| Title | : | Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 281 |
| Publication | : | First published April 28, 2015 |
When Gianna watches her older sister being forced into an arranged marriage, she promises herself to escape a similar fate.
The moment Matteo – The Blade – Vitiello sees Gianna on his brother’s wedding, he wants to possess her. Her father agrees to the bond, but Gianna has no intention of marrying for any other reason than love. A few months before the wedding, Gianna runs away and begins a new life in Europe away from the mafia. But one of their best hunters and assassins is after her: Matteo.
When Matteo and a couple of her father’s soldiers catch her, not only her freedom is at risk, but also the life of the people with her.
Gianna is taken home and forced to marry Matteo.
Ridden by guilt over having dragged innocent people into her world and overcome with hatred toward Matteo, Gianna is determined to make life hell for her husband. But Matteo is a master at mind games and their struggle for power soon turns into hate-fueled nights of passion.
Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, #3) Reviews
-
3 - 3.5 Stars
So, a couple things...
1) I am a huge liar. Obviously. But what can I say...?
In my scathing review for book two, I said I wasn't going to continue with this series...and yet, here we are. If it makes you feel better though, I lied to myself too, cause I really did have no intention of continuing with this series; but alas, after a few duds in between this and book two, I thought, well fuck it. It's on KU, I already know the characters...blah, justification, blah...
2) I actually semi-enjoyed this thing. I know, shocker right?
Gianna was just as annoying as I thought she would be and I wanted to punch her in the face just as many times as I thought I would.
But I really liked Matteo...even with his overused "shark grin."
*eye roll*
But anyway, I will most likely continue with this series. Although I should include the explanatory caveat that I probably wouldn't do so if it wasn't available via KU.
That said, onward. -
This series is pretty bad and the writing is even worse, but ngl it also serves some needed comedy. The whole Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles series is funnier than most rom-coms nowadays. And honestly I just keep reading them, because they give me an excuse to take a shot every time Cora mentions Luca being a monster slash a beast slash how he crushed someone's throat. Yes, I'm going to make fun of that fact for the rest of my life.
For one tiny second, Luca was a bit more likable, but then he had to go and say the f slur. Please, all I'm asking is for my man Remo Falcone to come and do what he does best *cough kill him cough*. It can't be that hard.
Aaaanyway, Matteo is my favorite male character in this series ... by far, but honestly that's not hard to achieve, considering his competition is a cold fish and a ruthless monster. His worse character flaw is probably that you can't summarised his whole personality into one single word like the other guys. RIP 😔
It's the first time that there is something like a half-plot. Gianna running away from the mafia and fleeing to Europe and Matteo chasing after year for half a year? Wow I'd like to see. Unfortunately, it was shown so quick and then there was a time jump, but thanks for trying.
There is just something about a guy chasing a girl around the world, while the girl can't get away from him fast enough that is speaking to my soul. ✨
That's what I love best about Matteo that he never gave up trying. The way he grew up in the mafia world and after Gianna's betrayal, he had no reason to go after her besides to repair his pride. He was still 'kind' to her and didn't punish her like her father wanted him to (but for real can he kill the Scuderi father? That man doesn't deserve to breath oxygen for one more second).
Regarding Gianna, I'm having very mixed feelings about her. One one hand I loved that she was not acting like the rest of the mafia trophy wives and accepted her life for what it is. She wanted more out of it. When everyone tells her to jump, she doesn't ask how high, she's telling them she has a gift instead and that gift is her middle finger. Gianna can come across as prickly, but that's something Matteo and I found really amusing (most of the time).
On the other hand, her stubbornness really grated on my nerves at some point. I just wanted to reach into the book and shake her so badly for being so hot and cold all the damn time, when Matteo was at least trying to make the best out of the situation. And her refusal to acknowledge her feelings for Matteo urg girl please. I was tired. Just one of Gianna's character trait that I can love and hate at the same time.
But overall, I think Gianna and Matteo made a good match and were exactly what the other needed. Having not read the rest of the series yet, but I'm still going to make the guess that Gianna & Matteo are going to stay my favorite BIBMC couple.
#1
bound by aria's virginity ↠ 1.75 stars
#2
bound by dante's dead wife ↠ 2.75 stars
#3 bound by gianna's love for europe's architecture ↠ 3.25 stars -
"If she liked to play with fire, fine
I didn’t mind getting burned.
I’d walk through flames for her."
So....... every time I tell myself
Nah girl !! you don't need to rant !!
You don't need to make your review
Eiffel tower long 😏
But guess who will rant 😑😑😑😑
ohhh come on............⚠️I am Alerting y'all about my upcoming⚠️
Let's be real It was a D*&k move on my part to read Bound by love first 😑
I AM SORRY okay?
I kinda killed all the shockers of the book by reading BBL first 😐
But I took a little break after reading BBL so it was okay I was still super thrilled and excited 😍😍 throughout my reading session.
