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Midnight Curfew
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26Two rivals from opposing families fight their forbidden attraction to each other in the brand new romance from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas.
Summertime is off-season in southern Florida. Families leave their homes to escape the heat, the streets are empty, and the nights are quiet. Perfect time for a little mischief while the police aren’t looking.
As the middle Jaeger brother, Dallas was often lost in the shuffle growing up. Now a man, he’s prideful of his community on the wrong side of the tracks—Sanoa Bay—and aggressively protective of his land and his inner circle. He’s hungry and ready for a fight.
Callum Ames has a reputation in St. Carmen, the affluent neighborhood abutting Sanoa Bay. The hottest. The most popular. Rich. Powerful. Strong. The one all the women want. After four years away, he’s back, but for all his bravado, he’s got one major secret: he doesn’t want a woman.
Summer is also storm season. Heat, wind, rain…
And a lockdown.
In a desperate bid to impress his influential father, Callum suggests a curfew to hinder their rivals in the Bay.
Unfortunately, the Jaegers don’t like rules.
As Dallas and Callum face off and engage, out for each other's blood, they can't stop the consuming fire between them and the outcome they already see coming...
The storm of the century.
Summertime is off-season in southern Florida. Families leave their homes to escape the heat, the streets are empty, and the nights are quiet. Perfect time for a little mischief while the police aren’t looking.
As the middle Jaeger brother, Dallas was often lost in the shuffle growing up. Now a man, he’s prideful of his community on the wrong side of the tracks—Sanoa Bay—and aggressively protective of his land and his inner circle. He’s hungry and ready for a fight.
Callum Ames has a reputation in St. Carmen, the affluent neighborhood abutting Sanoa Bay. The hottest. The most popular. Rich. Powerful. Strong. The one all the women want. After four years away, he’s back, but for all his bravado, he’s got one major secret: he doesn’t want a woman.
Summer is also storm season. Heat, wind, rain…
And a lockdown.
In a desperate bid to impress his influential father, Callum suggests a curfew to hinder their rivals in the Bay.
Unfortunately, the Jaegers don’t like rules.
As Dallas and Callum face off and engage, out for each other's blood, they can't stop the consuming fire between them and the outcome they already see coming...
The storm of the century.
544 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
Penelope Douglas
43 books116k followersPenelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into more than twenty languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, Tryst Six Venom, and Five Brothers. Please look for The Hellbent Series, coming next.
They live in New England with their husband and daughter.
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They live in New England with their husband and daughter.
Would you like to join the reader group? ---> https://www.facebook.com/groups/16198...
Looking for News?
Text DOUGLAS to 603-519-3800 to be alerted when new releases are live!
Website: www.penelopedouglasauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenelopeDoug...
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PenDouglas
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/penelopedoug...
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1A8hUBX
Instagram: www.instagram.com/penelope.douglas
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4! Full review to follow! It was so good!
I love whatever Douglas writes. It's a given that her story will be 100% crazy and 100% forbidden. After finishing Five Brothers last night, I'm glad she chose to make this Dallas's story because I seriously couldn't figure him out or why he was such an angry person. He too deserves some love and redemption.
What's it about?
This is a story of two rivals from opposing families going head to head as the fire between the M-M consumes them with an outcome they haven't seen coming.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Penelope Douglas for this early ARC!
Publication: September 1, 2026
I love whatever Douglas writes. It's a given that her story will be 100% crazy and 100% forbidden. After finishing Five Brothers last night, I'm glad she chose to make this Dallas's story because I seriously couldn't figure him out or why he was such an angry person. He too deserves some love and redemption.
What's it about?
This is a story of two rivals from opposing families going head to head as the fire between the M-M consumes them with an outcome they haven't seen coming.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Penelope Douglas for this early ARC!
Publication: September 1, 2026
Want to Read
December 9, 2025clayolivia continue to lead me to places I wouldn't even go with a gun
Want to Read
April 23, 2026not a big P Doug fan but.. mm?? I'm weak😔
Want to Read
December 11, 2025bro september 2026 is so far 🥹
Want to Read
December 6, 2025dallas and callum are coming home to me
Want to Read
April 23, 2026pen’s first MM????!!!!
June 11, 2026
Feels like home to be back in Sanoa Bay with the Jaegers. I loved Tryst Six Venom and Five Brothers, so I was giddy when I heard this book was coming out. Definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year!
It was intriguing to see how Dallas and Callum interacted and understanding their motives behind choices. Everything was so twisted and so manipulative. Talk about ANGST and power dynamics.
PD did an amazing job writing this so it can be read as a standalone, or part of the Jaeger world. She recapped enough details that you get plenty of understanding about the backstory, but it wasn't too much for the readers who already knew. Note: Beware of the trigger warnings! There were some upsetting situations (but mostly occurring in the past...)
The fact that Dallas was a teacher at Marymount was ironic, and hilarious. This book has a good amount of spice, and after the scene with Aracely, I REALLY want a book focused on her. There was so much tension in these pages, and I loved the part at the end where they inspected the pocket knife. #JusticeForAK (Sophia)
Shoutout to the author and publisher for the ARC
It was intriguing to see how Dallas and Callum interacted and understanding their motives behind choices. Everything was so twisted and so manipulative. Talk about ANGST and power dynamics.
