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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Best book I have read in ages
2.5 stars
I went into Credence blind but with high expectations because I’ve heard rave reviews from one of my one-click authors. I love forbidden romance and from the book blurb which hinted 3 men and a secluded mountain, I was giddy. I’ve finished the book for a few days now and I still don’t know how to write this review because I didn’t know how to describe this book and how I felt.
It’s not really a romance because I didn’t feel any romancing or connecting between Tiernan and any of the guys. However, there were lots of lust, sexual tension and steamy scenes. It’s not a ménage, even though there was one threesome scene. It’s not suspense or dark romance, although I questioned the psychological state of Tieran and Kaleb a time or two.
I find the pace of the story a little slow to my liking. I was bored at the beginning of the book where the author set the stage outlining Tiernan’s past with her parents and what life was like on the mountains. There was lots of building but I want the juicy stuff. Even when the juicy stuff and sexual tension was flying, I didn’t feel the character growth or plot movement. I just didn’t know where Tiernan was going.
Because the majority of the story was told in Tiernan’s POV, I feel that there was a lack of continuity in the character development. For example, Jake was heavily mentioned in the beginning of the story, but he was scarcely mentioned from the middle onwards. I felt like his storyline with Tiernan just dangled and ended abruptly without providing any closure.
All four of the characters were broken and burdened with some demons of their own, but I don’t really see their growth and break through. I guessed there were just too much going on at the same time and there were not enough time to fully develop the characters to their fullest potential.
There was the mention regarding the philosophy of three Ls (Lust, Learn and Love) in relationships. I was guessing the author would try to tie this little philosophy into the story, so I tried to fit each guy into the three L’s. The guy that I was rooting for who I though had some connection with Tiernan was not the one that she ended up with and the author didn’t fit the guys with her philosophy.
I’m still confused how I feel about this book. The sex scenes were hot and the story and characters were unique and interesting enough that kept me going and not DNF’ing the book. I feel that there were room for improvement in the character development.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel right now because I loved the h and all the guys in the story! That being said, I read it in one sitting. Could not put it down. I think I stayed up until 1 am. Penelope Douglas always does that to me with her books! Highly recommend!
So many emotions in this book. I do not even know where to begin with this without spoiling it for anyone. This book is amazing on so many level and has become one of my all time favorites. Pen does not disappoint with this masterpiece.
The main character, Tiernan, looses her parents and goes to live with her late fathers step brother (not technically her uncle) and his two sons. The men all live off the beat and path during the harsh winters. The men must all learn to cope with having a beautiful woman living under the same roof while secluded from the rest of civilization but none want to resist her…
I think it’s best to go into this book without reading reviews or spoilers.. just my opinion.
I am a ball of emotions after finishing this book.
I loved the writing and the pace was perfect. I loved the way the characters unfold throughout the story.
Tiernan at first seems cold and detached yet I knew there was more and it wasn’t a true lack of feelings/caring. She has deep emotional wounds.
The men.. Jake was the first to make me swoon. I loved his straightforward ways and his interactions with Tiernan were caring and understanding. He definitely seemed to “get” her.
Noah, I think is the easiest to love and enjoy. He’s the most light hearted and brings fun to the story. He also is sad and broken like all the characters and it made his pain that much more for me. I fell in love with him, too. I wanted him to have all his dreams!
Kaleb was the most difficult to understand. As the story moves on I became more and more sympathetic to him even though his actions were very harsh.
The setting was beautiful and palpable. It felt so much like another character of the story.
This is an unconventional story with love, broken characters, beautiful writing and depth and extremely hot!
These characters will stick with me.
I LOVED this book, I’ve been eagerly waiting for it and sometimes that can make expectations high.
I was so satisfied with this story!! It was more beautiful and emotional than I imagined even.
Oh! And it’s super hot!! That’s definitely not a disappointment either.
I highly recommend this book!
What a beautiful story about a girl trying to find her way after the tragic loss of her parents. Shows how solitude and grief can really affect your decisions sometimes but she did what she needed to in the end! So glad Tiernan got her happily ever after! Another fabulous story by Penelope!
