text:
Start by marking "Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1)" as Want to Read:
We'd love your help. Let us know what's wrong with this preview of Corrupt by Penelope Douglas.
Preview — Corrupt by Penelope Douglas
(Devil's Night #1)
Penelope Douglas (Goodreads Author)
4.01 · Rating details · 28,651 ratings · 3,885 reviews
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 Erika
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.
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 can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhanger. ...more
Published November 17th 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (first published November 15th 2015)
Devil's Night #1
Michael Crist, Erika 'Rika' Fane
To ask other readers questions about Corrupt, please sign up.
When the f**k is this book going to be published? I've been waiting since last year! About to lose all hope in it ever being finished :|
11 likes · like
Penelope Douglas I know. Thanks for bearing with me! I didn't expect to have to write Aflame and Misconduct got bumped up, unfortunately. I haven't been lazy, I…moreI know. Thanks for bearing with me! I didn't expect to have to write Aflame and Misconduct got bumped up, unfortunately. I haven't been lazy, I promise. But, thankfully, both of those books are done, and I'm working on Corrupt now. I expect this fall and will announce a release date later next month. I want to be sure before I give you a date. It is coming! xoxo (less)
Is Corrupt being released tomorrow March17th?
1 like · like
Penelope Douglas Nov. 17th! Pre-order will be up in early November!
See all 92 questions about Corrupt…
Most Anticipated Romances of 2015
1,408 books — 6,238 voters
The "Can't Wait" Books of 2015
2,183 books — 12,302 voters
· 28,651 ratings · 3,885 reviews
All LanguagesBahasa Indonesia (2) Deutsch (2) English (3472) Español (72) Français (35) Italiano (90) Nederlands (2) Polski (5) Português (15) Pусский язык (5) Slovenčina (3) Svenska (1) Türkçe (1) česky, čeština (2) Ελληνικά (1) български език (1) עברית (3)
Start your review of Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1)
May 01, 2014 Penelope Douglas marked it as finished-writing · (Review from the author)
Teaser Scene #1---> http://bit.ly/1CpBX20
Teaser Scene #2---> http://bit.ly/1M0l93y
The Pinterest board is open. :)
---> http://bit.ly/1d0BXM1
Book Club discussion questions here ---> http://bit.ly/1Oiu7rU
Thank you for everyone's support on my new adventure.
I can't promise all of my readers will follow me down this rabbit hole, but I definitely love what I'm writing. This book has a "I want to read it, so I have to write it" feel just like BULLY did for me, so thank you for taking a Teaser Scene #1---> http://bit.ly/1CpBX20
I can't promise all of my readers will follow me down this rabbit hole, but I definitely love what I'm writing. This book has a "I want to read it, so I have to write it" feel just like BULLY did for me, so thank you for taking a chance and keeping an open mind.
<3 Penelope ...more
View all 157 comments
Jan 08, 2015 SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: g-contemporaries, read-contemporaries, 5-stars, heroes-very-alpha-cr, favorites, heroes-bad-boy, heroes-top-100, reviews-written-all, review-quick, student
! Corrupt (stand-alone, book 1 of 4). A suspenseful unfolding of a plot to revenge; greed, envy, violence, lust, deceit & in the midst of it all one of the best young alphas I have ever read!
"I only ever thought of him. Every fantasy, every orgasm…"
Books in Devil's Night series should be read in order:
Book 1: Corrupt
Book 2: Hideaway
Book 3: Kill Switch
Book 4: Untitled
Corrupt (stand-alone) opens up to college student Erika Fane, Rika getting ready to move to a new town to get away from
★★★★★! Corrupt (stand-alone, book 1 of 4). A suspenseful unfolding of a plot to revenge; greed, envy, violence, lust, deceit & in the midst of it all one of the best young alphas I have ever read!
Corrupt (stand-alone) opens up to college student Erika Fane, Rika getting ready to move to a new town to get away from her ex and family expectation to make a life with him.
But what she's running from is not as important as what she's running to…
For as long as she can remember she has been both attracted to and scared of her ex's older brother, basketball star Michael Crist. And now she is moving to complete college in his city.
Nothing could have prepared her for what's ahead…
Her arrival sets in motion a plan of vengeance with dire consequences. But neither Michael nor Rika are prepared for the attraction and sense of belonging they feel. Sexual tension mixed with his anger and ruthlessness and her ignorance and reservations.
It's like a being onboard a runaway train at breakneck speed with nothing to stop you and the destination equals devastation.
Michael Crist is top-3 best YOUNG alphas I have read. He is oozing of sex, manipulation, secrets, violence, danger, ruthlessness and corruption.
Seven words to describe Erika Fane, Rika: Good-hearted, smart, determined, forgiving, spirited, trusting and impressionable.
Corrupt, told from dual POV, is the cryptic, slow yet suspenseful unfolding of past and present events and the solving of a mystery, the corruption will also be explained. Just enjoy the ride. I personally wanted to crawl into my Kindle to be Michael's target. I feel totally corrupted by him. As for ending, it was good, with an epilogue/flashback. Up next Kai's story in Hideaway.
Spectacular plot! Effortless story-telling! Swoon-worthy and sinister hero! And a heroine to hold her own!
"I want to know everything my brother doesn't do to you, you little liar."
Hero: ★★★★★++
Heroine: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★++
Sex scenes: ★★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | HIGH FOCUS |
Humor: | LOW FOCUS |
Kink: | HIGH FOCUS |
Romance: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | HIGH FOCUS |
Apr 26, 2014 Christy rated it really liked it
4 Little Monster stars!
To say Corrupt is a dark romance is a bit of an understatement. I was not expecting this kind of book from Penelope Douglas. 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.
Rika is in college and wants 4 Little Monster stars!
Rika is in college and wants nothing more than to get away. Get away from her life, her friends, her family, her ex boyfriend. It's not that they're bad, she just wants a fresh start at a new place where no one knows her. She wants to be free to be herself. She's only really felt like herself once. It was one night many years ago, she was able to be with someone who showed her it was okay to really be her.
"There are too many people that try to change us, and not enough people who want us to be who we are. Someone once made me see that, and I wanted to give that to you."
Being in the city where no one knows her is crushed pretty quickly, because Michael Crist, her ex's older brother lives in the same building as her. Michael is a pro basketball player. He's out for Rika, and not in a good way. He and his friends want revenge for something that happened a while ago that changed their lives forever. Rika doesn't understand the 'whys', but she knows they're up to something and she's not giving in.
I lost track of what the score was, whose move it was, or what game we were even playing anymore.
Rika was one tough chick. I loved her take no crap attitude. She didn't let people walk all over her. Even Michael. Michael is a character you're going to hate to love, but love to hate. Their relationship was a mess, but it was a hot mess in the best way possible. Let me tell you this- 82% will forever be burned in my brain. I will never look at a steam room the same way again. Douglas can write one heck of a steamy scene!
Michael and Rika have a tumultuous relationship. It's not pretty most of the time. It's down right volatile at times, but I grew to love them both. They were a perfect storm and it worked.
He was a sadist, and my little heart just had to go pitter-patter the second his yanks, grabs, and pulls turned into gentle caresses and his frowns, scowls, and snarls turned into whispers.
I fell, and I never even tried to stop myself.
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 (but that doesn't stop me from wanting more of them… I want a Kai book so bad!!!) 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!
"Other people don't matter to us, Rika. We don't let their rules contain us. What we can and can't do is irrelevant. Who's going to stop us?"
Nov 20, 2015 Miss Fifi rated it it was ok
Shelves: hellooooo-adult, kinda-ridiculous, just-me-bitching, dumb-heroines, psyco-peeps, asshole-heroes, hell-to-the-no, ridiculous-characters, complicated-love, oh-whattttttt
3.21 Is-Stupidity-Infectious?! Stars Changed my rating because while writing this freaking long review I realized I actually hated the book. So....
2.12 I-Freaking-Hate-Stupid-People Stars
*will make a review full of stupidity later on* *sighs* *and it's gonna be either too fucking long (because I fucking hate stupidity) or too fucking short (because I would be too pissed off to finish it)*
I think I overdid my review a tad bit..........too much. *sighs*
So at first I was super excited...
I mean, 3.21 Is-Stupidity-Infectious?! Stars Changed my rating because while writing this freaking long review I realized I actually hated the book. So....
I mean, revenge vs love, ain't that super cute?
But halfway there, I was like...
This is getting a tad bit too weird..
And then I was like...
And finally I ended up like this:
Although I did not flip my table like that (mom would fucking kill me if I did that since I was at hers when I finished the book..) the rage I felt was just like that.
I. Fucking. Hate. Wasting. My. Time. On. Stupid. People.
Lemme tell you a bit about the characters.
Erika is 19. Other than the fact that she's pretty stupid and comes from a rich family, I have got nothing much to say about her. She's our tstl heroine.
Michael is 23 or sth. He was stupid like her and came from a rich family too. He was secretly lusting for Erika while not secretly hating her at the same time. Come to think about it, strike the hating part, he's too pussy to hate anyone, so basically he wanted Erika but too much of a pussy to try and get her.
Trevor is 19 too and he's Michael's brother, and Erika's high school ex-boyfriend. I'm not sure about his stupidity but I have a feeling he has a lot of loose screws when it comes to his head. He. Is. Fucking. Crazy.
Damon, Kai and Will are Michael's friends. Together, the four of them formed The Four Horsemen. The Four Fucking Horsemen!!! This is the one part that makes me want to go kill myself again and again because:
1.	They were so freaking powerful (though they were actually just some RICH punks) that even the teachers couldn't say a word when they go pick up girls from school right in front of the class and their fucking nose!
2.	FUNNILY despite how 'powerful' they were, they ended up in jails anyway. L O L
cry. baby. cry
Seriously, at some point the book did forget that it was not some kind of Vampire books that are full of unbelievable paranormal truth! *Reminds me of The Cullens but at least I knew from the start that it was all unrealistic*
So what's the book about?
Erika had a crush on Michael, her EX's older brother.
Michael hated her.
Trevor, Erika's ex-boyfriend, hate both of them.
Damon, Kai and Will, Michael's friends hated Erika too.
Fifi, which is ME, FUCKING HATED (and still do) Erika.
So basically the book is about everyone hating Erika.
And guess what? She didn't even realize that! *Proof #1 of her Stupidity*
THIS IS THE FULL OF SPOILERS SECTION OF THE REVIEW, STAY AWAY FROM HERE IF YOU HATE SPOILERS. PEACE.
It all started three years ago when she was sixteen and Michael, Damon, Kai and Will were twenty.
Michael never noticed her, and then one day he did. Of course she fucking basked in his attention and somehow she got to join one of their "terrorizing-the-town-and-then-fucking-walk-out-unscathed" games.
