From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas comes a new dark romance…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’s handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team … completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.
But I noticed him.
I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.
Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.
Because he’s finally noticed me.
Michael
Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.
My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.
Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.
In my city.
Unprotected.
The opportunity is too good to be true, as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.
We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.
*Corrupt is a STANDALONE dark romance with no cliffhanger. It is suitable for ages 18+.
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This book has been on my TBR list forever, and I have no idea why it’s taken me this long to read it, because it was amazing! Lots of suspense, lots of questions and confusion, and a pretty big twist near the end! I highly recommend it!
This book was very dark. I still liked the characters- as twisted and damaged as they are. Hire her nickname “Rika”
Holly Hell why haven’t i let myself be corrupted before now?!!!!!!!
Rika thinks that she is finally going to be on her own, when she leaves her small town and moves into the city for college. Little does she know that there is someone or a few someones that have other plans for her.
this is a good pick for someone that is looking for a dark read. Corrupt is one that doesn’t hold back on the darkness that is in the characters. There are times that you will want to hurt and maim Micheal and the other members of the Four Horsemen. and you find that there is just something not right with some of the other characters as well. the twist and turns will make your neck hurt.
I went into this book with no idea of what to expect, the teasers and snippets have been very vague (on purpose) and left me with a million questions about what this book could possibly be about. The one thing that I knew for sure was that the writing would be fantastic, since I am a huge fan of the author. I am happy to say that Penelope did not let me down. I was hooked from the very beginning and I had the book finished in less than a day. I didn’t want to put it down because I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Trust me, you want to check this book out. You want to read this side of Penelope’s writing that has grit and roughness to it, because you will be panting and pining and praying to the high heavens that she decides to make this a series, after all.
“I got a taste of a different reality. One where the only things taboo were the rules, and to see all the things people dared to do in an environment where they had freedom.”
Erika Fane is suffocating in her own skin, and yet she doesn’t complain. Her life is pretty, perfect, and manicured. Everything has been laid out for her, and she hates it. She has lost her father, and she often feels alone given her mothers detachment from reality. Despite her sometimes bleak home life, she has a family that has always been there for her. The Crist family has provided happy memories and a sanctuary, though it comes at the price of the parents often nudging her towards their youngest son. Though she is fond of Trevor as a friend, Rika is drawn to the cold and distant oldest Crist boy. He doesn’t show her affection, he doesn’t coddle her, and yet he is the one who sets her world on fire.
“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 are dark deeds and bad seeds, but who cared if the house was falling apart as long as it was pretty, right?”
Half of a day and one night, that’s all it takes for her to realize that she’s been living a lie. Suddenly determined to unleash and let go, Rika finds herself following Michael Crist and his group of friends around. They seem to be exactly the ones who can help her. The problem is, she’s still young and being around this particular group of boys is walking the very fine line between fear and excitement. Dubbed ‘The Horsemen’, these boys ooze power, sex, and danger… and innocent Erika might not be up for the challenge of keeping up. Could these troublemakers be her salvation? Can they bring life and adventure back into her life? Or will they break her once and for all and send her spiraling into the arms of the golden boy everyone has always pushed her towards?
“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.”
Wow. This book is HOT. It’s super steamy. There is more build up and excitement in this story than in anything I have read in a very very long time. I couldn’t put the book down. I wouldn’t. I was constantly guessing at what was going to happen, and I am sitting here in a book haze now that it’s over. I’m still trying to piece everything together, not because it wasn’t tied up but because it all unraveled so beautifully that I want to go back and reread it all over again. I’m jealous of all you readers who will get to experience this book for the first time, I wish that I could have that at least once more.
“Own it. Don’t apologize for who you are. Own it. You can’t win if you don’t show up, right?”
I love Erika, I love the fight that she has buried inside. I adore her steel backbone, her ability to give herself over to her fears and straddle the space between danger and excitement. She’s a beautiful creature, a pretty little monster. Loyal and fierce, she’s a scrambler and I wanted to be here. I want to have the balls to be a Rika. I want to take life by the face and give it a slap because it isn’t fair or kind but that doesn’t mean we have to live it carefully.
