Bound by Duty

Title: Bound by Duty
Series: Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles Book 2
Author: Cora Reilly
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*Synopsis*

Dante – The Boss – Cavallaro’s wife died four years ago. On the verge of becoming the youngest head in the history of the Chicago mafia, Dante needs a new wife and Valentina was chosen for the role.

Valentina lost her husband, too, but her first marriage had always been for show. When she was eighteen, she agreed to marry Antonio in order to hide the truth: that he was gay and in love with an outsider. Even after his death, she kept his secret, not only to preserve the honor of a dead man, but also to protect herself. But now that she’s about to marry Dante, her castle of lies threatens to crash. Dante is only thirty-six but already feared and respected in the Familia, and he’s notorious for always getting what he wants. Valentina is terrified of the wedding night that might reveal her secret, but her worries prove unfounded when Dante shows her the cold shoulder. Soon her fear is replaced by confusion and indignation. Valentina is tired of being ignored. She’s determined to get Dante’s attention and desire, even if she can’t get his heart that still belongs to his dead wife.

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When Valentina was eighteen she made the decision to marry her friend to hide the fact that he was gay from the family. For years she lived in a loveless marriage and watched as her husband lived happily with his lover. Then her husband is killed by the Russian’s she thought that she would finally be able to live on her own. But her and her husband had a childless marriage so her father decides to marry her off again. This time to Dante Cavallaro, the soon-to-be youngest head of a Mafia family in years. 

Dante shares the experience of losing a spouse with Valentina, having lost his wife a few years earlier. The difference, though, is that Dante and his wife had a happy marriage and he is still mourning her loss. Taking a wife is expected of him, so he does it, but that doesn’t mean he has to be happy with it or learn to live with his new wife. Valentina isn’t going to give up though and is relentless in her pursuit to make her husband notice her. 

Cora Reilly knows how to write some panty melting men! Dante was really closed off and tried to keep his distance from Valentina, but you could tell that he was hiding his feelings and wasn't just an unfeeling bastard. It drew me into him like a moth to a flame and I just wanted more. Dante had this whole tall, dark and deadly thing going on and it made me want to just lick him. 

I actually really liked Valentina, which shocked me because I was pretty iffy about her in the first book. She was headstrong and not afraid to go after what she wanted, which I loved. She may have been stuck in the Mafia life but she made the best out of it and didn't just cry over the hand life had dealt her. I was impressed that she actually stood up to Dante and wanted to work and help her friends, something not done by the wife of a Made Man. 

I was getting a little frustrated by how long Dante was taking to come to the realization that he actually loved his wife. But in the end it all worked out and i was happy with how the situation was resolved. I am loving on this series so onto Matteo now and just a warning, girls - I have already claimed him!

Just saying :)