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Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #7
Bound by the Past
Dante
My life is a tale of betrayal.
I killed so many because they betrayed our cause, because they betrayed the Outfit.
A hypocrite. A liar. A murderer.
That’s what I am.
Five times I betrayed the Outfit. With my blood I made a vow to our cause, swore my life to it, promised to put the Outfit first. Above all else.
Five times I chose a woman over the good of the Outfit. I betrayed my father. My vow. My men.
You reap what you sow.
Would my betrayals destroy everything I swore to protect?
Valentina
On our wedding day I made a vow to stand by Dante’s side.
In good and in bad times.
To love him through it all.
Growing up in the mafia, I knew the challenges in our life would be numerous. I never expected them to tear at the very base of our family, of our existence.
My life is a tale of betrayal.
I killed so many because they betrayed our cause, because they betrayed the Outfit.
A hypocrite. A liar. A murderer.
That’s what I am.
Five times I betrayed the Outfit. With my blood I made a vow to our cause, swore my life to it, promised to put the Outfit first. Above all else.
Five times I chose a woman over the good of the Outfit. I betrayed my father. My vow. My men.
You reap what you sow.
Would my betrayals destroy everything I swore to protect?
Valentina
On our wedding day I made a vow to stand by Dante’s side.
In good and in bad times.
To love him through it all.
Growing up in the mafia, I knew the challenges in our life would be numerous. I never expected them to tear at the very base of our family, of our existence.
335 pages, ebook
First published May 20, 2020
About the author
Cora Reilly
47 books25.1k followersI'm an author of romance and new adult novels. I'm a lover of good food, wine and books, and I'm hopelessly addicted to bad boys (in books).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,758 reviews
May 30, 2020
This is probably the longest it took me to finish a Cora Reilly book.
I was not really a fan of the first Dante&Val book, but I was ready to be convinced. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
And so you do not need to read my whole review which is rather long (sorry!) the main reason why I rate this book relatively low is that I just did not enjoy reading it, it was dragging for me. Plus it started when Dante was nineteen and ended when Dante's what forty-eight or nine? It covers a pretty long time and therefore it's very jumpy, a scene here and then a scene that takes place months/years later. It was tough to get into the story and hardly even felt like a story, more like notes on what was happening in the Outfit when the focus was on different characters.
I would like to mention a few things - a bit on the side.
1) What is it with the new covers? I feel like the black&white ones fit the books better.
2) The author should fire her editor and get a refund. I feel like the editing is getting worse and worse.
3) Plus the author should probably get an editor who checks for *continuity* or maybe just more beta readers? Because in this book Nino was called Remo's oldest brother. Liliana is called Vitiello instead of Cancio. Plus I believe that even the colour of Anna's hair changed from the first book. And it's these little things which personally throw me off while reading.
So, I have to say that I quite liked the idea of the book being split into several parts and each focusing on one betrayal.
The First Betrayal
Not going to lie, I loved this one. It was fun to read, and it gave me hope for this book. Dante's POV was fun; I enjoyed the way he was thinking and how he took action.
The Second Betrayal
I actually thought that this was a bit of wasted opportunity. I wanted to see more than this one scene.
Side note: both of these parts were very short.
The Third Betrayal
And this is when my problems with this book really started—the moment when we hit the previous content but now only in different POV.
This one follows their first book, and I'm not sure what to say here, so, I'll put my comment which I have for Dante&Val relationship as a whole here.
Even from Dante's POV and him saying I still do not feel like he loves her. And for how small Carla's part was his feelings toward her resonated more than anything towards Val. And I don't mean it just here but the moment I finished the book I still had a hard time believing his love towards Val.
The Fourth Betrayal
I don't know what to say here... it just reminded me of how idiotic plan Aria had. What else can I say?
And to Orazio, I always wondered what was behind his betrayal. I had no idea what it could be, and I have to say that Orazio just became totally precious. On that note, I have to say that while I liked Val's father in the previous book, he seemed like one of the few decent parents in the whole series, I now take that back.
The Fifth Betrayal
And my biggest issue with the whole book. This one probably takes a little less than half of the entire book, and it's again Twisted Pride from different POV. We got Twisted Pride, then Twisted Pride retold from Nino's and Kiara's POVs and now through Dante's and Val's POVs. While I liked Twisted Pride, I don't think that we needed to read it in so many different POVs, it's getting too much. Yes, I did expect that this book would reflect on it, but I did not expect that that would happen to this extent.
While it was interesting to see what was Remo only predicting in the Twisted Pride, it also got a bit tedious. I mean different characters using precisely the same words to describe something?
Danilo called to inform me that Serafina was kidnapped by the Camorra. I assume we'll have to postpone the wedding then.
I feel a little bit bad that I laughed at this sentence. I cannot help it, at the moment it felt like such a sass! I mean, sure, go ahead, we can proceed with the wedding right away.
And I have to say that from this part the story turned rather sad.
I was sorry for Ines and her family and how much they hurt.
I was sorry for Serafina. My heart totally broke when I heard everyone talk about the children. I was like: "Take them and run!"
I was sorry for Emma; she deserves better!
The Aftermath
And my sadness continued.
I was sorry for Anna (not only here but thought out the whole book), she has unexpected sadness about her which I did not see coming. Plus, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed by Val here, I expected more from her. The same with Anna being homeschooled for the majority of the book. I just felt sorry for her.
I was sorry for Sofia. Poor girl does not deserve to be a consolidation price.
And while the end of the book had *positives* vibes, I still have to say that I do not really feel that Dante loves Val, which is a significant setback in the story.
Few notes (again?) which I was a bit unsure where to put in my review:
I found it interesting that Dante was mentioning that Camorra was a problem, etc., how he had Luca on one side and Remo on the other before they were allied. I have to say that I sort of missed a scene where he reacts to Nino and Kiara's wedding and the pact between Luca and Remo. It would have been interesting to see.
I was actually surprised that when he learned that Fabiano disappeared he did not try to look for him, especially knowing that Rocco was a poor excuse for a father who just recently got another son. Also, speaking about Rocco,
I have to say that I believe Val&Dante deserved a better book which would be more about them because sometimes they seemed a bit like an afterthought in this book. Since so much of this book was a content we already saw in other books and the story was focused elsewhere, this made Dante for the majority of this book in defence. More like he was only reacting to things rather than setting them in motion, which then has to do with why I felt this book was dragging.
The bad guys. [...] I wondered if little boys in the Camorra asked their dads the same question when they spoke about us? Would Luca's son ask his father that question when he talked about Dante? Bad was always a matter of perspective.
Okay, hands down the best quote from this book. I can totally sing under this. Not only regarding this book but in general.
And it beautifully paints why Dante and the Outfit are my least favourite by this author. Dante's book was the second in the series, and to me, it did not establish him as a character I enjoyed reading about. And ever since the Outfit was in the position of the *bad* guys. The other side. And it is now hard to again get him as the *hero* (very loose term in this series), and the *heroes* (or maybe protagonists would be better?) of the previous books are the bad guys.
It just does not really work for me. The series is lacking some other bad guy.
I was not really a fan of the first Dante&Val book, but I was ready to be convinced. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
And so you do not need to read my whole review which is rather long (sorry!) the main reason why I rate this book relatively low is that I just did not enjoy reading it, it was dragging for me. Plus it started when Dante was nineteen and ended when Dante's what forty-eight or nine? It covers a pretty long time and therefore it's very jumpy, a scene here and then a scene that takes place months/years later. It was tough to get into the story and hardly even felt like a story, more like notes on what was happening in the Outfit when the focus was on different characters.
I would like to mention a few things - a bit on the side.
1) What is it with the new covers? I feel like the black&white ones fit the books better.
2) The author should fire her editor and get a refund. I feel like the editing is getting worse and worse.
3) Plus the author should probably get an editor who checks for *continuity* or maybe just more beta readers? Because in this book Nino was called Remo's oldest brother. Liliana is called Vitiello instead of Cancio. Plus I believe that even the colour of Anna's hair changed from the first book. And it's these little things which personally throw me off while reading.
So, I have to say that I quite liked the idea of the book being split into several parts and each focusing on one betrayal.
The First Betrayal
Not going to lie, I loved this one. It was fun to read, and it gave me hope for this book. Dante's POV was fun; I enjoyed the way he was thinking and how he took action.
The Second Betrayal
I actually thought that this was a bit of wasted opportunity. I wanted to see more than this one scene.
Side note: both of these parts were very short.
The Third Betrayal
And this is when my problems with this book really started—the moment when we hit the previous content but now only in different POV.
This one follows their first book, and I'm not sure what to say here, so, I'll put my comment which I have for Dante&Val relationship as a whole here.
Even from Dante's POV and him saying I still do not feel like he loves her. And for how small Carla's part was his feelings toward her resonated more than anything towards Val. And I don't mean it just here but the moment I finished the book I still had a hard time believing his love towards Val.
The Fourth Betrayal
I don't know what to say here... it just reminded me of how idiotic plan Aria had. What else can I say?
And to Orazio, I always wondered what was behind his betrayal. I had no idea what it could be, and I have to say that Orazio just became totally precious. On that note, I have to say that while I liked Val's father in the previous book, he seemed like one of the few decent parents in the whole series, I now take that back.
The Fifth Betrayal
And my biggest issue with the whole book. This one probably takes a little less than half of the entire book, and it's again Twisted Pride from different POV. We got Twisted Pride, then Twisted Pride retold from Nino's and Kiara's POVs and now through Dante's and Val's POVs. While I liked Twisted Pride, I don't think that we needed to read it in so many different POVs, it's getting too much. Yes, I did expect that this book would reflect on it, but I did not expect that that would happen to this extent.
While it was interesting to see what was Remo only predicting in the Twisted Pride, it also got a bit tedious. I mean different characters using precisely the same words to describe something?
Danilo called to inform me that Serafina was kidnapped by the Camorra. I assume we'll have to postpone the wedding then.
I feel a little bit bad that I laughed at this sentence. I cannot help it, at the moment it felt like such a sass! I mean, sure, go ahead, we can proceed with the wedding right away.
And I have to say that from this part the story turned rather sad.
I was sorry for Ines and her family and how much they hurt.
I was sorry for Serafina. My heart totally broke when I heard everyone talk about the children. I was like: "Take them and run!"
I was sorry for Emma; she deserves better!
The Aftermath
And my sadness continued.
I was sorry for Anna (not only here but thought out the whole book), she has unexpected sadness about her which I did not see coming. Plus, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed by Val here, I expected more from her. The same with Anna being homeschooled for the majority of the book. I just felt sorry for her.