PD did an amazing job writing this so it can be read as a standalone, or part of the Jaeger world. She recapped enough details that you get plenty of understanding about the backstory, but it wasn't too much for the readers who already knew. Note: Beware of the trigger warnings! There were some upsetting situations (but mostly occurring in the past...)
The fact that Dallas was a teacher at Marymount was ironic, and hilarious. This book has a good amount of spice, and after the scene with Aracely, I REALLY want a book focused on her. There was so much tension in these pages, and I loved the part at the end where they inspected the pocket knife. #JusticeForAK (Sophia)
Shoutout to the author and publisher for the ARC
Want to Read
July 28, 2026PENELOPE U NEVER LET ME DOWN ON UR BOOKS. I LOVE U AND I NEED THIS!!!
I'm so so SO EXCITED for Penelope's first-ever MM romance AHHH!!!
Little sister's girlfriend's ex bf? OMG FAWK YES✅✅✅✅✅(Clay's ex)
Spinoff of 5 Brothers for Dallas? ✅
MM romance book for Dallas?✅
Rivals to lovers trope?✅✅✅
OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS GIRL IMMA EAT THIS UP SO BAD😭😭😭💗💗
I'm so so SO EXCITED for Penelope's first-ever MM romance AHHH!!!
Little sister's girlfriend's ex bf? OMG FAWK YES✅✅✅✅✅(Clay's ex)
Spinoff of 5 Brothers for Dallas? ✅
MM romance book for Dallas?✅
Rivals to lovers trope?✅✅✅
OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS GIRL IMMA EAT THIS UP SO BAD😭😭😭💗💗
August 31, 2026
***Thanks to the publisher for giving me an e-ARC to read and review!***
*reviewed May 30, 2026*
This book is everything I could have wanted for Dallas/Callum!! I made the mistake of going back and re-reading Five Brothers very recently and it made me absolutely FERAL to get my hands on this book and I didn’t know how I was going to wait until September. So massive thanks to Berkley for offering ARCs and giving this to me because I flew through this and loved every second of reading it!! I mostly read books by audiobook nowadays so you can understand the absolutely dedication I have to read this entire book in text and do it so quickly. I was HOOKED. I was highlighting everything as I was reading because this book is just *chef’s kiss* I will need to get my hands on the physical copy!!
I think the author does a good job of actually recapping and explaining relevant events that happened in Tryst Six Venom and Five Brothers so this could work as a standalone if you’re jumping into the universe of Sanoa Bay with this one. BUT I think it would be so much sweeter if you get the build up by reading the other two books first. This book is the author’s first m/m book but it’s still very much a classic Penelope Douglas story.
I think if you’re read them before, the story won’t be a surprise to you at all, but if you’re coming into this because you only read m/m and haven’t read the author, do know that there are sharing scenes with women. I think the opening chapter sets the tone really well (like the start of Five Brothers) so readers know what they’re getting right from the start.
And I would classify these books as dark romance because these would be a better fit promoted to dark romance readers than people who only read contemporary romance.
This is subject to change since it’s coming from an e-ARC, but the content warnings included in this book from the author says: This book deals with emotionally difficult topics, including violence, coercion, discussions of mental illness and suicide, PTSD, discussions of prior sexual abuse of a non-main character, underage sex, and dubious consent.
I would also add the following content warnings (note: these seem to have been added to an early ALC I briefly listened to for this book, so these might all be in the ebook/physical versions of the book now): homophobia, racism, and emotional and physical domestic abuse.
Dallas Jaeger and Callum Ames are toxic for one another and I love how they can stand toe to toe and duke it out. This angst is DELICIOUS and a slow burn for the ages. This book had me wondering just how they’d actually wind up together because it gets super intense.
Remember, it’s been building up to this point where Callum’s father is out to steal Sanoa Bay, the part of the Seminole land that’s been in Dallas’ family for generations. What surprised me is that Garrett Ames wasn’t who we had to worry about the most regarding this, it’s his son Callum. I love that we do get a resolution here and I wonder now what the underlying plot would be if we ever get books for the other brothers in the Jaeger family - Iron, Trace, and Army.
There are some flashback characters but nothing explicit in the flashback chapters. I was wondering how this would go since I just finished reading Devil’s Night and felt like anything could be on the table. Callum is 22 and Dallas is 25 in the present day chapters. This book is told from both their POVs and in first-person.
Dallas is dealing with unresolved trauma and guilt surrounding his mother’s death when he was just 13. And Callum is dealing with the weight of his father’s expectations. His father is also an absolute creep and all around TERRIBLE person.
We see a lot of Liv/Clay and Krisjen/Macon, and they’re all as happy as can be in this book. It’s interesting to see them from outside POVs like Dallas and Callum because Dallas is around Clay and Krisjen a lot more now and he was downright antagonistic about Krisjen in their home for most of 5B. Callum and Krisjen used to hang out all the time in high school, he was ready to marry Clay one day, and he still owes Liv the BIGGEST apology for what his part in what happened in T6V.
We get more hints at Army/Aracely and I need their book so bad!! But why do I think we will get their book last??
