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 … 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+.
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„We were lost and broken, each in our own way, and she needed us as much as we needed her.”
Shocking. Controversial. Mindblowing. Scorching hot. Penelope Douglas created a completely captivating and unpredictable story that breaks conventions and tests our moral views. But Credence is also a lesson in humanity, thought-provoking and even forcing you to identify with the characters of this story and to wonder if their behaviors and actions are really something unimaginable. And finally, it’s a journey. A way to find yourself, to open up and express your thoughts and feelings and to find the comfort you were always seeking, but also to become stronger.
Tiernan was such a mystery from the very beginning. Her character immediately piqued my interest and I was excited to discover every new thing about her. The evolution she went through on the pages of this book is huge and despite the debatable choices she made, it was exactly these situations that allowed her to mature into a confident and strong woman she has become. Every peeled layer made me like her more and more and I was keeping my fingers crossed that she’ll overcome the things to which she has no influence and that she’ll take her fate into her own hands.
The guys had me under their spell. Jake with his commanding persona, Noah with his flirty and fun side, and finally Kaleb with his intense and broody vibe. And although all three of them accelerated my heartbeat at some point and made me blush like a innocent schoolgirl, only one of them made me want to give him my heart on a tray and follow him into the dark.
4 people seeking connection, both physical and emotional. 4 lives who are looking for home, not as a building, but as a bond. A whirlwind of lust, love, passion and forbidden desires.
Credence is not a book for everyone. This is not a typical romance and it’s definitely different from all the stories I’ve read so far. Reading this book requires an open mind, but the experience is so worth every jaw-dropping and baffling moment. Pen Douglas has created unconventional, emotional and hyper-sexualized tale about overcoming the past and finding yourself. And the great storyline mixed with her brilliant writing style resulted in another masterpiece that shows exactly why Mrs. Douglas is on top of the top.
I have a confession to make: I binged this one in one day! Another confession: I’m still reeling over this book!
Everyone contemplates suicide at some point, even if it’s just for a minute. And one thing is usually the root cause. Loneliness.
After living her life being shipped around to boarding schools and summer camps, Tiernan has the opportunity to start over. Her step-uncle offers to take her in under his roof to live with him and his two sons. She can’t believe a vague phone call has her packing up her bags to travel to a secluded cabin in Colorado.
I stand there, still, but the nerves under my skin fire. One phone call, a coach seat, and four states later, it finally occurs to me… I don’t know these people.
Tiernan helps out with the chores and adjusts to life on the farm. The boys, however, want more from Tiernan.
“And you don’t have to call me uncle,” he says. “I’m not really anyway, right?”
“You have a pretty smile, cuz,” he tells me. “If you stay, I’ll make you smile some more.”
They want her to feel comfortable around them. That isn’t an easy task as Tiernan has never felt at home anywhere. Besides, it was hard to see all the women parade out of her new home every morning. Because winter was coming, the guys were trying to get enough lovin’ to last them all winter.
“I’m sorry you have to see all this,” Jake says in a pained voice. “When the snow is coming, we soak it up, because we know we won’t see anything pretty all winter.”
“And you probably shouldn’t walk around dressed like this,” he says, his voice quiet again.
I look up, meeting his eyes.
He cocks his head. “Especially this winter.”
As you can already tell, lines start to blur. Winter is here. Tiernan is left alone with the boys. They start playing games with her. Just to see how far they can take it. To see how much she will take before she will break.
“This is what we do,” Noah whispers in my ear. “This is what we do to get through the winter, Tiernan.”
I glance over at Kaleb, his face hidden, but I see his chest and stomach rising and falling with his quickened breathing.
“It’s what you’ll do, too,” Noah adds.
With them? Or…
I drop my eyes, hearing the girl’s clothes tearing.
“You should go to bed now.”
She is snowed in with three men. Men that she has come to care about. Men that see her as something they shouldn’t. However, one of them has laid claim on Tiernan and sharing her is driving him mad.
One of them has her.
The other one wants her.
But he…
He’s going to keep her.
Oh, Penelope Douglas. You wonderfully-twisted woman, you.
This was filled to the brim with dark and taboo content. Suicide, consensual non-consent play, age gap. . . the list goes on and on with this one. While I am all for pushing boundaries with my romances because they are fictional, there comes a time when enough is enough. The intertwined relationships drug on a little longer than I anticipated. Also, the ending was a bit of a disaster. All the major conflict arises and concludes in the ending – which was a little much as well.
Credence is a book that I definitely am going to have to read again. I went into this book so blindly that I wasn’t sure what to expect. A LOT of it caught me off guard and I feel like I wasn’t able to process it correctly. All I can think about is all those steamy scenes and how taboo they were. Penelope doesn’t give you long breaks between them and, like I said earlier, I was left reeling. I STILL AM!
I apologize that this review is long and tad ramble-y. I jumped into this review not really knowing how to talk about this book. I used quotes to guide me and this is the result. At least, I hope you feel like you have a better insight to this extremely vague book. And I hope you feel like I didn’t spoil you in some way.
4 Stars!
This review was originally posted on Sincerely, Whitney
My mind is blown and I’m still reeling after finishing Credence. What an emotional, heartfelt, fantastic and outstanding hot AF romance with complex characters and a uniquely orchestrated storyline that had me glued to my iPad.
There were so many intriguing moments that happened throughout this book and just when I thought I knew the plot or what was coming, Penelope Douglas does what she does best and gave unexpected twists that drew me in even more. Jake, Kaleb, Noah and Tiernan were quite the characters and so beautiful and special in their own right. All of them were damaged in some way shape or form and their interactions, connections and character development brought so much depth and meaning to the story. Credence ended just as it should have and without a doubt is one of my favorite books of 2020.
