Bound By The Past (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles)

To be a good leader you must be feared yet respected. Dante has both. You must be ruthless and hard. Dante is both. They dont call him the Ice Man for nothing. He is the Capo of the Outfit. His name strikes fear into others. Just the mention of his name makes people shake. His cold demeanor in any situation is talked about throughout the nation. He has a reputation he has worked on since a young boy. However, this Capo has a weakness many aren’t aware of. That weakness? Almost every women in his family. As Capo one has many responsibilities but also many advantages. Betrayal is the worst thing anyone in the mafia can do. Punishable by death at the hands of the enforcers and put out by the Capo himself. But what do you do when the Capo is the one who does the betraying? The Outfits leader has many secrets. Secrets that would have all his men questioning his loyalty. But they find out. This Ice Man May have a heart but only a select few ever get a chance to experience it. The rest? Well they die. This book was everything I never knew I wanted or needed. THE MAFIA LIVES ON!!! My mafia obsession is out of control and I blame Cora. I love how this book was put together. This is the first book I actually got to see a lot of interaction between a man of danger/power have with his children in a good way. We got to see this cold man actually have a soft side. The struggle he had between saving his family and saving the Outfit truly gutted me. How does one choose? I don’t know how he didn’t end up in a straight jacket. The decisions and all the people he had relying on him would’ve put me on pills right away. I love how we got to see the other side of Remo and Serafinas story. The backlash that Dante got from that scene literally made me scared. How these three families are going to be able to survive with each other is a mystery. With each book in the series I fall more in love with them. I can’t pick sides. At first I was all for the Famiglia. Then my loyalties switched to the Outfit. It ended with the Camorra and it has lasted there for a while but now I’m more like can’t we all just be friends. As much as I love the mafia this is why I can never be in it. Except for the fact that Im missing a few other qualities, I am way too indecisive. either way this book was amazing. We get a better window into what’s to come and we get more Dante & Val. That should be reason enough to get it and read it. Plus those two children of theirs had me dying. If you’re looking for story full of edge of your seat moments, tears of laughter and sadness then get this book. This is one of the best mafia stories I have ever read and I’m so glad I found it.

We now get A LOT of the "why's" that happen throughout the bound by blood series. Specifically why Dante keeps Aria's father around despite not agreeing with his methods, or liking him for that matter. Also it's nice to get Dante's pov from the events of Bound by The Past. Since that book was only in Valentina's. Reading how much Dante really desired Val had me fangirling and blushing at times. Interesting to read how he was affected by Gianna and Lily's storylines, and his thoughts about what happens to Fabiano. Dante and Valentina will always be one of favorite couples, being close in age with the characters I can relate to them on a more personal level. And I feel they have a more mature relationship, than other couples in the series, appearing to have less of a power difference. Dante allows Val more of a role in the Made world, even wanting her to be his Consigliere. Their spicy scenes skating on the dominate/submissive themes are always a fun read. I'm glad we got to see more of their lives after Bound by Duty. But I almost wish that this book focused on them, with the kidnapping and aftermath could have been a separate book, maybe a novella. Since this is more of Dante's book, and reflecting on his "betrayals", so plot wise it makes sense. I loved how they introduced Ines and Pietro's (Serafina's parents) romance, I wish they would have gotten a book, so we could see more of their story. ***Spoilers*** I believe the enjoyment of the end of this book definitely depends on what order you read it in. I wrote this review after reading the book twice. The first time before reading Twisted Pride and then chronologically (which is after Twisted Pride according to Cora's website). And while I still enjoyed it, the ending wasn't as impactful knowing that Serafina was not suffering like they believed while she was in captivity with Remo. I actually found myself skipping over some of those parts. When I read it the first time around, I was experiencing Serafina's kidnapping, failed rescue, trade and return to Remo from the lens of Dante and his family. So I was on the edge of my seat. But now that I know Serafina was "safe" and falling for Remo, the angst and thrill disappears. Plus when she saves Remo originally I believed she had finally lost it, only leaving because she knew her babies would be respected more in Vegas, and I was shocked that she goes back. But now I know she returned because she loved Remo and she's not "brainwashed". During my first read through this was one of my favorite books, now it's more middle ground. The Serafina and Remo storyline was needed, since we have to know how it impacted her family. But again it's just not as impactful when you read this book after Twisted Pride.

I just love this series and the twisted but super realistic world the author has created. It's bittersweet, sad, loving and intense. The chemistry between the characters never stops and I love the long time lines from the main characters to their children's development and their stories. Great read.

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!

Dante si conferma uno dei miei preferiti insieme a Luca. Adoro in modo in cui la Reilly riesca ad intrecciare storie, famiglie e affari, creando un vero e proprio mondo fittizio.

En este libro veremos conoceremos la vida de Dante desde los 19 años, donde traiciona las costumbres y leyes del Outfit por primera vez; su primera boda y la pérdida de su mujer; su segunda boda y el nacimiento de sus hijos; así como las difíciles situaciones y decisiones que tiene que tomar como Capo. De nuevo una excelente lectura y gran trabajo de Cora Reilly.

Bound by the Past is the 7th book within the Born in Blood Chronicles and it predominantly narrates Dante Cavallaro’s POV of his life and the many betrayals that lie within it. We were first introduced to Dante in Bound by Duty, where he came across callous and calculated, being given the nickname “cold fish”, he certainly lived up to that title from what we were shown from his first book and the brief appearances of him from other books. Bound by the Past shows anything but a cold, emotionless Dante. He is compelling and enigmatic and passionate, this man feels like no other. His emotions and turmoil throughout the various chapters of his life are like a whirlwind, ready to leave chaos and destruction behind, regardless of the consequences. The side to Dante that has never been shown before is gripping because he loves like no other. Cora Reilly drops the curtain on Dante’s facade and shows a man who fights himself to retain control before his emotions erupt like a raging volcano. The book is broken down into five betrayals Dante has committed in order to protect those he holds dearest and loves the most, and with each another layer of Dante’s outer shell is peeled off and shows his inner anguish. Any and all rational thoughts are thrown out of the window when it comes to Dante’s dedication and commitment to love and protect his family, they hold priority over everything else for him and rightly so. His unbreakable bond with Valentina and his children was heartwarming, he constantly proved how worthy he is of their love. Valentina is an unbreakable, strong, independent woman who is full of love, she is undeniably the strongest woman within their world. Her strength has allowed Dante to lean on her for support and advice, she shines within this book because she never cowers away from the brutality, she is the epitome of a real woman. The question that has been on everyones’ lips since Bound by Duty is whether Dante loves Valentina, sometimes words alone can’t answer questions but in this sense, his actions, inner turmoil, emotions, everything show that his love for Val is fierce and burning, like an inferno of lava ready to explode. Val is Dantes’ best friend and partner like no one else has ever been, their bond is strengthened by their undying love and respect for each other that has always helped Dante to recover from whatever he has been faced with. Their power is unlike any other which is why it makes sense why they are dubbed the ‘Power couple’, they’ve truly earned it. If you hadn’t before, be prepared to fall in love with this couple. Those of you who have undermined Dante previously get ready to be blown away, although we know a lot of the events that have transpired, you aren’t ready for some of the twists and surprises that happened behind the scenes. The groundwork has already been set in motion and believe me when I say you will not see it coming, it will leave you anticipating for more. The Outfit has followed tradition for long enough, a transition is about to come and this will change everything. Readers have awaited this book for a very long time and for anyone who missed the Cavallaros, this one is for you. Reilly hits it out of the park, she has delivered it in a way that won’t allow you to recover or ever forget Dante Cavallaro.