Penelope Douglas

   Tiernan grew up with wealth and privilege, but not love or guidence. After her parents' deaths, she goes to live with her father's stepbrother and his two sons. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods, she slowly finds her place among them. And she realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one is watching.

Credence

ariah 

I want to be outside, he goes on. I want to be in a tree. I want to be wet. I want to be on the forest floor as the rain hits the leaves above. I like that sound. I want to be warm. I want to hold something. I want to talk to my dad. I want to be tired, so I can sleep more, and I want to walk. I want to be in love. I want to be safe. I want to be over. I want things in my head to be gone. But then all of that is scribbled over, leaving one simple line. I want to be everything she sees.

Hailey Rae

Snowfall isn't like rainfall. Rain is passion. It's a scream.

Everyone contemplates suicide at some point, even if it's just for a minute.

And one thing is usually the root cause. Loneliness.

I look up at the ceiling, listening to the storm. Kaleb was rain.

Passion, a scream, and my hair sticking to my face as I wrapped my arms around him. Spontaneous and loud all over my skin.

He was whispers, too, though. Snow, firelight, and searching for his warmth between the sheets at two a.m. when the rest of the house is asleep.

Samantha 

Moans, cries, and "Wow" by Post Malone carry out from Noah's room into the hallway, so I rush and swing open the door to the bathroom, seeing my uncle standing there at the sink, a towel wrapped around his waist 

They committed suicide cause Tiernan's dad had cancer 

They knew, and my mother had decided not to let him leave without her. She decided that there was nothing else without him. 

Amanda Autumn Berrey

And then she disappears with Griff through the falls, and I smile at all the nights ahead of us.

I shoot my eyes left again, seeing Mirai exit his tent, see us, and quickly dive into her own, as if we’re all stupid. It’s amusing, though. “She’s wearing your shirt,” I tell him. “Better go get it.” He shoots me a smile. “I will.”

“You want to have a few more, I wouldn’t mind a sister.” He chuckles, and I cast a glance at the blue tent, knowing who he has tucked inside, even though she continues to try to conceal what we all know has been going on for years now.

“He can’t eat tofu in Chapel Peak,” Noah tells me. “He’ll get bullied.” “Shut up.”

“Keep talking,” I beg. I love his voice. He chuckles, low and heady. “What should I say?” “Anything.” I smile. “Read to me, I guess?” He grabs the backs of my thighs and lifts me up, wrapping my legs around his body. “Show me your books,” he murmurs against my mouth.

“After you left, I went to the cabin for a long time and started reading it from the beginning.” I listen, loving the sound of his beautiful voice. Velvety and soothing, but his words still thick. These words are all new to him. “Out loud,” he adds. He practiced speaking the last six weeks by reading out loud. I wipe the corner of my eye.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I tell him just above a whisper. “You actually left Colorado.” “It was time,” he says. I suck in a breath, his words hitting me like truck. What? I slide off the tire and turn to face him not believing what I just heard. Deep but soft. Clear and strong. He spoke. Kaleb spoke. Walking around the tire, he steps toward me. “My home is where you are,” he says quietly.

You scare me. I scare you. Don’t let me hurt you anymore. Why can’t I stop wanting to hurt you? Just fuck them, okay? Keep fucking them, so I won’t want you so damn much. I’m a mess, because wanting you feels good, and I don’t know what to do when things feel good. Everything is a mess, and I’ll make a mess of all of it, but… I’m going to miss you. I’ll miss you.

They’re such deep sleepers, they don’t hear you at night. Just me. When I touched your face, you quieted. When I tried to leave, the nightmare started again. So I stayed. I come in every night. You tuck your cold feet between my legs, and I hug you to me, resting my hand on your back and feeling your body calm as it nestles into me. Do I make you feel safe? I like taking care of you.

Found candy in the trash and kale on my pizza. She’s fucking weird.   I laugh through my tears.   God, she feels good. She looks like she’d be pudding in your fist. Soft. Too soft. It was so good, though. Those seconds on the car that she let me bury my face in her body. Her skin is like water. I want her smell in my bed. And in my hair. And never far away from me.