We see the return of Jerome Watson (who Krisjen was supposed to marry) and he’s slightly less terrible here? He was a creep in 5B. But I don’t know what to make of him here since most of his interactions are with Callum and he’s…not terrible? But maybe that’s because Milo Price is also back and he should’ve been dumped in the swamp 4 years ago like the guys were about to do before they had a change of heart. Callum is also friends with a guy called Vincent but you don’t have to know much about him.
Callum’s stepsister, Sophia but goes by Anna-Katherine, is two years younger than him and a big presence in his life and I actually like her a lot and wonder if we’ll see more of her in future books and see her getting a HEA (but way down the line of course). She’s extremely traumatized from events that have happened to her in the past. We don’t see anything graphic on the page but we do get a lot of things alluded to, and well, we see what it’s done to her. Do take the content warnings for this book seriously!!
Since writing this review, the audiobook narrators have been revealed and disappointing for me personally, the narrator for Dallas is not Andrew Eiden (Teddy Hamilton) who voiced the character's POV chapters in Five Brothers. So, if you're listening to these books back-to-back, it will be a bit jarring. Instead, his part is voiced by Javi Wilder, who is new-to-me. And the part of Callum is performed by another new-to-me narrator, Shawn K. Jain (although I think the initial narrator listed on websites was an entirely different narrator and they are not the same person using a pseudonym from what I can tell).
I did listen to a bit of the audio available on the Penguin Random House audiobook app where they offer early audiobooks to listen to and review, and the vibe of the performances don't really work for me. Javi Wilder was actually okay as Dallas, but I was expecting something more along the lines of the Tempting Venom audiobook by Rina Kent, which had been narrated by Teddy Hamilton and JF Harding. Shawn K. Jain on 1x speed is…okay… but I never listen to audiobooks at 1x, and at my usual 1.7x and 2x, it's just not the same vibe for Callum for me. No fault to the narrators, but jjsy not casting that worked for me here. This audiobook is also only dual narrated, not duet. Which, usually it's fine. But maybe a bit disappointing when you listen to one and go right into another m/m audiobook where the story and characters give the same vibe but the audiobook production is just not the same.
Other than the disappointment of the audiobook, I actually really did love this book and I feel like I want to re-read the other two books in this universe again!! The downside to reading a book early before publication is that I had no one else to talk to regarding this book. But just know that Dallas/Callum are everything and this book absolutely delivered for me, and it'll definitely be something I re-read by text!
*reviewed May 30, 2026*
This book is everything I could have wanted for Dallas/Callum!! I made the mistake of going back and re-reading Five Brothers very recently and it made me absolutely FERAL to get my hands on this book and I didn’t know how I was going to wait until September. So massive thanks to Berkley for offering ARCs and giving this to me because I flew through this and loved every second of reading it!! I mostly read books by audiobook nowadays so you can understand the absolutely dedication I have to read this entire book in text and do it so quickly. I was HOOKED. I was highlighting everything as I was reading because this book is just *chef’s kiss* I will need to get my hands on the physical copy!!
I think the author does a good job of actually recapping and explaining relevant events that happened in Tryst Six Venom and Five Brothers so this could work as a standalone if you’re jumping into the universe of Sanoa Bay with this one. BUT I think it would be so much sweeter if you get the build up by reading the other two books first. This book is the author’s first m/m book but it’s still very much a classic Penelope Douglas story.
I think if you’re read them before, the story won’t be a surprise to you at all, but if you’re coming into this because you only read m/m and haven’t read the author, do know that there are sharing scenes with women. I think the opening chapter sets the tone really well (like the start of Five Brothers) so readers know what they’re getting right from the start.
And I would classify these books as dark romance because these would be a better fit promoted to dark romance readers than people who only read contemporary romance.
This is subject to change since it’s coming from an e-ARC, but the content warnings included in this book from the author says: This book deals with emotionally difficult topics, including violence, coercion, discussions of mental illness and suicide, PTSD, discussions of prior sexual abuse of a non-main character, underage sex, and dubious consent.
I would also add the following content warnings (note: these seem to have been added to an early ALC I briefly listened to for this book, so these might all be in the ebook/physical versions of the book now): homophobia, racism, and emotional and physical domestic abuse.
Dallas Jaeger and Callum Ames are toxic for one another and I love how they can stand toe to toe and duke it out. This angst is DELICIOUS and a slow burn for the ages. This book had me wondering just how they’d actually wind up together because it gets super intense.
Remember, it’s been building up to this point where Callum’s father is out to steal Sanoa Bay, the part of the Seminole land that’s been in Dallas’ family for generations. What surprised me is that Garrett Ames wasn’t who we had to worry about the most regarding this, it’s his son Callum. I love that we do get a resolution here and I wonder now what the underlying plot would be if we ever get books for the other brothers in the Jaeger family - Iron, Trace, and Army.
There are some flashback characters but nothing explicit in the flashback chapters. I was wondering how this would go since I just finished reading Devil’s Night and felt like anything could be on the table. Callum is 22 and Dallas is 25 in the present day chapters. This book is told from both their POVs and in first-person.