Okay moving on
What I didn't like about this book
was Gianna -
Not gonna lie I really loved her in Bound by Honor
I love my Heroine tough and stubborn she was just like that in BBH
Then I read Bound by Love then my love towards her demoted to like
and finally after reading Bound By Hatred my like became Annoyance
Honestly, I found her
airheaded and selfish
she does whatever suits her without caring about others. She is egomaniac
Even if she showed little protectiveness towards Lilly and Aria but I reckon that was out of anger and impulse.
Highlighting some of the major problems I have with her -
❌Gianna 's bipolar personality
(sweetheart you will kiss him, seek physical closeness but yet your prejudice was so big that you will spite him, insult him
what about his reputation!)
❌Because of her foolishness, her younger sister had a panic attack
❌Most of the time She is in complete denial
❌I have never met a female protagonist this mean
❌Aria and Luca's relationship took a bitter turn because Her elder sister obviously can't leave her unprotected while she ran away
❌I mean you are suicidal it's okay but why would you drag down others with you 😒
❌What was her point to roam around all over Europe let me know pls?
❌Sweetheart, you do realize that you could easily be married off to a man who could be a Potential sadist and could be 20 years older than you right?
Turns out All it took to make her come to her senses was to get called out by Luca 🤧🤧🤧 (thanks bae)
**********Fangirling alert**********“I don’t give a fuck about your father’s men, and I don’t give a fuck about your father. And if they lay a single finger on you, I’m going to kill them. They won’t hurt you, nobody will.”
🌟Possessiveness and Protectiveness
These are the top two qualities about him I loved most. How he fought the world for his wife I Loved it about him. I was in awe of him because of that.
🌟Bossiness
Tho Luca was The intimidating guy, The Alpha, and obviously the Capo but still, Matteo gave Luca a tough fight and didn't bend
🌟His witI grinned and kissed her ear. “Do you know how kids always get a treat as a reward after they see the doctor?”
"Be a good girl and you shall be rewarded.”
OMFG................
🌟His attitude"Messed up is good.”
I really love that he doesn't like it easy. He likes challenges and he is relentless and never gives up. That makes him unique. He is like a champion as he should be 💪.
Also, I am super impressed with how he can keep cool with his wife.
Plot
Tho I didn't like Gianna's ungratefulness
but still, I really loved their banters and back and forth 😍 it was lively
Hero chasing heroine, pinning for her, The Hunter and The Prey
mmm hmm love that
Also can I just say Cora Reilly writes really Good SMUTs 🙈🙈🙈
honestly, I am picky about SMUT
but I really like SMUTs in her books (insert dreamy eyes )
okay..........enough
Vitiello Brothers Duo
"I don’t need a pity fuck. If I want a woman, I can find one myself and don’t need to pay someone.”
“You haven’t seen yourself in the mirror yet.” I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror.
“Okay. Maybe I’d have more trouble than usual.”
Excuse me Sir where do I salivate ?
Matt was fun of course but here I get to see this brilliant duo's bonding
They made me laugh; happy
Luca's bluntness and Matt's Humour is chef's kiss
So yeah all in all an enjoyable read indeed
P.S- Thank u for Luca's cameo CR 😍I missed that guy 😭😢
I love his straight forward fierce remarks 🤗😍 -
“Love is when you feel safe in someone’s arms, when he’s the first thing you want to see in the morning, love is surrendering. You risk getting hurt but you don’t care. You are willing to give someone the power to break your heart. Love means seeing someone at their worst and still seeing the good in them, love means someone is perfect for you despite their imperfections”
4 "Blade" stars!!!
Gianna a girl with a passionate heart and with fire in her spirit. She's brave and sassy, which often leads her to lot of beatings. Her siblings are her only reason for happiness. Until.........she learns that she's engaged to the man she hates the most. The brother of the man who stole her sister. Her inner rebel roars into life and she decides to run away, away from all the blood, rules and mobsters. It's true his cocky grin and dirty talk makes her wet but she won't allow another man to control her life. Not now, not ever.
Matteo, Chicago's Capo's brother, Luca's right arm, known as the Blade. He's known for his charming looks and panty melting words. But the blood stained blade inside his coat says otherwise. One wrong move, that man will be sliced to death. The only person he came close to love was his brother. Until.....that little girl with bright red hair stumbled into his life with all that sass and middle fingers. No one dares to talk back to him, provoke him like she did. And now, he's determined to make this little devil his!
Will they be able to love each other? Will Gianna leave him the second he puts his guard down?“I’d stand by him and support him as best as I could, because he was mine and I was his.”
LOVED THIS!!!!
But to be honest as much as I loved Gianna in the first few books, in this I was a bit annoyed with her. As much as I admire her fiery spirit and bitchy attitude, the way she treated/thought when Mateo got shot made me mad as hell.
