A review by christinaj1021
Credence by Penelope Douglas

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

1.75

Credence seems thrilling enough in it's premise: a young woman (18) loses her parents that never really showed her love, and is forced to move in with her (not blood related) uncle and 2 male cousins in a rugged, isolated cabin in the mountains. And it's very clear from the TW and reviews that this book is not for the faint of heart and deals with taboo topics, so you know what's coming for you.

HOWEVER, I just could not get into how those topics were handled. They were simultaneously always brought up or thought about by the MC, and they WERE things that gave her pause and made her question herself... but it truly felt as though Tiernan just dealt with it by going "Oh well!" and just like... let stuff happen even though she clearly expressed her discomfort or literal physical/emotional pain. And not always in a "that's hot to me though" way.

I just think this book was made for people who REALLY actively search for age-gap/psuedo-incest/abuse. Because it is written in a way that never let's you forget that it's happening. Just constantly, those topics are on every character's mind so that you cannot forget.


I also agree that, for the final love interest,
Kaleb just ain't it. Noah had way more chemistry written in, treated her better, dropped the L word, and even had more physical chemistry than the other two LIs.
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