I was sorry for Sofia. Poor girl does not deserve to be a consolidation price.
And while the end of the book had *positives* vibes, I still have to say that I do not really feel that Dante loves Val, which is a significant setback in the story.
Few notes (again?) which I was a bit unsure where to put in my review:
I found it interesting that Dante was mentioning that Camorra was a problem, etc., how he had Luca on one side and Remo on the other before they were allied. I have to say that I sort of missed a scene where he reacts to Nino and Kiara's wedding and the pact between Luca and Remo. It would have been interesting to see.
I was actually surprised that when he learned that Fabiano disappeared he did not try to look for him, especially knowing that Rocco was a poor excuse for a father who just recently got another son. Also, speaking about Rocco,
I have to say that I believe Val&Dante deserved a better book which would be more about them because sometimes they seemed a bit like an afterthought in this book. Since so much of this book was a content we already saw in other books and the story was focused elsewhere, this made Dante for the majority of this book in defence. More like he was only reacting to things rather than setting them in motion, which then has to do with why I felt this book was dragging.
The bad guys. [...] I wondered if little boys in the Camorra asked their dads the same question when they spoke about us? Would Luca's son ask his father that question when he talked about Dante? Bad was always a matter of perspective.
Okay, hands down the best quote from this book. I can totally sing under this. Not only regarding this book but in general.
And it beautifully paints why Dante and the Outfit are my least favourite by this author. Dante's book was the second in the series, and to me, it did not establish him as a character I enjoyed reading about. And ever since the Outfit was in the position of the *bad* guys. The other side. And it is now hard to again get him as the *hero* (very loose term in this series), and the *heroes* (or maybe protagonists would be better?) of the previous books are the bad guys.
It just does not really work for me. The series is lacking some other bad guy.
September 17, 2020
2.5 Stars
Where to even start?!
There are so many things that were so very wrong with this, I’m overwhelmed.
Firstly
This book is about Dante having a lot of feelings but not expressing them. Believe me it gets tiring to be told how he feels all the time and then to get a description of how calm he looks on the outside, wearing his perfectly ironed suit. I didn’t need a reminder in every paragraph. I got it, the dude has a lot of emotions but he pretends he doesn’t. Gotcha! Crystal clear!
Secondly
Do mobsters have no other means of making alliances, gaining power, making moves without pimping out their kids?!
How do you look at your 11/12 year old daughters and all you see is a commodity. Sure, sure, we are told over and over how much they are loved and cared for and appreciated blah blah…
Yeah, but at the end of the day when you use said daughter to advance your goals (even if you tell yourself that it’s for their own long term good) in my eyes, you become less then the dirt under my shoe.. so that’s where I stand.
I was just beyond sick reading about grown men talking about kids either getting married to much older partners (and they have no choice but to obey) or the constant reminder that women had no value in that life.
I swear these people have an obsession with marrying young girls and with the place of a woman in that world. They are only good for procreation and to make alliances. They need to be seen not heard and in the event where they get a good, equal opportunity husband, they can only be themselves in private because God forbid someone gets the wrong impression that the big bad mobster can’t control his wife.
Also, Leonas (Dante’s son)going to school but Anna (His daughter) not?! Because he needs to learn to assert himself with others but she needs to be shielded?! The fuck is this, the Dark Ages?!
I read all of Cora’s books but I really can’t like the ones set in the Outfit. They are so archaic and disgusting. Give me Remo-Camorra madness any day because that guy is in your face and gets what he wants without playing games with the future of kids.
Thirdly
Val, as much as I admired her smarts and guts to break the mould in her previous book (she got a job, gave as good as she got when it came to Dante), here she basically forgot where she came from and her status got to her head.
Do you know what I hate more than the doormat stereotype in a female lead? A woman who does not champion other women.
It’s no secret that I dislike Aria, but I reconsidered after reading this. Aria didn’t do much but when it came to innocent, helpless women and family she always defied Luca to the point of stupidity sure, but you still have to admire that. She helped Gianna. She helped Lilly. She also helped Cara when Growl sent her to NY. (And she knew nothing about that girl - wasn’t related to her in any way) Not to mention her stupidity of going to Chicago for her brother…
I realised that yeah, I’ll take naive/plain idiotic but loyal and feminist than a strong career type women who will sell her kids. So yeah, Aria, you have a new fan. She did what she could. Whatever little power she acquired, she used for the good of others, other women and generally other people that she thought deserved more.
Val is portrayed as strong, smart, capable. She gives Dante business advice. She can be cunning and driven and she has shown loyalty to Bibiana by helping her escape domestic abuse - but that was all happening in her previous book.
Now, she is just another women who has tasted power and forgot where she came from and that she only got there because she was lucky to marry Dante and he wasn’t a misogynist but actually welcomed her informed opinions. She was also lucky to have been born into a caring family with a father who loved her and didn’t just sell her off.
So what does she do when she gets to a place of influence? She behaves like every other mafia MAN. Uses her kids whom she loves so very very much *rolling my eyes hard*
I can’t. I just can’t and won’t excuse her behaviour. She has the chance to make a real change perhaps but what does she do? Plays by the same old rules. She admitted in her previous book that she knew the life of a mafia wife is tough and that 90% of women in their circle suffer some form of abuse and have zero choice as to whom they marry and what they do with their lives. They can’t work or study without permission. As a woman she failed. As a mother, she failed even more. I guess she wins as a wannabe mobster. She’s perfect for Dante. They are both emotionally stunted.
Fourth
The fucking hypocrisy on all the Outfit people, when they keep calling Remo a crazy madman without honour. They are more disgusting and dishonourable than ten Remos put together.
You won’t ever see Remo locking his daughter or wife in the house to “protect” them. He will create a safe environment for them to be free and protected while they do what they want. Be it going to a club to dance in skimpy dresses or to college.To me, men who are so insecure and feel the need to lock away women like property while saying how much they love them— are just sick.
There is nothing honourable or loving in that behaviour just control in the name of tradition and culture. This book disgusted me in that regard.
The part where Pietro tells Dante how Danilo specified that Sofia’s bodyguards need to be old and she is to be homeschooled until he marries her. He’s her father and he allows this man to control his 12 year old daughter because she is promised to him. *pukes* - and this is supposed to be one of the good men inside the Outfit.
Also, Dante admitted that he basically wines and dines with men who go home and beat and rape their wives and children but what can he do.. they are his associates and he needs to keep them for their skills. *pukes some more*
When Ines and Dante wonder how come Fine looked happy in her wedding pics, like they can’t contemplate that. She is free! Free to be and do whatever she wants because she has a man who can distinguish between protecting his loved ones and caging them or stifling their true spirit.
Okay, I think I touched on all the major points.
One last observation, most of this book is a retelling of events that happened in the Born in Blood series and the Camorra series. - there is nothing new to learn. Well, except, I did learn that I dislike Val more than Dante now and that they deserve each other and that I couldn’t care less for this couple. I hope the second generation books will change the rules for the Outfit, otherwise I can’t see myself enduring any more of this.
Where to even start?!
There are so many things that were so very wrong with this, I’m overwhelmed.
Firstly
This book is about Dante having a lot of feelings but not expressing them. Believe me it gets tiring to be told how he feels all the time and then to get a description of how calm he looks on the outside, wearing his perfectly ironed suit. I didn’t need a reminder in every paragraph. I got it, the dude has a lot of emotions but he pretends he doesn’t. Gotcha! Crystal clear!
Secondly
Do mobsters have no other means of making alliances, gaining power, making moves without pimping out their kids?!
How do you look at your 11/12 year old daughters and all you see is a commodity. Sure, sure, we are told over and over how much they are loved and cared for and appreciated blah blah…
Yeah, but at the end of the day when you use said daughter to advance your goals (even if you tell yourself that it’s for their own long term good) in my eyes, you become less then the dirt under my shoe.. so that’s where I stand.
I was just beyond sick reading about grown men talking about kids either getting married to much older partners (and they have no choice but to obey) or the constant reminder that women had no value in that life.
I swear these people have an obsession with marrying young girls and with the place of a woman in that world. They are only good for procreation and to make alliances. They need to be seen not heard and in the event where they get a good, equal opportunity husband, they can only be themselves in private because God forbid someone gets the wrong impression that the big bad mobster can’t control his wife.
Also, Leonas (Dante’s son)going to school but Anna (His daughter) not?! Because he needs to learn to assert himself with others but she needs to be shielded?! The fuck is this, the Dark Ages?!
I read all of Cora’s books but I really can’t like the ones set in the Outfit. They are so archaic and disgusting. Give me Remo-Camorra madness any day because that guy is in your face and gets what he wants without playing games with the future of kids.
Thirdly
Val, as much as I admired her smarts and guts to break the mould in her previous book (she got a job, gave as good as she got when it came to Dante), here she basically forgot where she came from and her status got to her head.
Do you know what I hate more than the doormat stereotype in a female lead? A woman who does not champion other women.
It’s no secret that I dislike Aria, but I reconsidered after reading this. Aria didn’t do much but when it came to innocent, helpless women and family she always defied Luca to the point of stupidity sure, but you still have to admire that. She helped Gianna. She helped Lilly. She also helped Cara when Growl sent her to NY. (And she knew nothing about that girl - wasn’t related to her in any way) Not to mention her stupidity of going to Chicago for her brother…
I realised that yeah, I’ll take naive/plain idiotic but loyal and feminist than a strong career type women who will sell her kids. So yeah, Aria, you have a new fan. She did what she could. Whatever little power she acquired, she used for the good of others, other women and generally other people that she thought deserved more.
Val is portrayed as strong, smart, capable. She gives Dante business advice. She can be cunning and driven and she has shown loyalty to Bibiana by helping her escape domestic abuse - but that was all happening in her previous book.
Now, she is just another women who has tasted power and forgot where she came from and that she only got there because she was lucky to marry Dante and he wasn’t a misogynist but actually welcomed her informed opinions. She was also lucky to have been born into a caring family with a father who loved her and didn’t just sell her off.
So what does she do when she gets to a place of influence? She behaves like every other mafia MAN. Uses her kids whom she loves so very very much *rolling my eyes hard*
I can’t. I just can’t and won’t excuse her behaviour. She has the chance to make a real change perhaps but what does she do? Plays by the same old rules. She admitted in her previous book that she knew the life of a mafia wife is tough and that 90% of women in their circle suffer some form of abuse and have zero choice as to whom they marry and what they do with their lives. They can’t work or study without permission. As a woman she failed. As a mother, she failed even more. I guess she wins as a wannabe mobster. She’s perfect for Dante. They are both emotionally stunted.
