Corrupt Idol

Possessing Violet #1

by Dinah Harper

"I want to be a good man. In every aspect of my life I’m a model citizen except when it comes to you."

Once upon a time, he was her everything—protector, best friend, hero. She looked up to him and trusted him with her life. In one selfish move, he ruined everything and broke her in the process.

It’s been five years and the moment she hoped to avoid is here. She’s about to come face to face with her step-brother, Jesse Sampson, corrupt idol and her personal nightmare.

She’s going to show him how little he affects her. She’ll never let him back in.

…But he has other plans.

Author's Note: This is a dark, taboo romance novel with triggers and mature themes that may make some readers uncomfortable.

Genres: Dark, Dark Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Erotica, Enemies To Lovers

222 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2019

About the author

Dinah Harper will have you squirming in your seat and looking around to make sure no one can see what you’re reading. The Possessing Violet Series is the first of many erotic novels she has planned.

Please be patient. She is currently under contract for several projects as dark romance author, Mia Knight. When she resumes her work as Dinah Harper, she will update her website/blog. You can sign up to her newsletter to stay informed about future releases!

Reviews

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh that cliffy

First off… if you have triggers, then maybe this book won’t be for you… I’ll list them down before in the ⚠️ info.

Violet’s (23) moving back home because her mom (stepmom actually) has terminal cancer and she doesn’t have long to live. Her parents didn’t tell her because they didn’t wanna worry her, plus, they were trying different treatments to see if anything would help. But nothing’s helping anymore. So her mom wants to live her best life before her time comes, surrounded by her husband and her two kids, Violet and her biological son, Jesse (24).

It all seems to be great, but Vi is traumatized because of her brother (stepbrother). Six years ago when she was 17, he took what he wanted from her up until the day he left for the Air Force. He’s been gone for five years now and she’s had a hard time recovering from everything he did to her.

And it might seem like things have changed since they haven’t seen each other and have grown up now, but violet comes to find out that he’s just as obsessed as he was before 😬.

What I liked: spoilers ahead
—Violet didn’t pine away. She moved on, tried MANY MANY different relationships to see if she could overcome what Jesse did. She wasn’t holed up, withering away in a dark corner because he left. No. She experimented. She was with lots of people, all to see if maybe, just maybe, she could forget Jesse (isn’t this the same excuse that many men use? For once, we get a woman that thinks the same 🤷🏻‍♀️. Finally 👏🏻. Thank you for not making her a celibate h). This makes sense!!! She’s traumatized by what she experienced. Which is why she tries to see what and how she can get over it.

—nothing’s sugarcoated. Violet had had a hard time finding her place after Jesse left. It’s not pretty. She didn’t miraculously find her niche and successfully forget her past. Nope. Just like with real trauma, it has stayed with her years later. This has translated into the types of jobs she’s had and the types of men/relationships as well. She still needs to grow and figure out what she needs to do to be happy (which is why we NEED a book 2 😩)

—how OTT jp and O B S E S S E D Jesse is. Jeeezus. This man isn’t gonna let anything stop him from getting Violet back, not even Violet herself 😅

—no is not in Jesse’s vocabulary 😬, which leads me to…

—the n0nc0n/dubc0n. There’s a looooot of it in the book. Most of the 🔥 scenes are 😬. This is NOT one of those books where it only happens in the beginning and then it’s rainbows and butterflies after. Nope. The consistency in what happens is in par with the characters themselves. Violet pushes Jesse away and is ANGRY at him. Jesse is obsessed with her and can’t stay away. If you are someone that has a hard time with these scenes, then this book is not for you 😬. I enjoy them in the books I read as long as it makes sense with the characters, and it definitely does in this book

—the 🔥. Oh. There’s a lot of it in this book. As soon as Jesse sees Violet again, he can’t help himself 😅🫣. Up until the last page, this book has a lot of 🥵 going on. Sigh. The sweet/soft ones were really good as well 🔥😉. Jesse has been a manhoooar, but Violet is the only one for him, and the same goes for her.

—the push/pull from Violet. Mostly push, but again, it makes sense 🤷🏻‍♀️

What I didn’t like/wanted more of: spoilers ahead
—Jesse knew Violet was IT for him. So… why did he whore around so much 😒🙄. I mean, I GUESS I understand since he was trying to see if he could get over his obsession with Vi, but I still wasn’t happy about this 😐. Luckily, Vi wasn’t celibate 👏🏻, so it made it more palatable (for me at least). He’s been in love with her since he was 14.

—I wish we had seen more positives in Violet’s life. So many things went wrong for her. I wanted to hug her ❤️

I enjoyed it. I knew going in that it’d be a dark-ish read, dealing with heavy topics. I just wish we had a book 2.

