Bound By Duty (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles)

I know a lot of people don't like Dante and think he doesn't really love Valentina, but I liked him and I have zero doubt that he loves Val. You can love more than one person in your life time. I wish that this book had been dual perspective because I found "Bound by the Past" to gloss over some of the moments that I was hoping Cora would cover. Also, because Dante doesn't show his emotions often it would have beneficial to the reader to be able to read his perspective and be in his head.

This was a spin off of the first and was just as beautifully written! Again, a bit predictable but still a worthy and spicy read.

3.5 stars ⭐️

Who let the horndog aka Valentina out? She sure was bound to the duty of serving her vagina

I don't have any swoon-worthy quotes highlighted from this book because it was a joke.

THIS IS NOT SPOILER FREE

I'm all for girls owning their sexuality and sex drives, I mean there's no need to hide that they're horny/sexually aroused but I've never read someone like Valentina who acted on it so proactively.

If I had been her and I was repeatedly rejected and turned down I don't think I'd even have the energy to try again. Simply because I deserve respect. But given the circumstances of the marriage and everything it is hard for her which I do realise, yet it doesn't reason out still because Dante wasn't like God level at sex or anything. At times I felt like she was growing a backbone from the way she said:

This time I wouldn’t be the one initiating anything

but mere seconds later:

I didn’t even care anymore that I hadn’t kept my promise to myself. Why should I deprive myself of a good time to punish Dante? I’d only be punishing myself

it's like the horndog comes out and she has no choice but to submit to that part of her. I don't know if there was anything else to her other than her sticking up and saying women have the right to work too and not just be a wife, that was admirable and valid. But her emotions controlled her more than she controlled them.

Dante had feelings from his previous marriage and an attachment to it, which I get that it's a person to move on from but I didn't like that he didn't even try to open up until Val almost lost the baby (if you don't take accountability to be positive in your life, how will the good happen to you?). I didn't especially like how he couldn't face the present and often shut down or gave the silent treatment, even children are being taught to express their emotions better now in school. He's a huge red flag especially with the way he refused to do anything even after knowing his soldiers were abusing their wives:

If I killed every man in the Outfit who treated women badly, I’d be left with half of my soldiers

As a leader you don't only model the right behaviour but you teach it too. I was very unimpressed with him.

I'm only continuing to read with this series because I hope there is at least one book that is readable, it's impossible to have 7 bad books..... right?

Born In Blood series reviews
Bound By Honor
Bound by Duty - 1.5 ⭐