“Own who you are, and don’t apologize. Do you understand? Own it or it will own you.”
Let’s talk about ‘The Horsemen’ for a minute, there is so much sex appeal in this group of boys that I want to scream. You have Michael who is gorgeous and distant, seemingly always in control and the leader. What’s not to love? I adore Kai, he’s much more in touch with is emotions, probably more so than all the other boys and yet he finds himself lost. He’s sexy, of course, and wise. Damon, the wild cannon. He’s dark and dangerous and you can’t help but be intrigued by his story, what made him the way he is? Is there more underneath the surface? Then we have Will, oh Will with his charming and cocky smile. He’s reckless, and passionate. He’s torn up, but he has his own reasons. The horsemen may be troublemakers, but they have codes and morals. They also teach Rika how not to be a damsel in distress, they show her how to save herself and not wait for a knight in shining armor to do it for her and they do it in their own messed up way. Each of these boys deserves notice, each one deserves attention because each one will get under your skin. The balance of the group, the push and pull of friendship, it’s written perfectly.
“Life is one-way, and there is no return trip. What are you waiting for?”
What can I say? This book was brilliant. It reminded me of things that I haven’t thought about since I was young. What good is living your life, always waiting for the other shoe to drop? We should embrace who we are, and I was happy for the sentiment that this book offered. You can spend your life constantly being worried about other peoples approval, but it’s not going to make you happy. Be what you are, whatever that may be and screw everyone else. I’m left with a smile on my face, and one lingering thought in my head. Did the boys corrupt Erika, or did she corrupt the boys? We many never know, but one thing is for sure… in the end they were all free. Thank you, Penelope.
Even though this book was interesting, have never been a fan of gang clubs, especially cruel ones, so managed to read about half the book before giving it up. Due to bullying when a kid i did not finish it. For others with a stronger stomach, they might consider it good reading.
I read this book on a whim and I am extremely happy I did. The beginning charmed me, the middle entranced me and the ending enslaved me.
The climax had me feeling an anxiety that settled in my chest and had me clinging to my kindle anticipating the outcome.
The mystique constructed around the four horsemen compels an attractiveness and an allurement to the untouchable pretentious and contemptible foursome. Each with contrasting characteristics that offset each other with their individuality. The perverted debauchery that they indulge in is scandalous and exhilarating arousing the interest of the reader.
The heroine is unbridled and shows determination and a tenacity to prove that she has the spunk to never tap out. She desires what the four horsemen have, to know that freedom to be your own person, and the fact that she has concealed feelings for one of the horsemen brings the story the suspenseful, erotic edge that it has.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more of the four horsemen.
4.5* Corruptible Stars
I couldn’t put this book down. It had my heart and gut tense! I was constantly on edge, not knowing what to expect next. So much angst, raw emotions, lots of HOT as hell scenes and characters to die for! One of my best reads this year!
Disturbing story of rich youth that have no regard for societal morals, but follow their own desires and have an allegiance to one another and their own experiences. Do the wrongs suffered by an innocent child excuse his same behavior as an adult? Should those that support him in that behavior be held accountable? Apparently not in this twisted story!
“Run all you want, Little Monster,” he said, sounding like a threat. “We’re faster.”
Gaaaaahhhhhh!! These kind of books are my JAM!!! My favorite kind in the whole world to read and like a movie playing in my head the entire time. The dark, seductive, pulsing, adrenaline high I got when I read this book left me winded, giddy, and grinning like a psycho. Michael was like a shark, Erika like his meal, until she gave as good as she got!! The push/pull, swirl of deceit, and unraveling of events made for one exciting rush of a read!! I can’t believe it took me so long to enter this world!!
“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.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
Some of the stuff she went through its almost like she wants to be abused. She forgives Michael for things no one would. Lots of action and sex sex
Sex
“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.”