Dinah Harper (aka Mia Knight) isn’t planning to write book 2 this year, but I hope she gets to it sooner rather than later 🙏🏻. I can’t imagine all the readers that have even waiting for years for book 2 😬.

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-noncon/dubcon (a lot)
-mental health/anxiety
-parent with terminal cancer
-death of a parent
-mild OMD- the h’s dad wants to set her up with OM; he declares that he’s liked her for a while. Another man lightly flirts with her as well. Nothing happened
-praise kink/somnophilia/biting/marking/hand necklace
-separation of 5 years before book begins/both have slept around to try to forget the each other
-h was a virgin at 17 when H took her v and continued to noncon her for a while. We get some memories of this but not full flashback scenes. It’s never clear if he was a virgin as well. It doesn’t seem like it though 😐. He’s been in love with her since she was 13, which means he’s been with all these women while still very much in love with her. The Taboo aspect made it hard for him to act on his feelings, plus they had very religious parents, but still …
-no condoms/they’re both clean
-HFN ish. Dinah Harper (Mia Knight) is releasing a prequel this month

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

jesse > violet

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently Dinah Harper is a penname for Mia Knight!

As mentioned on the latter's FB group. This makes me feel a bit better about Harper's total disappearance from social media - Knight is much more present, although she's had her disappearances too.

I just think it's super interesting how difficult it can be to identify similarities in two authors' writing styles, even when you know they're the same person. I liked The Crime Lord's Captive but Corrupt Idol feels totally different, even though they both feature dark heroes; the latter is way more emotion-driven. I would never in a million years have guessed Harper was a Knight penname (though I admit I haven't read much Knight, maybe more enthusiastic fans would have got it).

I have to say, I'm impressed with how well Harper has written angst and rape. Every page was deeply imbued with emotion, and it made for really intense reading. Loved it!

The basic plot is also one I really loved. Jesse and Violet are step-siblings, but he's been obsessed with her since they were teenagers - and one night, he went over the edge. It's been five years since then during which they haven't seen each other, but now he's back.

The characters felt hard to know sometimes, e.g. I don't think we ever got Jesse's hair colour, and Violet in particular seemed often repetitive. Still, there was a great premise, good flow with no major typos, and I'm excited for the sequel!

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[Jade Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay then, I just learned a new lesson with this one: one of my friend's really didn't like it and said why in her review so my curiosity got the best of me and I read it. And now I'm thinking maybe there is some truth to that saying 'Curiosity killed the cat' because honestly, wtf did I just read?

First off, it's deemed a dark romance. And a stepbrother/stepsister 'romance'. I tag like crazy but I left the tag for romance off this one because honestly? I didn't find it romantic at all. As for dark, if you go with how this whole catastrophe started, then yep, that's pretty dark and also totally unacceptable! Starting an 'affair' with your younger stepsister that looks up to you as her older brother by raping her one night and constantly forcing yourself on her even years later? Yeah, count me out on romance.

Besides from my problems with Mr. Psycho stepbrother, I found a lot of other problems with this book. First off, both characters are hard to get a grip on and like. One would think that one would empathise with Violet, but honestly, this chick goes back and forth so much, I could've turned into Linda Blair in the Exorcist and done a full head rotation. Plus the mixed signaling drove me nuts. And Jesse, the everybody's all-American brother? I'm seriously in agreement that I would like to write him off to having MPD although sadly, he doesn't, he just doesn't seem to give a damn and takes what he wants. As for love, no, I did not feel an iota. Basically you have "I need you Violet", "Don't leave me Jesse", "I want you, Violet", "You're mine, do you hear me?" and all of these are followed by or during the act of sex. All this dude does is have sex and since I wasn't connected with either character and also couldn't find the feeling of love between them in the writing, yeah, he's going to have to take a lot more to convince me that he 'loves' her. Lusts her? That I totally believe, but love - give me something to work with.

Don't even get me started on his 'apology'. To me, too little, too late. But the real kicker for me was the ending. There is no resolution. There's Violet still maintaining her stance she's had on and off the whole book and Jesse doing his usual of railroading her with his will. Then cut to the next page and the author says she's probably going to do part 2 and maybe 3. Please - note to authors: If you're going to leave things suspended and unresolved, either label them book 1 or add cliffhanger - whichever applies. Because even though I probably won't bother reading book 2, that was the last little detail that swung me to 'let's just drop this here'.

I know I'm being vague because, for some reason I can't fathom, this has a 4.0 rating and if people are digging this then I'm not going to give away story and ruin it for the next person that loves it. For me though, this is no 4.0.

I will say the author has promise, the ability to write and this seems to be her debut book so I'm going to leave this with a solid 3*** for potential and writing ability. Maybe I'll revisit her one day down the road when she's more seasoned but for right now, I really don't feel like spending anymore time with this couple.

