Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Credence by Penelope Douglas

244 reviews

rebecaatm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

In its own right, it’s a trip. And if you’re down for erotica, you should take the trip for sure. But I’m not a huge fan of the tip-toeing around the incest and underage vibes. My first read through, I almost DNFed because of being a mother and how I felt like I shouldn’t be enjoying it. But I did get over it and finish to say that I did it…. and then handed it off to my mom saying “wanna read something f’ed up?” 😂 (to which she responded “not like the book your sister just read” which was Dead Inside for context and I loudly said “oh god no, this is a spicy book”). 
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velmad's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

I want to know... WHO HURT YOU, PENELOPE DOUGLAS!

Fantastic book, while as taboo as they come.  The underlying theme of grief and abandonment was compelling and emotional.
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aussierach2002's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Read for a book club, not my kind of book. Very confronting, a good author but too much sadness, weird relationships and the characters are all mixed up mentally.
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allisonbraun's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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nstinch54's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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maybeitsmelynie's review against another edition

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ania_reads_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5⭐️
4/5🌶

I was NOT expecting to eat this book up. Finished in 36 hours, it was so good. 

All three of them love her, would burn the world for her, but in such different ways. As much as she needs them, they also need her. They all needed to grow and get past trauma and bull shit, and they do it together. And the surprise with Kaleb at the end had me SOBBING. 

This was my first taboo romance book, and I have to say, I enjoyed it. I think it was because the familial tie was a label only, and not a previous relationship. The forced proximity of this made the tension all the more better, and as a 33yo woman, I would NOT mind a Jake lol. However, I don't think I'll be able to look at a secluded cabin the same way again 🤣
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jls6283's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have a lot of mixed feelings. 😅

I didn’t hate it, but I kind of hate that I didn’t hate it. 😂
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teamwombat's review against another edition

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I genuinely don’t know how to rate this book. There’s grooming, incest, underage, multiple sexual assaults, threats of gang bangs and rape and that’s all in the opening chapters. The story then becomes an out of town/class girl trying to change a man who clearly should be in jail instead of getting therapy she actually needs. 

I mean to say, it’s awful… but I read it. Probably shouldn’t have… but I read it. I read the whole thing and I wish I hadn’t. 

The ending is a very convenient 5 years on happy ever after that frankly no one needed or buying. 

It’s bad. It’s just bad. 

There should just be plain old warnings for this, not just trigger ones. 


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just_kt's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The isolated mountain setting adds an eerie, atmospheric touch that keeps things interesting with vivid descriptions that really bring the mountain to life.

However, the story itself is incredibly polarizing. The book is mainly a series of time jumps and sex scenes, with very little actual plot development, plot devices come out of the blue and almost feel they were added as an afterthought. While Tiernan’s journey of self-discovery is central to the story, her character arc often takes a backseat to the shock factor of the relationships. The emotional depth and growth I was hoping for felt overshadowed by the novel’s focus on taboo elements rather than meaningful storytelling.

While I appreciate the bold themes and exploration of trauma and loneliness, the pacing felt rushed, and the ending left much to be desired. If you’re looking for a structured plot with strong character development, this may not be the best fit. However, if you enjoy dark, boundary-pushing romances and don’t mind a story that leans heavily on steamy scenes, Credence might still be worth a read.
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