This book was so different than the regular genres I read. I stepped out of my comfort zone big time.
“I needed to know what I was made of. I needed to know if I had a leg to stand on without the umbrella of my family name, the support of others having my back…Space, distance, and maybe a little trouble. That’s what I was looking for.”
Part of this book had my heart breaking knowing how everyone was acting so strong yet they were broken inside. Chasing an acceptance or approval or inner strength and peace.
“Own who you are,” he commanded. “And don’t apologize. Do you understand? Own it or it will own you.”
Some parts I was disturbed by at how far it looked like the Horsemen would take things. You can see how the bullying and games started to grow like tumbleweed. To know it was their reality was hard for me to wrap my head around.
“They thought I was an easy target, and they mistook my quietness for weakness, but I was no longer their toy. They needed to move on.”
FANTASTIC! I have never read anything that has kept me guessing until the very end, on top of keeping my interest to where I don’t want to sleep. If the author keeps publishing books like this then they have a fan for life.
This was a great read! I couldn’t put it down!
Loved it
Unrealistic
I couldn’t put it down
This book absolutely blew me away! I loved every dark twisted thing about it. The characters were so well developed and I was in love with some and hated others with a passion. The story itself kept me on my toes. I couldn’t guess where it would go next. I can’t wait for more in this series!
OMG! This book is one of my favorites. Penelope Douglas knocked this one out of the park! It was so deviant and twisty and sexy! It’s a book I can read over and over again and still feel all the feels twisting in my stomach. I was not expecting a lot of things in this book and I was completely enthralled the entire time!!!
This book should be called Annihilate not Corrupt. The character was not corrupted, she was bullied, mistreated, abused and broken; and not in the anti hero redeemable way. And the boys were not amenable either.
This book was just a big ol’ mess of thoughts… it is also the energizer bunny of books, it just keeps going and going. There was always one more thought, one more action, one more discussion that was completely unnecessary. A bunch of randomness that tried to make a story.
The plot was thin, predictable, unsupported and boring. While the characters were unlikable, rude, and immature (and I mean IMMATURE)! And DO NOT get me started on Rika… gurrrrrr she is so unlikeable and whiny. I very much disliked her.
There were soooo many uses of the word no, like 363 times; and while not every one of those no’s were directed at a character, that is the only word that runs trough me head about this book, NO.
Every few sentences Rika would yell no, stop, leave me alone; then take a breath then say but its okay because it’s Michael! What?! No backbone, no self respect, not decency, no self awareness, no brains. I just can’t stand her.
This is not a dark romance, not even really a romance for me. It’s more like a crazy messed up, throw every thought on the pages and see if it sticks story.
This story is just about who can destroy the other better; Rika or Michael. I have enjoyed some of this authors other works, this book was just way past a disaster for me. But you can’t love them all as they say…
Everyone told me this book would slay me…
And they were right.
I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read this, but honestly it was more than worth the wait. From the first chapter, I was hooked. This story reels you in and leaves you desperately turning pages, like chasing a continued high.
Rika is all of us. Struggling to break free when everyone tries to hold you down, and force you into a box. And I really love how she finally owned who she was, and became the Little Monster she was destined to be.
And then Michael. Oh swoon for Michael Crist…I mean, wow. He’s such a dark, infuriating, intimidating force, and Penelope had me praising her for giving us his POV as well, because I LOVED being inside his head. The angst between him and Rika is deep and when they finally come together, whether in the past or present, it’s electrifying.
As for the other three Horsemen, let’s just say I’ll be immediately starting the next book so I can hopefully get some more Kai, Will, and Damon. Especially Kai. Holy cow. I’m not trying to spoil anything but THE FLAMES ARE BURNING HERE, GUYS!
Anyway, yes. Yes yes a thousand times yes. This book was so hot and tense and incredible it had me squirming around on the edge of my seat. I love Penelope’s work so much. She’s a fantastic writer and she really knows how to captivate a reader.
Bravo, girl! Applause & all the book hangovers!