Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Credence by Penelope Douglas

77 reviews

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Incest

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

jasminealizae's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

It was really disturbing to me that during the sex scenes, in their inner monologue, the characters would compare/describe the other as a child.

This excerpt comes from Kaleb's POV as he's raping the fmc Tiernan:
'...he squats down to slide her panties down her legs. And if he weren't looking at a woman's body, he might think a child was speaking to him with how innocent and sweet she sounded.'

Another scene between Tiernan and Kaleb, Tiernan thinks to herself:
'And last night, I didn't hold back in his bed, but today, I know I can't go there again, and he doesn't get it, because he's like a fucking child.' then proceeds to have sex with him?

Between the incest, rape, misogyny, illegal minor/adult relationship, physical and mental abuse it was hard to pretend to care about the subplots Penelope Douglas strung along when there wasn't erotica. 

Having spite-finished this book I can confidently say Penelope definitely just wanted to write smutty book about incest. Adding a back story for Tiernan and Kaleb regarding their absent parents, and Jakes shortcomings with love, was fluff as Jake and his kids waited for Tiernan to turn 18 so that they could legally engage in sexual activities with her. The addition of Cici Diggins, Terrance Holcomb and Mirai were extremely irrelevant and fell tremendously short in their attempt to keep us distracted from the hot mess that was this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse

reproductive coercion

casualspoons's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Should I love this book? Absolutely not. But will I read it again and again? For sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Incest

Moderate: Physical abuse

_bookally_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

2.0

Wow this book was a trip. I saw someone else compare it to a car crash where its horrible but you cant look away and I think that's a pretty good comparison. 

The setting/location was so nice and it had the bones for a cool book but like what the hell was this?! I'm not as offended by the whole family incest thing because to me they are not blood and they did not grow up knowing each other, so there is no actual connection there. However it could have been sweet, even still steamy if she just went for one of the brothers (preferably Noah because Kaleb is toxic as fuck and his trauma being an excuse for his behaviour is rank, not to mention the rape and abuse) but no this is like the summer I turned pretty, brother love triangle trope but on crack and with the dad thrown in.

I am going to make a bold assumption that people who enjoy these kinds of books have not endured abuse, because as someone who has, I really struggled with not only the physical and sexual abuse but the emotional abuse as well. 

The 2 stars I give this book is for the setting and what could have been. This is my 3rd and final Penelope Douglas book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Child abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

britrcup's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

2.0

This book is dark. It's  taboo. It's spicy. It was like watching a car crash, I wanted so badly to look away but I couldn't. I enjoyed the endgame but I do think a lot of the dark/taboo parts of the book could have been cut out. The complex trauma is written really well and overall the plot is okay. If you are a fan of dark (and I mean really dark) romances and can look past the content warnings the romance might be worth it for you. This is not a book for you if you are looking for fluff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer

millibraithwaite's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Incest, and Domestic abuse

chaosdemonmonster's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

Sex scenes were hot but the forbidden romance was not my thing and the fact she was still in high school is def not my thing. I'm fine with she gaps but cousins/family, even non blood relatives, is just... No thanks. And find a different reason for the girl to be there other than she needed a guardian cuz she wasn't 18 yet at the start of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Incest, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Cancer

ellienj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Suicide and Toxic relationship

alireads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Bullying, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

kendralyris's review against another edition

dark 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

1.5

I finished it, so there’s that. The writing is reasonable and the pacing is not bad, but it’s trauma porn and the mountain of content warnings are probably enough, like probably you can just read the content warnings and not miss anything significant. 

The main character is an underage girl already dealing with grief and trauma when her long lost family takes her in and proceeds to pass her around, sexually. The eventual love interest is the sexually depraved, mute, and traumatized cousin of the main character, the last of her three family members to have sex with her. There is very little redeeming about any of the characters and the MC’s arc can me summed up as Stockholm syndrome.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Sexual violence