Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Credence by Penelope Douglas

45 reviews

readingwithreilly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

at first i was shook & a little weirded out & wasn't sure if I was going to be able to continue but once you block out the weirdness & throw away your morals & remind yourself that there are not actual family connections, its fine. although it made me cringe every time tiernan said "uncle jake" LIKE giirrIll but i liked the character development in this story if you can call it that LOL

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Sexual content

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Child abuse and Abandonment

sienna_jo511's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Violence

steffi_88's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

0.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

Minor: Death of parent

despicable_knee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Stalking, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Suicide

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

readaholic88's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Incest

This book was a lot. Some real growth for the characters, but overall very unbelievable

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

mollymccarthy's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

hunkydory's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Animal death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse

katiiekhaos's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

1.0

What in the actual fuck did I just read. Not to mention this was such a slog to get through. 

I didn’t even hate the taboo element of it, I hated that she “fell in love” with someone who abused her, r*ped her and destroyed her property. She fell in love with him without even knowing a god damn thing about him! I get he was traumatised but that doesn’t excuse what he did to her and choosing just to be an asshole to every woman around him. 
On a positive note; I did like who Jake ended up with, that was pretty cute.

So disappointed I disliked this so much cause I LOVED birthday girl. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Drug abuse