Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

Penelope Douglas is definitely one of the strongest authors out there in the romance genre. To say Corrupt is a dark romance is a bit of an understatement. I was not expecting this kind of book from Penelope. I was intrigued, repulsed (at times) and completely captivated while reading. The first 30% or so I struggled with the story. I didn’t know what direction it would take and I wasn’t sure if it was the book for me, but I’m so glad I carried on and finished. Once that 30% mark passed, I was unable to put it down. It

✥

Erika 

I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession. 

His name is Michael Crist. 

My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me. 

But I noticed him.

I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away. 

Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore. 

Because he’s finally noticed me. 

Michael

Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.

My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway. 

Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college. 

In my city. 

Unprotected. 

The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out. 

We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true. 

✥

I’m not going to kid glove you here, there are parts of this story that are hard to read. There are things that happen that made me say ‘Hold up- that is taking it much too far’. Michael and his friends aren’t always nice guys. They’re more bad than good a lot of the story. I don't remember the last time a book kept me up all night reading. I inhaled it in one sitting, completely enraptured. It was positively spellbinding and unlike anything I'd have ever expected from this author. There's one thing to say for Penelope's writing, it's absolutely captivating. She knows how to draw her readers in, how to make her characters so alive they practically leap off the pages at you.

“When you want to make an impression and you think you’ve gone far enough, go a little further. Always leave them wondering if you’re just a little bit crazy, and people will never fuck with you again.” 

Michael was that character for me. He was so intense, in a way that equal parts terrified and seduced. The fact that you get both his and Rika's POV only serves to draw you in fully into the story. Even when he does something that you want to hate him for, even when Rika does something you want to throttle her for, you can't put it down. It was like an addiction. I had to have a hit. I simply couldn't stop until I knew what was going on. And Penelope keeps you hanging on that edge of suspense until the last page. They mystery behind everything is what really captured my interest. It's told in flashbacks of three years ago and present, but it's weaved together flawlessly. I know some readers don't enjoy the flashbacks from past to present, but it truly worked it. It's what drove the plot and the mystery. It whetted the appetitive for more.

"Such a good girl... Say it, Rika."

 "I'm a good girl," she panted, her voice shaky.

 "And I'm going to fuck you up."

Erika Fane has been in love with Michael Crist. He captivated her with his brooding intensity, drew her in with his aloofness, and completely disregarded her. But something about him, something behind his eyes drew her to him like a moth to a flame. Erika was too young to really know. Too naive to really see. And she was also dating Michael's younger brother. Now she's single, in a new city by herself for college, and fully in Michael's crosshairs

What if I'd completely corrupted her? What if she'd begun to like playing games too much, and the lust to play- and to win- overpowered her need for me?

Rating: ★★★★☆
Overall, this book was entertaining, edgy, and dark. I was not expecting the road this book took. If you read this book, be prepared to have your limits pushed. It’s not a pretty story, it’s not a happy story, it’s a story about two messed up people who find solace in each other. It’s more of a hate story than a love story. It’s a story of revenge and just how far you will go to get that vengeance you crave. Love this story, hate this story, either way know that this story will own you. It will stay on your mind for days. It really messed me up in the best way. If you love a dark romance and are looking for a hate/love story that’s twisty, INTENSE and sexy this is one I recommend!

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