K. Ancrum has a beautiful gift for writing lonely, traumatized characters who find solace in each other. Her stories often explore intense emotional bonds that toe the line of codependency, which can feel unsettling at first. But she always manages to ground these relationships in genuine tenderness and vulnerability, making them emotionally gripping and undeniably sweet. 
The Corruption of Hollis Brown is no exception: dark and gritty, yet unexpectedly romantic and tender at its core. The characters are lovable, and I especially appreciated the strong emphasis on friendship alongside the central romance.