Fourth
The fucking hypocrisy on all the Outfit people, when they keep calling Remo a crazy madman without honour. They are more disgusting and dishonourable than ten Remos put together.
You won’t ever see Remo locking his daughter or wife in the house to “protect” them. He will create a safe environment for them to be free and protected while they do what they want. Be it going to a club to dance in skimpy dresses or to college.To me, men who are so insecure and feel the need to lock away women like property while saying how much they love them— are just sick.
There is nothing honourable or loving in that behaviour just control in the name of tradition and culture. This book disgusted me in that regard.
The part where Pietro tells Dante how Danilo specified that Sofia’s bodyguards need to be old and she is to be homeschooled until he marries her. He’s her father and he allows this man to control his 12 year old daughter because she is promised to him. *pukes* - and this is supposed to be one of the good men inside the Outfit.
Also, Dante admitted that he basically wines and dines with men who go home and beat and rape their wives and children but what can he do.. they are his associates and he needs to keep them for their skills. *pukes some more*
When Ines and Dante wonder how come Fine looked happy in her wedding pics, like they can’t contemplate that. She is free! Free to be and do whatever she wants because she has a man who can distinguish between protecting his loved ones and caging them or stifling their true spirit.
Okay, I think I touched on all the major points.
One last observation, most of this book is a retelling of events that happened in the Born in Blood series and the Camorra series. - there is nothing new to learn. Well, except, I did learn that I dislike Val more than Dante now and that they deserve each other and that I couldn’t care less for this couple. I hope the second generation books will change the rules for the Outfit, otherwise I can’t see myself enduring any more of this.
April 27, 2020
I was deeply fascinated by Dante Cavallaro from the moment I read Bound by Duty. On the outside, he was this blond, blue eyed and always composed Capo of the Chicago Outfit who didn't show any emotions. I know that a man in his position has to uphold a certain image, but for me, he was always the biggest mystery among all male characters Mafia queen Cora Reilly has ever written. I wanted so badly to finally get inside the head of this man who kept his cards close to his chest. Since Bound by Duty was solely told from Valentina's POV, we never got to see the story through Dante's eyes. With Bound by the Past, Cora Reilly is not only giving us his side of their love story but a very detailed insight into his complex and fascinating character while laying the groundwork for some future novels like Bibiana's and Orazio's. I absolutely loved that, especially that we finally got a glimpse of Bibi's love interest and future husband!
The book starts in the past, when Dante is nineteen and heir to Chicago's Outfit and ends in the future when he's married to his second wife and having children with her. The plot therefore spreads over several years, building the set up for many conflicting situations that resulted in Dante's five betrayals to the Outfit and showing the aftermath of his actions. I loved how Cora masterfully crafted this story. It felt like with every betrayal another layer of Dante's character was revealed. It was a very interesting and refreshingly different approach to explain his character to her readers.
I would have never guessed how far Dante Cavallaro would go in order to keep the people he loves safe. I thought that a man like him would always base his actions on rational thoughts, rather than emotions. But I was totally wrong! For all of you who thought that Dante is nothing but a cold and heartless fish, you will be pleasently surprised! This man is so full of emotions like a boiling volcano ready to burst. He just chooses to keep them all well hidden behind a mask. It took a beautiful, loving and stubborn woman like Val to make his walls crumble. She will incite feelings inside of him, like nobody else has ever before!
No matter how much Dante tried to keep Valentina at a distance, he couldn't fight his growing desire for her forever. Especially after their daughter Anna was born, Dante finally realized that he couldn't live in the past any longer. He had to embrace his second chance at happiness and concentrate on the future!
Watching Dante as a loving and protective father who spends quality time with his children, despite being a very busy Capo, made my heart melt. Val and their kids were everything to him! I loved how their marriage was based on love, respect and total trust. I know many of us were wondering after Bound by Duty if he really cares about Val. But let me assure you that he loves her truly, madly and deeply! Their emotional connection is so strong and goes far beyond their sexual chemistry. They complemented each other perfectly! I loved how Val made Dante softer without making him weak. She wasn't only his wife, but his lover and best friend. She never shied away from his darker side, always ready to take some burden from his shoulders.
I'm so greatful to Cora, for giving this amazing couple another story. I missed them and loved re-connecting with them after all this time. The wait was definitely worth it, because Cora gave me much more than I could have ever asked for. Especially the kids were a highlight of the book for me. They're all very different character wise and I can't wait to see what Cora has planned for their future. I'm giving this highly entertaining and absolutely unputdownable gem 5 well deserved stars!
The book starts in the past, when Dante is nineteen and heir to Chicago's Outfit and ends in the future when he's married to his second wife and having children with her. The plot therefore spreads over several years, building the set up for many conflicting situations that resulted in Dante's five betrayals to the Outfit and showing the aftermath of his actions. I loved how Cora masterfully crafted this story. It felt like with every betrayal another layer of Dante's character was revealed. It was a very interesting and refreshingly different approach to explain his character to her readers.
I would have never guessed how far Dante Cavallaro would go in order to keep the people he loves safe. I thought that a man like him would always base his actions on rational thoughts, rather than emotions. But I was totally wrong! For all of you who thought that Dante is nothing but a cold and heartless fish, you will be pleasently surprised! This man is so full of emotions like a boiling volcano ready to burst. He just chooses to keep them all well hidden behind a mask. It took a beautiful, loving and stubborn woman like Val to make his walls crumble. She will incite feelings inside of him, like nobody else has ever before!
No matter how much Dante tried to keep Valentina at a distance, he couldn't fight his growing desire for her forever. Especially after their daughter Anna was born, Dante finally realized that he couldn't live in the past any longer. He had to embrace his second chance at happiness and concentrate on the future!
Watching Dante as a loving and protective father who spends quality time with his children, despite being a very busy Capo, made my heart melt. Val and their kids were everything to him! I loved how their marriage was based on love, respect and total trust. I know many of us were wondering after Bound by Duty if he really cares about Val. But let me assure you that he loves her truly, madly and deeply! Their emotional connection is so strong and goes far beyond their sexual chemistry. They complemented each other perfectly! I loved how Val made Dante softer without making him weak. She wasn't only his wife, but his lover and best friend. She never shied away from his darker side, always ready to take some burden from his shoulders.
I'm so greatful to Cora, for giving this amazing couple another story. I missed them and loved re-connecting with them after all this time. The wait was definitely worth it, because Cora gave me much more than I could have ever asked for. Especially the kids were a highlight of the book for me. They're all very different character wise and I can't wait to see what Cora has planned for their future. I'm giving this highly entertaining and absolutely unputdownable gem 5 well deserved stars!
August 16, 2020
3 Stars
I didn't realize this book would be what amounts to a rehash of all the events of the previous books...simply from Dante's perspective. Which would have been fine, except I always found myself distracted whenever Luca or Remo were mentioned....they are just so much more magnetic and alpha than Dante. Which is one reason I didn't love this more and doubt I will re-read it over and over like other books in the series.
That said, I still enjoyed it (although I probably would have liked it less had I paid for it and not gotten it via Kindle Unlimited). It was nice (although at times boring) to see old events from a new perspective. It did feel like Dante allowed himself to get steamrolled a lot...but then again, what can I say...I just prefer the crazy alpha-ness of Luca and Remo.
Overall, I just enjoy these books. Even though I might not always rate each individual book all that high, I do really enjoy the series as a whole. In fact, I have re-read a lot of the books multiple times and have or will have upgraded my ratings for them over time. In fact, I already feel like re-reading Luca and Aria'a book again now...
I didn't realize this book would be what amounts to a rehash of all the events of the previous books...simply from Dante's perspective. Which would have been fine, except I always found myself distracted whenever Luca or Remo were mentioned....they are just so much more magnetic and alpha than Dante. Which is one reason I didn't love this more and doubt I will re-read it over and over like other books in the series.
That said, I still enjoyed it (although I probably would have liked it less had I paid for it and not gotten it via Kindle Unlimited). It was nice (although at times boring) to see old events from a new perspective. It did feel like Dante allowed himself to get steamrolled a lot...but then again, what can I say...I just prefer the crazy alpha-ness of Luca and Remo.
Overall, I just enjoy these books. Even though I might not always rate each individual book all that high, I do really enjoy the series as a whole. In fact, I have re-read a lot of the books multiple times and have or will have upgraded my ratings for them over time. In fact, I already feel like re-reading Luca and Aria'a book again now...
May 20, 2020
UPDATE REVIEW:
I am so sorry to write this review but I am soooo disappointed with this book. I am still in shock.
I was expecting a book about Val and Dante and not a book full of stories about the other characters. Val and Dante’s story were so in the background I can’t even explain. For those of you who read Twisted pride it is as if you read the same book again.
I am so disappointed because the release date was moved so many times for this book ? I don’t understand why ? I am so angry right now for waiting sooo long for a book of my favorite characters to become a story about the other characters and same situations as in Twisted pride.
So disappointing. I can’t even understand how people who read all books of Cora and knew the stories could like this book.
Omg can’t wait for this one! 😭
Dante and Valentina are my favorites.
I am so sorry to write this review but I am soooo disappointed with this book. I am still in shock.
I was expecting a book about Val and Dante and not a book full of stories about the other characters. Val and Dante’s story were so in the background I can’t even explain. For those of you who read Twisted pride it is as if you read the same book again.
I am so disappointed because the release date was moved so many times for this book ? I don’t understand why ? I am so angry right now for waiting sooo long for a book of my favorite characters to become a story about the other characters and same situations as in Twisted pride.
So disappointing. I can’t even understand how people who read all books of Cora and knew the stories could like this book.
Omg can’t wait for this one! 😭
Dante and Valentina are my favorites.
July 15, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 4.5 stars
Wowzers! That was intense! Personally, I just really don't like this plotline. I find the relationship between Val and Dante to be a little cold and I am a little salty about his dead wife. Widowers and dead wives just ruin a reading experience for me.
I am giving this book four and a half stars because I thought the writing was FABULOUS, but this book seemed to me to mostly further the plotlines of other characters and the series as a whole, rather than much of Val and Dante's relationship.
I know a lot of people complained about this book coming out months after it was originally supposed to, but this release date actually made a lot more sense to me. We got to know a lot more about Danilo and Sophia who will be the main characters of her book coming out in July, Fragile Longing. *Update: Fragile Longing is now coming out in August!*
Now, onto predictions...
