When Gianna watched her sister Aria getting married to a man she barely knew, she promised herself she wouldn’t let the same thing happen to her.Matteo – The Blade – Vitiello set his eyes on Gianna the moment he saw her on his brother Luca’s wedding, and Rocco Scuderi is more than willing to give his daughter to him, but Gianna has no intention of marrying for any other reason than love. A few … few months before the wedding, Gianna escapes her bodyguards and runs away. She has enough money to flee to Europe and begin a new life. But staying undetected when the mob is searching for her is a challenge that takes everything, especially as one of their best hunters and assassins is after her: Matteo Vitiello.
After six months on the run, Gianna finally settles into a tentative routine in Munich, but then Matteo and a couple of her father’s soldiers find her with another man.
Despite her pleads they kill her boyfriend, and Gianna is forced to marry Matteo. Her emotions alternating between guilt over having dragged an innocent into her world and 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.
Book #3 in the “Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles”. This book can be read as a standalone.
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I am a huge fan of „Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles” series. I loved the first two books, but here in „Bound by Hatred” I was possessed by Matteo and Gianna story.
First of all I must write that Matteo is MINE. Sorry, but I don’t wanna share him with anybody.
Second of all „Bound by Hatred” is the best book of this series for me.
Why?
Gianna is a really strong heroine. She does everything to be autonomus. When her activities brings the responsibility she proud to face them and waits for the consequences.
Matteo „Blade” Vitiello is a Luca’s younger brother and he is a psycho hero. If he wants something he will do everything to has it. He is unstoppable and he is a real alpha in this book.
Of course both of them Gianna and Matteo are a really strong characters.
When I started reading this book I was in shocked about the plot. We have a quick reminder about Aria and Luca history, but we can see this events by Matteo and Gianna POV. Until then we can see their hate for each other.
But this is just the beginning.
I love this book! I love this heroes and this plot. „Bound by Hated” is a lot of steamy and angst story in mafia world. This is a good example how to write fucking awesome hate-to- love story.
If you didn’t read this series, You must take it. NOW!
I think for now this is my favorite couple of these series.
Matteo and Gianna are so perfect for each other that I loved to read all their struggling until they are aware of this. That’s a pretty good qualit of the author. How well she describes their inner thoughts, feelings and personalities around a highly interesting plot.
Gianna likes Matteo but she wants to escape the life from the mob. All the old fashioned rules, the attachment, the violence, death, lack of freedom and everything that mafia stands for. She’s the rebel girl of the family and Matteo has an infatuation with her, or maybe is something more? They both are determined, headstron and have strong personalities that end up colliding and bringhing unforgettable scenes.
Matteo wants Gianna and he will do everything to get her. And as a collateral effect this is going to affect Luca and Aria relationship. I enjoyed a lot reading Gianna’s thoughts and mixing feeling and learning about Matteo starting to feel a deep connection with her.
A thrilling and captivating ‘from enemies to lovers’ romance that got me totally hooked to the story.
Intense sex scenes, powerful characters and very entertaining. I loved it and will be reading the next book of the series
Gianna and Matteo are attracted to one another.
Gianna hates the Mafia world she lives in and wants to make her own decisions.
Matteo is a hunter and when he wants something he usually own it. He wants Gianna.
The hardest thing in life is having to deal with feelings you don’t understand. When you feel something that is initially everything you were against.
The girl who runaway is being catch and forced to marry a handsome, crazy psychotic hunter.
She hates that she have feelings for him.
He hates that she wants nothing to do with him.
Matteo is a lot deeper than his funny easygoing person he puts out. He really loves Gianna and wants to show her that they can be good together.
After a lot of months trying to push him back, Gianna will have to face the reality of life.
The Born in Blood series continues.
Many people love a premise of enemies to lovers. If this is your case, you will love this book. Or not. But one thing is certain, Gianna and Matteo will mess with your emotions.
The book explores the duality of human nature, like everyone else so far in the series: such cruel and implacable people who murder and torture without apparent remorse would be able to live and feel a feeling as sublime and pure as love?
Cora Reilly’s answer to that question is yes. However, each book and each couple will show different ways and aspects through which this love will manifest. Through honor, in sacrifice for those he loves. Through duty, to assume their responsibilities. Or in the case of this couple, through hatred.