Dallas is dealing with unresolved trauma and guilt surrounding his mother’s death when he was just 13. And Callum is dealing with the weight of his father’s expectations. His father is also an absolute creep and all around TERRIBLE person.
We see a lot of Liv/Clay and Krisjen/Macon, and they’re all as happy as can be in this book. It’s interesting to see them from outside POVs like Dallas and Callum because Dallas is around Clay and Krisjen a lot more now and he was downright antagonistic about Krisjen in their home for most of 5B. Callum and Krisjen used to hang out all the time in high school, he was ready to marry Clay one day, and he still owes Liv the BIGGEST apology for what his part in what happened in T6V.
We get more hints at Army/Aracely and I need their book so bad!! But why do I think we will get their book last??
We see the return of Jerome Watson (who Krisjen was supposed to marry) and he’s slightly less terrible here? He was a creep in 5B. But I don’t know what to make of him here since most of his interactions are with Callum and he’s…not terrible? But maybe that’s because Milo Price is also back and he should’ve been dumped in the swamp 4 years ago like the guys were about to do before they had a change of heart. Callum is also friends with a guy called Vincent but you don’t have to know much about him.
Callum’s stepsister, Sophia but goes by Anna-Katherine, is two years younger than him and a big presence in his life and I actually like her a lot and wonder if we’ll see more of her in future books and see her getting a HEA (but way down the line of course). She’s extremely traumatized from events that have happened to her in the past. We don’t see anything graphic on the page but we do get a lot of things alluded to, and well, we see what it’s done to her. Do take the content warnings for this book seriously!!
Since writing this review, the audiobook narrators have been revealed and disappointing for me personally, the narrator for Dallas is not Andrew Eiden (Teddy Hamilton) who voiced the character's POV chapters in Five Brothers. So, if you're listening to these books back-to-back, it will be a bit jarring. Instead, his part is voiced by Javi Wilder, who is new-to-me. And the part of Callum is performed by another new-to-me narrator, Shawn K. Jain (although I think the initial narrator listed on websites was an entirely different narrator and they are not the same person using a pseudonym from what I can tell).
I did listen to a bit of the audio available on the Penguin Random House audiobook app where they offer early audiobooks to listen to and review, and the vibe of the performances don't really work for me. Javi Wilder was actually okay as Dallas, but I was expecting something more along the lines of the Tempting Venom audiobook by Rina Kent, which had been narrated by Teddy Hamilton and JF Harding. Shawn K. Jain on 1x speed is…okay… but I never listen to audiobooks at 1x, and at my usual 1.7x and 2x, it's just not the same vibe for Callum for me. No fault to the narrators, but jjsy not casting that worked for me here. This audiobook is also only dual narrated, not duet. Which, usually it's fine. But maybe a bit disappointing when you listen to one and go right into another m/m audiobook where the story and characters give the same vibe but the audiobook production is just not the same.
Other than the disappointment of the audiobook, I actually really did love this book and I feel like I want to re-read the other two books in this universe again!! The downside to reading a book early before publication is that I had no one else to talk to regarding this book. But just know that Dallas/Callum are everything and this book absolutely delivered for me, and it'll definitely be something I re-read by text!
Want to Read
May 17, 2026I love Penelope Douglas downnnnnnn....so I was crying real tears when this arc hit my email this morning😭🖤
Also this is set in the same world as "Tryst Six Venom" and "Five Brothers"
Also this is set in the same world as "Tryst Six Venom" and "Five Brothers"
Read
March 25, 2026can’t wait for the clayliv cameo
August 24, 2026
Midnight curfew by Penelope Douglas
ARC from Berkeley romance
Release: Sept 1st 2026
This is dark, raunchy and the tension is top tier it gave me chills god damn. The jealousy, fighting, plotting, the families, the drama LORD i need a chill pill. With them hate and love is veryyyy thin line and it’s so filthy hot. Page 433 took me out completely. This book was everything and more holy Penelope did it again with this one , just gonna put this beside tryst six venom on my golden shelf❤️🔥😩💋❤️🩹🥵🔥
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC from Berkeley romance
Release: Sept 1st 2026
This is dark, raunchy and the tension is top tier it gave me chills god damn. The jealousy, fighting, plotting, the families, the drama LORD i need a chill pill. With them hate and love is veryyyy thin line and it’s so filthy hot. Page 433 took me out completely. This book was everything and more holy Penelope did it again with this one , just gonna put this beside tryst six venom on my golden shelf❤️🔥😩💋❤️🩹🥵🔥
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
dallascallum have so much buzz i fear 🤦♀️ pd you win this time.
dallas actually used to be my least favorite jaeger sibling but she managed to make me like him. there were a few scenes that were questionable but whatever i was so invested and havent stopped thinking about them since i finished this.
also why did no one make a comment about clay and callum being in the same family now. like is no one going to point out that clay's gay ex boyfriend is kind of her brother in law now
dallas actually used to be my least favorite jaeger sibling but she managed to make me like him. there were a few scenes that were questionable but whatever i was so invested and havent stopped thinking about them since i finished this.
also why did no one make a comment about clay and callum being in the same family now. like is no one going to point out that clay's gay ex boyfriend is kind of her brother in law now
Want to Read
December 9, 2025PENELOPE DOUGLAS I OWE YOU MY LIFE 😭🙏
Review of advance copy
I didn’t wait 5 years not to enjoy this and I enjoyed every second of it idgaf.
