Nero (Alliance #1) by S.J. Tilly

"To all my ladies who see walking Red Flags as a pretty shade of pink... repeat after me, only when the men are fictional" 

- S.J. Tilly

• Title: Nero
• Author: S.J. Tilly
• Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Publication Date: 3/16/2023
• 368 Pages
• Standalone (Book 1)

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• Plot: ★★★☆☆
• Spice: ★★★★☆
• Tropes:  Obsessed Hero, Mafia/Organized Crime, Insta Love, Age Gap, TSTL, Rich vs. Poor, emotional Scars

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Trigger Warning: Graphic on-page violence, death, kidnapping, past emotional trauma, and physical abuse. Instances of dubious consent and extreme stalker tendencies.

So, what do you do when a stranger walks through your open second-floor patio door? Why of course, you don't ask any questions and share a bowl of popcorn and a movie. This book follows Payton and Nero as they navigate their different worlds. The timeline of this book spans a couple weeks but in that time both had to face their pasts for the survival of their relationship. Though if I remember correctly, he spent more time stalking her than the time we got to see them together.  

I enjoyed this book. There were areas where I wanted more details and others where I wanted fewer details. However, for the majority of the book, I enjoyed their journey of learning and loving each other. While this is a standalone book and the overall plot of the series is not interconnected, the characters are. I do think Nero and King (The Alliance) were the highlight of this book. Considering the dark elements of the book, it felt pretty light because of them. Not so much the violence... that was a bit gross (read the book and you will know exactly what scene I am referring to). S.J. Tilly does a wonderful job discussing tough topics throughout the book. In my opinion, the comedic characters help make these topics digestible and refreshing when done tastefully. Which is exactly what S.J. does.  If you are looking for an overall feel-good book with some spicy twists then this book is for you!

“What? You figured I'd just casually take out my phone and snap a pic of her f*cking face? As if she wouldn't immediately call the cops on me for that? Are you insane? Seriously, that's F*cking creepy. Even for us." "Okay!" I snap. "I get it.”

My favorite aspect of this book was the comedic relief. I constantly found myself smiling and chuckling along with the book. Nero and King's friendship is hilarious to me. I am so glad King's book is next so the chuckles can continue. Also, I appreciated how gentle Nero was with Payton. Yes, he is a bit obsessive and very much a stalker but Payton loved it. They fit well together and as such had a sweet and dedicated relationship that I appreciated reading about. 

“Anger bubbles beneath my shock. Wasn't she listening to anything I said? Did I not make it clear that knowing me was dangerous?”

I have two main cons for this book. First, while the MMC and friends were pretty entertaining in all their craziness, I could barely get through the FMC. Yes, she has past trauma and I would want anyone with similar experiences to be kind to themselves. However, Payton reads like she gave up on living. I am unsure if it was intentional but for me, Payton was TSTL and determined to live in a perpetual bubble of negativity. I did appreciate the few moments she attempted to fight back but I did not like how often she hid her head in the sand and simply cried throughout the book. My second con relates more to book depth. While we get a good understanding of Payton's history and memories, I do wish we explored Nero's past more. It was referenced but I would have preferred more dept. #JusticeforNero

“My arm tightens around her. "You never have to thank me, Payton." She snuggles further into my side. "But I always will" I let my eyes slide closed. "I'd give everything for you." her palm presses over my heart. "But I'll never ask you to.”

Ultimately, I did enjoy this book and will recommend it to others, with a heads-up about the FMC. However, if I am being honest while reading Payton's parts, she reminded me to shift my own perspectives. Sometimes it really feels like everything is against us, making it easy to fall into a slump. I wanted so badly for Payton to stand up for herself and be stronger. But in all my frustration with Payton, it also reminded me to keep that same energy for myself, which is something I appreciated from this book. Reading their love story unfold was very sweet. You can tell these characters are the type to evolve into stronger individuals because of the support they offer each other. Which will be fun and interesting to see in the remainder of the series. Also, I am very interested in seeing how the complete series goes. I think this was a good introduction to the Alliance series, so far. Currently, I am enjoying the relationship dynamics but I hope for more character depth in the rest of the series.