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Cover of Credence

Credence

by Penelope Douglas

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️explicit
3.5 on MoodReads (5 ratings)3.7 on Goodreads (588,055)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

A cathartic journey through trauma and taboo that delivers intense angst and a possessive HEA.

Synopsis

Tiernan de Haas doesn’t care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she’s grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents’ fame followed her everywhere. And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She’s always been alone, hasn’t she? Jake Van der Berg, her father’s stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them. And as a part of them. She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching. One of them has her. The other one wants her. But he… He’s going to keep her. *Credence is a new adult standalone novel suitable for readers 18+.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Credence is not a book you casually recommend—it is a book you hand someone with a very specific look and say you know what you are getting into. Tiernan is stranded in the Colorado mountains with her stepuncle and his two sons for a full winter, and Penelope Douglas makes the isolation feel as suffocating and intoxicating as it sounds. This is dark, extremely forbidden territory that commits fully to its chaos—read the content warnings, then decide.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

3.67 ★ (588.1k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

470 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2020

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Dark Romance

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

WHY CHOOSE / REVERSE HAREM

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

First Person

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Medium Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Sofia Willingham, Greg Tremblay, Carson Beck, Michael Pauley

Narrator Count

Multiple

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
dark romanceforced proximityreverse harem / why chooseage gapforbidden lovesurvival romance
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

darkintensebroodingtensesensual

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

rawemotionalimmersivedark

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

heavy

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

high

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

forbidden desiremorally complex

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

survivorwallfloweroutcast/loner

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

dark/tortured soulprotective love interestbrooding prince

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

forbidden lovemutual pininghurt/comfortage gap romancepush and pullpower imbalance

Spice Details 🌶️

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Spice Level 5

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

animalistic / primaldark / taboo stylerough / aggressive styleprimal / feral style

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

rough but consensualjealous/possessive during intimacymarking hickeyspossessive/protectivetouch starvation

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

power exchangerough/aggressive intimacyprimal play (hunting/chasing)bondage/restraintexhibitionismmultiple partners (consensual)dominance
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (14)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
sexual assaultchild abuse (referenced)suicideincest (step-family)childhood traumaemotional abusetraumaviolencedeath of a parentdubious consentgriefmisogynygroup sexsexual harassment
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

contemporary

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

cottage / cabin / homesteadmountain / highlandsforest / wilderness

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

humans only

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

the angst deliveredobsessedcathartic releaseferal brain activated

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

winter

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

at nightwinter night by the fire

this page is just the start

  • import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️explicit
PagesHow long the commitment is.470
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2020
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.3.67 ★ (588.1k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending
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My Notes

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