So, 3*** down the road stars it is!

[Birjis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect taboo story which is very intense and exceeds the boundary of propriety. The plot is very strong and the characters holds a grudge of admiration especially the "corrupt idol", yes, he is disturbing and psychotic.

“You don’t understand why I get you on your back every chance I have? Why I’ll take you in a car? Why gas stations and even our parents in a room down the hall doesn’t matter to me? I don’t care what’s proper and normal. I need you.”

I took my sweet ass time to pick this book, after earning a book slap I really enjoyed this book mostly because the author didn't hold back.
I'm impressed by how Jesse is created. He is mad, possessive,and dangerous. His obsession for Violet is boderline crazy. The first scene of Violet and Jesse in the car had me gobsmacked. That was only the first dose of insanity.

'He was her boogie man, the monster under the bed, and yet here he was in broad daylight. He had been so cruel and heartless, ignoring her wants for his own gratification. He turned her idealistic future into ash and cast dark shadows over everything she did. She had no drive or ambition, couldn’t hold down a job, and had a hard time connecting with people. She didn’t do commitment and found it hard to trust anyone. How could she after what she experienced with Jesse? She hadn’t been able to shrug off the past and move on as he had.'

Violet ran away after what happened that one day when Jesse turned berserk. He was her step-brother and protector, until he turned into an object of her nighmares. Many actions of Jesse are irredeemable. My brain likes his sick obsession and the sex was disturbingly hot.

Violet wasn't my favoured heroine, she could be more outdone. She did put resistance and I wish that was more developed. This story focuses more on flashbacks and Jesse's obsession for Violet. The story can be labelled dark for the psychological madness. And finally the ending was horrible, the cliffhanger was worst. I'm happy there will be another book but my hope is dashed because there is still no news of the next book. I highly recommend this to taboo readers.

[Booker132 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it! The story was somewhat similar to Sam Mariano’s Untouchable, in the sense that the H is a deliciously demented sociopath who doesn’t seem to feel any remorse or even second guess his consistently inappropriate actions towards the h. He knows he’s madly in love with her and has no qualms about forcing the h to stay with him, whether she likes it or not, regardless of any consequences. However, the h of this story doesn’t justify or come up with cockameme excuses for the H’s abuse (unlike the h in Untouchable). She was such a sweet mixture of lost and broken and confused, and yet she had this inner strength and resilience that the Author brilliantly portrays to the readers. I’m really glad I stumbled upon this new Author, I think she is immensely talented. I can’t wait for the next book! Kudos Author!

[TJ ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Wow this book just tosses you right in it huh 😂 No build up, just smacks you right across the face with the toxic behavior, I was grateful. However, I don't think I ever fully understood the characters. I liked Jesse's obsessive ass, but he had the most ridiculous, rapiest case of betraying body syndrome. I don't even know if that term works here but his lack of impulse control (but only around her?) was insane.

“I claimed you at seventeen,” he said harshly. “I took your virginity and imprinted myself on you. You’ll never be free of me.”

“I need, Violet.”

It just made no sense, especially because of how badly he wanted her love. Bruh she already loved you... why couldn't you just take the extra five minutes to the woo the girl? 🤦🏽‍♀️ Instead of traumatizing her for life. I was just not buying his dumbass arguments, so I kind of wished he'd just stayed the monster he was introduced as instead of trying to explain. He was doing so well as the bad guy. Also point blank, Violet was annoying as hell. Her inner monologues were so dumb and repetitive. And okay that ending..... IS THIS AN HR BOOK?? Her dad saying "I don't believe in sex before marriage so you two need to get married now." I was so dumbfounded by seeing that trope in a modern book I ended this book just like huh?? what am I doing here?

[Melanie (mells_view)]

I’m not rating this one, but I’m reviewing it because I read the entire thing. Anyway. This book was basically a woman being raped by her step-brother multiple times. He assumes he has consent to bang her, because when they were teens they fooled around and she never said no then until he took her virginity. That was when their relationship for the heroine changed from love to hate. That’s when she stopped consenting to a sexual relationship with him, even though she did have feelings for him.

The reason I’m not rating this one is because I don’t really know what to rate it. If you’re looking for a book that’s dubcon or noncon, then you will probably love this. It’s pushed boundaries and there’s still a decent story to go along with the darkness. While the level of noncon in this made ME personally uncomfortable, it wasn’t necessarily a bad book. The way they covered the heroines emotions after the rapes and just her life in general was different and I actually enjoyed that. And I didn’t want to rate this a 1, because while it wasn’t 100% for me, I also could not put it down, and I flew through it.

Anyway. Just wanted to add this review, because this book is probably a winner for anyone looking for dark taboo noncon/dubcon. Be warned. It ends on a cliffhanger.

