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Description
Payton Running away from home at 17 wasn’t easy. Let’s face it though, nothing before, or in the ten years since, has ever been easy for me.And I’m doing okay. Sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of people’s way, off people’s minds.So when a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home, and my life, I should be scared. Frightened. Terrified.But I must be more broken than I realized, because I’m none of those things.I’m intrigued.And I’m wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.NeroThe first time I took a man’s life, I knew there’d be no going back. No normal existence in the cards for me.So instead of walking away, I climbed a mountain of bodies, and created my own destiny. By forming The Alliance.And I was fine with that. Content enough to carry on.Until I stepped through those open doors, and into her life.I should’ve walked away. Should’ve gone right back out the door I came through. But I didn’t.And now her life is in danger.But that’s the thing about being a bad man. I’ll happily paint the streets red to protect what’s mine.And Payton is mine. Whether she knows it or not. Read more
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : March 16, 2023
Language : English
File size : 671 KB
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 382 pages
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
This book is utter perfection & I devoured every delicious second of it! And the things this man does, oh my Lord...🤌💋🥵🔥 I would give this 10 f'n ⭐️'s if I could. Here's the deets... **REVIEW & POSSIBLE SPOILERS** Story begins with Nero running from the cops & ending up on Paytons patio. He proceeds to casually sit down on her couch, eat the popcorn she made herself, & watch the wizard of oz movie she had on. What?! 🤦♀️ When he finally leaves, he tells her “Keep your doors closed, Payton. Leaving them open could be seen as an invitation.” Then he proceeds to wait outside her apt until she locks the deadbolt behind her. Seriously had me rolling 🤣 The backstory of Payton's horrific & heartwrenching past had me curled up ready to ball my eyes out. What her own mother & her stepfather made her go through is despicable. Honestly, had me wanting to do indescribable things. 🤬 Even though Nero knows he should let her go, he can't get Payton off his mind & quickly becomes obse**ed with her. Nero knows he's not a good man, he's brooding & possessive & completely unh**ged, but d*mn I can't help but love him! 🫶 He will do anything, & I mean ANYTHING, to keep her safe. Touch her & ☠️ The way these two were made for each other is clear as their chemistry 🔥 right off the pages. And the knee kicking, side hurting lmao banter throughout this book is to ☠️ for. I absolutely loved all the characters. Beautifully written, could not put this book down. Go read it, like right now! Shoo! FAV QUOTES/SCENES: He just…lowers himself onto the couch. My couch. Beside me. Once again, my mouth opens with nothing coming out. What is he doing? What is happening? “I love this movie,” he says, almost to himself. What. In. The. He🏒🏒. Is happening? “What’s his name?” His voice is still quiet, but it’s also different. A little menacing. “Wh-whose name?” His head tilts, and it reminds me of the nature channel when they show a wild animal sta*king its prey. “The man who laid his hands on you. Tell me his name.”...“Break the rules for me, Sweet Girl. Put yourself first and give me a name.” My fingers tighten their grip. I want to see her. Stay put, idiot. It’s bad enough that King is in there. Then she smiles at King, I shove my door open. Those smiles are mine. I have one leg out of the vehicle before I stop myself. Get your sh*t together, man! Cursing aloud, I pull my leg back and shut the door. “This is your one chance, Payton.” His voice is rougher than I remember. The deepness of it filling the room. “Your one chance to make the right choice. The only time I’ll let you tell me no.” “The time to run is over, Baby. Now it’s time to give.” “I’m not staying,” he mutters it this time. He sounds so resigned, even as he does the opposite of what he just said, and I almost laugh. Nero drops onto his back, shifting the pillow, lifting his head and sm*cking it back down against the lumpy cotton, trying to get comfortable. With one final sigh, he stretches his arm out in my direction. “Come f'ing cuddle with me.” “I’m real, Sweet Girl.” “I’m not a good man, Payton. Don’t ever forget that. I’m trying to keep my distance for you. Because I don’t want to be the one to ruin you.”...“You shouldn’t trust me. But I’m asking you to anyway.” Nero presses his nose to my hair and inhales. “I’ll lie, and cheat, and steal, and k*ll, and do whatever I need to do to protect you. But I’ll never lie to you about who I am.” If Payton wants to play in my world, then we’ll f'in play. “I’ll only ever make love to you.”... “And I’ll gladly k*ll for you. As many times as it takes.” “You’re crazy,” I breathe...Nero bends over me, putting our faces an inch apart. “For you, I’m f'ing certifiable.” “I would dig my own heart out of my chest before I’d hurt you.” “If I decide I’m too good for Taco Bell, put a pew pew in my brain and end my misery. “The villains always have more fun.” “What’s mine is off limits. You’re mine. And people need to understand the consequences of what that means.” “There’ll be no secrets between us, Payton. No lies. No half-truths. If you ask me, I’ll tell you. And if I ask you, you tell me.” “It was always going to be you.”