Wowzers! That was intense! Personally, I just really don't like this plotline. I find the relationship between Val and Dante to be a little cold and I am a little salty about his dead wife. Widowers and dead wives just ruin a reading experience for me.
I am giving this book four and a half stars because I thought the writing was FABULOUS, but this book seemed to me to mostly further the plotlines of other characters and the series as a whole, rather than much of Val and Dante's relationship.
I know a lot of people complained about this book coming out months after it was originally supposed to, but this release date actually made a lot more sense to me. We got to know a lot more about Danilo and Sophia who will be the main characters of her book coming out in July, Fragile Longing. *Update: Fragile Longing is now coming out in August!*
Now, onto predictions...
May 20, 2020
This marvellous, angst filled, sexy and trainwrecky mafia romance saga, is perhaps best defined by the above comment.
And make no mistake: Dante starts off as an absolute asshole. He's a sexy asshole, but an asshole nevertheless. This novel, is the sequel to Bound by Duty.
This is the H, Dante:
Dante is a different sort of mafia H, when compared Luca ( Bound by Honor, Bound by Love, Luca Vitiello ), Fabiano, Nino and Remo ( Twisted Loyalties, Twisted Hearts, and Twisted Pride ).
He doesn't appear to be as savagely uncivilised as the Camorra heroes or as coldly ruthless as Luca. He's the H who appears, on the surface of it all, to be the most aloof, urbane and perhaps the classiest. Dante's the sort of guy who will fit in well amongst bankers, businessmen and politicians.
He's the most underestimated Capo, because his tales of infamous cruelty aren't sung far and wide. But perhaps that's because he's cunning enough to shield his worst actions from the eyes of others. When he was just 19, Dante had murdered sister's fiancé and framed it on the Bratva:
Betrayal. I’d killed an Outfit soldier. A man who was loyal to the cause, to my father, to the Outfit.
He'd done it to spare his sister a lifetime with a sexual sadist. And on 4 occasions, after this, he would, in his own words, choose:
... a woman over the good of the Outfit. I had betrayed my father. My vow. My men.
His actions made him more humane than Cora Reilly's other mafia heroes. He comes across as the most superficially cold and distant H, but I think he's the one with the biggest heart. Luca will always be my favourite and I'll never quite be able to find those barbaric and uncouth Camorra guys equally attractive, but Dante is the closest second best ever !
The timeline of this novel is as follows:
📌 Starts when the H is 19 years old and eager to marry his first wife, Carla.
📌 Gives us a very brief outline of his childless, 12 year marriage to Carla, leading up to her tragic death from cancer.
📌 Develops from his marriage of convenience to the heroine Valentina, 3 years after Carla's death.
📌 Ends when he's a father of 3, in his late 40's.
This is the heroine, Valentina:
This novel is a re-telling of events that occurred in previous novels, but depicted through the lens of Dante's eyes. The reader gets a chance to see why he was so cold and robotic to Valentine, during the early sexless months of their marriage.
I hadn't enjoyed reading about his love and devotion to his late wife, Carla. It's a little annoying to discover that the H had truly been in love with his dead wife. What's more irritating is the fact that I couldn't even resent the woman because she'd been a kind and loving person who, in another author's world, might've been the heroine of this story.
But it didn't stop me from wanting to reach into the story and knock some sense into the H, for the way he hurt the heroine with his aloof coldness and initial reluctance to consummate the marriage. He did grow on me, though and forgiveness became easier, because I understood the reasons for his actions and choices.
On a more superficial level...
Readers who've already read Bound by Duty, know how much of a struggle it was for the heroine, Valentina. She'd been the virgin widow, with an even bigger secret: a dead gay husband, who'd used her as a beard to maintain his fake image as the conventional, heterosexual mafioso.
Dante had chosen her, as his bride of convenience, because he wasn't interested in love with another hopeful virgin. Valentina, on the other hand, saw her second marriage as a chance to get the love that she'd been denied previously.
At first, no matter how hard she tried to be the understanding and compassionate wife, it seemed as if she was fighting a useless uphill battle....
A large part of Dante's guilt and inner conflict, stemmed from his strong feelings for the heroine. He couldn’t understand why he wanted her more than he'd wanted his beloved dead wife:
I wanted Valentina, had never desired a woman like I did her. And that was the problem.
His second problem was the promise he'd made to his first wife, when she'd been on her deathbed:
With shaking hands, I prepared the syringe. Hands that were always steady no matter what happened. Not now. “I love you, Dante.” I swallowed. “And I love you, will always only love you, Carla.”
The fantastic thing about this novel, is that the MC's romance continues beyond their HEA ending in Bound by Duty. By the middle of this story, Dante and Valentina are already in love, their daughter Anna is born and their relationship issues have already been sorted out.
The rest of the story deals with the effect of external problems, brought on by Mafia power struggles with Luca and Remo, on their lives. Sometimes I felt greater sympathy for Dante, especially when Luca and Remo formed a weird alliance against him. It wasn't easy, but Dante managed to keep the Outfit afloat, despite having to battle with both the Familia and the Camorra.
By the end, though, it's obvious that Dante is love with Valentina and that's she's definitely not second best to Carla. The H's love and respect for Valentina is so great, that he even offered to make her his Consigliere, after he realised that she's smarter and more tactical than most of the men in the Outfit.
He'd have done it too, which is something that Luca and Remo wouldn't even dream of offering to their heroines. And that's why there's a special place in my *Book Boyfriend heart*, for Dante. It was Valentina, however, who refused to accept that honour, because that wasn't part of her plans.
This novel also sets up a few future spin off novels, with the MC's kids as the stars of their own stories. It was also very gratifying to see Bibiana, the minor character who'd experienced severe domestic marital abuse, get her well deserved HEA with a wonderful new husband.
By the novel's end, Dante is still a virile and sexy guy in his late 40's, who adores his 3 children and loves his wife more life itself. The man who'd almost choked on a confession of love, in Bound by Duty, can now say it to her everyday:
“Fourteen years, and I’m still waiting for the day when you don’t make me love you a little more every second I spend with you.”
I've waited a very long time for this novel. This was me, when I saw that it had finally been released !
I read this book in one entire reading, not even pausing for sleep. That hardly ever happens ! I love Cora Reilly's Mafia world and maybe I'll get around to reviewing the Camorra novels. I read those, enjoyed most but didn't love them. I can't wait to read the spin off novels and I'm really hoping that Dante's son Leonas gets paired with Luca's daughter, Marcella. Maybe that will be a way to finally see a truce between both Capos.
I didn't give it 5 stars, because I didn't really like the fact that Dante had genuinely been in love with his first wife. I'd been hoping, before reading the book, that his first marriage had been one of convenience and that it was guilt, for not having loved her, that had tormented him so much whenever he thought of her.
Valentina doesn't end up as second best wife, because it's clear that he desperately loves her, but I'm too much of a romantic purist. I prefer it when the heroine is the only woman the H has ever loved. And this novel, while filled with enough sexy scenes, isn't as steamy as Bound by Love and the other novels that deal with Luca and Aria.
Luca still remains, in my eyes, the mafia H who's most obsessed, possessive and in love with his heroine. I don't think any of Cora Reilly's MC's share the connection and intense visceral sexual chemistry as the super couple, Luca and Aria.
I've heard that Matteo and his bitchy Gianna, from Bound by Hatred, might be getting their own sequel. I'll happily avoid putting myself through a second dose of that toxic duo.
Safety: No cheating and no separations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2020
Did I read it right? More Dante and Valentina? OMG!!! I'm too excited, more more more!!!
January 20, 2019
My favourite of all your couples. More Dante please. Can't wait for it. 💜
May 21, 2020
First of all, I don't like the cover. The author changed covers for every book of the Famiglia series and I prefer the old covers and that patterns for the book cover.
Now, why is this even a different book? It's almost the same event of Bound by Duty from Dante's perspective. It could have been done in the same book with a dual perspective. We don't need a new book with same story, the same dialogue just from a different perspective.
There are a few events that we haven't seen before but that didn't make up for the book. Dante is too weak for a capo. I think there will be a very complicated situation regarding Anna and Santino. I also don't like how Danilo controls every aspect of Sofia's life. Samuel and Emma seems interesting but I don't have any expectation from Cora Reilly anymore because she has been publishing disappointing books continuously in this year.
The author is focusing on publishing more books, especially the second generation already getting a lot of hypes. I don't understand why every character that is introduced in her mafia series is getting a book. It's like she wants to publish as many books as she can while the plot is just dull. For example I don't think Bibiana needs a different book, we already know her story from Bound by Duty and Bound by the Past.
Another major issue of this book is the editing. Its way too bad. There are spelling errors, grammatical errors, missing words, and whatnot. I enjoyed only the family moments between Dante, Valentina, and heir children. Other than that it's completely boring.
I really think Cora Reilly should take a huge break from this series.
Now, why is this even a different book? It's almost the same event of Bound by Duty from Dante's perspective. It could have been done in the same book with a dual perspective. We don't need a new book with same story, the same dialogue just from a different perspective.
There are a few events that we haven't seen before but that didn't make up for the book. Dante is too weak for a capo. I think there will be a very complicated situation regarding Anna and Santino. I also don't like how Danilo controls every aspect of Sofia's life. Samuel and Emma seems interesting but I don't have any expectation from Cora Reilly anymore because she has been publishing disappointing books continuously in this year.
The author is focusing on publishing more books, especially the second generation already getting a lot of hypes. I don't understand why every character that is introduced in her mafia series is getting a book. It's like she wants to publish as many books as she can while the plot is just dull. For example I don't think Bibiana needs a different book, we already know her story from Bound by Duty and Bound by the Past.
Another major issue of this book is the editing. Its way too bad. There are spelling errors, grammatical errors, missing words, and whatnot. I enjoyed only the family moments between Dante, Valentina, and heir children. Other than that it's completely boring.
I really think Cora Reilly should take a huge break from this series.
May 9, 2020
4.5 stars
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
The ending of Bound by Duty just left that inexplicable feeling of incompletion, that surely that was not the end of Dante and Valentina’s story. Did Dante love Valentina? Was he able to let go of his past and find happiness with Val? When Cora announced a sequel to BBD, I was delirious with joy. There was so much more to know about Dante, why he was the way he is? Why did he not allow closeness?
