A review by corvinascloud
Bound by Betrayal by Elle Maldonado

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 “let me fill all the hollow pieces of your soul, baby. i’d give you my very last breath if i could.” 

i’ve been waiting for this couple since book one, amalia caught my attention even more so than kai. to have not one, but two viciously devious female characters (counting helena from book 2) that are distinctively known and feared in their respective organizations, who not only respect each other but are friends? it’s so rare to find and the author did them justice. there was no true rivalry, just mutual understanding of what it’s like to be a woman in a criminal underworld dominated by men and thinking they're broken beyond repair, not deserving of love. i wish there were more scenes between them. just like i wish amalia’s girls were a bigger part of the story. what first made an impression was that she had forged her own faction, all female, and i wanted the story behind it, i wanted to see the different dynamics between the girls. did the female rage make up for it? absolutely, but there’s a lack of strong and empowering female duos and groups in more mafia and mafia adjacent romance and i believe this author can change that in the future.