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.
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.
Bound by Duty is the second novel in the born in blood mafia chronicle series. I loved the first one that much I immediately went straight out and bought the second. I don't usually spend what I did on an ebook, but this was so worth it.
Valentina is in the first book. We meet her briefly at Aria and Luca's wedding, so I was surprised she got a book of her own, especially when the other books in the series is about Aria's sisters, Gianna, and Lilly. I was going to skip, but something stopped me and I'm so glad it did because I found it hard to put the book down.
Valentina is a great character. She's strong, independent and funny. I think that's what Dante needed as he also lost his last wife, like Valentina lost her husband.
This book surprised me more than Aria and Luca's, I don't know if it's because I didn't expect much or what, but I loved it just as much. Valentina's last marriage was a lie. She was married to Antonio who was gay, so they never actually had the proper wedding night. So getting married again she was hoping Dante would rectify that. Then he doesn't make a move on their wedding night and Valentina starts making advances, but they all seem to get shot down until she admits she's a virgin.
Anyway, the two aren't exactly close, Dante is mourning over his late wife still and doesn't want another weakness in his life as he'll be the new capo soon enough. But then Valentina changes it all, slowly. At times I didn't feel like it worked between them and couldn't understand why she kept trying. But just like Luca, Dante was another strong, alpha male and I warmed to him. It couldn't be helped. I like who he was to her in a sense, but then sometimes I didn't. It was confusing.
There are a lot of twists and turns that will have you gasping, I did NOT expect what happened to happen.
Also, we meet Bibi, who we meet briefly in the first book, but not much was said. All we know is she married an older man three times her age and was not happy. He raped her repeatedly, but because they were married the men in the family didn't call it rape.
Bibi and Valentina are best of friends and family, so we read more about Bibi story. I'm not joking there were parts I literally heaved thinking of the stuff she went through. I hated her husband with a passion and honestly wish she would stab him in his sleep. I really did hate him. He was a mean sadist.
The story plot to the book was brilliant and I didn't feel like this one ended too quickly for my liking. It was perfect. I can't wait to start the third book which is Gianna and Matteo story, Luca's brother.
5*