Callum Ames will always be the best to do it. I said it five years ago and I’ll say it again now. When they played the voice note of him crying on his phone 5 years ago whew…he was so pathetic. This loser 😭💙
Also I know people don’t but i actually really enjoyed the switch in dynamic. Dallas really needed to be the one to lose his mind over Callum. In the teaser he said he’d be laughing when Callum came back to destroy him except when it happened nothing was funny 😭😭😭😭 he literally went to cry to God about it 😭😭😭😭
Dallas is the best Jaeger. Will always be best Jaeger and has always been the best Jaeger.
Also…..? Why is there little to no Clay in this but I had to see Krisjen every other page…..? I don’t give a fuck about that girl or her pregnancy or her fucking husband. Please, moving forward I want to see LESS of maconkrisjen. LESS. Clayliv got engaged years ago and still not married but Krisjen gets to be? okay sure.
Aracely and Army scene in this 😹 the nerve of him to call her a whore selling herself to white men when he never fucks anyone but a Saint. He’s gonna be sick asf when Ara and Jerome are dating ✌🏽Also Ara really greatest character to ever do it I can’t. The Queen of Sanoa Bay. Also the fact that Army calls her celi is still cute I guess 😒
Sophia Anna-Katherine IS SO FUCKING CUTE we literally have to kill Garrett Ames I’m not even kidding. She’s DC’s first born and we love it 🧸💙💚 I want to see her with Iron I do. Trace is a man who’ll end up with a swamp girl. Or maybe it’s vice-versa but either way there’s too many saints in the Jaeger house. Aracely can’t be the only one.
Callum Ames will always be the best to do it. I said it five years ago and I’ll say it again now. When they played the voice note of him crying on his phone 5 years ago whew…he was so pathetic. This loser 😭💙
Also I know people don’t but i actually really enjoyed the switch in dynamic. Dallas really needed to be the one to lose his mind over Callum. In the teaser he said he’d be laughing when Callum came back to destroy him except when it happened nothing was funny 😭😭😭😭 he literally went to cry to God about it 😭😭😭😭
Dallas is the best Jaeger. Will always be best Jaeger and has always been the best Jaeger.
Also…..? Why is there little to no Clay in this but I had to see Krisjen every other page…..? I don’t give a fuck about that girl or her pregnancy or her fucking husband. Please, moving forward I want to see LESS of maconkrisjen. LESS. Clayliv got engaged years ago and still not married but Krisjen gets to be? okay sure.
Aracely and Army scene in this 😹 the nerve of him to call her a whore selling herself to white men when he never fucks anyone but a Saint. He’s gonna be sick asf when Ara and Jerome are dating ✌🏽Also Ara really greatest character to ever do it I can’t. The Queen of Sanoa Bay. Also the fact that Army calls her celi is still cute I guess 😒
Sophia Anna-Katherine IS SO FUCKING CUTE we literally have to kill Garrett Ames I’m not even kidding. She’s DC’s first born and we love it 🧸💙💚 I want to see her with Iron I do. Trace is a man who’ll end up with a swamp girl. Or maybe it’s vice-versa but either way there’s too many saints in the Jaeger house. Aracely can’t be the only one.
Want to Read
January 25, 2026mm from penelope? i am SAT. after tryst six venom i cannot wait for more queer books from them.
Want to Read
February 10, 2026we have to talk about the slowly emerging hetero dark romance to bl pipeline
Did Not Finish
August 22, 2026No shade, but this MM romance isn’t for the guys. This book is definitely targeted outside my demographic.
Did Not Finish
July 22, 2026So, like, was Five Brothers good? No, it’s delicious garbage and I’m a raccoon so I devoured it. But this???
On another level. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why. I don’t know how, I just want to know who wrote this. Pen??? Explain yourself.
This was like if a 13 year old boy decided to write fanfic of Five Brothers.
On another level. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why. I don’t know how, I just want to know who wrote this. Pen??? Explain yourself.
This was like if a 13 year old boy decided to write fanfic of Five Brothers.
Want to Read
May 27, 2026LA sortie que j'attends le plus à la rentrée,
ma reine qui écrit son premier MM? im on my knees.
j'ai hâte de découvrir l'histoire de Dallas depuis que j'ai lu five brothers
────୨ৎ────
↝ tryst six venom 3/5☆
↝ five brothers 4/5☆
↝ midnight curfew -/5☆
ma reine qui écrit son premier MM? im on my knees.
j'ai hâte de découvrir l'histoire de Dallas depuis que j'ai lu five brothers
────୨ৎ────
↝ tryst six venom 3/5☆
↝ five brothers 4/5☆
↝ midnight curfew -/5☆
July 17, 2026
I am emotionally ruined.
It was perfect.
It was perfect.