Bound by the Past begins with giving an extensive insight into the beginning of Dante & Valentina’s marriage through Dante’s POV. We finally get a glimpse into Dante’s initial hesitation to form any emotional attachment with his new wife, his reluctance to let go of his past and gradually his acceptance and love for his stubborn yet compassionate and kind wife. Bound by the Past, explores all the times Dante had betrayed his oath to protect those he held dear. Every betrayal and its repercussions were a harrowing experience for Dante yet the Capo of the Outfit continued to remain stoic never once letting his adversaries deter and overpower him.
Dante & Valentina’s relationship evolved so much over the course of so many agonizing & traumatic events, yet their bond & love emerged stronger than ever. Their love for their children and fierce determination to protect them from any harm made them quite the power unit.
The long, agonizing wait for the continuation to Dante & Valentina’s story was absolutely worth it. Bound by the Past was a thoroughly riveting, action packed and emotional read. Numerous secondary characters, with new potential alliances & pairings were introduced. Be warned, the Outfit is looking towards a new future, the kind that will make them a formidable force to be reckoned with. 😉
Hat’s off to you Cora, for this spectacular book.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
The ending of Bound by Duty just left that inexplicable feeling of incompletion, that surely that was not the end of Dante and Valentina’s story. Did Dante love Valentina? Was he able to let go of his past and find happiness with Val? When Cora announced a sequel to BBD, I was delirious with joy. There was so much more to know about Dante, why he was the way he is? Why did he not allow closeness?
Bound by the Past begins with giving an extensive insight into the beginning of Dante & Valentina’s marriage through Dante’s POV. We finally get a glimpse into Dante’s initial hesitation to form any emotional attachment with his new wife, his reluctance to let go of his past and gradually his acceptance and love for his stubborn yet compassionate and kind wife. Bound by the Past, explores all the times Dante had betrayed his oath to protect those he held dear. Every betrayal and its repercussions were a harrowing experience for Dante yet the Capo of the Outfit continued to remain stoic never once letting his adversaries deter and overpower him.
Dante & Valentina’s relationship evolved so much over the course of so many agonizing & traumatic events, yet their bond & love emerged stronger than ever. Their love for their children and fierce determination to protect them from any harm made them quite the power unit.
The long, agonizing wait for the continuation to Dante & Valentina’s story was absolutely worth it. Bound by the Past was a thoroughly riveting, action packed and emotional read. Numerous secondary characters, with new potential alliances & pairings were introduced. Be warned, the Outfit is looking towards a new future, the kind that will make them a formidable force to be reckoned with. 😉
Hat’s off to you Cora, for this spectacular book.
April 27, 2020
Dante Cavallaro has always been in my opinion one of the most intriguing and intense characters Cora Reilly has ever created. I always hoped that she is going to write more about the Capo of the Chicago Outfit and give us a deeper insight into his complex personality in order to help us better understand his actions and emotions in Bound by Duty. I've always assumed that we've only seen the surface of the many layers that make out this fascinating mobster boss and I'm beyond happy to report that behind the always poised and calm Ice Man facade hides a great man worthy of a strong, smart and loving woman like Valentina.
What I particularly enjoyed and found highly entertaining about this amazing book was the innovative way Cora has decided to structure and write it. It's devided into five betrayals (from the past and present) Dante has perpatrated against the Outfit and the resulting consequences they had on his Mafia empire and his and his family's life. If you're a huge fan of this incredibly talented author like me you will have zero difficulties in guessing who those five women are that Dante has chosen over his vow, his men and the cause. A Capo may be the judge over life and death but he is also accountable for his actions. And as it's often the case a betrayal comes with secrets that could destroy everything you've been working for.
Bound by the Past made me realise that Dante is anything but a cold fish as he is so often accused to be. When this man loves he does it deeply and unapologetically even though he doesn't express his feelings in words most of the time but rather chooses to do it with actions and gestures. He is not afraid to make difficult and tough decisions in order to protect the people he cares about. It all made me truly admire and adore the Capo of the Chicago Outfit even more than I already did.
Valentina is not only his wife and the mother of his children she is also a person whose opinion Dante respects and appreciates on all matters. He is also the only Capo who allowed his wife to work which is in my opinion a sign that he is not backwards thinking like his father and wants to bring important, necessary changes to the Outfit. Val's stubbornness and tendency to disobey her husband have often lead to heated discussions and steamy bedroom sessions. But explosive sexual chemistry is not the only thing that these two share. They support and trust each other fully and they love each other with every fiber of their being. Their arranged marriage was in the beginning serving a purpose but it turned into something they both never dared to dream about.
One of my highlights of this fantastic story was seeing Val and Dante interact with their kids and watching them grow up and develop quite the interesting and completely different personalities as well as seeing some of my beloved secondary characters again like sweet Bibianna and finding out who her love interest is. There are also hints for some more potential couples in the future books as well which you will find very exciting!
I've thoroughly enjoyed Bound by the Past and recommend it from the bottom of my heart. It's a definite must for all Dante and Val shippers! Cora has once again proven why she is the Queen of Mafia romance and that she can still surprise us and take our breath away with some revelations. I'm therefore giving this precious gem 5 stars!
What I particularly enjoyed and found highly entertaining about this amazing book was the innovative way Cora has decided to structure and write it. It's devided into five betrayals (from the past and present) Dante has perpatrated against the Outfit and the resulting consequences they had on his Mafia empire and his and his family's life. If you're a huge fan of this incredibly talented author like me you will have zero difficulties in guessing who those five women are that Dante has chosen over his vow, his men and the cause. A Capo may be the judge over life and death but he is also accountable for his actions. And as it's often the case a betrayal comes with secrets that could destroy everything you've been working for.
Bound by the Past made me realise that Dante is anything but a cold fish as he is so often accused to be. When this man loves he does it deeply and unapologetically even though he doesn't express his feelings in words most of the time but rather chooses to do it with actions and gestures. He is not afraid to make difficult and tough decisions in order to protect the people he cares about. It all made me truly admire and adore the Capo of the Chicago Outfit even more than I already did.
Valentina is not only his wife and the mother of his children she is also a person whose opinion Dante respects and appreciates on all matters. He is also the only Capo who allowed his wife to work which is in my opinion a sign that he is not backwards thinking like his father and wants to bring important, necessary changes to the Outfit. Val's stubbornness and tendency to disobey her husband have often lead to heated discussions and steamy bedroom sessions. But explosive sexual chemistry is not the only thing that these two share. They support and trust each other fully and they love each other with every fiber of their being. Their arranged marriage was in the beginning serving a purpose but it turned into something they both never dared to dream about.
One of my highlights of this fantastic story was seeing Val and Dante interact with their kids and watching them grow up and develop quite the interesting and completely different personalities as well as seeing some of my beloved secondary characters again like sweet Bibianna and finding out who her love interest is. There are also hints for some more potential couples in the future books as well which you will find very exciting!
I've thoroughly enjoyed Bound by the Past and recommend it from the bottom of my heart. It's a definite must for all Dante and Val shippers! Cora has once again proven why she is the Queen of Mafia romance and that she can still surprise us and take our breath away with some revelations. I'm therefore giving this precious gem 5 stars!
April 4, 2024
1.75 stars
First betrayal this. Second betrayal that.
Honestly, Dante is so overdramatic. And this book was so unnecessary, but I’m finally done with this series.
When he said that? This quote got me laughing and rolling my eyes so hard. Seriously, Dante saying that got me feeling like, Are you kidding me??
#1 Bound by honor ~ 2.5 stars
#2 Bound by duty ~ 2.75 stars
#3 Bound by hatred ~ 3 stars
#4 Bound by temptation ~ 2.5 stars
#5 Bound by vengeance ~ 2.5 stars
#6 Bound by love ~ 2.5 stars
#7 Bound by the past ~ 1.75 stars
First betrayal this. Second betrayal that.
Honestly, Dante is so overdramatic. And this book was so unnecessary, but I’m finally done with this series.
“Haven’t you known? I tried to show it. I obviously didn’t do a good job.”
When he said that? This quote got me laughing and rolling my eyes so hard. Seriously, Dante saying that got me feeling like, Are you kidding me??
#1 Bound by honor ~ 2.5 stars
#2 Bound by duty ~ 2.75 stars
#3 Bound by hatred ~ 3 stars
#4 Bound by temptation ~ 2.5 stars
#5 Bound by vengeance ~ 2.5 stars
#6 Bound by love ~ 2.5 stars
#7 Bound by the past ~ 1.75 stars
July 8, 2022
TODO LO QUE NECESITABA
Ay Dante
😍😭
Este libro cuenta parte del pasado de Dante, cuando murió su primera esposa, cuando se casó con Val y sucesos ocurridos a lo largo esta serie y de la de La Camorra pero desde el punto de vista del Outfit.
Saben que no me gustan los retellings pero en este caso era necesario ya que la primera parte del libro es contada por Dante es su versión de los hechos del libro Bound of Duty que nomás está contada por Valentina y al ser Dante un hombre tan controlado, frío que no muestra ninguna emoción yo necesitaba saber lo que pensaba y porque NUNCA LE DIJO A VALENTINA QUE LA AMABA!!!
Eso fue mi principal problema en ese libro la falta de amor de Dante hacia Valentina y ahora sabemos el porqué.
Y sí llegamos a ese momento cuando le dices las ansiadas palabras y yo gracias puedo morir en paz, no quiero morir es sólo un dicho.
Dante sigue siendo un hombre controlado, sin emoción aparente pero con su familia es otra cosa podemos apreciar cómo ha evolucionado su relación con Val y con sus hijos es todo un amor, me daba mucha ternura cuando estaba con su hija Anna.
Y también pudimos ver el lado más sádico y sanguinario de Dante a más detalle.
Hace unos días leí el libro de remo que by the way me encantó, pero ahora leer el otro lado de la moneda sufrí demasiado con la familia de Serafina y es que Remo se pasó, lo admito.
Se me merecía la paliza que le dieron
Me siento en medio de esta guerra y yo ya no sé a qué bando irle yo quiero que todos sean felices
PEACE AND LOVE PLEASE!!!
Ahora que se acerca el libro de Adamo a mí me hubiera encantado que fuera con Anna Cavallaro en mucha ocasiones del libro lo daban a entender pero ya que Adamo ya tiene pareja confirmada creo que será con su guardaespaldas.
Otra cosa, ya que tenemos confirmado el libro de Sofia y Danilo también quiero libro para Samuel y la hermana de Danilo si no es mucho pedir.
Ahora si Bye.