[Bella - · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbing Debut Stars

“No more running, Vi.”

“Anywhere, anytime, I’ll take you. I don’t care who sees.”

“Love can make monsters out of men when it’s not returned.”

Story

Story of Violet 23 and Jesse 24. They are step-siblings. Once her savior + older brother of Violet, Jesse turns into her biggest enemy, her boogeyman. She manages to be away from him for years, but meanwhile, she can’t technically move on with her life; now, because of a family issue, they become face to face after years. What is it gonna happen now? Can Violet finally protect herself from this monster to who she is also sickly bounded?

“...You were my hero, my life. I idolized you. I would have done anything for you and you… You destroyed me.”

Footnotes

*On the outside, Jesse is the golden boy, but on the inside, he is sickly obsessed with Violet. And his actions towards her are irredeemable. I actually want to learn about his mental disorder in the next books. I would be happy if the next books decide to focus more on the psychological aspect.
*In the flashback, they were around 17, but they both sounded much younger than that; it was a bit annoying.
*The book mostly focuses on obsession and lust; it would be better to have some insight into what's behind, but It should be given in a good/clever way.

Overall



*This is a depressive book. The whole book feels like dark cloudy weather, which never rains but always feels like it’s about to rain… Well, I both like dark weather and a dark read.

*This book is a good example of an abusive relationship that includes never-ending sexual violence. It was a dark stressful/disturbing read, but that was the reason why I was here.

*I felt what Violet felt, including disturbingly good sex part... So now that my brain enjoyed this horror, I can be glad that I am not Violet...

*This book ended in a very fucked up way, but I loved it because when the reads are dark, I don’t like the happy endings. They feel misleading for me. I am so happy that this book doesn't offer something it isn't. So if the next books actually decide to give a shiny end, I might be back to clip a star on my vote.

Dark Triggers: This is not a romance, abuse, nonconsent, dubious consent, abusive relationship, sick + obsessive love, taboo

“You forgot the window.”
...
“I told you to spread and even in sleep, you listened to me. You know my voice, my touch. You know me, Vi.”
...
“You’re a monster,” she whispered.

[Anne E ♡ emo + OTT Hs · Rating 3 out of 5]

**SPOILERS**

Started @ 14% since I was planning on just skimming through this book since another reviewer mentioned that h had slept around after H. But I ended up reading it through the end (which had a very abrupt ending with h consenting to marry H when her dad caught them in the act together soon after his mom's funeral). Then, I went back to page 1 to read the beginning ;)

The GOOD:
Pretty good writing for a debut novel. Good emotional involvement & angst. Good unpredictable & straightforward writing & well-paced. Loved H's villainous/bully character for his aggressive/demanding/unapologetic alpha-dominance & possessive-obsession over h that even h's verbal protests & slappings doesn't stop coz H has been in love with h since she was 14 when they meet as new step-siblings (when her dad marries his mom) & had been driven by his jealousy-possessiveness of her when she started attracting boys attention @ age 16 & started dating. Loved how H's character evolved from an obsessed rape-y stepbro (who'd secretly smex with h when he could when h was 17 & H was 18 & again when they reunite at the current time 6 years later now that h is 23yo & 24yo H on Air-Force-leave due to his mom's cancer) to a more emo-vulnerable guy who's telling h that he loves her & has tried to get her out of his system but can't & that he wants her to admit she loves him back. Good S chem/hot bareback S scenes.

MEH or the BAD:
1-star off for h's character who floundered her way through life (i.e., college, slacking off at her various jobs, in high credit-card debt from buying too much stuff, a long list of boyfriends/lovers) since going to college & blaming H for it while resentful that H is so put-together & well-liked & can consistently get her off despite her protests. h lacked char growth so stayed emo-immature & has no goals in life at the end. Didn't like how h slept around so much & dated so many losers willingly & blamed H for her loser life.

Sexual History:
H was h's 1st lover @ age 17. Their 1st time was out of H's jealousy from seeing h's current BF stick his hand down her pants, which she admitted was the 1st time he did so. Before they had sex, she was allowing H to come into her bedroom & self-pleasure while watching her. And sometimes she'd self-pleasure while watching him do so. She was a more willing sexual participant with H until at some time later within that year before he graduated & left for the Air Force that she felt used by him & so she started resisting him but he wouldn't stop until they both got pleasured. When H left for the Air Force, they don't see each other until 6 years later. When she left to move to Utah, she started dating a long list of lovers. Her last BF she used the pill with. H said she'd been in love wit hh since he was 14 but he had lovers before smexxing h & then a long list of lovers when he left h for the Air Force to get over h. He said it didn't work since seeing h again in the present time made him realize he was still as obsessed with h.

