Dom (Alliance #3) by S.J. Tilly
- Title: Dom
- Author: S.J. Tilly
- Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
- Publication Date: 9/21/2023
- 474 Pages
- Standalone (Book 3)
- Plot: ★★★☆☆
- Spice: ★★★★☆
- Tropes: Obsessed Hero, Age Gap, Secrets, Mafia/Organized Crime, Enemies to lovers, Emotional Scars, Forced Proximity, Damsel in Distress, Vegas/drunk marriage
Trigger Warning: Graphic on-page death and extreme violence. Parental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Negative Body Image and Negative Self-Talk, Dubious Consent, Drugging, Tattoos w/o Consent, Kidnapping, Birth Control Tampering, and Death of Parent. Also mentions of Human Trafficking and Suicide.
So friends, what did we learn? When a tall, tattooed, very friendly, attractive man who calls you mama approaches you at the airport... we run. Clearly, he is suspicious... but might also be the love of your life! So please fall blindly in love with strangers at your own discretion.
This book follows Dom and Val as they truly get to know one another and fall madly and deeply in love. Throughout this book, they learned that they both needed the other, in ways neither of them realized. This book was spicy, with no slow burn just straight to the point in what seemed to be an authentic way. Dom loved every single one of Val's curves and was always ready and willing to show Val just that. With a mysterious threat looming, the couple's love is put to the test. In the end, I am conflicted by this book because there are aspects I absolutely loved and then other things I strongly disliked. I will provide a deeper explanation below.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. In my opinion, it is a good and dark book. There are some dark tropes and kinks discussed in this book so please be mindful. Some aspects can be jarring but as a reminder, this is a dark romance book and we do NOT kink shame here (see my rules). Outside of the dark themes, this book was my least favorite of the series. However, I do not believe the series would be complete without it, and as such I recommend reading this book. Especially if you are exploring S.J. Tilly's universe.
“I’m Dominic.” She places her palm in mine, even as I hear her psychotic husband growl. “But feel free to call me Daddy.”
Deranged Daddy Dom was absolutely my favorite part of this book. I loved that we got more character depth and development in the book compared to the previous two. It put certain character actions into perspective for me which was very helpful. Both main characters are a mess but Dom was hilarious. There were so many times I wanted to be mad at him (again he's deranged) but instead found myself laughing at the sheer insaneity of it all. I hated the manipulation but learning his true feelings really helped throughout the book. Also, I am convinced Dom just wanted friends and didn't know how to make them. He fit so well in the Alliance. Dom and Nero were a duo I did not know I needed, and now I too want a pair of brass knuckles.
Also, this book discussed some heavy topics so I appreciate S.J. Tilly's storytelling approach. Tilly knew the perfect moments to add comedic relief or kindness and compassion. She created a really balanced book which made it very easy to digest.
“And oh my fucking god, I need to stop feeling so damn sorry for myself.”
I hope by now it's clear my pet peeve for FMCs. Unfortunately, Val hit the nail on the head in this book I was honestly disappointed in her character. I understand as humans we can tend to hide our true selves when in survival mode. Nonetheless, I was honestly still really surprised at how negative and self-deprecating Val was. In my opinion, Val in King's book seemed fun, independent, and involved with her family. However, I realized quickly that was not her reality. For comparison, I said something similar for Payton in Book 1, but the difference between these characters is Payton's character presented like she wanted to be tougher, and over time (throughout the other books) we see she did. Meanwhile, Val reads as being perfectly content to hide away from the world.
Ultimately, Val's character design was my biggest frustration in the book. Val had no backbone and Dom walked all over her. Though not in an intentionally mean or harmful way instead because if he didn't she would never address her issues. Also, in my opinion, things about Val's character just did not make sense to me. **Small Spoiler Ahead** For example, why doesn't she have a decent picture of the beach on her phone to the point that she is embarrassed to have a stock beach photo as her background. First, she has money and could go to the beach at any time. Second, she travels for work and has flown a lot, she could have gone to the beach outside of work. Lastly, King and Savannah just got married... on the beach... not having a photo just doesn't make sense. I know that's a small detail but I didn't want to spoil too much. **End of Spoiler**
This also frustrated me because I have read other books and FMCs in S.J. Tilly's universe so I know writing a character like Val is not Tilly's main writing style and instead was a choice. I am frustrated because I don't understand why it was chosen to begin with.
“You’re the good woman who changed my life.”
Truly, what saved this book for me and made it really enjoyable was Dom and his foolishness. Meaning, that though I did not like Val as a character, I did love seeing her and Dom together. The way he loved her so intensely and without judgment was beautiful to read. This novel was almost a Hurt/Healing trope type of book. It had that same warmth and passion to it. Ultimately, I am not sure if Val is at the healing stage of her journey. She's more so at the acceptance stage. I appreciate seeing this relationship on-page because I do believe it would be helpful and reassuring to read a character begin their journey, imperfect but with help has the potential to evolve beautifully.
I recommend this book, but with the specification, you should read the Nero and King books first. If I am being honest, being so interested in S.J.'s universe has been a highlight of the series. Plus seeing how well all the characters fit together really made this book fun and enjoyable.
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