Ay Dante
😍😭
Este libro cuenta parte del pasado de Dante, cuando murió su primera esposa, cuando se casó con Val y sucesos ocurridos a lo largo esta serie y de la de La Camorra pero desde el punto de vista del Outfit.
Saben que no me gustan los retellings pero en este caso era necesario ya que la primera parte del libro es contada por Dante es su versión de los hechos del libro Bound of Duty que nomás está contada por Valentina y al ser Dante un hombre tan controlado, frío que no muestra ninguna emoción yo necesitaba saber lo que pensaba y porque NUNCA LE DIJO A VALENTINA QUE LA AMABA!!!
Eso fue mi principal problema en ese libro la falta de amor de Dante hacia Valentina y ahora sabemos el porqué.
Y sí llegamos a ese momento cuando le dices las ansiadas palabras y yo gracias puedo morir en paz, no quiero morir es sólo un dicho.
Dante sigue siendo un hombre controlado, sin emoción aparente pero con su familia es otra cosa podemos apreciar cómo ha evolucionado su relación con Val y con sus hijos es todo un amor, me daba mucha ternura cuando estaba con su hija Anna.
Y también pudimos ver el lado más sádico y sanguinario de Dante a más detalle.
Hace unos días leí el libro de remo que by the way me encantó, pero ahora leer el otro lado de la moneda sufrí demasiado con la familia de Serafina y es que Remo se pasó, lo admito.
Se me merecía la paliza que le dieron
Me siento en medio de esta guerra y yo ya no sé a qué bando irle yo quiero que todos sean felices
PEACE AND LOVE PLEASE!!!
Ahora que se acerca el libro de Adamo a mí me hubiera encantado que fuera con Anna Cavallaro en mucha ocasiones del libro lo daban a entender pero ya que Adamo ya tiene pareja confirmada creo que será con su guardaespaldas.
Otra cosa, ya que tenemos confirmado el libro de Sofia y Danilo también quiero libro para Samuel y la hermana de Danilo si no es mucho pedir.
Ahora si Bye.
May 22, 2020
i mean was this book really necessary?? when i heard we were getting a second book on dante and valentina i thought things were gonna pick up after we left off in twisted pride, but no, i guess we needed to have 50% of the book dedicated to recapping everything we've already read several times throughout the born in blood mafia chronicles but from dante's pov. wasn't it better to just have dante's pov in bound by duty and be done with it? i've noticed that's something cora reilly does, she repeats the exact same events SEVERAL times in different books but from different pov's, and i don't know about you, but it really puts me off having to read the exact same plotlines over and over again.
things picked up after the half-way mark, and it was, coincidentally, when the falcones entered the stage. again, repetition of the events from twisted pride, nothing new to see here except for seeing dante not knowing what the hell to do when confronted with any kind of problems in the outfit. at this point i'm asking myself, does dante even know how to be a capo at all?? every single thing that happens in his territory he's unable to deal with or to find a solution to, instead, he just waits until the whole thing gets resolved in some way where he doesn't have to make any decisions at all. let's see:
* dante throwing anyone under the bus so long as his precious daughter never gets an arranged marriage. he literally could not care less about giving away other people's daughters (literally his own nieces) just as long as his family was not touched. so, does he care about the outfit or only about his family? if he cares so much about his daughter not being in an arranged marriage then why the hell does he not make this tradition stop? or is it because he just does not give a flying fuck about other girls, just his anna? and just like that, there were other examples where i saw his double standards and i ain't fucking with that.
* every scuderi leaving the outfit for the famiglia. i mean, if every single person started defecting from your mafia family for another i'd be concerned about WHY they keep doing that and try to change that. but we all know dante did absolutely nothing to try to introduce changes in the ways of the outfit.
* valentina's brother defecting because he wanted to marry an asian woman and of course that's frowned upon in the outfit. i mean dante, can you even change ANYTHING about your mobster family's medieval mindset???? is that too much to ask??
* the whole thing with rocco and dante's lack of caring about what the hell happened to fabiano. like, it's not just any soldier that went missing it was the teenage SON of your consigliere, potentially your FUTURE consigliere, that disappeared from thin air and you don't even look for him or investigate what happened to him???
* serafina gets kidnapped by the camorra, and dante never ONCE had a plan on what the hell to do to get her back. just hope for the best and expect remo to hand fina over eventually.
yeah, i felt for him a lot of the times that i mentioned above, but honey, if you can't deal with the problems of running a goddamn mafia family then maybe you're not fit to be the leader at all. i think leonas is gonna be leagues better than his father ever was, #sorrynotsorry.
overall, dante is my least favorite capo because i genuinely think he's not even fit to rule a single block of a neighborhood and y'all can come for me, but the facts remain true and so far, every hurdle trown his way he's been unable to deal with.
things picked up after the half-way mark, and it was, coincidentally, when the falcones entered the stage. again, repetition of the events from twisted pride, nothing new to see here except for seeing dante not knowing what the hell to do when confronted with any kind of problems in the outfit. at this point i'm asking myself, does dante even know how to be a capo at all?? every single thing that happens in his territory he's unable to deal with or to find a solution to, instead, he just waits until the whole thing gets resolved in some way where he doesn't have to make any decisions at all. let's see:
* dante throwing anyone under the bus so long as his precious daughter never gets an arranged marriage. he literally could not care less about giving away other people's daughters (literally his own nieces) just as long as his family was not touched. so, does he care about the outfit or only about his family? if he cares so much about his daughter not being in an arranged marriage then why the hell does he not make this tradition stop? or is it because he just does not give a flying fuck about other girls, just his anna? and just like that, there were other examples where i saw his double standards and i ain't fucking with that.
* every scuderi leaving the outfit for the famiglia. i mean, if every single person started defecting from your mafia family for another i'd be concerned about WHY they keep doing that and try to change that. but we all know dante did absolutely nothing to try to introduce changes in the ways of the outfit.
* valentina's brother defecting because he wanted to marry an asian woman and of course that's frowned upon in the outfit. i mean dante, can you even change ANYTHING about your mobster family's medieval mindset???? is that too much to ask??
* the whole thing with rocco and dante's lack of caring about what the hell happened to fabiano. like, it's not just any soldier that went missing it was the teenage SON of your consigliere, potentially your FUTURE consigliere, that disappeared from thin air and you don't even look for him or investigate what happened to him???
* serafina gets kidnapped by the camorra, and dante never ONCE had a plan on what the hell to do to get her back. just hope for the best and expect remo to hand fina over eventually.
yeah, i felt for him a lot of the times that i mentioned above, but honey, if you can't deal with the problems of running a goddamn mafia family then maybe you're not fit to be the leader at all. i think leonas is gonna be leagues better than his father ever was, #sorrynotsorry.
overall, dante is my least favorite capo because i genuinely think he's not even fit to rule a single block of a neighborhood and y'all can come for me, but the facts remain true and so far, every hurdle trown his way he's been unable to deal with.
May 23, 2020
First off, I’m shocked this book ever got released!
Second, I didn’t love it.
Carla is mentioned WAY too much in this book. Dante thought about her all the damn time, he had to consistently “push thoughts of her aside” he thought of her on his wedding day, the night he finds out Val is a virgin he thinks about how he took Carlas virginity. What is the point in the non stop mentioning of her? Reasons like this is why deceased spouse books rarely work, especially since said deceased spouse is not a bad character and Hero would still be with her. She was mentioned almost on every damn page until atleast 30% of the book. Afterwards, it was more about Dante then Dante and Val’s love.
So Dante thought about Carla at 65% “...I’d never forget her and what had happened...” dude its been years you have 2 kids with Val lets forget her!!
Again at 77%, 84% and 96%. Sure near the end the thoughts weren’t as deep but they will still there and completely useless. Carla will always be the other woman in that marriage.
The majority of the book was basically just a recap of events but from Dantes pov.
Seems like Danilo and Sofia’s story might be the same in the sense Danilo seems to be in pretty damn deep with Serfina and Sofia will be second best.
Overall, it was okay I expected much more. As far as characters go Dante and Val are great but the mentioning of his deceased wife was way too much and it would have been nice to see more Dante and Val. I guess I’m just glad we got the “I love you” and this wasn’t a book about Luca and Aria 😄 I’m tired of those two.
Also, this author’s fan page on fb sucks, I had to leave it if I ever wanted to read any of her books. They super censor what is posted on there, even if the post isn’t remotely offensive. My friend got blocked from it 😆 so be prepared for only kissing ass comments no real discussions allowed.
All other books in this series are on KU, however, this one isn’t.
———————————————————————————
UPDATE: April 8/20: WE HAVE A DATE FOLKS!!!! Lets see how it goes.
UPDATE - Aug 7/19: Author posted that the book will yet again be postponed and plans to release just her August book and nothing further until next year because she has wrist issues. However, her first book release will not be this but a book about a different couple. To be honest I’m frustrated this book was promised sooo long ago.. delay delay delay.. why not just say she has no plans to release this? It would be easier instead of this BS. author good luck with your wrist issues!
GREAT!! Author changed release date from August to October.. instead we will get a book on acouple we read about only 2 books ago, while we haven’t read anything about this couple for sometime now 🤬😫. I guess I should just be grateful its not another Luca book LOL
Second, I didn’t love it.
Carla is mentioned WAY too much in this book. Dante thought about her all the damn time, he had to consistently “push thoughts of her aside” he thought of her on his wedding day, the night he finds out Val is a virgin he thinks about how he took Carlas virginity. What is the point in the non stop mentioning of her? Reasons like this is why deceased spouse books rarely work, especially since said deceased spouse is not a bad character and Hero would still be with her. She was mentioned almost on every damn page until atleast 30% of the book. Afterwards, it was more about Dante then Dante and Val’s love.
So Dante thought about Carla at 65% “...I’d never forget her and what had happened...” dude its been years you have 2 kids with Val lets forget her!!
Again at 77%, 84% and 96%. Sure near the end the thoughts weren’t as deep but they will still there and completely useless. Carla will always be the other woman in that marriage.
The majority of the book was basically just a recap of events but from Dantes pov.
Seems like Danilo and Sofia’s story might be the same in the sense Danilo seems to be in pretty damn deep with Serfina and Sofia will be second best.
Overall, it was okay I expected much more. As far as characters go Dante and Val are great but the mentioning of his deceased wife was way too much and it would have been nice to see more Dante and Val. I guess I’m just glad we got the “I love you” and this wasn’t a book about Luca and Aria 😄 I’m tired of those two.