But the next day brought a different story to her plate because:
1.	Kai, Damon and Will got caught for a few offenses and then jailed for about three years because their past crimes finally caught up with them and bitten them in the ass. This was made able by a few videos going online of them committing such crimes. Somehow nothing linked the crimes to Michael though. Poor Michael.
2.	Starting on that day Michael started to act like Erika didn't exist though she basically lived with his family. She was deeply curious as to why but guess fucking what? It never crossed her mind to ask like fucking at all! *Proof of stupidity #2* Luckily, Michael was pretty stupid too when it comes to this (view spoiler)[He automatically blamed Erika for leading to the locking up of his friends just because someone said so (hide spoiler)] , so it makes them a fucking perfect pair <3
Three years later she moved out of Thunder Bay (a super-rich neighbourhood where they lived) into the Meridian city, with a purpose of avoiding her past and Michael especially. GUESS FUCKING WHAT? She knew Michael lived there though so wtf is her definition of "AVOIDING SOMEONE"? Because to me that's just plain S to the T to the U to the P to the I and to the D, STUPID! And she even bothered to be surprised when she met him there *facepalms* *Proof of stupidity #3*
So when they started acting all weird and cruel and kept pushing her around like she's some kind of their plaything, can you GUESS FUCKING WHAT she did next?
She kept coming back. With no plans whatsoever, just braving them with her big empty head with the hope that her stupidity would fucking burn them to ash just like that. Real smart of her, don't you think so? *claps hands* *Proof of stupidity #4*
Oh wait, I lied up there, she did have some other stuff to help her when she braved them fucking alone:
1.	A big baseball bat that they retrieved in just about two seconds.
2.	A small knife to cut someone. I repeat, someone. When she had four someones to fight.
3.	"Let me go" on repeat. Seriously? *eyerolls*
Did she ask for anyone's help? Her friends? Nope. The cops? Nope. Anybody? Yes. Fucking Michael to the rescue, the same guy that fucking planned the whole revenge thing, the same guy that kept torturing her. The same guy that stupidly didn't even plan his plan right. *this is soooooo tiring..*
So….after all the revenge or maybe just 80% of the revenge had been done…the childish Four Horsemen suddenly realized that they have been aiming on the wrong person. Oops.
LAUGHING. OUT. LOUD.
This is sooooooooooooooooo fucking saddening. You didn't ask. You didn't investigate it. You just went and go burn someone's house and then stole their money. What would you get once you say sorry? AN EASY AND QUICK FUCKING FORGIVENESS BECAUSE SHE HAD THE HEART OF GOLD AND THE BRAIN OF A BLACK POT.
*GOD HELP ME*
I'm not sure whether to cry or what now. I can't believe I actually finished the book. *numb*
Anyway, here's some other stuff that I think ridiculously put in the book to piss me off even more:
1.Characters. None of them are even NORMAL. All of them were fucked up. It made the book some sort of fantasy like to me when it's actually some sort of a contemporary book, not that I actually know what the word contemporary actually means though.
2. Her school, her college whatever. Does it even exists or did she made it up as a ruse to cover her stupidity of coming to the city? She was too stupid to attend college anyway...'
3. Inconsistency. One second she was all sassy and the next she reverted back to being stupid. One second she felt betrayed because he fucking ruined her life or sort of, and the next she was begging for his cock. One second that one second this. Loosely tied together strings of events!
4. Trevor. Seriously wtf is wrong with that guy? Jealousy can't be that fucking crazy unless of course you're crazy!! His father's son after all. He belongs to a paranormal book for sure. & Michael killing Trevor. His brother, no remorse whatsoever. so. fucked. up. And they didn't even have a 'traumatic' childhood to make up for such twisted act.
5. THE THREESOME. I don't like threesomes but random threesome for the purpose of 'healing' someone thrown at me when there's no fucking need for it in the book? I. HAVE. NO. WORD. FOR. IT.
6. I'm tired. Can't find the energy to point out more reasons. K bye.
May 01, 2014 Val ⚓ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓ rated it really liked it
Shelves: dark, favorite-couple, loved-you-since-childhood, alpha-male, 4-stars, college, young-adult-new-adult
4.5 Stars - ***Spoiler Free***
Holy shit, Penelope Douglas, ho-leeeee SHIT.
Seriously though, all I can say:
I want to keep this spoiler free and, frankly, I'm also a little short on time. So this will be short and to the point...in theory.
Cause I honestly have no clue what I will write half the time.
It's like diarrhea of the mouth keyboard, really.
But anycray, I was captivated by this book from page one.
Sincerely. Completely enthralled.
I don't know what it is about Penelope Douglas, but 4.5 Stars - ***Spoiler Free***
I don't know what it is about Penelope Douglas, but boy can she write some seriously compelling, Grade A Asshole, people.
In fact, she should teach classes on it.
Or lead tour or...something.
Not since my Jared in Bully have I encountered such a captivating fucking asshole of the male persuasion.
In fact, the lead H (Michael) here reminded me a lot of Jared.
A total dick of a bully.
But on an even grander scale.
In fact, if you liked Bully, you would probably like this one.
Now, the way the story was laid out is not my favorite format - past/present flashbacks.
But I'll take it any day over the whole "'present'prologue followed by the whole 'five years earlier' and now spend the rest of the book working your way back here" bullshit, fuck you very much.
Regardless, this format actually worked for me here and kept me wondering what was going to happen next.
So why not 5 stars, you say?
Well, the build up to some of the more...climatic moments was awesome...however, one of the grand events just didn't quite live up to the hype for me.
Plus, I thought that the h should have been a little more pissed off when she discovers...certain things.
Like seriously, she kind of glosses over some things that I would have grudge-matched for at LEAST a week.
But whatevs, I'll take it.
Because ENTHRALLED.
And awesome.
And read it.
Safety Gang Warning: (view spoiler)[There is a scene in the beginning involving ow; however nothing happens. But there is a threesome scene between H/h and another male. I'm not usually a fan of this, but it worked for me okay here. PM me if you have questions. (hide spoiler)]
Nov 21, 2015 Kristen marked it as did-not-finish
Shelves: cruel-hero, didnt-care-for-the-love-story, eye-rolling-moments, abuse-and-or-rape-issues, soap-opera-drama, arrogant-cocky-hero, disturbing-or-twisted, unconventional-romance, what-a-jerk, skimmed-portions-of-book
DNF — skimmed to the end
I can understand why many loved this book, I really can. That said, it's sooo not my cuppa, that's for sure. I didn't like the way this story made me feel.
May 01, 2014 Lana ❇✾Dirty Girl Romance❇✾ rated it really liked it
Shelves: tattooed-hero, anti-hero, steamy-romance
4.5 Stars SPOILER FREE Review
NOW LIVE: http://amzn.to/1HNOHUL
Three years ago, curious little Erika Fane wanted to play with the boys, so we indulged her, and she betrayed us. There was no way we'd forget.
How in the ever loving hell do I even begin reviewing this book?! Honestly. I'm completely at a loss for words. So my only way out is to be vague as shit and trust me when I tell you you'll thank me for it. You want to know absolutely nothing about this book. Even the very minute detail can 4.5 Stars SPOILER FREE Review
How in the ever loving hell do I even begin reviewing this book?! Honestly. I'm completely at a loss for words. So my only way out is to be vague as shit and trust me when I tell you you'll thank me for it. You want to know absolutely nothing about this book. Even the very minute detail can be a spoiler. If you want my advise, avoid reviews altogether and go in absolutely blind. Hell, don't even read the blurb.
First of all, while this book is categorized dark, I wouldn't agree with that. It's a heck of a lot darker than anything Penelope Douglas has written and surely a leap away from anything she's written in the past. But dark? Well, on my scale, I'd rate it a light gray. It was erotic, and very edgy, but if you compare to the Pepper Winters, CJ Roberts, or the like, it's not quite on the same scale. It's also not for everyone. Penelope took some risks with this one and there are some scenes and occurrences that may not agree with everyone. But this girl? Devoured it like the crack that it was.
I'd always been scared of him. The thrilling kind of scared that got me turned on.
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....
Michael Crist is a force to be reckoned with. He's enigmatic, rich, and used to not playing by the rules. Erika may have had the run of his house growing up, but now she's finally where he wants her. No longer under the protection of his family, no longer dating his brother. She's alone...and his to do with what he wants. And what he wants is revenge. He won't rest until she's paid restitution for what she did to him and his friends those fateful three years ago. He'll make her pay, even if he has to corrupt her fully to do it...
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."
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. 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.
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?
I read this 2 days ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. There was one particular scene that really threw me and made me wonder if it was really necessary. However, after giving it some though, it was barely a blip on my radar. I also wished for a bit of something from Michael at the end (I won't say what because I'm a teasing bitch like that) but you'll see what I mean once you read it. But once again, thinking on it some more, Penelope stayed true to his character, and having him handle it any other way would not have been that. So I can respect that.
While young Rika frustrated me, I loved seeing her grow that backbone and truly come into her own throughout the book. She certainly gave as good as she got, and she got plenty. Michael is the epitome of an anti-hero that you'll love to hate.
Corrupt is much sexier than any of Penelope's other books that I can't even compare. The woman can write the hell out of a sex scene, let me just tell you. But everything about her writing just worked for me. Get ready to be Corrupted, because after reading this, you will never be the same.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
Jul 30, 2014 Judith rated it it was ok · review of another edition
*** 2 Stars Another over hyped book that didn't do it for me ***
My rating is based on MY FEELINGS after reading this.
It's not an attack on the Author or people who have rated this book highly.The last time I gave a negative review on a highly rated book I got a load of abusive personal messages....this is my personal opinion.
So,I read the blurb for this and was so excited....revenge and darkness.Hell yes,I thought.
Really I should have given up quite early on.
The whole Horsemen thing was just too *** 2 Stars Another over hyped book that didn't do it for me ***
The whole Horsemen thing was just too ridiculous for words.I mean what????
Past school members come into the school wearing masks and even the teachers do nothing!!
The four Male characters are immature,overprivileged dickheads(well maybe one wasn't)
I started of liking Erika but then just got pissed of with some of her decisions.
Don't even get me started on the 'hot alpha male', Michael.God I hated him.(view spoiler)[He supposedly had this strong pull to Erika from a young age but was quite happy to let his friends grope and intimidate her on numerous occasions. (hide spoiler)]
The story was dragged out and the skimming started...
The only reason I kept on reading was to find out what happened that made these men so hell bent on revenge and if Erika was guilty of what they thought she was.(view spoiler)[and (yawn) of course she wasn't (hide spoiler)]
The only redeeming point/character was Kai and 'that' scene was totally hot...
Nov 21, 2015 Candace rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: hate-that-i-love-them, dark-themes, childhood-loves, sweet-heart-warming-stories, forbidden-romance, rich-guys, shocking-twists, favorites, revenge-stories
Hot, Twisted And Absolutely Addicting!
