Title: Corrupt
Author: Penelope Douglas
Series: Devil’s Night #1
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Links:
Blurb:
ErikaI was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.
His name is Michael Crist.
My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.
But I noticed him.
I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.
Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.
Because he’s finally noticed me.
Michael
Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.
My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.
Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.
In my city.
Unprotected.
The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.
We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.
***Corrupt can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhanger.
My Review:
Actual Rating – 4.5 Stars
Michael and Rika have danced around one another for years – but everything came to a head three years ago when the events of one fateful night set the future in motion.
This well-written book contained plenty of dark and steamy moments and it’s definitely not a light-hearted read, but it was immensely addictive and entertaining. The characters are some of the most complex I’ve read about and I came to love/hate them. I grew hot and cold on Michael a lot – but, in the end, he did the right thing and proved that Rika’s faith in him wasn’t misguided.
Rika was a good character and I enjoyed her progression, even if some of her actions weren’t very believable. The chemistry between our two was off the charts and the push-and-pull nature of it only added to the tension and conflict.
The other Horsemen were intriguing too. Trevor was a bit one-dimensional and I wasn’t shocked at all by his behavior.
Corrupt definitely has the shock factor down pat and there were tons of “OMG” moments. And that threesome – seriously hot! It was a very entertaining story if a little sick at times. Lol.
I did overlook some issues with the plot that wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny and it’s the reason I knocked a half star off my rating.
This book will not be for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it and Penelope Douglas is definitely on my fav author list now.