”I stand there, still, but the nerves under my skin fire. One phone call, a coach seat, and four states later, it finally occurs to me… I don’t know these people.”
There are so many things I had planned for today. I’m too tired to care about any of that though. I was up till 3 am reading this bad boy (or girl in this case…ha!). It’s so unbelievably scandalous that I was just in awe of how well Penelope delivered this heart-stopping masterpiece.
”Something about this house—these people—lend credence every day to what I always knew I needed. Not sex. Not a guy. Just a place. Somewhere or someone to feel like home.”
Does this push the boundaries? Yeah probably.
Did it live up to what I was expecting? Absolutely.
Did I fall for all three of them? Yes, I fell so hard. One made me smile, one made me swoon, and one grabbed my heart and never let go.
Would I recommend this to you? You better believe it.
I live right pass the boundaries when I’m reading. Those are the books that are brutal, chilling, and so turbulent you can’t even get off the ride if you tried. I hunt for these books daily. They are the “book crack” that I seek. Penelope is one of my favorites for delivering this fix to me. Credence is a prime example of why she sits in the top tier of favorite authors for me. My first top read of the year, and it earned this place with every page, every word, and ever jaw dropping moment.
“What would you do without us?” Noah leans into my ear, whispering.
I lean my head back against him, closing my eyes.
“We take care of her pretty good,” he tells Kaleb, reaching around me to squeeze hot water over my breasts.
“She doesn’t need Daddy. Do you?”
Kaleb takes my leg, bringing my foot up to rest on his knee as he washes me. Running the cloth up my thigh, he dips inside, close but not there, and I moan”
Wow, wow, wow! I didn’t not know what to expect, and this book totally took me by surprise.
This is a story about trauma, healing, heartbreak, and finding yourself. These characters have all endured a lot and watching them come together and become better versions of themselves made for the perfect, intense romance.
Tiernan was very naive and didn’t know how to live outside of her bubble. She didn’t have a typical childhood and the scars run deep.
Jake, Noah, and Kaleb are all amazing, and they all care for her in their own way. Even while reading, you can tell the difference in their love for her.
The whole time I wanted to be right about the hero, but I kept second guessing myself. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, Pen would throw in a twist that turned the whole book around.
I honestly couldn’t get enough of these characters and didn’t want it to end. The ending was perfect, and I’m so glad I was right!
I know some of you might have reservations about reading since it is a toss up between three guys, but if you look beyond that at the deep rooted issues that drive the actions and behavior of these characters, then you will see that the events had to occur the way they did for the characters to fully heal, grow, and be happy.
– An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
Unique. Intriguing. Intense. Erotic. Forbidden.
Every single time I finish a Pen D book, I sit here wondering what the heck I just read. Credence is no different. This book pulled me in and did not let me go. I am still stuck in the story wanting more.
Credence is the PERFECT title for this story.
Cre•dence | noun
‘belief in or acceptance of something as true.’
Without spoiling anything.. this story is about a young woman who is just trying to find her place in this world. Is it up in the mountains in Colorado? Or is it in the glamour of her life as she knows in California?
Tiernan is such a complex character. She’s strong and fierce, but her armor is cracked and breaking away.
Credence is so much more than a simple romance story. The characters are complex, their stories are beyond easy, and their lives are not normal.
I refuse to engage in the negative comments on this book because I respect other people’s opinion even if it is different than my own. But if you haven’t read this story, give it a chance. Don’t base your opinion off of something that you haven’t read.
Penelope Douglas is and forever will be one of my favorite authors. She doesn’t hold back in her writing and doesn’t write safe. She goes out on a line and gives a truly unique and wonderful story that will forever be remembered.
“Something about this house—these people—lend credence every day to what I always knew I needed.”
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Penelope writes in such a way that you live inside her books, you don’t read them.
She puts life to her vision with her words and creates mental images so vivid that we can feel everything! The pain and passion, affection, love and hatred, the happiness, sadness, tears and laughs. We get to experience the wildness & excitement that accompanies the unknown factors inside a novel; you get to feel that RUSH right along with the characters!
You ever read a book and your heart speeds up as your reading…because what’s going on is exhilarating, your mind and body are now completely engaged in this book.
I chase that feeling in every single book that I pick up.
Penelope’s books not only give me that feeling but they provide a level of freshness that keeps bringing me back for more.
It’s what makes her a 1- click author for me!
Quite possibly my favorite quote from this book!
“Pain always reminds us that we’re alive. And the fear along with it that we want to stay that way.”
Imagine living a life where you didn’t actually live, you just existed. Even then you existed quietly, to the side of the living world unseen and unheard. In doing so you could have traveled the world twice and have everything available to man yet still never experienced life. You have no idea what you love, who you are, what you want. You live a life unfulfilled but what if something happens that gives you the chance to change that…to all of a sudden live and experience anything you’ve wanted. Would you take the chance?
Tiernan is a character that I’ll never forget. I soaked up every single thing about this heroine and all 3 of these men! Taking away the physical aspect, they each teach her something about herself that either she didn’t know before or hadn’t made up her mind about. All of these characters are special and unforgettable in their own little way. You might fall in love with all 4 of them or one might pull on your heartstrings more than another.
This book will not be for everyone! It’ll push your comfort zones in a way that I love but not all do! If you feel like there are qualities of this book that you won’t enjoy…move along. If you have questions, feel free to contact me or ask another person who has read it. There’s nothing wrong with passing it up if you think it’s not for you. In a world with so many options of books to read why read one you think you won’t like.
Because there are plenty of us who will love Credence and it’s characters in its entirety.
COMPLETELY and FEARLESSLY!
We are the people that Pen wrote this book for.
Are you one of those people too?