[Lisa the book CREEP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hit close to home 👀

[Meredith is a hot mess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 stars

Thanks to Birjis for this recommendation ♡

This is a positive 3 star rating. I'm amazed this is the author's debut novel, she clearly has talent. This reminded me slightly of I Know What Love Is by Whitney Bianca. This is a completely subjective "it's me not you" thing, but the sex scenes here didn't quite do it for me. The noncon/dubcon factor didn't bother me at all. My wish was that the sex scenes were more descriptive, fleshed out. In I Know What Love Is & Mansions you can really feel the chemistry between the MCs come off the page, and how they communicate through sex. I felt like the author almost got it, but a few scenes left me cold.

Like I Know What Love Is this also had an Austin, Texas setting. A big thanks to the author for not trying to give the characters Texan dialects. She left a lot of the setting vague, which was a big help. The only thing unrealistic was that the heroine went to the University of Utah for school. Out of state tuition costs are so high, only children from well-off families can afford to send their kids to out of state public universities, unless they score some kind of scholarship. It was made clear the heroine's family wasn't well-off, so the heroine had to be drowning in school debt. Anyway, this is a super minor detail, and the rest of the story was grounded in realism. I find stories grounded in realism can be so much more darker & emotionally compelling. I liked the down-to-earth feel to this story. The commentary on how tragedy brings people closer together was woven into the story beautifully too.

The cliffhanger wasn't as bad as I feared, but I seriously hope this author hasn't stopped writing. When/if the next book is published I'll be picking it up.

Trigger Warning:H rapes & molests the heroine when she was 17 & years later when the meet again, death of a character, & a family member has cancer.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/17/23. Just found out this author lied about this book being a debut.
This author’s other name is Mia Knight.
I’m now lowering my rating to 3.5 stars, because a “new debut author” didn’t write this, I gave her a higher rating because I thought it was a new author. I bet lots of readers did the same.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the book, it’s just annoying that the book / series ended in a cliffy.
———————————


I guess this series is dead after a Cliffy? No book 2 and it’s going on 2yrs.🤷🏻‍♀️



——————-


Incredible debut novel. 4.5 Stars.
Loved the possessive alpha monster, hated how book 2 isn't out yet! UGH...

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

                             

I don't even know what to say, there is so much rape in book, and it's a cliffhanger. The stepbrother rapes her again and again and she still somehow loves him.. it's disgusting. If the author actually wants to make her books a success she should write the second part asap.. because based on this book which is not good , people are never going to buy her work.

         

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh-my-god! It has a new publication date of January 2025 with a prequel set to be released in March!?! Are we FINALLY going to be getting more of this story?! I almost don’t want to dare to hope, but I’m low key super excited!!! 🙌😍

I am so conflicted. I mean, I’m absolutely certain I enjoyed it. No doubts at all on that matter! But in trying to process and digest the material, I findit very difficult to pinpoint my final feelings on the characters and all the thought-provoking circumstances that surrounded the various subject matters and conflicts presented within the story.



So buckle-up! Because this review is likely to be a little chaotic. Just. Saying.



Oh and just fair warning that while I’m trying to sort all this shit out, there will probably be spoilers. So if you haven’t read it and want to do so without any of the key elements of it being revealed to you, you might want to skip down and just read my “Final Thoughts”.



FMC/heroine/h: Violet, has been living in Utah for the last five years to escape the memories of the hell her stepbrother put her through the last year before he enlisted in the Air Force six years ago. Originally she was going to university, but dropped out and was on a downward spiral jumping from man to man and unable to maintain a job. Already on the verge of swallowing her pride so she can ask her parents if she can move back home, an unexpected phone call from her father requesting her to come home right away leads her to the heart dropping revelation that her stepmother, the only mother she’s ever really known and whom she loves dearly, only has weeks to live because of an aggressive form of cancer that is not responding to treatment. Violet’s world is now turned upside down. Not only because of her mother’s impending death, but because this news is also bringing her stepbrother back home along with all the feelings of helplessness she’s fought so hard to overcome, as well as the realization that she allowed him to derail her life in a way that she’s not proud of.

“Her hopes and dreams died when Jesse painted her world in shades of gray. He made her an outcast. She couldn’t make real connections with people because she couldn’t let anyone know what was happening to her.”

MMC/hero/H: Jesse, has been in the Air Force the last six years trying to be the kind of man he can be proud of, but when he returns home to Austin, Texas for his mother’s final weeks of life, he’s reminded of the inescapable, intense and all-consuming feelings he’s always had for his stepsister. Feelings that destroy all rationale thought that inevitably lead to him taking what he wants from who he wants without a trace of remorse for his actions.

“You don’t understand why I get you on your back every chance I have? Why I’ll take you in a car? Why gas stations and even our parents in a room down the hall doesn’t matter to me? I don’t care what’s proper and normal. I need you.”

