I really enjoyed the conflict between duty and desire in this book. Antonio and Sofia have a lot of chemistry after Antonio realizes how attracted he is to her. Aurora is the perfect villainess in this story and the type of character I love to dislike. I also like the way there is more than just romance in the novel and the descriptions of mafia life at a private school. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

I want to start by saying the narrators for me made this book. They kept me hooked. I really enjoyed the dark academia aspect and liked how the mafia storyline picked up a bit towards the middle and end. The characters were interesting and brought to life by the writing and of course narration. I will definitely be looking into more work by Rayen and more narration work by Sylvan and Greenfield.
As always thank you to Harper360 for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

Something about this book was so addicting. I finished it quick once I started it. One of my favorite things is Sofia's personality. She was softer and her main goal was just to get married and be a mom, which is totally acceptable but rarely ever seen in the books I've read. (Though it does seem to be a popular trope in dark romance for the FMC to be soft and virginal.) Antonio I had some issues with because it was definitely insta-lust and I had a hard time seeing the transition of it actually being love for him. The conflict was easily revolved with the deaths of the antagonists, which I felt was underwhelming. I wouldn't think about this book too critically, but I had a really fun time reading it. I'm hoping I can find the others in the series somewhere so I can see what happens with Aria and Gabe.

Corrupting the Innocent is a dark academia romance filled with spice, forbidden love, and mafia intrigue, centering on Antonio and Sofia.

Personally, I was hoping for more yearning, given that unrequited love is a key theme, but Antonio’s sudden realisation after seeing Sofia in pyjamas felt underwhelming. As a fan of slow-burn romance, this quick shift made it harder for me to stay emotionally invested. While the spice was well-executed, it often overshadowed the plot.

Sofia was a standout character - kind, resilient, and far too forgiving. I found myself wishing she'd demand better for much of the story. I don’t know much about mafia family dynamics, but I wanted to shake Antonio and tell him to get his act together and forget his familial responsibilities and go after what he wants!

The mafia storyline became more compelling in the latter half, which pulled me in much more strongly. I only wish it had been explored earlier. Still, this was an enjoyable, easy read perfect for those who love plenty of spice, forbidden romance, and darker themes.

I loved this book so much! The characters were so fun and I absolutely loved the chemistry between Sofia and Antonio. This is by far my favorite book in the series so far. The pacing is pretty quick and I appreciate that because it kept me drawn in to the story from start to finish, Overall I had so much reading this! I recommend for sure!

A dark romance set in boarding school, a very interesting concept and I enjoyed reading it so much.
The author had penned down the plotline very interestingly that it kept me hooked till the very end.
The characters were well drafted and each were given sufficient scope to contribute to the plotline.