This story was sooo screwed up! Yet, I couldn't put it down. I loved this messed up tale of vengeance and misguided fury. I finished this book hours ago, but I'm still trying to wrap my mind around everything I read. I'm outraged and conflicted. At the same time, I'm happy for Rika and Michael.
In a nutshell, Rika was the younger neighbor that Michael lusted after. She was forbidden fruit, intended for his younger brother, his family's golden child. As much Hot, Twisted And Absolutely Addicting!
In a nutshell, Rika was the younger neighbor that Michael lusted after. She was forbidden fruit, intended for his younger brother, his family's golden child. As much as they wanted each other, Michael knew that he needed to stay away from the young Lolita that grew sexier every time he saw her.
One day, 16 year-old Rika is sitting in her class when Michael and his closest friends, Kai, Damon and Will, come to collect some of the school's basketball players. Michael and his friends had graduated years ago, but still came back to lead team activities/hazing, while the school officials looked the other way. When Michael shows up in her class, Rika and him share a moment, which compels her to abandon her "eager to please" ways and follow him on his secret outing.
While I was intrigued, I was also kind of turned-off by Michael and his friends. I mean, what kind of loser returns to their high school in their twenties to harass younger kids? Didn't they have anything better to do than relive their high school glory days? Just sayin'.
In any case, Rika is ecstatic to be accepted by Michael and his friends for a night. They hang out, raising hell and causing property damage. After pulling a series of "pranks", Rika makes out with Michael, only to have him reject her harshly. At the end of the night, she is crushed.
The next day, three of the four friends are headed to jail. Michael is the only one of his friends to avoid prosecution for the crimes they committed. The videos they'd stupidly recorded of them committing these crimes are all over the Internet.
Believing that Rika is the person who leaked the videos that led to their arrest, the group of friends begins planning their revenge. Three long years is how long they have to plan their vengeance, while all but Michael sit in jail. That time has finally passed and the group sets their plan in motion.
I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that the guys do so extremely f*@ked-up things to Rika. The story tip-toed around some very dark topics, without ever really going there. Just when you thought for sure that something really bad was going to happen, Rika would get a miraculous reprieve somehow. So, while it is disturbing on some levels, it is much milder in comparison to many darker vengeance tales.
Up until about seventy-five percent of the way through, I was completely hooked on this story. Then, when a new light is shed on the situation and truths are aired, I found myself disappointed in the way the story went.
Rika should have been outraged and out for revenge. Instead, she was like a sex-starved nympho, more interested in bedding the man that spent months terrorizing her. WTF!
I absolutely hate it when the Hero gets off easy, without any suffering. Michael should have had to grovel, beg and woo his way back into Rika's arms. Instead, he gives a flippant ultimatum, taunting her with other girls, and she caves. Really? What happened to the feisty, strong heroine that we loved for the first part of the book.
There were a few more twists and surprises along the way. The sex scenes were admittedly smokin' hot, (even if I thought she should have been abstaining to punish him). One scene in particular was exceptionally erotic.
Overall, it was a great book. I would have changed a few things, but it was easily better than most I've read. It was a five star read well past the halfway mark, but I just need my heroes to be punished more thoroughly when they screw up. I'm sadistic that way, I guess. This one will definitely stay with me for a while.
Apr 25, 2014 Jennifer Kyle rated it really liked it
Shelves: i-like-it-dark-and-twisted
[image error]
Penelope Douglas delivers a very entertaining darkish read. As in all revenge books, I struggle with why characters never get confirmation before they put their evil plans into motion. This story is about a girl in love with one brother Michael Crist and struggling to break ties with the another brother, Trevor Crist, all the while attempting to find her own way in the world.
Erika Fane has always been drawn to Michael Crist for the majority of her life. It seems that she 4 STARS
Erika Fane has always been drawn to Michael Crist for the majority of her life. It seems that she did something three years ago to him and his homeboys that has deemed her enemy number one to The Four Horsemen.
"We had rules, a way that this was supposed to work. We weren't going to hurt her. We were going to ruin her."
Michael's group is called the Four Horsemen. They are privileged and entitled best friends who get a rise out of intimating and pranking to feel better about themselves. These four come across even in present chapters as immature to me and frankly unappealing. Years later, as adults and it's all they really have going on (to me) besides spending their individual family's money. Erika breaks ties with Trevor and moves into the city and right into Michael Crist's apartment building and web. The guys put their plan into action, while the story is told in dual povs of Erika and Michael as well as being told in a past and present scenario.
"Run all you want, Little Monster," he said, sounding like a threat. "We're faster."
The sex scenes are crazy hot as is the chemistry between Erika and Michael.
"Such a good girl...
I did however have some issues (*Rika's forgiveness was crazy instant- I would have loved her to play them in the end. Totally would have made the book 5 stars for me.*) I didn't really like or connect to this rich entitled group of guys like I think I should have. Still the story is fast paced, sexy and pretty entertaining.
"Own who you are."
Aug 09, 2014 Pavlina Read more sleep less blog❤❤ rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites, want-to-read-soon, best-cover, arc, hot-male
SALE ALERT ONLY 99 CENTS http://amzn.to/1Pvpn8B
This was exactly what I needed! I was hooked on this story immediately and I couldn't put it down because I simply found it amazing and so addictive! With this book Penelope went to a whole other level! I haven't read anything like this before. The story is compelling, dark, mysterious, hot and twisted! You will be on the edge of your seat till the end!
The plot is like nothing I have read before and it felt like I was watching a movie! SALE ALERT ONLY 99 CENTS http://amzn.to/1Pvpn8B
The plot is like nothing I have read before and it felt like I was watching a movie! From the beginning I loved the mystery surrounding Rika and the guys. The way the story developed with past and present makes you understand better who are the horsemen and what they do! And this made me feel like I was a part of the story! I coundl't stop wondering how far these guys will take things with Rika and if Rika can continue playing their games! Michael, Kai, Damon and Will have the power.
"Three years ago, curious little Erika Fane wanted to play with the boys, so we indulged her, and she betrayed us .There was no way we'd forget."
I will not say anything else because this book is definitely one of them that you should go blind and live your imagination wondering what you will meet... But If you are looking for a dark, twisted and hot book this is exactly what you need!
Please guys if you haven't read the book don't read the spoiler I just want to clear why I give it 4,5.
(view spoiler)[(There is a sex scene between Rika, Michael and Kai and even though that's normally not my type of thing, I still found it hot! But this is also why I gave it a rating of 4.5 stars) (hide spoiler)]
I'm so lucky I have the opportunity to read both her new books sooner and they are so unique and refreshing!! I really don't know what more to expect anymore from Penelope...This woman surprises me every time!
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Oct 22, 2015 ☽ jodi bibliophile ♥ rated it it was amazing
Shelves: book-boyfriend, all-time-favourite, collage-highschool-love, celebrity, bad-arse-heroines, dark-read, penelope-douglas
FREE!!! FREE!!! FREE!!! Go and grab one of my all-time favorite books ever!
Do not think for one minute that you will own this BOOK.
You will never own IT.
It will own YOU.
It will CORRUPT you.
*picks up mic*
Penelope Douglas.
Has anyone seen Penelope this evening?
Can somebody go and check the bathroom or the bar. I need her on stage.
Oh there she is!
Penelope, come on up here, love.
Penelope, I have asked you on stage to tell you something and no I'm not wearing any pants.
Penelope...
On 22nd FREE!!! FREE!!! FREE!!! Go and grab one of my all-time favorite books ever!
On 22nd November 2015 at 13:26 I started your book, Corrupt.
At 22:47 this evening UK time I finished your book Corrupt.
On 23rd November 2015 at 22:47 your book became my ALL TIME FAVOURITE BOOK.
Your book is now level with Love, in English - My all time favourite book; My heart.
Take a bow while I go put a fresh pair of knickers on and take some valium.
I'm emotionally drained.
I'm giving up reading for life.
No other book will EVER top this one.
Now if you'll excuse me whilst I fly off my balcony.
*drops mic, muff moons you all and jumps*
(FULL REVIEW TO COME!) ...more
Nov 26, 2016 Hulya Kara Yuksel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Holy crap!!! What the hell I just read? And pls somebody slap my face because Why the hell I wait so long to read this book? Arrrghh I'm so angry myself right now but oh my god, this book was freaking amazing... Loved it soooooo much!
Ps. Steam room scene was mind blowing and I might be read that scene 3 times or 5 times. I didn't count it exactly but fuck it, it was epic!!!! Whenever I think that scene, it makes me wet! :D
CORRUPT Valentine's Day Bonus Scene!
This scene takes
This scene takes place a few months after the end of CORRUPT. The first 3 parts are from Rika's point of view, and the fourth is from Kai's. Kai's point of view is a teaser for his book, HIDEAWAY. If you have not read CORRUPT, this entire bonus scene is a spoiler.
http://penelopedouglasauthor.com/news...
I need Kai's book asap! :)
Ps. I wanna thanks to my dear friend Poppy for warning me about this bonus scene! You're the best. Thanks darling. <3 ...more
Jul 27, 2015 Nastassja rated it did not like it
Recommends it for: no one
Shelves: did-not-finish, oh-so-awful, triggers, new-adult
*Warning! This review contains the description of explicit sex scene*
**This review contains my personal opinion on the matter of pornography and group sex. If this is a sensitive issue for you, I would advise you to withhold from reading this review**
Ok. I need some time to come into my senses and write a few words about this... thing. Corrupt is not a dark romance, it is simply porn. I have nothing special to say about the story. Everything is so predictable and... dirty. Penelope
Ok. I need some time to come into my senses and write a few words about this... thing. Corrupt is not a dark romance, it is simply porn. I have nothing special to say about the story. Everything is so predictable and... dirty. Penelope Douglas is good in writing New Adult books. It's clear she wanted to write a porn contemporary romance with more mature characters and issues but it all turned out ridiculously immature. I dropped reading the book at about 15% and just skimmed through the rest, because I just wanted to know the reason behind all this overly dramatic hatred between MCs. It turned out to be overly marasmic: you know the whole oh-sorry-we-didn't-look-better-into-it-and-blamed-the-innocent-for-years. And the sex scenes... Well, this whole porn thing is about clits and cocks. The top scene on my list is when Mcs admitted to have feelings for each other and they went and had threesome with a friend of theirs and it was written in detail, just like in porn. Phew! I want to gouge my eyes out and forget what I just read.
They went slow, finding a rhythm and moving in and out of me at the same time, and I circled an arm around Michael's neck again, pulling Kai closer with my other hand.I was stretched and filled and my entire body tingled with the friction of skin and sweat and my hair sticking to my neck and back."Harder," I groaned, sucking in air through my teeth as I arched my back for Michael and dug my nails into the back of Kai's neck.They moved faster, and it fucking stung where Michael was entering me, but it felt so good, too. Like my orgasm was coming from ten different places, all leading to one spot where they'd come together and explode
Why not do it with all four guys instead of just two?
