely into her stories, to the point you get lost in them. And this story does just that she pulls you in from the very first chapter and as the story progresses you get wrapped up in her twists and turns that continue to keep you on the edge of your seat just waiting to see what she’s going to do next. This book is a Non-Stop ride from start to finish. Every new development and moment she wrote keeps you utterly enthralled. I had to know what was going to happen, she had me furiously turning the pages to see what she would do next. "I feel it. The need to engage. After the sadness, anger was my constant companion as a kid. And then the anger went away, and there was nothing." I love stories that are different and push you out of your comfort zone. Those types of stories for me are my crack I cannot get enough. And this story checks those boxes for me. This is unlike anything I’ve read, and I did not want it to end, alas it did of course. But not before taking me on a journey that I will be hard pressed to forget. Penelope tore open my soul with this book and slowly and meticulously put it back together with her words, but she pieced it with a part of this book embedded into my marrow. "I swallow. Why would he put a dreamcatcher on there? But it is beautiful. He made this himself? Then I notice something else, and I chuckle. “The notches go all the way to the buckle,” I point out. “I’m flattered, but my waist isn’t that small.” Noah leans in, whispering, “But your wrists are.” I am so grateful that she took the chance with this book, because I couldn’t imagine not having it. I commend authors who write what they want to write even though they know that not everyone will like their story. Those books are the ones that we need, if they aren’t going to write those stories than who will? Is this book for everyone? Absolutely not. But is it without a doubt worth the risk? Yes! All you must do is keep an open mind and embrace this amazing world that Penelope has created.

“Reality is fickle, isn’t it?” I ask. “We can get used to almost anything.” We all acclimate. We learn, we resolve, we come around—it’s not that anything really gets easier or harder. We just get better at rolling with it.” - Credence. SYNOPSIS: 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. - Credence. REVIEW: This is the first book that I have read by Penelope Douglas (although I have had some of her books on my TBR for a while) and I read it for a buddy-read. I am so glad I read this book, and especially glad I read it within a buddy-read because discussing it with others through the book was so fun. Overall, this is a steamy forbidden romance book that is not going to be for everyone. I will admit that during reading this book I had a lot of mixed thoughts regarding the romances and even (a lot) sometimes totally pushed their relationship out of my mind so I could enjoy the book a bit better. That being said, there is a lot (seriously) of sex in this book so be aware of that. I did think these scenes were done well and didn’t take away from the plot of the book. Also, be aware that there are a lot of trigger warnings for this book too. Overall though, I thought the plot of this book was great, and it kept me interested for the whole book. I didn’t even realize that this book was around 400 pages- I thought it was a lot less while reading it. I rated this book a 4.5 but actually chose to lower it to a 4 for review purposes. I thought the ending was good but I would have liked to see a little more, I thought it happened fairly quickly. Also, I wish there was more development of one of the characters, Kaleb. He was a major part of the book and I felt that his character changed kinda drastically towards the end and it seemed a little sudden. I would have liked to see more of a progressive change with him and maybe more emotional content relating to this change. Overall, I did enjoy all the characters and especially Tiernan. I seem to have been gravitating towards these type of characters who have a hard time leaning into love and are looking for a sense of home or belonging. Characters that don’t have the best pasts in one way or another and throughout that narrative show great change. So, yes I loved her. I also thought the side characters were great and their personalities complemented the plot. After reading “Credence”, I am now considering myself to be a Penelope Douglas fan and will go on to read her other books that are on my TBR.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Credence by Penelope Douglas is an unforgettable, addictive read that completely pulled me in from the first page. The character development was phenomenal, especially watching Tiernan grow into her own voice and finally discover who she truly is. Jake, Noah, and Kaleb created such a complicated, raw, and emotional dynamic that kept me hooked through every chapter. The forbidden and taboo elements made the story even more intense, pushing boundaries in a way that only Penelope Douglas can pull off. I loved how the love triangle wasn’t just about romance, but about self-discovery and healing. Tiernan’s journey toward peace and belonging was moving and powerful, making me root for her every step of the way. Each of the men brought something unique to the story, and their relationships with Tiernan were layered and meaningful. This book was emotional, tense, and deeply passionate in all the best ways. A bold, thought-provoking story that will stay with me for a long time.