So I’m sure you can surmise from all of the aforementioned that her stepbrother started forcing himself on her when she was seventeen. Initially, you’re thinking,



And you’re absolutely right to think so, but the further you get into the story, layer upon layer is peeled back and you start questioning your own mind. Almost like the story is gaslighting you as much as Jesse may be gaslighting Violet.



Let me explain what I mean. Violet makes it very clear throughout the whole story that he violated her and her trust the day that he found her making out with her then boyfriend (he had his hand down her pants). This lights a fuse within Jesse and we know that he subsequently beats the living shit out of the boyfriend and makes Violet leave with him. And even though we don’t get an account of what happened, we know that when they left that day, Jesse forced her to have sex with him.

“I claimed you at seventeen,” he said harshly. “I took your virginity and imprinted myself on you. You’ll never be free of me.”

Later in the story, you read,

“In the beginning, she performed because she loved him too much to stop him.”

So does that mean she didn’t tell him no to begin with? I know at some point she did and she certainly tells him no when he comes home which doesn’t stop him, but that’s where the lines start to blur for me and create my fuzzy state of confusion.

“You’re lying to me, but what’s worse is you’re lying to yourself. You’re so locked in your head that you don’t know what’s real and what isn’t.” “You’re my brother,” she said through clenched teeth. “I was never your brother.”

“I want my brother back.” He brushed loose tendrils of hair away from her face. “You can’t get something back that you never had. I was your friend and then your lover.”

I’m in no way trying to make excuses for him. It doesn’t matter if you’ve slept with someone 100 times. If they say no, that means you’re not sleeping with them 101 times. Plain. And. Simple. But I do think it alludes to the situation being a little more complex than what was initially provided. There’s also a few instances in the present tense that she actually does choose to sleep with him too.



You really do get the impression that she loves Jesse and that she’s trying to convince herself that it’s ONLY in a brotherly way, but deep down that’s not the case. And we know for a fact that Jesse has always loved Violet since he met her when she was 13 and he NEVER saw her as a sister.

“I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen.”

“I fell in love with you the day we met and never snapped out of it.”

I don’t know. I can’t help but love and hate Jesse at the same time. Much like Violet!



Then there’s that ending!



It was soooo abrupt and not really an ending at all! Here I was totally invested in this story… and I mean deep! And it ends there?! At this point I’m not convinced Violet even wants to be with Jesse. And even though I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have a choice in the matter, I still need confirmation and closure! We didn’t get a HEA or HFN. Hell, we didn’t even get a tragedy (as romances go because it certainly was tragic what happened to their mom). The author is supposedly writing more in this series, but that was said back in 2019…. So at almost five years later and still nothing, I’m not sure if that’s actually going to happen now. And even if she does, I don’t think we’ve been given the certainty that it would be a continuation of Jesse and Violet’s story as opposed to it being a completely different couple altogether. Only time will tell I suppose, but I’m frustrated to say the least.



Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book. Without clearly stating it, it explored the psychological intricacies of why a victim might remain silent, especially when their attacker is close to them and if they acknowledge what’s happening, it could disrupt their life and family. It also touches base on how someone could try to justify their harmful actions by giving sentimental intentions to their behavior. I cried, I smiled, and I certainly felt the heat in this incredibly written story. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys taboo and/or dark romance, but I’d definitely want to caution them about that ending!

“I don’t believe you. Love is patient, love is kind—” “Love is cruel,” he hissed. “Love is selfish. Love makes good people do terrible things… People think love is this soft, fluffy emotion that magically makes everything better. It isn’t. It can fuck you up so bad, you’ll never be the same.”

[Jessie ツ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
4🌶️
*Safety ↓ has some spoilers*

This chewed me up and spit me out. 😵‍💫

It’s def messed up & MMC makes more sense towards the end. It reminds me of some Sam Mariano books I’ve read (aka heavy on the dub con).

It was kind of a whirlwind tbh & I loved it; def not for everyone tho. Morally wrong on all the levels. Taboo, emotional backstory. Brought together by sick parent. Whew….

——ˋˏBLURBˎˊ——
Violet & Jesse haven’t seen each other in 5 yrs since he joined the military & she moved to Utah for college. Violet couldn’t wait to get away from him and all the things that happened between them in hs. When their mom (Jesse’s biologically) is terminally sick they both return home. Reluctantly, Violet has to pick Jesse up from the airport & is terrified to see how the times changed things. Jesse is as devoted, obsessed, & bulldozing as ever. He tries to force Violet to realize her feelings.

