Bound By Vows

by Sady A.

She never chose this marriage.
He never wanted a wife.

Sofia Alvarez is forced into the arms of Xavier Colombo, the most feared mafia leader in New York. A man as ruthless as he is powerful, cold, merciless, and untouchable. To him, a wife is nothing more than a chain, and Sofia is just another name bound to his empire.

But beneath Sofia’s fragile beauty lies a past she has never spoken aloud, a wound that still bleeds in silence, shadows that still haunt her every breath. And in Xavier’s world, there is no kindness, no escape, only control, only submission, only him.

What begins as a cage soon becomes a war of wills. Every step she takes is watched. Every word she speaks is tested. And every moment by his side pushes her closer to the edge of breaking.

Because Xavier Colombo is not her saviour.
He is her captor. Her torment. Her vow.

And in his world, love doesn’t heal.
It destroys.

Genres: Dark Romance

421 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2025

About the author

Hi, I’m Sady, and I write stories where love and danger collide. Bound by Vows is my debut dark mafia romance, a world of forbidden passion, ruthless power, and heart-stopping suspense. I’ve been a book lover my whole life, and when I’m not writing, you can usually find me lost in late-night reading sessions or geeking out over Spider-Man. I believe the best stories are the ones that make you feel every heartbeat and hold your breath until the very last page.

Reviews

[Nour Hane · Rating 1 out of 5]

honestly... A total mess.
The hero is abusive and hurtful, yet the author keeps trying to romanticize his behavior as love or trauma when it’s clearly just toxic. The heroine is frustratingly weak, forgiving everything for no real reason and stuck in the same cycle of pain without any real growth.

This story could’ve been powerful if there had been a firm turning point or even a bit of self-respect… but sadly it’s just exhausting drama and a complete waste of reading time.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where was the dark romance!!¿¿¿
sorry author but Abuse is NOT Dark Romance!

[Michelle Mayorquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

girl!!!!

I had a feeling on how it was going to end and I was right. But even though I predicted it was still good. No spicy in this book just the smallest amount of steam and tension. Girl I ate the book up!! It does end with a cliffhanger.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

When is the next book coming ???

[Lara Sabbani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand everyone's frustration with the book. However, isn't the beauty of such stories in the fact that they are just that, stories? Yes, it was messed up, but that's why it was good.. 💁🏻‍♀️

[Karissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

463 pages where barely anything happens was frustrating. I almost DNF’d multiple times, but kept going, hoping for some payoff between Xavier and Sofia. Unfortunately, it never came. There was no romance, no kiss between them. The pacing was very slow, and I wouldn’t even call it a slow burn. As another reviewer noted, abuse alone doesn’t make a story a dark romance.

The writing was overly descriptive, and the constant use of the word “deliberate”, became so distracting it pulled me out of the story.

Overall, it felt long and unrewarding, with no emotional payoff or character growth, ending on a cliffhanger.