M

I am Lover of romance, who indulges in the romantic adventures of literature

My name is Renee, and I am the host of this site. I am a 34 year old woman, on the prowl for her mate, searching out the best of books, exploring the wilds of the imagination and delving into the heart of a beautiful love story.

 

Book Review-Lesson’s In Corruption by Giana Darling

by | Sep 7, 2021 | Book Reviews | 3 comments

Book Review-Lesson's In Corruption by Giana Darling

Book Review-Lesson’s In Corruption by Giana DarlingLessons in Corruption by Giana Darling
Also in this series: Welcome to the Dark Side, Good Gone Bad , After the Fall, Inked in Lies , Dead Man Walking
Series: The Fallen Men #1
Published by Self Published By Author on February 19, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Motorcycle Clubs
Pages: 380
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
Goodreads
AmazonLibrary ThingLibrary Thing
five-stars

He was eighteen.
The heir to a notorious, criminal MC.
And my student.

There was no way I could get involved.
No way I could stay involved.
Then, no way I could get out alive.

An MC student/teacher romance.

Lessons in Corruption is my FIRST Giana Darling book and all I can say is I should be “banging my head against the wall” for not reading her sooner. I had no idea that this book would just pull me in like this. I was completely hooked on this when reading it and read it in one sitting. That doesn’t always happen but her writing just sold me completely. I honestly haven’t read an MC romance in a while but this one really packed a punch. Now, this does have a forbidden theme to it which is a teacher-student romance and I KNOW how that sounds. But Giana Darling really handled it well and somehow it worked for me. But you should know that going into it. Now I know you may be wondering why I decided to just randomly pick up this author. Well, one of my favorite booktubers Jenn @ The Book Refuge, had her on her show and this author is such a darling and I bought the whole series haha I can’t wait to jump into the rest of these books. Highly recommend you watch it here

Lessons in Corruption is a powerful story that features:

  • King-son of the MC Prez, 18 years old, works in a mechanic shop, goals to get a college degree
  • Cressida-separated from husband, teacher, 26 years old

My eyes settled on King again, seeing him throw back his head and laugh that laugh I had fallen in love with in the parking lot, that laugh that had been the final catalyst in my marriage. I barely knew the man, who he worked for, what he believed in, what he desired, and yet he had already irrevocably changed my life.

Lessons In Corruption is a story that begins with a moment outside a grocery store, where Cressida sees a man that changes her whole world. She is married, and her husband is wealthy but there is no happiness in her life. It is complete boredom for her, and it’s the same day over and over, and no adventure or thrills, and no matter how hard she tries, she knows their marriage isn’t what it should be. So Cressida decides to take charge of her life and she leaves her husband, aims for divorce and moves to a small cabin, and becomes a teacher at a high school. What she doesn’t expect is to see her mystery man in a bar, and they share a thrilling evening and even though she knows she is a boring woman, there is something about King that draws her into his world even though it’s dangerous and forbidden she wants a taste of it. But when she learns that he will be her student, it changes everything. She is stunned that the man she was fallen “head over heels” for, is completely out of her bounds, and if she tastes the forbidden it could mean losing everything she has worked hard for. But sometimes life comes with risk …..so why not dare the risk and embrace a life with King?

“We’re complicated,” King said again without raising his hand. “People judge everyone based on shallow crap: how hot they are, how rich and academically accomplished. It’s bullshit, because at the end of the day, the one thing everyone can relate to is the grind to get to that place. We all suffer, we all fucking grieve and sin every damn day. It’s that dark stuff that makes those characters real to us.”

Lessons in Corruption was a stunning book that captivated my heart from the very beginning. I didn’t know what to do with myself in reading this one. It definitely blew my mind away and I couldn’t help but barely contain the excitement in reading this one here. Its a story I honestly didn’t expect to like. I was tempted to read these books out of order and technically I did that here (I will be reading the prequel next) but this is the first full-length novel and I don’t like to read books like these out of order if I can help it. But from the first chapter, I knew I was in for a whirlwind of a read. Now the dark element to this book is the forbidden theme and the MC backdrop to the story. Now the teacher-student aspects aren’t going to be for everyone. Now I have read this trope before and if it is written well, you can enjoy it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the hero being so young. But what did it for me, is King is highly mature for his age. Probably due to being raised in a MC club, and he has all that masculine, intense stare you in the eye vibe going on about him. The hero definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, and I am highly pleased about that.