I honestly did not expect this dirt from Penelope Douglas. She was nearly the only NA writer for me who's books were decent in this genre. Why did she have to go and write porn?! And why did she have to wrap it up and offer to us as love?! It is not love. I am not a prude. I am not against erotic. I love hot sex in books. But pornography is disgusting, IMO. Earlier I added that I also think very low of people enjoying porn, but a comment from a friend of mine showed me that it is a little bit judgmental to call people names publicly for their tastes. Yes, it's every one's business what to watch, read and do behind closed doors. What I was trying to say earlier, that non-consensual sex is not something I will respect or like in a person who enjoys watching or reading it. It's my personal perception of the world and morality. I hate porn and therefore I hate this book. Do not read it people, you'll feel only dirty after it - no sublime feelings - just dirt and moral leprosy.
Dec 25, 2014 NiCoLeTa E. rated it it was amazing
Shelves: college, romance-young-adult-etc, erotic-romance, favorites
***4,5 "Little Monster" stars for those corrupted people***
Wow!!! Just wow!!! This book was confusing as hell at least in the beginning, but it kept you all the time on edge...
Excitement, angst, fear, hot scenes, not so hot scenes, crazy actions...
I got caught in the middle of all those emotions and i couldn't do anything else than loved it!!!
It was intoxicating!!!
First of all, i have to say that i love "Bully" and generally all the books of the "Fall away" series... And from the blurb of ***4,5 "Little Monster" stars for those corrupted people***
First of all, i have to say that i love "Bully" and generally all the books of the "Fall away" series... And from the blurb of "Corruption", i was so exciting to meet those new characters of Penelope Douglas and to dive in this new, dark story...
I have to warn you, if you have the illussion that you will meet another Jared and Tate, you are so wrong!!!
These people are soooooo far away from those peoples...
They are ruthless, they are not stopping at anything and they just give you such a rush... even in a twisted way!!!
I have many emotions that swirling inside of me and it's really so hard for me to tame the words that floating around my mind, but i will make an effort!!!
First, i have to say that from the first moment that i started it, i felt restless...
I was scared all the time of what will come next and my stomach was tight on knots because of the anticipation that this book was offering me...
Yep, there were some points that i didn't enjoy and that i wasn't agree and i know for sure that some of you will become agry, but all the rest of the book was wellwritten and with a great plot.
I will admit that i made the mistake to read some spoilers that ruined the book for me, but i steeled myself and i continue it and i won't regret it a bit!!!!
But let me tell you some things about the plot...
Erika have been raised on wealth. When she was younger, she lost her father in a car accident and from that moment her mother started to slip away from reality with the companion of alchool.
Since she was a baby, Erika was surrounded by the Christ family. She and the younger brother, Trevor, were doing everything together since they were at the same edge. They were best friends. But everyone around them including Trevor had the expectations that those two will end up together.
But there was a complication in this plan.
Erika didn't have eyes for anyone else but Michael, Trevor's older brother. Erika was in love with him all of her life, she was always aware of him and she knew everything about him...
But she was and she still is invisible to him!!!
"What did I see in him? The answer was so easy, I didn't even have to think about it. It was the same thing he saw in me all those years ago down in the catacombs.
The hunger.
The need to break away, the desire to find the one person on the planet that would understand me, the temptation to go after all things they tell us we can't have…
I saw me, and through all the times growing up that I felt alone or like I was searching for something I couldn't put into words, I didn't feel so lost when he was around.
It was the only time I didn't feel lost."
Michael Christ was older by three years and his relationship with his father and his brother was non-existent. They were hating each other.
Michael was different. He didn't like anybody to rule his life and he was untouchable.
He did whatever he wanted and he didn't answer to nobody.
He and his friends were the rulers around the town, everybody were worshipping them and nobody could stop them. They were the Four Horsemen and they enjoyed that power.
"They still intimidated me.
And excited me.
And challenged me.
And knotted me up."
Now, Rika is trying to start a new chapter in her life.
She can't take anymore to do whatever the others want her to do. She wants to live far away from everyone that sheltered her and she want to succeed it in her own terms...
But her decision is leaving her exposed to The Horsemen!!!
They want amends about something that happened three years ago and they are determined to ruin her for good!!!
Because of her, the three of them landed on jail and it's time for paycheck...
The good in this book is that we were all the time back and forth to time and the agony of what happened back then and what will happen after was huge. I liked that i witness the things that happened that night and with that journey to the past i learned more about the characters of the book. I won't say that i liked what they did that night. They were acting crazy, they were reckless and irrational, but i liked it.
Oh, i didn't mention that that night three years before Michael cracked and took with them Erika...
So, she witnessed everything and she became a part of it, but the next day in their heads she was the traitor!!!
So the revenge is starting....
I will admit that i was so afraid of what will happened to Erika. Their plans of her were cruel and they didn't stop to anything.
They wanted to destroy her in every level and i didn't know how i felt about that!!!
"Whether or not I wanted this or liked any of it, it was never a question.
Three years ago, curious little Erika Fane wanted to play with the boys, so we indulged her, and she betrayed us. There was no way we'd forget. Once restitution was paid, my friends could have peace."
I liked Erika. She seemed to be weak, but she was strong enough and very clever to fight back. I think that this night three years ago and Michael teached her to be strong and to not afraid of anything. Yep, she was scared inside but she didn't show it!
Maybe it helped her the fact that she was a little bit twisted herself and she was craving the fear and she liked it.
"OWN WHO YOU ARE." he commanded.
"And don't apologize. Do you understand? Own it or it will own you."
Michael from the other hand was the most complicated character of all.
Thank God, that Penelope had chapters with his POV because if i didn't know what happened inside his head i would have lose my mind!!!
He seemed so indifferent, so insensitive, like he didn't care for anything in the world. He wanted to cause chaos and he loved it!!!
And it wasn't true that Rika was invinsible to him, he was very aware of her presence all the time, even though that he wasn't showing it!
He loved very much his friends and he could do anything for them. That's why he decided to ruin Erika even though that he wanted her.
I think that Michael was in a constant inner battle between friendship and love.
He made many mistakes and i really couldn't understand how the hell could be a part of all this shitty actions toward Rika. For God's sake, he wanted her very much, so why he was trying to ruin her in that way???
"I'd seen that look in her eyes long before I even noticed her face or her body. That look of something being contained and wanting to claw its way out.
Rika and I had always circled each other, even before either of us was aware of it. And her betrayal was as close as I'd ever come being gutted."
Rika and Michael had big chemistry between them.
They were so hot together, but they were batshit crazy both of them!!!
They were playing games all the times, they were pussing each other limits but they were perfect just like that. Who am i to judge???
That wasn't love, it was a constant battle!!!
And all this mind-fucking games??? Gross, but i loved them!!!
They corrupted each other!!!!
And they corrupted me as well...
"Circling, circling, circling…He pulled, I pulled. He pushed, I pushed. We fought and played, toyed and challenged, but he never gave in. We never came together, fused, and seized what was there." -Rika
"She said she didn't trust me, but I knew it was a lie. I'd be willing to bet I was the one person she trusted the most.
She and I were the same, after all. We fought shame every day, struggling with who we could let see the real us, and we'd finally found each other.
Unfortunately… we were fucked." -Michael
As for the rest three of the gang??? I really don't know how i feel about them!!!
I didn't like Damon at all from the very first moment. He made me anxious because he was pure evil.
Will was okay. Almost not dangerous... Almost!
And Kai was confusing... He was good and bad at the same time but he was also dangerous.
I really don't know how i felt about them, but they were making me nervous and with good reasons.
In a specific scene, they made me lose my shit!!!
They were predators and they were playing the game really good!!!
I was afraid that the story was leading there but i didn't like it at all...
And as for an erotic scene near to the end??? I didn't like it, because i think that it was a little bit off. I could live and be happy without its addition in the story, but i won't judge the book by this fact!!! They were more in there....
I also want to say that i didn't like Trevor at all from the very first moment.
All i could say is that i enjoyed the story even though i was scared shitless at the most part, but the anticipation was making me very exciting!!!
I liked Rika and Michael!!!
You now how i loved the fucked- up characters...
What can i say??? I can't resist to my dark side....
And this book was having much darkness!!!
"All I knew was that we were the same. Did that mean I'd fall in love with her, marry her, be faithful, and live the same day over and over again in this fucking suburb?
No. She and I were built for something different.
I would piss her off, I'd be difficult, and I'd be just as much of a nightmare to her as a dream, but after nearly seventeen years of this pull with her, I knew one thing.
I would always circle her.
It never stopped. Even when we were kids, if she moved, I wanted to move. If she left a room, I wanted to follow. My body was always aware of where she was.
And it was the same for her."
Oh, i really loved the epilogue with Michael's memory from when he was sixteen!!!
I liked the final sentence of the book...
SHE CORRUPTED ME.
Jun 27, 2017 Melanie rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Recommended to Melanie by: Jessica
Shelves: romance, contemporary, read-in-2017, mystery, dark, new-adult, erotic-scenes, sports
"What if I'd 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?"
First thing first, trigger warnings for EVERYTHING. Bullying, abduction, rape, attempted rape, grey area consent, violence, child abuse, murder, drug use, drug addiction, underage sexual content, underage drinking, animal cruelty, death of a parent.
Needless to say, this book is dark and twisted and isn't for the faint of heart. Also, I want to preface
Needless to say, this book is dark and twisted and isn't for the faint of heart. Also, I want to preface this entire review with me stating that I rate erotic romances differently than other books. That's not saying I won't call out problematic and toxic elements, but I won't judge them as harshly as I would a regular romance book, SFF, or anything else. And the whole entire "revenge" theme of this book was problematic as hell, but I was addicted and couldn't stop reading it. This is for sure a Dark Romance and has super mature themes that are intended for 18+.
Earlier this month I read Penelope Douglas' Punk 57, and really enjoyed that story and the writing style. I knew I wasn't going to be able to resist picking up something else by her. Corrupt is New Adult, where Punk 57 stars characters that are at eighteen, but seniors in high school, so I really enjoyed that Corrupt was older, even though we still received a lot of high school flashbacks. And, again, I'm getting too old to read about high schoolers wanting to bone, you know? So I really appreciated that Corrupt had, for the most part, characters in their early to mid twenties. Yet, those high school flashbacks have so much importance, because this entire story surrounds around one Devil's Night in high school when all of these characters' lives changed forever.
Our main protagonist, Rika, has lived a sheltered life where everyone makes every decision for her. Her life seems so perfect from the outside, money, powerful family, connections, honestly everything you could ask for. But after Rika's father died, she has wanted to feel what it feels like to actually live her own life instead of just moving through it while everyone controls her every move.