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Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2025 by Mel
Format: Kindle
Wow, what can I say. The book has a good touch of everything. Hot romance, toxic cuteness, hilarious banter/inner dialogue, heartfelt traumas, and understanding acceptance. Hot romance: the FMC and MMC connect on such broken levels that they both draw out the lost emotions in each other. The smexy scenes are well written and the possessiveness from both characters are present as they are alive and well. Toxic cuteness: if this wasn’t a fiction, the stalkerish persona/tendencies that the MMC takes wouldn’t be as cute but it works for the MMC. Tilly writes his character so well that instead of it being offensive, it brings a sense of understanding to the MMC. His inner battles gives you a glimpse of his conscience and that dynamic brings a different touch to his actions. The way the FMC reacts to said stalking was a bit irrational as well but I can understand where she comes from, courtesy of her character built by Tilly. The give and take was a nice touch as it added more depth to each action. Hilarious banter/inner dialogues: y’all, these parts had me ☠️☠️☠️☠️. I was not expecting to laugh so hard. Out loud. KACKLINGGGG! To the point where my husband was looking at me like I was crazy. 🤣. The inner dialogues the MMC has with himself brings a great aspect to his character. He knows he’s trippin. And it’s funny af to hear him chastise himself. On top of the inner dialogues, the banter he engages in with his best friend is one of true friendship. They’re so funny when they bust each others chops that you can’t help but appreciate how much they care for each other. Even when they’re doing something nefarious, they undoubtedly held a comedic touch, whether they meant to or not. Tilly did a fine job explaining their bonds. It’s one of the reasons I like the MMC so much. I think he’s funny AF. Heartfelt traumas: At one point while reading the FMCs chapters I felt so bad for her. To the point where I couldn’t help but just sigh and shake my head. I could only imagine how she felt and her reality was just…sucking. I wanted to cry with and for her sometimes. While the MMC did have his own battles, it served as more of a reference/turning point than anything else. Understanding acceptance: due to how the characters are built, there’s this ease of comprehension that occurs. While both are broken, both have an inherent understanding, even if it took a bit for one to catch up to the other. This knowledge of how they know each other so well, is was made their actions so much more intimate. Be it the time it’s weaponized or the times they don’t question one another. I love how it expands when they establish their feelings and though it would be crazy to gloss things over IRL, in this world that was built around them, it was a seamless transition that spoke volumes without much elaboration. This book was great and I can’t wait to read the others. It was a great first introduction to S.J. Tilly for me.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024 by Phlo
Format: Audiobook
Nero was dark, intense, and exactly the kind of morally gray chaos S.J. Tilly does so well. Nero himself is unapologetically unhinged—possessive, ruthless, and fully aware that he’s the villain. If you love obsessive MMCs who operate on their own brutal set of rules, he’ll absolutely work for you. The romance was fast-paced and steamy, with plenty of tension and high-stakes moments. I enjoyed the power dynamics and the dangerous pull between Nero and the FMC, though at times the relationship development felt a bit rushed, making it harder for me to fully connect emotionally. The instalove vibes leaned a little heavy, and I wanted just a bit more depth and buildup to balance out the intensity. That said, the atmosphere was dark, the spice was on point, and the mafia world was engaging enough to keep me turning pages. Nero may not have completely blown me away, but it was still an entertaining, addictive read that fans of dark romance and anti-heroes will likely enjoy. If you’re in the mood for a possessive, morally gray lead and fast-moving, spicy romance, this one is worth checking out. 🔥