——TROPES & SUCH——
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
step siblings
push-pull
dub con
non con
MMC j/p dominating-alpha
MMC loves her, FMC resists her feelings
⤷ past reveals FMCs true feelings towards MMC
road trip
small town
friends

———SAFETY———
•⚠️CW/TW: dub con, non con, parent w/ terminal illness,
•No virgins (in this book, prequel has virgin FMC)
•No cheating
•No real OPD- it’s mentioned FMC hooked up w lots of OM (past, no cheating)
•HEA (opened ended but id say yes — yes MCs end up together)

[Jac K]

Well…that was interesting. I’m at a loss at how to rate this so I’m not going to. I received it as a freebie way back in 2019, and finally got around to reading it. Going in I only knew it was a stepbrother lover read.

I’m going to keep this brief, but you should know that although it doesn’t end in a cliffy… it just ends with no real resolution, leaving their story unfinished. I really think/hope she planned, or is working on another book/s. It opens with Violet returning home for the first time in 5 years. She’s been avoiding her step-bro Jesse during that time. We learn about their past through snippets, but in a nutshell, they started a non-dub con sexual relationship when she was 17 and he was 18.

I can get behind a possessive psychopath, and from a crazy standpoint Jesse is right on. Where it fell short for me is that I need some progression from the non-dub con into just con at some point. (I need a relationship with feelings) Like, Anna Zaires’s Twist Me series, Julian is an obsessive stalker that kidnaps Nora, and their first few interactions are non-con, but the relationship progresses into equal participation and affectionate feelings. Jesse and Violet never get out of the… 👩‍🦰 no, no 👨 yes, yes… orgasm cycle. Basically, she says no, locks him out of rooms, etc. He forces himself in and on her while she orgasms repeatedly feeling guilty/hate-filled afterwards... pretty much the entire book. I felt that he was obsessed with her, and that she never took steps to actually stop the cycle, but I never felt any authentic feelings from them.

Bottom Line- It was somewhat addictive in a weird, fucked up, trainwrecky sort of way, but it needed more plot and character development. It wasn't awful, it just got boring because we just spin in circles, then are left without a conclusion. If you are interested in the genre, I'd look at Anna Zaires, she has 3 series that interconnect. They can be read as standalones, but if not read in order, you'll miss huge parts of the backstory/connections. Julian's- Twist Me. Lucas-Capture Me & Peter- Tormentor Mine. I have it on my to-do list to reread the entire saga because I need to read Peter's last book still. **Trigger-rape.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty stingy with five star ratings, but this book seriously impressed me. I can't believe it's a debut novel. The characters were so well developed. Dinah Harper mixes darkness and tenderness in a way that many authors aren't able to pull off. Her hero kind of reminds me of an alpha from an Addison Cain novel. This book is just so, so good. Can't wait for the sequel.


TW: Non con

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corrupt Idol by Dinah Harper is her debut novel and the intro into Violet & Jesse’s story.

First off this book is a dark taboo romance, so if your not into this genre then turn around however if you are then look no further!

I was immediately hooked by the first chapter with Violet returning back to her hometown after 6 years of being away. To find out her step-mother has terminal cancer. This also causes the return of her step-brother Jesse, the reason of Violet leaving 6 years ago.

The first scene the two have with each other is just 🔥. We learn over the course of the book, how much of an obsessive, controlling and possessive alpha, Jesse is towards Violet. And how much Violet resents the connection the two have between each other.

“Love can make monsters out of men when it’s not returned.”

“You’re a goddamn psycho.”

I haven’t read a Taboo Romance in a while but this hits all the marks! It definitely takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions! 🎢 Can’t wait to read the sequel!

[Sky- A hopeless romantic girl :D · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star read.
Nice j/p hero with a crazy obsession for heroine.
It would have been a 5 star read but the push and pull from heroine ruined it for me. But while her reasons were justified but for the whole book was too much. Well author promises more book so that helps but if the push and pull continues I doubt I will read it.

[Lori [semi-hiatus]]

unsafe, not celibate during separation, h turned into a ho.

[Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nasty, skanky heroine who spread her legs for any loser who wanted to relieve himself into her. No, thank you. I’m not interested in heroines who are stupid, overused cum dumps .

