Review by Ronny

Series Name: Alliance, #1

Nero is a steamy, dark mafia romance that was so satisfying to sink into.

Favourite Quote:

“Evening.” His voice is deep. But gentle. Soft even. And my brain doesn’t know how to react.
My heart is racing.
My hands are shaking.
But the rest of me doesn’t move.
“You know,” he says, as he takes a few slow steps, crossing in front of the TV. “You really shouldn’t leave your door open like that.”
My lips part, but my words get jumbled on my tongue and I have to swallow before trying again.
“I’m on the second floor,” I whisper, still trying to understand what’s happening.

Book Synopsis: 

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.

Nero

The 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.

Review:

So, I’ve read this series completely out of order, which is not much of a surprise. That being said, obviously, that means that all the books in the Alliance series can be read as a stand-alone. I really enjoyed this book. Hans (the fourth book in the series) is still my favourite, but this is another fun, spicy, dark romance. One of the great things about this book, and the others in the series, is that they are such fast reads. I breezed through this book in one sitting, and the next day, I gave it another read-through. Now be warned, this is a dark mafia romance, which means that the relationship between Payton and Nero may not be the healthiest…. ok it isn’t super healthy, and there are lots of red flags, but I don’t care. I enjoyed every moment of it. Also, because this is a mafia romance, there is detailed violence on some of the pages. Think John Wick movie, gruesome violence. 

Now let’s dive into the story; this is an Insta-lust obsession/stalker mafia romance. Nero stumbles into Payton’s apartment while trying to avoid the cops and is instantly drawn to Payton. He becomes obsessed with Payton and does start to stalk her…. but only to make sure she is safe, so it’s ok, lol.  He knows that any kind of relationship or interaction with Payton would be a bad thing because it would put Payton in danger. What kind of future could these two really have? But the heart or those lusty feelings want what they want, and things move very quickly, physically and emotionally, between Payton and Nero, so hold on to your panties. I liked the relationship between these two. It’s spicy, saucy, and a little sweet. The chemistry, even though unhealthy at times, was super delicious and fun. There is also plenty of drama and angst between Payton and Nero. 

This story really is about how two people from very different worlds can be together romantically. Payton may not have come from a healthy home, but she lives a normal life and has no knowledge of the darker, seedier world that exists in society. Nero has a security company and various other money-making businesses, but he is also part of the Alliance. The Alliance is a found family mafia group that Nero is the leader of. They are a ruthless, violent mafia group, but also kind of the good guys. Mafia elements in this book aren’t really front and center until the second half of the book. We get glimpses of Nero’s world in the first half, but it’s during the second half of the book that those darker mafia elements come out, and Nero’s past puts Payton in danger. I liked the story. It was entertaining and exciting at times, and it had all the elements that I believe make up a good dark mafia romance. 

Overall, Nero was a quick and dirty read and perfect for anyone looking for their next mafia romance.