Bound by Duty

Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, Book 2

By: Cora Reilly

Narrated by: Ava Lucas

Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

Dante Cavallaro’s wife died four years ago but her memory still haunts him. On the verge of becoming the youngest head in the history of the Chicago Outfit, Dante needs to remarry or risk appearing weak.

Valentina is chosen for the role.

She, too, lost her husband, but her first marriage has always been for show. Even after her husband’s death, Valentina carries the weight of his secrets with her - to protect the honor of a dead man and herself.

With her wedding to Dante, her castle of lies threatens to crash.

Valentina fears the wedding night might reveal her secret, but her worries prove unfounded when Dante ignores her. Soon, her fear turns to confusion and anger.

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.

©2015 Cora Reilly (P)2020 Cora Reilly

A NON-STOP LISTEN THAT HAD ME HOOKED & HAPPY

For over a week I’ve been totally immersed in, and absolutely obsessed with, this warring Mafia world of dangerous alphas and their layered lives. With their family dynamics, with the various threats, with their protective natures, loyalties and customs, with their arranged marriages and with the brutal challenges when the Chicago Outfit, the New York Famiglia and the Las Vegas Cammora simmer, spill blood, torture and go to war. They are all layered dark love stories with emotional push n pulls, friction, fireworks, sexcapades and character growth as Capos and Made Men bend for the women they’ve each struggled and fought their attraction to. Their Blood Oath forever binds them to the Mafia brotherhood above all else.. but the right woman will get inside their walls, make them human, make them fall in love and they will become more cherished than even their Oaths.

And in this story Dante and Valentina from the Chicago Outfit are the next couple to enter into an arranged Mafia marriage.. but it’s a second marriage for both of them so there’s ghosts from his past marriage stopping Chicago’s Capo Dante from moving on and secrets from Valentina’s marriage that will eventually come out. Dante fights the attraction, Valentina pushes it with sexy reveals and the push n pull tense refrain relationship will emotionally and sexually strain.. and strain.. and strain. But that’s not all.. because Valentina thinks she knows everything about her deceased husband and his big secrets.. but she couldn’t be more wrong.. and the drama, danger, sexual tension and suspense is both thrilling and climactic.

Worth a credit? Each and every book (except book 1) is action-packed, riveting, well-written, suspense-filled, climactic and yes, IMO, very creditworthy. Some I loved more than others, some overlap their storylines, some move the years on and some hit hard. However, they all pack a punch, they all delivered more than I was looking for in a good Mafia love story, every POV has a great narrator (except book 1) who brings the characters, the never-ending friction and the feels to life.. and every - single - one entertained and frayed my senses in some way.

Good series so far

I almost skipped this book for Mateo’s story, which is after this book. I decided the author did it this way for a reason and I’m glad I didn’t skip it. Good story and I’m sure I will love the next one because I love the male narrator. I wish good authors would really consider their narrator or narrators very carefully. I know I spend a lot of money with audible and I hate to keep calling to return books because of the narrator. By the way some authors get good narrators and the story is not so great. Good thing we can return them😎

Another phenomenal mafia series

I love how this author ties all the characters into each series it's so different from the others put there and is so beautiful yet hard to handle at times .

Duty

Bound by Duty by Cora Reilly pulled me in from the very beginning. Mafia romance is my favorite genre and the author has created a family of characters that are intense and compelling. Each book is a standalone listen and has character cameo appearances from other books. I love how they are interwined. Ava Lucas performs this book so well. She brings them to life.

Valentina and Dante

Ava Lucas really makes Valentina come alive. Dante is still cold mob boss that i remember when i first read about him. Valentina and Dante compliment each other. Cora is definitely the Mafia Queen writer. I loved it. Enjoyed it and definitely recommend.

Great mafia romance !!

I just love the complexity of the characters in the story it made me want to go back and read all of her other books which in themselves were great I'm a huge fan of her writing

Outstanding!!! Ava Lucas slayed!

This is a perfect example of when the storytelling and the casting do each other justice and the end result is engaging and very satisfying. I loved the pace of the story, how Cora Reilly made smart decisions on the plotting and storyline. The writing is well developed and with the narration of Ava Lucas it gets elevated even more. A solid listen if you are into mafia romance and enjoy interconnected stories.

Loved it

Loved this book. Narrator was great. Enjoyed listening to it. Looking forward to next book.