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Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2026 by Mary
Format: Kindle
Nero was my first SJ book and I loved every second of this. I finished it in 24 hours. I had no life. The outside world was dead to me. 🤣 Truth be told, I was a little apprehensive about this book. Peyton is lovely, but very naieve and I wasn't too sure in the beginning. The insta love also made me a little wary. But as the book went on, I fell more in love with everything. Nero is a stalker. A murderer. 100% certified, grade A psycho and a walking red flag. But damn, if he is not a living wet dream. He's mafia-ish. Organized crime, if you will. The night he meets Peyton he's running from the police. He instantly becomes obsessed with her even going as far as stealing her body wash and doing dirty things with it 👀 He is deliciously unhinged and stalker tendencies aside, he would burn the world down for Peyton. Peyton like I said is very naieve which is strange given her background and seeing as she is pretty damn independent. She's not weak and timid and besides being head over heels for her stalker, the girl does have a pretty good head on her shoulders. But there were times I found myself saying "really girl" when it came to her. As the book progresses though, she does eventually get it together and even gets sassy with Nero. The book is fast paced from the very beginning and I think that's one of the many things I loved. It's got the perfect plot to spice ratio as well. I think what really got me to fall in love with the book though is, her naievety aside, she actually chooses Nero on her own. So many times we see these situations especially in mafia romance, the fmc is almost tricked in a way by the mmc or just the situation because they want to "protect them from their world". Nero doesn't hide who he is or what he does. He's just himself and Peyton loves him anyway. Definitely a 5 star read for me and I cannot wait until the special editions come back in October!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2026 by Shelby Engeron
Format: Kindle
this book was just sooo good!! i started so many books before this one finally caught my attention and held onto it. thank goddess because i was scared a book slump was coming on. payton was very different from the fmc’s i’ve read lately and it was a little refreshing. she has been through so much trauma from her upbringing and seeing her make it out, while still being such a kind soft-hearted person, was so special. nero is so delicious. this man was completely obsessed and his stalker tendencies definitely drew me in. the older, rich, mafia man just really did it for me. he was powerful and demanding in every way, which just made him even better. the pacing of this book just felt perfect, and i loveeed the short chapters. i truly just enjoyed the development of the plot and the characters. also i’m soooo excited to get into book two with king’s story!!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2026 by Aryana Parker
Format: Kindle
"I bet you never told anyone. I bet you did as you were told" ... " Break the rules for me, Sweet Girl. Put yourself first and give me a name." UGH Nero just makes me MELT 🥵🫠🔥🌶️🖤 Okay, I'll get straight to the most important part with saying I personally LOVED this book. This was my first book by S.J. Tilly, but Iearned that I ADORED her writing style that hooked me immediately. The flow of the sentences and the sporadic chapter lengths were a very welcomed asset to my neurodivergent brain. A man waltzes into your apartment and you both become OBSESSED with each other?? SIGN ME UP PLS! 🔥 I was pleasently surprised with the straightforward and open communication between Nero and Payton. All the characters and their banter? *Mwah*. Wonderful! I LOVED how despite the darker aspects, I couldn't stop giggling and kicking my feet as I read. Nero is absolutely a red flag... But in a fictional world?? YES GIMME 🫠 The things this man does is just 🥵🌶️🔥 Payton is such a beautiful breath of fresh air from a lot of FMCs I've read. The plus size representation was perfect and something I didn't realize I needed SO badly. Honestly? I didn't have any big issues at all with the book. If I HAD to choose something, the pacing in the "third act" section may have seemed a *tiny bit* rushed. Even that being said, I love this book and I'd happily recommend it to anyone with an interest in mafia men, red flags, plus size FMCs, trauma navigation, and great banter. Still absolutely 5 stars for me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2026 by Sarah (Sarah'sSmutHut)