Was Robson a teacher?   I want to be outside, he goes on. I want to be in a tree. I want to be wet. I want to be on the forest floor as the rain hits the leaves above. I like that sound. I want to be warm. I want to hold something. I want to talk to my dad. I want to be tired, so I can sleep more, and I want to walk. I want to be in love. I want to be safe. I want to be over. I want things in my head to be gone.   But then all of that is scribbled over, leaving one simple line.   I want to be everything she sees.

“Tiernan,” Noah whispers, and I taste salt, but I’m not sure if it’s his tear or mine. “I love you. You’re so fucking ours. We love you.”

Wait does that mean he’s literally been there for her this whole time. I love this so much. He’s so cute

I watch as she immediately falls in, burying her head in his neck as the cries subside and her breathing starts to calm. He yawns, pulling her sheet and blanket up over them like this is normal. “Does she do this a lot?” Nightmares aren’t supposed to sound like that, are they? As Kaleb settles in, though, she falls completely quiet, nestling into him as her slumber continues, peaceful and quiet. Kaleb lies on his side, holding her and fitting her head under his chin as both of them go back to sleep.

I stare at her, realization dawning. She’s not awake. “What’s wrong with her?” I ask, hanging back by the door. But Kaleb just waves a hand, shooing me away as he lies down next to her and pulls her into his body.

“Tell him I made you do what you’re supposed to do for all the men in the house. Right here on the kitchen table every morning after you serve us our fucking breakfast.”

I exhale, a smile playing on my lips. A large bed sits between two windows which must be the gables on the west side of the house—the same side my balcony faces right below him. Built-in bookshelves line the walls, spilling with books that are stuffed and stacked into every available space. Vertically, horizontally, on top of each other… Nothing has a dust jacket, and I know some of them have to be very old. He doesn’t read all these, does he? I’ve never seen him read.

“And I want you at my table in the morning and in my bed at night.”

honestly didn’t know to expect that but i dnf the book because of the arc. personally not something i would like to read. the writing was good but hated the storyline as it’s uncomfortable.

Zamyha🩷

aleksandra

1/5

People liking this book should be studied.

Sidney Schaffner

I’m disgusted at how much I liked this book. All smut. No plot.

Jordie

Curiosity killed the cat, but this time satisfaction didn’t bring it back to life.

Tavia Milburn

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tiernan needs major therapy sessions. But I probably do too the way I loved this book. So wrong but sooo good. Some parts just made me cringe but over all really good! 

Which means I should probably seek Jesus out and ask for forgiveness cause wtf did I just absolutely devour?

Shelby BD 

I loved this.

Which means I should probably seek Jesus out and ask for forgiveness cause wtf did I just absolutely devour?

This book was fun to read. It was interesting and it got me out of my reading slump. I didn't expect Tiernan to end up with Kaleb but I love it. The ending was good for me.

Ada Mae

Thankfully I'm pretty decent at keeping the story in the story and not letting it trigger me because wow this book just screams trauma. Not sure if I'll pick up another Penelope Douglas book but I will say her writing is a solid 9/10 

Manda

I feel like I need to bathe in some holy water after reading this.

Lydia Enge

Renata

pls the book plot is kinda crazy but it’s so good like??? 
only penelope douglas to write this type of books ily 
gosh kaleb and tiernan bro agh so good istg 

- “My home is where you are,”

Brileigh Talbert

I liked the ending, but overall not my favorite.

We know the drill. If penelope douglas has 100 fans, I'm one of them. If Penelope Douglas has 1 fan, that's me. If Penelope Douglas has 0 fans, it's because I'm dead but what the flying fuck was that. Ok I'm no stranger to the world of taboo but even I know it's a step too far to be enjoying that kind of...intimacy with people a little too close in the family tree for comfort. I'll be honest, I read and enjoyed the whole thing ignoring the fact that she'd be in the shower with Jake, up against the glass then proceed to call him uncle the next minute. It was weird even for me, but I pretended to remain blissfully unaware of that fact and really did enjoy the story. The plotline progressed lovely and Penelope knows the formula for the perfect brooding book bf. 