This book surprised the mess out of me. I struggled a little at first because it’s a slow burn romance. I could feel the build up. I knew something was gonna happen. I wasn’t expecting what to happen tho to happen.
If you’ve read Penelope before you know her writing style is slightly different. She threw in 3 completely opposite characters and she made it work!!!
You couldn’t help but route for all 3 for completely different reasons.
I will say I kind of predicted who she would end up with. And I was on his team the whole time.
The only character I struggled to connect with was Jake. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t connect with him. I fell for Kaleb and Noah though. They are definitely on my book boyfriend list!!!
The way Penelope Douglas ended Credence was swoon worthy. I swear my heart melted. I’m not gonna day why tho. You will just have to read it to find out! Let’s just say the ending alone brought this book from a 4 star to a beyond 5 star, instantly bought the paperback after I finished reading it.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a slow burning, steamy, passionate, suspenseful romance!!!
4.5 stars
This book is 98 % taboo. There’s some dub-con that tests your morals but somehow the author manage to manipulate my brain into believing that the wrongs were right. The plot is interesting and keeps you guessing pretty much the whole time. The characters are well written, have many layers and flaws. The writing itself is very… Pendouglish? Lol
LOVED Credence!
WOW! Mind-blowing. I haven’t read a book like this in a really long time. I didn’t want to close the book on this family. I truly hope we see Noah get a story next. This was by far a great read. WARNING: it may not be for everyone. If you do not car for books that skate on the line and slightly crosses the line, then it is not for you. But if you enjoy anything or are willing to try anything. READ THIS NOW!!
I’d seen Penelope Douglas’ name around the book world but hadn’t had the chance to read anything of hers so while I had a free moment and Credence was recommended by someone I gave it a shot. Douglas is known for more dark, edgy reads so I went in with a little trepidation. Luckily, I found a read that wasn’t dark but was indeed edgy.
Tiernan’s world is changed by the deaths of her Hollywood elite parents. With no other relatives and only a few months till her 18th birthday, Tiernan is sent to live with her father’s estranged stepbrother, Jake and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb. Arriving in the backwoods of Colorado, Tiernan finds a situation that she is neither prepared for nor can handle.
I’m not sure exactly how to categorize this story as it has several elements to it. Coming of age, certainly, as Tiernan not only becomes 18 but also comes into her own throughout the story, second chance, that’s there too, in a couple of different instances, and taboo as the sex ranges from one-night stands to menage to age-gap. It all it is a story of a lonely girl who finds her place but does it in the most peculiar ways and surrounded by people who are way outside the norm.
A solid story with a whole lot of titillation thrown in, an open mind and a fan is needed for reading.
Holy crap what a book! With all the taboo talk about this book I wasn’t sure if I would like it and I really did. Penelope Douglas sure sucks you in and with every page you just don’t know what will happen. So much went on in this book I feel like I need to read it again to catch all the details! I’m rambling but I recommend giving this book a shot. I for sure wasn’t disappointed. Tiernan, Jake, Noah and Kaleb won me over!
This book was a huge mind fuck with hot steamy love scenes!!! I went in blind not knowing a thing about this book because I love all of Penelope Douglas‘s writing!! When I was reading I started to think oh I didn’t see that coming then I was smacked again with and omg! Where did that come from hahaha I’ve tried for days to think of a review I could write but I really can’t articulate into words this story!! It was great but surprisingly shocking. I still can’t decide how I truly feel, maybe I’m just in shock!! I don’t know haha
Penelope Douglas gives her all in this dark, intense, sexy, and unconventional romance. Four broken characters find what they need in each other to come out the other end. Twists and shocking revelations will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next pin to drop. Credence has easily made it’s way to my top books ever!
I can barely wrap my head around this book, but all I know is that I loved every second I got to read it. As soon as I read the blurb & saw the cover, I knew I needed this book! It’s unlike anything I’ve read before, teetering on the darker side. It was also very intense. I loved the twists and how in-depth the story is told by different POVs. I can hardly believe it’s my first PD book, but I’m about to devour her backlist like no other. HIGHLY recommend.
