Hideaway by Penelope Douglas Review

3 stars

Don’t shoot me please and know right away that I’m a big fan of Penelope Douglas.
There were many very good things in this book that I’ll explain later but also what I experienced as “inconsistencies” and missed opportunities.

Hideaway is Corrupt’s sequel and the books should be read in order.

I loved Corrupt: the thrill, the twists, the jerks the revenge etc. And I loved Michael and Rika. One scene was particularly hot and Kai Mori was VERY involved. Kai all mysterious, distant and sexy.
I could not wait for his story and the same can be said for Damon’s story.

Hideaway revolves around Kai and Banks.
Kai and his friends are determined to find Damon as he is a threat to Rika. That’s the official version as Kai has other motives to find Damon. Said motives will only be revealed later in the book and helped keep me interested in the story. What was Kai’s secret?

Damon is hiding in plain sight and he escapes all attempts at being found. He is like a ghost!

It’s obvious Damon will need some incentive if they want him to “leave his den” so they go looking at his father’s house. Damon’s father, Gabriel, is a cruel and vile man. While visiting him they stumble upon “Banks”.
Banks an Kai have history.
Six years ago something happened between them at Devil’s Night. You could say it even began earlier that day. On that fateful night Kai discovered a very possessive Damon. Something he never was when women were concerned.
Banks could be the leverage they need.

OK that’s all for the plot as I don’t want to give spoilers.

So what worked for me?

Well I loved Kai and Banks. I even loved Banks better than Erika as she had to struggle her whole life just to eat and be considered. Banks is a fighter but she also is insecure as she never attended high school and always wore used outfits. She was also living in a very dangerous environment for girls: Gabriel’s house. Better be a man than a girl toy!
She also had a very peculiar relationship with Damon. Some could say an unhealthy relationship but I won’t say more. Suffice to say that she is loyal through and through to Damon.

Kai and Banks made perfect sense together and I loved the “hot and cold” as Banks had her reasons to rebuff Kai countless times. You could feel the tension and the chemistry between these two and it took a very strong person to keep Kai at arm’s length like Banks did.

I also loved the perpetual threat hanging on their heads as Damon was lurking somewhere and I waited all along to see him make his move. It gave the book a slight oppressive feeling. You know the villain is waiting to catch you but you don’t know when he’ll strike and where he will strike.

Above all else I loved all the information about Damon’s past. At the end of Corrupt I said that I would love reading about Damon as I thought he was a complex character and had probably “reasons” to do what he’s done. Hideaway confirmed what I thought and I’m fascinated by Damon. Truth be told what happened to me was appalling!

That said several things bothered me.

First: what I would call an “inconsistency” or a “hard to believe fact”: Kai never realizes Banks identity whereas someone close to him knows it. You would think after so many years the cat would be out of the bag and I did not think this very believable.

Second: we learn pretty soon that Kai loves “watching”. I thought it pretty exciting and expected some hot scenes around that topic but… nothing. Why give us this tidbit and not exploit it? It would have made sense and would have added another steamy layer to the story.

Third: Banks always chooses Damon. Yes I can understand why she would do it but on the other hand given the circumstances she should have realized by now that he did not really need her or rather that he was using her for his own benefits. Choose him for some time yes but after so many pages it was tiring. On the other hand I can understand that “the devil you know… “ and all that jazz was appealing to Banks. Given her personal history she craved protection and stability. Something she thought hard to achieve on her own for the girl without high school diploma.

Did Penelope sometimes struggle with her story?

General opinion

So why three stars given all the “plus” here above compared to the “minus”? Well because it’s Penelope and I expect grand things from her. The same as a teacher expects more from brilliant students I desire excellence from Penelope.

Recommend it? Certainly! If you have read Corrupt this is a must read.

Will I read other Penelope Douglas’s books? Of course! She is among my favorite author. This is probably just a blip. What bothered me may not deter you from your read at all!

Have you read this book? Loved it?

Thanks for reading!