Corrupted: When Good Can't Help But Fall For Evil

by Brilynn O'Neal

Book two in the standalone series, Blurred Lines


Lights Out meets the Kings of Sin series in this mafia romantic comedy. A lighthearted romance with banter, action, and a side of mystery.


A love story has never been more corrupted.


Parker Mills took over as CEO of Regenerative Industries after a scandal and subsequent trial left his brother unwilling to continue running the company. With only a high school diploma and a modeling portfolio, Parker works hard to be taken seriously. He fights his father's disapproval and a world that believes the company will tank in six months. No critic is harsher than his ferocious, intelligent, and attractive CFO, though.


Noell is cold, hard, and good with numbers. She fits her role perfectly, making sure Regenerative Industries stays afloat. She is the backbone of the company, and everyone knows it. But she has a secret. A secret that could destroy her and the company. One she is desperate to keep hidden, no matter the cost.


When Parker is kidnapped under mysterious circumstances, Noell knows she's the only one who can save him, but doing so means revealing her long-held family secret. She must contend with a past full of corruption and betrayal, fight her growing feelings for Parker, and save the company she's found a home in.


The question is, how deep does the corruption run?

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 5, 2026

About the author

Brilynn O’Neal lives in California with her husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, ten chickens, and lots of honeybees. When she’s not writing spicy, emotional stories, she’s outside soaking up nature and saving bees.

Follow her on Instagram, Tiktok, Threads, and Pinterest @forestsandfantasy

Reviews

[kaitlyn]

𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺

Corrupted by Brilynn O’Neal - ★★★★☆
Release Date: 5 November 2026

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓” ˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚

This was so different to what I was expecting! I went in totally blind and was thrown straight into the middle of the action. The book was engaging from start to finish, I even read it all in one sitting!

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲.” ⋆.˚🦦⋆

I really enjoyed the characters in this story, everyone felt genuine and real, they were easy to connect to and I love a good found family. The groupchat was hilarious and something I looked forward to throughout the book. The banter between our characters made the book feel light hearted while still touching on tough topics.

“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕,” 𝑰 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓. ⋆⭒˚.⋆

This book reminded me a lot of the Mindf*ck series, we have ruthless characters who will do anything to avenge those who have wronged them or their friends. I love the cross over between Mafia & CIA, this book somehow makes the unlikely pairing work.

The only ‘issues’ I had was that I wish there was more romance between our FMC and MMC and being confused for the first 30% of the book. The book was so action packed at times I feel as though we didn’t get to see our characters relationship fully develop on page which is something I always love seeing in a romance book. As for the confusing first 30% of the book I just wasn’t expecting to be dropped right in the middle of the action like that, it took me a while before I got back on my feet, but after that I was invested!

Overall, I’d recommend this read! It was a lot of fun, a great cast of characters and I can’t wait to go back to read book 1 and book 3 when it gets released! (I love Noah and can’t wait to see this 😏)

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this wonderful read!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵: 🔪🐈‍⬛🖤
𖥠 Morally Grey FMC
𖥠 Forced Proximity
𖥠 Workplace Romance
𖥠 Golden Retriever x Black Cat
𖥠 Found Family

[Moira]

Corrupted had some genuinely interesting bones, but I ultimately felt that the story needed more thorough development to fully deliver on the conflict it set up. There were several intriguing elements at play, particularly the CIA and mafia components, but those aspects felt underdeveloped, leaving the larger conflict without quite enough depth or follow-through.

The romance between Noelle and Parker had its moments, though the sparks between them were intermittent. There were scenes where their chemistry felt believable, but I didn’t always feel the connection strongly enough to become fully invested in their relationship.

For me, the standout was Lenny. Her loyalty to Noelle and the understanding she has of her after decades of friendship brought a level of emotional grounding and humor that I really appreciated. Their history felt meaningful, and Lenny’s presence added a layer to the story that resonated more consistently with me than some of the other relationships.

Overall, Corrupted had an intriguing foundation and plenty of potential, but I wanted more detail and development to see the story’s central conflict fully realized. The ideas were there; I just wish they had been explored more thoroughly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy and the chance to review.