Also, this author’s fan page on fb sucks, I had to leave it if I ever wanted to read any of her books. They super censor what is posted on there, even if the post isn’t remotely offensive. My friend got blocked from it 😆 so be prepared for only kissing ass comments no real discussions allowed.
All other books in this series are on KU, however, this one isn’t.
———————————————————————————
UPDATE: April 8/20: WE HAVE A DATE FOLKS!!!! Lets see how it goes.
UPDATE - Aug 7/19: Author posted that the book will yet again be postponed and plans to release just her August book and nothing further until next year because she has wrist issues. However, her first book release will not be this but a book about a different couple. To be honest I’m frustrated this book was promised sooo long ago.. delay delay delay.. why not just say she has no plans to release this? It would be easier instead of this BS. author good luck with your wrist issues!
GREAT!! Author changed release date from August to October.. instead we will get a book on acouple we read about only 2 books ago, while we haven’t read anything about this couple for sometime now 🤬😫. I guess I should just be grateful its not another Luca book LOL
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2020
* BETA REVIEW *
GAH!!!! Cora Reilly has slayed my heart with the magnificent Dante Cavallaro in Bound By The Past (BBTP). I thought I knew who he was in Bound By Duty but I honestly had NO idea. In this story, Dante has a myriad of facets that legit brought me to my knees. In particular, through a series of pivotal flashbacks, Reilly provides a close examination of the man behind the Capo and a greater insight into the emotions of the man that originally closed himself off from love. This story was incredible and just another reason why Reilly is a dominant force in this genre!
While reading this story what I loved more than anything was that despite ruling with an iron fist and an unwavering will to position the Outfit as the true leading family, it's evident that his close and unwavering bond with his loved ones have affected monumental moments and decisions in his life and his reign as Capo. I loved everything about this story and all the new tidbits and scenes that we never saw coming. This story is exceptional and a mandatory #oneclick!! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
GAH!!!! Cora Reilly has slayed my heart with the magnificent Dante Cavallaro in Bound By The Past (BBTP). I thought I knew who he was in Bound By Duty but I honestly had NO idea. In this story, Dante has a myriad of facets that legit brought me to my knees. In particular, through a series of pivotal flashbacks, Reilly provides a close examination of the man behind the Capo and a greater insight into the emotions of the man that originally closed himself off from love. This story was incredible and just another reason why Reilly is a dominant force in this genre!
While reading this story what I loved more than anything was that despite ruling with an iron fist and an unwavering will to position the Outfit as the true leading family, it's evident that his close and unwavering bond with his loved ones have affected monumental moments and decisions in his life and his reign as Capo. I loved everything about this story and all the new tidbits and scenes that we never saw coming. This story is exceptional and a mandatory #oneclick!! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
Want to read
July 4, 2019Totally fed up of LUCA LUCA LUCA. Just get it over with already. How many books does he even need!! I'll tell you, no way as much as our author has given him. Been waiting desperately since last year for Dante. Come-on C.R!! Always felt something unfinished between D&V since he never told her he loved her. I hope to God that they are given the impossibly overdue HEA they deserve.
May 20, 2020
This is Dante like we never seen(read) before ❤️
Been a fan of Dante since his book and I loved him then but I’m even more crazy about him now.
Guys, I promise you... he is so MUCH MORE than what was portrayed in BBD.
The love for his family fuels him. So many beautiful scenes, my heart couldn’t handle it.
Young D was 🔥 but Daddy D... 🙌🏻
I really hope you guys love this book because CR did such an amazing job with Dante’s beginning and how he evolved through the years as Capo, husband and father.
Oh... and IM SO DAMN EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOKS 👀🤫 Cora omg so glad you did that. 👀❤️
So yes! The Book is LIVE & I can talk about how epic this book was!
20/05/20
Dante, he was a man following rules, it was ingrained in him from a very young age. The outfit is old school and Dante didn’t agree with most of it. Clearly by the way he betrayed the family more than once.
He was a tough and ruthless capo but a loving and protective husband and father. We get to read a side of Dante we knew very little about.
Val is as always a GREAT heroine, never meek or dull. She was such a loving and fun mom to Anna & Leonas. I enjoyed those moments!
Leonas? He was one of the best things of the story and I’m so excited for it!
Dante:5
Val:5
Chemistry:5
Plot:5
Romance:5
Five stars ❤️😍
Been a fan of Dante since his book and I loved him then but I’m even more crazy about him now.
Guys, I promise you... he is so MUCH MORE than what was portrayed in BBD.
The love for his family fuels him. So many beautiful scenes, my heart couldn’t handle it.
Young D was 🔥 but Daddy D... 🙌🏻
I really hope you guys love this book because CR did such an amazing job with Dante’s beginning and how he evolved through the years as Capo, husband and father.
Oh... and IM SO DAMN EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOKS 👀🤫 Cora omg so glad you did that. 👀❤️
So yes! The Book is LIVE & I can talk about how epic this book was!
20/05/20
Dante, he was a man following rules, it was ingrained in him from a very young age. The outfit is old school and Dante didn’t agree with most of it. Clearly by the way he betrayed the family more than once.
He was a tough and ruthless capo but a loving and protective husband and father. We get to read a side of Dante we knew very little about.
Val is as always a GREAT heroine, never meek or dull. She was such a loving and fun mom to Anna & Leonas. I enjoyed those moments!
Leonas? He was one of the best things of the story and I’m so excited for it!
Dante:5
Val:5
Chemistry:5
Plot:5
Romance:5
Five stars ❤️😍
May 13, 2020
WOW!!! Bound by the Past is a treat that I wasn't expecting.
First of all, this is not a standalone, you should read at least Bound by Duty (Dante and Val's story) so you'll understand this one, but honestly you should read all the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles and then at least the 3 first books in the Camorra Chronicles, otherwise you will have major spoilers that will spoil all the other books in the series for you.
Let's be honest here, Dante and Valentina were never among my favorites. To be honest I didn't even like them very much, even though I really like how the story in Bound by Duty went by Dante and Val just never really catch my love. But BBTP changed my mind I do love them now! Being able to take a peak inside Dante's head was crucial to me, to be able to understand him and understand the reason to a lot of things in Bound by Duty! I loved the whole book and I don't want to give spoilers and its so hard to write this review without letting any slip by.
In this book we get to see the past of Dante, and it shows all of his betrayals to the Outfit. But more than that it gave me the feels, I felt so many feelings that I got whiplash, and loved every minute of it. We get to see Anna and Leonas, which I am so in love with them that I want their books right away PLEASEE CORA!!! You get to see Dante's relationship with his family and with Val's family as well. You get the see the man behind the Cold Fish mask. You get to see other characters that are so amazing you'll fall in love with them and will cry at night because you don't know if they'll get a book and when that'll happen. The secondary characters shone very brightly to me and I'm so anxious to read the stories of the future couples we saw in it. All in all this book was amazing, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! I could not put it down for the life of me.
Maybe this books won't be to everyone's liking (I don't see how that's possible but I know it happens) but one thing is absolutely clear to me, over the years of accompanying Cora's work, at every release I get surprised with how much her writing keeps improving, don't get me wrong it was NEVER bad, but it just keeps getting better and better at every book. If you've read my previous review of Sweet Temptation you'll see that I said that was one of her best books, and I'll just stop saying it because at every new books it just gets better and better and it just blows my mind. I'm a huge fan of Mrs Cora Reilly.
Read this book! It is amazing, FREAKING AMAZING!!!
First of all, this is not a standalone, you should read at least Bound by Duty (Dante and Val's story) so you'll understand this one, but honestly you should read all the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles and then at least the 3 first books in the Camorra Chronicles, otherwise you will have major spoilers that will spoil all the other books in the series for you.
Let's be honest here, Dante and Valentina were never among my favorites. To be honest I didn't even like them very much, even though I really like how the story in Bound by Duty went by Dante and Val just never really catch my love. But BBTP changed my mind I do love them now! Being able to take a peak inside Dante's head was crucial to me, to be able to understand him and understand the reason to a lot of things in Bound by Duty! I loved the whole book and I don't want to give spoilers and its so hard to write this review without letting any slip by.
In this book we get to see the past of Dante, and it shows all of his betrayals to the Outfit. But more than that it gave me the feels, I felt so many feelings that I got whiplash, and loved every minute of it. We get to see Anna and Leonas, which I am so in love with them that I want their books right away PLEASEE CORA!!! You get to see Dante's relationship with his family and with Val's family as well. You get the see the man behind the Cold Fish mask. You get to see other characters that are so amazing you'll fall in love with them and will cry at night because you don't know if they'll get a book and when that'll happen. The secondary characters shone very brightly to me and I'm so anxious to read the stories of the future couples we saw in it. All in all this book was amazing, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! I could not put it down for the life of me.
Maybe this books won't be to everyone's liking (I don't see how that's possible but I know it happens) but one thing is absolutely clear to me, over the years of accompanying Cora's work, at every release I get surprised with how much her writing keeps improving, don't get me wrong it was NEVER bad, but it just keeps getting better and better at every book. If you've read my previous review of Sweet Temptation you'll see that I said that was one of her best books, and I'll just stop saying it because at every new books it just gets better and better and it just blows my mind. I'm a huge fan of Mrs Cora Reilly.
Read this book! It is amazing, FREAKING AMAZING!!!
June 14, 2020
Bound by the Past made me fall in love with Dante Cavallaro and Valentina Aresco - Cavallaro all over again. The story retells Bound by Duty in Dante's perspective and the rest of the books in Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles and Camorra Chronicles. We get the glimpse of the past, present and future as Dante ruled the Chicago Outfit.
Out of the Capos / Mafia Leaders, Dante is the wisest and the most intelligent. Some of you thought either the Famiglia or the Camorra are stronger. To me, Chicago Outfit is the strongest. Many questioned Dante's leadership because of his decisions. He isn't perfect and he committed a lot of mistakes throughout and may considered as betrayal. Yet he did it for good intentions. He has morals and he can masks his emotions. At first, he's not the best husband to Valentina but she sets him straight. We are all frustrated when he didn't say the "L" word. He's not a fan of PDA and likes to keep his love for Valentina privately.
Dante and Valentina are more reserved than any other couples. As husband and wife, they grew to love and support each other in the toughest times. Valentina taught him to love and I love how she pushed his buttons. Of course Dante makes up for the lost time by being a responsible husband and father to his wife and children. I swear these two are my top favorites along with Serafina and Remo (Twisted Pride).
I JUST LOVE DANTE AND VALENTINA OK?! I TURNED INTO A SAPPY SHIT.