I loved this book. All the characters in book have their own story and need healing and it takes the tragedy of Tiernan’s parents death and moving to living in Colorado for them all to find their way to healing. There are some hot sex scenes, all of the characters are stubborn and lots of self discovery through it all. I loved this story and was so happy with who got the girl. This book was so hard to put down and had me wanting to devour it all at once.
So many feelings erupted while reading this book. I read through the storyline of a lonely, invisible young woman who was brought to life by a young man that had an equally harrowing sad life, and kept waiting for my HEA. I did get that and it was beautiful, but not without some serious thoughts of how much we can mess up our children through inattentiveness or actual lack of caring.
I’m sure that some people will be all up in arms, calling her a child and in need of protection, but I don’t see her that way. Almost 18 years old and never had sex, but was savvy to predators from her previous world, Tiernan wasn’t used to love but could distinguish what love was. There wasn’t sex between blood relatives like others might imply, and she was over 18 when it occurred,and yes, that entire scene was a bit unorthodox but while reading, I initially could see the HEA be with Jake, but I love that she persevered with provoking Kaleb.
I gave this a five, which I am very stingy with, because the story is so well written with all of the angst and drama that young love provides.
IT’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN A GREAT READ!!!
Have you ever read a book and thought,
“I never want it to end.”, well, this is that book.
It’s an unbelievably beautiful coming of age story with so much emotion in these broken characters, that you will feel them in your soul.
I can count how many books have made me cry, and this one is now on that very short list.
I found myself in tears, smiling, angry…. every emotion was brought to the fore front, and that’s when you know that you stumbled into a masterpiece.
This is a new to me Author that was recommended and I’m now a fan. She is truly an artist.
Thank you for sharing your talented craft with us!
I loved this book. Part of the tag line was “He has her. He wants her. But he… He’s going to keep her.” I think what I loved most about this book was, I was well past half way through and still had no idea which He was referring to each character. I had my guesses, and who I wanted them to be, but didn’t know for sure. And that feeling was amazing.
There were parts of this book that made me giggle, but most often, it was the all the feelings that kept me wishing I could never put it down. I understood the turmoil Tiernan was going through, before, during and after her time at the peak. Her pain made me cry at times. And it made the happy ending that all the sweeter.
The only negative I have was that the end, the last 15% or so, felt a little rushed. Not that it needed to be expanded or anything was skipped over, it just seemed like every few pages, there was a paragraph mentioning that we were weeks or months ahead. Other than that, this book was amazing, and I highly recommend it!
I’ve decided 2020 is going to be all about testing my boundaries and my limits where reading is concerned. At the end of 2019 I found myself in a bit of a reading rut, it’s time to experience new things. Much darker things.
I’m going to first start by stating a wide known fact, Credence by Penelope Douglas isn’t a book for those who like sweet vanilla romances. This book, at times, is extremely dark. If you find your stomach turning when reading the basic dark romance, this may not be the best read for you.
Penelope Douglas is a fairly new to me author. I read Bully a few years ago and Birthday Girl last year. So I’m not quite up to date on her writing style and what type of author she ventures to be. I don’t know her ins and outs or her approach on twists and turns. Not knowing an author’s writing style when reading a dark romance is a huge gamble. I either win and come out loving the book or I lose and End it extremely unsatisfied and mortified. There usually isn’t room for an in between.
After I finished Credence, I picked myself up off the floor. I sat myself down in my comfy chair. And I thought long and hard about what I just read. There have been only a few romances with dark material that made me feel like I need a serious time out…. and Credence just became a top contender in the short list.
Penelope Douglas sure knows how to write an unpredictable page turner!
There were many moments I loved. And there were a few moments I needed a bit more of. I’m going to do my best with going through those moments in this half. I’m here to warn you, the paragraph below this one consists of slight spoilers. If you want to be slightly spoiled continue reading.
If you didn’t come here for a few slight spoilers…
You should definitely stop reading right now.