Other than that I love her protective sister and rebellious side. Growing up in a house with an abusive father and mother who does not care, by taking care of their younger and elder siblings Gianna proved to be a good sister. I love how she took beatings instead of her sister, how she stood up for Aria and Liliana when their father tried to marry them off, how she was always there for her siblings in times of need. I also love the little rebel in her. How she manage to escape her harsh reality and have fun, even if it was short lived.
Matteo, ahh, the best Made Man in this series. I love his easy going, dirty talking, fun attitude. He's a charmer for sure. I loved how in this story he said "I Love You" before the heroine. It was a nice change. And of course his sweet, love hard side was impressive too! Tbh I loved him more than Luca. I loved how he stayed true to Gianna and didn't waver once, even when Gianna ran away and he found her with another man. I respect him for that.
And also I loved how he loved her enough to let her go but in the end everything goes good.
Perfect chemistry, good communication, amazing plotline!
Tropes
-Age Gap
-Proposal
-Enemies To Lovers
-Flame/Blade
-Brother-in-Law/Sister-in-Law
-Runaway Bride
Note: No cheating, HFN, Violence included
Highly Recommended!!! Enjoy!!
-
2.5 the blade 💫
These 2.5 stars are for Matteo and Matteo only.
Matteo, sweetie,
As for whatsherface, just
-
I think any die hard fan of this series will tell you the same thing. This author does not write easily likable heroes, and she probably puts her characters in the most difficult situations too. Which is why I love this series. Truthfully I loved Matteo, I thought his character was probably the most likable as apposed to Luca, his brother who was an absolute asshole. I'd like to rant for a second and ask: Is it just me or was Luca absolutely horrible in this book? Disgustingly so? The way he treated Gianna was unforgivable, the things he said! And I feel like Aria could have stood up for her sister in most cases! Matteo was completely innocent because he never saw Luca in action! I feel like some of the angst in this book was Luca's fault, without his meddling things would have gone a lot smoother!
Let me get back to the story. Like the two books before it, Bound by Hatred is about a woman thrust into an arranged marriage what makes the situation even more difficult is the fact that he's a made man. Now I don't care how unrealistic this sounds, I love it! Gianna Scuderi is Aria Vitiello's (book 1 -Bound by Honor) sister, she's never liked the mafia life. She's never enjoyed the luxuries it provides her, and one thing she's been dreading is being forced to marry a Made Man of her father's choosing. This time it's the Made Man doing the choosing. Matteo Vitiello has had his eye Gianna since the first time he saw her, her fiery personality matches him completely. Too bad she doesn't feel the same way.
I feel I have to warn you that if you haven't read the first book then this review will be slightly spoilerish. This book has a lot of angst, Gianna is torn between what she knows is wrong (mob life) and her attraction to Matteo. The fact that she's attracted to him make her feel even worse about herself, she knows about the kind of man he is, the men he's killed without remorse. Whenever they're in the same room she lashes out at him, basically being a bitch. I'd be lying if I told you I hated this, I love abrasive heroines especially if the hero is persistant, broody and completely alpha.
I felt so bad for Gianna when Matteo had brought her back from Europe, the treatment she got from the mob families was atrocious. The double standard of treating her like a slut because she'd gone off by herself was horrible. The way Luca treated her was infuriating. Even Aria expected her to have traipsed around Europe sleeping with any willing man. Grrrr.
So if you're looking for angst, love/hate dynamic and some very steamy scenes then you'll find it in this book. I honestly felt like Gianna and Matteo had the most palpable chemistry out of all the couples in this series.
"What would you be without the protection of your family and the money of your father?" I sucked in a deep breath. Yes, what would I be without all that? Nothing. I'd never had had to do anything by myself, I'd never been allowed to do so, but not for lack of wanting."Free," Matteo laughed. "You won't ever be free. None of us are. We are all caged in by the rules of our world." -
”Who doesn’t like a good miracle?”
[image error] -
You can find Bound By Hatred teasers
here -
I loved Matteo and Gianna more than I loved Luca and Aria. 😯😯 They had so much spark!
-
I hate Gianna
I hate Gianna
I hate Gianna
Gianna is a disgusting bitchy witch of a shrew. She does not deserve Matteo. He should have found a nice sweet woman. After that bitch decides to put Aria in the middle of her selfish plans to run away, I almost gave up reading. Then I got to the part where she picks up some asshole in Europe and decides to have sex without having any feelings for the guy. This girl just annoyed the mother effing F out of me. God I hate Gianna more than any heroine I've ever read about in a novel. It's one thing to be strong willed and independent. Those qualities are commendable in any modern woman but Gianna is a prize selfish bitch. She can't shut her mouth under any circumstances. Thank God I read the other books before I TRIED to read this shit. Aria was the best ! The heroine from the second novel was sweet and kind too. And youngest sister Lily was wonderful. She was strong willed and fiesty but not a prime bitch like Gianna. I can totally understand their father's hatred for Gianna. -
I admit that i was having lots of expectations about that book and...
