If you’re looking for a “romantic” book lost in poetic descriptions and moralizing analyses, you’ve probably made the wrong choice. Penelope Douglas in “Credence” isn’t here to sugarcoat things for you, and to be honest, that’s its strong point.

Let’s not beat around the bush: If what you want from a book in this category is for the sex to be written as it should, then you’re on the right track here. The author doesn’t waste time on useless “nonsense” and pointless detours that tire you out. She knows exactly what she wants to give the reader and does it without fear, in a raw, direct, and clear way.

There are no unnecessary excuses to fill the pages. The tension is there, the character dynamics are clear, and the atmosphere remains provocative from start to finish (although at the beginning it’s a slow burner – she builds it up). It’s a book that grabs you, sets the mood, and doesn’t let you get bored with supposedly witty dialogues.

In short: If you want pure, well-written dark romance, without the book pretending to be something it’s not, “Credence” does exactly what it’s supposed to.