If you’re curious….
To see my views on a much deeper level…
Keep Reading…
I loved the first half of the book (Pre-Sex). I loved the fragile vibes Tiernan threw off in the beginning. A wealthy girl from California, a normal person would think she has the world handed to her on a silver platter. But the world couldn’t be more wrong in this situation. You see, Tiernan has lived a neglected life from the moment she was a baby. Her parents were so focused on their relationship and wrapped up with their careers, they never had time to show their daughter what love is. She was invisible to them. I loved how deep Penelope Douglas went with showing reader’s how neglected this child had been. She was a shell of a person with no personality, no feelings, nothing.
When Tiernan’s world is turned upside down, she makes a decision to go to the one person who doesn’t know her truths and can’t see the invisible scars lining her heart. She goes to Colorado and moves in with her father’s estranged step-brother and his two sons.
I have to say, I loved all the outdoorsy moments in the first half of the novel. I loved how Tiernan thought she had something to prove, and she showed Jake and his boys that she’s more than just a bank account and a pretty face. She showed everyone she could also be a hard worker. It was fun watching a city girl, who’s never really worked a day in her life, have to break down and get dirty. From mucking horse stalls, to her first hunting trip, to learning how to cast a fishing pole, I loved it all!
The relationships start to grow and evolve between Tiernan, Jake, Noah, and Kaleb.
Jake is the father and the boss around the farm/mountain.
Noah is the clipped wing adventurer who wants to be free from his father’s clutches and the mountain man lifestyle
Kaleb is the silent one with a dark past and an even darker future.
And that is how I spent the second half of the book, trying to fucking figure out which man Tiernan is going to give her whole heart to and ride off into the sunset with.
I wanted more adventure, more time learning new traits, more time for Tiernan to grow and learn more about who she is as a person. I needed more of what I experienced in the first half of the novel to transfer over in the second half. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about these sexy as sin moments between Tiernan and the men in her life, I just needed a little more aside from those moments. It seemed like once she lost that infamous V card, that’s all her mind and the novel revolved around…
Another aspect I had to think hard about was Kaleb. Kaleb is the darkness that this novel revolves around. I have to say, I hated him so damn much, up until the moment I learned his story and the reasoning behind why he was so dark and dangerous. I felt the ice immediately melting around my heart and in that moment and all moments that came before, I hurt for Kaleb. A past has all control when molding a child’s mind and future. Kaleb is trying to protect himself from everything that has any ability to every hurting him, and that is everyone. This man doesn’t know how to trust and he doesn’t know how to express himself, which leads to his moments of lashing out. In the end I found myself feeling for Kaleb. My heart broke for this man time and time again, and saying that I think back to all the shit he put Tiernan through and I feel a cluster of mixed emotions. As I said, violence in any way, shape, or form is NOT okay. But for a person to right their wrongs after violent acts occur are few and far between. I loved how he changed his ways. All it took was one wrong move that forced his step in the right direction.
Alright, this is beyond the longest review I’ve written in a long time. I think it expands the definition of review and more travels along the lines of rambling. When I’m passionate about a novel I write what I feel. With that being said, Credence was a novel I found myself very passionate about. I went into this one not knowing anything about the story line or what the content entails. I had my fair share of What The Fuck moments and I had moments of complete understanding. What I loved most is the fact that Penelope Douglas wrote a character I completely detested in the first half of the novel and by the last quarter I found myself loving and hurting for a character who I was least emotional about. I was Team Noah throughout this whole damn book…. and out of the blue my brain betrayed me and flipped a switch.. What the hell is that even about?
Should you read Credence?
If you are sensitive to triggers that revolve around violence I’m going to have to tell you to pass on this one. There are a few unsettling moments that had even me cringing and I’m not prone to triggers.
If you are sensitive to triggers but love dark romances, all I can say is go in with your eyes open and expecting the unexpected.
If you aren’t sensitive to triggers and absolutely love dark reads, what are you waiting for!?