Many found Gianna boring and immature. But she has a complex personality. Suffering for years the physical abuse of her father, Gianna coexists with something that few realize: the conflict of hating herself.
Her story makes it clear like the water that she has parts that are also cruel and accept the modus operandi of the Mafia when it comes to protecting and avenging those she loves. But another part of herself can not accept a world where so many options are taken from her, that forced her to live without the affection of her father and who wishes to condemn her to a marriage and a life without love.
Matteo despite being a cruel man is passionate and dedicated. Determined to make the marriage work. At times he is also macho and possessive, but his unique personality fits perfectly into Gianna’s.
Bold, explosive and problematic, but impossible not to love. A couple that look the opposite but actually is extremely similar, masterfully written to tinker with your emotions living with them all this feeling of love and hate so addictive while reading this great book.
*review for audible version*
This story is full of angst, pain, incomparable passion, fierceness, and humor. I really loved Gianna and Matteo together. There was chemistry and sexual tension right from the start. I loved how Matteo, despite the sometimes infuriating moments, stuck by Gianna’s side. He was up for the chase and never gave up on what he truly wanted. Gianna was rightfully so, stubborn and defiant being forced into an arranged marriage. She wanted different for herself and was determined to find a way. But Matteo is a man who is hard to resist no matter the kind of man he is and what he does. Just an amazing read and amazing listen and I truly enjoyed the narration!
So I loved Matteo since the beginning; he is one of my favorite characters from the series. And Gianna! My baby girl only wanted to be free and have her life away from the mafia and the obligation of marrying someone she didn’t love or wanted.
I really love this couple and their story. I think they are my favorite from the BIBMC.
” , . ’ . ’ .”
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Bound by Hatred is the third book of the series Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles and it’s an enimies to lovers trope. That book was exactly what I was looking forward to read. I was sure that Matteo and Gianna will never disappoint me; their story was so thrilling. Matteo and Gianna are so perfect for each other.
At the beginning of the book, Gianna and Matteo talked about old facts (from previous books) from their perspectives.
From reading the first book in the series, you would get a glimpse about how Matteo and Gianna characters’ are and how their is some kind of attraction and tension between them.
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Gianna Scuderi (Aria’s sister from the first book) never liked the mafia world she’s living in and after watching her sister giving up and getting married off in New York to one of the cruelest men in The Famiglia; Gianna decides to fight her fate from marrying Matteo Vitiello (Luca’s brother from the first book) and runs away. Gianna is a stubborn but also a brave woman. After escaping and coming back, everyone in The Outfit treated her as a whore even her own father. Matteo still wanted to marry her and she was doomed to accept her fate at the end since no one would ever want her after what she had done. From the very first moment, Gianna was attracted to Matteo but she kept forcing whatever she felt deep inside her because she felt bad for liking a bad man. Still, she tried to show Matteo that she despised him but her body always betrayed her.
Matteo Vitiello was cocky as what Gianna and Luca said about him. He also had a wicked sense of humor. Matteo had always been attracted to Gianna’s stubbornness and fierceness. When he first met her, she teased him and said that he can’t have her and that made Matteo want her even more. Matteo asked her hand for marriage behind her back; he knew she’ll never accept him if he asked her first. As soon as Gianna’s bond to marry him, she escapes. Nobody could stop Matteo from chasing her. As the best hunter in the world, he successfully finds her after six months of hunting and they got married. I liked that after what happened he still had hope, yes he was possessive but also he was protective of Gianna because no one had ever protected or cared for her except her siblings. Matteo actually broke my heart in that book, he thought that Gianna would never love him and the only thing that made her not point a gun at his head is that she’s afraid of blood.
” , . ’ , ’ . ’ . .”
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These two were an explosion together, and they really blew me off. I’ve even heard that they are having a novella and I can’t wait to read it; I already miss them very much! And again this book got me hooked and I never wanted to finish it. Cora never fails to impress me and her books will make you wish having a bad mafia man in your life. Matteo and Gianna are my favorite couple so far, can’t wait to read about the other couples and see if I would change my mind. Bound by Hatred is the best concept for enemies to lovers and if you like that kind of plots you should probably read it I’m sure you’ll never be disappointed.