June 26, 2026
This series is one of my favorite ever written. When I feel lost or alone or helpless, I come back to Sanoa Bay. There has always been something in the Jaeger siblings that make me feel seen in a way I rarely feel. Every single character carries depth, a weight rooted in trauma and loss and expectation and fear. They are vital to what makes this world so individual and unique, while being overwhelmingly familiar and calming. I don’t think I could explain it any other way than this, and even then I know I didn’t do it justice. It just feels like home, the pain and the safety that comes with it. Of our past and present, the fights and the laughter, the loyalty and rage, the love and the resentment. Every layer of what it means to see someone as your family is woven into this world Penelope Douglas has created, and there will never be another like it.
I have been hesitantly curious about Dallas Jaegar since I read Five Brothers when it released in 2024. There was an anger in his POV chapter that spread anxiety through my bones. Because I knew his story would hurt. Because I knew I would feel it. Because I knew I would relate to it. He’s a character that is created through complexities and layers. I could spend hours dissecting everything I know about him, inferring so much that I don’t, and it would never be enough time. His mind works in a way that makes you reflect on your own, your choices, your thoughts, your values, your ignorance. He makes you want to be better, to see life without the rose-colored glasses we’re given at birth. To see the world for what it is, and to stop pretending it could be anything other than that. There is something freeing about his viewpoint, the way his mind works, and what drives his every thought and decision.
His trauma is something more people can relate to than they would have the strength to admit, I think. That pain is woven into his very making. And through every moment, he remains unshakable, stable, “Everest.” He is steady at his core, something you would never have known before this book. There is a strength in him that not even he is able to see at times, and yet it is always there. He is fiercely loyal, as are all of the Jaegers, It’s what makes them to special. Their devotion to their family and everything they represent sets them apart from everyone else. In this series and countless others. I have never read characters that exist as the Jaegers do, and it’s what made me fall in love with them.
Callum, he is such a special character. He wears both his heart and his pain on his sleeve, and it’s both his greatest weapon and his greatest weakness. There is something poetic about it when you reflect on his character in its entirety. I didn’t have to dig and dissect him to know him, I just had to open my eyes. He shows you who he is, and it’s something I love so deeply about his character. No matter how scared he is, the amount of danger surrounding him, he never hides any piece of himself. And seeing him from both timelines, that which begins during Tryst Six Venom and ends five years later at our present day, only further proves this point. His ability to know who he his, and why he does what he does. Dallas at times has lived in denial, while Callum has only ever moved with honesty as his companion. It’s what caused him such pain in his beginning, and what hardened him in his middle. It is also what allowed Dallas to thaw that shell once he rejected his own denial and fears in pursuit of honesty and strength and love.
At its core, love is sewn into each moment. It may have been presented through anger at times, but it doesn’t rain any less true. In every moment, there was love driving them. Through the games and deceit, the push and pull, it was rooted in their unwavering ache to be close to the other. They fell harder than anyone else in this series, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every moment of this book was perfection. I was brought to tears constantly, felt pain spread through my chest into an ache in my bones, laughed with characters that feel like family, mourned for those who will never be who they could have been had their trauma never came, and felt my heart overflow when their version of a happily ever after finally found its perfect moment.
These characters, this world, it is so important to me. I wish everyone could feel the heart that was poured into the making of this story and the Sanoa Bay universe. Penelope Douglas continues to write the most special stories, filled with characters that emulate everything that makes us human. It is truly a gift to have read this story, and I look forward to going back to it when I need to feel the comfort of coming home.
“I never let myself want much, because nothing was permanent. I saw everything as something I would lose eventually, but right now — tonight — I have him.”
I have been hesitantly curious about Dallas Jaegar since I read Five Brothers when it released in 2024. There was an anger in his POV chapter that spread anxiety through my bones. Because I knew his story would hurt. Because I knew I would feel it. Because I knew I would relate to it. He’s a character that is created through complexities and layers. I could spend hours dissecting everything I know about him, inferring so much that I don’t, and it would never be enough time. His mind works in a way that makes you reflect on your own, your choices, your thoughts, your values, your ignorance. He makes you want to be better, to see life without the rose-colored glasses we’re given at birth. To see the world for what it is, and to stop pretending it could be anything other than that. There is something freeing about his viewpoint, the way his mind works, and what drives his every thought and decision.
His trauma is something more people can relate to than they would have the strength to admit, I think. That pain is woven into his very making. And through every moment, he remains unshakable, stable, “Everest.” He is steady at his core, something you would never have known before this book. There is a strength in him that not even he is able to see at times, and yet it is always there. He is fiercely loyal, as are all of the Jaegers, It’s what makes them to special. Their devotion to their family and everything they represent sets them apart from everyone else. In this series and countless others. I have never read characters that exist as the Jaegers do, and it’s what made me fall in love with them.
Callum, he is such a special character. He wears both his heart and his pain on his sleeve, and it’s both his greatest weapon and his greatest weakness. There is something poetic about it when you reflect on his character in its entirety. I didn’t have to dig and dissect him to know him, I just had to open my eyes. He shows you who he is, and it’s something I love so deeply about his character. No matter how scared he is, the amount of danger surrounding him, he never hides any piece of himself. And seeing him from both timelines, that which begins during Tryst Six Venom and ends five years later at our present day, only further proves this point. His ability to know who he his, and why he does what he does. Dallas at times has lived in denial, while Callum has only ever moved with honesty as his companion. It’s what caused him such pain in his beginning, and what hardened him in his middle. It is also what allowed Dallas to thaw that shell once he rejected his own denial and fears in pursuit of honesty and strength and love.