Out of the Capos / Mafia Leaders, Dante is the wisest and the most intelligent. Some of you thought either the Famiglia or the Camorra are stronger. To me, Chicago Outfit is the strongest. Many questioned Dante's leadership because of his decisions. He isn't perfect and he committed a lot of mistakes throughout and may considered as betrayal. Yet he did it for good intentions. He has morals and he can masks his emotions. At first, he's not the best husband to Valentina but she sets him straight. We are all frustrated when he didn't say the "L" word. He's not a fan of PDA and likes to keep his love for Valentina privately.
Dante and Valentina are more reserved than any other couples. As husband and wife, they grew to love and support each other in the toughest times. Valentina taught him to love and I love how she pushed his buttons. Of course Dante makes up for the lost time by being a responsible husband and father to his wife and children. I swear these two are my top favorites along with Serafina and Remo (Twisted Pride).
I JUST LOVE DANTE AND VALENTINA OK?! I TURNED INTO A SAPPY SHIT.
May 20, 2020
A re-hash of all the previous books in Dante's POV. Nothing interesting happens. I got bored 30% in and started skimming.
Orazio's storyline was so boring. I don't even think he needs his own book.
Dante was spineless throughout this book. He kept taking hits after hits in the name of "protecting" his family. I felt like he didn't deserve to be capo.
Also, there are way to many grammatical errors and sentence structures that made no sense. Cora really needs to hire a good editor, cause she adds random words in sentences that make no sense at all.
*spoilers*
Honestly I was surprised that Val came up with the idea of arranging her daughters marriage to someone for political gain. I thought she was better then that.
I was excited for fragile longing before but after this not so much. Reading about how Danilo is controlling every aspect of Sophia's life, from not allowing her to go to school to what bodyguard she'll have, didn't really sit well with me.
Orazio's storyline was so boring. I don't even think he needs his own book.
Dante was spineless throughout this book. He kept taking hits after hits in the name of "protecting" his family. I felt like he didn't deserve to be capo.
Also, there are way to many grammatical errors and sentence structures that made no sense. Cora really needs to hire a good editor, cause she adds random words in sentences that make no sense at all.
*spoilers*
Honestly I was surprised that Val came up with the idea of arranging her daughters marriage to someone for political gain. I thought she was better then that.
I was excited for fragile longing before but after this not so much. Reading about how Danilo is controlling every aspect of Sophia's life, from not allowing her to go to school to what bodyguard she'll have, didn't really sit well with me.
January 8, 2021
I loved it! Dante is the hottest mafia boss out there. He is strong and dark and cruel but also compassionate and loving. The way he loved Val and his kids was just so swoon worthy and his interactions with Anna and Leonas and little Bea warmed my heart. He treated Valentina as his equal, he respected her and loved her with all his heart. Epic couple, epic love story! 5 stars!
Cora's books are not for everyone but this one is totally safe. Yes Dante was in love with his first wife and he tried really hard to get over her death but Valentina was the love of his life. She gave him 3 beautiful kids and a peaceful life. No cheating, no other man, no other woman.
I can’t wait for Danilo’s and Sophia’s story! ❤️
Re-reading this because I can't get enough of this perfect family! Still a 5 stars book!
Cora's books are not for everyone but this one is totally safe. Yes Dante was in love with his first wife and he tried really hard to get over her death but Valentina was the love of his life. She gave him 3 beautiful kids and a peaceful life. No cheating, no other man, no other woman.
I can’t wait for Danilo’s and Sophia’s story! ❤️
Re-reading this because I can't get enough of this perfect family! Still a 5 stars book!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
May 21, 2020I TRIED I REALLY DID..
May 13, 2020
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
First of all you CAN'T read this book as a stand-alone, you at least have to have read Bound by Duty, because this book is a continuation of Dante and Valentina's story. Also there will be a lot of spoilers regarding events that happen in the books that released after Bound by Duty (books 3-6). So if you really want to enjoy this series to its fullest, then I highly recommend you to read the books in order. Let's get back to reviewing Bound by the Past. Dante and Valentina are my favorite couple in this series, so I was very excited when I saw that Cora was writing another book featuring them. This book starts of with an event that took place when Dante was 19 years old, I really liked seeing how a younger Dante started his journey to become Capo of the Chicago Outfit. It really made me like him even more than I already did. Then we get to see Dante with his first wife Carla, which was a very emotional and powerful scene. Then the book spans over 14 years of Dante and Valentina's marriage.
A couple of events will sound familiar, but we haven't seen it through Dante and Valentina's eyes. For examples events that we saw through Luca/Aria and Remo/Serafina's eyes for the first time, we are seeing what it did and how Dante and Valentina were experiencing everything at the same time. I was very intrigued how Dante handled things and how supportive and essential Valentina was to his state of mind at times. These two showed me again why they are one of my favorite couples, and I just loved being reunited with them. Seeing them grow stronger and closer together, and the relationship they have with their children was beautiful. I enjoyed this book immensely. I am intrigued by so many characters in this series, that I can't wait for all of them to get their own books. Readers who love this series and couple will enjoy this book as well, and I can't wait for the next book to release so I can meet the new characters and catch up on all my favorite ones.
First of all you CAN'T read this book as a stand-alone, you at least have to have read Bound by Duty, because this book is a continuation of Dante and Valentina's story. Also there will be a lot of spoilers regarding events that happen in the books that released after Bound by Duty (books 3-6). So if you really want to enjoy this series to its fullest, then I highly recommend you to read the books in order. Let's get back to reviewing Bound by the Past. Dante and Valentina are my favorite couple in this series, so I was very excited when I saw that Cora was writing another book featuring them. This book starts of with an event that took place when Dante was 19 years old, I really liked seeing how a younger Dante started his journey to become Capo of the Chicago Outfit. It really made me like him even more than I already did. Then we get to see Dante with his first wife Carla, which was a very emotional and powerful scene. Then the book spans over 14 years of Dante and Valentina's marriage.
A couple of events will sound familiar, but we haven't seen it through Dante and Valentina's eyes. For examples events that we saw through Luca/Aria and Remo/Serafina's eyes for the first time, we are seeing what it did and how Dante and Valentina were experiencing everything at the same time. I was very intrigued how Dante handled things and how supportive and essential Valentina was to his state of mind at times. These two showed me again why they are one of my favorite couples, and I just loved being reunited with them. Seeing them grow stronger and closer together, and the relationship they have with their children was beautiful. I enjoyed this book immensely. I am intrigued by so many characters in this series, that I can't wait for all of them to get their own books. Readers who love this series and couple will enjoy this book as well, and I can't wait for the next book to release so I can meet the new characters and catch up on all my favorite ones.
August 23, 2020
3.5
Reading Bound by Past is a great way to brush up on all the emotions that the previous books of the two series have caused us.
It's also an open window on Dante' heart and mind.
We have learned about a very controlled and cold Dante; in this book we meet a different man: one who struggle when it comes to the protection of his family; a man who put above everything else the ones who loves.
Valentina show us again she is a strong clever woman, able to stand beside his man and not behind.
Despite the war, the enemy surrounding them, they are just stronger together.
Unfortunately reading Dante' pov made me understand more than ever that i'm a " 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙"😌
Sorry Dante 😂
Reading Bound by Past is a great way to brush up on all the emotions that the previous books of the two series have caused us.
It's also an open window on Dante' heart and mind.
We have learned about a very controlled and cold Dante; in this book we meet a different man: one who struggle when it comes to the protection of his family; a man who put above everything else the ones who loves.
Valentina show us again she is a strong clever woman, able to stand beside his man and not behind.
Despite the war, the enemy surrounding them, they are just stronger together.
Unfortunately reading Dante' pov made me understand more than ever that i'm a " 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙"😌
Sorry Dante 😂
Want to read
July 7, 2019OCTOBER?! WTF
June 5, 2020
Ok, Lucas was first, no doubt about it.
He's like eat a chocolate and enjoying it. But Dante is like that feeling of satisfaction when you've finished the chocolate.
I can't wait for him!
*
My five stars for Valentina and another five for Dante and another five for Anna.
OMG!!!!!!
I enjoyed it too much when it all made sense. There was one part in particular that I was hoping to read: the whole situation of Serafina's captivity, and I can say that I was not disappointed.
Too much emotions for the Iceman.
Val was amazing!!!
Kids were fantastic. Anna won my haert completely.
And damn Rocco, it's a good thing you suffered when you died, but not enough! That's for sure, it would never be enough.
Of course Dante had to recognize that he would not win at any time close even if the Camorra and the Famiglia were not friends, but he found, as always THANKS TO VAL, another opportunity of alliances and this becomes even more interesting from here.
He's like eat a chocolate and enjoying it. But Dante is like that feeling of satisfaction when you've finished the chocolate.
I can't wait for him!
*
My five stars for Valentina and another five for Dante and another five for Anna.
OMG!!!!!!
I enjoyed it too much when it all made sense. There was one part in particular that I was hoping to read: the whole situation of Serafina's captivity, and I can say that I was not disappointed.
Too much emotions for the Iceman.
Val was amazing!!!
Kids were fantastic. Anna won my haert completely.
And damn Rocco, it's a good thing you suffered when you died, but not enough! That's for sure, it would never be enough.
Of course Dante had to recognize that he would not win at any time close even if the Camorra and the Famiglia were not friends, but he found, as always THANKS TO VAL, another opportunity of alliances and this becomes even more interesting from here.
May 22, 2020
Okay, I am the first to admit I didn’t have huge hopes for this book. I really liked Valentina and I was curious about more Dante but BBD was not the best in my opinion.
Now, let me tell you how much I adore the Cavallaros! This book was fantastic -a complete change in this world and so wholesome. I fell absolutely in love with Valentina and Dante and I just want more and more of them.
The way this story progressed (along with Dante) it was great and while I used to believe the Outfit was the weakest organization, they proved me wrong. They are the most resilient and with the best chances of expansion.
I am in love, guys. I’m really in love with this book and its characters.
Now, let me tell you how much I adore the Cavallaros! This book was fantastic -a complete change in this world and so wholesome. I fell absolutely in love with Valentina and Dante and I just want more and more of them.
The way this story progressed (along with Dante) it was great and while I used to believe the Outfit was the weakest organization, they proved me wrong. They are the most resilient and with the best chances of expansion.
I am in love, guys. I’m really in love with this book and its characters.
June 28, 2019
When is it more Mateo and Gianna ? I really miss their banter :(
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