Rika has grown up alongside another family, who her father was business partners with. This family has looked over here and loves her like one of their own, but they are also constantly trying to push her and their youngest son, Trevor, together. But unbeknownst to them, all Rika can ever think about is their older son, Michael.
"He was everything.My entire life, I only felt completely alive when he was close, and while I knew nothing would ever be easy with him, I also knew nothing would ever be good without him, either."
Michael has anger issues, period. Like, that has to be said from the get go. I loved him and Rika's angsty dynamic, but I'm not going to ignore that Michael for sure needs to get some professional help to calm his ass down. Michael is a professional basketball player, and wants to never become like his father or younger brother who only care about money and their stature. Michael is also constantly being haunted by that Devil's Night that I mentioned above, but he is also always constantly fighting an inner battle with his feelings for Rika.
Michael also has four friends that you will hate and love at the same time. Again, they are all problematic, and their revenge mission is completely unrealistic and absolutely terrifying. Yet, I became so immersed with this mystery of what really happened that Devil's Night that I couldn't put this book down. It was immersive, addicting, and I completely loved it.
The story really begins once Rika, finally wanting a life of her own, leaves every safe comfort shes knows, and moves to a new city to go to a school and maybe even start a new life. Yet, she doesn't have any idea that she is falling right into Michael's trap.
The bottom line is this book ticked a lot of boxes for me. Like, the sex in this is 10/10, mind blowing, amazingly good. And, not to tell you guys too much information about myself or what I like during sex with partners, but the main protagonist and me share a similar kink, so... yeah, I was feeling it.
Also, there is a bisexual female side character in this story, and I was living for it. She wasn't treated the best, and I pretty much wanted to fight everyone who wronged her constantly, but I was so instantly in love with her. Also, there is pretty good representation in here about sex workers and how they shouldn't feel shame from anyone, but especially not from the dudes that are paying for the sex!
This is for sure an erotic romance that hints at mystery and is filled with suspense. This story for sure pushes the limits and boundaries, and if you're okay with that I think you will absolutely love this book, too! At this point I hope to read everything by Penelope Douglas, because she just keeps proving what a talented erotic romance writer she is.
Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Youtube | Twitch ...more
Feb 16, 2016 Daniella rated it did not like it
Shelves: experimental-read-of-the-month
EXPERIMENTAL READ OF THE MONTH: FEBRUARY 2016
Every month my friends and I go out of our comfort zones and embrace the world outside historical and contemporary romance. Thanks for accompanying me on this wild ride, sraxe!
DNF@65%.
Before I go on with the review, I will first destroy the part of my brain that understands the concepts of good writing, self respect, healthy relationships, and just plain ol' sane behaviour.
*takes a laser gun and shoots it at self*
Okay. Done. Now, I'm ready to talk EXPERIMENTAL READ OF THE MONTH: FEBRUARY 2016
Okay. Done. Now, I'm ready to talk about Corrupt.
Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the cow! This book was fucking amazing, I tell you! It was so great, in fact, that I had to stop reading it at 65%. I simply realized that I am too flawed, too dirty, too stupid to take it in all its glory. No, sir. I wouldn't even dare recommend this to people with an IQ of less than 180. That wouldn't give this story the respect it is due.
And respect it you must! Because like I said, it was fucking glorious. It was definitely not a melodramatic ranting of a spoiled, whiny little bitch with horrible taste in men and virtually no self-respect . Oh, no. It was a really deep story, man. Pacific Ocean deep. Look at a particular quote from Rika:
Everything was so polished, and when I looked around at all the adults and families I grew up with, their money and designer clothes, I often saw a coat of paint that you apply when you're trying to cover up rotting wood. There were dark deeds and bad seeds, but who cared if the house was falling apart as long as it was pretty, right?
Whoa! "Dark deeds and bad seeds"indeed! If that isn't a substantial insight, then I don't know what is! Take that, Plato!
Oh, let's not forget Michael's rational observations about life:
They tell us that what we want is wrong and that freedom is dirty. They see chaos, madness, and fucking as ugly, and the older you get, the smaller that box gets.
Damn. I was speechless when I read that part. I tell you, kids today should really emulate Rika and Michael. They should also try to complicate life with non-existent problems so that they have something to think about while they spend Daddy's money on superfluous things philosophize during their spare time.
And by the way, can we focus on Michael? As my friend sraxe called him, he was an absolute dreamboat if dreamboat means unrepentant, fucked-up asshole .
I'm just saddened by the fact that people often misunderstand him. When he stood by and watched Rika get sexually assaulted by his friends? Of course he was just testing her. Duh. Also, his asshole attitude? That's completely justifiable. Sure, he hated her, and sure, he treated her poorly... But that's because he loved her, silly! All men in love let other women stroke their penises while they fantasise about their ladyloves . I'm also sure they treat their said ladyloves like "pathetic dog[s]" .
Seriously. People who don't get Michael are judgmental as hell, with their so-called "dignity" and "respect". Pfft. Those stuff are so overrated anyway. Who needs those when you have a hot guy, right?
I'm sure I've fangirled enough. If you're looking for a story that is not filled with blatant sexism, slut-shaming, unhealthy relationships and characters who need therapy then you've come to the right place.
Apr 25, 2014 Aestas Book Blog marked it as to-read
Shelves: not-yet-released
Sounds like this one's gonna be dark and twisty!
I'm intrigued!
Nov 09, 2015 AJ rated it liked it
Shelves: arc, dark-n-gritty, steamy, mindf-k
3 Mindfucky 'WTF did I just read?' stars
This story messed with my head. I honestly don't even know whether I liked it!
I admit, I didn't really like Bully by this author – I just couldn't get behind a romance where the hero treated the heroine so horribly. Well, this book is like Bully for grown-ups. It's dark and disturbing with lots of mindfuckery a whole bucketload of sex – hot, hot, HOT sex! It's sick, twisted, and all kinds of effed up, yet I was completely enthralled and read it in one
I admit, I didn't really like Bully by this author – I just couldn't get behind a romance where the hero treated the heroine so horribly. Well, this book is like Bully for grown-ups. It's dark and disturbing with lots of mindfuckery a whole bucketload of sex – hot, hot, HOT sex! It's sick, twisted, and all kinds of effed up, yet I was completely enthralled and read it in one sitting.
19 year old Rika grew up obsessed with the boy next door, Michael Crist. When her family fell apart, she ended up practically living at his house, and though she was repeatedly thrown together with Michael's younger brother Trevor, eventually entering into a relationship with him, it was always Michael that she was drawn to.
The book begins with Rika preparing to move to the city in order to attend College. She has broken up with controlling Trevor and is ecstatic to be getting away from her small town and everybody who knows her, wanting nothing more than to experience a big life, and feel free for the first time. Of course she's also excited to be living in the same city as Michael, and when she turns up to her new apartment building she finds Michael occupying the penthouse above her.
Michael is an incredibly complex character. Quiet, sullen and closed off, there is something terrifying about him. He completely ignores Rika when they are around each other, but unbeknown to her, he has been watching the whole time. And now the two of them are about to be in each other's lives in a big way.
Michael and his three best friends were the kings of their high school. Each from an incredibly wealthy and privileged family (and therefore practically untouchable) they lived free and wild, doing whatever they wanted, and this was never more true than on the Devil's Night when they would don masks and carry out wild and dangerous pranks. Even years after they graduated they return to their home town – under the guise of 'building the spirit of the school basketball team' - and spend Devil's Night up to their old tricks.
Three years ago, Rika was a part of their night, and it turned out to be a night that changed their lives forever. And now, with Rika away from home and all alone in the big city, and the boys all together for the first time in a long time, they are determined to take their vengeance out on the girl they hold responsible for ruining them.
Beware the fury of a patient man
OMG, these boys are a bunch of immature, dangerously sadistic assholes. They are furious about all that went down, and they have been plotting their revenge for a long time. They have it all planned out, and their plot to terrorise Rika begins almost immediately. She barely has a chance to get settled into her new life when the mind games begin.
And while the boys are putting their plan into action, Rika and Michael's chemistry-filled interactions are becoming more and more intense until they are unable to hold back any longer and OMFG! Hot, descriptive and a little bit kinky, the two of them together are on fire! And there is an element of fear to it all which makes it all the more intense because while they are exploring each other, the boys' epic plan is still unfolding and it's a sick clusterfuck of events which builds in intensity, leaving me gasping at their audacity.
It's scary and a little bit evil, and the events of the past are slowly revealed by flashback so we can see just how tightly Rika's story is woven in with the boys and everything that happened. The flashbacks also allow us to get to know the boys as the young, entitled and reckless assholes they were before they become the older, entitled and reckless assholes they are now.
Now, I don't mind a dark book, and I found this to be a really engrossing read – my heart was pounding with anticipation wondering what was going to happen and how Rika was going to handle it all. The issue I had with this story was how quickly it was all resolved.
Warning – major rant ahead… (view spoiler)[
How the hell did Rika accept and overlook everything that happened?
Firstly, these assholes deserved what happened to them. The fact that they wrongly blamed Rika for being caught is bad enough on it's own, but then they use that as justification for destroying this poor girl's life!
They show up and harass her in her classes, touching her and making all kinds of lewd comments, then they send her mother off to the other side of the country so that Rika can't contact her and has no idea where she's gone, they totally isolate her from her support system, they take control of her assets, emptying her bank accounts and going so far as to burn down her family home. And worst of all – they absolutely TERRORISE her – threatening gang rape and frightening her horribly.
OK, so granted Michael wasn't directly involved of the burning down of the house and after the whole 'gang bang' incident he says he would never have hurt her, but he was still there and participated in it all. And then… the same night that they threaten to gang bang her and she ends up STABBING one of them just so that she can escape, she somehow forgets all about that, ends up playing flirty games with Michael (he flirts with other women, she gets intimate with another woman just to tease him), and they're so overcome with passion for each other that they end up having sex. Seriously, WTF????
And as if it's not enough that she instantly overlooks everything he's done, she's so devastated that his friend is traumatised from his prison stay that even though he also participated in all of the events above – she seduces him into joining them for a threesome. Admittedly, that is one super-hot scene, but WTF?
God, I'd be getting as far away from these guys as I could if they even did half of the stuff to me that they did to her, but apparently Rika thinks it's all strength-building that she endured it all and she ends up getting her man so all's well that ends well, right? OK, so Michael does (sort of) apologise, and he realises that they went too far and makes steps to fix everything, but come on!!!
UUUUUGHHHHHHH! OK, rant over (hide spoiler)].
Yes, there is a love story, but I use the term 'love' loosely. It's not your standard romance, that's for sure! It's dark and depraved, though it very much suits them both, and they both got off on the way it all unfolded, so I could deal with it.
