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4.5 Stars!

“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 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