A review by roksyreads
Nero by S.J. Tilly

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

S.J. Tilly and the Tilly-verse were undoubtedly a catalyst that brought me to the wide, wonderful world of contemporary romance, with Nero and the Alliance series especially hooking me on dark romance as a sub genre. I’ve been craving these stories recently and decided that, similar to my re-read of the Pleasure and Prey series, I wanted to experience the Tilly-verse through audio this time around. Chloe Ryan and Jack Calihan do a fantastic job bringing some of my all-time favourite characters to life through their dual narration of Nero, book 1 of the 4 part series. I loved hearing Payton’s sassy side blossom as she grows more confident in herself and also the sharp, growling edge in Nero’s darker moments. Both Ryan and Calihan seemed to capture Payton’s and Nero’s personalities well, especially Nero’s unhinged, oddly sweet nature (at least where Payton is concerned). And the humour—gosh, I can’t believe I forgot just how funny some of the lines are! Their tone and delivery were seriously on point!

Ratings:

4.5⭐   ~   4🌶️   ~   3💔

Tropes:

🖤 Grumpy/sunshine

🖤 Touch her and die

🖤 Age gap

🖤 Mafia vibes

🖤 Insta-love

What I loved:

🖤 Curvy, resilient FMC

🖤 Morally grey, unhinged MMC

🖤 Super satisfying revenge plot(s)

🖤 Excellent banter

🖤 Childfree MCs!