What can I say I am a fan of the bound series and Cora does not disappoint, Gianna and Matteo are 1 of my favorite couples in the bound series definitely top 5. This book is in my top 3 of the bound books love Matteo and Gianna together, I was rooting for her during her adventure then rooting for them to end they way it did.
Matteo and Gianna were smoking! I loved loved their banter and their chemistry. I liked that it was sort fo enemies to lovers and how they both let their guards down I only wish their book was longer because I didn’t wanan say bye!
What can I tell about this couple? , .
: a beautiful, strong and rebellious girl who tried as much as possible to fight for her rights and her freedom.
She went against her own feelings for Matteo to prove a point and limited herself throughout the book, feeling guilty for what she felt and didn’t want to feel, even leading to inconsistency too many times.
Sometimes I didn’t approve some of her choices, but at the same time you can not understand her reasons.
: he was struck by Gianna’s aura from the first moment he saw her. He went out of his way to have her and to make her understand that, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she reciprocated his love.
He literally went to the other side of the world to get her back and got what he want.
Matteo, leaving out the bond with gianna, is an exceptional character — beautiful, funny, decisive and above all not mentally closed like most men in this world.
My love for matteo pushed me to adore this couple even more. I literally can’t wait — very soon — to read their anthology and have some more matteogianna !!!
I have found my new favorite mafia couple! goodness! Matteo & Gianna rocked! I was up till 6 in the morning reading this book. I just couldn’t keep it down. ever since they were introduced in the first one, I was patiently(not really) waiting for this book.
I devoured it in one go.
On Matteo’s insistence his marriage was arranged with Gianna Scuderi, much to her dismay. Matteo has been smitten with Gianna ever since their first meeting. But Gianna was against this match. Sadly the mafia world doesn’t give her the right to refuse.
So Gianna decided to take the matters into her own hands and made a run for it. She thought everything would be perfect now but that was far from the truth…
Matteo was a dream come true. He would make any girl go weak in her knees but just his smile. yep! He is that good. and not shockingly he is well aware of his charms.
but our main girl Gianna is not naive enough to fall for this charmer. She was the perfect match for him. She challenged him at every step and Matteo LOVED it.
their banter was perfect as was their romance. Cora kept the pace of the book very smooth and nothing felt rushed. The constant push and pull was interesting. slowly Matteo & Gianna made their ways into each other’s hearts.
all you mafia book lovers, go and pick this one right now! you won’t be disappointed at all!!!
What can I say
Matteo and Gianna is my favorite couple forever and ever
All of these feelings and fires between them made this book one of the most wonderful books Cora ever wrote
Bound by Hatred is the third book in the Born in Mafia Chronicles by Cora Reilly.
“I think there’s a huge difference between the kind of trouble I stir up and the trouble you cause.”
I have been waiting for Matteo’s book since by Bound by Honor and I fell in love. Matteo is absolutely on fire. He was pure perfection. He is unapologetic with everything.
“He looked magnificent, like something even Michelangelo couldn’t have created better.”
Gianna Scuderi is quite the opposite of her sister, Aria. She is not obedient and she is determined not to have the same fate as her sister. She is 100% determined to change her fate. She is stubborn, snarky, hard-headed, and absolutely feisty. Matteo, The Blade, Vitiello is unapologetic for who he is; brutal, ruthless, stubborn and deadly.
“You won’t ever be free. None of us are. We are all caged in by the rules of our world.”
Gianna escapes her fate by running away to various places under different aliases and staying low. As the best hunter in the world, it is no surprise that Matteo finds her in a comprising position. All soldiers in the Outfit and the Familia sees his as a slap in the face and a total dishonor, but Matteo is as stubborn as she is and he ends up marrying her. This was a battle of give and take and stubbornness was in full display.
“You can pretend this isn’t doing anything to you, Gianna, but your body betrays you.”
Gianna and Matteo was an explosion together. They were so good that I still want more of them to this day. I need them badly and I feel like there just wasn’t enough of them. Please Cora Reilly, help me!! I need me some Gianna and Matteo fix.