I WAS SO FUCKIN' RIGHT!!!!! It was fantastic!!!
I enjoyed everything about it!!! EVERYTHING!!!
I was so sure that Gianna and Matteo will never dissapoint me. Their story thrilled me and i'm so happy and full right now...
Gianna and Matteo was like an explosion when they were together....
They blow me off and i was overwelcome about this feeling!!!! Oh, yeah!!!
Thank you, Cora!!! God bless you for these mind-blowing stories!!! You are such a storyteller!!!
I really loved Luca in the first book, but Matteo spoke equally to my heart and he was a more approachable guy!!!
Oh, thank God for the Vitiello brothers...
The one was better from the other...
If they were all the mob men like them, i would like one for myself too...
But it's time to talk about Gianna and Matteo...
The story started with facts from the previous books, but from Matteo and Gianna's POV...
As we all already now... Matteo was charmed from Gianna's fierceness and he claimed her as his own, but Gianna was having some different ideas about that matter... They are already enganged but Gianna can't accepted their currently situation...
So she run away far from the mafia world, but nobody can't stop Matteo from chasing her over the world and drag her back even though after 6 months....
And from that moment, everything are changing...
For bad??? For good???
Oh, i'm sorry but i can't reveal you that part....
Gianna is an untamed young woman... She despised the world that she was force to be raised and she wants to escape from this kind of life... She long to be free from everything that she knows... From the first moment, she is drown to Matteo but she's never going to admit it!!!
She doesn't like and she can't accept what Matteo represents... So, whatever is this feeling deep down inside she is trying to force it away...
So she made the attempt to escape from her fate, but her return is offered her no good...
Her father is an asshole! Ηe and all the Outfit treated her very bad... Her only shield is Matteo...
Matteo is enchanting from that fiercy readhead who provoke him all the time...
He think that he can tamed her and he wants Gianna to be his by any cost. He enjoyed every interaction with her and he can see how her body reacted near to him...
He never give up to her, not even when he should and that fact it honors him...
He shield her with his love and his only wish is Gianna to love him back!!!
Their connection was intense and unpredictable...
Their words didn't fit with their actions...
They were so good together...
It was like magic... Funny, fiercy, intense...
I didn't like Gianna's stubborness... Because even though she wanted to dress it up as a proud was still stubborness... Yes, she was brave enough, but i didn't like the fact that she alouded to the others to think nasty and untrue things about her.... I didn't like that she was trying to fool herself about her feelings toward Matteo, even though i liked that all the time she was trying to conviece herself that she didn't feel anything about him...
RIGHT???? Yeah, right girl!!!!
I liked that Matteo didn't gave up the hope on her.... Yeah, he was possesssive, but also was so protective of her and that was something that Gianna needed because nobody else offered her a shelter anymore... Everybody except her siblings gave up on her... But Matteo stayed beside her and fought for her!!!
And finally, i want to tell to my lovely Luca that he disappointed me in this book!!!
You know how much i love you, but your attitude across Gianna was undescribable...
Yeah, i know that he loved his brother and he didn't liked him to suffer but in some point i really wanna kick his ass for his behaviour....
Don't ever do it again, man!!!!
That's all i had to say... Now i can't wait for the next book....
I will miss Gianna and Matteo... They were delightful...
-
I enjoyed Gianna and Matteo's story. These books make for fast reading, a bit of angst/drama and a lot of steam, all set in the gritty mafia world. It's always fun to watch hate turn to love, and these two stubborn characters are explosive together. I really like this series, and I'm looking forward to more. That said, I have zero review mojo, so that's all I got ;) -
Hmmmm
So this is me before reading this book
And this is me after
I love reading a book where they go from enemies to lovers, but this one didn't work for me!
Gianna just ruined the book for me. She was so annoying, undecided and childish!!!
I understood why she wanted to escape this life but she handled it in a selfish and immature way!
Matteo however I loved and I felt a bit sorry for him at times. He deserve much better than Gianna!
Oh well fingers cross the next one will be better :)
-
4 Flaws and All Stars ⭐
When two opposing forces collide, you know the fallout is either going to be disastrous or rewarding. I can honestly say we got both scenarios in Bound by Hatred. The first meeting between Matteo Vitiello and Gianna Scuderi was explosive, and a future together would be a catastrophe.
“You look gorgeous, Gianna. The pissed-off look goes really well with your dress.”
Gianna hates everything her life represents. As a daughter of a Don, obedience is key. And being stubborn and defiant seems to be her downfall. All this fiery redhead has ever wanted is to be free. Instead she finds herself betrothed to her nemesis.
Unlike most girls I knew she didn’t seem impressed by me. To be honest, she looked like I was a cockroach she wanted to squash under her boots.
Don't be fooled by the jovial demeanour of Matteo Vitiello. As brother and right hand man to the New York Capo, he masks his sadistic personality well. His cockiness is the perfect balance to his proficiency in killing. And the moment he lays eyes on Gianna, he instinctively knows she's it for him. Convincing her of the fact is a task he relishes.
