Book Review for Morally Corrupt by Veronica Lancet
I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.
Morally Corrupt, by Veronica Lancet, is a dark, romantic thriller about learning to accept your partner for who they are, rather than who they pretend to be. Accomplished assassin Bianca Ashby is head-over-heels in love with an up-and-coming man of prominence, Theo Hastings. To snag his heart, she plays the role of a submissive and dutiful daughter, all the while hiding her sociopathic tendencies. Theo, on the other hand, becomes entranced by how beautiful Bianca is. He decides to take a chance and marries her, thus unwittingly exposing himself to a world she hoped she could keep hidden, and a life he never wanted to return to.
I had fun reading Bianca’s POV. Although her recklessness has done her more harm than good and has resulted in so many complicated situations that shouldn’t have happened, Bianca was endearing, strangely enough. She was a woman who willingly latched herself onto a man and did whatever she could to ensure he remained in her life. True, she had a little slip-up in the end, but she got back to it. She reminds me of this anime character from Future Diary, Yuno Gasai. They both have the same violent outbursts and similar cold-blooded natures, but both are willing to drop everything for the man they love. It would’ve been more interesting if Theo had reflected back the same obsession, but hey, they still got their happily-ever-after.
It begs the question of how much love controls ecstasy. Similar to coke or heroin, love can be a drug that can blind you to reality. Even though we’re shown that Theo and Bianca have their own substance issues, Bianca with meth and Theo with alcohol, that codependency played a role in destroying their lives, however dishonest those lives were. On the other hand, addiction itself can be isolating. So for Bianca and Theo to find themselves speaks to just how much they rely on one another.
That being said, I would’ve liked to explore more of Theo’s feelings towards Bianca’s secrets. True, he was upset, but considering he’s also pretty morally grey, I would’ve liked to know more about why he acted all high-and-mighty, even though he, out of anyone else, would’ve understood. While the love part was fleshed out, the morality wasn’t. Moreover, the political conflicts between characters were also a bit muddled if not downright confusing; personally, I would’ve preferred if Lancet focused on Bianca and Theo, rather than the family ties behind it.
Still, it was a satisfying read, and as such, I would give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
