Alliance · 2023
NeroSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by S. J. Tilly
Spice 5/5 (Scorching) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · No trigger warnings flagged
Nero is book 1 of Alliance by S. J. Tilly. It came out in 2023. The lane here is mafia and stalker. Spice is scorching, with a lot of it on the page (5 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 16 March 2023 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Alliance.
Nero tropes
On this shelf, Nero is filed under Mafia dark romance and Stalker romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Nero spice level
Is Nero dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Nero scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Nero trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Alliance reading order
Nero is book 1 of 4 in S. J. Tilly's Alliance series. Start here.
- Book 1 Nero (this book) · 2023
- Book 2 King · 2023 not on our shelf yet
- Book 3 Dom · 2023
- Book 4 Hans · 2023
Order checked against the Goodreads Alliance series page on 9 October 2026. The Alliance series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Nero
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Hans
Hans
S. J. Tilly
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- The Italian Obsession
The Italian Obsession
N.J. Adel
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- Dear Rosie
Dear Rosie
S. J. Tilly
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- He Hates Me
He Hates Me
Isabella Starling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- He Hates Me Not
He Hates Me Not
Isabella Starling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- Innocence
Innocence
Lee Savino
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- Cruel Obsession
Cruel Obsession
J. L. Beck
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- Haunted Desires
Haunted Desires
Willow Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
Books like Nero, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Nero?
Nero spice level is 5 of 5 (Scorching). Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Nero trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Nero dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Nero scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Nero?
On this shelf Nero is filed under Mafia dark romance and Stalker romance.
Who is Nero for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is scorching. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Nero?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Hans by S. J. Tilly; The Italian Obsession by N.J. Adel; Dear Rosie by S. J. Tilly; He Hates Me by Isabella Starling; He Hates Me Not by Isabella Starling; Innocence by Lee Savino. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/nero.
Is Nero a standalone?
No. Nero is book 1 of 4 in the Alliance series by S. J. Tilly.
What order should I read the Alliance series in?
1. Nero; 2. King; 3. Dom; 4. Hans.
How many books are in the Alliance series?
The Alliance series by S. J. Tilly has 4 main books.
What is the Nero age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 5/5 (scorching) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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