At its core, love is sewn into each moment. It may have been presented through anger at times, but it doesn’t rain any less true. In every moment, there was love driving them. Through the games and deceit, the push and pull, it was rooted in their unwavering ache to be close to the other. They fell harder than anyone else in this series, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every moment of this book was perfection. I was brought to tears constantly, felt pain spread through my chest into an ache in my bones, laughed with characters that feel like family, mourned for those who will never be who they could have been had their trauma never came, and felt my heart overflow when their version of a happily ever after finally found its perfect moment.
These characters, this world, it is so important to me. I wish everyone could feel the heart that was poured into the making of this story and the Sanoa Bay universe. Penelope Douglas continues to write the most special stories, filled with characters that emulate everything that makes us human. It is truly a gift to have read this story, and I look forward to going back to it when I need to feel the comfort of coming home.
“I never let myself want much, because nothing was permanent. I saw everything as something I would lose eventually, but right now — tonight — I have him.”
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
5☆ you ever have a book series that is so severely underrated you don’t know anyone who has read it, but you desperately need to talk to someone about it because the story, the characters, the relationships, the spice, and the character development was just so insanely amazing so instead you just scream and crash out? yes that is me.
penelope douglas is always going to be one of my favorite dark romance authors. her books are filled with amazing characters, insane plots, and even crazier spice (& i haven’t even read all her books yet!) i definitely think this series is my number one favorite so far. i have fallen in love with the jaeger family and after reading five brothers, i knew dallas was one of my favorites. his and callum’s story was done perfectly.
the tension between them was SO GOOD. they wanted to hate each other so much based on all of the terrible things they’ve done to each other and their families & the way their society has forced them to be, but they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. i was gagged. THEY WERE NASSSSTY.
there was one scene near the end of the book that made me, a non crier, cry. my stomach was in knots and my chest felt so tight. i know i’m forever going to remember this book and these characters.
and i’m also going to be recommending this series every single day until everyone picks it up and tells me i was right tysm
#menkissingmen
penelope douglas is always going to be one of my favorite dark romance authors. her books are filled with amazing characters, insane plots, and even crazier spice (& i haven’t even read all her books yet!) i definitely think this series is my number one favorite so far. i have fallen in love with the jaeger family and after reading five brothers, i knew dallas was one of my favorites. his and callum’s story was done perfectly.
the tension between them was SO GOOD. they wanted to hate each other so much based on all of the terrible things they’ve done to each other and their families & the way their society has forced them to be, but they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. i was gagged. THEY WERE NASSSSTY.
there was one scene near the end of the book that made me, a non crier, cry. my stomach was in knots and my chest felt so tight. i know i’m forever going to remember this book and these characters.
and i’m also going to be recommending this series every single day until everyone picks it up and tells me i was right tysm
#menkissingmen
August 17, 2026
I never thought I would see the day where Dallas Jaeger would fall in love. Especially with someone on the opposite side of the tracks.
This book is exactly what needed to be written. We got Dallas and Callum’s stories. And P.D. DELIVERED! Seeing both of their vulnerable sides felt like peeking into a forbidden world. Callum’s reason for what he did to Liv all those years ago hurt. But Dallas finally admitting he was in love broke me. These characters both have deeper parts of them and they don’t let others see besides each other. And that just made it so much better.
Overall it was amazing and steamy. And I want Irons book next so badly!
Thank you to Penelope Douglas, Berkeley and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review Midnight Curfew!
This book is exactly what needed to be written. We got Dallas and Callum’s stories. And P.D. DELIVERED! Seeing both of their vulnerable sides felt like peeking into a forbidden world. Callum’s reason for what he did to Liv all those years ago hurt. But Dallas finally admitting he was in love broke me. These characters both have deeper parts of them and they don’t let others see besides each other. And that just made it so much better.
Overall it was amazing and steamy. And I want Irons book next so badly!
Thank you to Penelope Douglas, Berkeley and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review Midnight Curfew!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2026
Really a 3.75 because why is this book so long?!? It is almost 600 pages which is wild for this type of book. HOWEVER, that being said I did read it in one day. I loved the story and the relationship between Callum and Dallas and really the whole family in general. This book is part romance, smut, mystery and revenge but all of it had a lot of heart that makes you root for the characters. There are parts that are so repetitive that could have been cut out without losing any of the plot of heart of the book.
Read
June 30, 2026"You fall in love with the one person who can turn you inside out, and there’s no control over it." - Dallas, MIDNIGHT CURFEW
I'm typically not a big fan of reading M/M, but when it's Pen writing it, I'm on board with it! Dallas & Callum's story was quite a turbulent ride. Opposite side of the tracks lovers to enemies to lovers again. All the angst. All the emotion. Everything I had hoped it would be. Now I can't wait for the next book in the series!
5/5 stars
I'm typically not a big fan of reading M/M, but when it's Pen writing it, I'm on board with it! Dallas & Callum's story was quite a turbulent ride. Opposite side of the tracks lovers to enemies to lovers again. All the angst. All the emotion. Everything I had hoped it would be. Now I can't wait for the next book in the series!