“Love means someone is perfect for you despite their imperfections.”
3/5
In Bound by Hatred we follow we siblings of the couple in the first book. Gianna is Aria’s little sister and Matteo is Luca’s younger brother and his right hand man.
Matteo liked Gianna from the second he met her. Gianna can’t stand Matteo from that same second. When she hears the news that she has to marry Matteo she runs away. She will do whatever she can’t not to marry Matteo. Of course it doesn’t take long until she is found. Even thought she ran away Matteo still wants her.
Gianna can’t stand Matteo but she is still attracted to him and acts on it in an not emotional way.
Gianna isn’t your everyday female heroine in a mafia book. She doesn’t accept much (if anything) from someone. She always has something to say back. I Actually really enjoyed reading about Gianna, the things she did was because she was thinking about herself. She isn’t like Aria at all. She doesn’t do anything to make someone happy if it doesn’t make her happy.
Of course there were moments that I thought: ok just get together already but in the twisted world they live in their actions made sense to me.
And Matteo just didn’t want to give up op Gianna. He know who he is as a person and he doesn’t need approval from other men to feel more like a man. I loved this, he doesn’t care what people would think about him or his wife because he knew who he is as a person and didn’t doubt himself. It also helped that he is the right hand man of his brother and strong as shit.
Doing a reread of the series after so long, and seeing I have no review for this book pains me so here we go:
At a second read, Bound by Hatred kinda makes me mad. I love Matteo and his character, and Gianna really is a B, like Luca says often. I understand she was never one for the life, but she really did act like it was the worst thing. I would have almost expected this behaviour from shy Liliana in the next one. Even though she’s shy, she’s terrified of this life. Gianna is more tough. I don’t blame Matteo for still wanting her; when you want something, you want it. I so felt for him in this book.
Classic enemies-to-lovers romance for sure, but not a favorite in the series.
This is the third book in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, an OUTSTANDING Mafia Romance. I LOVE this Series. Matteo and Gianna’s story is entertaining, fast-paced, action packed, and captivating. Matteo is handsomely dark, ruthless, possessive, and protective. Gianna is a wonderful character, strong, sassy, and stubborn. They share a sizzling hot chemistry. I loved to follow them in their journey. I loved to see again Luca and Aria. Wen Ross, and Lynn Barrington did an outstanding job with the narration. They are perfect as Matteo and Gianna! Now, I am looking forward to listen to the next book in the Series, Bound by Temptation. If you like Mafia Romance, this Series is definitely for you. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Bound by Hatred by Cora Reilly is a mafia romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Wen Ross and Lynn Barrington. This is the third book in the Born In Blood Mafia Chronicles
I absolutely love this series! Each book just keeps getting better and better. Cora does an amazing job pulling me in from the very first chapter. . I really enjoyed the push and pull between Gianna and Matteo. I can’t wait to dive into the next book in the series Bound By Temptation so I can get Liliana and Romero’s story.
Wen and Lynn did an amazing job on the narration. They both really know how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.
I would recommend this book if you like mafia romances or arranged marriages.
The dual narration was awesome on this book! Getting the attitude of both Gianna and Matteo right made the book all the more enjoyable
Bound by Hatred seems like a title where you know what you are going to get with the story, but you get so much more. It seems to everyone, even Gianna, that hate is the one thing there is between her and Matteo. Matteo sees signs from the beginning, but it takes quite a bit for Gianna to see it as well, that these two are perfect together. Their passion, their exuberance, the way they live and do as they please, the way they care deeply for those they love, they compliment those traits in the other. They understand the other, they get what the other is like, and they get upset when others don’t see them as they do. It takes them time to get there, but once they do, look out, they are the storm to any calm they encounter!
Definitely the fact that Gianna escaped was the first shock of the book, in the end it accomplished its mission, but Matteo was not going to give up so easily. I have to admit there were Gianna / Lucca scenes that made me laugh
I liked Matteo. I did not like Gianna. I didn’t think I was going to like Gianna. She was a brat. And her internal back and forth got old.
I don’t know right now if I’m going to continue this series, but I’m desperate enough to like to not give up on it entirely yet. I’ll maybe give it one more try.