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Rating - 5 / 5

My Review :

Bound by Honor is my first read from Cora Reilly's Mafia world. This book is filled with romance set against the backdrop of the dark Mafia life. The book's cover, title, and blurb fit in with the storyline.

The marriage of Luca and Aria was arranged by their father to maintain peace among the Chicago and New York Famiglia. The forced arrangement with no love or trust leads to a fatal betrayal that may destroy everything or establish a new relationship.

Aria is too innocent to belong in the mob world. She has a kind heart but is more mature, understands every rule in their world, and is willing to obey them. I admire the sibling bond Aria shares, and she practically raised them in a way. She has the option of marrying a killer or dying or fleeing her marriage, but she chooses to protect her sisters and stay with them, which I believe makes her braver. I'm not a big fan of stories about naïve girls, but this one makes me think about things differently and makes me appreciate Aria.

Luca is the future Capo and the man who everyone fears. Luca is a dominating alpha male who doesn't trust anyone and believes only in loyalty. Luca's relationship with his brother Matteo was remarkable, as was the bond he shared with Romero. Being a made man at a young age, being taught values by his father, and without any female presence in his life, the way he respects Aria's wish and does not touch her makes him likable for me.

Luca and Aria's slow development in their intimate relationship is too perfect. However, the major twist in the story doesn't have more space, and Aria's forgiveness comes too easily and quickly. I expected it to be a slow process and perhaps a good and extensive description of the event. It somehow makes the many previous events worthless. I wanted there to be fewer scenes of intimate moments but more explanations of those events. Even though I understand that Aria grew up accepting infidelity from other women in her male society. It pleases me that she raises her displeasure at the deception.

The theme of this book is dark and set in the world of the Italian Mafia, with violent scenes. This book also represents the male-dominated society's rules and their beliefs and behaviors toward women.

Reilly impressed me with the style she built her mafia worlds, dropping little puzzle pieces that can only be solved by reading the entire novels in the series and providing me with great stories for the future book. This book's writing style is too straightforward. Still, it held my interest till the very last page of this book. Bound by Honor is a pure romance book with few vague fight scenes, dark mob worlds, and harsh words. This book has a happy and open ending. I reread this book several times and truly enjoyed it each time.

Recommendation

• If you like to read only romance books that have some part of the Mafia, go for it.
• Only those over the age of eighteen can read it.
• If you are comfortable reading books with strong words, sex, and violent scenes, this is the book for you.
• If you are more of a feminist when reading the book, it may not go with your taste because it belongs to a male-dominated society.
• Perfect for every beginner who is searching for the same books.
• The book may have a Mafia presence, but there isn't any thrill, suspense but just certain twists that have to be in every romance book.

Best Line of Bound by Honor

I’ll go where you go no matter how dark the path. 

Wedding wasn’t about love or trust or choice. It was about duty and honor, about doing what was expected.  

I fell in love with you. I fought it. It’s the first battle I didn’t mind losing. 

Love is something girls hope for when they don't know better, something women long for when they lie awake at night, and something they'll only ever get from their children. Men don't have time for such notions. 

This was my world and Luca was my man, and I would go this path with him until the bitter end. 

Women in our world belonged to their husband. They were his property to deal with however he pleased. 

The first installment in the Empire of the Moghul series: chronicling the rise and fall of the Moghul rulers of India. Begin with the Babur, who swept in from Central Asia to establish one of the most remarkable dynasties in known history. This book was also additionally embraced in the Web-Series by Disney+ Hotstar in 2021 as "The Empire."

Book 1 - Bound by Revenge

Storyline :

Anita Patel is living a perfect life in London. One phone call from her late father's relatives led her to India. However, things are not as simple as she thought.

For the sake of old promises and peace of the two villages, her family trapped her and forced her to marry a ruthless stranger. She is nothing but a thing to fulfill the revenge.

Abhay Singham, who has violence in his eyes, the leader of his village, the brutal man she wants nothing to do with him. She needs to find a way to get back to her previous life, but can he let her go that easily?

