Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

66 reviews

samflowerv6's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Unpopular opinion... I loved this book. Everyone seems to hate Michael but I really didn't. Michael and Rika were so high stakes and complicated. I really enjoyed the mystery, secrets, devils night antics and even the horsemen in all their mean bad boy glory. I found all the characters so interesting and Michael was fucked up but I couldn't help loving him. Also, maybe I just like hot guys who are a bit evil? Seems to be my type. I am a seasoned dark romance girly but this was super solid. I would definitely say it's taboo at times but what can I say, I ate it up. Even Damon, who is such an asshole..... i was having so much fun. I know it's problematic and all the men are straight up terrible. I think I have bad taste. Whatever bad things people say, are mostly right but..... I like messed up people and dark romance. I do wish Michael groveled though, Rika forgave him too easy. They should have all begged on their hands and knees. The catacombs, the mask scene and the sauna... I was sweating. RIKA SAID LETS GO TO PARIS.  Rika is so real though with being in love with an asshole for her whole life and being blinded by hotness. I did like the ending and they honestly fit. I did expect her to have more of a backbone and was disappointed with her not making the boys beg but at every turn.. she folded. But this was all kinds of fucked up. Check trigger warnings. I feel mildly shameful for how much I enjoyed this. I love these freaks. 

And it was October 30, the night before Halloween. Devil’s Night.

Damon Torrance, Kai Mori, Will Grayson III, and—I locked my gaze on the blood red mask covering the face of the one always in the lead a little more than the others—Michael Crist, Trevor’s older brother.

“It’s just you, Little Monster. Own it or it will own you.” 

“Run all you want, Little Monster,” he said, sounding like a threat. “We’re faster.”

They were here. The Four Horsemen. They were Thunder Bay’s favorite sons, and they’d gone to high school here, graduating when I was a freshman.

As individuals we had weaknesses, but as the Horsemen we were invincible. We each brought something different to the table, and where one lacked, the others stepped in.

Three years ago, curious little Erika Fane wanted to play with the boys, so we indulged her, and she betrayed us.

“Trevor’s not my boyfriend.”
“Too bad. I like playing with shit that’s not mine.”

That’s what I admired about the Four Horsemen. They were always in control and always visible.

“You robbed your own fucking store, Rika!” Will laughed and grabbed fistfuls of my sweatshirt, shouting into my face. “You’re the fucking king, baby!”

Will started singing, then slid out of his seat, and I shook with laughter as he straddled me, giving me a lap dance to the music.

“When we used to wear the masks,” Michael said, dropping his voice to a near whisper, “you liked it, didn’t you?

“So you like the mask. You’re pretty fucking sick, aren’t you?” he teased.

“Such a beautiful little monster,” he whispered

“Because you’ve corrupted her nice and good. She’s a force now, and it won’t be long before she’s brave enough to demand what she wants. If you don’t give it to her, she’ll find someone else who will.”


THE KAI AND MICHAEL SANDWICH  CHANGED LIVES!

Alexa play Monster by Skillet

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chels984's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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ohshebookish's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow wow wow! This was my first foray into dark romance and it was sooo good! Penelope Douglas weaves such an intricate story of love, hate, revenge, and obsession. This book sucks you in from the beginning and keeps you wanting more because the story is so addicting. The dual pov and flashback between the past and the present are written in a way to keep you on the edge of your seat and to keep you guessing. You're trying to figure out what Rika did wrong, you're trying to figure out if Michael loves or hates her, you're trying to figure out what the guys are planning, and that's not even the half of it. The plot twist!? I did not see it coming at all! I was floored. Penelope definitely kept me on my toes.

The characters were written with so much depth. Each character made you feel something different, and you felt it hard. They all had their own struggles that were like little threads, that intertwined their stories into one. Michael was dark and broody, and reading his inner struggle with his pressing feelings for Rika vs. his loyalty to his friends was so interesting. I loved seeing Rika accept and lean into her dark side. I was rooting for her! I really liked Kai and I was kinda rooting for a poly relationship with him, Michael and Rika. That one scene though 🤭 I did not like Damon and definitely wouldn't trust him farther than I could throw him. He deserved jail and should've stayed there. I'm interested to see what his book will be about though. 

I am so glad that I got this book through a bookstagram traveling book group. I devoured it! The scenes were detailed, the plot was well written, and the spice was definitely spicing. I can't wait to read the other guys stories and see what our Horsemen are up to.

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han_olenik's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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kimberlym716's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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taylorjade's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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thmallory's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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nineinchnails's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

i DNFed this 2 years ago so maybe it’s true what they say about distance making the heart grow fonder😭 i really liked the writing style and the book in general flows a lot better than most DR i’ve read. i’m not obsessed with the main characters but they weren’t as annoying as i expected considering the reviews. i stand by finding michael creepy tho i just find it endearing now! i think the whole motivation for the guys bullying her was kinda stupid especially with the reveal but i love OTT and ridiculous DR when it’s done well and this is a decent example of that.

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notamouse's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.25

🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

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perksofem_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The first half of the book basically every single character annoyed me but once I got to the mid way point after pushing myself to continue it got better. This is definitely for those who love a dark romance book. I'm still tipping my toe in the genre which is probably why I didn't devour this like so much of booktok has said. I still haven't decided if I want to continue the series but if I do I might just read Kai's story and that's it.

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