A review by ohshebookish
Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings