Bound by the Past
by Cora Reilly
Self-Published
Book 7 in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles
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.
Age Recommendation:
18+
Genre:
Dark Romance
Mafia
Bound by the Past by Cora Reilly is the 7th book in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, and centers around the second couple of the series, Valentina and Dante. Bound by the Past gives us a look into Dante's past with his late wife, and Valentina and Dante's POV's during the events of the books that have since come out after theirs, including a large portion of it to the events of book 3 in the Camorra Chronicles, when the Camorra kidnap their niece.
Sigh. I had high hopes. You see, I like Valentina and Dante. They are probably the healthiest couple in this series (aside from Liliana and Romero, who get top spot). They are a great compliment to each other. But I found myself incredibly bored with this one. The sex was great. I loved them as parents. I loved their moments of being a couple. But it was predictable. All. So. Predictable. Much like Bound by Love was. We didn't need books to further convince us that Luca and Dante are the rare Capo's that put their family before the Outfit/famiglia. We knew that already. So this book, and the last, are a bit of a waste of time. Although, if it was Cora Reilly's hope to ramp up interest for her other books, she succeeded. I had no intention on reading her other series except Fabiano, but I guess I will end up reading the whole thing, because Remo and Serafina's book is 3 books in. Ugh. My poor tbr. My poor brain. These translation issues are hard on it.
If you are a Dante and Valentina fan, you may enjoy reading more about their life together, and their children. But it won't hurt to skip it either. No new information is put out for the series.
Dante telling Val he loves her
Dante wanting Val to be his Consigliere
Leonas: “It’s not a sign of strength to hurt the people you need to protect,”
Dante: “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.”