NERO BY S.J. TILLY
⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
❝ She doesn't smooth out my rough edges. She fits into them.
The soft to my hard. My better half, in every way.❞
DUAL POV
PAYTON ┆ NERO
♡⸝⸝ Virgin FMC ♡⸝⸝ Billionaire
♡⸝⸝ Plus-sized ♡⸝⸝ Organized Crime Boss
♡⸝⸝ Traumatic Past ♡⸝⸝ Touch Her & Die
♡⸝⸝ Insta-love ♡⸝⸝ Obsessive
♡⸝⸝ Large Age Gap ♡⸝⸝ Morally Grey MMC
⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
❌ CONTENT WARNINGS ❌
⤷ Age Gap (40 & 27) ⤷ Slight OWD (No Cheating)
⤷ Violence ⤷ Child Abuse
⤷ Kidnapping
⤷ Stalking
˚₊ · »-♡→ TL;DR
Nero is an excellent introduction to this series and author. I devoured this novel from start to finish in about six hours flat, I simply couldn't put it down. The novel starts with Payton's POV, who has just had yet another long day at work (girl, I get it). As she's trying to wind down, she spots him on her balcony, with the door wide the fuck open. Sirens in the background immediately give away that our eccentric male lead has been running from the cops and found himself in her apartment.
Despite being freaked the fuck out by this random stranger using her apartment to hide out, she is able to pass out on her sofa in his presence. Which is like...okay, I get it. I'd be pretty checked out too after a long ass day of customer service, so fuck it we ball. If this is how I must go out then I'll chalk it up to the gods' plan.
Nero uses this time to do some sleuthing about in her apartment; easily finding her whole ass government name on some mail on the counter, reviewing the vibes of her less-than-ideal living conditions, getting mad at the fact she has fake plants (because she obviously deserves real ones), and stealing her rose-scented body wash. Additionally, he becomes privy to a nightmare she has about her past.
❝ Just breathe, Sweet Girl.❞
Like, fuck. I'm cooked already. And so is Nero, cause he asks for the name of the man who haunts her dreams and cue obsession. Payton's innocence is like a drug to him and he keeps coming back for more and more, partaking in some light stalking, until he can no longer hide the dark part of his lifestyle and is forced to yoink her from her very humble abode.
Payton is a sweet, innocent girl who wants mothing more than to not live paycheck-to-paycheck and maybe get a schmedium-sized dog in the process. Nero is an insanely unhinged billionaire organized crime lord with zero desire to commit until he meets her. The man is filled with red flags, but thankfully I am colorblind (I'm not oops).
In terms of spice, this one nets a 3.5/5 for me. The first scene between the two is honestly the best, because Nero taking her virginity is where he completely snaps and there is no going back!
The novel overall was a 4/5, as it was a consistently good read throughout the novel. The very light other-woman drama was purposeful and didn't serve to create some less-than-inspired third act breakup scene (thank fuck).
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FAVORITE SCENES & QUOTES
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️
❝ I bet you've never told anyone. I bet you did as you were told.❞
I can feel his exhale against my lips.
❝ Break the rules for me, Sweet Girl. Put yourself first and give me a name.❞
After Nero leaves Payton's apartment, he phones King, the male lead of the next novel in The Alliance Series. Even though he just met her, Nero is already feeling very possessive of Payton, to the point where the address he gives King (his literal best friend) a pick up address that's a few blocks away from her dingy apartment complex. First order of business? Find out who the fuck Arthur is.
❝ Who is she? And who's Arthur?❞
❝ She's no one. But he's a dead man.❞
┈┈┈
The following day, Payton remembers her run in with the mysterious man that broke into her apartment. She also finds out he stole her body wash, but because he's a nice guy he leaves behind a hundred-dollar bill so she can buy a new bottle. She contemplates calling the cops, but thankfully doesn't, cause we don't want our male lead going to jail already, if at all.
As for the body wash he stole? Well, he decided to use it. Not for its intended use, but for some...recreational activity that made the shower even steamier. And who does he think of while he does this? Payton, of course. The man is already down fucking horrendous.
┈┈┈
After about a week, Nero decides he can't seem to stay away. And after obviously finding every little piece of information on Payton, he and King are parked right outside Twin's Cafe—Payton's place of employment—like a couple of weirdos. Nero adamantly denies he is stalking Payton, and King decides to stand on business and go grab a fucking coffee to test this man's patience in true King fashion. Payton doesn't recognize the man himself, but recognizes the unique aura that comes with dangerous men in general and almost thinks he's the mystery man that broke into her apartment, stole her panties, and repurposed her body wash into Jergen's.
King orders two coffees, one being her favorite, and heads back to where Nero is waiting patiently in the car. He gives the latte to an unknowing Nero, who thinks its fucking disgusting because honestly, coconut honey does sound fucking disgusting. But I'm a certified coconut hater, so take that with a grain of salt. That is, until he finds out that it's Payton's favorite drink, and then he chugs that shit like it's the last drink he'll ever have.
┈┈┈
After this, we get the absolutely divine scene of their first time together. Payton's depressed because her rent is increasing again, keeping her dream of owning a cute little dog firmly out of reach. And Nero, as deranged as ever, is sitting in an empty apartment across the street watching her disassociate on her couch. Now, Nero's already playing a losing game with himself trying to stay away from her, but what makes him give in is watching her walk toward her balcony door and opens it, then she walks away. Inviting our mad man right in to her life.
❝ This is your one chance, Payton. Your one chance to make the right choice.
The only time I'll let you tell me no.❞
Nero understands what she wants, because it's also what he wants. Surely, one good fuck is enough to get this obsession out of his system, right? Maybe if you're normal. But Nero is definitely not normal, and the last thread of his self control snaps upon finding out he is her first. The innocent girl he was pining for was truly that innocent and he can't seem to grasp the fact she chose him to take her virginity.
❝ Why? Why would she give such an honor to me?❞
❝ D-Don't go.❞
❝ I almost chuckle. Go? She thinks I'm gonna fucking leave?
Not a chance in hell.❞
Now, I actually quite like the virgin female lead trope, when it's done well. And S.J. Tilly does it well. Not only does Nero absolutely short circuit when he finds out she's a virgin, he claims it to be a fucking honor that she bestowed upon him as the lucky number one. Like, hello? How can you not love a man who goes positively fucking feral like this. And this is only chapter twenty-one. Fuuuuck.
┈┈┈
❝ You know, Cinderella only left one shoe behind.❞
❝ Yeah, and Prince Charming didn't break into her home to find her.❞
❝ The villains always have more fun.❞
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
🌶️ CHAPTERS
♡ 9 - Nero ♡ 58 - Nero
♡ 20 - Payton ♡ 59 - Payton
♡ 21 - Nero ♡ 60 - Nero
♡ 22 - Payton ♡ 70 - Payton
♡ 23 - Nero ♡ 71 - Nero
♡ 39 - Nero ♡ Epilogue Two
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🗡 The Alliance Series
The Alliance Series by S.J. Tilly became an immediate favorite, and admittedly I did not read this series in proper publishing/timeline order. I actually read the series starting with Hans (#4), King (#2), Nero (#1), & Dom (#3). That being said, I had zero issue keeping up with the story starting from the literal end of the series. The author does an excellent job in ensuring that each novel focuses on it's primary couple, despite the series being intertwined, and there are very little—if any at all—spoilers that would've ruined the first reading experience of the other books when read out of order like this, which I like when authors make a series of intertwined stand-alones. Despite reading out of order, I'll be reviewing in order!
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