I found hard to rate this book. It was captivated read with heroes all broken in their unique way. However, smut in my opinion override the plot. Don't get me wrong, it was hot as hell, but did not correlate with anything else. All three male MC were portrayed as horny savages. The number of girls and women going through their beds seemed clashing with their personalities as they were not as primitive as their actions were. I was actually sad about Jake, as he seemed to be a good guy and helped Tiernan to come to terms with herself, to open up, to voice herself. I am confused about Noah who was supposed to be her friend and a great guy. But ... how on earth could he be a great guy if all he was offering to her was threesome with his brother?! "You are ours! We love you" What does it supposed to really mean? And ... like if this is what he offers if he is seriously invested, I don't even want to imagine what it looks like if he is not. And, Kaleb. I liked this brooding, silent guy, who did not speak but communicated so well. I liked small glimpses of his feelings which the author crafted so well, like sharing his food, soothing her nightmares, displaying her drawings and so on. But again, all his layers and depth were ruined by sexually abusive actions. I mean really seriously criminal-like abusive. They seemed to belong to a different person. I would have loved to see their connection through some more common interests like design or drawing, crumbs of which started but were not explored. I also missed the outline of Kaleb's occupation after he left the mountains. What were his interests in life besides family? Finally, Tiernan. I liked how she found peace with her parents and was strong enough to see and accept things as they were. But once again, all good was spoiled when she went from virgin to brothel in the space of a single day. I could have imagined her wanting to explore, to enjoy her effect on men, but this was too much to be plausible given her closed nature. So, I am still struggling, as there was so much I liked and so much, I am confused and finally ended up with three stars as I wished the author had done this differently.

Title: Credence Author: Penelope Douglas Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance / Age Gap / Taboo Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars) ⸻ “Wild, taboo, and completely unputdownable—Credence dares to go where most books won’t, and it does it so well.” Penelope Douglas absolutely shattered my expectations with Credence. This book is bold, steamy, and emotionally complicated in a way that grabs you from page one and never lets up. It’s not your typical romance—and that’s what makes it so powerful. It’s about trauma, desire, freedom, and what happens when the rules of society are stripped away. Tiernan is such a complex, raw character. Raised with wealth but neglected emotionally, she’s completely unmoored after her parents’ deaths. Watching her find herself—sexually, emotionally, and mentally—in the wild isolation of the mountains with three very different men is as intense as it is unforgettable. Jake, Kaleb, and Noah each bring something unique to the story, and the chemistry between them is explosive. ⸻ What to Expect: Trigger Warnings: • Grief / death of parents • Age gaps • Taboo relationships (guardian/ward dynamics) • Explicit sexual content • Emotional manipulation • Themes of isolation, trauma, and healing ⸻ Spice Level: 5/5 — Extremely spicy with a heavy focus on sexual awakening and taboo exploration. Very mature and unapologetically graphic. ⸻ Tropes & Themes: • Age gap romance • Guardian / ward • Taboo / forbidden love • Sexual self-discovery • Love triangle (or square) • Grumpy/silent love interest • Coming-of-age with adult themes • Found family, healing after grief ⸻ My Thoughts: I could not stop reading. It’s wild, emotional, and yes—deeply taboo—but somehow Penelope Douglas makes you care about every character, even when you’re unsure where it’s going. The emotional weight behind Tiernan’s growth, the way each relationship challenged and revealed a different part of her, made the story feel real even in its most unreal moments. Kaleb absolutely stole my heart—the quiet, brooding strength he showed, his protectiveness, the slow unfolding of who he really is underneath the silence? Incredible. And the emotional payoff? Chef’s kiss. ⸻ Final Thoughts: Credence is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s bold, daring, and deeply layered beneath the spice and shock value. If you love taboo, high-stakes emotion, and a heroine finding her power in the unlikeliest of places, this book is a must-read. It’s not for everyone, but if it is for you—you’ll never forget it.

I liked this book for the most part. While it isn't an RH, and I get why, I felt like the ending didn't do justice to Noah in particular. My heart breaks for him a little because I felt like everyone did him dirty, and he deserved so much better. That being said, I really loved him and the other characters. They were well written, there was some swooning, and the plot line worked for me. This was a good quick read.

If there is one thing Penelope Douglas does very well (plot twist: she does A LOT of things very well!), it is writing unconventional love stories about trauma, healing, arrested development, devotion, wounded souls, awakening, spicy spice, fate, mistakes and inner turmoil where people come together and figure it all out. Credence is a circuitous love story, a whirlwind of confrontation and connection. Ultimately, our MMC and FMC are on parallel journeys of self-worth and accepting love. Something they both struggle with in very different ways. Our FMC is stripped of her gilded cage at the beginning of the book, and upon meeting her, our MMC is stripped of his ability to exist in nothingness. This book reminds us that sometimes, standing in the light, seeing ourselves clearly, and seeing ourselves reflected in another is incredibly painful. And why is it painful? Because when love walks in the room, it shines a light on everything that love is not: all the love you never received, all the love denied to you, and all the ways this lack of love has dictated our perception of worthiness. One of the reasons I am so drawn to Penelope's writing is that she tells the stories of flawed human beings worthy of love, not despite their imperfections but because of them because it is honest and authentic and allows the reader to understand what it means to be loved in their wholeness. The characters in Credence (Tiernan, Jake, Kaleb, and Noah) say and do the wrong things. They disappoint one another, hurt each other's feelings, don't say the right things at the right time, are scared and self-conscious, don't take the direct path to get what they want and take us along for the ride. And the reason it resonates is that as wild as the story is, the characters feel so genuine, so loveable, so frustrating, and so honest. They're kinky, selfish, and selfless. And I love it."

Trauma and healing. The characters are flawed but oh so easy to love. Love and new found family heal everything. This is a book I reread to feel all the emotions.