Bound by Duty
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.
- Pages
- 304
- Audiobook
- 8 hr 26 min
- First published
- 2015
- Language
- English
- Edition
- Audiobook
Reviews
Finished January 27, 2026
3.5 ⭐ Though this was a bit soap operay for my taste, it wasn't bad. There were some twists, but many were predictable. It would have been better with some of Dante's pov included; we only got to hear a little bit of his thoughts when he talked to Val at the 90% mark. I also couldn't figure out why she loved Dante early on, given how coldly he treated her. Granted, he was still grieving his wife years after her death, but he did choose to marry Val after all and could at least afford to treat her with some acknowledgement that she was now his wife. For Valentina's part, she wants a real marriage and wants to be intimate, and has to try way harder than she should to make that happen. It is especially unkind of Dante to treat her the way he does after they start having sex; it is as if they aren't anything more than roommates.
Finished November 22, 2021