“Never met a woman like you. Know I won’t again. You find somethin’ worth keepin’, you find a way to fuckin’ keep it. Not gonna stop, and just so you know, I got it that this could get you fired, that this could cause you embarrassment but what I got to say to that is this: whatever pain and ugliness I bring you by bein’ with you, I promise I’ll bring you double that in sweetness and beauty. You hear me on that, because I may be a man without a normal moral compass, but I’m a man who makes a woman a promise, and I’ll die before I break it.”

There is a bit of a age gap but its not huge so I think readers won’t mind how much older the heroine is for him. In some ways, King is more mature than Cressida. Cressida, has been sheltered all of her life and then been in a dull marriage. It really showcased the wrong way to be married. If you have a marriage like that, I can see why Cressida would want out of it. Even though at times I thought she was self-consumed, she was so loyal and protective. She does have valid concerns though in her relationship with King and the power dynamic there, and I really felt for her situation. Cressida and King make a solid pairing and their relationship really worked, and its evolution won’t be for every reader. It will take time, it will take making mistakes and learning to grow from those mistakes, and adapting to situations you aren’t prepared for.

And I’m not asking you to do that because you’re a fuckin’ hot lay. I’m asking you to risk everything to be my partner, to stand by my side and rule The Fallen men of Entrance, to lie, cheat and steal, to breathe my fuckin’ breath, take my kisses and my cock and reign with me. Be the Iron Queen to my Fallen King

Now for the story itself, we have other factors that come into play with this story. I have a feeling they will be essential for the series as a whole and I really liked seeing this rival MC come into the game, to see the truths laid out on LGBTQ relationships and the bigotry that still exists in our society, and to see such fun family dynamics. I will admit I can’t wait for Zeus’ book. Man, he is one sexy beast and I need his story in my life. 🙂 But I was really curious about the MC, we don’t see much of it in this book. I am hoping we do it in future books. It’s more of a backdrop in this book that fit the story I think. There was also a mystery surrounding Cressida’s brother, so I found that side plotline interesting especially in how it fits with everything else going on in the story.

King had arrived in my life like an angel fallen from heaven and ascended from hell like my own real life Satan who whispered rebellion in my ear so winningly I had no choice but to answer his call

Overall I found Lessons in Corruption to be a stunning romance that will tug at your heartstrings in the most unique moments, it’s a story of sacrifice, character growth, and learning to fight for love. It’s not an easy love story, but it is a love story that captures the soul and will lead its readers down a road you will be eager to travel on.

About Giana Darling

Giana Darling is a USA Today and Top 40 Amazon best selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man’s bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat, Persephone, and Golden Retriever puppy, Romeo. She’s a lifetime athlete, playing and coaching basketball, soccer, field hockey, and softball, so she comes by her competitive spirit naturally. A born reader and self-proclaimed geek, she is enamored with mythology, history and all kinds of literature. Before becoming a romance novelist, she was a food journalist, a food blogger, a coach, a French tutor and the owner of a pie company. For the last few years she has been living all over Europe, mostly in her second home France, but she’s finally settled with the Love of Her Life in her hometown on an island off of Vancouver.

She loves to hear from readers so please contact her at gianadarling@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.

You May Also Like…

Book Review-Wilde for You by Jennifer Ryan

Book Review-Wilde for You by Jennifer Ryan

About The Book New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ryan’s page-turning Dark Horse Dive Bar series continues with this story of love lost...and found…as a widow seeking to heal her heart crosses paths with a rancher/bartender who offers her a taste of...

Book Review-Leopard’s Hunt by Christine Feehan

Book Review-Leopard’s Hunt by Christine Feehan

About The Book The next exhilarating Leopard novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan. In this pulse-pounding novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Leopard series, animal instinct unites two elite shifters whose heads are at war...

3 Comments

  1. Nadene

    Renee, you are killing my TBR. ? Thanks for this recommendation.

    Reply
  2. JoLee

    So many have recommended this series

    Reply
  3. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

    Love seeing a 5 star review for this one! This whole series has been on my TBR for quite a while, and I already own the first two books. It’s a series I feel like I’m going to love so seeing your review makes me even more excited for it!

    Reply

Leave a Reply