“Maybe you don’t want to admit it, but it excites you to be with someone like me. If a normal guy tells you he’d kill and torture to protect you, he’d be lying, exaggerating at best, but I’m making a promise I can keep.”
A young girl who wants out of this life and the smiling assassin who loves a challenge. He just hadn't banked on the fact she'd make good on her threats. But as a man obsessed, there is no place she can hide, because these two are made for each other.
“What’s the magic word?” he murmured against a particularly ticklish place right above my hip bone.
“Fuck you,” I said sweetly. I braced myself but it didn’t stop the squeals and laughs when Matteo traced his tongue over my hip bone.
If Gianna wasn't such a stubborn mule, this story would have been perfect. Matteo was the quintessential anti hero. Not to be influenced and swayed in his decision to have Gianna, his open mindedness as a Made Man was endearing. While Gianna needed time to realise what she was running from was exactly what she desired, Matteo was steadfast in what he knew. These two individuals were wonderfully crazy and passionate, what's not to enjoy? -
3.5 stars
these books are so funny they rly have me on the floor sometimes. i love that there's never a plot but then 80% comes around and for some reason russians happen 😂 just 'russians' in the vaguest sense lmao. no but this one was GOOD!! 🤡🤡 i liked it!! matteo is my smitten bb and Gianna is a whole ass mess, my fav combo. matteo saying he wants to slice up some guys brain so he doesn't possess memories of Gianna anymore 😂😂
I do wish that this book spent more time on Matteo hunting Gianna across Europe tho. the whole thing was resolved too quickly and I wanted to see matteo earn his reputation. if you've never read these books this is all you need to know abt them: Matteo is a hunter and Luca crushes throats. there, now you know everything. also, i didn't rly care about luca in his own book but in this one i realized I want those mysterious russians to nuke his ass asap. has nothing to do w him cheating, i just think it's a literary crime to be that boring 🥱 (and we're not even gonna talk abt him dropping the f-slur🔪) gbye -
2.5 stars ⭐️
I was looking forward to this story. When Gianna and Matteo were first introduced, I loved them. The banter, the snark, the constant back and forth, her hatred for the mafia and everything within their world, the way she stood up to her dick of a father and was so headstrong, was a turn on.
But their book barely did anything for me.
The character development in this book was stupid. Especially Gianna’s. Was she supposed to get more dumb as the book progressed? Her pride and stubbornness got TOO much.
Her reaction to the last incident annoyed the fuck out of me and then the girl has the nerve to change her mind in the last 10% of the book. Less than 10%.
Too little too late for my liking.
The pacing was not done well. It’s affected my enjoyment since the character development just wasn’t done right. Too much unnecessary fighting and not enough reconciliation.
Meh. -
4.25 'He was mine and I was his' stars 🌟
If she liked to play with fire, fine. I didn’t mind getting burned. I’d walk through flames for her.
Mafia romances tend to include marriage of convenience, but this? This was more like a marriage of obsession on one side, and a marriage of hatred on the other!
Matteo’s eyes held a clear message, now that he’d caught me, he would never let me get away again.
Matteo has been intrigued by Gianna from the moment he met her. Their story has been two books in the making, and their fiery personalities match each other's perfectly.
I didn’t even like Matteo. He was annoying and arrogant and never knew when to shut up.
He’s like me.
When reading mafia romances, it's almost always the hero who is reluctant to let the heroine close. However, it was the opposite case here!
“What will it take for you to trust me?” Matteo asked curiously.
“A miracle.”
Gianna wants nothing to do with Matteo, as well as mafia lifestyle in general. She's spirited, loud-mouthed, and stubborn to a fault.
He was perfectly aware of the effect he had on most women and obviously expected me to fawn over him as well. Hell would freeze over before that happened.
I really liked Matteo's character. He was completely enamoured with Gianna, and wanted her to trust him.
“You can’t compare Aria to Gianna. I trust Aria absolutely. She caught a fucking bullet for me.”
“Must be nice,” I muttered. “Gianna would probably applaud my shooter.”
Their crazy push-and-pull sometimes gave me whiplashes, but it was entertaining to see.
If he didn’t stop smiling that arrogant smile I’d wring his neck, or kiss him, I hadn’t decided yet.
Also, can Gianna's father just die? I hate him with a passion. I really do. The way he keeps physically and mentally abusing her, someone give that man an 'asshole-of-the-year' award because he deserves it.
“Seeing your father bleed to death at my feet would be worth the risk. You are worth it.”
I'd be so happy if Matteo guts him!
Thankfully this had dual POV, which allowed me to like both Matteo and Gianna. Matteo is my favourite hero of this series. Their chemistry and banter was just as explosive as I'd hoped.“I want to be with you, Matteo. I know I shouldn’t want it, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sick of ignoring my heart. I love you.”