"Such a good girl," I growled in a whisper, flicking her lips with my tongue. "Say it, Rika."
"I'm a good girl," she panted, her voice shaky.
"And I'm going to fuck you up,".
It's ALL kind of hot, and I could definitely feel the chemistry, but after everything that happened, I couldn't get invested in them as a couple in love. Frankly, they're just as fucked up as each other, and they deserve each other.
The book is written in dual POV, and I really liked that we got both perspectives of everything that was going on. It made it a little bit creepy, but I really enjoyed the chapters from Michael's POV, love him or hate him, his POV gives us a unique perspective on the story that I really appreciated.
The story shifts towards the end, going off in a direction I did not see coming, and by that point I was so appalled at all of them and their outrageous behaviour, I had no idea how I wanted the book to end. But there was no way I could stop reading, I needed to know what was going to happen. There is a lot that goes down, and even though I didn't know what I wanted for these characters, strangely enough it does end well.
So yeah, still unsure how I feel about this book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, but as disturbing as it was, it definitely kept me hooked.
I'm going middle of the road - 3 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided in exchange for an honest review ...more
Dec 01, 2015 Ramona rated it really liked it
Shelves: dark-romance
Dark romance is not my favorite genre and I was not totally into it at the beginning, but after reading Corrupt, I've changed my mind. I enjoyed all of Penelope's books and this one had to be checked on my list. I was very cautious at the beginning because my romantic style is opposite to many ideas in this book, but managed to have an open mind and to understand its messages.
Rika and Michael are one of the most powerful couple I've stumbled upon in a book, but I loved them, loved their unique Dark romance is not my favorite genre and I was not totally into it at the beginning, but after reading Corrupt, I've changed my mind. I enjoyed all of Penelope's books and this one had to be checked on my list. I was very cautious at the beginning because my romantic style is opposite to many ideas in this book, but managed to have an open mind and to understand its messages.
Rika and Michael are one of the most powerful couple I've stumbled upon in a book, but I loved them, loved their unique personalities, especially Rika's (you go girl!!). She was so strong and feisty, couldn't be intimidated easily and really managed to handle all the though situations without any regret. Michael on the other hand was very confusing for me, I had a love and hate relationship with him, but mainly because of me. He is not the typical Prince Charming and I had to get accustomed to it in order to understand exactly the definition of "dark romance".
Eventually I got it, but it took me a while. I discovered a tormented Michael, that had to chose between being loyal to his friends or succumbing to the love he felt for Rika. As expected, he will fail at some point in the book to meet everyone's expectations and will begin to act as he feels, without having to cover his emotions based on divided loyalties.
Their relationship is very complex and intense, with a lot of mixed feeling, a strong background and you just have to read between the lines sometimes in order to fully understand it. Even if at the beginning of this story all the feeling rose from hate and anger, particularly this intensity will cause them to change and transform into something else.
The balance between love and hate was so uncertain, so fragile that most of the times I was wondering if the couple was going to get the happy ending or not. It kind of makes you question if there are better of alone or not, simply because they are so different. But this is the beauty of dark romance, putting 2 people completely different and showing they can be together despite that all world is against them, beginning with themselves.
Circumstances are not in their favor as well, but from my point of view, Rika and Michael's worst enemy were their own hard personalities that just couldn't let them see clearly how good they are together. Penelope was so involved and passionate into making this characters work, and you can see the dedication and hard work she put in it.
The"not knowing" was an important element for me that kept me hooked and intrigued. The shocking elements were a bonus for me, a rookie in this field, but surprisingly, I've love them. I tried to understand all the complex scenes, no matter how shocking they were, and I think I did a pretty good job. From my point of view there was no scene too far from reality, that making the book authentic and down to earth. A things about dark romance is that the reality is surprisingly socking, the cliches are gone and you experiment the story in its raw state.
A quote that I will never forget is "Own who you are and don't apologize" . That cut deep into my consciences and stood there a lot. The message is powerful and so full of meaning that it gave me the chills. You can simply go through life with this and don't regret a thing about it.
Only 4 stars because I am a hopeless romantic and in Rika and Michael's relationship I would of liked to experience more of the general feeling of being save and feeling protected by the one I love. There were a lot of scenes in which I wasn't OK with how he treated her but I know the genre is much tougher that the romantic ones I'm use to. In opposition to this, I enjoyed their love scenes, pure intensity and emotion that really connects you with the characters.
Read this book with an open mind and try to assimilate the message it tries to send you.
Nov 16, 2015 Natasha is a Book Junkie rated it it was amazing
Shelves: standalone
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED:
"Yeah, you're going to be in my bed, baby, but not until you wish you hated me."
There is nothing as mouth-watering as a book that keeps shocking you page after page, keeping you in a constant state of bewilderment and exhilaration with the mere volatility of its plotline, but when you add explosive sexual tension into that mix, you've got yourself nothing less than a tantalizingly wicked read. Fast-paced, vicious, daring in its approach, and so delectably naughty at FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED:
There is nothing as mouth-watering as a book that keeps shocking you page after page, keeping you in a constant state of bewilderment and exhilaration with the mere volatility of its plotline, but when you add explosive sexual tension into that mix, you've got yourself nothing less than a tantalizingly wicked read. Fast-paced, vicious, daring in its approach, and so delectably naughty at times that you'll never look at another steam room the same way—this is a book that kept me at the edge of my seat cover to cover, unable to put it down even for a moment, and the more twisted and unpredictable the story became, the more I found myself devouring each word.
"I wanted to get into a little trouble. I wanted to catch some rain, find something that made my heart pump again, and I wanted to know what it was like to not have anyone to grab onto."
Erika "Rika" Fane was born into privilege, raised in a sheltered coastal community run by its wealthy and well-connected residents, but we meet her as she is about to leave the safety of her hometown and move to a new city where she would be on her own for the very first time in her life. Desperate to run away from all that is expected of her and to finally learn what she is made of, Erika dreams of paving her own future ahead of her, but her newly found freedom is short-lived as she finds herself living one floor below the very man she's been in love with all her young life—the brother of the man everyone expects her to marry—in a building owned by his family.
"You're a good girl on the outside, but no one knows who the hell you are on the inside, do they?"
Michael Crist has been the object of every last one of Erika's adolescent fantasies, but he has always treated her with disdain and indifference, knowing she was meant for his younger brother. Once the popular kid in school, and now a successful professional athlete, Michael has grown from an angry little boy whose father's constant disapproval made him afraid to stand up for himself, into a man who pursues his dreams unapologetically, living life to the fullest and caring for no one's opinion but his own. But for the past three years, Michael has lived with regret and anger, blaming the girl he could never have for the fate of his three closest friends. And he is now determined to make her pay for their pain and suffering by playing on the very crush she's had on him for so long.
"She didn't know that we knew. She didn't know that we were coming for her."
Through a plethora of unexpected twists and turns in the plotline, the story never fails to make our hearts race, either from the sexual tension between Michael and Erika, or the nail-biting anticipation of what act of revenge is plotted against her next. With four cats and only one mouse in this game, all odds are stacked against Erika…until the mouse learns how to play the game and gives the cats a taste of their own medicine.
"Being scared wasn't a weakness. But letting it force my head down and my voice quiet was. Fear wasn't the enemy. It was the teacher."
But even with so many exciting facets to this story, the connection between Michael and Erika remains the driving force pushing the story forward. More alike than either of them is willing to admit, they push each other's buttons by understanding and preying on one another's innermost weaknesses, and because Ms Douglas always knows just how to truly make the most of that fine line between love and hate, she also manages to turn every single act of wickedness between these characters into their ultimate aphrodisiac. I feel I should mention the steam room scene at this juncture...
"There are too many people that try to change us, and not enough people who want us to be who we really are."
I won't give away much more of the storyline at this point as that would greatly take away from the way this book is meant to be read, but I will tell you that this is a thrill-ride you will not want to miss. At times, I felt that the plotline could have given even more room to the development of the leading characters, some aspects of their personalities being painted with too broad a brush when a finer set of bristles would have been quite welcome, and that applies even more to some of the secondary characters who proved to be just as compelling and multifaceted as the main ones. The ending felt rushed to me, tied up all too quickly and too easily, while a few more loose ends would have actually been quite fitting, in my opinion. I remain hopeful that we will hear more from some of these characters, because as much as I loved the way this story ended, it had all the makings of a great beginning to me.
An intoxicating story, phenomenally written as always, and utterly addictive in the way it keeps surprising us and turning up the heat at every corner—this book is just another example of Ms Douglas' remarkable ability to tell stories that are always fresh, exciting, and distinctive in every way. And I did mention the steam room, right?
"Toughen up. You're not a victim, and I'm not your savior."
[4.5 STARS]
See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Yct3xn
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Lh86bj
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1Yct44x ...more
Aug 07, 2015 Jilly rated it it was ok
Shelves: romance, thrillers, contemporary-fiction
This book doesn't exactly know what it wants to be. There is the New Adult component where we get sex scenes with college kids. There is the romance angle where the girl loves the jerky guy forever and he is always pushing her away, but he really loves her and they have their little HEA. And, then we have the Thriller/Mindfuck of revenge, murder, rape, etc.. Oh, and don't forget to add in the 50 Shades of Grey crapola - gotta have us some kinky fuckery. I didn't think it all fit together that This book doesn't exactly know what it wants to be. There is the New Adult component where we get sex scenes with college kids. There is the romance angle where the girl loves the jerky guy forever and he is always pushing her away, but he really loves her and they have their little HEA. And, then we have the Thriller/Mindfuck of revenge, murder, rape, etc.. Oh, and don't forget to add in the 50 Shades of Grey crapola - gotta have us some kinky fuckery. I didn't think it all fit together that well. I think it would have been better if it was more focused. It felt messy. I don't like messy books.
oh, but I love Messi! Best soccer player in the world!
So, we have a story of a group of spoiled little rich kids who decide they want to be bad and start a gang. This is a gang that drives Mercedes', have indoor pools, chefs, even fucking butlers. Seriously? You have a butler and you aren't satisfied? Dude! I'd kill for a butler and I don't even know what exactly they do! So, they rollin' through the mean streets of the upper class neighborhood causing trouble cuz they bad.
that's right, they OWN their own tuxedos. No rentals for these bangers!
But, not wanting to hurt their parent's reputations, or their trust funds and ivy league college chances, they wear masks as they terrorize the wealthy hood. Watch out, everyone, the Four Horsemen are in town with their little plastic masks and a full dozen of eggs! That's right, it's a drive-by egging for you, Biff!