Format: Kindle
📖 ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖 “Nᴇʀᴏ“ ʙʏ S. J. Tɪʟʟʏ sᴛᴏʀʏ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🔥 This was my first read by SJ Tilly and I can honestly say I’m a hardcore fangirl fan for life! ❤️ This book grabbed me in a 𝒸𝒽ℴ𝓀ℯ𝒽ℴ𝓁𝒹 and wouldn’t let go - so fabulous! I devoured this book in two days (may have stayed up wayyyyyy too late to finish it before work but it was soooo worth it!) This book is utter perfection and I couldn’t get enough of it! I’m a dark romance girlie and really enjoy the mafia trope in general but this book takes the cake! Nero is deliciously dark, obsessive, possessive, stalker-ish and completely u̴ ̴n̴ ̴h̴ ̴i̴ ̴n̴ ̴g̴ ̴e̴ ̴d̴, and I am soooo HERE for all his alpha-hole energy! He has that little extra “𝓅𝓈𝓎𝒸𝒽ℴ” if you know what I’m saying …it oozes off the pages and you absolutely know he’d burn the world to the ground for his girl. He’s confident and just 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 how he feels for the FMC. 𝑰𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔. I’m 💯 in love with Nero and ALL his 🚩 lol. Payton is probably the most relatable FMC I’ve ever read and I swear we’re besties 😂 She is genuinely a sweet and nice person, opposite of Nero in every way. The light to his dark. She is so accepting of Nero and his flaws…she knows they exist and loves him wholeheartedly anyways. Doesn’t try to change him. Just loves him for who he is and that’s that. The way Nero and Peyton meet is pretty unique and the character development is so thorough, you get attached to both characters right away. And the dialogue, banter, and inner dialogue is world class top tier HILARIOUS! I was 💯 not expecting to laugh that hard and holy hell I was ☠️☠️☠️! Nero’s inner dialogue is seriously the best (he knows he’s ridiculous af and does it anyways 😂) and the banter between Nero and King is hysterical 🤣 I loved every second of it and this will definitely be a constant re-read for me! Too funny lol. Overall, I’m in love with this book, these characters, and Tilly’s writing style. I truly enjoyed every second of it and didn’t want it to end! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and I hope every other character is just as u̴ ̴n̴ ̴h̴ ̴i̴ ̴n̴ ̴g̴ ̴e̴ ̴d̴, obsessed, possessive, morally black, and hilarious as Nero is 😂 I’m 💯 a S.J. Tilly fan - off I go to the next in the series! ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇs: 🥀 ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ/ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ 🥀ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ/ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴍᴍᴄ 🥀ʙɪʟʟɪᴏɴᴀɪʀᴇ 🥀ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ 🥀ᴠɪʀɢɪɴ ꜰᴍᴄ 🥀ɪɴsᴛᴀʟᴏᴠᴇ 🥀ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴠᴇ/ᴘᴏssᴇssɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ 🥀ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ☠️
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Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2024 by SaltyBeachNSpicyReads
Format: Kindle
I loved their story, couldn’t get enough. If I had to add anything I would’ve wanted more reason to their connection being so heavy from jump. I love a insta-love story like everyone else, but to say I love you so quickly is kinda eh. But I won’t lie I inhaled every page. Can’t wait to start the next one. I’d also add that the mafia portion wasn’t present til like the end of the book and I wish it wasn’t. I wanted to know more of why mikhail did what he did and not learn about it in the last 10 pages. But great book for anyone who just wants the romance on a silver platter
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Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2026 by Genelle Burrow