She kissed me almost desperately, her hands finding their way into my hair. “You sure you mean it?” I asked in a teasing voice when she pulled back.
She nodded. “Yes. There’s no fucking doubt in my mind. I love you, Matteo. I don’t care what that makes me. I don’t care what other people think about me, about us. All I care about is us.”
I kissed her again. I’d never get enough of tasting her. “I love you, Gianna. I’ve fucking loved you for a long time.” -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
This isn’t my favorite Born in Blood book, but it is a very unique and fantastic mafia romance.
Gianna (18) is the sister of Aria from Bound by Honor. She catches the eye of her Luca’s brother, Matteo, at the wedding and engagement party of Aria and Luca, her brother-in-law. Gianna only wants to marry for love and she despises Matteo and runs away from the mafia to avoid marrying him. She is feisty, strong, and adorably stubborn!
Matteo (21) is obsessed with Gianna and when she runs from him, he hunts her. He doesn’t care if she has been with a thousand men while on the run, he will always want her. I really liked that he had a passion/specialty-knives. Whether positive or negative, it gave him some character.
I love how their love really blossoms throughout the book and for how creepy I find Matteo to be, he is really sweet to Gianna after he finds her in Europe.
Overall, this is a relatively short book that feels even shorter, so why not give it a try? -
Okay, I'm again torn how to rate this one. I still think that the one about Aria and Luca was probably the best one. This one was slightly better than the one about Valentina and Dante but still... Not really sure how to rate it.
My main problem is that I cannot stand Gianna. In the previous books, I hated Rocco, their father and he was painted in this one especially bad. But you know what? I did not care. I simply cannot stand Gianna to that point that I would not care if they did something far worse to her.
She just has to insist on being on a high horse, showing how she doesn't care and want something different and yet to just complain again about something else.
I like Matteo but his obsession with Gianna is absolutely senseless, and after talking how much Luca needs to keep his face Matteo just goes around almost doing his best to make Luca seem weak.
Same with Aria, she may love Gianna, but I don't think she would really help her escape. That had potential to end really bad, and I don't think she would really risk that. Especially since Luca would be the one who would have been hurt by that.
So, I don't know how to rate this one because I rate the first one 3* and the second 2* and this one is just somewhere in the middle. Goodreads need to introduce half stars. -
It's been over a year since I read the first two books in this series, so it took me a bit to get reacquainted with the world and the characters, especially since we're dropped right into the story. Right away, though, I really enjoyed Gianna's character and how she was adamant she didn't want anything to do with the mafia life. When she tells Matteo he would never have her, he asks his father for permission to marry her and a marriage is arranged. Gianna isn't okay with that, so she runs away to Europe. I loved how possessive Matteo was and how he wouldn't let anyone but him have Gianna. The chemistry between them was amazing and I loved how engaging the plot was. Some people don't enjoy the push and pull between Gianna and Matteo, but I enjoyed them trying to each gain control in the relationship and prove a point to the other person. The plot did slow down near the end and I was starting to lose interest, but overall I really enjoyed Gianna and Matteo's romance.
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I had lots of expectations from this book. I loved the first book
Bound by Honor in this series. We've seen a glimpse of Matteo and Gianna in the previous book. Gianna is always the rebellious one. She does something really unexpected. But Matteo loves the chase and he is going to chase after her until he gets her.
It wasn't a dark romance. The chemistry between the protagonist was lacking to me. Besides Gianna annoyed me a lot, especially towards the end.
it was unbelievable that Gianna ran away half across Europe but still was a virgin. Can the obsession over a girl being pure if only she is a virgin stop?
Matteo stole the show for me, It was surreal how understanding he was towards Gianna. Matteo is a good person in his own twisted way. However this book kinda disappointed me, I expected more from Cora Reilly.
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2.5 stars
These two gave me headache. Gianna, especially. Mostly her.
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3 1/2 Stars!
Finally we get the story of Gianna and Matteo that we've been waiting for! Despite fighting it every step of the way, Gianna finally weds Matteo. Attraction has never been an issue for these two. In fact, that's the problem for Gianna. She is afraid of how much she wants Matteo.
I have to admit that I was hoping for a bit more in this story. Gianna was a firecracker, for sure. However she frequently came off as selfish, immature and even cruel at times. I understand that she hated the life of crime she was born into, but I couldn't understand her taking all of her anger out on Matteo. After all, he was also saddled with the same fate by birth. Some empathy would have served her well.
On the other hand, Matteo was a nice and refreshing surprise. He was fun and had a great sense of humor. He was also shamelessly devoted to Gianna, standing by her side long after others would have given up on her. Matteo's character was more than I had ever expected, in all the best ways.
Like the previous two books, this one is sprinkled with some editing oversights. There are enough instances of these grammatical mistakes to be noticeable, but not so many that the story is ruined.