So, one night they take their local Barbie with them to go out and throw down with their rival gang - the mall walkers, and things get carried away. Three of them end up in prison for three years because their daddies got them the best attorneys money can buy and if they had been poor or non-white they would have gotten at least 10. They spend their three years making a plan to get revenge on Barbie when they get out because they figure she is the one who put them in jail. No, it wasn't their own actions, caught on video, it was the bitch's fault. How dare you think that rich white boys should have consequences for their actions!!
and our chauffeur drives us over there. Then, it's on!
Now, our Barbie, actual name Rikka - short for Erica, has been in love with the one Horseman who didn't go to prison for her whole life. She has no idea that Michael has been keeping in touch with his homies in prison, helping to plot out their revenge on her.
Oh man, three years and unlimited money to plot the perfect revenge. This is going to be awesome! The things they must have come up with, right? The intricacies of a highly planned revenge that is greater than The Count of Monte Cristo will blow our minds, I bet!!!
So, they decide to make her their sex slave.
Yup. Sex slave.
Three years of planning. Sex slave.
Fucking stupid horny rich boys!!! I wanted them to blow my mind with layer after layer of slow torturous revenge. And, okay, they did a couple of other small things, but they were minor annoyances, not even slightly mentally damaging. *Sigh*
Oh, but wait, it gets more stupid. You see, the little wrinkle in this plan is that Erica has no freaking idea about who turned in the guys. She had nothing to do with it. And, considering that she lived in Michael's house for most of the last three years, it would seem to me that he might have wanted to... oh, I don't know.... maybe ASK her what happened? You know, so that he and the mensa society members that make up the rest of his gang could have put that brain trust to work on something else for three years. But, no.....
In between all of this brilliant revenge plot is the love story between Michael and Erica. Michael thinks he's Christian Grey half the time and Jason Voorhies the other half. He likes to scare her because it turns him on. He also seems to be fine with his friends having sex with her. Um, okay. Whatever, dude, but I have a better idea. Why don't you and your Barbie take your private jet to Paris and have a money fight in the best hotel in the city instead of all of this crap? You're not a big bad scary monster. You're a poor little rich boy who feels misunderstood. Money fights will make it all better.. Go on, now. Run along - I mean drive away in your Rolls. good boy. ...more
Nov 13, 2015 Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads rated it it was amazing
HOLY SALE ALERT!!!!! 0.99 UNTIL 2/21!!!!! http://amzn.to/1QUwg1h <<----- SALE + 0.99!
FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!
"Rika," he whispered, sounding desperate as he grazed my bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. Tingles spread over my face, and I felt higher than I ever had. "When you think about me…'sometimes,'" he added with amusement in his tone—he knew I was lying—"show me what you do to yourself."
GAHHHH.
GAHHHHHHHHHHHH.
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
I have to take a minute to calm my HOLY SALE ALERT!!!!! 0.99 UNTIL 2/21!!!!! ➔ http://amzn.to/1QUwg1h <<----- SALE + 0.99!
I have to take a minute to calm my shit, but I will say that that was fucking INSANE. I didn't know what I was going to get. I have read exactly one Penelope Douglas book and it was Bully --which I really liked-- and this being a DARK read, well I wasn't sure how dark she was going to go. I had no idea what she was going to give me and I went into this with a shitload of curiosity and a sprinkling of hesitation that I was going to be left underwhelmed and that it would not live up to the kick butt blurb.
It did. It totally lived up to the blurb. I was NOT disappointed. Not even one little bit. Holy fucking shitballs of fire and ice.
It was dark. Not overly dark, but pretty fucking wicked. I know I'm swearing a lot, but fuck me. FUCKKKKKKKK. This book is no joke. My heart is still beating wildly. Corrupt incites passion in the reader. Whether it's fear/anxiety/worry/lust/pain/love, it pulls emotion out of you in the most viciously incredible way. It's dysfunctional, yet seductive and compelling and just addicting.
The sex is hot and full of raw and volatile feels. The characters are spellbinding and completely unreal. You're either loving them or hating them. The back and forth, the tug of war, is so tangible you feel it rip apart every seam of your heart time and time again.
I felt pain.
I felt lust--serious, serious lust.
I felt intense anger--rage.
I felt betrayed.
I felt curious.
I felt overwhelmed.
I felt intrigued.
I felt scared.
I felt anxious.
I felt so many freaking things.
I really... God, I'm rambling at this point. I will come back and clean up this review before the book is out but I will say that I fucking LOVED this. I don't think it's going to be an "everybody" book, but I will tell you that this book is really well written. VERY. VERY. VERY well written.
I'm kind of blown away.
Actually, I'm really freaking blown away. ...more
Apr 29, 2014 Geri Reads rated it really liked it
Excuse me while I pick my jaw off the floor. This was quite unexpected from Penelope Douglas, and the one thought in my head while reading this was, "We're definitely not in Fall Away Lane anymore!"
I'm not quite sure how to describe this book. Yes, it's dark but not really dark...as in CJ Roberts or Pepper Winters dark. There are certain elements which would classify this as dark but for me, this was more like edgy erotica. Because yes, this is definitely a very erotic book. Not 4.5 stars!
I'm not quite sure how to describe this book. Yes, it's dark but not really dark...as in CJ Roberts or Pepper Winters dark. There are certain elements which would classify this as dark but for me, this was more like edgy erotica. Because yes, this is definitely a very erotic book. Not romantic...erotic. This book will make you uncomfortable and hot and bothered the same time.
Corrupt is about Rika Fane and a group of 4 men who are out for revenge because of what happened three years ago. The book takes us back to the past as Rika pines for Michael, who happens to be the ring leader of the Horsemen. It also keeps us up to date with the present as the four young men execute their plans for Rika.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading this. I was intrigued as to why these guys want revenge. And as the story slowly unravels, we get to know not only Rika but also Micheal, Kai, Will, and Damon. As much I really hated their plans, I could not stop from being intrigued by these guys. Penelope has put in so much complex layers into their characters that I can't help but be drawn to them.
But my favorite character in this book isn't Michael or Kai or Will or Damon, but Rika. I loved her vulnerability and strength. I loved that she's not perfect and that sometimes she doesn't really understand herself or her feelings. Another standout would be Alex. Loved her unapologetic view about sex and her profession.
This book won't be for everyone. There's one particular scene which I know would be a hard limit for some people. Personally, I was fine with it. It wasn't drawn out and I thought it was something that happened in the moment and it was also effin' hot like you wouldn't believe. That scene though was a revelation in terms of Penelope's skill as writer, and I for one am looking forward to more boundary pushing scenes like that in the future.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Oct 01, 2015 A. rated it liked it
Shelves: liked-it, loved-you-from-afar, _romance, pov-1st-person, unrequited-love, brother-s-bf-or-bf-s-brother, dark-deadly-and-dangerous, watch-out-for-triggers, pov-dual, assholes-anonymous
Reading the first half of the book was a slow and tortuous process for me. I almost dnf'd it several times. I mean, I'm all for mystery and intrigue, but nothing made sense and I couldn't invest into the story or the characters.
Then at 60% I had a hallelujah moment. Suddenly I couldn't stop reading the book, it kept me on the edge of my seat biting my nails and flipping the pages. It took me five days to read the first half of the book; I read the second half in a few hours.
The story is 3 Stars
The story is not too dark but it isn't a sappy romance either. Don't expect rainbows and unicorns here. In fact, there was a moment involving the main characters that seriously pissed me off but it ended without too much hype and hurt feelings so I got over it pretty quickly.
All in all this was a solid read for me.
Overall rating: 3 stars
Writing style: 4 stars
Story: 3 stars
Flow of the story: 3 stars
Character development: 3 stars
Hero: 3 stars
Heroine: 3 stars
Secondary characters: 4 stars
Tone/mood of the book: 4 stars
Emotion evoking: 3 stars
Originality: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 3 stars
Effect on me: 3 stars ...more
Feb 04, 2017 Pearl Angeli rated it really liked it
Shelves: favorites, highly-recommended-na, hot-male-characters, rich-guys, dark, new-adult-contemporary, new-adult, smexy-read, 2017-reads, friends-to-lovers
"Life is one-way, and there is no return trip. What are you waiting for?"
I don't think I would ever be disappointed in a Penelope Douglas book. To say she's an amazing writer is an understatement because so far, all her books tick the right boxes for me.
Corrupt was another book that stunned me. It was a bit dark and twisted and I must say, a badass version of Bully. The story centers around the characters Erika "Rika" Fane and Michael Crist. Both who came from rich families, these 4.5 Stars!
Corrupt was another book that stunned me. It was a bit dark and twisted and I must say, a badass version of Bully. The story centers around the characters Erika "Rika" Fane and Michael Crist. Both who came from rich families, these two grew up together but they seem to be totally apart because Rika is already destined to become the future wife of Michael's brother, Trevor. Rika has always been secretly in love with Michael but because Michael stays away from him, she just keeps herself from afar, hoping that he would spare a glance at her. Soon she finds herself getting involved with The Horsemen, a group where Michael is part of. One incident leads to another which results to The Horsemen plotting revenge on her after several years.
The story was told in alternate POVs and alternate past and present timelines. At first, I was a bit lost because the plot seemed hazy and I really didn't know what Michael and The Horsemen were up to. The first half also moved a bit slow. When I've reached 60% though, the story started to pick up its pace and became more interesting.
I especially loved Rika and Michael's push and pull relationship and the way Michael kept resisting Rika despite the fact that deep down inside, he also felt the same way for her. I found their slowly-developed love story odd yet enticing and I believed that the strange connection they've shared since their childhood was the one that kept me glued to the pages throughout.
"She thought she was nothing to me, insignificant and invisible. She wanted me to open my eyes and see her again so fucking badly, but she didn't realize that I already did."
Penelope's flawless writing here was just another proof that she could do just about everything. The story was incorporated with lyrical lines that added a sense of drama and a little bit of heartbreak to the romance. Plus, you can't say no to the sensual scenes that bring out some feels.
It was definitely a too-good-to-refuse kind of book. If you are in for some dark love story, you don't want to miss being "corrupted". lol
Oct 05, 2015 Allison ❤Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤ rated it really liked it · review of another edition
So I'm a bit late to the Corrupt party but here goes. This book was intense but also really great. I didn't really have any idea where Penelope Douglas was going with it for quite some time and my feathers were getting a little "ruffled" until a friend chastised me had said, "Allison, quit thinking and trying to figure it out!" So I took Sandy's advice and let Ms. Douglas take me on a ride...and uncorked a bottle of Cabernet cuz everything goes down better with vino.
I don't even know how
I don't even know how to adequately describe this book. I guess I'd tag it somewhat dark suspense. There's no clear love story for a large part of the book so again, don't go looking for it. Just a heroine that lives a life of structure and control, of privilege and feeling caged. She yearns for excitement and not to feel coddled.