~ Alecia @ The Staircase Reader
4.5 stars! Penelope did it again! I’m so happy the guy I was rooting for ended up being the one! Yes! Ugh, this story will never leave my mind nor my heart. It was dark, it tested the limits, it went beyond those limits, it was emotional, it was cathartic, it was hot and steamy, it was breath-taking, it was more than I expected.
I loved that it kept in suspense for the majority of the book, but if you pay attention, the details were there all along. Still, the suspense kept me on my toes.
Each character is so flawed and that’s what made this story stand out so much more to me. The flaws were present through the story and without them, I don’t think the story would have been the same, the characters wouldn’t have been the same.
Overall, this story was memorable and I loved everything about it.
“We’re your home.”
For me…It is impossible to define this story. It is impossible to sum up this story. It is impossible to express my feelings for this story adequately. But the only thing I can express for certain is it CONSUMED me. THEY consumed me. Morning, afternoon and night. I was snowbound right along with them on that mountain.
It’s impossible to label this story as ONE thing. You can’t put this story in ONE box. Describe it ONE way. Yes, it’s taboo….how could it not be with 3 guys and 1 girl? It has been said that it could be labeled as a reverse harem…yes and no. Yes, it’s about unconventional relationships, but you know what…Pen makes it work. Pen makes it believable. And you wanna know why? The story. It’s characters. Their stories. THEY make it believable. cre·dence/ˈkrēdəns/ 1.belief in or acceptance of something as true. At the end of the day, we (us readers) don’t want another cookie cutter romance. We want something out the box. Something unexpected. Something that will have us walking away different. That’s what we get with this story. Pen tip toes the line with the relationships in this story, but again, SHE MAKES IT WORK. I didn’t love this book because of the HAWT s*x. I didn’t love it because it was ONE girl and THREE guys stuck in a cabin on the mountain for the winter. I LOVED this story BECAUSE of the story it told. The evolution..the growth of these characters. They were all broken in their own way. All damaged, seemingly irreparable. All unhappy in their own way. But one winter changed that all. They changed each other. They helped each other find happiness. They helped each other be stronger. They found a home, within each other.
“You just needed what everyone needs,” she tells me. “A home.” I tighten my fists, trying to keep my breathing steady. “It’s not a place, Tiernan. It’s a feeling.”
Each character had a story to tell and man did they tell it in the rawest way possible. The whole time I was reading, I was more intrigued with the depth of the story. The depth of the characters and THEIR story…what they wanted to tell me and have me understand. How they were processing everything that was happening. How they were handling their emotions. I reveled in how they each grew and became stronger throughout the story. I celebrated every time they experienced happiness. Every minut emotion that immersed from them was something to get excited about. And the development of their relationships…idk how Pen did it. She had to show three separate relationships, plus a family dynamic between them all, as well as growing their individual selves. “You’re ours now,” he says and looks down to meet my eyes. Ours now. “When you’re here, you’re a Van der Berg”, Noah had said.
Their was so much self-discovery had in this book. A lot of development was needed to make this story work. And I feel Pen executed it marvelously! I couldn’t of been more happy with how this story turned out. At the end of the day, I am Team Tiernan…she deserved happiness above all else
It’s not going to be easy to leave…them. I swallow. A feeling, not a place. Loving them has made something inside me wake up, and I don’t want to go back to being who I was. I might wish this change could’ve happened differently, but some of us don’t learn from the heat. We need the fire.
You have to be willing to look deep into the story to understand it. You have to be willing to get over the fact that’s it’s taboo, in order to grasp the love behind their interactions. You have to be willing to trust in the journey these characters go on, in order to appreciate their story. You have to be open to the possibility of this happening. If you can’t do that, then you won’t understand the meaning behind it and that would be devastating because this is a story worth delving into and understanding.
Pen brought a story that I truly don’t think I’ll ever forget. I loved every one of these characters and their journeys throughout this book. I definitely walked away different after finishing…and that’s a good thing. So if you are new to Pen’s books, I recommend you try this one. And if you’re an existing fan, I advice you pick this one up too.
5 stars