Lessons in Corruption (Fallen Men) Paperback – December 17, 2018

"Lessons in Corruption” is the first book in Giana Darling’s, The Fallen Men Series. It is the story of Cressida Irons and King Kyle Garro, Cressida being a severely sheltered twenty-six year old woman trapped in an unhealthy marriage, desperate for more than the dull, proper life she was molded to live. A woman shaped by her society loving, decorum demanding parents to always submit to her predestined life arranged for her by them, a life that includes being married off to her father’s friend William at eighteen, a wealthy, much older man who demands Cressida’s obedience and wifely servitude. Her marriage pleases her parents but ties her to a man who continues to force her into an existence of emotional bondage that affords her no joy or goals of her own and has her mindlessly walking through each day a lifeless husk of a human. A life without color or adventure she grows to abhor, and, in a moment of clarity, runs from, determined to break free and start again on her terms, attempting to regrow a woman she can look at in the mirror and love rather than the dutiful robot she currently is. However, Cressida’s journey down this new life path becomes more like a high speed rollercoaster ride after a chance encounter with King, a beautiful, wild man who thrills and challenges her beyond words. A man she is instantly attracted to and excited to be pursued by, but a man who is also, unbeknownst to her at the time of their initial encounters, the son of Fallen MC President Zues Garro, and eighteen year old high school senior. A young man who is also soon to be her student at the prestigious prep school where she teaches advanced English and History classes. What follows is a winding, angst filled, emotionally overwhelming ow/ym, student/teacher taboo filled voyage that is as captivating as it is jaw dropping, wholly sincere, and intensely thought provoking.I have to be honest here, this book made me uncomfortable at first. In general, I do not care for ow/ym stories, but as I read this one and was immersed deeply into Cressida’s conflict, and thrust deeper still by the author into the warring emotions and deep seated needs within her after a lifetime of being forced to tamp her very essence deep down inside herself by almost everyone in her life, I began to see things from a different perspective. Here, within the pages of this story was the realization that the very reason this trope makes me uncomfortable is because of the very thing Cressida herself is trying to escape, female propriety and the societal indoctrination that women are supposed to be “good girls”, and live “good” “acceptable” lives, with “acceptable spouses”. And that my own American indoctrination deep into this ideal standard of female behavior is why my typical reaction to this story concept is to view it as icky and unnatural. Yet here, with her beautifully written story of Cressida and King, Darling ripped open my soul and forced me to stare deeply at my own preconceived notions and then gave me no choice but to more fully understand them and ultimately, change them altogether.The truth of the matter is, thousands upon thousands of om/ym stories exist, many containing age gaps that are decades more than the one showcased in this book. Many of these stories of much older men and their much younger women have earned my love; more still have earned long, at times winding, but always earnest reviews from me. And as I read this book, read King’s demands of Cressida, watched him beg her not to give in to preconceived notions of propriety, not to taint the purity of what they are both feeling with social expectations and false ideals of purity and acceptability I realized I do the same thing with the very genre itself, give into my ingrained flinch reaction that such a pairing is unnatural and icky and only acceptable in the reverse. And wow, what a punch in the damn face that was. A punch I sorely needed!My deeply reflective mood throughout the course of reading this book, and the subsequent irrevocable mark these characters stamped deep upon my psyche is a testament to Darling’s literary prowess. Here in this story of a younger man’s determination to keep the woman he wants, societal expectations be damned, is soul deep love. Here, in his strife to get her to see that their love is not only real, but more real than anything ever in her life before it, lies a profound lesson for us all. Here Darling creates a story world so vivid, creates characters so complex and deeply emotional, that not only do they make you feel just as deeply with every passing word, but also force you to reflect and recognize on why you think the way you do about their pairing, and who they actually are at their very core beyond your predetermined notions of who you think them to be. This book is a beautiful story of love and second chances at life. It is also a story of overcoming the fear of people’s judgements and learning how to actually live instead of play acting one’s way through life. It is a truly superb read, one that I highly recommend!

Rating: 3.5POV: Single, 1st person, heroineSpice: 🌶🌶🌶This is the first book in the Fallen Men Series. I actually read the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th books before deciding to go back and read the series from the beginning, and I wish I would have done that from the beginning. This book was a great setup for the rest of the series, yes, but it also helps you appreciate King and Cress and the relationship that they have the rest of the books.I'll admit, I was initially put off by the Single POV aspect, which is why I didn't read it originally (Dual POV has spoiled me), but I shouldn't have. King communicated exactly what he's thinking, always, never holding back, so you almost don't miss seeing directly into his head.King, 18, is the son of the Fallen MC Prez, and is at a time in his life where he has to decide if he is going to follow his "birthright" and prospect official for The Fallen, or will he fulfill his dreams and go to college after graduation.Cressida, 26, is married and very unhappy with her marriage. While nothing is wrong, surface level (she's well taken care of financially, and her husband, 44?, is not abusive), she is unfilled emotionally, mentally, and sexually, and it's starting to effect her deeply.Then she sees a man across a parking lot and is completely entranced. She can tell he's younger than her (though can't tell how much younger), and the life she imagines she could have with someone like him spurs her into leaving her husband so she can work on living the life she's always wanted (more excitement, teaching again, etc). She never expected to see the man from the parking lot again, until she runs into him one night at a bar while she's out with coworkers from the school....And so begins their romance.It truly is a love story of self-discovery and acceptance from both sides. Highly recommend!