All in all, I liked this book. I will be continuing the series, although I do feel like I'm losing a bit of enthusiasm. -
4.5 stars
"I know you don't want to see it but you and Matteo are like you were made for each other."
Aria to Gianna
And this is exactly why I loved this book so much. We're talking about true soulmates here! I loved, loved, loved these two together! Matteo was so patient with Gianna and he had such a great sense of humour. I like men like Matteo, so funny and easygoing (apart from the killing of course). He was as different from Luca as Aria is from Gianna and this is another reason this book worked for me. I loved Luca so much, but I didn't want his brother to be like him.
Gianna is a bit more complicated matter. I adore her sassiness, her fiery temperament, her courage, her backbone and almost everything about her but, boy, she is so stubborn!! I wanted to slap her at some point.
Nah, I'm joking! I still love you Gianna!
I loved their banter and their relationship! A little bit of this:
And a little bit of that:
Luca did annoy me a lot in this book! I thought he was cruel towards Gianna, which meant he was disrespectful towards his brother. I mean, I get it, Luca could never be with a woman like Gianna, but it doesn't mean Matteo can't either. Matteo too finds Aria too tame to be interesting, but that doesn't mean he doesn't respect his brother's choice. They're just different people who want different things. I was glad to see that by the end of the book Luca came to his senses. <3
Bound by Hatred is the book we have all been waiting for since Luca's book. Everybody's expectations were so high it was almost bound to dissappoint. I'm glad and relieved to say it didn't! This came so so close to Luca's book, which is my absolute favourite. <3 Just read it! -
Okay, I am only going to write one review for this series as I don't think I can go any farther with it. This is the second in the series I've read, and it's primarily due to the fact that Matteo promises to be such a bad boy back job. Hey, you know you have a bad boy on your hands when you can pick him out from the other killers in their mafia life. Somewhere Michael Corleone is giving himself a sad face about the portrayal of the Mafia.
Gianna is quite the sassy girl who fights more for her independence than against the moral horror of her family's lifestyle. She makes a break for it, but to no avail.
What can I say about this series other than it is real fantasy. It's like a little girl's make believe story about a mafia romance. I have serious discomfort level falling for a bad boy character who made his first kill at 13, and is really not too angsty about it. You notice I still gave it 2 stars. Pathetic. Me.
My second concern is the lack of real interaction between the main characters. It's obvious that Gianna and Matteo have a connection although she fights it bitterly, but other than lost of good sex they connect in no other way. The same with Bound by Honor. No connections.
And what do these girls of all day? Aerobics, their nails, groom poodles. Because of their mafia wife status and over protective males, they are strapped into their apartments.
I dunno. You would think that after reading a million Harlequins i would not be so critical, but I am.
I will probably pick up another in the series if for no other reason than to read of Scuderi's death. (Arria and Gianna's father) I don't think I am alone in saying that he needs to die a long and gruesome death. It's not often you come across a character that is so completely despicable. -
** 2 Fucking Bitch STARS**
Si este libro fuera solo de Matteo juro que le doy las 5 estrellas y me duele en el alma darle esta calificación, pero Gianna me arruinó toda la lectura yo sabía que lo iba hacer pero no a que nivel.
En los libros anteriores no la soportaba en el de Aria y Luca yo estaba ay SHUT UP Gianna me desesperas casi casi como Kiko del chavo del 8 y aquí dije Dios dame paciencia porque la quiero matar.
Comprendí sus motivos de rebelarse a la vida que le tocó, del padre machista y odioso de la vida llena de sangre y crimen eso si lo entendí, pero lo que no entendí fue su idiotez e inmadurez que por tal de salirse con la suya se llevó a muchos entre las patas sus motivos buenos pero egoístas provocó que metiera a su hermana en problemas con Luca, que mataran a un hombre inocente y sólo para qué? Si sabía que tarde o temprano la iban a encontrar.
Pero ese no fue mi verdadero coraje todavía ahí la entendía y la soportaba , fue al final porque durante todo el libro Matteo le demuestra que es buen marido que no va dejar que nadie le haga daño la salva dos veces de matrimonios donde su vida podría ser un infierno y de maridos que podrían ser como el de Bibi, la hace reír bromea con ella TOLERA SU COMPORTAMIENTO INSUFRIBLE para que llegando al final lo quiera dejar tirado muriéndose y ella queriendo escapar ahí fue mi límite Gianna es una IDIOTA
Matteo fue mucha pieza para Gianna no se lo merecía, si alguien tiene que quedarse con Matteo soy yo
Ya ni diré de la historia de amor porque aquí no hubo amor al menos no de parte de ella, todo se resumió a sexo.
Y la parte de mafia del libro pues si me dejó insatisfecha me hubiera gustado ver el lado más sádico de Matteo y en cuanto a Lucca me gustó cuando le dijo a Gianna sus verdades que era una perra con Matteo por eso no la tolera.
