It’s always a hit or miss with Penelope Douglas and while I did really enjoy the story and spice, the plot had me a little confused and the writing style wasn’t my favorite. That being said, I really did miss being in this world after reading Tryst Six Venom and I loved seeing all the old characters I loved so much. I spent half the book rooting for every single brother and I’m happy with who the FMC ended up with. I will definitely continue reading any book Penelope Douglas comes out with!

✔️ Secret Identity
✔️ Taboo Romance
✔️ Rich/Poor

I was taken off guard by how much I enjoyed this one. I gravitate to cinnamon rolls and there were none to be found here. However, Penelope Douglas just knows how to hook me right off the bat with complex characters.

Kristjen is the FMC and could have been the quintessential sad little rich girl (big house, absent parents, etc) but she is more than that. Fierce, loyal to a fault - a porcupine that hides a soft underbelly.

I also loved getting to know all the Jaeger brothers. Listen, I'm a reader who is bad with names and gets confused easily so a book like this should have overwhelmed me. However, the characterizations of each were distinct and I loved getting to know all of them through Kristjen's POV.

I fell headfirst into this book - it felt like I was sucked into the story right away, partly because I rooted for Kristjen from the beginning and just had to know what her HEA would be.

4⭐️. Thanks to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the ebook.

Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

I wanted to like this book more than I did because I really like the other books I've read by Penelope Douglas. This one just didn't do it for me. I felt the storyline had good potential, but I felt like the 18 year old female character spent a lot of time "counseling" all of these brothers. I didn't find this female character that strong of a character and that really hurt the story for me.

4.5 rounded up :)

I am a Penelope Douglas Stan FOR LIFEEEEEEE okay 🥹🥹🥹 this immediately became my top read of theirs. After reading this, I will be diving into Tryst Six Venom soon (both standalones but you do get a glimpse of the brothers in Tryst Six).

I ate this up in a couple sittings. Literally no complaints other than the fact it’s a little lengthy and quite literally the only reason I knocked half a star off.

I knew from the beginning which brother I was falling in love with. Ofc Macon. What does that say about me? 😂😂 I loved all the brothers in their own ways, but Macon stole my heart from page one.

This book immediately starts off zesty and literally had my heart racing.

Despite it being so long, I would 10000% read it again if I could. This is one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time 🫶🏼

Thanks to PRHAudio for the free audiobook and to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC.

What in the Days of Our Lives is going on in this book?

But like DOOL, I could not stop. Small town. In each other's business. In all the brother's beds (although I figured out early on who was her choice), grudges, enemies.

An odd read and not even sure how to describe. I really did enjoy the audio.

It's a lot to digest, that's for sure
If you've read Tryst Six Venom, then you know Oliver's 5 brothers.
Krisjen is from Clay's side of tracks, belonging to a big, clean part of town
The saints vs the swamps, that is the Jaegars.
I don't mind RH, but the girl is barely 18, so that was.......interesting
Trace was nice, I'd like to read more about Macon and Army
4 stars

This was a great book! It was fun but still had some serious topics. I will say this book is not a why choose, but the spice does spice well. I will continue to read Penelope Douglas books and can’t wait to see what else she puts out.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I do think you should read her other series set in this world, which the author does mention even though this is considered a standalone. I couldn't really get into the characters, and the story felt like it was dragging along. If you have enjoyed previous books by this author, you may enjoy this one, but for me I had to DNF. Hopefully I will enjoy other books from this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC.

I’m not posting this review. I went back and forth on whether I liked it or not and maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for it. It could have been a why choose and framed differently but I just didn’t like the heroine. I do want the next book though. I loved the brothers and the series could be great. I’m conflicted,

4 stars.

"Five Brothers" is the first Penelope Douglas book that I have read, but it certainly won't be my last because, their writing? Their spice? Their scandal? Their mind?! DANG!!! It's something else! Wooooooooweeeee, I wasn't sure what to expect, and this was quite a journey, an emotional roller coaster of highs, lows, and eyeball-widening happenings. Long before I read this book, I knew Douglas's name. They are huge on TikTok and other bookish places online, so I knew I was in for some sort of a dark romance. All I can say is......sharing is caring, ehhhh????? I liked the characters in this book, as much as you can when some of them are extra morally gray. Each of the brothers has something redeemable about them despite the bad things they may have done in their lives. Some readers will struggle through the subject matter here, but I think Douglas balances the spice with the struggle, the mental health representation with the darkness, and the pining with the slight mystery. Speaking of mystery, I really liked the "figuring out who Krisjen will end up with" angle of the story. I had a hunch that I knew which brother she would end up with from the start, but it was still fun watching her figure it out throughout the rest of the happenings of the story. Krisjen... oh boy, what to say about her? I hated her a lot of the time, but I was also shockingly drawn to her? The girl has A LOT going on, a lot of trauma to go through and to deal with at such a young age. I say this with the best intentions: this book is a MESS. Like, you know that Marie Kondo gif where she says "I like mess"? THAT kind of mess... and I ate up every single syllable and vowel of it. The spice do be spicin' and the angst do be angstin', as the kids might say (probably not, I am an old person now). Though this is a standalone book, I feel like I would have been better suited had I read "Tryst Six Venom" before since some of the characters from that book make appearances here. No matter, I still had a wonderful time reading this book. It took me far out of my comfort zone.... and dare I say, I am in and on board the Penelope Douglas hype train?? Great for readers who like morally gray dark romances featuring multiple partners!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penelope Douglas, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This shit was a little crazy.