[chjara📚]

Corrupted by Brilynn O'Neal — ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Corrupted is the second installment in the standalone Blurred Lines series, blending mafia intrigue with romcom energy. Brilynn O'Neal sets up an intriguing premise: Parker Mills, a CEO fighting to be taken seriously, and Noell, his guarded CFO with a dangerous secret. When Parker is kidnapped, Noell is forced to confront a hidden past that threatens everything she's built.
What kept me engaged throughout was the book's humor, the author has a knack for injecting levity into tense moments, and the banter between the leads gives the romance genuine charm. It's the kind of wit that keeps the pages turning even when other elements feel shaky.
Unfortunately, the central plot didn't land for me. The kidnapping subplot and the unraveling of Noell's family secrets felt more like a vehicle to force the characters together than a genuinely compelling mystery. The stakes never quite felt earned, and the "corruption" the title promises ends up feeling thinner than expected, with reveals that are easy to see coming and resolved a little too neatly.
Overall, Corrupted works best as a light, funny romance with a mafia backdrop rather than as a suspense-driven thriller. Readers looking for chemistry and comic timing will find plenty to enjoy; those hoping for a tightly plotted intrigue may come away wanting more.
3/5 stars

[Brittany Furnish]

****ARC READER REVIEW****

The book tackled me like a linebacker the moment I opened it. One second I was a peaceful little reader in Valley City sipping iced tea, the next I was yeeted directly into CIA–Mafia chaos with no helmet, no warning, and absolutely no emotional preparation. But honestly? I devoured it in one sitting like a feral raccoon discovering a fresh dumpster buffet. The characters felt real in that “I would absolutely commit a misdemeanor for you” way, and the found family dynamic had me kicking my feet. The groupchat? Peak comedy. Olympic‑level banter. I would read an entire spin‑off of them bullying each other lovingly. The FMC is a morally grey menace with a heart made of barbed wire and softness, and the MMC is a golden retriever who wandered into her shadows and said “I live here now.” My only gripe is that I wanted more romance on the page, more yearning, more tension, more “accidentally touching hands while committing felonies”, but the action was so nonstop I barely had time to breathe, let alone complain. The first 30% left me confused, concussed, and spiritually disoriented, but once I got my footing? I was locked in. If you love morally grey chaos, forced proximity shenanigans, workplace romance danger, golden retriever x black cat energy, and found family perfection, this one is absolutely worth the ride.

[Amanda]

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fast paced, the storyline was intriguing and engaging, and the characters were great.

It starts off hitting the ground running and kept me turning pages from there. There were a lot of things going on but it did not come across as messy. The plot felt very cohesive.

Noell was a badass. And I loved seeing her open up to Parker as time went on. Parker was great too; he was so caring and determined to support Noell. I loved seeing his attraction to her blossom.

The only thing was that it was a little unclear who certain people were towards the beginning of the book. It was mostly explained later on, but for a standalone it would be nice to get that info earlier especially if you hadn’t read the first book.

I cannot wait for Lenny’s book!

[Tessa K]

From the very first chapter, I was invested. You get thrown right into the middle of the action, and I just kept turning the pages. There was so much suspense, and the banter was so fun. This really kept me entertained from start to finish.

It was also so refreshing to read about a badass FMC for once. Parker is such a golden retriever, and I absolutely loved that about him

I maybe expected a little more romance, but honestly, it didn’t really matter because this book was just so entertaining. I had a great time reading it, and now I really want to read Lenny’s story!

Definitely recommend this one if you want something fun, suspenseful, with lots of twists, banter, and a badass FMC!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Vann]

Thank you for this free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed some of the twists and turns in this book and the characters. It was a little odd (not necessarily in a bad way) to get dropped right off in the middle of the action and for all the “but you hate me” I wish we had some chapters first to know them before page 1. I liked Lenny and Francesca the most, more than either of the main characters honestly so I’m looking forward to Lenny pote tially getting to be in the next book as a MC.

Moved quickly but was entertaining definitely and the banter between everyone was fun to read.

[Krystal Valster]

Beta reader here. In it rough version- it’s 5 stars! It has everything you’d expect of a mob/crime romance but with unexpected items. Love Parker. Such a sweet guy. Noell is mysterious and a strong woman. It has the drama, the tension, and build up to the breaking point is well paced. Can’t wait to see it in its final version!

[aayat]

review of advanced copy received from netgalley.

the premise sounded exciting, but the execution was a complete mess 😭 nothing about the characters or the plot felt in sync, and the whole thing was so rushed and confusing. i kept wondering what the hell i was reading half the time 😭 probably my worst read of the year.

[Mackenzee Leonard]

This book was so amazing to read and the ending was a big shock. I didn’t expect the twists and turns from this book. It was so wonderful for my tears to fall in some parts when I laughed

[Jennifer Hai]

I really enjoyed this light hearted, mafia coded, rom com. There’s plenty of banter, a bit of a slow burn, and an FMC who gives off “ touch him and die “ vibes. This is book 2 in the series, but could easily be read as a standalone. There is some cross over with characters but it’s still easy to follow. I’ll definitely be adding this author to my list of faves .