A review by booklovinmamas
Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It was time for a reread of Hideaway due to the books being re-published by Berkley with new covers, but really, it was an excuse for me to revisit some of my favorite characters. This is one of my favorite Dark Romances/Romantic Suspense from Penelope Douglas, involving MMCs who wear masks. It also gives me an excuse to finally finish the series since I never read Will’s book. I’m a reader who starts a series and tends never to finish, which I’m correcting this year (2024). I was excited to reread Kai’s book because he’s always intrigued me. He comes off as reserved but is scary at the same time, if that makes sense.) 

Female Protagonist: Banks is one female character who is quiet and reserved when you first meet her, but after you get to know her, she’s the complete opposite. She’s loyal to the ones she works for and lives with, but she’s also broken/damaged. She works for the worst kind of person, but she has learned how to handle herself. She doesn’t wear fancy girl clothes, and she is told to stay away from all males. Readers will find out why when they read this book. 

Male Protagonist: Kai Mori is one of the four horsemen. He’s an ex-convict, a millionaire/billionaire with his real estate properties, and a martial arts instructor. He comes off as an alpha male because he goes after what he wants and he’s very commanding. I liked his character in the first book because he came off as mysterious. In this book, he was the same, but he also became darker. Kai is one character that is not as scary as Damon, but he has his moments.

Storyline/My Thoughts: First, let me say that this book won’t be a favorite. I looked forward to Kai’s book, especially after being introduced to him in the previous book. I wanted to know who would win over Kai’s heart and didn’t expect it to be Banks. If you read the first book, you would have found out why Kai Mori went to jail and why he feels lost in this book. This book mainly focuses on Kai trying to find Damon for specific reasons. The other horsemen want to find Damon, too, especially after what Damon did to them. Kai goes to Damon’s father for help and ends up doing something out of character that even his friends can’t believe he agreed to do. However, Kai does end up finding the one girl who got away 6-7 years ago. The one girl that he fell for hard, even though he didn’t know her. He never expected to see her working for Damon’s father. There were definitely twists and turns in this book because the FMC, Banks, is full of secrets that she refuses to say.

This book was good, but it dragged a bit, especially in the beginning. It took me a bit to finish it, even the second time reading it. Certain things drove me crazy, like the fact that Banks would not tell the truth to Kai about who she was, and then Michael was a douche in this book, especially to Banks. 

Penelope did have me on the edge of my seat when it came to Kai and the others trying to find Damon. Damon is not for the faint of heart, and he does things that are downright scary, but readers will learn some things about him in this book that will make them understand him better. Banks knows him better than even the others after I got to know her more throughout the book.

Overall, this was a good book, and I gave it four stars. Now, I’m onto Damon’s book next, which is a reread. 

If you haven’t read this series by Penelope Douglas, you are missing out on a dark and suspenseful read. However, check your triggers before reading this series. 

Trope(s)/Element(s):
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤Second Chance
🖤Brother’s Best Friend
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Found Family

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Animal Cruelty, almost rape scene, pedophilia and incest that is mentioned in the book.
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