Credence Paperback – January 13, 2020

Title: CredenceAuthor: Penelope DouglasGenre: Dark Contemporary Romance / Age Gap / TabooRating: ★★★★★ (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.

Read on KU.Did I read this because I was influenced by booktok? Bookstagram? Book reels?Yes.One thing I will say however is I had come into it expecting spicy scenes right off the back because those platforms made it seem that way but it was so much more and that's what surprised me.The tension was great and you feel the intimate moments coming but it was really great to see Tiernan rediscover herself after living so long feeling like a shadow because of her parents (who are literally the worst). Reading her journey in finding her home up on the peak and letting herself love and be loved (physically and emotionally) was really interesting.Also beside when the boys were constantly chasing tail they were all sweethearts at their centers and I fell in love with all of them as well, but definitely got excited when it was Kaleb's POV.There was so much emotion I wasn't expecting and I hate that I assumed it was just going to be another smut book with only wild s*x scenes because I judged it (while yes there is plenty of spicy scenes that were all very very hot🔥) the angst and drama hooked me in and I was very happy I was wrong.The forbidden romance elements definitely drew me in but the compelling inner turmoil, angst, overcoming emotional parental abuse and broken people helping heal one another is what kept me going.I highly recommend this book to all the romance fans, this was one I'm glad I got persuaded to read.Will be checking out the authors other works in the future 👍

listened on audioLet me start by saying I can absolutely see why this book is a maybe and even a no for some folks and that’s okay but for me it was a 5 ⭐️ read lemme tell you without spoiling whySo this story revolves around Tiernan. She is a 17 almost 18 year old girl who’s parents pass (gotta read to find out) and she since she’s a minor is basically left in the will to her estranged Step uncle Jake whom she’s never met . Now she;s given options since her family is well off to not have to move etc and Uncle Jake likes in a very secluded mountain peak area in Colorado with 2 sons Noah and Kaleb who are if I recall 20 and 22.She decided to go to them knowing that winter is coming and there is no way up or down the mountain once the snow starts falling.I will say check your trigger warnings as there is child neglect, animal slayings etc also I’m going to say this again she is 17 at the start of the book and has never met or been around Jake, Noah or Kaleb before now. She does in fact have spicy times…so be aware of that going in.That being said the ending of this book like the last chapters ….just wow well done I was speechless, balling like a baby with all the ugly crying energy, smiling ear to ear and also checking to see if I was in fact dreaming.This was 5⭐️ for me and the ahem chilli peppas were chilli peppers-ing 4🌶️