5/5 stars
August 13, 2026
Midnight Curfew started off slow, but once everything picked up, I couldn’t put it down!
Dallas and Callum’s past mixed with their present problem creates such a fun cat and mouse game between them. Their attraction is obvious and the heat creates for such amazing banter. There were a lot of twists that happened that left me audibly gasping, and I am so happy with how everything ended!
Dallas and Callum’s past mixed with their present problem creates such a fun cat and mouse game between them. Their attraction is obvious and the heat creates for such amazing banter. There were a lot of twists that happened that left me audibly gasping, and I am so happy with how everything ended!
Want to Read
May 31, 2026MM from PD?
August 30, 2026
My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m not a fan of bullying and this took most of the book to knock that off, so this was a slow one for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was well aware that once I started this book, I wasn’t going to be able to put it down. I lost copious amounts of sleep to finish this, I regret nothing!
Penelope has built one of those fictional worlds that never really leaves you. The characters are flawed, messy, and often make terrible decisions, but their loyalty to each other, their town and to the people they love never feels forced. It’s what makes this series so addictive.
I’ll admit that I wasn’t Dallas’s biggest fan before this book. He always came across as selfish, self-centered and egotistical, I wasn’t sure how Penelope was going to change my mind. But of course, she did and Dallas ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the series so far. Underneath all the bravado is someone carrying far more than he ever lets people see. Watching those layers slowly come apart made his story impossible to put down. Dallas teaching at Marymount added another layer I wasn’t expecting. There’s so much irony in putting someone with his past in that role, and it worked incredibly well. Also, seeing Dallas with Anna Katherine brought out a softer side that made me love his character even more.
Macon knows what he’s doing strategically placing the brothers in important positions throughout St. Carmen. I love his power moves. My baby daddy is a dream.
Then there’s Callum. These two are chaos together. Every conversation feels like a power struggle. Every interaction is loaded with years of resentment, guilt, desire, and unresolved hurt. Their chemistry is undeniable, but it’s the emotional tension that steals the show. More than once, I found myself aching for both of them because neither knew how to stop hurting the other without first facing themselves.
Their romance delivers everything I hoped for. The chemistry is intense, the angst is unyielding, and the emotional payoff is worth every painful step it takes to get there. I never would have guessed that this was Pen’s first M/M romance.
Pen continues to effortlessly balance the past and present, the flashbacks never interrupt the story. They deepen it. Every new piece of history changes the way you see the present, and more than one revelation caught me completely off guard. The memories are seamlessly interlaced throughout the pages, gifting long time readers with new insights, and giving new ones the background that they need without overwhelming the story.
The supporting cast reminded me why I love this world so much. Every return to Sanoa Bay feels like catching up with people you’ve known forever, even when they’re making your life emotionally miserable LOL.
This is Penelope Douglas doing what she does best: creating complicated characters, impossible relationships, and a story that leaves you emotionally exhausted in the best possible way. I hope each brother gets their own book, because the set ups that Pen sprinkled throughout are too good!! **cough, cough Iron**
Penelope has built one of those fictional worlds that never really leaves you. The characters are flawed, messy, and often make terrible decisions, but their loyalty to each other, their town and to the people they love never feels forced. It’s what makes this series so addictive.
I’ll admit that I wasn’t Dallas’s biggest fan before this book. He always came across as selfish, self-centered and egotistical, I wasn’t sure how Penelope was going to change my mind. But of course, she did and Dallas ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the series so far. Underneath all the bravado is someone carrying far more than he ever lets people see. Watching those layers slowly come apart made his story impossible to put down. Dallas teaching at Marymount added another layer I wasn’t expecting. There’s so much irony in putting someone with his past in that role, and it worked incredibly well. Also, seeing Dallas with Anna Katherine brought out a softer side that made me love his character even more.
Macon knows what he’s doing strategically placing the brothers in important positions throughout St. Carmen. I love his power moves. My baby daddy is a dream.
Then there’s Callum. These two are chaos together. Every conversation feels like a power struggle. Every interaction is loaded with years of resentment, guilt, desire, and unresolved hurt. Their chemistry is undeniable, but it’s the emotional tension that steals the show. More than once, I found myself aching for both of them because neither knew how to stop hurting the other without first facing themselves.
Their romance delivers everything I hoped for. The chemistry is intense, the angst is unyielding, and the emotional payoff is worth every painful step it takes to get there. I never would have guessed that this was Pen’s first M/M romance.
Pen continues to effortlessly balance the past and present, the flashbacks never interrupt the story. They deepen it. Every new piece of history changes the way you see the present, and more than one revelation caught me completely off guard. The memories are seamlessly interlaced throughout the pages, gifting long time readers with new insights, and giving new ones the background that they need without overwhelming the story.
The supporting cast reminded me why I love this world so much. Every return to Sanoa Bay feels like catching up with people you’ve known forever, even when they’re making your life emotionally miserable LOL.
This is Penelope Douglas doing what she does best: creating complicated characters, impossible relationships, and a story that leaves you emotionally exhausted in the best possible way. I hope each brother gets their own book, because the set ups that Pen sprinkled throughout are too good!! **cough, cough Iron**
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