FIN … -
*4.5 stars*
What. A. Surprise. This was so fucking good wtf??! 😭😭
This had the perfect amount of a cat-and-mouse chase and hate-to-love. Matteo and Gianna were so perfect together. I loved Gianna and I personally think it's great how bratty and feisty she is, considering the cruel world that she's thrust into. Matteo being a gentleman but a murderous maniac at the same time 😍✊🏻 we stan.
*But Luca can still go fuck himself, he was such an asshole in this book. I didn't think he could be a bigger dick, but he's proving me wrong yet again.
book 1 Luca doesn't deserve anyone's love, time & effort ↠ 1.5-2 stars
book 2 Valentina deserved better than cold fish ↠ 3 stars
book 3 Matteo can hunt me down anytime ↠ 4.5 stars
*audio listened on hoopla
(this is my first audio narrated by Wen Ross too and hot damn 🥵 He’s definitely got a fighting chance against Teddy Hamilton/Andrew Eiden as my favourite) -
5 'I don't want to love you' Stars
Gianna Scuderi never wants to settle in the life of the Mafia. She would rather fight back and get hurt than accept her reality as a daughter of the Mob. When Matteo Vitiello see's Gianna giving attitude to everyone around her he takes it as a challenge and knows he has to be the one to tame her. Matteo asks Gianna's father to give her to him, which her father is all to happy to do. But Gianna isn't going to subject herself to a loveless marriage to a dangerous man - so she flees.
For six months Matteo doesn't give up looking for his runaway bride. When he finally finds her and brings her back to New York he locks her down and does everything in his power to keep her. But Gianna is stubborn and will fight 'till her last to keep her independence. But as she's fighting to stay out of the life, she misses that there is more to Matteo than just being a Made Man.
Before I even explain why, let me just say Matteo is mine! I loved him and how closed off he was but at the same time he was so open. Yes, I know that doesn't make much sense, but it also kind of does. He was closed off and kept to himself but his actions - even the extremely brutal ones - showed that he really cared. Everyone thought that he was just pursuing Gianna because she was a challenge to him, but the way he went after anyone that even dared to hurt her showed that he cared more about her than just teaching her a lesson. I loved seeing the silent and deadly side to him just as much as seeing the vulnerable side to him that came out when he thought Gianna would run again.
Gianna was completely different than the other women stuck in the Mafia life. She was bitchy and sassy and not afraid to throw some attitude around to guys twice her size. I really liked that she didn't just fall in line and start following her husbands rules and it made the story so much more interesting. When she started to fall for Matteo, a man she swore to herself she would never like, she had warring emotions swirling inside of her. I liked that we got to see her fighting her own feelings and trying to figure them out. I did start to get a little annoyed with her when she was being stubborn to the very end about her feelings toward Matteo, but it all worked out.
This is by far my favorite book of this series. The story was so different than the first two books because the characters were so unique. In the first books it was a Made Man badass with a soft side and a wife who just accepted the hardened life of the Mafia. But with this one, Matteo was badass and tough and the sweet side to him was nonexistent. Gianna never accepted just sitting back and doing what she was told and wouldn't just accept her fate like her sister, Aria did.
Bottom line, I loved Matteo of Gianna together and their story was perfect. The love/hate relationship was amazing and so intriguing that I couldn't put this book down. This will definitely be a book that gets re-read many times. -
I hated everything about Gianna in the glimpses we got of her in the first two stories. She's such an obnoxious, hateful and mouthy bitch to everyone. My biggest pet peeve in stories are unlikable heroines and Gianna fit the bill for that perfectly. AND she was a selfish asshole. I was originally going to skip this story all together because I knew I'd still hate her, and life is too short to read unlikable bitch heroine stories.
So, I skipped way ahead in this series to Reilly's Sweet Temptation, and that story was so incredibly awesome that I just had to suck it up and come back and read the rest of the series in order as intended, Picking this one up and praying for God to give me the strength to stomach Gianna's scathing hatefulness.
Gianna was every bit the bitchy, pain in the ass, unlikable heroine I imagined she would be, and I hated her through the ENTIRE story. And I never did finally come to like her. AT ALL.
Matteo was spectacular though and he really saved this story for me. I freaking adored everything about him. I thought he might be an asshole hero, but he wasn't. He was sweet and protective, funny and fucking badass as hell. He was perfection.
As much as I hated Gianna, this story kept me glued from the very first page, to the very last. This author has a talent for that. She keeps the reader glued to every page of her stories. That being said, I'm SO happy to be done with this one, so I can get back to characters in the next stories that I actually like again.
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Bound by Hatred is promising at the first beginning. The hate chemistry is off the chart. But again like many of Miss Reilly's books, the last half of thr book is sort of losing the drama.
It was rushed. Giana suddenly gives herself fully to Matteo without any insight of why she accepted her fate. Such sudden turnpoint.
I prefer the drama is constant from beginning until the end.
3 stars
