Review ~ Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

Book Description:

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. 

***Corrupt is a stand-alone dark romance with no Cliffy

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MhzvxW

Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1HTebuw

(image: thanks to Jennifer Pikul Gass)

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars

“Beware the fury of a patient man.”

This is so unlike any other Penelope Douglas book I have read, the author really pushed her boundaries with this book and I have to say…it really worked. From the first page I couldn’t put this book down, I was intrigued from the very beginning and loved that you are kept hanging for quite a while before you are slowly drip fed the what’s, the whys and the wherefores and then things start to slowly make sense…or do they?

“Maybe you’re just a victim like the rest of us.”

I wouldn’t say this was a dark book…more a darkish grey to be honest. While some subjects are a bit tough to read they never go over the edge and I never felt uncomfortable at all while reading.  Yes the antics that these guys get up to are a bit over the top and they always seem to get away with it and seem to be beyond recriminations but I always had the underlying sense that everything would catch up with them eventually. While some would say it is a tad unbelievable I could actually see it happening especially given that these guys were all entitled and had extremely powerful parents, they had money and connections on their side. What I also bore in mind while reading was the majority of their crimes were more or less “vigilantism” and a lot of the people deserved what was coming to them even if it was actually carried out the wrong way, but some were definitely not warranted.

Erika Fane/ Rika was a girl that was lost in life and really felt suppressed with the “family” unit that she was surrounded by. She was being stifled, everyone was over protective, everyone seemed to have a hidden agenda, she needed out and needed it badly. She had lost her father, her mother was succumbing to depression and the next door neighbours “The Crists” had become her surrogate family. Rika had always been drawn to Michael Crist, yet she had been picked out for his younger brother, a relationship that had run its course and she had terminated, but some people can’t take no for an answer.

“The shy ones tend to be the baddest after all.”

Michael Crist was an enigma; he was mean, dark, intimidating, brooding and a professional basketball player. He was actually quite frightening at times but underneath the mask you just knew that there was a decent human being underneath. It seemed that he too was quite taken with Rika but as this book flips from past to present you understand that Rika allegedly betrayed Michael and his three men in arms “The Four Horsemen.” So while Michael wanted more three years ago, Rika is now enemy number one.

“Own who you are.”

This book is predominantly about revenge and as you are kept in the dark for quite a while about Rika’s “betrayal” you can’t help but try and read to between the lines and jump to your own conclusions. I couldn’t see what Rika could have done to have hurt them so badly; she just didn’t seem the type to have it in her.

“Run all you want, Little Monster…we’re faster.”

As I said above this book does flip from past to present but we are also treated to dual POV’s of both Michael and Rika and I have to say it was intriguing to get inside Michael’s head so that you can try to understand just what is going on in there, because from the outside it was still mystifying. However, it is through his POV that we actually get to see just how deep his feelings have always ran and actually still do for Rika and while their relationship starts unconventionally there is no denying their chemistry and attraction throughout. Penelope Douglas certainly knows how to pen HEAT and this book was seriously HOT.

“I’ll never say no…as long as you keep me screaming yes.”

One scene I want to pick out for a huge mention… Anyone that knows me knows that I am an emotional reader, I crave those intense heart stopping moments where time stands still and I get that battering ram in the solar plexus. The SAUNA SCENE, this scene hit me in the heart, the emotion, the intense connection, the underlying meaning, EVERYTHING about this scene screamed at me and I absolutely loved it, one of my favourite scenes ever, Penelope Douglas you nailed it.

“She corrupted me.”

So in summary Penelope Douglas has delivered a un-put-down-able read that had me glued to my kindle. It was intense, it was intriguing, it was hot, and it ticked all the boxes. I will mention it did have quite a few proof reading errors, normally I deduct a half star when there are more than a few but to be honest, this book was so good, I couldn’t do it. They didn’t detract from my enjoyment but were just like an irritating mosquito. Highly recommend this book.