Like a soap opera, everyone in the small town has some connection to each other. They have either slept together, have history/shared secrets together, are in business together, or have some sort of grudge against each other crazy.

The morals and decision-making skills of everyone involved are questionable at best. But you can't quite look away like with a raging car fire on the freeway.

In terms of the mystery, it wasn't blatantly obvious to me at first who it was. I had my suspicions though. However, it became quite clear who Krisjen wanted it to be. And it was eventually proven to be him.

I think what threw me was all the sharing among family members. It wouldn't be strange if this were a reverse harem but it's not. There is an endgame. To me, having a history with almost all your future brother-in-laws is strange.

That being said, would I read the next one? Probably

Did I just read one of my top reads this year? YES!! I devoured this book! I was so intrigued with the storyline and couldn’t put my kindle down at all 🤣 I really enjoyed Krisjen’s story and all the Jaeger brothers. Love the found family trope so so much. 🥹🥹 This book really got me in the feels and all emotional during the guys POV chapters. ❤️❤️ The plot was so good and the spice was so hot. 😮‍💨
Go into this book blindly because it’s so worth it to guess who she’ll end up with. 🤭

“But I see you. Even when I close my eyes, I see you.”💔

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I did not read the book before this. I found this novel very boring through the first half and then it picked up. Some times I felt it went into TOO much detail on things that were not important to the plot. But by the second half I finally got into the story. The relationship between Macon and Krisjen was truly a beautiful love affair.

I read Tryst Six Venom this year (2024) and enjoyed reading Clay and Liv's story, but when I found out that Penelope was writing a book with the Jaeger brothers (Liv's brothers), I was beyond excited. I had a hard time putting down Five Brothers when I started reading it. I was fully invested in learning about the Jaeger Brothers: Macon, Army, Iron, Dallas, and Trace. They played an intricate part in Tryst Six Venom. You don't have to read that book to read Five Brothers, but it would be beneficial if you did.

I know Five Brothers is being compared to Credence, which I have not read yet. I've had it on my TBR and need to bump it up to read soon. I've read the mixed reviews on Credence, but that won't stop me because I friggin' love Penelope Douglas's writing style, character development, and storytelling. Penelope makes my emotions go haywire with their books whenever I read them. They make me feel for the characters and what they are going through, and this is precisely what I felt while reading Five Brothers, which is told mainly in Krisjen but with the brothers having POVs, too.

This book is an Opposite Sides of the Track story where the FMC, Krisjen, has grown up as a Saint from the wealthy side of St. Carmen, while the Jaeger brothers have grown up as a Swamp on the poor side of the Bay. The Saints and Swamp don't get along. The rich want what the Jaegers and the Bay have and will do anything to have it, but the Jaeger brothers are not someone you want to mess with, especially the older brother, Macon, who has done things to protect not only his family but the Bay from the rich.

I loved getting to know each of the Jaeger brothers individually. Trace is the youngest brother, and he was the first person to be with Krisjen, but it wasn't a relationship between the two; it was just fun. Dallas is the brother who despised Saints with a lot of passion, and he even had issues with Krisjen at first. Iron was the brother who was always getting in trouble, and he ended up going to jail in this book, but I loved getting to know him, even for a short period. Army is the only brother who has a child, and out of all the brothers, he has the most caring heart, and he's the face of the businesses that the brothers run. Macon is the oldest who served in the Marines and had to come back home after his parents passed away so that he could take care of his siblings. He was the one that everyone was scared of, and he had a lot of anger built up in him, and there was a reason for it. I felt for his character the most. It broke my heart to find out what he had to do in order to keep his family afloat. He endured a lot that his younger siblings didn't know about and he was dealing with the most.

I loved the FMC, Krisjen because there was a girl who didn't know what she wanted out of life. She stepped up to take care of her siblings when her parents weren't. She also stepped up to take care of the Jaeger brothers and learned all their secrets. The brothers didn't like her at first since she was a Saint, but once they got to know the real her, they were very protective of her.