He threatens her to steal pieces that she won't even find. The village has history, and he also has dark secrets. If she takes one step to get to know them, she can't stop losing herself.

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Book 2 - Bound by Hatred

Storyline :

Dev Singham is a powerful businessman, London returns, a brutal fighter, and born in a privileged Singham family. One project forced him to work and stay with his enemy, whose secrets he hid for a long time. He has only one piece of a page but wants the full page of her mind. Hate is a small word to describe his feelings for Sabita Prajapati.

Sabita Prajapati is an illegitimate child, known as the murder's daughter and fierce leader of Prajapati's. She never has a choice, and circumstances made her like this. She desires things that don't allow even in her dreams and lead her to live like a dead woman. One decision not only broke her wall but threatened to reveal her secrets.

They both are hot-headed every time they meet, break everything around them, but their hatred is not the only thing binding them together. There is much more, but what?

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Book 3 - Bound by Duty

Storyline :

'The Hunter' is the title he earned from everyone's fears yet wants him to do a job for them. Killing somebody in his blood but whose blood he isn't even aware of till now. He is mysterious to all, and his life is a mystery to him.

Narmada Senani is his next target to fulfill his job. She isn't scared of him, but he is afraid of the feelings he feels for her. There are more dangerous people following them in which one of them is the Singham's.

He has been searching for the answers for a long time. But he has to decide to choose his feelings or the job that he is bound to fulfill.

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Book 3 - Bound by Future

This novella is an epilogue of all three books and the closure of the dark world of Singham's family. This book gives you a look at the life of three couples some years after, If you read the above books. Don't miss reading this.

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The Revenge Game series is written by M.V. Kasi on dark Indian romance and social issues that show you the reality of the darker world. Sia who is eager to find her secrets land into the forced marriage and unexpected romance that leads her into own destruction.

Take a look at the individual novels in this series. They provide an excellent insight into the lives of their characters, and will take you on a captivating journey that you won't want to leave.

Book 1 -  Soulless 

Sia desires revenge. Ajay desires Sia, but one mistake makes them lose control of their desires. Force to marry and live with each other and become pawns of their deceiving feelings. When the dark secret of their desires is uncovered, can they stay together?

Storyline -

Sia Sampath is trying to find the lost piece puzzle of her life. Her life is revenge and ready to take risks of everything. She is not the heroine of the story because she wants to become someone's story villain.

She is never ready for a relationship but fate changes the plans of her life. Forced to live under one roof and temporary marriage to Ajay who hates her for betraying him and ready to break her every wall.

Ajay gives her heart, peace but she needs mind peace. Past comes knocking on her door, Every piece falls apart but Sia has only one spot to fill the puzzle. Which one did she choose love or revenge?

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Book 2 - Ruthless  

Sia and Ajay’s broken marriage and one mission lead to a thriller and captive journey of their life. Emotion- hate who is intense enough to lose every control they have and shallow their every emotion.

Sia and Ajay's forced marriage starts with lies, hate, and manipulation, but their relationship begins to blossom. They are together only for their unborn child, but there are too many unspoken words and feelings between them.

Sia is not the only one who has secrets. When Ajay's dark secrets and past begin to unfold, everything starts to shatter.

Not only Sia's faith, her marriage and life are also at stake. Everything she thinks begins to change in a blink.

She needs to choose again between What she never thought gained or What she always craved?

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The final novel of The Singham bloodline series is centered around Rana and Narmada's attraction. We knew the Singham and Prajapati families. It's time to transport into the Senani family and the one epic event that binds all three families together.

The first book made me want to read the second book of The Singham Bloodline series. Bound by Hatred ride of Dev and Sabita's life and their undying emotions and revealing the more secrets of three families. This book can be read as stand-alone.

Bound by Revenge is the first book of The Singham bloodline series and available on Kindle Unlimited written by M.V. Kasi and P.G. Van. This book uncovers a long enmity between two families with old promises, dark secrets, village issues, and marriage between two strangers.