[Sydni Donahue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corrupt idol ⭐️⭐️⭐️.6 (second read)
I think this book is scarier than a lot of the darker books I’ve read due to have realistic this feels. IT FEELS SO REAL. I can see this happening and I can feel violets pain an indecision so deeply in my body. Honestly I think the prequel was way better in a lot of ways and I do think I liked this less this time due to how well done the prequel was. But I’m excusing a lot of that since the prequel was written many years after this. This book made me hate Jesse especially since I knew him now through the prequel. I mean I hated him before I read the .5 but the before and getting his POV made him seem so much more human and you saw his downfall into madness. In that one even with how horrible he was to her I did believe he did fall in love with her and it twisted into this list possession filled vengeance and rage. In this it was actually gross for me that he got with other girls. That made his love not feel real. I don’t care that it was five years. Apart of me can excuse it a tad cause he said he over time believed he must’ve made up his obsession and love in his head but it just feels like the love was make believe with him being with all these other women. Makes me rage. I want to hug violet so bad. What she has had to go through for years with this man is horrible and he continues to do it. He did not try to remotely prove his love to her or have any relationship and she does a good job of painting him in true light. He even says he doesn’t know how to make her love him so the only way he feels he can is through intimacy (forced intimacy). And even when violet is participating it’s again forced participation and Stockholm syndrome. She’s in so much mental turmoil and at times will excuse it to run away from her mind. I get it. I so get it. God he’s such a dick. I want him to grovel so bad. Or only was she forced into this sexual relationship with him in the first place but now forced into a marriage. And her father is so consumed with his misogynistic take on women’s place and her mother that he puts her in the same box without even seeing her. Jessie sees her more as property and a doll and her father sees her as a copy of her mother. The one person that may have seen her Lynne is dead. My heart hurts for my girl. The author accomplished a lot in this book in so little time. I’m emotional and reeling for her. I want to stab Jesse in the head. I need this next book more than I need air. I’m going to keep my rating but god just the emotions and turmoil this captured I me truly is great writing

Original review:
Corrupt Idol ⭐️⭐️⭐️.6
TW. This was heavy. Poor violet. I was captured in this tho. I read through it so quickly. I love violets fight. I feel so bad for her lord. I was really enraptured in this tho. It was intense the majority of the time. It for sure needs more books after this and I see the author planned on it originally but this came out in 2019. It’s taboo and dark but also light at parts. It was really good. It could’ve used like 200 more pages tho or like I said a continuation in the story. I’m going to put this in my dark section because there is repeated SA. The way it ended makes me so sad for her lord. I don’t think it should’ve ended just like that. Also god these men in dark romances I’m telling you it’s more obsession and lust with them than love. I would’ve loved a Jesse pov. I need to get in his head. I need to understand how he could do what he does when he is supposedly so in love. UGH IM SAD THERE ARENT MORE IN THIS SERIES I NEED TO FULLY SEE IT. And trapping her into a marriage I can’t 😭😭😭😭 I NEED MORE

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 3 out of 5]

My god, I would love to hate this but by some weird pull I am dying to read more. This was like a certain drug that you know is not good but you cannot help but inhale more of. Everything in this book screamed wrong for me. This is the type of book that has the feminist in me screaming into it and the type of H that makes me want to throw myself into the book and strangle him with my bare hands. Like I told I have no clue what makes me give this one anything more than just 1 star. The story telling and the plot is engaging. Even to the point of me craving the next book or books very soon. Despite the incredulous premise I actually was intrigued by the book to the point I could not put my kindle down. Now for the next part, to see where our totally broken couple would go to.

[Samantha K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book blew me away! I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down. The H was a dominant, jealous/possessive hero, which I love. He was 100% full steam ahead and openly declared his love for the h multiple times. The h did not and many of you won’t like her. There’s a lot of push/pull and the chemistry between the two is sizzling.

FYI- this is a taboo story and not for everyone. The H and h are step-siblings and the H forces the h pretty much throughout the book. If you have rape triggers you should pass.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

14.06.25 - Тъй като вече мога да отговарям на въпроси от сорта “Каква е професията на бащата на главната героиня?”, вдигам звездите. 😆

Първоначално ревю: Guilty pleasure. Ама много, много guilty. С две думи - всички предупреждения в синопсиса трябва да се вземат предвид. Но историята е толкова откачена, на авторката толкова искрено и неподправено не и пука и си заплита увлекателно сюжета (така де, сюжетът в тия жанрове май не е задължителен, но не и тук), че ми хареса. И няма нито един милионер, който задължително присъства в 99% от този тип анотации. 😆

[Katyayini Singh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is straight-up Rape. There is no romance or even a psychological buildup. I like my share of anti-heroes, psychologically messed up protagonists and dubious consent. But there is no consent here- just rape.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those wtf, taboo and non consensual reads 😳😱 Basically, Hero does not understand the concept of 'consent' and in the real world he would be behind bars. Non-pc smut 🚫⛔️

[currently being delulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am currently reading the prequel to this on the authors patron … yeah safe to say everyone pre conceived notions that Jessie’s is some deranged sociopath… he’s not really just an obsessed crazy asshole

I’ll update and write a review for both books once I’m done reading but for right now the prequel has got me hooked and has a lot more depth than this book did

[theFictionfreak · Rating 5 out of 5]

increasing the ratings because I keep on re-reading this book and with each read I love it even more.