No, this is not a Why Choose storyline because, in the end, Krisjen's meant to be one of the Jaeger brothers. I think the one she ends up with was definitely the one she was meant to be with because he saw things about her, that the others didn't. She also ends up helping the one who she ends up with, and I was there for it.

This book touches on some tough, emotional topics, especially those related to the Jaeger brothers. Krisjen, an outsider from the family, sees everything and what is happening and takes matters into her own hands to help the family. I loved how she handled things with the Jaegers, even when she was dealing with her own problems.

I could go on and on talking about this book, but I don't want to risk spoiling it for readers who have been anticipating this book. Yes, this book may be comparable to Credence, but for someone who hasn't read that book yet, I can't compare it. I just know I loved Five Brothers so much that I'm still thinking about the story and characters days later after I finished reading it. This is why I'm giving it 5-stars. I can't stop thinking about it. Penelope's world-building and character development in this book gripped me in a way that I definitely need to reread this book over and over again. Every book Penelope writes has been that way for me, which is why they are an auto-buy author.

I really hope Penelope writes more books in this world. I need more of the Jaeger brothers because, after reading this book, all the brothers deserve an HEA.

4.5 stars

Pen has weaved in some tough topics in this story. So I’d still say this is a classic Pen book that I enjoyed. I will say it didn’t surprise me at all who Krisjen ended up with. I just had a hard time connecting with Krisjen or even liking her character really. There’s so much more that needs to be told in this world. Nice set up with Dallas at the end.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬
𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️

•𝑇𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑜 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
•𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑
•𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘, 𝑠𝑢𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙
•𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐲 (𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞)

Put a fork in me. I’m done after that read, y’all 🫠🫠🫠 Pen, oh Pen, how did you know I would love this. Special thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for this arc! I consumed this bad boy in less than 24 hours

Read if you’re not afraid of a well written, complex, gripping story with thought out character development and realism. The spice was both phenomenal and intense, with building angst and chemistry that will keep you up all night.

That is all.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Omg omg omg omg..... I was obsessed with this book and COULD NOT put it down until I finished every last morsel. Penelope Douglas has a way with words and she has DONE IT AGAIN.

Every single man in this book is swoony worthy and should be in society instead of those weirdos out there. Where is my Macon?!?!? I'm waiting and I am not happy about it. This book had so many amazing tropes that I love and it fit perfectly together. From beginning to end, it was PERFECT. I love Krisjen so much... she is a badass and such a sweetheart, you couldn't help falling in love with her.

But each of the five tryst brothers..... DELICIOUS. I mean how could you choose to be with just one of them.... the only way is to be selfish and have them all, I guess.

Like all of Penelope Douglas's books.... this book will ripe your heart into tiny pieces so many times and then put it back together again so you can't get too angry at her.

I loved this book and hope to read another Douglas book soon!

If you love The Outsiders Greasers vs Socials, or Outer Banks Pogues vs Kooks, then you will appreciate the drama in Five Brothers....Saints vs Swamps. Society separates into haves and have nots. and it is a clear line drawn in this book, separated by railroad tracks. The Five Brothers live in a dilapidated house on the bay in St. Carmen, Florida, and they are known as the Swamp people.
Fascinated with their lifestyle is Krisjen living in high society, prim, and proper etiquette, but loves these brothers. She is known as one of the Saints. Her family is wealthy, but struggling with her parents getting a divorce. What she has discovered is, it doesn't matter how much money you have if you are not happy together.
The life of the Swamps is freedom, determination and banding together. Even if they don't have material things, they have each other. Their parents died a few years ago, while Macon was only 23 years old and in the military, but returned to take care of his siblings.
The steamy romance is explicit and intense. With the characters building and growing throughout, there is never a dull moment with its action packed drama. It has been a hit or miss with many readers, but this Outsider fan loved it.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love everything Penelope Douglas writes and this was no exception. I always recommend her to customers looking for a steamy read. I will include this in my newsletter to my romance readers!

I have been so excited for the release of Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas. I am a huge fan and have been following their releases for a long time. I just love their words so much. In this one we have Krisjen and the Jaeger brothers and it was quite the ride! I could not stop reading and am really excited to check out the audiobook. Krisjen is trying to figure out where her life is headed and what she wants. Her mom wants to marry her off to keep the life she is living, as they are from a wealthy family. She has two younger siblings she loves. I found her to be strong, determined and a bit vulnerable and loved her throughout the story.

The Jaeger brothers, Macon, Army, Iron, Dallas and Trace come from the wrong side of the tracks and run a local family business. They vary from 20 to 31 years old. I do not want to give too much away but will say even as each of the brothers were different in their own way, they were sexy and captivating. Krisjen cared for each brother in her own way and was drawn to them. But which one belonged to her, if any? I devoured it. I loved the found family, the characters, the journey and story so much and highly recommend and hope to get more from this world.

Happy reading!