I can only summarize this book in one word: trauma

Everyone just needs to see a therapist, urgently. Too many mommy and daddy issues in one book. 

Also, I didn’t buy the romance bit. Made no sense and I didn’t buy it for one second.

The only salvageable is Murai (I don’t know how to write that, I read it on audio). And Noah a little bit.

Andrea

I can only summarize this book in one word: trauma

Everyone just needs to see a therapist, urgently. Too many mommy and daddy issues in one book. 

Also, I didn’t buy the romance bit. Made no sense and I didn’t buy it for one second.

The only salvageable is Murai (I don’t know how to write that, I read it on audio). And Noah a little bit.

The overall storyline was very unbelievable with a father and two sons all living in the same house falling for a girl who is just turning 18- and that kind of carried on for me when she fell in love with Kaleb and then Noah and Jake acted like nothing had ever happened between them and Tiernan 

At times the story I felt was lacking and I’m not sure in what because there was drama and spice and 3 attractive males but something was missing 

HOWEVER, the spice in this book has got to be some of the best I have ever read in terms of the detail and descriptions given- I literally devoured those pages where it was unhinged spice 

The book lost a star because of the unrealistic nature that I couldn't get past, but the actual spice was extremely good 

Holly Lake

The overall storyline was very unbelievable with a father and two sons all living in the same house falling for a girl who is just turning 18- and that kind of carried on for me when she fell in love with Kaleb and then Noah and Jake acted like nothing had ever happened between them and Tiernan 

At times the story I felt was lacking and I’m not sure in what because there was drama and spice and 3 attractive males but something was missing 

HOWEVER, the spice in this book has got to be some of the best I have ever read in terms of the detail and descriptions given- I literally devoured those pages where it was unhinged spice 

The book lost a star because of the unrealistic nature that I couldn't get past, but the actual spice was extremely good 

I at first really hated this book! It was a solid 1 star almost DNF but once I REALLY got into it; aside from the few scenes that made me cringe; I could not stop reading it! The love and the spice bumped it up to 4 stars!!

Jaymee

This is book is on a whole other level they weren’t kidding when they said they share… 

Lizeth fonseca

Holy absolute fucking mind blowing - wow. This book gives me the absolute most strongest mixed of emotions, and I am left absolutely speechless while being gut wrenched but feeling the warmth and love from this story. The absolute trauma and finding self-love and finding family that are not blood, that this four characters go through is absolutely a page turner, cannot put it down. EVEN WHEN there are moments where it feels wrong but it isn’t - but it’s all filled with wanting to make a home, and family and losing that understanding because of their trauma. BUT, this was an absolute page turner, and I sobbed happy tears like an absolute bitch at the end 🥲 

Clara

Jennelle bonoan 

Kayleigh Vermeij

Sara Hazeltine

please read TW prior to reading. i do not agree w who she ended up with. the bonus scene that you can read on her website is the only reason i gave the book 3⭐️ instead of 2. if we have more of his POV the book would have been so much better. her falling in love with him had nothing to do with how the book was set up and everyone else’s character development.

Absolutely loved this book it’s a mix between archers voice and flock. So much detail it was like I was on the peak. 

Kassandra oliver

Jamie Sanchez

Fey Reid

I HONESTLY DID NOT KNOW HOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO FEEL ABOUT THIS NOVEL(S*X SCENES ASIDE) 

•TABOO
•FORBIDDEN LOVE
•REVERSE HAREM 

TRIGGERS
•MISOGYNY
•INCEST
•R*PE
•S*XUAL ASSAULT
•DOMESTIC ABUSE & VIOLENCE 
•SUICIDE 
•EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION

Credence

Reviews

Highlights