Let me start by giving you a little run down of the story. So Tiernan's parents follow through with a suicide pact, leading her to escape to the mountains. There, she stays with her step-uncle and his two sons, all three jacked up on testosterone and misogyny. As winter falls on Chapel Peak, Tiernan finds herself secluded in a home with these three men seeking a connection, both physical and emotional, and they're ready to take what they want. Let's just say that multiple connections are made throughout the storyline and in the end, one connection remains. So let's get to the fun (or not so fun) stuff.
*spoilers ahead*
#1 Overwhelming Amounts of Testosterone and Misogyny
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about a manly man saving the day but in this case, the men are just downright controlling. They tell Tiernan what they want, when they want it, and for some odd reason, she goes along with it all! In a couple instances she puts up an uninspiring fight against their ridiculous behavior, but for the most part, she just puts up with it all...which leads me to #2.
#2 The Hot Mess Heroine
At this point, I'm not even sure you could call Tiernan a heroine because she allows herself to be manipulated and bossed around by three men who continue to show her that she's just a cold winter commodity. They use her, abuse her (we'll get to that), and take advantage of her mental state. Tiernan ends up falling in love with the worst of them all and they trot off into happily ever after land as if everything I have and am about to tell you didn't even happen!
#3 Romance, If That's What You Want to Call It
Throughout, Tiernan develops feelings for each of the men. The feelings for each are different and somehow the author tries to justify why it's okay for her to engage in sexual relationships with all three of them, weaving in and out of their arms like a running back headed for the end zone. She ends up falling in love with one out of the three but I'm not sure how and it never really was explained. Heck, the guy she ends up falling in love with spends three fourths of the book not speaking because of "childhood trauma, rapes her until she decides that she actually likes it, and writes slut on her forehead in sharpie in order to slutshame her. SHE ENDS UP WITH THIS DUDE! I just can't.
Overall, Credence was just TOO MUCH. I'm not one to turn my nose up to taboo topics, but when they are piled on top of each other and repeated throughout, I can't get with it. I felt that so much was put into the sex and taboo, that not enough went into the development of the characters and progression of the storyline. This is a one star, maybe even one half of a star, read.
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