Rika's family lives in an affluent neighborhood and her next door neighbors, the Crists, are like family to her. Their home is her second home when her mom is too intoxicated to be a mother or her memories of her deceased father are just too much. The Crists have two sons...a good one and a bad one. She's destined to be with Trevor, the good one but heck if her heart and inner rebel cries out for the the bad one, Michael.
He was a sadist, and my little heart just had to go pitter-patter the second his yanks, grabs, and pulls turned into gentle caresses and his frowns, scowls, and snarls turned into whispers. I fell, and I never even tried to stop myself.
Corrupt will take you on a crazy ride where no book has really gone before. The plot is refreshingly different, revenge-focused, and erotic in a mysterious and naughty kind of way. This ain't your hearts-and-flowers harlequin romance, boys and girls. Who's the hero? The villain? The good? The bad? Read it and find out...oh, "don't think and try to figure it out" cuz you're gonna be WRONG.
Thank you Stephanie for gifting me such a mindf8ck. Muah.
Jan 04, 2015 KAT ♕ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books ♕ rated it really liked it
Shelves: bully-books
༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the author "Penelope Douglas" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!
TITLE: Corrupt
AUTHOR: Penelope Douglas
GENRE: Contemporary Romance, Dark
RELEASE DATE: November 17th, 2015
MY RATING: 4 STARS
Corrupt is a standalone dark romance.
I've been a fan of this authors forever when I saw the synopsis for this, then the word dark I had to jump on this! Keen to see how dark this will take me..
As you start this you definitely don't get that warm and fuzzy ༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the author "Penelope Douglas" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!
As you start this you definitely don't get that warm and fuzzy feeling that you would normally expect from this author, you can feel the slight underlying element of darkness lurking behind the words as it swaps from past to present swiftly..Take a walk on the dark side and become corrupt, I loved the twists and turns, the mystery surrounding the four horsemen, the anticipation of what they were going to do to Rika, the power these guys held within the township, how far they could push those boundaries and Rika, combine all of those and you will be sitting on the edge of your seat devouring the pages to get to the end..
Trevor, Michael Crist's younger brother and Erika had been friends since birth, and gone to school with each other all throughout the years.
Your definitely drawn into the story line in true Penelope fashion but it has an element of wonder of what's going to come next, and you definitely would not peg this book as being written by Penelope if the fact wasn't staring you in the face..
Corrupt: Is about four men ( The Four Masked Horsemen )they were Thunder Bay's favourite sons (Damon, Michael, Kai and Will) seeking revenge, how far they will go deems to be seen..A game of Cat & Mouse, manipulation..
Even the masks that Penelope chose as teasers that these guys wear kind of put the shits up me!!
Damon ~ Son of a media mogul
Kai ~ Son of an influential socialite and banker
Will ~ Grandson of Senator Grayson
Michael ~ Son of a real estate devoloper
It all started on DEVILS NIGHT
Our town looked the other way and let the youths have one night of mischief
Three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they're out.
Three men stood outside my house, side by side, staring up at me through the window, they stood completely motionless.
TICK TOCK LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Nov 09, 2016 Megan✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorite-author, high_school_college_love, high-expectations, hot, dual-pov, messed-up, dark-romance
*****5 Stars*****
Wow! This book was intense, and I don't say that lightly. "Corrupt" is so different from anything else I have read from Penelope Douglas to date. It was dark, disturbing, really messed up and at times distressing, but having said that Penelope Douglas does write love-hate-love relationships like nobody else. "Corrupt" was so well written that I felt absolutely everything these
Wow! This book was intense, and I don't say that lightly. "Corrupt" is so different from anything else I have read from Penelope Douglas to date. It was dark, disturbing, really messed up and at times distressing, but having said that Penelope Douglas does write love-hate-love relationships like nobody else. "Corrupt" was so well written that I felt absolutely everything these characters did and I loved every screwed-up minute of it.
All Rika seeks for in her life is to be set free; free from her hometown, free from her "boyfriend" and his family. She wants to live her life as she sees fit and not worry about living up to their expectations and to not have her every move dictated. They clearly love her, but she feels suffocated. Rika finally gets her chance at freedom when she moves to the big city to attend college, but she has no idea the object of her life long infatuation is living in the same building.
"Curious little Erica Fane wanted to play with the boys, so we indulged her, and she betrayed us."
Rika is a character I absolutely loved. She is a complete badass and has absolutely no hesitation in standing up to the boys and playing their sick and twisted games. Rika has been watching Michael her whole life. She sees him and is completed fascinated by him, even though she finds him absolutely terrifying, but what Rika isn't aware of, is he has been watching her too.
Michael, along with his friends, Kai, Will and Damon, make up The Four Horsemen. They don masks and have a yearly tradition during Devils Night of pulling pranks within their small town. These pranks that they pull are certainly not child's play; toilet papering houses is too tame for this group. A lot happens during this night resulting in three of them going to jail. Michael is then left on his own, moves to college and becomes a pro basketballer.
Three years later, Michael and his friends seek revenge on Rika. They will stop at nothing to make her pay, but she won't go down without a fight. The Four Horsemen are absolutely terrifying; their masks, their revenge and the lengths they will go to terrorise Rika literally had me on the edge of my seat.
"Run all you want, Little Monster," he said sounding like a threat. "We're faster."
"Corrupt" was an absolutely crazy ride for me. It was a terrifying, suspenseful and erotic thriller. It was so wrong, but I found it almost impossible to put down. I would recommend this story to anyone who loves their dark and twisted suspenseful thrillers. If you do enjoy these kinds of stories then you definitely need to read "Corrupt", because I can assure you that you will be enthralled by each and every page.
Apr 25, 2014 Mariℓina rated it really liked it
Why is it so hard to write a review sometimes? Have any of you the same baffling feelings? I do when I feel that a book is very important to me for various reasons but ends up being less than what I expected. Corrupt falls into the category above firstly because it was written by one of my favorite authors and also because now I feel entirely too awkward to comment on what I read.
Just because you love someone's work, it doesn't mean that you are inherently blind to their mistakes. By all means, Why is it so hard to write a review sometimes? Have any of you the same baffling feelings? I do when I feel that a book is very important to me for various reasons but ends up being less than what I expected. Corrupt falls into the category above firstly because it was written by one of my favorite authors and also because now I feel entirely too awkward to comment on what I read.
Just because you love someone's work, it doesn't mean that you are inherently blind to their mistakes. By all means, Corrupt was an exceptionally well-written book, until that changed. I could easily find all the parts that were totally Penelope, mostly on the past chapters and Michael's POV, which of course, I loved...
But sadly I couldn't follow the pervasive need for edginess and the silliness that followed. Now before you call me a proud or anything like that let me state a few things first. The Dark particle in a dark romance book doesn't come from extraterrestrial, unrealistic sexual scenes, but from the ability of the said book to mindfuck you -sorry for the word, it's a technical term ;D- again and again.
So was there enough mindfuckness to win my heart over? Yes, hence the 4-star rating. Was it enough though to lose myself in it and forget the rest of the issues I had with the story? No. Rika and Michael had every potential to become a diverse, crazy couple and they succeed until they didn't. After a scene so out of character for both of them and only thrown in there as a surprise factor that had nothing to do with the story's progression, I felt the need to see their love story much more clinically.
I'm not gonna lie i made the mistake of reading a few spoilers and went in with my eyes wide open. That was a poor choice but at the same time almost cathartic.
Yet, I found myself bonding with the characters, loving their existence and inner voices. But when the miscalculated scene that came out of nowhere made its appearance it had me shaking my head and mumbling no, no, no, no on repeat. In the end, after I extracted myself completely from it, I found it disjointed and a bit tacky.
With that being said, I also have to point all the brilliant things that I enjoyed and should have been a little more explored IMO, like Michael's inner sentiments. They gave us another and entirely new perspective inside the mess of their game. Also his and Rika's shared past was magnificent. Were they childish? Sure, but I didn't even care and loved it anyway.
In the end, I'm still considering this story as two separate books, the one had all the best parts and the second -much, much smaller, thank God- all the unnecessary or unfitting ones. I'm not sure if it's the appropriate method, but it certainly felt that way to me. I'm still a bit disappointed, but like i already said i ended up reading it under another perspective from my initial one.
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
- The writing style is very compelling.
- Many issues, nice drama but over the top.
- The Playlist was awesome!
- Now, rant time!!(view spoiler)[ At first, I was numb, then I hated it, after that I was disgusted and at the end totally indifferent about it. The threesome between the main couple and Kai -the best friend- was such a mistake, not because of the sexual act itself - although I'm not a big fan of those when there is an undergoing love story- but as an edgy touch to the story. The act itself was purely unrealistic, she takes them both at the same time, no lube, anally virgin, no foreplay and it's what? The 6th or 7th time Rika has sex in her life in total? In the end, I found it childish and icky. And all the reasoning behind it? Come on she wanted to do a good deed I bet because Kai was lonely. If she owned up to her slight interest towards him it would have gone better, maybe like a new thing they were trying as a couple. Instead, this one here was poorly thought out and in a totally insincere manner. And it's a shame because Penelope Douglas can write a mean sexually charged scene. This one only left a foul stench behind.
- I loved the epilogue, it was so fitting and beautifully corrupted.
- The first time on St. Killian's OMG. Fangirling time.
- Will and Emmy? Will they ever gonna have their chance? It's a standalone so I guess not. What a shame that is.
- Trevor and Damon were far too mean.
YA Buddy Readers'...: Corrupt (Devil's Night #1) by Penelope Douglas - Starting September 9th 2019 9 12 Sep 11, 2019 11:31AM
Bully romance books 2 20 Mar 26, 2019 02:11PM
Fallen Into Tijan...: Corrupt (Devil's Night #1) by Penelope Douglas [March] (UTM™: Kylie) 1 13 Feb 14, 2019 03:12PM
Unapologetic Roma...: Douglas, Penelope // Corrupt 6 42 Jan 22, 2019 09:04AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Dark Romance: a group of friends get sent to prison & want revenge on the girl they think turned them in. [s] 4 50 Jun 14, 2018 10:49PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Adult Romance. Hero takes revenge on heroine for sending his three friends to jail. There's a scene in the catacombs. [s] 6 101 Jan 06, 2018 12:44PM
Romance > Contemporary Romance
About Penelope Douglas
Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil's Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, and Birthday Girl. Please look for Credence, available January 14, 2020.
She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter.
*represented by Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil's Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, and Birthday Girl. Please look for Credence, available January 14, 2020.
*represented by jane@dystel.com
Would you like to join the reader group? ---> https://www.facebook.com/groups/16198...
Looking for News?
Text DOUGLAS to 474747 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 ...more
Devil's Night (4 books)
Books by Penelope Douglas
Trivia About Corrupt (Devil's ...
Quotes from Corrupt
"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." — 102 likes
"The closer you got to anything beautiful, the less beautiful it became. Allure was in the mystery, not the appearance." — 67 likes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl